Attack over Turtle creek

Hope everyone had a great holiday.  We were traveling visiting family so a fabulous time was had by all.  Over Christmas I played a game of Combat Commander Pacific with my brother who does boardgames.  It was fun ( not as good as Combat Patrol or TW&T) and inspired me to start an army platoon on Guadicanal.  Their first mission was a platoon attack over a creek.  Since there are no rules for Japanese in Combat Patrol I halved the number of morale checks but considered leg wounds as incapacitations.
First we roll up the men.  Because combat patrol uses teams rather than squads I rolled up the ASLers as well.
Lt Braxton  Pre War NCO                   jovial/ family        Gr II               +1
1st squad
         SSgt "Smokes" Hayes    Baker    Cheap/ girls          Gr I
         Cpl  Dunaway           Ranch Hand  Fanatic/Pleasure   Gr 0
2nd squad
         Sgt "Big Joe" Lawrence    store clerk  Likeable/pleasure  Gr 0        +1
         Cpl Nance     orphaned                      cocky/ religion       Gr I       -1
3rd squad
         Sgt Trumble    son of a preacher   likeable/ government    Gr I        +1
         Cpl Blaze       store clerk             cheap/ pleasure             Gr 0

Turtle Creek    The US had two stonks of 81mms which they dropped into the jungle.
Lt Braxton's plan was to have his best squad (1st) cross over the footbridge; his worst squad (2nd) provide covering fire from the top right and his last squad advance to the swamp and either provide fire or advance.

Close up of Jap positions

2nd and 3rd squad advance

2nd squads team able reaches the swamp

1st squad team able runs into a ... ATG!   ( Lucky roll on the table.)

With Big Joe pinning the Japs in the jungle Smokes gets his squad across intact.  ( One Japanese LMG broke which helped!)

The Japanese Lt, seeing the danger leads his forces out to throw Smokes back!  The fighting is brutal but Smokes squad yields under the pressure.  ( I gave the Japanese +1 in melee.  +2 if you are carrying a sword!)

Seeing Smokes get across.  Lt Braxton directs 3rd squad to follow up their success.

Sgt Trimble meets the Japanese force and the hand grenades fly! The Japanese are cut down.

Flushed with success, Trimble takes on the half squad that is left in the jungle despite the BAR being jammed.  The Japanese retreat through the jungle.  The exhausted americans do not pursue.

Fun first battle.  Lt Braxton is pleased with the platoon.  He thinks briefly about putting Trimble in for a medal but there is probably not enough there and his CO Capt Grimes, will be cautious because he wants to become Maj Grimes ASAP.  That said, Capt Grimes must be impressed with the platoon because an unarmed man shows up at the platoon and introduces himself as "Black ink" Webb.  He has been given permission to write about the platoon! Just what Braxton needs!!!

Just for fun used the same board to have a squad of US infantry patrol against a squad of VC.  Worked well.

Enjoy

Joe