Saving Rev Chilton

Lt Timothy Rodgers was happy to finally get a command. His friend Capt "Pippy" Jones at Battalion had suggested to the Colonel that Rodgers could handle the platoon after Lt Whitherspoon's death. Rodgers had languished on staff for 8 months and was itching to put his leadership skills to the test. Now he had his chance. But his first assignment? Go rescue a minister and his family! Really? The minister was Rev Chilton, his wife and daughter. He was a personally friend of a general so the Colonel had given Timbo his personal staff car. He was also given a bren carrier and 2 lorries. He decided 1 section would be enough. He would take first section along with Cpl Longshore. He had heard about Longshore's fighting spirit and wanted to see the man up close.

Characters:
Lt Timbo Rodgers Condscending Gr III leader
Cpl Longshore Mecurical Gr II leader
Rev Chilton Pleasant
Deacon Tralal Optomist Gr I leader

Map view from the Japanese entrance. Red roofed

building is the church. White building is the rectory.

Huts to the left are the begining of the town. Road to the left

is the road towards british lines. Each hex represents 20 yards

which at 15mm is about 2 to 1 ground scale

Rev Chilton agreed to evacuate but he wanted to take his deacon's family and his cook's family with him. Lt Rodger's tried to impress upon him that they must leave immediately but the Rev was unmoved. " We go together or not at all. God will protect us." he said. 8 parishoners appeared with rusty rifles and said they would defend their priest from the enemy. Deacon Tralal had basic military training years ago and volunteered to lead this section.

8 members of the congregation pick up rifles to defend their

pastor and the families preparing to leave. Here Rev Chilton

(dressed for some reason as a tanker!) blesses them.

Lt Rodgers put Cpl Longshore up the road in the jungle in an ambush position (on the right side of the picture map above) placed the deacon's men in the rectory, the bren carrier behind a hut and he and his batman tried to help load the lorry with people and goods.

The rattle of Longshore's bren gun told Rodger's that this was not going to be an easy assignment. There appeared to be 2 squads of soldiers supported by a MMG advancing up the road towards the church. The bren carrier came out from hiding and also fired down the road.

The Japanese Lt leads a squad of soldiers towards

1st section. They would wipe them out.

As the sound of british rifles diminished Lt Rodger's pleaded with Rev Chilton that they had to leave now but he was adamant! Rodger's heard rifle fire from the rectory as he saw the bren carrier pull back from advancing japanese troops across the road. Cpl Longshore showed up supporting 2 men from his section. They had been wiped out by the combination of a japanese squad, MMG and an armored car!

As the Japanese crossed the road therby cutting it, Rev Chilton announced cheerily he was ready to leave. Rodger's wanted to shoot the man then and there but his training took over even as bullets began popping around the Reverand. "Right, here is the plan. Cpl Longshore, you and my batman will drive the truck around the japanese there while I and the deacon's men lay covering fire. After that, we will charge the blighter's and drive them back long enough to pile into the Colonel's car and drive away." Chilton did not want to leave the deacon but Tralal convinced him it was the only way.

The truck is finally loaded. Lt Rodgers speaks to the

Singapore men while the Reverand boards the truck with

the familes. Ahead you can see the Col's sedan surrounded

by enemy troops

The amazing thing is--- it worked!!

Cpl Longshore and Rev Chilton make their getaway as

Japanese soldiers attempt to block the road

The Japanese blocking the road were only 4. Lt Rodgers and Tralal closed on them with 7 locals losing only 1 man in the process and another wounded. Almost important; the Colonel's car was saved!

Rev Chilton was very grateful and Lt Rodger's stock has soared. In addition the platoon has accepted him since he made sure the wounded and Cpl Longshore got out before he did.

British Forces

1 section

1 bren carrier

1 section of militia

Japanese Forces

1.5 squads

1 MMG

1 Gr III leader

1 Gr I leader

1 armored car as reinforcement (this came in as a random reinforcement)

Special rules

Include in deck an event card. Every time card is drawn roll 1 die. When cumulative roll reaches 15 the truck is loaded and Rev Chilton is ready to go. 50% he will go early to save just the people but cumulative roll must be at least 8 and mission will be seen as a draw as he will complain.

Militia is untrained but highly motivated. Instead of 1 die per 2 rifles use 1 die per 3 rifles.

Tralal is a holy man but may not lead british forces

Please note, all posts on this website are of actual games I play. I know this was an exciting game but this is how it really played out. I thought they were done for. What a great game!

Brookfield Plantation Map 2 and pictures

Still figuring out maps and pictures.

First map is at the end of the battle. Japanese are in the trenches with a MMG supporting.Cpl Drifmore is in the house with the survivors while Pvt Longshore leads his unauthorized charge against the MMG and wins! ( In the rules sometimes your leaders use there own initiative. Longshore did and it worked out this time. Very cool for solitaire players)

First pic is the Brookfield house from the trenches

Second pic is Pvt Longshore's charge against the Japanese MMG

Apologize about the photography. Will improve on that as well.



thanks







Joe

Brookfield Plantation 1941

British Platoon Singapore 1941 ( this is my 3rd battle with this platoon)
Lt Whitherspoon Gr II leader studious
Sgt "Slim Jim" Hall Gr II leader cocky, disliked currently wounded/missed battle
Cpl Jake Drifmore Gr III leader Cheery brilliant tactician though cautious acting Sgt for the platoon
Cpl "Posh" Harding Gr II leader indecisive
Pvt Longshare acting Cpl, mentioned in dispatches for heroics during 1st battle. Leading 1st section as company did not give us a Sgt to replace Slim Jim. Gr I leader mecurical

Lt Whitherspoon called his leaders together. Looks like the Japs are moving down the pennisula. We are to move up to Brookfield plantation and block the road. There should be a 2pdr there and some engineering lads have had a go at some defenses.
The lorry ride was interrupted by japanese aircraft once and when we got to the plantation little engineering work was done. The road started from the north and was a lazy "S". In the middle of the "S" was a nice house with rubber trees towards the left. Jungle with some high grass was north of the road, rubber trees to the left and jungle to the south. There were a couple of logs across the road and the start of a trench in the rubber trees that paralled the middle of the "S". We had a whole day to improve the trenchs. Japanese patrols snooped around that night and we knew they would hit us in the morning.
The Lt put me on the far left of the trench with 2nd section. Posh had 3rd section on the right of the trench with the ATG in the middle to fire down the road. The junlge was so thick we knew the Japs would have to stick to the road. He kept 1st section with Pvt Longshore under his personal eye in the house. We had an extra bren gun and 2 inch mortar postioned to fire along the middle part of the road.

Sure enough the Japs came down both sides of the road with a tank down the middle. The 2 pdr drove the tank back but the infantry kept coming. They were 20 yards in front of my position when out of no where a squad of nips appeared from BEHIND our trenches. (NOTE the squad came in as a reinforcement for the japanese from the side of the board as this envelopment was a favorite tactic that the british were slow to catch onto) Surrounded by 20 yelling yellowmen was tough on my boys. We fought hard but when we pulled down the trenchline I was slightly wounded and I left 5 of my lads dead there. Posh faired no better and we ran into the Lt at the far end of the trench. He told us englishmen are not routed by savages! He ordered me back to the plantation with my bren team to organize Longshore into a defnese of the house. He and Posh would hold the trenchline to give us time. The Lt was kind of stuffy but he was smart and a brave man! The Japs come roaring down the trenchline as I hightail it to the house. No Longshore. He had decided to launch his own enveloping attack against the Japanese around the right flank! I couldn't find him so hoped I could defend the house with my bren team.
5 minutes later the survivors of the trenches run back to the house with horrible stories. Lt Whitherspoon and Cpl Posh are dead; we have to run! I sez "Englishmen don't run from savages! Get that bren gun upstairs and start firing on the trenches." That fire coupled with the 2 inch mortar held them in check. Then on our right we see 1st section charge a jap MMG and take it! At that point they had had enough and withdrew. Somehow we had held! Lt Whitherspoon would be proud!

Will try to figure out how to post a map and pictures. British forces as above. Japanese forces were 3 squads of infantry, 1 squad of knee mortars, 1 MMG and 1 medium tank. 1 Japanese squad was allowed to come in from the side of the board on turn 3.
After the battle Pvt Longshare was mentioned in dispaches, promoted to Cpl and given 3rd section. A new Lt arrived from battalion; "Timbo" Rodgers Gr III leader who is condesending. In addition, the battallion S-1 "Pippy" Jones has asked Timbo if he can dispatch 2 sections and secure some missionaries who are in danger of being overun by the rapidly advancing japanese. Should be a blast.

Welcome!

Welcome to Platoon Forward. This is a place for After Action Reports using my solitaire campaign rules. It will focus on the men and hopefully entertain and inspire you to your own feats of derring do! I will follow each platoon as it is played out. I will include characters, forces and, if my computer skills allow, photos and maps. This will allow you to take any action and use it as a scenario. I use a variant of Too Fat Lardies "Troops, Weapons and Tactics" but any skirmish, squad or platoon based game should work.
Comments and suggestions are always welcome. Thank you for visiting.

Joe Legan
aka FlightDoc