Background

In 1944, the Japanese situation was looking desperate.  On all fronts, their offensives had been halted, and they were slowly being forced back.  Desperate to regain the offensive advantage, the Japanese planned the U-Go offensive.  The Japanese aim was to attack through to the Northern Indian towns of Kohima and Imphal, important British forward bases, from which they could launch offensives into India.  On paper, the planned Japanese force was three times the strength of the British opposition.  In reality, due to losses, they were at best twice the British strength.  Also, the British and Indian forces had heavy artillery and tanks to support them, while the Japanese only had 75mm guns, the largest gun that could be transported by elephant.  As well as this, the Japanese commanders had in mind that the soldiers would carry all their own supplies, with three weeks worth of rations being considered enough.  Even this amount of supplies was misleading…the average amount was more like two weeks, with the rest being filled in by the wishful thinking of the generals.  The British, on the other hand, were less than 10 miles from forward supply points, and would only fall back onto them, at worst. 

Despite all these problems, the Japanese did manage to advance into the town of Imphal.  This was because the British had assumed that only a regiment could attack, based on the amounts of supplies the Japanese could provide, using logical calculations.  The Japanese, using far from logical calculations, sent a full division.  By sheer weight of numbers, the Japanese forced the British defenders back, until only a couple of strong points were still in British hands.  A large relief force is being sent from Kohima (which the Japanese failed to reach) however, it is still at least 20 mins away.  In the meantime, the Japanese are regrouping for a final, all-out assault on the strong points…

Japanese briefing: 

Mission Objectives:     

 - Capture the two British strong points (have soldier within 1 metre of the flag at games end) – 100 points each

- Each Surviving Japanese soldier or replacement – 10 points

Number of soldiers: 14 + 21 replacements (available any time, taken at start point)

Hit points: 3 each soldier (Japanese at this point are half-starved, which slows them down, makes them easier to kill)

Weapons: 

Special Rules: 

 - Japanese SMG and SFMG must be set to full automatic firing

- Pros and Spartan must be set to single shot mode

- Grenade launchers on SMG and Spartan can’t be used

- SFMG must be left at long range mode

- Machine gunner and Loader must be within a metre of each other at all times.  If loader is killed, someone must swap their weapon for the Long Range Pistol and take over Loader duties, otherwise SFMG cannot be used, or even moved.

British Briefing:

Mission Objectives:                 

- Hold strongpoints (have a living soldier within 1 metre of the flag at games end) – 100 points each

- Each surviving Soldier and replacement – 10 points

Number of soldiers: 7 soldiers split into 2 groups (3 and 4) + 7 replacements (Taken at each strongpoint, 3 for the group of three, 4 for the group of four)

Hit points: 5 hit points each (fighting fit, and fully supplied)

Start points:  - Group of 4 in the middle of the pine forest (Group 1)

                    - Group of 3 at the top of the pine forest (Group 2)

Weapons: 

Group 1:

Group 2:

Special Rules:           - LMG must be set to long range mode

                                - Pro must be set to single shot mode

                                - Grenade launchers on SMG can’t be used

                                - Flamer must be left on rapid fire mode