ELIMINATING TASK FORCE YASUOKA

East of the Halha (Khalkin Gol) River, July 9, 1939:  As the Japanese Offensive around Mount Bain Tsagan ran out of momentum the week before, General Yasuoka's force dug in and began shelling the Soviet positions until the artillery ran low on ammunition.  The Japanese pulled the artillery back across the river.  It was at this opportune time that General Zhukov launched his own offensive against the Japanese salient east of the Khalkin Gol in an attempt to push them back across the river.

The Battlefield:  Desert terrain featuring 5 hills in a wide U shape across the width of a 4x6 table.  The battle commences at Dawn, but a combination of blowing dust and bright sunlight limited visibility for the duration of the battle.

Duration:  Until Victory Conditions are met or one force is eliminated.

Victory Conditions:  The Soviets must capture 4 of the 5 hills.

FLAMES OF WAR FORCES:

Soviets:  Motor Infantry Battalion consisting of 2 Infantry Companies each with 2 Maxim HMG teams attached and 2 Companies of BT-7 tanks attached (in delayed reserve), a battery of 4 76mm guns off-board (The C-in-C team spotting for the artillery) and Limited Air Support in the form of I-153 aircraft.

Japanese (23rd Division):  2 Infantry platoons each with 1 HMG attached, an additional HMG platoon, ATG platoon and a battery of 70mm Battalion (Infantry) guns in  reserve.

The Japanese had to deploy a minimum of 20" from the North (Soviet) table edge, which left the first hill to the Soviets right from the get-go.  On the Japanese right 1 platoon dug in on the East hill in 2 lines with 3 teams slanting behind to the left in a line leading to the (empty) Southeastern Hill.

 

To the Japanese left, the 2nd Japanese platoon spread out in a line from the crest of the West Hill, in the valley between and on the large (Central) Hill.  Just to the right of the 2nd platoon were the 2 HMG's and ATG's with General Yasuoka's command dug in behind.

The Soviets elected to send the Infantry forward first; coming down the Eastern arm of the U where they could claim the first hill as soon as they entered the table.  The Maxim's deployed behind the advancing infantry in a support role.  With visibility limited, the infantry advanced unhindered by enemy fire while Soviet Air Strikes went after the Central Hill.

At the onset of hostilities, a Soviet I-153 Chaika bombs Japanese positions on the Central Hill, killing off General Yasuoka's Second-in-Command.

Once the Soviet infantry was spotted, the Japanese on the East Hill opened up, felling 4 teams from the 1st infantry company and pinning them down.  Giving away their position, the Soviet Maxims returned fire and pinned down the Japanese.  But, the heavy machineguns were insufficient for penetrating the bullet-proof cover of the entrenchments and the Fearless Japanese repetitively rallied to pop up and fire again on the advancing Soviet swarm.

By Turn 3 the Japanese were pulling forward the 70mm guns to take up positions on the (previously vacant) Southeastern Hill.  The Soviet tanks were due to arrive any time, but in the meantime the Japanese in the Western Hills drank tea and milled around restlessly listening to the gunfire in the distance.

The next volley from the 1st Platoon on the East Hill dropped 6 teams from the other company (spreading out the damage so the Soviets could avoid making early platoon morale tests).  Although their morale was only Confident, the Soviets were also able to rally from being pinned each turn and the swarm finally closed within assault distance of the Japanese.

The remnants of 2 Soviet Motor Companies charge uphill to assault the Japanese positions.

The Japanese dropped another 6 teams with Defensive Fire when the Soviets assaulted.  The Russians took down 3 Japanese teams, but the teams occupying the second line surged forward inflicting another 4 casualties on the Russians.  With the body count piling up, the Russians withdrew back down the hill.  One of the Companies kept going and quit the field, leaving one Company to stare down the Japanese.

 After the assault:  What's left of the Soviet company regroups at the base of the hill.

Frustrated by their inability to root the Japanese off the hill, the Infantry Company went to ground and waited for the Soviet artillery to clear out the position.  The Soviet Command had to move up behind the Infantry Company where they could establish a Line of Sight on the Japanese position.  They, too, went to Ground and began calling in the artillery, which quickly ranged in on the static position.  The right flank fell into a stalemate, with the Japanese repetitively being pinned down by the artillery and machine-gun fire and promptly rallying the next turn so they could fire a volley on the grounded infantry at the base of the hill.  This exchange would go on for 5 turns with the Soviets slowly losing teams in 1's and 2's.

The Cavalry Arrives.

Just as the infantry went to ground, the first company of 7 tanks came racing across the dry steppes. Dug in to their positions on the West Hill, the Japanese held their fire so as to not give away their position.  The light "knee" mortars lobbed a few shells, but their light shells popped uselessly off the top decks of the Soviet tanks.

The Japanese mortar teams lob some shells off at the approaching tanks, since the mortars have no muzzle flash and wouldn't give away the Japanese position to the oncoming tanks.  The 3 Toko teams, with their makeshift anti-tank weapons, took up a position to the front to take on the armored beasts.

By now the second armored company was on their way to engage the firebase on the Central Hill. Before putting their tanks at risk against the suicidal Tokko teams, the Soviets stopped at the base of the West Hill and opened fire on the Japanese positions in the hopes that gunfire alone might be enough to clear out the defenders.

Anti-tank guns, machine-guns and General Yasuoka exchange fire with the oncoming tanks.  One of the Anti-Tank guns is taken out before the BT-7's have to assault the position.

Back in the East, the Japanese had a lucky volley of fire, dropping 3 more teams from the grounded infantry.  The infantry company was making platoon morale checks now and the artillery was ineffective in rooting out the Japanese.  Time was running short.  As soon as the second tank company was in position, the Soviet armor assaulted all along the front.

Full frontal assault on the West and Central Hills.

Defensive fire from the anti-tank gun suppressed (bailed out) one tank, while a Tokko team was able to suppress a second tank, blowing themselves up in the process.  When it was over, only 4 Japanese teams, 1command team remained.  They failed their platoon morale tests, resulting in the teams going Seishin.  Swords were drawn, bayonets fixed and the incensed Japanese stormed forward out of their entrenchments to take on the armored enemies of the emperor.

The remnants of 2nd platoon and the Central firebase charge down hill ready to die for the Emperor.  The Soviets are only happy to oblige, using the machineguns on the tanks to mow them down (Defensive Fire) before a single Jap can lay a hand on the fender.

One HMG, the platoon command and General Yasuoka were all that remained on the Central Hill.  Knowing time was running out and that this would be an easy mop-up, the 2nd tank company headed East to capture the last hill required to seal a victory.  On the Southeast Hill, the battery of 70mm guns appeared to be an easy target.  The guns fired a bombardment on the tanks, pinning them down.

On the Central Hill, the 1st tank company mowed down the HMG and command team with their machineguns.  This brought the Japanese force below 50% and required a Company Morale check, which they failed.  This meant that the rest of the Japanese force became subject to Seishin.

Recognizing that the end was near and his defeat would be frowned upon by the Emperor, General Yasuoka drew his sword as he led his team charging the 1st tank company; dying in a hail of bullets as the tanks fired at the oncoming Japanese.

On the East Hill, the Japanese positioned there fixed their bayonets and came out of their holes.  Very few Soviet teams remained at the base of the hill.

Banzai! The 1st platoon shrugged off the machinegun fire as they charged through the hail of bullets and into the remnants of the Soviet infantry.  They quickly overran the position and their momentum carried them forward toward the Soviet High Command.

Rather than flee in the face of victory, the Soviets attempted to call in another artillery barrage that failed to range in.  The machineguns were unable to pin them down (since they automatically pass any morale tests while Seishin) and what was left of the 1st platoon overran the High Command.  This put the Soviet force below 50% and they failed their Company Morale test.  With no remaining infantry on the field, the Soviet tank commanders realized the offensive had been repulsed and promptly turned back.  It was a Japanese Victory!