28mm BOLT ACTION: MANCHURIA 1945

On Thursday I went to Colin Jack’s for a Bolt Action game set during Operation August Storm in Manchuria in 1945.  All the 28mm figures, terrain and scenario were supplied by Colin.

Mr Ray Neal and I commanded a Soviet force tasked with clearing small town held by a Japanese and Manchukuo rear-guard commanded by Colin Jack and Dave O’Brien.  The Soviet force consisted of 4 T34/85 tanks, 2 rifle squads in M5 halftracks, an assault engineer squad and a scout SMG squad.  The Japanese force had a rifle squad, a grenadier squad, some sniper teams, a Manchukuo rifle squad all supported by a Chi-He tank and a HO-NI tank destroyer.

T34/85 hit by sniper fire

We used some house rules to reduce the effect of the tanks due to the Japanese sniper squads.  The commanders of unbuttoned tanks were vulnerable to sniper fire.  If a commander was hit the tank suffered a pin and was then permanently buttoned up.  If a tank was buttoned up it then needed to be commanded to make an advance move.

HO-NI on fire....

Mr Ray attacked on the right flank with 2 T34/85s with the assault engineers and scout squads acting as tank riders.  My force with the 2 other T34/85s and the 2 squads in M5 halftracks advanced down the central road to the town.   All the Japanese units were hidden  in ambush and we used the recon by fire rule from the rulebook however the Japanese units were not placed on the table.

CHI-HE about to ambush the T34/85s

Our forces crossed the bridges and came under fire from the snipers who hit 2 of our tank commanders.  On the right flank Ray’s tanks and the scout squad eliminated the Manchukuo rifle squad.  We then attacked the town with all our troops.  My force eliminated the rifle squad but only after they had assaulted and knocked out one of the M5s.   My tanks eliminated the HO-NI and Ray’s dealt with the Chi-He but only after it knocked out a T34/85.  Heavy fire from our tanks and a blast from the assault engineers flamethrower wiped out the grenadier squad holding the main defences of the town.

T38/85s and assault engineers clear the defences

It was a good fun game.  I forgot my trusty camera this week so all photos courtesy of Colin Jack.