Bolt Action in Burma

 Brent came over on Friday to try out Bolt Action so I set up a smaller game - only 500 points on a side - involving a patrol of Japanese and a patrol of Chindits and Gurkhas bumping into each other in the Jungles of Burma while out trying to establish the location of the enemy they knew to be in the area, but didn't know exactly where! 

Scenario

We played the game on a 30"x44" - a little less than half the suggested size - but otherwise played a pretty standard Battle Scenario with Seek and Destroy objective, Quarters Deployment Zones and Meeting Engagement Deployment Type

The Forces

CHINDITS AND GURKHAS - 500 points

Chindit Rifle Platoon

Chindit Platoon Command - 39 points (Veteran) + 2 Men @13 = 65

Chindits Section NCO + 4 men 70 points (Veteran), +4 Men @14, + LMG @15 = 141

Chindits Section NCO + 4 men 70 points (Veteran), +4 Men @14, + LMG @15, + SMG @4 = 145

Gurkha Section NCO + 4 men 75 points (Veteran), +3 Men @15, + LMG @15 = 135

Total: 486 points

JAPAN - 500 points

Rifle Platoon

Platoon Commander - 1st Lieutenant - 39pts (Regular) + 2 extra men @13pts = 65 pts

Infantry Section 1 NCO and 4 men with Rifles 50pts (Regular) + 5 additional men @10pts, + light machine gun @15 = 115 pts

Infantry Section 1 NCO and 4 men with Rifles 50pts (Regular) + 5 additional men @10pts, + light machine gun @15 = 115 pts

Infantry Section 1 NCO and 4 men with Rifles 65pts (Veteran) + 5 additional men @13pts, + light machine gun @15, + submachine gun @4pts = 149 pts

Light Mortar Team 30pts (Regular)

Medic 23pts (Regular)

Total:  497pts

THE GAME!

All set up and ready to go!

I was playing the Japanese and Brent played the Chindits and Gurkhas. 

I had the first unit arrive and brought on my veteran jungle fighters 

Brent brought on a Chindit Section and they immediately started firing on the Japanese! 

I brought on a second squad, but i kept out of sight and unable to fire or be fired on... 

So my veteran troops took a beating as all three Squad entered the table and started bringing fire on them! 

Gurkhas arrive... 

Second Chindit Section arrive and starts firing

Medic arrived a little to lade and apparently forgot all his bandaged and stuff back at their bivouac! 

Four down! almost at half strength!?

Japanese squad on the Chindits flank creeps forward and starts firing upon them. 

The fire from three enemy squads is telling on the Japanese Jungle Fighters! 

The first Chindit squad was taking it pretty hard as well, as they were in pretty much the same position... being fired on by three Japanese squads that had no other viable targets!

Second Chindit Squad Firing on the Japanese Jungle Fighters. 

Now down to just three and oh, so PINNED! 

The overall situation Japanese at the bottom of the picture, blazing away at the Chindits in the jungle opposite them! 

Gurkhas still moving up. 

And... I somehow managed to NOT take ANY pictures of the ONE Japanese Close Assault!? This is just the aftermath. Four surviving Japanese soldiers retreat into the jungle near of of their other squads?! 

With the retreating squad in the way, the other squad would now have to maneuver around them! 

Jungle Fighters stayed DOWN for two rounds to clear all the pin markers! 

The nearby light mortar team kept firing away the whole game... only hitting once and causing ONE pin marker?!

SEcond Chindit Squad advacing onto the position of the first squad, presumably to check and see if any survivors could be found... also to push through the position and assault the remaining Japanese! 

the Japanese fell back, firing... 

Gurkhas close assault the Japanese Jungle Fighters and wipe them out - losing only one of their own! 

The following turn (Turn SEven!) the Gurkhas assault the Light Mortar Team! 

And that was pretty much the game. 

I guess at this point both sides were running low on ammo and had taken significant casualties and decided it was time to gather those. up and fall back to their respecetive bases and report their action! 

Brent scored two victory points in the last turn putting himself in the lead 2-1. Generally in these missions the Victory Conditions suggest that winning by two Victory points is enough to establish a solid victory... I'm not sure that would be possible with so few units on the table. 

Both side lost a full squad wiped out. The Japanese lost a light mortar team. 

Of the other squads, one of the Japanese squads had only three or four left at the end of the game (the one that had assaulted and wiped out a Chindit Squad). The other was in not bad shape, with nine or ten remaining. 

The Chindits were in pretty much the same boat. One squad was wiped out, the other was in rough shape - from the fire of multiple squads being concentrated upon it. The Gurkhas were doing pretty okay - having only lost one or two in their close assaults. 

It was a pretty tight game and kind of came down to me leaving a light Mortar team exposed on the flank... 

I like the game. It was relatively short and quick and allowed me to concentrate/focus on remembering the basics of infantry small army combat - and basic close assault rules... Would not mind playing a few more small games like this - without tanks and off-table support... 

Kind of makes me want to switch focus and finish up the Marine Raiders!! 

WW2 - Taking Stock of the Chindits and Gurkhas

I have a small force of Commonwealth forces (British and Gurkhas) for fighting against the Japanese in the Far East. I guess they could just be called "14th Army" troops..? 

All the forces. I just need to paint the two squads of Gurkhas to finish these!!

In Bolt Action, this could look like:

Chindit Rifle Platoon

Chindit Platoon Command - 39 points (Veteran) + 1 Man @13 = 52

Chindits Section NCO + 4 men 70 points (Veteran), +5 Men @14, + LMG @15 = 155

Chindits Section NCO + 4 men 70 points (Veteran), +5 Men @14, + LMG @15, + SMG @4 = 159

Medic 30 points (Veteran) + 1 man(mule?) @11  = 42

Light Mortar Team 39 points (Veteran) 

Forward Observer 90 (Veteran), +1 Man @ 11pts = 101

Gurkha Rifle Platoon

Gurkha Platoon Command - 39 points (Veteran) + 1 Man @13 = 52

Gurkha Section NCO + 4 men 75 points (Veteran), +5 Men @15, + LMG @15 = 165

Gurkha Section NCO + 4 men 75 points (Veteran), +4 Men @15, + LMG @15 = 150

Chindit Heavy Weapons Platoon 

Heavy Weapon Platoon Command 39 points (Veteran) + 1 Man(mule?) @13 = 52

Machine-Gun Team 65 points (Veteran) 

Machine-Gun Team 65 points (Veteran) 

TOTAL: 1097

Just over 1000 points! Yay! 

I could lose the Forward Observer and be just under 1000! 

Conveniently, one of the options for the Japanese forces (single platoon, no tanks) is also just under 1000 points - so I have two matched forces of primarily infantry - with no armour! 

The mules I've treated as "extra men" with the Medic and Heavy Weapons Platoon Commander - I figure the mules would be carrying extra supplies for the medic or Heavy Weapons Platoon... could take a bullet for the medic or platoon commander and, in a desperate situation, could be ornery enough to deal a blow in close assault!? 

The only plan I have for these right now is to finish painting the Gurkhas.. 

Not sure what I could even add to them? I guess a third squad of Gurkhas and/or Chindits? A Medium Mortar Team? Maybe an anti-tank rifle or PIAT? Sniper? (not sure where it'd GET some of these!?). Some combination of those could bring them to 1250... 

Not going to worry about it for the moment!

British Chindits for Bolt Action

I have put together a small force of Chindits for Bolt Action. Here's what I've got:

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)

Chindit Force – 670 points (so far…)

Patrol HQ: CO (1^st Lieutenant), Sergeant Major, Batman/Runner/Siganller

(Veteran Lieutenant plus two extra Veterans) 116 points

2” Mortar team (part of the Troop HQ, technically, but is considered a separate team for Bolt Action)

(Veteran Light Mortar Team) 46 points

1st Section

Sergeant (SMG), Bren-gunner, 6x Riflemen (Including Bren No. 2 – all SMLE)

(Chindit Section, 8 Veterans, 1 SMGs, 1 Bren LMG) 143 points

2nd Section

Sergeant (M1 Carbine), Bren-gunner, 6x Riflemen (Including Bren No. 2 – all SMLE)

 (Chindit Section, 8 Veterans, 1 Bren LMG) 140 points

3rd Section

Sergeant (M1 Carbine), 7x Riflemen (SMLE)

(Chindit Section, 8 Veterans) 120 points

Other elements of the column:

Medical Aide and wounded

(Veteran Medic +1 veteran) 43 points

Vickers MG team(s) – somehow I ended up with TWO of these!? I guess if I ever expand the force to two platoons I could make use of them both…

Veteran MMG Team @ 65 points

Mule Team

No real rules for these… I suppose I could us it as an objective marker of some sort or add it to the Medic’s team…?

Some Bolt Action figures are available singly and I had hoped to place a small order and pick up a third Bren-gunner (and some others) to fill out the sections. Unfortunately the Bren-gunner doesn’t seem to be available anymore – as a single figure – so this is it for now.

At some point I might add a PIAT team and/or Boyes ATR Team and a 3” mortar team. I could even see adding a complete second platoon – of either Chindits or Gurkhas. I could also see adding a Forward Observer team –either air or artillery – for some of the bigger actions on Operation Thursday

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

The French

Chindits

After cranking out all those Japanese I thought I’d best get started on some opposing forces before I did any more. (Also I was waiting for a few more Japanese and French before I finished off those forces – which arrived yesterday afternoon).

This is pretty much all the Chindits I have at the moment – I do still have a second Vickers team (not sure how I ended up with that!?), a chap leading a mule, and a couple of Burmese scouts. I guess it isn’t much of a “force” – at least not for Bolt Action.

I think I bought a starter box and the two Vickers teams a couple years back…? I’ll likely pick up another ten-man section – which will give me about 21 riflemen - which I could split up into a platoon of three sections of seven… THAT will be a bit more of a force to reckon with! 

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):

The force so far (all the figures are from Bolt Action Miniatures/Warlord Games)

A small command element

Medic with wounded

Rifle section

Vickers MG team

2” Mortar team

If some of the pictures above look like there's snow on the bases and the game board I use as a backdrop... that's because it was SNOWING this afternoon!?



March started out with -40°C weather... within a week it was above freezing and almost all of the snow melted... now, on the first day of spring, it's snowing again... ugh.. enough already! 

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

An early war French infantry platoon or STILL MORE Japanese infantry – a whole SECOND (understrength) platoon!