Turn 05
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| Figure 1 - JP Artillery |
A new threat emerges during the JP turn as Bunker A1 (Angeles) is fired upon by artillery (Figure 1). Just in case we weren't paying attention there's a message from Army HQ recommending we stay out of range of the big guns (Figure 2).
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| Figure 2 - HQ advice |
1/A and B Coys report contact with JP units on the outskirts of San Fernando. As they're unable to do meaningful damage to the enemy they're ordered to fall back beyond the river North of Guagua. Eng/C Coy and No. 1 IC proceed to detonate the explosives set on their assigned bridges. Bunker B3 reports strafing from two JP fighters (Figure 3).
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| Figure 3 - San Fernando |
At this point I took a calculated risk on the mission secondary objectives hinging on the Allied Blue truck being alive and in San Fernando on its Turn 05 (which is the last, the order goes Japanese AI, Player and Blue AI). It paid off.
From the point of view of achieving the mission goals it is irrelevant whether the Blue truck survives. From a personal satisfaction point of view I wish I had delayed No. 1 IC demolition task. It is a gamble on the JP attacking the unit causing it to retreat and preventing the demolition that I wasn't prepared to take.
Turn 06
Bunker A1 is still under fire from JP artillery (Figure 4).
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| Figure 4 - JP Artillery, round 4?! |
Army HQ reports the successful evacuation of San Fernando (Figure 5).
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| Figure 5 - HQ report |
All units are at their designated final defensive positions, it is time to entrench and await the arrival of the enemy. Eng/C and 1/A Coys swap positions on the line so that 1/B Coy and 14th "Punaluu" Bty can also benefit from entrenching assistance. Bunker A1 is not long for this world as the JP strategic bomber decides to assist the artillery and the JP Engineer. Also not long for this world is the hapless Blue truck trying to ford the river next to Bunker B3 (Figure 6).
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| Figure 6 - Taking stock |
On the top right corner of the image can be found a excerpt of the data plates for almost all units (Eng/C is missing for whatever reason). Some units don't get to have their names spelt out but they're grouped by type and sorted alphabetically.
Turn 07
The Blue truck must have been chock-full of explosives given how far its bits and pieces are thrown (Figure 7).
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| Figure 7 - Boom! |
Turn 09
Turn 08 was uneventful. The JP Ki-43 Hayabusa decided to strafe Cav/C Sqdn during Turn 09, I don't know who was more surprised to see it take one point of damage, me or the JP pixel-aviator (Figure 8). Both vignettes were meant to be inserts in larger pictures but ended up orphans so here's a preview of the G3m Rikko bombing 14th "Punaluu" Bty at Guagua during Turn 10.
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| Figure 8 - Air attacks |
It is just a coincidence that Figure 9 is 14th "Punaluu" Bty assessing its odds of damaging the G3M Rikko. While quite adept at damaging lighter, low-flying aircraft the 37mm Anti-Air struggles to even reach "Large Aircraft". Once in a blue moon they can cause minor damage.
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| Figure 9 - No point |
5th "Hickam" Bty on the other hand has no trouble reaching out and touching the A6M2 Zero that came into its range (Figure 10).
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| Figure 10 - Now that's more like it! |
A lone, damaged JP Infantry ends its movement in front of Sgt McNeil. I don't remember if it attacked during the JP turn but it is likely (8-strength and 8-efficiency). In any case Eng/B Coy and Cav/C Sqdn assess their odds and defer to Sgt McNeil to do the honors, forcing a now badly mauled JP to retreat beyond Porac (Figure 11).
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| Figure 11 - Floridablanca |
Again I find myself approaching a self-imposed limit of 1 MB of images per post. Hope that you'll join my in the next one(s).
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