West Sector, Bagac, January 23-29, 1942 (turns 15-21)
After reporting on the activities of the PT Boat force, it is now time to shed light on what was happening on land.
On Turn 15 the Bagac/West bunker fell after keeping the JP busy for at least four turns (insert). This has given time to the US/PH force to form a line between Bagac (a "town") and Bagac/East bunker and achieve a modicum of entrenchment on jungle or hilly terrain. A 9-strength JP Infantry stopped on the road in front of 1/A and USMC/B Coy and attacked either one taking 4 casualties. It was then attacked by 1/A Coy suffering 3 more casualties and retreating into the FoW. This was the first engagement on the Bagac defensive line and is representative of what will happen until the end of the mission. The JP are impaired by traffic jams along the road forcing some units to advance along the jungle or the hilly terrain beyond it (Figure 1).
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| Figure 1 - Bagac, Turn 15 |
Moving forward to Turn 20 a 10-strength JP Infantry attacks 1/A Coy and takes losses, is then attacked by 1/A Coy for more losses and retreats into the jungle. A very damaged and disorganized JP Infantry attacks PH/B Coy (which had been or will be bombed by the JP B5N2 tactical) and loses one of its remaining 2-strength. A JP Ha-Go attacks X/B Coy (which had been or will be bombed by the JP Hamaki strategic bomber) unaware of X/A AA/AT Bty in support and takes 5 casualties. It will be attacked by Bagac/East (who has been under artillery fire from the East) for no discernible damage. The first JP unit from the 2nd wave to land is an hapless Type 94 37mm Anti-Tank gun which gets destroyed by the combined efforts of Paysawan bunker, X/D (Heavy) Coy and Eng/B Coy. With the arrival of a strategic bomber for which I have no counter the JP start to inflict meaningful damage to the Bagac line (Figure 2).
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| Figure 2 - Bagac, Turn 20 |
On the next turn the JP Heavy Infantry attacking 1/A Coy at Bagac isn't quite as pre-damaged or disorganized and counter-attacking it isn't worthwhile. The B5N2 tactical moved its sights to Bagac/East but the Hamaki strategic keeps hammering X/B Coy. The JP Ha-Go is still unaware of the anti-tank support and takes 5 more casualties. A JP Marine is the second unit to land and it is quickly reduced to half-strength, not as painlessly as the AT gun before it (Figure 3).
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| Figure 3 - Bagac, Turn 21 |
The JP second wave of landings is more troubling than the first. For one they declined to take advantage of the nice beach where they had a welcoming party to greet them. Instead they chose a location where they impede the orderly withdrawal of the Bagac line which is increasingly looking necessary. That makes their destruction a priority that is likely to cause me casualties that I'm loathe to take and hardly able to afford. The US$50 awarded from holding all Primary VPs for 20 turns was very timely but it will only stretch so far.
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