Prep Fire

I received one e-mail which corrects something from the last DIGEST. The BLAZING CHARIOTS article that I mentioned last month was first seen in DIGEST Volume 2 No. 1. Also, I received the following comment: "One of the things about the detailed analysis-type articles is that one has to be an expert for one's word to be worth listening to."

I wonder if everyone else feels this way? Personally for this type of forum I don't think that you need to be an expert to write a detailed analysis type article that's worth reading. The GENERAL or ASL ANNUAL is perhaps a different situation. In fact, I think the readers will read these types of articles more critically/analytically if they are NOT written by experts, but by ASL-common-folk. This will hopefully generate more reaction and commentary like: "Why the hell did he put that MMG there?" Or "What a lame setup!" etc. etc. I think that many people take expert articles as THE word, perhaps blindly. Those articles written by non-experts generate more thought-provoking discussion and critique. Think about it: Do you and your buddies agree on setups for each and every scenario? And when you don't agree, don't you discuss it? I've heard the Oregon guys discuss scenarios with baseball bats!

[I have to concur with John here. The analyses are food for thought, no more, no less. We should all be looking for the holes in any strategy. Sheesh, the series replays in the Annual are filled with errors and those are played by "experts!". -jds]

This month Matt Shostak takes us to Stalingrad to revisit the Commisar's House, and Mark McGilchrist introduces Night Rules for SASL. Several original scenarios should keep you plenty busy until next month. Of course, if you've gotten PEGASUS BRIDGE then you already have enough to keep you busy. Anyone want to write a review of that?

John Slotwinski

Scenario Analysis: The Commissar's House

[Matt Shostak is a married software engineer and has been playing ASL since 1992. He writes a newsletter (BANZAI) for his local ASL club and maintains the club ladder. He has played over 200 scenarios in his ASL career This article first appeared in BANZAI (2.1). As Matt points out, with the deluge of new ASL shtuff out there, it is pretty easy to forget about the classics. There are some great scenarios in BEYOND VALOR/PARATROOPER/YANKS that should be played over and over again. -jas]

I've often wanted to do an analysis of this scenario, since I have enjoyed playing it, and although I have seen it discussed on the Internet, I have never seen a full scenario analysis article for it. With the plethora of new products and scenarios now available to the ASL player, and with this club's efforts to encourage and help new players (who might be feeling a bit overwhelmed by the smorgasbord), the time appears ripe to revisit this old classic from Beyond Valor, the very first module.

Attraction: Meat and potatoes city fight in Stalingrad with the chance to use excellent units, notably the German 838s, and some cool weaponry as well such as flame-throwers and demo charges. A simple objective: take the building! Well balanced (German 40, Russian 50, according to the Internet record as of this writing).

Take Note: Despite the title, the Russians are not entitled to a Commissar due to the date of the scenario being after Nov. 1, 1942 (A25.22). Although the unit designation and the prelude and aftermath suggest that the German 838s are assault engineers, the absence of an SSR citing them as such means they are not considered such for the purposes of this scenario. Thus their smoke exponent is indeed 3 as printed on the counter (see A1.5 and H1.22).

Russian Advantages: Sewer movement, HIP, fortified building, sniper.

Russian Disadvantages: lack of initial concealment, lack of good rally locations

Comments: So how can the Russian maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses to win this scenario? As usual, the first step should be a careful look at the victory conditions. The Russians can win by having an unbroken squad or its equivalent in either building 20S6 (the Chemist's Shop) or 20Z3 (the Commissar's House) at game end. Note that this is different, and much easier, than maintaining building control (A26.12). Thus even a squad that has remained HIP in some crevice of the Commissar's House for the entire game is enough. That already should give some players ideas about ways to utilize the HIP capability, which is a generous 3 squads plus any leaders, SW that stack with them. They have a good force, half elite, but they can't go toe-to-toe with their impressive German adversaries. So the heroic defenders in this corner of the Great Patriotic War will have to pick their shots. A lot of skulking (assault moving from the front line to a location out of enemy LOS, followed later by an advance back to the front line, to deny fire opportunities to the other side) will be in order. A look at the initial setup locations for both sides, however, reveals that the Germans can hit most locations of both victory buildings either at game start or soon thereafter, making this tactic a little difficult (but not impossible). The sewer movement helps offset this disadvantage somewhat, allowing wily Russians a little more freedom to rearrange their defense without being shot at in the process (if all goes well with the dice, of course). Only 12 concealment counters are provided for 25 squads, so the Russians have to make some tough decisions even in the initial setup, especially if they want to use any of them for dummy stacks and yet still provide the front line troops with initial concealment. Thus they will probably want to set up several squads in locations that are either likely, or better yet guaranteed, to be out of all German LOS after setup, allowing them to grow concealment counters of their own before play begins. The fortified building provides 15 locations with +4 TEM, so it should obviously be considered the cornerstone and last ditch position of the defense. Lastly, the Russians have to be alert on every roll, because the very generous SAN 6 allotted them will be one of their best weapons for hurting the Germans, and it would be a shame to let some chances slip away. The same could be said of the Booby Trap capability.

Now with those general principles in mind, let's look in a little more detail at Russian setup considerations and overall game strategy. First of all, the Russian player should write off the Chemist's Shop. It will fall. It will fall fairly early. And every Russian you put in there will die. Still, some poor Ivans have to take one for the team and set up there, just to force the Germans to spend some resources to take it. The tricky part is to put enough in to delay the Germans and force them to use more than they would like to get it, without risking more than you can afford. This is somewhat a matter of personal preference and play style, but I favor only setting up 2-4 squads and perhaps one leader in this building. Their orders are to hold out to the last man. Turning attention to the fortified building, I like to make it into a serious strongpoint, meaning as many of the elite troops that I can cram in get stationed there. Certainly the HMG and 9-1, and perhaps one of the MMGs as well, go there. Use the lesser quality guys for the cannon fodder outside this building. I prefer to spread out as much as possible to limit the danger of one good German roll shredding an entire stack. Note the importance of hex 20AA3. It is the only hex of the entire building that is likely to remain a rally haven out of German LOS for any considerable length of time. Thus a leader goes here, probably an 8-1 or 8-0, and probably at ground level to start. His job is simply to keep bringing broken units back so they can cycle back to the other locations of the building and attempt to keep the Germans at bay.

The trenches are an interesting problem. They cannot be set up in a variety of locations, including paved roads, making it seem at first as if they are useless. Consider, however, a nifty little trench line in the 20GG2 area. A team of 8-1, MMG, 447 stationed here can not only threaten a firelane down the street in front of the Commissar's House, but can even squeak a LOS all the way out to the 20X7-20T9 road, perhaps catching unwary Germans with a nice -3 shot!

I think there are two basic philosophies on how to use the HIP capability. One is to play hide and seek, meaning the HIP guys will hold out as long as possible without revealing themselves, hoping that the Germans will not find them and that they can be used to claim victory in the end game. For this strategy to be effective, they should of course either be in the victory buildings themselves, or very nearby so that they can dash in during the Russian half of turn 8. For some reason, level 1 locations of building 20Z3 seem ideal for this purpose. The fighting always seems to revolve around the ground and second levels, and a German player could easily miss or forget about a squad hiding in a clever spot at level 1. The Chemist's Shop itself is not a good location for this tactic, because it is small enough, and will fall early enough, that a decent German player will certainly move through or search all locations very early on. Better spots for a Chemist Shop gambit might be the 20R4 rubble across the street, or level 1 of 20T3. I don't put a lot of faith in getting someone in the Chemist's Shop on turn 8, because a good German player will likely garrison all three ground level locations until the end of the game, but you never know. It's this very possibility that forces him to keep good troops here when they could be helping the assault on the Commissar's House. Since the hide and seek strategy hinges on not revealing units, I would use 447s for this duty rather than elite troops, whose morale is better employed in a combat role. The second HIP philosophy is to try to set traps for the advancing Germans, hitting them at inopportune moments with -2 shots in the street. Here you could spread three squads out in different locations, hoping that someone will get a juicy shot (maybe a 4-2 or 8-2). Or as another intriguing possibility, demonstrated for me quite painfully by Kirk Woller in a game some time ago, would be to set up a very powerful kill stack somewhere, hoping to really wallop some Germans on the high end of the IFT. Consider that a stack of 3x628 firing point blank would be shooting on the 36 column, meaning they could probably put the serious hurt even to a group of those vaunted 838s in good cover, should they have the bad luck to stumble upon such a trap. Since the best locations for this trick seem to be outside the Commissar's House, a key Russian consideration is to make sure he can get these excellent troops back to the fortified building after he has sprung his trap. Therefore the location for this gambit should be chosen carefully. If the trap nets, say, one 838 squad eliminated, but the 628s then get caught outside the victory building and are unable to get back, it's probably a net failure for the Russian side. Also, put an 8-0 with that stack. It would really be a bummer to cower on that 36 FP shot!

So, in summary, I picture a good Russian setup involving just a minimum of units covering the Chemist's Shop, the majority of the best squads, weapons, and leaders in the Commissar's House, a left flank MMG in a trench threatening a firelane across the German line of advance, and a sprinkling of lesser quality troops in front line and supporting locations to delay the German advance and hopefully disorganize it somewhat. Finally, Booby Traps, an omnipresent sniper, sewer movement, and a few HIP surprises all combine to make this a hard day at the office for the Germans.

German advantages: troop quality, leadership

German disadvantages: tough VC, tough adversary

Comments: These are great troops, but they have a really difficult job to do. Those pioneers can really dish out the firepower, and even bring some special weapons to the party. And just look at the leader ratio! The Germans have one leader for every 2.5 squads, and a total of -9 leadership modifiers including a 10-2 and a 9-2. The Russians, by comparison, have one leader for every five squads, with a total of -3 leadership modifiers, their best leader being a 9-1. However, all the things listed as advantages for the Russians will have to be countered somehow.

First of all, the Germans will have to have some sort of plan for dealing with the Russian sniper. While I wouldn't let it completely dominate my thinking, I would take some measures to limit its effectiveness. One thing I like to do is to use a 247 half squad on "sniper duty," meaning that I set it up near my best leader (who is often directing my most powerful kill stack), but in terrain with a lower TEM. Its sole purpose is to absorb sniper hits that might otherwise get lucky and eliminate a 10-2 or 9-2 from the game. I have actually seen this pay off. In addition, I think this is one of those rare scenarios where it might be a better rule of thumb to stack leaders with squads as opposed to leaving them behind in possible rally locations by themselves, ready to rally the first units to break. If they are indeed set up by themselves behind the line, a crafty Russian player will position his sniper to maximize its chances of picking them off. By the end of the first turn, the German could be without the services of a few 8-0s or 8-1s. I have seen that happen too. Other than that, there's not a lot you can do about the sniper, so just condition yourself to take your lumps when they occur. Just think twice before taking very low-odds shots. And be a good sport and point out the sniper activation when your Russian opponent doesn't notice it; it's easy to overlook several in this kind of game, and sportsmanship is everything.

Now take a look at the starting and ending positions for the Germans. They start practically right up against the Russians, and in any given sector the farthest they have to go is about a half dozen hexes or so. They have 9 turns to do it, so there's no need to hurry. This is not to say that they have time to spare, but the Germans can be methodical and efficient in their attack. The key difficulty is estimating the amount of extra time it takes to clear out the Commissar's House once you have broken in. So when planning your assault give yourself some extra leeway for the endgame. I also wouldn't be too concerned about committing too many resources to take the Chemist's shop. Do what it takes for you to conquer it quickly, then garrison it to avoid a last turn gambit by any HIP troublemakers as described above, and push your way with the remaining units through to the Commissar's House, the real objective.

High firepower is necessary to harm units in the +4 TEM of that fortress, so at least one kill stack is called for. Three rifle squads armed with HMG and 2xMMG, stacked with a 10-2 is my favorite. I have heard others advocate using the 9-2 for the kill stack since it is less likely to be receiving fire, and using the better morale of the 10-2 to lead some of those pioneers in the actual assault. I can't argue with that either. A good location for such a kill stack might be the second level of 20P9, which has LOS to two thirds of the Chemist's shop, plus the entire east side of the Commissar's House, although it would be at long range for the inherent firepower of the squads. Working a kill stack into a location such as 20Z7 might be an option as well, if you wanted that group closer to the action so that they could participate in the endgame clearing out of that fortress.

It is a little more difficult to point out exactly how to attack with the assault groups (those not providing overwatch fire), since I believe you will have to adapt yourself to what happens during the course of play. There are still some things to keep in mind though. You'll want to assign some units to silencing that MMG in the trench in 20GG2 to clear the way for your other advancing troops who will want to venture out into and across the street Y6-FF2. Although it's a shame that the 838s are not assault engineers for that whopping 5 smoke exponent, the 3 is still very effective. Use infantry smoke. A lot. Keep in mind that the 838s have assault fire capability, which often makes them nearly as effective in advancing fire as they are in prep fire. Aside from the kill stack(s), try to avoid stacking, but instead strive to create massive multi-location fire groups. Consider a situation in the midgame where you have succeeded in getting an 838 in each location of building 20BB5, some perhaps even concealed, and maybe even others in DD4 and EE4 as well. Sure, that +2 TEM is kind of wimpy compared to the castle across the street, but how many Russian players will dare to fire at these units? Your opponent will have to weigh the possible benefit of breaking a German squad or two against weathering a return fire shot somewhere on the high end of the chart, perhaps as high as the 36 column. Ouch. Although board 1 may seem superfluous, keep it in mind as a possible route for repositioning your troops from one sector to the other, out of Russian LOS, if necessary. Consider also the utility of a MMG in 1Y3 ground level, which can throw a firelane all the way to 20Y1 to help keep any outlying Russians from getting back to the fortress. Remember that DCs can be used to breach fortified buildings, making it possible for your troops to enter for CC when they might otherwise be prohibited. I never count on the flame-throwers to do too much, so if they break right away I'm not too disappointed, but if they prove useful it's a bonus. I like to hold them back in reserve, manned by an elite half squad, always ready as a threat, or ready to provide that extra oomph needed to deal with a particularly pesky Russian (that would be Ivan Pesky, Hero of the Soviet Union). Remember that if you invoke No Quarter it may be a little harder to root out broken Russians afterwards.

SASL Night Rules Chapter X20.0

[Mark is a married librarian and lives in Australia. He used to play SL/COI/COD/GI, but was basically unimpressed with ASL when it first came out. Then one day he saw his brother playing RED BARRICADES and he was instantly hooked. Mark is actively involved with the Australian ASL Paddington Bears Club.]

X20.1 All Chapter E1 rules are in effect. Use DYO charts to determine weather, cloud cover and Moon phase unless otherwise specified by MSR. [EXC: Ignore HIP provisions in E1.2 for ENEMY Defenders]. Increase Hold Attitude S? by 25% (FRD). Decrease AC# by 1 for all Night Scenarios.

X20.2 S? are treated as Cloaking Counters for all purposes including Straying and Jitter Fire.

X20.3 Majority Squad Type is Normal for all S? unless the ENEMY is designated by MSR as Stealthy or Lax.

X20.4 Broken ENEMY units Low Crawl towards the EBE whenever possible, but always away from Known FRIENDLY units.

X20.5 Advance Attitude S? ignore Activation Condition b) in 3.32 [Adjacent FRIENDLY units].

X20.6 S? have a morale of 7 for Advance into CC. S? Advancing into CC undergo Activation, but retain concealment unless 3.32 a) would apply.

X20.7 S? do not use starshells/IR. Panicked units may not use illumination.

X20.8 Hold Attitude ENEMY units use Starshells/IR as per E1.9. Hold Attitude ENEMY units use starshells/IR at every opportunity. Initial use and leader use is always as DFF. Otherwise, each ENEMY unit will attempt to place a starshell/IR at the start of ENEMY PFPH, and FRIENDLY MPh. Use Table A3 to choose a target, then Method 2 to place the starshell/IR. If no target is in LOS, use Method 1 to place a starshell/IR.

X20.9 Advance Attitude ENEMY units use Starshells/IR as per E1.9. Advance Attitude ENEMY units do not use starshells/IR unless already Illuminated. Otherwise, each Illuminated ENEMY unit in the ENEMY PFPh receives an Automatic Action (6.3) Fire Command (replacing any Move Command, but not Panic). In addition, they will attempt to place a starshell/IR at the start FRIENDLY MPh. Use Table A3 to choose a target, then Method 2 to place the starshell/IR. If no target is in LOS, use Method 3 to place a starshell/IR.

X20.10 Moving ENEMY units/S? treat already Illuminated Locations as Prohibited Locations (S9.26) Therefore, units surrounded by Illuminated Locations do not move. Moving units/S? caught in the act of movement when Illumination first affects its location immediately stop as per E1.31

Recommended Night SASL Missions
1. Cautious Advance
5. Take the Highway
8. Patrol
10. Hold the Line
12. Besieged
14. Human Wave
I1. Secrets
I2. Destiny Riders (Note: This Mission seems to need an errata MSR stating "Each Advance Attitude S?/Activated Unit moves towards the nearest FRIENDLY-Controlled VPO)

Original SASL Night Scenarios

MISSION X1: GUARDING THE RAILWAY LINE

[Use only German, Japanese or Axis Minor FRIENDLY Units] BRIEFING: Your Company is to provide a security force to protect a stretch of railway line that has come under Partisan attack recently. Of vital importance is the railway bridges, as these are prime Partisan targets.

PREVAILING ATTITUDE (3.2) Advance {A2a}

MISSION TABLES(12.32):

ENEMY SAN		FRIENDLY SAN		ENEMY AC#		RE Numbers
DR	SAN#	DR	SAN#	dr	AC#	dr	RE#s
2-3	5	2-4	5	1-2	2	1-2	6/7
4-7	4	5-8	4	3-4	3	3-4	5/6
8-10	3	9+	3	5-6	4	5-6	4/5
11+	2

MAPBOARD SELECTION & ACTIVATION (13.): Place 3 mapboards end to end. Use the following table to determine which mapboards are in use;

dr	Mapboard
1	Board 24
2	Board 5
3	Board 39
4	Board 32
5	Board 36
6	Board 41

Alternatively, roll randomly for mapboard set up, and place a Stream or Wadi overlay across each board without a bridge. Place a bridge counter to form a continuous Road Network from A6 to GG6.

TERRAIN: The Road running from A6 to GG6 on each board represents the Railway line. Treat as other terrain in hex.

VPO LOCATIONS (14.): Place a VPO Location at every bridge hex along the railway line.

S? PLACEMENT/ENTRY (4.): None at start, but conduct Partisan Enemy RE 31-33 on one randomly selected board after FRIENDLY setup.

SEQUENCE: VPO are determined, and the FRIENDLY player sets up. Set up S? as per RE 31-33 on one mapboard (see MSR 2)

MISSION END (see also 12.5): Immediately no partisan units or S? are left on the mapboard.

VP SCHEDULE (12.6; 9.41; 17.1321)
1. Partisans receive VP for CVP, and triple VP {A10b} for VPO of each bridge demolished.
2. FRIENDLYs receive VP for CVP.
3. Partisans receive Exit VP for each Partisan unit evacuated.
4. FRIENDLYs receive VP {A10b} for each VPO retained at game end.

MISSION SPECIAL RULES:
1. SASL Night Rules (X20) are in effect
2. The FBE are the 2 short edges (hexrows A or GG) at either end. The EBE is both long edges. Partisan and RE Activation is determined on a particular board 1-2 Eastern, 3-4 Centre, 5-6 Western.
3. FRIENDLYs receive A6c Transport vehicles (G7) at setup. The FRIENDLYs may deploy up to 25% of their OB. The FRIENDLYs receive 40 FPP included in their setup.
4. At the end of each FRIENDLY Player Turn, make a Demolition DR for each Bridge VPO currently controlled by Partisans/S?. On a DR <=4, the Bridge is eliminated and the VPO removed. If this DR is unsuccessful, Place a -1 Labor counter on the bridge to modify the next Demolition DR. If the Demolition DR is again unsuccessful, then the Labor may be increased to -2. Labor counter are removed if the FRIENDLY player controls the Bridge at the end of his player turn.
5. Immediately after a bridge is demolished, the Partisans will begin Evacuation. Decrease the Partisan RE#s by one. The Partisan receives Exit VP for each Partisan unit exited off the EBE. All partisans with Move orders use full MF towards the nearest EBE hex using the following priorities:

1. Outside LOS of known FRIENDLY units
2. Through woods
3. Through non-illuminated terrain
4. Through terrain with +TEM
5. Through concealment terrain
6. Across open ground

BRIEFING: Your Company is to cover a quiet section of the line stretched over about 1 km. There are 3 strongpoints that have been established by the previous guards. Your mission is to defend these strongpoints.

PREVAILING ATTITUDE (3.2): Advance {A2a}

MISSION TABLES (12.32):

ENEMY SAN		FRIENDLY SAN		ENEMY AC#		RE Numbers
DR	SAN#	DR	SAN#		dr	AC#	dr RE#s
2-3	5	2-4	5	1-2	2	1-2	6/7
4-7	4	5-8	4	3-4	3	3-4	5/6
8-10	3	9+	3	5-6	4	5-6	4/5
11+	2

MAPBOARD SELECTION & ACTIVATION (13.): Roll for 3 mapboards using the A9 Rural column with a -1 DRM. As each mapboard is selected, roll for orientation and one VPO location. Re-roll any VPO in hexrows P-R. Only the half-map with the VPO is the play area (Hexrows A-P or Hexrows R-GG). FBE is towards the south, EBE is towards the north. Half boards are placed sequentially but not adjacent (see MSR 2,3,4 & 5, similar to Timoshenko's Attack Scenario G1) Initial Mapboard Configuration: ^¿^¿^¿ YN Company Reserve Area VPO LOCATIONS (14.): As determined in the Mapboard selection above.

S? PLACEMENT/ENTRY (4.): Set up S? in all Concealment Terrain from 4 to 6 hexes away from VPO on one (1) randomly determined Board. (see MSR 3) after FRIENDLY setup.

SEQUENCE: VPO are determined, and the FRIENDLY player sets up. Set up S? as above. Set up Snipers on this board

MISSION END (see also 12.5): Starting from ENEMY Player Turn 6, the ENEMY will make a dr < the Turn number to begin Evacuation (MSR 6). There is a +4 drm. Mission ends immediately when no ENEMY units or S? are left on the mapboard.

VP SCHEDULE (12.6; 9.41; 17.1321)
1. ENEMY receives VP for CVP, and VP {A10b} for VPO Location controlled when Evacuation commences.
2. FRIENDLY Player receives VP for CVP.
3. ENEMY receives Exit VP for each unit evacuated.
4. FRIENDLY Player receives VP {A10b} for each VPO Location controlled when Evacuation commences.

MISSION SPECIAL RULES:
1. SASL Night Rules (X20) are in Effect.
2. The FBE are the southern edges. The EBE is the northern edges. When Advancing, all s? and ENEMY units Advance towards the VPO Location instead of the FBE. When Evacuation is activated, advancing units move North-East (1-3) or North-West (4-6)
3. Initial S? Placement and RE Activation is determined to take place on a particular board; 1-2 Eastern, 3-4 Centre, 5-6 Western.
4. The FRIENDLY Player may set up any/all of his units on each half-board. Each half-board determines Initial Starshell usage, Freedom of Movement and Jitter Fire potential separately. FRIENDLY Units may be retained offboard as a Company Reserve.
5. The FRIENDLY Player may use units from the Company reserve as reinforcements once the first Starshell has been fired. Good order units that exit the FBE of any half-mapboard join the Company Reserve.
6. ENEMY Units in CC with odds of 2:1 or greater, or with Ambush will always attempt to capture FRIENDLY Units.
7. Evacuation. Decrease the ENEMY RE#s by two (2). All ENEMY with Move orders use full MF (including Doubletime) towards the nearest EBE hex using the following priorities:

1. Outside LOS of known FRIENDLY units
2. Through concealment terrain
3. Through non-illuminated terrain
4. Through terrain with +TEM
5. Across open ground
8. There is a -1 DRM on each DR Table A1 ; and a +1 drm on the coloured die of each DR on Table A11. For any AFV result, make a subsequent dr. On a 1-4, activate instead an Elite Squad with the highest Firepower for that Nationality with either a FT (1-2) or DC (3-6) SW. Treat this squad as an Assault Engineer (H1.23)
9. FRIENDLY Player may make a dr to determine number of FPP available for onboard setup.

dr	FPP
1	70
2	60
3	50
4	40
5	30
6	20

Original Scenario: GATOR TRACKS

[This is a neat scenario! You may have seen it on his WEB page already, but Jeff has been gracious enough to let me include it in the DIGEST. Give it a whirl and send your comments to Jeff]

All rights reserved. Copyright, 1996, Jeffrey Shields. This scenario requires playtesting. Beta 2 version.

Piva River, Bougainville, 11 November 1943: After the battle for the roadblock, the main effort of the Marines was spent patrolling, developing supply routes through the swamps, and extending the beachhead. The swamps along the Piva River hindered supply to the forward battalions. Indeed, only halftracks, and amphibians could traverse the supply route up the river. The route itself was not completely secure as combat and recon patrols resulted in frequent but minor clashes.

Aftermath: Road construction through the swamps was difficult. Not only did the engineers have to deal with the interminable terrain but the threat of Japanese soldiers in the jungles, and crocodiles in the mangrove swamps made life downright hazardous. The Marine commanders used caution and did not advance far forward of their supplies. Reconnaissance soon showed that the main body of the Japanese were apparently east of the river with outlying forces to the north of the coconut grove, and on the western bank of the Piva.

MAPBOARD

+----+
|34  | +--N
|____|
|    | Only hexrows R-CC
|    | are playable.
+----+

VICTORY CONDITIONS The Marine player must exit 4 vehicles off the north edge of the board.

BALANCE
A: Add one 458 to the Marine OB.
J: Add one LMG to the Japanese OB.

GAME LENGTH Japanese setup first. US moves first. Game is 9 turns long.

Japanese OB: Elements of the 23d Infantry Regiment [ELR: 3] set up HIP north of any hex >=2 {SAN: 3}:

4x447, 3x347, 228, 8-0, 8+1, 2xLMG, MMG

US OB: Elements of the 3d Amphibian Tractor Battalion, and the 3d Service Battalion, 3d Marine Division [ELR: 4] enter within 3 hexes of 34W1 {SAN: 3}:

6x458, 3x248, 9-1, 2x8-0, LMG, 2xMMG, Radio

Enter on or after Turn 2 in hex 34W1: M3 GMC (with AA mg), 2xLVT2, 4xDUKW (2 with AA mg)

SSR

1. EC are wet with no wind at start. PTO with dense jungle is in effect. The Piva River is shallow with no current.
2. All vehicles are waterproofed. Amphibians moving through the stream are Wading (G13.42). Hence, the MP to enter a stream hex via a stream hex is 3 for a LVT or M3, and 7 for a DUKW.
3. US receives one module of 81 mm OBA. Radio contact can only be established after a Japanese unit is revealed.

Scenario sources:

Hoyt, E.P. 1983. The Glory of the Solomons. Stein & Day, Inc., 348 pp.

Rentz, J.N. 1948. Bougainville and the Northern Solomons. Historical Section, U.S. Marine Corps, 166 pp.

Quickie Scenario: Sherman vs. Panther

In WWII the US Army estimated that it took 5 Shermans to knock out a single Panther. How well does ASL reflect that? This scenario is quick to play and pretty illuminating. Good way to practice your AFV skills too. No infantry, no SAN, no CS, no ELR, no kidding.

Board: Chose a relatively open rural board. I think that board 4 works pretty well since it seems to have the right mix of open ground, woods, walls, and buildings. Decide whether or not you want grain to be in season. If it is DON'T use board 33!

VCs: You win when all of your opponent's AFVs are wrecks!

Turns: You'll know when it's over.

German OB: One Panther (Pz VG).
US OB: Five Shermans of your choice.

Balance: Give the other side one extra Sherman/Panther.

Start: Determine randomly who moves first. Both sides enter from opposite ends (the short sides) of the board.

Variant 1: Add a 9-2 AL to each side.
Variant 2: Roll for gyro availability for the Shermans, assuming a 1945 date.
Variant 3: Add a few infantry crews and SCWs to each side. (The tactics really change with the introduction of some infantry.)

Final Protective Fire

Again thanks to everyone for their submissions and feedback. As a teaser let me just say that there are some great articles in the works for next issue.

As your assignment for this month, take a look at the ASLUG scenario ESCAPE AT DAWN. The ASLML Record shows this to be 29 - 13 pro-Russian. However, Chris Baer and I have figured out why the Romanians keep getting hammered, and how they can setup to make a much more balanced fight. I'm curious if other people come up with similar conclusions.

Till next month.

John Slotwinski
Editor, ASL DIGEST
jslot@gauss.aptd.nist.gov