Hellfire Pass Bolt Action

SCENARIO 8: HELLFIRE PASS, 15 JUNE 1941

This was sparked off by "Toy Soldiers and Dining Room Battles" Blog.  In the best club traditions this battle was played on a saturday all DAK figures were painted this week with the Panzer II still only at the basecaoat stage.

FORCES

3^rd Indian Motor Rifle

Subedar Khan in radio truck Regular

Lt Perrie in a car Regular

5 Infantry Squads in trucks Regular

1 infantry Squad in a truck Inexperienced

1 Matilda Regular

No tanks to be seen?

DAK

Leutenant Braunbauer

2 Pak 38s

1 88mm

2 Infantry Squads

Panzer 2

Rommel is motoring closeby

Subedar Khan plans that his force rams up the road to Hellfire Pass behind the Matilda, the infantry to turn out in the depressions to attack the objectives. As soon as the Matilda ground to a halt this created a battle of two parts right and left.

Pak38 waiting for 3rd IMR

Khan's plan gets off to a great start the Matilda advances hits the 88 and kills one crew. In return the 88 and both Pak 38 roll 2s and miss.

A Preparatory Bombardment is called by FO but it is delayed to Turn 2 and moved 12” covering the 88(3pins), the Pak38(3 pins), a infantry Squad(3 pins) and the advancing Panzer 2(2pins).  The Indians advance into the depressions.  Perrie’s saloon is shot up by long range MG fire killing his two companions. 

  The Panzer II races into a depression to get at two trucks.

Turn 3 The Matilda misses the 88. The Panzer II shoots up both trucks the passengers bail out with 4 killed and wounded.  Khan leads the remnants of the squads in revenge they manage a hit and pin the veteran crew. The DAK infantry advances in the rough ground to support the Panzer II. The Matilda is hit by the 88 and both Pak 38s

Turn 4 The Panzer II swiftly departs the depression.  Perrie tries a mad charge to the right hand objective, he is killed by Dak rifle fire and the squad he leads forward pinned down, the Indians on the German right then cutdown the DAK infantry to a lone NCO. 

Drivers Scarper

DAK Britannia Minis

Turn 5 The Panzer II cruises to the centre of the table using auto cannon fire to slice a bren gunner in two advancing  on the centre objective. The 88 crew is still cutdown by Indian rifle fire, the lone NCO suffers the same fate. 

Braunbauer drives an Indian squad to ground as it tries to take the centre objective The right flank Pak 38 is taken by assaulting Indian infantry with one man throwing up his hands. It’s all falling apart for Jerry with the whole right flank gone and Braunbauer alone at the centre position

Turn 6  Indians swarm the right hand objective. Braunbauer kills Khan’s batman, the remaining infantry squad supported by the Panzer II do for the advancing Indians in the centre.

A 3 is rolled and the game ends in a draw.

The best German unit was the Panzer II.  The best  Indian Subedar Khan who even took on the Panzer II.  A easy game for the Indians.  I may replay this game with the German units hidden and dug in or move onto Crusader when the convoy arrives with the Crusaders.