Korean War:Counter-Attack, scenario #27: G Company is Missing

Kind of an interesting situation where the Americans must exit passed a blocking North Korean forces which setup pretty much across the lines, centered around the town hexes and dug-in on either flank. The Americans enter from the north and led the charge with a platoon of M46 Patton tanks thinking they are invincible and plow through one wreck on the road only to find out that they are not invincible, getting hit by North Korean 45mm AT Gun fire that rolls a 12 on the dice for one steps loss. Still not learning my lesson, a few turns later I pulled adjacent to the same 45mm AT Guns in town, hoping to suppress it and their HMG staked with it. But as it would be for almost the first 8 turns, the NKPA rolled a higher Initiative roll each turn to start first. This time they roll 11 on the dice, with a 3 AT factor and a plus 1 Modifier for being adjacent. Which is 15 – 5 = 10 or another step loss. First time in a game where I had a 45mm Gun give me so many problems to a heavier tank unit. I almost reset the game but didn’t.

The American Infantry and assorted jeeps units either head through a gap in the lines or move around one of the flanks. The North Korean pull out some of the units from their lines to head off some of this movement but the Jeeps .50cal carrying one leader and the standard Jeeps carrying two HMG units and one Leader exit off the south edge of the map. This leaves just the Infantry to try and fight their way off the map. Most are trying to avoid combat and make their exit but the repositioned North Koreans and maneuver fighting causes some casualties on both sides. The Americans are only able to get 16 steps off the south edge of the map counting the Jeeps .50cal steps as the Standard Jeeps steps don’t count but the .50cal type do. The Americans lost three steps of Infantry besides their tank steps, also some were demoralized or disrupted and didn’t make it off the map in time. The North Koreans lost maybe three steps, but I didn’t keep track of them as the victory conditions are all about exiting 20 of more American steps, which didn’t happen and the North Korean win this one.

I think in a replay, it’s very doable for the Americans to win, but wasting my M46 Patton tanks, which I should have just rushed off the map to get those 4 points. Also, the NKPA were hot of the dice with Initiative rolls, always activating first. Not easy but I think if I avoid combat as much as possible I could exit the required 20 steps or maybe I should have just eliminated the NKPA units and then tried but with only 19 turns that is risky as well. It should be a good scenario to try again!