Rapid fire Reloaded- a river crossing in Burma

 For ANZAC day my friend Ian came down from Christchurch (3-4 hr drive) for a days gaming. We started WW2 game in the late 70s as kids using a homebrewed set we created from elements of Featherstone’s and Lionel Tarr’s rules with a dash of Charle’s Grant’s Battle thrown in for good measure (eg mortar fall of fire templates IIRC) and later adding elements of Operation Warboard as well.  

This was my first game of RFR vs a real opponent and was another game set in Burma. It as similar to my last game but this time three companies of British (each of HQ, 2” mortar and 3 platoons of 8 figs), 2x 3” mortars, 2x MMG, 2x recce carriers and a Grant tank vs 2x Japanese companies (HQ, 2x knee mortars, 3x 8 fig platoons & 2x MMGs) + a 70mm infantry gun and 47mm AT gun defending two river crossings.

The Japanese were slightly outnumbered. They gave a good account for themselves but in the end broke- though I (the Japanese player) got close to breaking a second British company and winning the game so I felt the game was fairly well balanced.

In future we will add an improvised AT weapon team to the Japanese companies to help them deal with the uber tank that is the Grant, and some snipers but overall we were both happy with the flow of the game and the way it played out although we both forgot all about the ambush rule! 

The Japanese positions on turn 1

A view from the Japanese lines

British infantry support the Grant tank

Japanese open fire and cause a few casulaties on advacing British near the carrier

British reach the river- infantry can cross at 1/2 speed. 

More infantry cross at the ford.

The Japanese cause some casualties but the forward platoon is destroyed. 

A close assault goes in vs the survivors of the patoon nearest the AT gun. 

A Japanese platoon launches a banzai charge but are repulsed with heavy losses. 

With the right flank overrun the Japanese battaion commander orders a platoon to launch an immediate counter attack- but perhaps too little, too late. 

The British consolidate their gains on the Japanese right flank, sending the Grant forward. 

The Japanese are over run and the last surivors retreat.

Thoughts 

That was a great game. The Japanese were always outnumbered and going to struggle vs the tank; the 47mm AT gun really needing a close range hit from a side shot to have a chance to damage it, but even so the game played realy well. We both enjoyed the spotting rules, when to (or not to) open fire were critical decisions and even though the Japanese force was a bit outgunned and outnumbered I still felt that I had a chance through out. We will continue to tweak the RFR rules to suit our tastes and have added LMGs at this (Company/Battalion) scale and intend to add improvised AT teams to the Japanese OOB to allow them a etter chance vs tanks. 

Finally, we finished with a game of my favourite boardgame, Twilight Struggle, and I got trounced! 

Until next time

Craig