C "Commando" platoon, 9 Borders Potsangbam, near Imphal 7 May 1944

History

Imphal was a road junction and a vital supply dump for the Allied forces of 14th Army In India. It stands close to the Burmese border and the passes through the jungle cover Chin Hills that mark that rugged border. General Mutaguchi commanding the Imperial Japanese Army in Burma ordered the attack with troops of the 33rd, 31st and 15th Division along with substantial support from the Indian National Army and they crossed the Chindwin River on 8th of March to cross the hills on foot. General Scoones commanding IV Corp was aware of the attack but not its scale or the timing He therefore concentrated his forces toward Imphal. Whilst General Slim of 14th Army flew in troops including the 17th Diviison and M3 tanks of the 3 Carabiner (Prince of Wales Dragoon Guards)

The Battle of Bishenpur is the name given to the fighting that took place on or near the Tiddim Road south of Imphal between early April and early May and as such is one part of the much larger battle of Imphal. The Japanese 33rd Division came up against the last British defences south of Imphal. The Tiddim Road ran almost straight across the open paddy fields of the Imphal plain. Along the length of the road lay the villages to one side or the other. Colonel Taguchi, commander of the Engineer Regiment, would take his own 4th Independent Engineer Regiment, 2/213 Battalion (less two companies), and an anti-tank detachment up the road to Bishenpur. They seized Potsangbam driving out British Indian Army patrols on the night of May and heavily fortifying the village. The 9th Borderers arrived with 48 brigade of 17th "Black Cat" Davison soon after and began to probe the village. Unaware of the true strength on the Japanese or the degree to which they had dug in early patrols where repulsed. This is one such action.

"I was given the order to advance with the platoon of 22 men along a wide track, with a monsoon ditch on either side, then jungle.

We had not got far when a mortar bomb (from our own mortars) fell behind us with disastrous results.

I regrouped with 17 men. We continued the advance with a bunker well hidden by the enemy.

I was ordered to withdraw and let a tank to go forward. This attack failed, the tank could not depress his gun low enough to hit the target."

from:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/16/a2422216.shtml

and

more details of the first battle of Bishenapur can be found at https://www.worldhistory.biz/sundries/15832-chapter-nine.html

Terrain

The road is a muddy track and does not give any movement benefits. The Jungle scrub limits line of sight to 30" and the Thick Jungle of banana limits the line of sight to 20". The monsoon ditches lie on either side of the road and allow infantry full movement but are impassable to vehicles and it soft cover. The paddy field beyond the jungle around the village are dried out at this time. The bunds around the field provide hard cover, The jungle and jungle scrub is soft cover. The foxhole and bunkers and spider holes provide reinforced cover for their occupants.
Forces

British Indian Army
from 17th Black Cat Division

"C" Commando platoon, 9 Border Regiment (understrength) -

Platoon HQ 3 men Officer, Mortar Spotter

I "Tiger" recon patrol 3 men (scouts)

2 sections each of 6 men (regular)

1 LMG section 6 men with 3 Bren LMG

1 2" mortar section 2 men

1 Sniper (scout)

1 Anti Tank team 2 men with Boyes Anti Tank rifle

support 2 3" mortars (off table)

3 Carabiner (Prince of Wales Own)

1 M3 Grant Tank

from Imperial Japanese Army 33rd Division

2 squads from 213 Regiments

each consists of

Deployment

The British deploy 1d6 units into the deployment zone in the corner of the table deployment zone. The Japanese player then deploys all troops and defences. The Japanese player may keep 1d6 unit as an off table reserve. The remainder of the British force arrives in there deployment zone after turn 3.

Victory

The objectives are the bunker, There are two other objectives which may be places one by each side in the Japanese deployment zone. The Japanese cannot win an all objectives claimed victory

Map

AAR

British Force Commando platoon and supporting M3 tank from 3rd Carabiners

Infantry of the defenders 2 infantry squads from 213 Regiment

Each Infantry section has a Rifle element, an LMG element and an Antitank element with pole mine

Japanese sniper in spider hole - well concealed and with overhead cover he is hard to spot and hard to hit.

Japanese deploy there defences foxholes for the two LMG sections each supported by a spider hole with and LMG and a grenade launcher

The Heavy Machinegun bunker covers the road supported from either side by the infantry dug in and well concealed .

The second set of foxholes cover the far side of the road

The LMG in a spiderhole covers the flank

The Commando platoon deploy all there Bren guns as a base of fire using the bund of the paddy as hard cover.

The HQ deploy into the jungle scrubs with the Medical Orderly in support.

The British 50mm mortar deploys in the jungle scrub beyond the road. It will cover the advance right flank

Commando platoons "Tiger" scout deploy in the monsoon ditch with a line of site to the bunker

The Bren section are supported by an understrength rifle section beside the paddy field bund. The Japanese LMG opens fire from the spider hole pinning the Brens. (indicated by the casualty marker.

The second rifle section use the Monsoon ditch to advance. The M3 has advances under mortar fire an extremely fortunate hit from a British mortar pins the bunker but the tank is unable to spot the bunker with its 75mm.

The M3 struggled to spot the bunker as it was not firing!

Japanese infantry move through the jungle to support the advancing reserve of the two antitank teams

Mortar fire bracket the bunker again.

The suicide antitank teams creep closer to the tank along the edge of the jungle

Japanese rifle section pinned in the monsoon ditch by mortar fire

The infantry close with the Japanese defences.

The extent of the British advance is show below, Will the tank be outflanked. The British infantry platoons are attempting to cover the tank as it seeks to KO the bunker. The British lose the Tiger scouts to fire from the foxholes pinned by sniper fire they retreat. But advance on the left suppressing and killed the LMG in it;s spiderhole.

The Japanese force are starting to get pinned all over the table. The Japanese are reluctant to draw another Battle Rating counter.

How ever the 2" mortar pins one of the Nikeki antitank team as the cross the swamp land whilst the M3 Grant uses it machine guns pin te second team. The Japanese player is finally forced on risk a battle rating counter to unpin. And breaks the Japanese Battle Rating they withdraw and the British gain a foothold in the village

Nikeki team pinned!

The British got liucky with there BR counter pulls although no plane turns up and the Japanese didn't have any artillery but they kept the total low.

The Japanese series of unlucky chit pulls broke them in the end!

So. for a long while I have planned a army using the Soviet Naval Infantry. Battlegroup doesn't (yet) have specific lists for "The Black Death" but they were organised as standard rifle companies in larger battalions than Red Army battalions so I am using the Russian Rifle Company lists from BG Barbarossa for the organisation. I will use them in a Kuban Bridgehead Campaign for the battles on the a Taman Peninsular campaign long planned. However this will give me a force for battles in Stalingrad in '42 or Leningrad '41. The first platoon is made up of Check Point models Soviet Naval Infantry with some of their Soviet Infantry. I like the rag tag look. The other platoons will be a mix of Elheim's metals and Pegasus and Zvezda plastics 3 more platoons to go! I am looking to Grubby for specialist weapons like mortars and the ubiquitous Anti tank rifles

CP models WWII Soviet Infantry range of Soviet Naval Infantry

Painted in a mix of Naval and army uniforms several have Telogreika jackets

For the Navy uniforms painted using Valejo Dark Sea Blue over a black primer with a little Valejo Flat Blue for extreme highlights. I was keen not to let them end up too grey

Platoon Command with Bugler.

Black Pilotka caps and army green helmets are a alternative to sailors hat

They have a mix of boots and army jack boots

The striped undershirts of the sailers are visible at the neck but one or two wear only the undershirt. This is painted in Vallejo off white with flat blue stripes highlighted in grey blue.

The bulk of the Soviet supplies of Tokarev SVT38 Semi Automatic rifles went to the Naval Infantry Brigades so Check Point have sculpted them with these and a good scattering of PPSH smg's

Gradually the Naval uniforms gave way to army uniform. I used Vallejo Russian Uniform for the Telogreika jackets and a few Gymnastika.

The mix and match of the uniforms is shown well in this picture

For the bandoliers so typical of Naval Infantry I used Vallejo German Camo Beige highlihted with off white - similar for the straps on rifles and SMGs