Bolt Action: Campaign: New Guinea

With the Japanese presence uprooted from Buna–Gona, the campaign would now shift further to the northwest as MacArthur planned his next advance. A firm advocate of the amphibious assault, MacArthur’s lobbying for reinforcements finally resulted in his being promised the 1st Marine Division, once they had been relieved from Guadalcanal, and amphibious operations expert Rear Admiral Daniel Barbey being placed under his command.

Meanwhile, Japanese Imperial General Headquarters began moving troops from Rabaul to Lae and Salamaua to establish a stronger presence. Major General Toru Okabe was tasked with taking a detachment to reinforce these areas. Simultaneously, General Adachi – commanding the 18th Army at Rabaul – was ordered to secure the areas to the west of Lae and Salamaua, the most important of which was Wau and its airfield, still held by Australian forces – the remnants of Kanga Force.

On 5 January, the 5,000 men of the Okabe Detachment left Rabaul for Lae. The convoy was attacked by RAAF Catalinas, who succeeded in sinking one transport ship and badly damaging a second the next day. However, the majority of the detachment arrived in New Guinea intact. Okabe moved his men to Salamaua and then began the advance on the Australian positions at Wau. Meanwhile, Australian reinforcements were flown in from Port Moresby. As Okabe Detachment advanced through the jungles with their limited supplies, they were continuously harassed by Australian patrols. On 27 January, the lead elements of the Japanese force arrived at a ridge overlooking Wau airfield; the exhausted and starving men watched 130 transport aircraft arrive over the next three days as they bore the brunt of the Australian onslaught. Two weeks later they were finally ordered to withdraw. The Okabe Detachment attack on Wau had failed.

Another plan was needed. Lieutenant General Hitoshi Imamura, commander of the Japanese Eighth Army in Rabaul, elected to send another major convoy to reinforce Lae and prepare for a second attack on Wau. A huge convoy carrying over 6,600 soldiers and escorted by eight destroyers and 100 fighters departed on 28 February. This time, with signal intelligence warning the Allies of the impending convoy, the preparations were far better. Waves of American and Australian bombers attacked the convoy protected by a heavy fighter escort. Transport ships, destroyers and escorting fighters alike were torn asunder. Less than 1,200 Japanese soldiers made it through to Lae. What would become known as the Battle of Bismarck Sea was another great Allied victory; American air superiority, in terms of both offensive capability and transport capacity, was swinging the balance further in the favour of the Allies.

Pressure from Australian forces at Wau continued against the Japanese positions in and around Salamaua. MacArthur had already identified Lae as his next major objective, but Lae was a powerful enemy base; some 10,000 Japanese troops occupied the Lae–Salamaua area. MacArthur did not want another Buna–Gon, and so decided on a different tactic – constant pressure on Salamaua to convince the Japanese that this was his true objective. This way he could slowly bleed the manpower out of Lae as it was diverted down to defend Salamaua.

Major George Warfe’s 2/3rd Independent Company was flown into Wau on 31 January 1943. The Australian commandos were in near constant action against Japanese forces in the jungles between Wau and Salamaua for several months. In early May, Warfe was authorised to carry out actions against Japanese forces at Bobdubi Ridge, a steep rise of land to the west of Salamaua. A base of operations at the north of the ridge would assist Australian forces at nearby Mubo.

The plan called for one of Warfe’s platoons, commanded by Captain Wally Meares, to assault the ridge and set up four Vickers machine guns at predetermined positions. These positions, designated North, Centre and South Coconuts, and Old Vickers, would provide defensive arcs of fire for holding the ridge as well as covering the Komiatum Track – the Japanese supply route from Salamaua to Mubo. The initial attack on 3 May saw three sections of commandos advancing stealthily towards the Japanese positions atop the ridge.

1 Free Veteran MMG (note you do not receive a free MMG for any additional platoons after the first)

2 Independent Commando Raiding Parties (at least one must include an officer upgrade)

0–2 Additional Veteran MMG (paid for) (Maximum 3 MMG per force, including the free unit, irrespective of number of platoons taken)

This scenario is played on a six by four feet gaming surface. If available terrain allows, the ground should slope up from the Australian player’s edge to the Japanese player’s edge. The first 12” of the Japanese player’s table edge should be relatively flat and form the top of the ridgeline. If available terrain cannot accommodate this, set up a simple line of hills along the Japanese player’s table edge. The entire table is dominated with jungle trees and foliage; consequently, everything outside of the 12” ridgeline adjoining the Japanese player’s table edge is soft cover. In addition, D3+1 pieces of dense foliage, which count as dense terrain and are no larger than 12” x 12”, must be placed outside of the ridgeline. The players must take turns in choosing where the dense foliage is placed, starting with the Australian player.

The Japanese player must deploy first. The entire force must be deployed within 12” of the Japanese edge of the table. The Australian player starts with up to half of his forces deployed on the table, within 6” of his table edge. The remainder are either designated as part of the first wave or are in reserve. The first wave enter the table from the Australian player’s edge automatically on the first turn. Outflanking is permitted for any units in reserve.

The Australian player receives one free Veteran MMG unit and may purchase up to two further Veteran MMGs. If any of these units are destroyed, leave the gun model on the table. Any Australian unit which moves into contact with the Vickers gun can immediately dispatch up to three models to replace casualties or entirely re-man the MMG unit, retaining their experience level and placing a new order die in the bag from the next turn. This re-manning of the Vickers guns may take place as many times as the Australian player wishes. The guns cannot be taken out by exceptional damage. The Vickers guns may not be deployed in reserve, and as such may not be used to outflank.

The Allied player may use a Preparatory Bombardment (Bolt Action rulebook, p.131).

Supplies are low, disease is rife and the weather is temperamental. Roll on the Tropical Hazards table.

The Australian player must place his Vickers gun in the Japanese set-up area. The Japanese player must stop him.

The battle begins. During Turn 1, the Australian player must move his entire first wave onto the table. These units can enter the table from any point along the southern table edge, and must be given either a Run or Advance order. Note that no order test is required to move units as part of the first wave.

Keep a count of how many turns have elapsed as the game is played. At the end of Turn 6, roll a die. On a result of 1, 2 or 3 the game ends, on a roll of 4, 5 or 6 play one further turn.

The Australian player must place his Vickers gun in the Japanese player’s set-up area. To claim an Australian victory, the Vickers gun must be manned and have no Japanese units within 6”. Any other result is a Japanese victory.

TOP SECRET

LEGENDS OF NEW GUINEA: COLONEL GEORGE WARFE

George Warfe was accustomed to hardship from an early age; his father passed away when he was only five years old and with both of his grandfathers also dead, his mother and grandmother were left to raise George and his three sisters. After finishing his education, he found work as a builder and cabinet maker, but also enlisted in the 29/22 Militia Battalion where he rose through the ranks to gain a commission as a Second Lieutenant in February 1939. When war broke out, Warfe volunteered for the AIF.

Joining the 2/6th Battalion, Warfe served in North Africa, Palestine and the Mediterranean, including the captures of Bardia and Tobruk. He returned to Australian in August 1942 with the rank of captain, having been mentioned in dispatches for his service in North Africa. After attending the Guerrilla Warfare School, he was given command of the 2/3rd Independent Company and the rank of temporary major before deploying to New Guinea in January 1943. His led his commandos at Salamaua and was awarded the Military Cross for his leadership at Goodview Junction and Ambush Knoll.

Promoted to temporary Lieutenant Colonel in September 1943, he was given command of the 58/59th Battalion which he led until the end of the Salamaua campaign. After several months in hospital with malaria, he returned to his unit and commanded the militiamen at Bougainville in December 1944, before taking command of the 2/24th Battalion at Borneo in January 1945. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his role in capturing the airfield at Tarakan Island.

After the war he returned to building but remained active on the reserve list before resuming regular military service in 1950. He retired as a full colonel in 1962; the three sons of his second marriage also became colonels. George Warfe succumbed to cancer in November 1975 and is remembered as one of the most dynamic combat leaders of the Australian Army in World War II.

Colonel George Warfe may be attached to an Independent Company Raiding Party instead of a Major, or may be taken as a HQ choice instead of the 0–1 Captain or Major option for any 1943–45 Jungle Division Reinforced Platoon that includes Militia sections.

Cost	175pts (Veteran Major)
Composition	1 officer; plus up to 2 other men if taken as a HQ choice
Weapons	Pistol, submachine gun or rifle as model.
Options	- If Warfe is taken as a separate HQ unit choice, he may be accompanied by up to 2 men at a cost of +13pts per man.
Special Rules	- Courage, confidence and charisma. These words were used to describe Warfe’s attributes by the men under his command. If Warfe is added to an Independent Company Raiding Party, that Party will only ever fail order or morale checks on the roll of a 12. If taken as a separate HQ choice, all Militia units in the force gain the ‘Behind enemy lines’ special rule.

One of Meare’s sections moved north along the eastern side of the ridge to cut off Japanese reinforcements. The second moved north around the back of the ridge to outflank the defenders, whilst the third section moved up the ridge to attack. After the first exchanges of fire, the Japanese defenders at South Coconuts withdrew to Centre Coconuts. Vickers guns were set up at Old Vickers and South Coconuts. However, as the commandos withdrew from South Coconuts to allow the Vickers to fire, the Japanese moved forward and reoccupied their positions.

Japanese and Australian reinforcements moved into the area over the next few days. The three pivotal positions were fought over with North, Centre and South Coconuts changing hands several times during the fighting. Finally, Major Warfe organised a night attack on 7 May and took the ridge, setting his four Vickers guns up and inflicting heavy casualties on Japanese movements along the Komiatum Track.

However, the loss of Bobdubi Ridge caused alarm at Lieutenant General Nakano’s headquarters at Lae, and a force was sent to retake it. Japanese soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Ogawa succeeded in driving the commandos off the ridge on 14 May. In early July, the inexperienced 58/59th Militia Battalion was sent to retake the ridge. The fighting at Bobdudi Ridge and its knock-on effects at Salamaua would continue into September 1943.