Bolt Action: Campaign: New Guinea

Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies authorised the formation of the 2nd Australian Imperial Force in September 1939. Following the fall of France there was such a large number of volunteers for the AIF that the original plan of a single division now became four: the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Divisions. The 6th Division was the first to deploy, first seeing combat in North Africa in January 1941. Units of the 2nd AIF would see some of the heaviest fighting in North Africa and the Mediterranean, including at Tobruk, Crete, Greece, El Alamein, Syria and Lebanon.

Australian infantry units were often supported by British armour, but Australian-crewed tanks and fighting vehicles would soon be deployed. Two light tank companies were initially equipped with Vickers light tanks, but expansion of the AIF saw the addition of M3 Stuarts, M3 Lees, Matildas and Crusaders. In addition, a number of captured French and Italian tanks were also used operationally by Australian crews.

Whilst the list below cannot be used for any scenario in this book, it is presented here as an option for Australian players wishing to use it in a North African campaign and to give a more thorough picture of Australian military operations in World War II.

0–1 vehicle from: Light tank Mk VIC, Cruiser tank Mk VI Crusader II, Infantry tank Mk II Matilda II, M3 Stuart I, M3 Lee, Renault R35*, M11*

0–1 Transport vehicle per infantry unit in the Reinforced Platoon from: Bren carrier, 15cwt truck, 30cwt truck, 3-ton truck, Jeep, Utility car

0–1 Tow from: Bren carrier, 15cwt truck, 30cwt truck, Quad tractor, Matador artillery tractor, Scammel artillery tractor

The 2nd AIF fought as part of the regular British and Commonwealth forces and therefore shared many of the doctrinal and supporting characteristics as the British Army. To represent this, the 2nd AIF list above uses a combination of special rules from Armies of Great Britain and this book. The following special rules are used:

All units in this list are detailed in Armies of Great Britain with the following exceptions:

Many of the later battles fought by Australian forces were predominantly made up of veteran soldiers with experience in the deserts of North Africa. The brave defenders of New Britain tragically did not have this experience to fall back on. With older equipment and weapons, and no experience in combat, these soldiers would face combat for the first time against an experienced opposition that vastly outnumbered them.

Note: All units in this Theatre Selector are taken from Armies of Great Britain unless marked with an *, in which case they are detailed in the Armies of Australia section of this book.

2 Infantry units from: Inexperienced Infantry section (Mid/Late War), Militia section*

0–4 Infantry squads: Inexperienced Infantry section (Mid/Late War), Militia section*

•All units in this force must be Inexperienced; the only exception is the Captain or Major, who may be Regular to represent the small number of World War I veterans who held commissions in Lark Force.

•Militia sections may only take Lewis guns as an optional upgrade; standard light machine guns are not available. Likewise, Papuan NCOs may not upgrade to take submachine guns.

0–1 Transport or Tow vehicle (in total) from: Bren carrier, General Purpose truck

•The track is your lifeline: The Australian troops stuck to the single track over the Owen Stanley Range as it was almost impossible to navigate in the surrounding jungle. Many desperate battles were fought to keep control of this lifeline for supply and medical evacuation.
No Australian units may use the outflanking rules.

A composite force devised in early 1942 to carry out reconnaissance missions and harass enemy units, the main component of Kanga Force was the 2/5th Independent Company – effectively one of the first Australian commando units – under the command of Major Paul Kneen. The Independent Company was made up of three platoons of 50 men, which were further broken down into three sections of 16 men each led by an officer. They wore the new Double Diamond badge, which marked them out for this specialised role. The commandos were reinforced by elements of the 1st Independent Company and militiamen of the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles. Kanga Force was placed under the command of Major Norman Fleay and took part in its first operations in the Markham Valley area in May 1942.

3 Independent Company Raiding Parties (at least one Party must take an officer as an upgrade)

0–4 Infantry squads: Independent Company Raiding Parties, Militia Infantry section

•Double Diamond: Aside from Militia Infantry sections, any other unit in this list may take the tough fighters and ‘Behind enemy lines’ special rules for +1 point per model, provided that the unit is Veteran.

Milne Bay was defended by a motley assortment of soldiers that had arrived between June and August 1942. These included veteran soldiers of the AIF’s 7th Division who had fought at Tobruk, three militia battalions of the 7th Infantry Brigade, as well as machine gun, anti-tank and anti-aircraft units. Augmenting this force were elements of the US Army’s 101st Coast Artillery Battalion and elements of the American 46th Engineers. By the end of July, the force was bolstered by the addition of No.75 and No.76 Squadrons of the Royal Australian Air Force, equipped with P-40 fighters, which would prove instrumental in the defence of Milne Bay. When Major General Cyril Clowes took command of Milne Force on 22 August, he had some 9,000 men under his command.

0–1 Transport vehicle per infantry unit in the Reinforced Platoon from: Jeep*, Bren carrier, 15cwt truck, 30cwt truck, 3-ton truck, M3 half-track*, 2 ½ ton truck*, 1 ½ ton truck*, Dodge ¾ ton truck*

0–1 Tow from: Jeep*, Bren carrier, 15cwt truck, 30cwt truck, 2 ½ ton truck*, Dodge ¾ ton truck*

•Composite force: The list above includes several US Army options which are all denoted with an * and are featured in Armies of the United States. Any option denoted with an * which is included in this force must be taken at the lowest experience level available for its entry (i.e., Regular for US Engineers, Inexperienced for all other American options). American units use the army special rules in Armies of the United States (p.20), not the Australian special rules detailed in this book.

2 Infantry units from: Jungle Division, Commando, Papuan, up to 1 Engineer section

0–4 Infantry units from: Jungle Division, Commando, Papuan, up to 1 Engineer section

0–1 Transport vehicle (in total) from: Jeep, General Purpose truck or 0–1 LVT 4 per infantry unit (amphibious assault platoon!).

The use of armour in the New Guinea theatre was sporadic at best, due mainly to the difficulties of operating vehicles in the terrain but also due to the logistical challenges of keeping armoured fighting vehicles serviceable and supplied with fuel and ammunition. Whilst a few of the scenarios in this book give players the opportunity to field tanks in a limited capacity, some may wish to place a bigger emphasis on armour in their force. For those who wish to bring more tanks to their game, the Theatre Selector below may be used as an alternative to the Armoured Platoon Selector (Tank War, p.11).

Like the infantry, the Australian armoured forces reorganised themselves in 1943 to meet the new challenge of jungle warfare. The attacks made by the M3 Stuarts of the 2/6th Armoured Regiment on the entrenched Japanese at Buna and Gona had proven the value of tank support in jungle warfare, but had also highlighted the inadequacies of this particular tank.

After trials, the tank of choice for the jungle became the Matilda II infantry tank, with over 400 being supplied by Britain. Although outclassed and now obsolete in the deserts of North Africa, the Matilda was perfectly suited to the dense jungles of New Guinea. Its heavy armour made it almost impervious to Japanese anti-tank weapons and its slow speed was not an issue in the dense, roadless terrain. It even proved robust in river crossings and beach landings.

The Matilda tanks were all part of the 4th Australian Armoured Brigade, which comprised of the 1st Army Tank Battalion, 2/4th and 2/9th Armoured Regiments. Its divisional symbol was a white crocodile and palm tree on a black square.

The tanks were all used as infantry support platforms and usually deployed down to troop level for specific missions. Because the Matildas operated independently of their parent units, they relied heavily on the infantry to which its squadrons were attached. Standard troops were made up of three Matilda II’s with either a 2pdr main gun or 3” close support howitzer. Each squadron had a specialist troop of vehicles including the ‘Frog’ flamethrower variant and some equipped with dozers to clear a path through dense jungle under fire.

0–4 Infantry units from: Jungle Division, Commando, Papuan, up to 1 Engineer section

•Jungle tanks: The Australian armoured formations were not fielded like their European theatre counterparts, which fought a war of rapid movement. Instead the Matilda tanks were assigned to support the infantry on specific missions, in the claustrophobic jungles of the South West Pacific.

•Unlike other tank platoons, it is not a requirement for the supporting infantry to have transports in this platoon. In fact, it is the tanks which are supporting the infantry in this case.

•Tank Telephone: The Matilda tanks in this platoon benefit from this special rule (here).

The US 32nd Infantry Division was among the first American units deployed on the ground in New Guinea. With General MacArthur already having passed derogatory comments about Australian fighting prowess, there was a great deal of pressure on the 32nd to perform. In addition, this green National Guard unit was rushed into theatre without adequate jungle fighting training or the equipment needed to survive the elements.

Nonetheless, the 32nd was deployed into the deadly Owen Stanley Range to cover the flank of the main Australian advance. The inexperienced soldiers braved the very worst of the elements to continue their own advance across 130 miles of some of the most hostile terrain in the world, including the 10,000 feet high Mount Obree, or ‘Ghost Mountain’. However, the division’s fighting prowess was brought into question following their first major action during the Buna–Gona attacks, where poor leadership resulted in several reported instances of men of the 32nd fleeing from combat. However, much was learnt at Buna–Gona and the 32nd would later prove to be one of the most stalwart American fighting units in theatre.

2 Infantry units from: Inexperienced Infantry squad or Regular Infantry squad (Early/Mid-War)

0–4 Infantry squads: Inexperienced Infantry squad or Regular Infantry squad (Early/Mid War)

TOP SECRET

THE AMERICAN CAESAR

Opinions regarding the qualities of General Douglas MacArthur were varied during World War II, just as they are now by many historians and critics. Whilst undoubtedly in possession of a highly strategic intellect, MacArthur’s vanity and lack of respect for those above him – which resulted in his removal from command during the Korean War – polarised the opinions of many soldiers beneath him.

MacArthur’s disregard for personal danger did stand him out from many of his peers – he personally insisted on flying as an observer in a B-17 during the Nadzab assault in September 1943. When one of the bomber’s engines failed and a crew member informed him of the pilot’s decision to return home, MacArthur demanded that the aircraft remain on station as he was well aware that it flew perfectly well on three engines. During the Los Negros landings in February 1944, MacArthur took his command staff onto the beachhead only hours after the first wave of the assault. Japanese voices could still be heard in the jungle on the far side of Momote airstrip and sniper fire was still ringing out. He was shown the bodies of two Japanese soldiers who had been killed in the fighting only 20 minutes before. MacArthur grimaced, ‘That’s the way I like to see them.’

Always keen to personally inspect and oversee the operations carried out by ‘his boys’, MacArthur would take any opportunity to visit the front lines and talk to regular fighting men. However, he also did not shy away from ordering those same men into operations which he knew would have high casualty counts – statistics which he had said were indicative of a good, aggressive attitude in Allied forces. Years after he was removed from command in Korea, ex-president Harry S Truman said:

‘I fired him because he wouldn’t respect the authority of the President. I didn’t fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was, but that’s not against the law for generals. If it was, half to three-quarters of them would be in jail.’

The lessons of facing the might of the Imperial Japanese Army with only limited equipment had been learned the hard way at Buna–Gona, and General MacArthur was adamant that his boys would not suffer from the same lack of support again. Heavy 4.2-inch mortars were made available; after the capture of Wakde Island, a Battalion of 105mm howitzers was brought to Sarmi. These would later be augmented by colossal 155mm heavy artillery guns. A platoon of four Sherman tanks provided support during the Wadke Island assault, and the success of these tanks resulted in more Shermans being brought into theatre. Logistical support continuously improved, with adequate transportation being provided for men and weapons on the small number of roads and tracks where they could actually be employed. By the time the campaign was concluded, the American fighting man in New Guinea had been offered support which in some areas rivalled that provided to his counterpart in the European Theatre of Operations.

N.B. Whilst the two scenarios in this book which allow the use of this Reinforced Platoon do not allow all options detailed (such as tanks), the full Reinforced Platoon is included here for generic use or to support any Late-War New Guinea scenarios which may be released in the future.

2 Infantry units from: Inexperienced Infantry squad or Regular Infantry squad (Late War)

0–4 Infantry squads: Inexperienced Infantry squad or Regular Infantry squad (Late War)

0–1 vehicle from: M4 Sherman 75mm medium tank, M4A1 Sherman 75mm medium tank, LVT(A)1 Alligator

0–1 Transport vehicle per infantry unit in the Reinforced Platoon from: LVT, DUKW, M3 half-track, 2 ½ ton truck, 1 ½ ton truck, Dodge ¾ ton truck, Jeep

0–1 Tow from: Jeep, 2 ½ ton truck, Dodge ¾ ton truck, M4/M5 artillery tractor

Forced to flee into the jungles of New Guinea and various other locations across the Dutch East Indies, several KNIL units chose to continue the fight against the Japanese aggressors from hidden locations by using guerrilla tactics. Fresh, inexperienced troops were transformed into veterans of jungle combat over months if not years, but the harsh conditions and complete absence of support took its toll with just as many, if not more, men being lost to disease and malnutrition than to enemy action.

0–4 Infantry sections: KNIL Guerrilla Rifle sections, Indonesian Infantry sections, up to a maximum of 1 KNIL Guerrilla light machine gun section

The special rules for Netherlands forces in Armies of France and the Allies (p.55) are replaced with the following rules.

•Fieldcraft: Guerrillas made good use of the jungle terrain to spring surprise attacks on advancing enemy columns. During set-up, any guerrilla unit starting the game Hidden may start the game already in Ambush. If you decide to do so, set one of your order dice in place next to them, as if you had ordered them to Ambush. In addition, in the first turn of the game, all guerrilla units treat all rough ground and obstacles as open ground for the purposes of movement.

•Infiltration: Good knowledge of the trails and paths crisscrossing the harsh terrain allowed guerrillas to mount effective strikes against enemy forces. When outflanking, guerrilla units ignore the -1 modifier to the order test for coming onto the table.

•Isolated Resistance: Having no communication with conventional Allied forces and no resupply, jungle guerrillas quickly ran out of supplies and were forced to survive using whatever they could find in the jungle or take from defeated enemy units. Inexperienced soldiers transformed into fearsome jungle fighters, but at a severe cost to their health. Any veteran units in a KNIL Guerrilla Reinforced Platoon count as stubborn and jungle warfare masters but are also exhausted as described in the Tropical Hazards section.

The opening rounds of the New Guinea campaign saw the forces of Japan exploiting their key advantage over their Allied opponents: experience. Regiments of men blooded in the fierce fighting of the Second Sino-Japanese War were moved south to face outnumbered and outgunned opposition. The force selector below represents one of the first waves of an amphibious assault; heavier equipment would be brought forwards once the beachhead was secured.

2 Infantry units from: IJA Infantry squad, IJA Veteran Infantry squad, SNLF squad

0–4 Infantry squads: IJN Scout team, IJA Infantry squad, IJA Veteran Infantry squad, SNLF squad, a maximum of 1 IJA Grenadier squad, IJA Veteran Grenadier squad or SNLF Veteran Grenadier squad, a maximum of 1 IJA Engineer squad

•The rivalry between Japanese army and naval forces was legendary. An amphibious assault would generally consist of army or naval troops; the two would generally work independently to achieve their own objectives. An Assault of New Guinea Reinforced Platoon may not include SNLF and IJN squads if it takes IJA squads, and vice versa. This rule also applies to the use of Grenadier squads.

For the purposes of Bolt Action, the following list covers both the main South Seas Detachment and its vanguard, the Yokoyama Detachment. Whilst both forces were of very different sizes and roles, the composition at platoon level was similar enough to allow them to be presented here as a single option.

The lead elements of the force which fought along the Kokoda Track were made up of men of the 1st Battalion of the 144th Infantry Regiment, supported by engineers and mountain artillery troops all under the command of Colonel Yosuke Yokoyama. The Yokoyama Detachment paved the way for the Major General Horii’s Nankai Shitai, or South Seas Detachment, the main assault force tasked with capturing Port Moresby. Whilst the troops initially travelled towards their objectives using motorised transport and bicycle, the unforgiving Kokoda Track would soon ensure that every last treacherous mile was completed on foot, battling the deadly environment as well as the enemy.

The Nankai Shitai was the force which, once assembled, would take over the assault from the Yokoyama Detachment and traverse the Owen Stanley Range to Port Moresby. It was made up of units from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 144th ‘Kochi’ Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Kusunose, and Colonel Yazowa Kiyomi’s 41st Regiment supported by the 15th Independent Engineers and 55th Mountain Artillery. This veteran force, under the command of the formidable Major General Tomitoro Horii, would bear the brunt of the long and gruelling Kokoda Campaign.

TOP SECRET

LEGENDS OF NEW GUINEA: SECOND LIEUTENANT TETSUO OGAWA

Very little information is available about Tetsuo Ogawa for a variety of reasons. Whilst Japanese military records were often meticulous in their attention to detail, much documentation was lost throughout the New Guinea campaign and records concerning the careers and exploits of junior officers were no exception. Added to this, Ogawa was a relatively common surname and so much confusion exists surrounding the young officer who is best remembered for fearlessly leading his men up the steep inclines leading to the Kokoda plateau. Given the scarcity of surviving records, the commonplace surname and the ease in which details can be altered when mistranslated, it is easy to understand why different sources have cited Ogawa as a lieutenant, a captain, having a different first name or in some cases being a medical officer rather than an infantry officer.

The case of Ogawa is cited here as an interesting footnote to any who wish to learn more about the Japanese military, and some of the pitfalls which can easily be encountered whilst conducting research. Other barriers to researching individual servicemen include the relatively common practice of giving a false name in the event of capture – given the perceived disgrace associated with falling into enemy hands, many Japanese soldiers lied about their names so as to save their families from the ignominy of hearing that they had become a POW.

The most likely truth of Ogawa is that he was an officer of the 1st Battalion, 144th Infantry Regiment who served in Guam and New Britain before his unit was shipped to New Guinea; whether he was a platoon commander or part of the company staff is impossible to determine for certain. His mention in Senshi Sosho – the official military history of Japanese operations in the Pacific theatre – mark him out as a respected and highly capable officer; specific references to him are made regarding his efficient conduct during operations around Rabaul. He is also mentioned in the Nankai Shitai Sakusen Shiryo (South Seas Force Operations Documents) and the Nanto Homen Sakusen Kiroku (Record of Operations in the Southeast Area).

Ogawa was one of the officers who formed part of the Yokohama Detachment, who led the push towards Kokoda in an attempt to take Port Moresby. He was most likely selected to take command of elements of the 1st Company under Lieutenant Sadao Hamada, who remained at Buna and may have been involved with liaison duties with the SNLF. Effectively an acting company commander, Ogawa was killed by Australian gunfire during the fighting for Kokoda strip in July 1942. Several of the surviving accounts make mention of the high regard he was held in by his men, due to his personable nature and the respect he treated his subordinates with, in a time when the Japanese military was well known for its strict and often brutal discipline enforcement.

Ogawa may replace the Second Lieutenant option in the 1942 Assault of New Guinea Reinforced Platoon or the South Seas Detachment Reinforced Platoon, for generic scenarios in the Bolt Action rulebook or for scenario 3 in this book.

Cost	Second Lieutenant (Rikugun Shoi) 75pts (Veteran)
Composition	1 officer and up to 2 further men
Weapons	Pistol and sword or rifle, as depicted on the model.
Options	- Ogawa may be accompanied by up to 2 men at a cost of +13pts per man (Veteran).
Special Rules	- Tough fighter. - Inspiring leader. Ogawa had clearly won the admiration and respect of the men under his command. If he is used to activate another unit which has pin markers, that unit automatically passes its order check and loses a single pin marker. However, if Ogawa is killed, any friendly unit within 6” immediately suffers one pin marker.

0–4 Infantry squads: IJA Infantry squad, IJA Veteran Infantry squad, a maximum of 1 IJA Grenadier squad or IJA Veteran Grenadier squad, a maximum of 1 IJA Engineer squad

•Artillery in the Kokoda campaign was notoriously difficult to transport and operate. To reflect this, a Japanese Army created for this selector may only have one artillery piece in the player’s entire force, even if using multiple platoons.

•Jungle bombardment: Even across the harsh and unforgiving terrain of New Guinea, the Japanese gunner knew that his mortar or artillery gun was a vital asset, forcing him on to greater feats of physical hardship just to ensure that his weapon was in place to support his comrades. If a Japanese force using this selector is the designated attacker in any scenario outside of this campaign book, it may carry out a preliminary bombardment even if the option is not available in the scenario brief.

•Follow the standard: One man, excluding the officer, in any officer team can replace all of his weapons with a flag for +25pts, gaining the ‘Rally to the colours’ special rule – all friendly infantry and artillery units within 12” of the flag-bearing model can re-roll (once) failed order tests when ordered to Rally. In addition, if the Rally order is successfully issued, the unit rolls two dice to determine how many pin markers are discarded and chooses the highest result. However, while the unit carrying the flag has a Down or Ambush order die on it, the flag is kept hidden and has no effect.

The entry of the Japanese Army and Navy into the Pacific theatre followed on from the trend set in the Second Sino-Japanese War: lightning advances with the forces of Imperial Japan on the offensive. However, as Japanese forces moved further from their major supply bases in the Pacific and stretched themselves thinner, they also met better-prepared and more determined Allied resistance. 1942 saw the tables turning, and the masters of lightning advances in the Pacific soon found themselves on the defensive.

Although Japanese military doctrine placed a heavy emphasis on offensive operations, Japanese forces were quickly able to adapt masterfully to the art of jungle defence, utilising defence in depth and expertly camouflaged networks of trenches and bunkers to guard against air attack or frontal assault. One criticism which has been retrospectively applied to the Japanese Army during defensive operations was the complete unwillingness to retreat. Whereas Allied units in Europe often found a fanatical defence staged by German forces who would make Allied soldiers pay for every last foot of territory before falling back to dig in again and repeat the process, Japanese soldiers would stand their ground to the last and suffer horrific casualties even after a defensive position was no longer tactically viable.

0–4 Infantry squads: Militia squads*, IJA Infantry, IJA Veteran Infantry, IJA Grenadier or IJA Veteran Grenadier squads, a maximum of 2 IJA Engineer Squads

0–2 Anti-tank teams: anti-tank rifle team, improvised anti-tank team, maximum of 1 suicide anti-tank team

Artillery gun: Type 41/Type 94 75mm mountain gun, Type 92 70mm infantry gun, 75mm field gun (Type 38 improved)

•Every man who can carry a rifle: With many units isolated and cut off from supplies, desperation grew for Japanese commanders to fight their way through to their own lines. Artillerymen, aircraft engineers, cooks and clerks were all used in combat. These men are represented by the rules for Militia squads in Armies of Imperial Japan (p.25). There is no limit to the number of Militia squads that can be taken.

•Extra defences: If the Reinforced Platoon is used for a defending player in a scenario, it receives 100 points to spend on defensive fortifications for every 1,000 points spent on the Reinforced Platoon. This rule does not apply to any of the scenarios in this book; the defensive emplacements are already specified for these scenarios.

•Aerial decoy: With the positions of their defences generally known to Allied commanders, Japanese defensive troops augmented their camouflaged positions with effective decoy targets to lure Allied pilots away from legitimate targets. When the Allied player rolls on the Air Strike Chart, a roll of 2, 3 or 4 now equals ‘The skies are empty’ rather than the normal 2 or 3.

Imperial Japanese Army infantry battalions were built around companies made up of rifle platoons, although the platoon’s sections were termed ‘light machine gun sections’ due to the doctrinal importance of this weapon. However, an infantry battalion also included a 174-man machine gun company consisting of a HQ and three machine gun platoons. Each platoon was led by a HQ element consisting of an officer and his assistant, and then further broken down into sections of up to 11 soldiers and a single machine gun. Whilst the IJA referred to these units as ‘heavy machine gun platoons’, they were in fact equipped with weapons which would be classed as medium machine guns in Bolt Action terms.

0–1 Anti-tank team: anti-tank rifle team, improvised anti-tank team, suicide anti-tank team

Artillery gun: Type 41/Type 94 75mm mountain gun, Type 92 70mm infantry gun, 75mm field gun (Type 38 improved)

By 1943, the forces of the Imperial Japanese Army were on the back foot. The waters surrounding New Guinea and its islands and the skies above were dominated by Allied sea and air power, which resulted in an inadequate trickle of supplies irregularly making it through to battered and starving Japanese units, who were also regularly bombarded from the air.

Nevertheless, the seemingly undefeatable Japanese seishin or ‘strength of will’ somehow endured and Japanese forces fought to the very last. Often severely constricted by the Allied strategy of isolating Japanese strongholds, many Japanese forces were made up of significant numbers of troops, made less effective by deteriorating health and inadequate supplies and equipment. This list represents a force such as General Adachi’s 18th Army at Wewak; strong in numbers but lacking equipment and supplies, but still possessing an indomitable seishin and very much in the fight.

2 Infantry units from: Militia squad*, IJA Infantry squad, IJA Veteran Infantry squad

0–6 Infantry squads: IJA Infantry squad, IJA Veteran Infantry squad, Militia squad*, a maximum of 1 IJA Grenadier squad or IJA Veteran Grenadier squad, a maximum of 1 IJA Engineer squad

•Night infiltrators (*): These units may only be selected for a scenario using the night rules.

•Medium anti-tank gun: The Type 1 47mm anti-tank gun was encountered by Allied forces only in very limited numbers in the closing stages of the campaign. For historical scenarios where the date is specified, this weapon may only be used in scenarios set in 1945.