Kokoda Trip

von Marwitz

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A great book for outlining the campaign is a Bastard of a Place.
Very good book. I bought and read it when in Australia and carried it back with numerous others for my library. Fortunately, the lady doing the check-in at the airport leniently waved through my over-weight suitcase filled to the bursting point...

von Marwitz
 

Peter J

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If you stick with the main battles for the villages and ridges, you can focus on maybe 2 or 3 that you would need a HASL map for, with several scenarios at each one. You can probably get away with geomorphic for some smaller villages or the trail itself but the terrain is a PITA for both those who actually traverse it and for those trying to simulate what went on there in WW2. I sure wish you luck, I'm pausing my Kokoda research to see what comes out of this and maybe fill in with some smaller actions once I know what everyone else is doing with it. All I know is this was a great campaign for the Allies, both stopping the Japanese advance and then the long slog taking the trail back. It was just as big a turning point for the Anzacs as Guadalcanal was for the USA. It deserves a true HASL devoted to parts of it, we can get by with the other boards and/or overlays as needed for stuff that does not get the full HASL treatment. I look forward to what the ASL community comes up with, I know I'm all in on playing scenarios for it.
The terrain along the track is extreme! However, most of the principal engagements were fought in locations where fire could be brought to bear which gives some scope for playability. Mapboard-wise this would require some small villages, 'hills' with paths, crag/stream combinations, mixture of dense jungle and jungle, large expanses of kunai. The fight for Buna and Gona will need large swamps! I think there is a need for some Pacific (New Guinea) only geomorphic maps rather than SSRs. It may be difficult to have a sufficient number of scenarios to justify a specific HASL map.
In addition to Peter Brune's 'A Bastard of a Place', I also recommend Phillip Bradley's 'Hell's Battlefield:The Australians in New Guinea in World War II'. David Cameron has also released a trilogy of sorts 'The Battle for the Kokoda Plateau'; 'The Battle for Isurava'; and 'Retaking Kokoda'.
 

Honza

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Out of curiosity did you see any interesting wildlife on the trail?
 

PresterJohn

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I wonder what the economics of a high res .pdf only historical map would be. One or maybe two A3 pages that would be easy to print locally. The rules, counters and scenario cards would still be shipped from the publisher with the map going straight to VASL and you can print it out in poster quality if you want it.
 

Westy

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If you stick with the main battles for the villages and ridges, you can focus on maybe 2 or 3 that you would need a HASL map for, with several scenarios at each one. You can probably get away with geomorphic for some smaller villages or the trail itself but the terrain is a PITA for both those who actually traverse it and for those trying to simulate what went on there in WW2. I sure wish you luck, I'm pausing my Kokoda research to see what comes out of this and maybe fill in with some smaller actions once I know what everyone else is doing with it. All I know is this was a great campaign for the Allies, both stopping the Japanese advance and then the long slog taking the trail back. It was just as big a turning point for the Anzacs as Guadalcanal was for the USA. It deserves a true HASL devoted to parts of it, we can get by with the other boards and/or overlays as needed for stuff that does not get the full HASL treatment. I look forward to what the ASL community comes up with, I know I'm all in on playing scenarios for it.
Hopefully will do it Justice.
 

Tesgora

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The magazine After the Battle Issue 137 has an article on the Kokoda Trail mixing then and now pictures to illustrate the terrain.
 

Vic Provost

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Milne Bay could be added for some tank play
Anything in the New Guinea or the Solomons is worth looking at, it was before the Japanese retreated to the caves and bunkers for most of 44-45 (The Philippines and Burma are still very interesting later in the war). I am always looking for new PTO that is not the Japanese in late war defenses with USA out in the open in some moonscape. 42 - 43 is a very interesting period amongst rough equals, if you have a PTO scenario you want published, send it my way at: aslbunker@aol.com Thanks in advance and enjoy! Banzai!
 

sswann

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Milne Bay was published by LFT using their seacoast and hill maps.
 

sswann

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Title: FIRST DEFEAT FT154 published in "From The Cellar" issue 5.
Australian infantry vs. Japanese Special Landing Forces with tanks.
Night scenario with headlight rules.
 
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