Game Preparations

Here are a few pictures of a game we are looking to play soon, Tarakan 1942.

This shows the inner defences of the airfield, in front of which there is another perimeter of wire and a couple of Dutch platoons on picket.

Here, the harbour area with the train tracks which lead to the refinery about three kilometers inland; the Dutch blew this up before the Japanese landed so there wasn't really much here to fight over.

This shows the northern end of the settlement which was an important part of the Dutch defence because it commanded the road leading to the port area and the coastal defence battery on this side of the harbour area.

Western coastal defence battery, yet to have its garrison added.

Eastern battery, much closer to the dock area, though containing a smaller garrison.

This represents the oil refinery area. There is still a lot to be worked out ground scale and detail wise but I'm getting there. A recent e-mail from a friend who's played this scenario suggests this may be a very unexciting game to play because of the ratio of troop numbers, roughly eight battalions of Japanese verses one and a half of Dutch.

We will still play the game but it won't conform to our usual historical standards if we want to enjoy it, so it will end up being based on Tarakan rather a replay of the actual event. So I am looking at some other possible game options to do after this, with the top contenders being: the Battle of Brześć Litewski 1939, Arras 1940, Seelow Heights 1945, and two Great War options, Neuve Chapelle and or Loos 1915. If anyone has any other ideas I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.