Bukit Timah, Singapore

11/2/42

On 8th Feb 1942 the Japanese, having attacked town the length of the Malayan peninsular, started their attack on Singapore. They crossed the Johore Straight and defeated the Commonwealth forces waiting for them. The Japanese pressed forward relentlessly, aiming for the reservoirs that supplied Singapore city. To capture them was to win the campaign. The battle came to a head in the early hours of the 11th when the Japanese 5th and 18th Divisions attacked the final defence line in front of the reservoirs. The defenders did not fare well. The Japanese were expert night fighters and soon overcame the first line of defences. (see Bukit Panjang scenario)

The scenario starts after the initial assault. Whilst some of the Japanese forces mop up the first line of defence (6/15 Indian Brigade) elements of the Japanese 18th Division pursuing  the fleeing allied troops and clash with the last reserves of the 22nd Australian Infantry Brigade. They need to hold on long enough for the Commonwealth counter attack, to be organised under Tom Force.

Map and Order of Battle

Japanese Deployment

The 1/21st & 1/114th Infantry Battalions are deployed on table in the areas delineated by the pinked dashed lines. The 1/21st must be deployed with one infantry company facing each of the four sides of its deployment zone, the HQ, tanks and gun have free deployment within the zone. (broken elements of the 6/15 Indian brigade are swarming from the north east corner of the map, and the 1/21st is the blocking unit, hence the all round deployment)

The 2nd Tank Company 1st Tank Regiment is a reinforcement, on turn 6. It enters in column along the Woodlands Road (road B). The second tank in the column will have 3" deducted from its initial move

2/21st Infantry Battalion is a reinforcement on turn 7, entering between points A and H

1/11th Infantry Battalion is a reinforcement entering on turn 9 between points B & C (it can enter down the pipeline and road)

Commonwealth Deployment

22nd Australian Brigade and the 16th Battery 4th AT Regiment start the game on table deployed in the areas indicated by the pink dashed lines. The 22nd Brigade but not the 15th battery are dug in foxholes (+2 cover)

65th Battery 2/15th Artillery Regiment is deployed on the racecourse, personnel and guns are in gun pits +2 cover

2/29th Australian Infantry Battalion is a reinforcement arriving in column down the pipeline on turn 5. The battalion enters down the pipeline in a column. Each stand after the first loses 2" off its movement per stand that went before.

The 18th Recce is a reinforcement entering turn 7. It enters up to 6" either side of the Bukit Timah Road (road E)

The 4th Battalion Norfolk Regiment is a reinforcement entering turn 7. It enters between points D & E. It is accompanied by the Johore Battery FO.

The 7th Mobile Recce Corps enters the battle turn 7. It may enter in between points D & F

The 1/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters is a reinforcement entering turn 8. It enters between points E and F

The Tomforce HQ enters the battle turn 8. It enters down the Bukit Timah Rd (road E)

Massey Force (actually only the lead elements) is a reinforcement on turn 12 and enters between points D and E. Massey force will arrive early if any Japanese stands cross over the pipeline (being on the pipeline is not enough ) and are NOT in the jungle. Massey force will enter the turn after the criteria are met.

Note on Reinforcements

Reinforcements can not arrive within 12" and LOS of an undemoralised enemy stand. If this prevents entry then the unit may enter up to 12" away from its initial entry location next turn as long as the new entry point is not within 12" and LOS of an undemoralised enemy stand. Keep moving the entry point 12" per turn until entry is possible.

Terrain

The table is 5ft x 6.5ft if playing at 1" = 50m. North is towards the top of the page

There is no open ground on the table except at the race course, designated by the white oval with a green border.

The majority of the terrain is "scrub" mixed trees and foliage. Scrub is open blocking terrain with a max visibility through it of 6". Personnel stands are unimpeded by the scrub. Tracked vehicles move at half speed in the scrub, wheeled vehicles and man-handled guns at a quarter speed. Japanese 70mm infantry guns can be carried at infantry speeds dissembled, but require a turn to emplace or remove if moving this way. The balloon bourn FO and aircraft can see down into the scrub. The scrub gives +1 cover to those within.

The dark green area is jungle. This is impenetrable to vehicles and man-handled guns, infantry move half speed through it. Max visibility within is 1". No mortars (inc 50mm "knee" mortars) can be fired in the jungle

The grey squares are BUA. All are predominantly wooden and fairly dispersed buildings. Personnel and Japanese 70mm guns within get +2 cover, vehicles and other towed guns get +1 cover. There are no ROF penalties

Red lines are roads. Max visibility down the roads is 12". Stands on the road still get +1 cover

The green dashed line is the pipeline (actually a strip of open ground, the pipes are buried) and the black dashed line is a railway. In game terms they are the same counting as open terrain for movement purposes. Visibility down the lines is 6" in in Jungle or 12" if in scrub. Stands on the lines still get +1 cover

The blue lines are streams. They are no impediment to most stands. Wheeled vehicles and manhandled guns (not Japanese 70mm) cost a BMA to cross. Personnel stands within (not towed guns) get +2 cover. Moving along the streams is at 1/2 speed. Visibility down the lines is 2" in in Jungle or 6" if in scrub

The brown dashed lines are ridgelines. They break LOS and provide hull down positions for AFV's.

Air Support

All Commonwealth aircraft on Singapore had been destroyed by this date leaving the Japanese with uncontested mastery of the sky; which they made full use of.

From turn 7 the Japanese may roll for air support, this arrives on a 7+. Roll a d10 for the type of plane: 1-2 Ki-27 Fighter, 3 Ki-43 Fighter, 4-8: Ki-51 Light Attack, 9-10 Ki-30 & Ki-51 Light Attack

Special Rules

The game starts at 5am iits dark with a visibility of 2". There are 4 night turns. Turn 5 is twilight with a visibility of 12". Thereafter is daylight with unlimited visibility. There are 14 or 15 turns in total. At the end of turn 14 roll d10. On a 6+ there is a 15th turn.The following night rules are in effect (pg 93): 39.1.2 (2nd paragraph only); 39.1.4 and 39.1.7

The Japanese deployed artillery spotting balloons to co-ordinate artillery fire. The 1st Btty 21st Heavy Field Artillery Battalion is controlled by an FO in a balloon off table. All distances for the purposes of spotting are measured from point A. The balloon spots into the scrub as if it was open ground, however there is a 6" area of dead ground behind all the ridges.

The Johore Battery is 21 miles from the battlefield. It consists of 15" guns but they are only  equipped with AP Shell. The HE factor is 7 but it ignores cover modifiers. It does not ignore AFV armour modifiers. It may not be called on any target within 4" of a friendly stand. There is no smoke

Regrouping. On any turn when not issuing another order the 22nd Brigade HQ can issue a regroup order. This will regroup one stand of Indian troops from the stragglers retreating east. the first regroup will be a command infantry, the next two will be infantry and so on, stands 1, 4, 7,10 etc being command infantry. The command infantry do not have ATRs. The command infantry and pairs of infantry stands will form a company.

1/21st Infantry Battalion is blocking stragglers. Once deployed only one infantry company, the tanks, HQ and 70mm may move. This restriction is lifted turn 6 or if a commonwealth stand is spotted by a stand of the 1/21st

Victory Conditions

Victory locations are points B, X, Y & Z, each has a 6" zone around it. The points are in the middle of the road/junction. The zones do NOT include the jungle. Stands on the edge of the jungle are considered touching the zone

If the Commonwealth has a stand in good morale in zone B at the end of the game the Commonwealth win, this trumps all other victory conditions. If the Japanese don't have a stand in good morale in zone Z at the end of the game the Commonwealth win, this trumps all other victory conditions.

Otherwise count up all the stands in good morale in the victory zones for each side. Commonwealth stands in zone Y count double. The side with the most points wins.

To count as "within" a zone any part of the stand must be touching the zone

Good morale means not shaken and not demoralised.

References

1st tank Regiment: http://www3.plala.or.jp/takihome/history.htm 

2/15th Regiment RAA: http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_10390second_world_war.asp

22nd Brigade War Diary: http://hq22brigade.wordpress.com/records/page-nominal-roll-of-22nd-brigade-hq-and-attached-troops/

25th Army OB: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=157633&start=45

4th AT Regiment RAA: http://home.vicnet.net.au/~antitank/Publications/Tid-Apa/Chapters/Fortress_Singapore/singapore.htm

Australian Official History: http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/records/awmohww2/army/vol4/part2/awmohww2-army-vol4-part2-ch16.pdf

Britain's Greatest Defeat: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=zosKzAoocu8C&pg=PA247&lpg=PA247&dq=Tomforce%22+singapore+1942&source=bl&ots=BXcz1x4I5M&sig=QBGtf_dzPvsoKDOU2qwOKaCPixY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3_n1Tsm4E4Sv8QPtt7DoCQ&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false

British Armies in WW2 and Organisational History Vol 5 & Supplement 2, DA Ryan et al.

Guns of Singapore: http://www.navyhistory.org.au/the-guns-of-singapore/

IJAAF OB or the Malaya Campaign: http://www.j-aircraft.com/faq/Army_Units.htm#JIAAF%20Order%20of%20Battle%20-%20malaya 

Northumberland Fusiliers: http://www.fepow-community.org.uk/monthly_Revue/html/9th_northumberland_fusiliers.htm 

Plymouth-Argylls: http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/argylls.html

Russian 200K map of Singapore (modern): http://rusyag.webhop.org/maps/%D0%93%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%88%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B1/a/a48/200k/200k--a48-20.gif 

Singapore Burning, Colin Smith.

Suffolk Regiment: http://www.brandonatwar.co.uk/suffolks.htm 

Test of Battle Discussion Forum: http://testofbattle.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1997

Tomforce: http://www.britain-at-war.org.uk/WW2/Tomforce/

Tomforce OB: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=114&t=40054&sid=b30df2d37151a1b989c6b236d2657930&start=45