New RS ME scenario

[Mr. Guberman]

Gents,

Here is the third of the British 17Div in Burma scenarios:

viz:

19 February, 1942
Bilin, Burma: After the Allied retreat from Moulmein a defensive
line was established along the Bilin River, east of Kyaikto,
beginning on 16 February. It was finally becoming apparent to
the Allied high command that the Japanese were invading Burma
in earnest, and with the dreadful situation in Malaya and Singapore
it was also apparent that they might be able to throw the British
out of the country. The battered 17th Indian Division was given
the job of holding the line. Until now the division had not
been assembled as a single unit, elements of it having faced
the Japanese at Kawkareik and Moulmein, at both places being
defeated. Even now, along the Bilin River, the division was
not entirely complete; elements were stationed as far north as
Papun, to guard the passes into the Shan States and a portion
was west at Kyaikto, recovering from the battering already taken
from the Japanese, but the larger portion, approximately two
brigades worth, were on the Bilin River Line, north of Bilin.
Coming upon the river, the Japanese 33rd and 55th Divisions,
of 15th Army, began probing for crossing points. The 33rd Division
turned it's gaze northward toward Papun while the 55th looked
directly west across the river toward Kyaikto, then Rangoon.
From the 16th, skirmishing was incessant and on the 19th, the
Japanese were determined to eliminate the Allied blocking force.
In the first major action of the campaign, the 17th Indian Division
was practically destroyed.


Enjoy,
Curt