Bolt Action: IJA Platoon Organisation

Warlord's Build An Army deal offers a very good start on building a 1,000-point Japanese Bolt Action force that follows historical dispositions. I picked an HQ, two boxes of IJA plastic infantry, an MMG section, and a Type 97 Chi-Ha tank (free!). The Kurogane 'jeep' is mandatory. It's not terribly useful for my preferred theatres, but it's a cute model and I'm happy to have it.

In retrospect a better deal would have been to pick two boxes of SNLF marines for the same price because the sprues are the same as the IJA, except that they come with alternate metal heads and two metal figures. Still, I've no plans right now for any SNLF action.

With the two boxes of 30 plastic infantry and the metal HQ pack one can build up a standard 'Type B' single rifle platoon comprised of a HQ, three rifle sections and a grenadier section with about eight infantry left to be used as a bugler, banner bearer, and a sniper or command followers.

Following historical practice I'm stumping up the 20 points for an LMG in each of the three rifle sections. In addition, I'm following the proportions for one grenadier section to every three rifle sections. Models are plastic unless otherwise noted.

Platoon Headquarters: 2nd Lieutenant, Regular (metal) + liaison sergeant [60 pts]
1st light machine gun section (13 men): NCO, LMG, 11 riflemen [150 pts]
2nd light machine gun section (13 men): NCO, LMG, 11 riflemen [150 pts]
3rd light machine gun section (13 men): NCO, LMG, 11 riflemen [150 pts]
4th grenadier section (13 men): NCO, 3 grenadiers, 9 riflemen [205 pts]

The rest of the units are assorted to taste depending on the scenario. Here's an initial loadout:

Medic: Medic, Regular (metal) + follower [33 pts]
Medium Machine Gun Team (metal) [65 pts]
Sniper section: sniper + spotter [50 pts]
Tank: Type 97 Chi-Ha [135 pts]

Comes to 998 points.

I kicked off my project first with a 13-man LMG section as the group is using Operation Squad as a transitional step to Bolt Action games.

Here they are, all assembled, ready for painting.

I put a bit of extra effort to sculpt a dug-out base for the LMG gunner. It's based on an illustration in Ritta Nakanishi's Japanese Infantry Arms in World War II.