Historical Background:
After the coming of the 37th US Infantry Division, General Grisvold, commander of US troops in New Georgia, could have enough troops to launch the last offensive to Munda. The 43th US Infantry Division was on the left flank of the offensive, from the coastal village of Ilangana to Shimizu Hill and the 37th US Infantry Division was in charge of the right flank, that is to say the hills area. Reincke Ridge and Kelley Hill have been captured on the last week, but Bartley Ridge and Horseshoe Hill were always in Japanese hands. Bartley Ridge was a very hard defensive position with numerous machine guns inside coral pillboxes which protect one another. On the 25th of July, US infantrymen advanced towards the Japanese defense line, with the support of some USMC tanks and several engineer teams with flame-throwers. The US advance was easier near the coast than inland, particularly on Shimizu Hill, which was a place hardly defended. On the right flank, US infantrymen fought fiercely during a full week to capture Bartley Ridge. Japanese machine guns inflicted a lot of losses to US infantrymen and had to be reduced one by one with flame-throwers. Finally, on the 31st of July, the last defense line before Munda airfield was broken.
The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. The rest is history.

Briefing:
Axis player [Japan] : 8 command cards.
Allied player [United States] : 10 command cards, you move first.

To play this scenario, it needs 2 base games, 2 "Pacific Theater" expansions and 2 "Winter Wars" expansions.

Conditions of Victory:
12 medals.
Terere village and the pillbox on Shimizu Hill are each a temporary medal objective for the Allied player. The bunker with mortar on Bartley Ridge is a permanent medal objective for the Allied player.

Special Rules:
- Use "Japanese Imperial Army" rules (Nations 3).
- Use "Combat Engineers" rules (Troops 4) to the Allied units with badges.
- Special Weapon Asset rules (SWAs 4 - Special Weapon Assets) are in effect for the units equipped with mortars (SWAs 6 - Mortar Late War) or machine guns (SWAs 7 - Machine Gun Late War).
- All Bunkers are Field Bunkers (Terrains 22).

Scenario Bibliography:
- "Cartwheel - The reduction of Rabaul" - John Miller.
- "La Seconde Guerre mondiale au jour le jour" - Ed. France Loisirs.

Official scenario of FFM44. Played during the OPJH (Open de Paris des jeux d'histoire), on the 19th of March 2016.

Warning:
Please note that this scenario was not approved by Richard Borg or Days of Wonder, so you have to check yourself about playability, potential gaming issues, etc.