Saipan, scenario 26: Overlooking Radio Road

Trying to simulate small actions at PG Level can be a hit or miss proposition but sometimes they are just fun. I setup the Marines in set defensive position trying to cover all the area I thought the Japanese might try and slip by. The Marines are NOT dug-in, so I must figure the best way to spread them out but without giving that away I’ll let gamers have the fun of trying this for themselves. Next I must decide how to approach from off board as the Japanese and what victory conditions to go for; exit points and avoiding contact or destroying enemy steps?

This is so small of a scenario, that I quickly had 8 plays in, using a set Marine defense that I thought best covered the map but trying 8 different Japanese attack strategies and approaches. I’ll list all 8 plays as one AAR but post 8 game plays.

1. Japanese victory attacking two steps of reduced Marine’s Infantry in assault combat and rolling a 6 and then a 5 in two activations in a row or two turns. I little luck here but the reduced step Marines don’t have AT fire rolls, so why not play the odds.

2. American victory, all Japanese armor destroyed by a platoon of Sherman tanks with armor efficiency and two shots.

3. American victory, all Japanese armor destroyed by a M3/75mm halftrack after three turns.

4. Japanese victory, taking out both steps of the American M3/75mm halftracks.

5. American victory, Heavy Jungle takes out two steps of Japanese tanks and the third is destroyed by an assaulting full step of Marine Infantry with AT firing abilities.

6. American victory, as again the Japanese failed to slip by the Sherman tanks.

7. American victory, once again the Japanese armor cannot get around the Sherman tanks.

8. Japanese victory, the Japanese try the heavy jungle hex again losing two steps in the process but still being able to exit one step off the map for another lucky victory.

I think if you played this 20 times, the Americans would win 15 out of 20 but it’s still fun trying.

Gads, the scenario didn't last long enough to put 4th edition to the test. A nice little 10-turn scenario with 3 steps of Japanese tanks that have to get across the length of board 83 with 4 steps of Marine infantry, an M3/75 tank destroyer and a reduced Sherman. Japanese have a little bit of a lead in initiative, which my die rolls enhanced for 2 activations as I started turn 1. Looking at the game map, there is a fairly clear line of hexes if I drive up the south edge of the board, but that seemed gamy to me so I figured I'd drive down the trail like any good tank command. Right up to the outskirts of the first town on the trail where the Marines holed up with a full platoon and one reduced platoon, a 9-0-1 Liuetenant and an excellent sergeant (whose numbers slipped my mind, but he sort of reminded me of SGT Rock from the numbers - all the Marine leaders came out excellent with a 10-1-1 LT I left in charge of 2 reduced squads a bit further back along the road). Anyway, as the Japanese full platoon of Type 95 tanks came to a stop on the edge of the village, the halftrack opened OP Fire, claiming a step right off the bat. The Japanese Shin reduced platoon came along on the next activation and stopped just inside the jungle, still on the trail but out of sight of anyone who could do it harm. Marine Sherman activates, and having the advantage of shooting after the halftrack shot, gets the crossfire modifier. Bang, there goes the second step. Thus ends turn 1. Turn 2 starts as did turn 1, with the Japanese getting 2 activations and the US 1. The Shin moves forward one hex into the open with the idea of skirting the village through the fields to his left, when the halftrack again OP fires. Bang. There goes another and final step of Japanese armor. Getting second thoughts about what is gamy and what isn't. I want to try this gain face to face with somebody who might just do that end-run sort of thing, making me as the Marine spread out a bit more to catch him wherever he might head.

This is a neat little tactical puzzle playable in minimal time. Like Jay I noodled through more than one play, and in the process I realized that the optional overrun rule also seems essential to the Japanese chance to win. It also seemed after reading Jay's AAR that I wasn't doing everything correctly; turns out I had incorrectly interpreted regular jungle as heavy jungle. This is very meaningful because heavy jungle is prohibited terrain to tanks, and the Japanese would have no chance at all.

What follows is my final play. I set up two Yank infantry units on the north edge and two on the south edge. The Shermans occupied the first town on the main road, and the halftracks the village in the south middle of the board. Japs had a choice to approach the edge infantry or run up the gullet into the Shermans. The latter seemed futile, so I had them enter along the south edge.

The Yanks retreated and pivoted the infantry. They also moved up the halftracks, occupying both potential exit hexes of an overrun of the full strength forward-positioned platoon. On the second turn, without an overrun option, the Japs tried to flank the Yanks by moving adjacent but into the jungle. The halftracks took a shot when they could without success. Meanwhile the Shermans arrived and now occupied the village where the halftracks originally set up.

At this point the Japs best play, I thought, was to go for step losses. They won initiative. The Shins took a shot at the halftracks but missed. Meanwhile the Type 95 tanks assaulted a half platoon again unfortunately for the Japanese without success. The Shermans shortly thereafter blasted the Shins, and full-strength platoon joined the assault with the Type 95s. Before long the Type 95s were also out.