The second of Saipan to see how the new cave rules worked out, and I was not disappointed. Given the size of the scenario is was a good one to try. It is mostly an all infantry scenario save the American M3/75. The Japanese get to hold up on a hill with a cave and jungle for the Marines to content with. The Marines do have a FLM unit to content with the cave, but that will always draw fire from the Japanese.

For the setup the Japanese make it hard, placing the cave in the jungle hex on top of the 40m hill. This will require the Americans to either try to slog through the dense jungle to the west of the hill or approach from the road/town from the south. The later will be covered by the HMG and 20mm as well as INF's. The mortars are placed to the north east in light jungle out of the Americans sight.

For the Americans, they enter from the west along the road and the hexes to the south. Moving up they encounter a Japanese LT acting as a spotter for the mortars. The mortars are able to disrupt a Marine INF before the LT is captured by the Marines. After a brief interrogation, the Marines discover the fact that the hill is well defender by fanatical troops bent on stopping the American advance. At this point the Marine LT Col. decides to send a company on a flanking move to the north and see if they can get around the dense jungle and attack from a possibly weaker side, while the main force moves up the road on in the south.

Both groups move out, the southern force gets up the road but comes under fire from the Japanese 20mm as soon as it clears the jungle before the town. A Marine INF is hit with a step loss and is demoralized. Followup the M3/75 races into the town for cover from the 20mm. Other Marine INF's move to the south of the town just out of rifle range of the defenders.

To the north it takes several turns before the flanking company can get to the light jungle on the north side of the hill. The Marine Captain and LT bring up their men but are spotted by the mortars to the north-east and one platoon is disrupted before another can go after the mortars. The Captain orders the Lt to recover the platoon and attack the hill while he goes after the mortars. This forces the Japanese to shift two infantry units to met the advancing Marines. At the cave hex the Japanese INF open fire disrupting the other American Marine INF. But to the south more action is going on.

The Marines have established themselves in the town and can now fire on the hill. They start to get some effects with a step loss to a Japanese INF. But the Japanese 20mm has effect on advancing troops as the LT. COL comes under fire when his accompanying INF is reduced. He temporarily demoralizes and recovers as the Japanese cannot take advantage with any other fire. Meanwhile, Marine INF's to the south of the town move to attack an INF and SER on a spur of the hill to the south east. Heavy OP fire from the Japanese reduce another Marine INF, but other follow in and are in position for an assault. Just to the west of that the Japanese HMG is positioned to fire on them but the M3/75 and 2xINF are able to demoralize it first. Force to flee it runs to the cave hex, opening a window of opportunity for the Marines.

They push two INF's into the vacated hex under fire from the 20mm and are in position to assault the spur with the other Marines as well as threaten the cave. With the LT COL. coming back online other reduced and support Marines move to advance on the cave. The Japanese try to consolidate around the cave and the jungle and hope to hold out as time is running out for the Marines.

For the final act, first the Marines assault the INF and SER on the spur. After demoralizing the INF the Marines move in for the kill, but the wiley Japanese get a first fire kill on the Marines, luckily the morale holds. The counter and destroy the SER and double demoralize the INF. Second, the Marines storm the 20mm on the top of the hill, killing it quickly. Third, the flanking Marine company goes for the cave hex. But this will be a tough one with 2xINF outside and a disrupted HMG on the inside. (At this point another note, this assault used First fire for the HMG in the cave, but this has later been clarified that caves do not first fire.) The HMG fires on the Marines and misses, so the Marines and the INF's go at it. The Marines score a M2 but the Japanese score a step loss forcing the Marines out, but demoralizing both an INF outside and the HMG inside. After recoveries, they are disrupted. One the next turn another group of Marines from the south go it to the caves. Again a miss by the HMG, and the Marines score a step loss while the Japanese score a morale check. This seals the fate of the Japanese as they are forced out of the hex and given the 30 firepower in the hex the Japanese will not be able to take it with there reduced units. This gives the Americans the win.

A good scenario and one that I would recommend as a FtF rather than a solo effort. This could be a very tense and dramatic little battle under those conditions. As for the cave rules, they are working well after some clarifications and updates. See the errata postings for the latest updates.