My first game from the Saipan set was naturally the first amphibious landing scenario. Roughly a regiment of Marines in LTVs with no artillery support (other than pregame bombardment) must clear a beachhead 28 hexes long by 4 deep of Japanese defenders, consisting of a few battalions of Japanese army with a ton of off board artillery.

The Japanese defense plan hinged on holding the coastal town in force. No matter where the Marines landed, they would have to take the whole town to get their 28-hex long beachhead. Since the town was closer to the north end of the board, the Japanese placed a few entrenched positions in the south to contest any landing there and spoil the Marine's advance up the coastal road.

The Marine's plan was to land in two large groups in the south, immediately assaulting the Japanese positions there with one group while pushing up the road to the north with the second group.

The battle proceeded according to plan for both sides. The Marines landed with few casualties and made relatively quick work of the Japanese delaying positions. However, they became very disorganized and spread out as they struggled to advance up the road past subsequent Japanese positions. Taking to the jungle and marsh behind the beach, while not impassible to infantry and amphibious vehicles, was slow and confused.

In the final hour of the 4-hour battle, the Marines began straggling up to the town. One company of Marines, trying to flank the town to the east, was attacked by a company of Japanese and forced to make a desperate defense of a hilltop position. Taking a risk, more Japanese moved out of the town and set up a defensive line in the canefields and jungle south of town. One marine company risked passing through a minefield laid at a key road junction, and paid heavily for it. As the final turns ticked by, the Marines were breaking through the Japanese line south of town and firing on the town defenders, but they were unable to begin any serious assaults to contest the town. Their casualties exceeded the scenario limit and they failed to take the town, so this was a solid Japanese victory.

1 more hour could have made all the difference for the Marines. If a few rolls had gone their way as they approached the town they might not have suffered as heavily and could have taken the place. I rank this as a very good scenario because it was pretty close even though a big challenge for the Marines. It played out in a very narrative fashion, bringing to mind many accounts I have read of the war in the Pacific, so I enjoyed it a great deal. The Marines lost over a third of their LTVs, all of them on land, where they contributed enormous firepower and absorbed quite a few losses. Marine firepower in this game is simply awesome, but necessary to root out defenders in trenches, towns and jungle. Both sides have excellent leadership which kept the game flowing even despite the tortuous terrain.