This was a really nice puzzle of a game. The Marines need to preserve their force while knocking out entrenchments, always a tough task. It is particularly difficult when you don't have artillery to pound the trenches with first. It is even harder when a significant part of your force's firepower relies upon lightly armored LVTs, and the enemy has heavy AA and artillery in the area, well sited on hills overlooking the battlefield with few blind spots.

In my play, the Japanese positioned their three trenches in an area of open ground and light jungle just behind the north-central beach. Further north and farther behind, some Heavy AA and a company of mortars had good visibility covering the trenches. To the south east, another big hill with artillery and AA on it could also cover the trenches. The Japanese infantry occupied the trenches and a second position to the south, covering the flank and southern approaches to the trench complex.

The Marines chose to attack in two forces, one in the far north to take one trench and silence the covering guns on the northeast hill, and a larger force to attack in the central beach area and block the Japanese units to the south.

The plan worked very well, with loaded LVTs lurking in the jungle and cagily approaching the trenches. By turn 2 the first marine units were ready to begin the trench attack, unloading before exposing themselves, but the LVTs stuck around to lend their firepower. By turn 4 two trenches were captured and one gun silenced, for the loss of 4 steps of LVT-a1s and -a4s, and 3 steps of LVTs. So they were just under their step loss limit, they had accomplished their objectives, they had pulled back all their LVTs into positions where they were safe from the remaining Japanese guns. All they had to do was ride out any counterattacks from the scattering of Japanese infantry remaining and artillery strikes. Unfortunately a lucky Japanese bombardment killed a Marine step and turned a very successful American attack into a draw.