Background: I've played 8-ish or so PG games so still somewhat new to the system. This was my first Saipan battle.

The map was setup in a 2x2 grid longways with the Marine's backs to the ocean. Their goal was to keep the Japanese off the beach and to hold the radio station.

When setting up I didn't take into account the strength of the Marines vs their Japanese counterparts. I never looked at my opponents units and just setup my line. As such I double stacked where I could and made a line in the jungle running from the Marine far right edge of the map across to the far left where the line dipped down to the ocean to avoid a swamp.On the left I didn't run the line to the edge of the map, instead I anchored it in the village along the coastline where the radio station was. I kept the armor in back on road so they can move to where they are needed and the on board art was stacked together near the beach.

My opponent, being the crafty devil he is, pushed much of the Japanese troops along the Marine right edge of the map. There were some troops in the middle to pin my troops there and the Japanese Marines were deployed on the far left to hit the village.

With it being night time and the spotting range being 2, there are many, many assaults. After fierce fighting the Japanese force a gap between the map edge and the Marine line and pour in towards the beach. The pinning force in the middle is crushed under US Marine firepower and assaults as the US commander finally figures out just how tough his troops are. On the far left the Japanese Marines slowly make their way to the unguarded beach but hold off attacking.

A new line is hastily formed on the US right between the Japanese and the soft belly of the US forces so the US troops are now in a crescent along the beach. So far the armor on both sides have not been committed as each is wary of the other. As daylight approaches this changes as the Japanese small tanks move in to attack and try to break though the US right flank. A platoon of armor moves in to counter but is soon destroyed by an enemy armor platoon that manged to make it's way though the Jungle. Incensed by this the US Marines assault 3 platoons of tanks which goes amazingly well and the Japanese attack is beaten off.

With the sky getting brighter the Japanese are desperate for victory. They have suffered enormous causalities (40+, enough for a US major victory) and their only hope is to inflict enough causalities of their own to cause a draw. In short, they go head hunting, fighting wherever possible. The US troops, sensing victory is near, disengage closer to the beach.

One last organized attack is made by the Japanese Marines onto the far left flank guarding the beach village and radio station. The troops rush forward and slam into the Marine line. The Japanese are hit with effective art fire and massive close range firepower cutting their troops apart. All that is left is damaged, disrupted and demoralized troops.

In the end the Japanese came within 3 steps of pulling out a draw. Very close but a US major victory is had.