This was an interesting little scenario that felt more like a football/rugby game than a PG game. The basic idea of this scenario is to keep the Japanese off the beaches while both sides try to inflict as much damage as possible. Given that it is a small one both sides don's have enough force to cover or attack all the board, so the units will be moving back and forth trying to find a weak spot while the other blocks up holes that appear.

The Americans just have a Marine infantry force that has good firepower but there just isn't enough to block the Japanese from advancing to the beach as some point. This puts a lot of pressure on the American setup, as they are first and need to guess where the Japanese will advance. In my play, the bulk of the Americans were held in the center, just east of the center village and slightly south. From this position the Americans had control of the road so they could shift north or south depending on the Japanese advance. In both the north and south villages Marine platoons were on picket duty just to slow the advance if they came that way.

For the Japanese, it was also a tough decision as their force was not very big, but has two reduced Type 95 tanks. These would be good for going up against the American LVT's but they would not be much help with assaults as well as watching out for pesky Marine bazooka teams. The Japanese setup as a massed group, just south west of the 20m hill in the northern quadrant. This gave them the cover of the light jungle to move as well as a possible avenue of attack between the center and northern American Marines.

The game start with the Americans getting the initiative and advancing two platoons from the center to block/fire from the south on the Japanese. The Japanese respond by moving toward the Marines and look to isolate and assault the Marines. But the Americans quickly move back on the next turn and the Japanese turn back to their advance to the north. They close on the beach road but the northern Marine pickets look to block them as the southern pickets rejoin the center force and look to block the whole south side of the board. So far "Navy" has kept "Army" out of the endzone beaches.

The Japanese, seeing that the line of advance has closed down, look to attack the isolated units trying to block to the south. The massed Japanese force turns back to the south and moves to hit the lone platoons trying to block a southern advance. The Japanese Captain skillfully maneuvers the INF's and tanks to the jungle, but the Americans shift reinforcements to help cover the advance. At this point the Japanese draw first blood with a step loss on the DF seven column and reduce a Marine platoon. With a massed force ready to assault the reduced Marines they shift units to support, but a Marine platoon and HMG score a 2X on a advancing Japanese platoon. The American Colonel advances more reserves to help close gaps, but he is demoralized while in the cane fields and the Marines are left on there own. But the attack is to the south and the two Marine Captains are strong enough to hold the line.

At this point the Japanese commit the tanks to dash into the American lines to draw fire for their infantry. American OP fire misses and the LVT-4A moves back down the road from north to cover this threat. This leaves the other Type 95 open to move back to the south and support its brethren. But the Marines aren't going to wait and a Capt 10-1-1 spurs his platoon against the tanks, they disrupt the tanks but could not get a good shot with their bazooka teams. The Japanese Captain has a INF charge in with the tank and reduce the Marines. It now becomes a major issue for the Americans with a trapped platoon about to be overrun.

On the next turn the worst happens the Japanese get the initiative and kill the remnants, while the tank moves past the blocking Americans and heading for the beaches. Meantime the American LVT-4A positions to get a shot as the Type 95 moves south. The second Type 95 moves to support the remaining INF. But the Marine HMG's score another kill this time a 3X lose, one full INF and a LT 10-1-0. Then the Marines assault the other Type 95 with a platoon and disrupt it. The Japanese Captain commits two INF's to cover the tank, one is demoralized as well as the tank demoralizes. Next turn the Marines assault again this time double demoralizes the tank and INF. With the tank gone, the Japanese Captain commits the last INF and himself and is able to reduce the Marine platoon through double demoralization.

At this point the game has reached the end and the Americans a 5 point lead on the step loses, but the Japanese have broken the line and dashed a tank unit to the beach to put a scare into the Marines unloading. But in the end it is the step losses that win it for the Americans.