This scenario is an interesting study of American beach landings. There is two approaches to there victory, land in uncontested area's and build up an attack or land straight into the Japanese defenses. Both options are viable but both will have pitfalls to success. Slamming headlong into the Japanese will incur man casualties while a landing and build up will cost time and with sixteen turns they will need to move fast.

The Marines have the firepower to close and attack with DF and assaults, but lacking BF to those times needed to soften up the targets. They will have plenty of leaders with good bonuses so they should be able get them moving, but terrain will limit some for that command and movement. Planning and terrain knowledge will be key to getting the most out of the Marines.

As for the Japanese, they have a small defense force with good AT capabilities for defense. Supported by OBA with two shots of 30 and 42 will make the Marines keep their heads down. They also have good static defenses with entrenchments, mines and dugin units. They will tend to setup in Chalan Kanoa as well as key areas along the landing beaches. With my play they concentrated the units in village hexes of Chalan Kanoa . To the south the Japanese setup, the 47mm in the northern village of board 80 and the 37mm in the middle village. Both will be able to cover the landing in the south. A company is stationed on the 40m hill to the south to hassle the Americans that try to control the southern beaches. In the north a long platoon and LT cover the northern bay on board 81. Everyone else is in the town. The town is the key for the Japanese, but I feel that the best that the Japanese can do is get a draw for the game as I don't think they can hold off the American hordes for long.

For the American landings, as states two approaches. I thought about a direct landing just south of Chalan Kanoa but the AT cross fire would be deadly on the advancing AMTRAC's. Same for going straight at the village. But the issue of clearing the beaches and town required them for be close. I choose a two pronged build up approach. Landing a battalion to the southern end to clear board 80, while the other two battalions land in the bay to the north. This approach will minimize the AT fire from the Japanese and allow the Americans to build a force to clear the beaches.

The first turn starts with the LVT A1 and A4's advance toward the two landing sites. Japanese artillery open up on the open-top tanks scoring a hit on a LVT A4. So much for the minimal AT fire. The next turn the Japanese fire repeats its killing capability with a second loss. The LVT's appear as well and the second OBA scores a hit on the LVT's. This is starting to be a blood bath for the Americans. But the Marines do get to the beaches and start to advance.

To the north the Marines need to deal with the lone platoon and leader spotting for the OBA. They quickly defeat them and begin to move inland and south along the beach. A trail is spotted and allows the Marines to advance around the flank of the Japanese. They also push down the beach road to directly advance on Chalan Kanoa. As they move down the Japanese open fire on the Marines. This stacks up the Marines on the road. As they jump off the AMTRAC's and return fire. They boldly advance platoons but quickly get shot up by the heavily stacked Japanese. For now the Marines will need to be satisfied with trading shots as the AMTRAC's won't go through the jungle hexes very will. But the flanking force makes progress and hits the Japanese supporting mortars and guns. The Marines are able to destroy the 75mm gun and drive the mortars into the jungle. This opens the inland road to CHalan Kanoa.

To the south the battalion lands near the southern village and moves inland. The Japanese platoon on the 40m hill moves down to confront the Marines. They continue to spot for the OBA and they are able to score a step loss on a INF. But their best defense is to slow down the American advance. Blocking and moving, blocking and moving slowing the Marines advancing. But as they close on the center village the Japanese company needs to make a stand. They try to hold out but are easily overrun by the Marines. But time has been lost and the Marines have to assault the entrenched village with AT guns. OBA fire keeps some of the Marines out and the Americans get in but are disrupted, burning more precious time. Bu back to the north.

With the Marines on the east side of Chalan Kanoa as well as reduced force to the north, the Marines coordinate an attack on the town. Moving through the cane fields the AMTRAC's drop off their Marines right on the edge of the village. The Japanese defenders don't have much they can do except take DF shots at Marines. The Marines charge into Chalan and contest the first hexes eventually reducing and killing the Japanese defenders. At this point the Americans secure the draw, next the win. But their are only four turns left and more beach to secure.

To the south the Marines are having trouble reducing the entrenched Japanese in the middle village. They are able to bring up the FLM unit that removes the first fire effect of the entrenchment. This gives them the edge to destroy the INF and 37mm gun, but they have one more to go. Fortunately they sent a company and the LVT A1's and A4's to get position on the northern village. The Japanese have placed the 47mm in the entrenched village. With this deadly gun it will be hard to bring in LVT's with Marines, so they move the A1's and A4's in first. Luckily, the 47mm misses with there opening shots. The LVT's move the Marines to close, but the must take care of a dugin INF first. They get into the hex for the assault but are bogged down when they are disrupted. This requires the LVT A4 and A1 to close on the AT gun on their own. This ends badly as the A1 is reduced leaving the A4 to close on their own but this does not work as the 47 mm is able to reduce the A4 as well. This ends the advance of the southern force.

To the north the battle for Chalan Konana continues, with the Japanese slowly giving more town hexes. The northern force starts a second push for the village, but again is cut down by Japanese HMG and casement fire. Even a second amphibious assault across the marshes is not able to dislodge the Japanese defenders. The forces advancing from the south clears the southern end of Chalan Kanoa, but does not have time to assault the stubborn defenders. In the end a draw. With a couple of more turns they probably could have taken the village. As for the Japanese, as stated earlier the best I feel they can do is a draw.