Marianas 1944, scenario #8: A Busy Day for the 4th Tank Battalion

Simple American victory objectives, destroy the Japanese heavy weapons that have been giving the Marines a headache, including one of their own disabled M4 Sherman tanks which the Japanese are using as a machine gun pillbox and a 47mm AT gun and 70mm gun units.

The American enter from the north and the Japanese setup a couple roadblock Infantry units up north as well but the majority of their units setup on the far south hill and road hexes, with their units dug-in, or entrenched with minefield surrounding them.

The first Japanese unit eliminated was the captured/disable M4 Sherman tank, after that it was slugfest and the Japanese were actually throwing some nice die-rolls for a change. Not until the last two turns were the Americans, with a last ditch organized assault, able to eliminate the last Japanese gun units. I sweated it out, as one bad die roll and the Japanese would have won this scenario. Though it was an American victory, it was a hollow one, as I never lost so many marines in this small of a scenario. I lost two steps of POI/ENG stuck trying to clear a minefield but adjacent to firing enemy units. I lost both steps of FLM/INF in an assault where the Japanese rolled a 2 on the dice. I lost both steps of M3/75s, both steps of M5s and one step of M4s as I mentions, the Japanese rolled well with their Anti-Tank Fire and the Americans had no on or off board fire support. The Marines also lost one Infantry step and two Leaders, including one to desertion. So even though they killed a lot of Japanese and won this scenario, it was one of the toughest fight for this size of a scenario. One dice roll different on the last two turns and it would have gone the other way.