This small action has 3 Japanese tank units, 2 of them just single steps, supported by 4 infantry and 1 HMG with just 2 leaders, defending against 4 Marine infantry (using the original Saipan 10-3 troops), 2 HMGs, 2 Shermans and a 37mm gun with tow jeep with 5 leaders. The Marines enter the board from the south and are to eliminate the Japanese tanks in 24 turns, while the Japanese are to eliminate 3 steps of Marines. In setting up the Japanese, I split the forces with the full strength Japanese tank on the western board supported by half the infantry, while the single step Japanese tanks occupied the two town hexes on the south end of the eastern board. The full tank unit was set up on the southern hill away from the edge and in light woods with the intent of forcing Marines to dig him out and allowing him to create casualties in the process, while the 2 Japanese infantry and the SGT occupied the heavy jungle just south of him and blocking the road, hoping to force Marines to assault or slow down to engage them instead of being able to make time to attack the tanks. The Japanese infantry and HMG were in heavy jungle, infantry together in one hex with the LT to keep their Japanese infantry assault bonus, while the HMG set up in the next hex, between them and the town, where he could lend fire support and still be in the Japanese leaders' area of influence. The Marines decided to take out the Japanese on the western hill first and the Marine shermans lead the way up the road, stopping two hexes away from the heavy jungle hiding the Japanese infantry, but using that jungle to screen them from the Japanese armor on that hill. The infantry made their way up slowly trying to pinch the Japanese infantry from two sides while the US 37mm gun was brought up to where it could shoot at the Japanese tank, risking possible return fire but accepting the low odds of the Japanese DF shot and being out of range of the AT shot from that tank. In 3 turns, the 37mm gun succeeded in eliminating one step of Japanese armor and the Japanese infantry opted for a try at taking out one or both of the Shermans in assault. The Shermans got the better of it, demoralizing one unit and eliminating one step from the other, and leaving them to try to regroup. The Marine Major with a platoon joins the fray on the next turn, and surprisingly, that Japanese group manages an M-1 result and disrupts one Sherman and demoralizes the Infantry. The Japanese in the hex get finished off soon enough in failing morale checks, the demoralized full platoon running for the hills while the reduced one remaining disrupted but holding on. The Japanese tanks on the southwest hill decide to head to the east to support and get support from the other Japanese tanks and troops, and the assault finishes off with the Japanese reduced platoon being killed off and the SGT fleeing. The Major has a rough time regrouping his troops but the rest of the Marine troops head to the east to look into the town and see what else they can get into. The 37mm gun limbers up and heads north along the road and out of sight of the Japanese to a good spot in light woods northwest of the town and just able to engage Japanese tanks in the easternmost town hex, where he exchanges fire for a few turns before eliminating that Japanese armor. The Marine infantry discover the Japanese infantry and engage from a distance until the Shermans can regroup and join in. One Marine element with an LT and 2 Infantry platoons close in and assault the Japanese armor that had fled from the western board and succeed in eliminating it with no loss. The Marines attempt to surround the Japanese infantry from 3 hexes, all out of view of the Japanese HMG, but the Japanese infantry try to take advantage of their assault value and assault one of the Marine stacks, and lose one step, demoralizing the rest of the stack. The Shermans make it to the south of town in hope of setting up a crossfire on the remaining Japanese armor in the town, which moves east and into the hex that the US 37mm gun can see, and the next thing they know is the 37mm gun takes out the last of the Japanese armor. The Japanese troops lose morale checks and then lose steps between trying to leave the assault hex and a Marine assault, leaving the demoralized leader and platoon in the west and the HMG as the sole remaining Japanese on the board. With several turns left to go, I felt it only fair that the Japanese would continue to fight to try to inflict the 3 step losses to tie the game, so continued to roll for initiative and fight the game. It took several turns for the demoralized force in the west to regroup and start moving, which was just long enough for the Marines to finish off the Japanese HMG without loss. On turn 22, the Japanese troops, moving east down the road, were engaged in op fire from Marines on the 3rd level hill and demoralized, and on turn 23, were eliminated by fire from another Marine platoon that had moved up on turn 22 to try to block a possible assault. Complete US victory, complete Japanese annihilation.

Marianas 1944, scenario #29: The Last Japanese Tanks

I set this up and thinking no way could the Japanese win this one but it played out kind of tighter than I thought. Simple, the Marines must eliminate the Japanese armor that were giving them problems the night before but this time they have armor and AT Guns of their own to deal with the problem. The Japanese must eliminate three American steps which I think is too steep but they set up hidden in two groups to spread out the American assets.

The Americans send both M4 Sherman tank platoons plus some Infantry units after the larger group of Japanese which included Infantry, HMG, Type 97 and Shinhoto tanks while there other group of Infantry and a jeep towing a 37mm AT Gun went after the Japanese Type 95 and some Infantry across the map in the other direction.

One of the few scenarios the Marines rolled horrible dice. They led with both tank platoons and were assaulted unsupported in the jungle by Japanese Infantry and a HMG units that rolled great on the dice and with all the modifiers eliminated two M4 steps. Across the map the adjacent Japanese units again roll great on the dice against a stack of three American units including my Jeeps towing the 37mm AT guns, losing the Infantry step and the 37mm AT gun plus the jeep. I got too careless thinking this was an easy victory. Sure the American eventually cleared map of Japanese armor and all the Japanese Infantry and leaders but the HMG unit was still running around in the Jungle demoralized but also leaderless. The Japanese have to take care of their leaders, as they only have two in this scenario, as leadership was pretty much killed off at this point in the Guam Campaign.

This scenario ended in a draw because of my hurry as the American player but it would be better balanced if the Japanese only had to eliminate two American steps and there was only 18 turns. But fun to play either way.