Saipan, scenario twenty: Rockets & Smoke

This is a real cave bluster scenario with the U.S. Marines searching out and controlling 3 out of 4 caves on the map, with enough Infantry, engineer units and other units such as the Mk-7 Rocket trucks from the 1st Provisional Rocket Detachment. Against them are some Japanese Infantry types with the only heavy asset being a 20mm gun and four caves to be placed anywhere in their setup area.

Saipan had numerous caves on the island and since AP wanted generic maps, my idea of cave counters was one of my better ones, not only because setup can be different each time for great replay value but they can be used again in the future on any map. With Saipan caves could have been anywhere, so this is ideal!

My attack with the Marines from the other map was dependent on the Japanese cave setup. As the Japanese I had to decide if I want to place them all together to support each other or spread them out, to spread out the Americans. I split the difference and place two on one hill and two more on another hill. This strategy didn’t work out so well for me, as the Marines achieved their goal of conquering three out of four caves within 18 turns of 24 with only losing 3 steps while the Japanese lost the scenario and 13 steps.

Next time, either setup the Japanese caves in four very different locations to really spread the Americans thin or bunch them all together to support each other and put the hurt on the Americans but not my strategy of groups of two, at least that one didn’t work for me. I did get a nice blast from those Mk7’s rolling a beautiful 12 against the Japanese position!

The marines have about 3 companies with lots of leaders, including the battalion commander and XO, plus lots of mortars and 2 M-7 rocket trucks, 2 flame and 1 regular engineer unit and lots of HMGs, plus the 2 37mm units with jeeps to tow. The Japanese have 4 full and 3 half infantry platoons, 4 HMGs, a 20mm AA gun, a Major and 3 LTs to hold and defend 4 caves. The Marines need to take 3 of the 4. I spread out the caves well, but obviously not well enough. Marine companies were able to skirt both flanks and down the middle outside of Japanese observation while Marine mortars and rockets pounded the central Japanese position in the village on board 82 at the mouth of the valley. Not a lot of damage was done, but the noise must have been successful in preventing the Japanese from hearing the Marines moving through the jungles. There is a lot of jungle to use on this board, even if much of it is only a single hex thick. A Marine player taking his or her time will have no difficulty sneaking up on the 3 needed caves if set up the way I did. I had 2 on each hill, spread out thinking it would make the Marines take longer to get there. Even at moves of 1 hex per turn, they had more than enough time. In just a few turns, the closest cave on the Marine right was being assaulted, and with pretty good dice for the Marines. Just a little bit of disruption while forcing the Japanese to abandon the cave, and then that moment when the Marines hit the fleeing Japanese with everything they had, leaving only a demoralized LT wandering off on his own. The Marine left and center caves on the larger hill struck at about the same time, with the cave on the left falling immediately, but the one in the center holding out a few turns. This was the one that the LTC decided to lead an attack on, and even with his 9-1-2 stature, he and 2 of his platoons found themselves demoralized and with 2 step reductions, walking away from the cave hex. The Marine Major felt the LTC had succeeded in softening up the enemy, as he walked in with 2 more platoons and took it immediately. By this point, artillery and other troops who were out mopping up took care of the Japanese HMGs in the village, who were demoralized and fled after loosing 1 of the 2 HMG units. Behind the village on the first level of the larger hill, an infantry platoon provided security for the 20mm gun, and with the artillery free from earlier targets, they pounded that position, reducing the infantry and eliminating the AA unit. At the end of turn 12, with only 2 HMG units and 3 leaders, plus the 3 steps of infantry still holding the last cave with their LT, there just wasn't enough Japanese firepower left on the board to try to take back any of the caves, and with no Japanese victory conditions including killing more Marines, the game was called. Marine win, 13 steps of Japanese to 2 steps of Marines lost.