Panzer Grenadier Battles on November 21st:
Desert Rats #16 - The Panzers Pull Back Desert Rats #19 - The Panzers Return
Desert Rats #17 - The Tomb Of Sidi Rezegh Jungle Fighting #7 - Line Of Departure
Desert Rats #18 - A Pibroch's Skirl South Africa's War #5 - Irish Eyes
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Prudential Hill
Saipan 1944 #40
(Defender) Japan vs United States (Attacker)
Formations Involved
United States 1st Provisional Gun Group
United States 23rd Marine Regiment
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for Saip040
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 0
Side 2 3
Overall Rating, 3 votes
5
4
3
2
1
3.67
Scenario Rank: --- of 940
Parent Game Saipan 1944
Historicity Historical
Date 1944-07-07
Start Time 11:30
Turn Count 16
Visibility Day
Counters 37
Net Morale 1
Net Initiative 3
Maps 2: 80, 81
Layout Dimensions 86 x 28 cm
34 x 11 in
Play Bounty 137
AAR Bounty 171
Total Plays 3
Total AARs 1
Battle Types
Hill Control
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Saipan 1944 Base Game
Introduction

The cliffs overlooking Karaberra Pass were nicknamed "Prudential Hill" by the Marines because it resembled an insurance company's logo. The Marines mopping up the hill faced some stubborn resistance, with mines at the base of this hill and some remaining die-hard sons of Nippon on top.

Conclusion

Digging the last few Japanese out of their holes proved a challenge. The Marines even lowered a truck mounted rocket launcher down a cliff using tanks and chains to help overcome the Japanese resistance. Off shore gunboats also blasted the holdouts' caves. On July 9th, Vice Admiral Turner declared the island secured. Some mopping up would continue but the Japanese were finished as a fighting force. At Marpi Point on the 9th of July one more tragic event took place as hundreds of Japanese civilians jumped to their deaths, committing mass suicide. Many civilians - Chamorros, Kanakas, Korean, Formosan and Japanese - suffered throughout the battle, hiding in caves.


Display Relevant AFV Rules

AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle
  • Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0).
  • AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8). They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank leader in order to carry out combat movement.
  • AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1).
  • Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn (either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more (11.2).
  • Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3)
  • Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire (7.44, 7.64). Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire, but not both (7.22, 13.0). Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0).
  • Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3).
  • Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3).
  • AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42).
  • AFV's may Dig In (16.2).
  • Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT).
  • Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC)
  • Tank: all are closed-top and provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
  • River Vessels: see Rule 15.2 ~ 15.22
  • Unarmored Weapon Carriers: These are unarmored halftracks (Bufla and Sk7/2) or fully-tracked vehicles (Karl siege mortar) with mounted weapons. All are mechanized, except the BM-13 (Katyusha rocket launcher mounted on a truck). They are weapon units, not AFV's, so they are never efficient and cannot be activated by tank leaders. (SB)

Display Order of Battle

Japan Order of Battle
Imperial Japanese Army
United States Order of Battle
Marine Corps
  • Mechanized
  • Motorized
Navy
  • Misc

Display Errata (1)

1 Errata Item
Overall balance chart for 1466

The 8-3 Marine Infantry counter appears in most of the Saipan 1944 and Marianas 1944 scenarios, replacing the 10-3 DF valued Marine counters for those scenarios and is currently published in the most recent Saipan printing.

(JayTownsend on 2015 Dec 26)

Display AARs (1)

Saipan, scenario #40: Prudential Hill
Author JayTownsend
Method Solo
Victor United States
Play Date 2013-01-23
Language English
Scenario Saip040

A pretty straight forward scenario, the Americans must clear the large hill on map 81 of Japanese and the Japanese must hold out with at least one step until turn 16 and have 2 caves, 4 minefield counters and can dig-in but the Marines have a lot of toys including a Navy Gunboat, Rocket Mk 7 trucks and Sherman tanks.

The Gunboat worked pretty well hitting the Japanese on the north side while the ground forces move in from the south side. The Japanese low morale after 3 weeks of pounding didn’t help their cause much and they were cleared from the hill maybe too historically, losing 6 steps and a Leader while the rest scattered demoralized in all directions even through one of their own minefields that happened to be a decoy. The Americans had one Flame Throwing Engineer demoralized after taking some heavy fire but it was a clear American victory and a good way to end the game. Next time I will have to have better mine placement for the Japanese defenses!

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