wargaming in 28 mm and sometimes smaller: Saipan-Radio Saipan (3)

This past Monday, we had our 3rd turn in the Saipan campaign. It was 22 months since we had a CoC game in person so it was a bit of an event. It was actually quite disorienting at first!

This was the "Attack on an Objective" scenario from the main rulebook, this would be some what of a more difficult game for the USMC as the JOP they had to capture was in the Rain Station, I think it was clear to both of us that the game was going to have been won or lost depending on morale failure or withdrawal.

P-Y did a nice job of translating the map to the table, the JOP's for both sides were pretty tight.

USMC (FM 11) (+3 on FM roll)

6th Marine Regiment

Type F USMC Platoon- Fresh

2SL

3 Infantry Squads with Sup JL and 12 men

Supports (10)

M3A1 Stuart (5)

Pregame Barrage (5)

Japanese (FM 9) (+2 on FM roll)

136th Infantry Regiment

Type B Infantry Platoon #1 (less 6 men)

2 SL

3 Infantry Sections with Jl and 11 men

Grenadier Section with JL and 8 men and 3 50mm Mortars

1 bunker.

Supports (6)

20mm AA Gun (4)

Squad Entrenchment (2)

So on to the game:

I felt I had a bit better chance of winning this game, it was going to be quite difficult for the marines to capture the JOP in the radio station. I really had to focus on getting a morale victory. As part of the game setup I got a free bunker, I wished it had been an entrenchment as I had to place it on the table pre-game, losing me an advantage in choice once a target had emerged.

It was quite a long game maybe a little over 3 hours. P-Y immediately deployed his Stuart and although I had my gun down quickly I never got a shot off at it during the whole game. A fast vehicle is quite an advantage and was hard to nail down although I did force it to change direction many times throughout the game. P-Y placed his 1st squad in the field and I subsequently deployed 2 infantry squads in the house. I was able to cause some attrition and killed his FO who was placed with the unit before he could call up the mortar. Some success as now the FM was 9 to 9. P-Y placed another squad in the jungle on his left flank and started to move up the table edge.

By now, the it was clear that the Stuart was going to have to go around the house on my right flank, thus the IJA losing LOS from the Bunker, so I pulled the 20mm AA Gun back out of the bunker to improve my LOS, while at the same time placing my 3rd infantry squad in an entrenchment next to it. The 20mm gun had no shield so was in the open but with time I could withdraw the squad and move the gun into the entrenchment as need be. The USMC felt it was not worth the risk so they pulled back the Stuart and decided to rapidly move to their right flank, threatening my left JOP.

By now we had all our troops on the table, the marines with their 1st squad in the jungle across from the radio station out of LOS, they had their 2nd squad behind the wooden house near their edge and a 3rd squad in the field. I had pulled my 1st infantry squad as well as my knee mortar squad out of the house with the intention to move them behind the house. The 3rd squad was entrenched and once the marine 3rd squad had appeared in the field I placed my 4th squad in the house to cover them. At this point it was still 9 to 9 on FM and we both had 2 full CoC dice.

The Stuart dodged across the road, but was in LOS of the empty bunker. My turn, finally rolled a double phase, moved the 20mm AA tank gun back into the bunker but missed by 1"! By now CoC dice were being expended, the Stuart escaped unscathed. It made the turn and was now approaching the JOP, I was able to interrupt with my squad who was in the open and move them out of LOS, but the writing was on the wall, there was no way I could take out the Stuart now.....I withdrew.

Butcher's Bill

USMC (platoon 1)

4 figures killed

Final FM 9

2 man dead, 1 missing (3 down)

CO +3 (+1 Support)

MO +6 (+2 on FM rolls, 12' Command Range)

Platoon Leaders Outlook Happy

Japanese (platoon 1)

4 figures killed

Final FM 9

2 man dead, 2 missing for next game (8 down)