A small scenario, only 5 turns, covering the eastern portion of the island.
Japanese
Defense
The Japanese have several advantages for them. Looking at the victory
conditions, the majority of the buildings are along the coast in a
long but narrow band. The good thing is the Americans are initially
coming at it along the narrow side. That means it takes fewer units
to defend the approach - they really have to protect a front six
hexes wide. Conversely, if the Americans get in from the side, most
of the buildings are unprotected. The other area to protect is along
Black Beach where there are also buildings. It is not that these are
close to each other, the very opposite, there are very few and spread
out. But the open and paved terrain favors the Americans. If they are
strong enough to start taking buildings, they are strong enough to
take all of them. Essentially, each building cluster along the
southern front is a stand-alone defense. Overall, I feel the Japanese
have to defend up front rather than in depth. I will defend the
second quarter of the map, starting almost at the edge of my western
setup area.
The American forces, per se, are not a threat. While they are strong and will be on the attack, there is no unstoppable weapon. The AFVs at first glance look formidable. However, with no Smoke and a mediocre gun, the punch is marginal. The sandy terrain will further slow them down thus negating their speed advantage. However, they have several of them and are mobile. The Japanese have nothing to stop them outright. They do have the 70*INF guns that can at least attempt immobilization. Also, not knowing where those guns are, further slow the AFVs down. In my defense, I placed the two 70*s to get side shots on the armor. I am hoping the Americans get careless and present two or three good shots to me by having the armor run ahead of the supporting infantry. Do not forget the TH Heroes, I only get two. In all, I am hoping to do nothing more than slow the Americans down and make the vehicles stay with the infantry. I see almost no use of the bulldozers. Fun weapons, I have never played with one, but arriving on Turn 3 two and moving at a speedy 8 MP, I can not see it ever getting to battle. If the infantry are unable to get past PBs without the BDs, the Americans are in trouble.
Clearly, the main defense is built around the ten forts. Formidable for three reasons. First, at +5, they are the hardest target to effect. Even an ordnance weapon needs a '3' to start, going to a '5' with two fire phases. FTs are the only real risk but the Americans only have two and they are up north. Second, they are HIP in palm terrain, so the Japanese will have to fire units from inside of them to be seen, or the Americans will have to actually walk into them. Third, they have tunnels. The tunnels allow units in bypassed pillboxes to re-appear in building where they are needed. This last advantage addresses the default weakness of pillboxes, in that a bypassed fortification becomes useless. Now, the surviving units, may emerge from the tunnel and re-enter the battle. Well placed tunnel entrances are in buildings three hexes behind the position, about the right place for a new unit to be. I even had one entrance in the Command bunker, so I can keep that location fortified with a squad equivalent at all times. The Japanese also have two unit HIP capability for their infantry.
The Japanese have such distinctive advantages in most of these scenarios. For instance, that any defender gets pillboxes is wonderful. Having a large modifier like +5, HIP and tunnels is more than can be asked. They have very few disadvantages. Even the small 3-4-6 units are important. The Americans still have to spend time shooting at it.
The Americans have to go for CC, it is the only way to eliminate Japanese units quickly. HtH actually favors the smaller force in this case. Killing units this way takes time, for which the Americans are pressed and it takes several units so they have to stack. I think stacked Americans restricts there ability to take ground quickly.
Lastly, the Americans are attacking with limited mobility. The game being 5 1/2 turns, there is little time to outflank any position. Therefore, the units are set in their attack from beginning. The Americans setting up, on map, in the north, have no option but to attack head on. It is like the Japanese defenses set themselves up. The middle reinforcements fare little better. They are the swing troops, having to decide to go north or south. The palm cover inside the airstrips should cover them to the edge of the runways. In any case, they spend two turns just getting there, allowing the defenders ample to time to react. The third group, coming in the very south on Black Beach, are obviously committed to taking those buildings. Again, they have two turns to spend getting somewhere and the lack of cover only hurts the attackers. As stated earlier, the runway offers the AFVs more mobility. In all, the Americans have really three turns to take the buildings. A very daunting task.
The Japanese do have a few weakness. They will never be able to muster much fire power in any one location. While the Americans can often get 20 or 30 FP for several shots, the Japanese can really only expect 4 - 8. Point blank ambushes might get to 12 - 16. They have to cover all the approaches thus diluting their strength. Only in the north can the Japanese gather in numbers and only after the Americans have fully committed their troops. On all other fronts, they need to spread the FP to cover all approaches. This weak fire power is enough to hinder a cautious American, it is not be enough to stop one.
The Japanese Defenses map shows the basic strategy. Most telling are the placement of the pillboxes since they form the spine of the defense. Most PBs had overlapping fields of fire. Other noteworthy items are the two hidden 70*INF. They are designed to get side shots on the armor. To that effect, one AFV was place in the rear area with limited fire options hoping the Americans get careless and go after it. The other AFV was simply to reinforce the northern defense, using it as a armored PB. The two HMGs were also up north thinking they would be most used while at close range. The 37*INFs were placed in PBs since I have no plans moving 5 PP weapons around. The two hidden units were intended not to slow the attackers but recapture buildings should the attacking Americans be careless and miss a position or send rear units to capture bypassed ones.
As always, remember not to stack unless needed. This minimizes the American fire power and since it is more important in this scenario to cover approaches, the decreased return fire is not missed. Also, when possible, set up out of the LOS of the northern units. Do not give them a free Prep Fire Phase - make them move.
American
Strategy
The Japanese have many advantages are discussed earlier. Fortunately,
the Americans have one extremely large advantage: fire power. They
have a lot of it in many forms. The relatively short game, again, 5
1/2 turns, prohibits finessing the troops. They need to boldly and
quickly. The good leaders need to be on the front in stacks. The poor
ones in rally position. Generally I avoid stacking but here the
Americans need to mass a lot of fire power. Since the counter attacks
will be weak, stacking allows a much better chance of three eight
moral units surviving a 4 or 6 FP attack. The return fire will also
be more accurate with an additional -2 or -3. That is the only way to
minimize PBs. Low level leaders stay behind the main body and prepare
for rally. Units should Low Crawl whenever possible. The rally
terrain is minimal and the units need to stay as forward as possible.
Even exposed to fire, the Japanese may not have the resources to fire
at broken units if there are too many unbroken ones advancing. Also,
precious time is lost if they rout too far back. Every hex backwards
they rout, is another turn getting where they should have been.
Clearly, that favors the Japanese.
Most of the tactics are straightforward. The AFVs have to attack any PBs in the way. Armored assault should be used whenever possible but this might not be feasible. Avoiding the fortifications is the best approach. Another inherent weakness of PBs is their CA. Since they are limited fields of fire, the Americans need to stay out of them. If the Japanese have been careless with CAs, it would be possible to move around them. Also, since the Japanese have to spread their fire out to cover all the approaches, consider flooding one area. This is minimize the other PBs in bypassing them and further weaken the FP in the chosen zone. However, while this might not be possible due to setup and time restraints, always watch for natural attack paths.
FTs and DCs are limited to the northern force and should be carefully, but not sparingly. FTs are the best way to reduce a PB/fortified building. Consider carefully putting them in stacks with other units. They will draw fire and with the advantages the Japanese already have I hate giving them stacks. By doing so, one attack effects several units, thus increasing the Japanese effectiveness. I like having HSs with FTs. Use the other units to screen them. Fire from long range, two hexes. It halves the FP and adds a hindrance but the unit survives. Being bold pays off with full FP but a broken unit is almost out of a game this short. DCs have to be close so there are fewer options here. Have DCs in the big stacks and trust the higher moral is enough.
The northern force has little choice but for a frontal attack. Expect high initial losses. When the PBs are discovered they can be attacked but otherwise the troops are going into a trap. It is also a guessing game whether to swing down to the airstrip, through the middle or along the sea wall. Regardless, time prohibits any detailed maneuvering. A small screen of HSs should go first followed by the large Kill stack and FTs near them. Remember, FTs can attack full after moving, so move them last. Let the other units find the defenses and make the Japanese spend Defensive Fire on those. Move last and use the FTs.
Game
Narrative
See the map for the initial placement of the pillboxes. The American
setup was not surprising. The northern forces formed a Kill Stack,
three units with the 9-2 along with a small screen of flanking units,
the FT nearby and a rally leader in the rear area. Their approach
will be along the beach line, directly attacking building clusters.
The middle group will proceed directly forward and cross the airstrip
all at once with support from AFVs or HTs. The southern group
proceeds directly forward taking the buildings along Black Beach.
The following will focus on the northern group, the units that setup on the map. They are clearly the focus of the game and will be decisive. Since the Japanese started three hexes away, infantry smoke is useless and Prep Fire is minimal because of the modifiers, so they move. The screen forces move first, flushing out any hidden units. The Americans are going to coordinate any attacks so all the units attack at the same time across the front. Little Japanese fire meet the advancing Americans because of the extreme range and hindrances. The northern group has the most DF, unavailing two PB locations and breaking two units in the process. American AFVs enter along the southern edge, move into position, stop and unbutton. They are unafraid of the Japanese counter attack and rightly so. They are out of normal range of small arms fire. Subsequent attacks, including the two FTs had no effect. I am always impressed of the massive fire power the Americans can get even in the AFPh. Nothing noteworthy happens the entire turn. A small Japanese reserve group in the rear moves to the middle group and attempts to bolster that defense, now that the troops are committed.
Turn 2 sees the north group conducting its first serious fire. The Kill stack fire at a MMG in a building, reducing the crew. Another stack of two units move up. Unknowingly, the hex is adjacent to PB. A Ha-Go fires first at the moving stack and while the MA misses, the little 2 FP MG gets a NMC, naturally breaking both squads. The PB opens up with a squad and LMG, or 12-1. The fire double breaks one of the squads. That same HS is then eliminated by fire from the Command Bunker, I unveil the HMG and 10-1 leader for a 6-1 attack. With residual in that hex, the American advance is already hindered. The Kill Stack, on the outside of the buildings next to the beach, does have any supporting fire near it. Several other units move up but either break or pin by fire. The Kill Stack managed to get out of one PB CA and attempted to advance. It found the hidden unit in J24 and pinned it. It was eliminated by the end of that turn. Turn 3, the Kill Stack splits to minimize its losses - painfully aware now of the strength and depth of the defenses. Moving, they find the next row of PBs, this time in L23. It fires at a DC team apparently desperate enough to attempt to place one against the Command bunker. Fire from the PB breaks the unit. This stops the units from the Kill stack. They have no where to move. Other units in the northern group fare equally badly, not breaking through even the first line of defenses. The FT would eventually clear both the PB and the MMG but is late in Turn 3 and causalities have been high. After three turns, the Americans have captured only four buildings with substantial losses. It is getting highly unlikely they will capture more. The Japanese won a gamble. The Americans never get onto the beach, thinking the open terrain would be even worst for the attack, when the truth the beach was completely un-defended. If the Americans had, several units would had to be withdrawn from the line to cover the flanking move. However, they cannot be faulted; this is the nature of hidden defenses.
Turn 4 and the prospects look grim. With only two more movement phases, the Americans have to get past the one known PB, the Command bunker and two reserve units taking up positions in the M21 building cluster. The first defense line has broken, with the AFV now destroyed by a Sherman from the middle group and the MMG and 37INF both malfunctioning. The attack through can hardly be called a swarm. Two and half squads survive to attack. One is pinned by a crew, the other units still have fire with which to contend. A risky FPF from a 4-4-8 in N24, breaks the last squad rushing there. The attack from the center of the northern force is reduced to a single HS.
Units from the Kill Stack committed to a suicidally bold attack - they must take the Command bunker. FT attacks on the bunker and PB have been marginally effective, there were still units there and reduced as the crews might be, the MG strength is no less. The group is comprised of the three squads, 9-2 leader, a two DCs. A squad and DC moves adjacent to the bunker. The HMG in a PB at L22 opens up, breaking the unit. The chances drop for the Americans with this revelation. Six residual in the very hex they need the most, Two active HMGs and three fortified positions against the remaining two squads. With help from the south equally unlikely, one of the two squads moves against the L22 with DC. Missing the SMOKE dr, the L22 HMG fires, misses but retains ROF. Firing again, it pins the squad. The 9-2 seeing little chance of accomplishing the mission, orders a retreat. The Japanese hold the buildings in an easily win campaign. Even if there were no HIP units or PBs, the battle would still be lost before it started. The defenses were just too strong.
The other two groups met with limited success. The middle group never really made it across the airstrip although AFVs knocked out two positions. The southern group made it to W22 but never knew of two hidden PBs still waiting in W21/W20. Again, in retrospect, both players thought the defenses were much too strong. One interesting note, while the northern defenses buckled but not really broke, the tremendous American fire power extracted its toll. Five units ended up actually routing and the rest of the force had been badly attrition. No doubt if the battle lasted much longer, the defender would simply have been whittled away.
Comments/Bottom line
I like the concept of this scenario. It uses an entire map board yet
with few enough units to be playable. It took us three sittings to
finish the game. I would rather have a large playing area in general
but that implies more units and hence a longer game. This scenario
strikes a good balance. The mix of units is also a refreshing aspect
of the game. Both sides have enough with which to work. The Japanese
have AFVs but they do not move much, at least mine did not. The
Americans, more so, since they have AFVs, bulldozers, FTs, DC and
OBA. It makes for interesting tactics to have the mix. Most scenarios
so far have mostly infantry with some AFV support - the limited
playing area of those scenarios reduce AFVs to semi-mobile gun boxes.
The game length is also fun. At 5 turns, the Americans have to move
on the attack, making them more bold and more reckless. Those two
items usually make for a good, bloody game. The Japanese setup takes
slightly less preplanning as well as they do not have to worry about
an exact placement of defenses.
Fun: 6
Balance 65% Japanese. Those pillboxes and open terrain are killers.
Luck: Average/Slightly Japanese.
Recommendations: 6 turns; remove 2 PBs and 3 squads from the Japanese.
The fortifications (red boxes with facing shown). While size restricts noting all the units, some important weapons are shown. The command bunker had the HMG, 10-1 leader and an extra squad just to prevent CC. A tunnel also terminated there so an additional squad could enter. In the end, this location proved too much for the Americans.