Gavutu-Tanambogo Assault 1 Conclusion - Snuffed hopes

The CG is running its course. During the USMC turn 8, the americans tried to push back the japanese from Hill 148. Their firepower is thinning because of the numerical inferiority. Also, a 4MC still only step reduces and degrades the charging japaneses, but doesn't stop them from coming. 

US turn 8

The good news is that almost all US units have rallied. You got to give it to the Yanks: they know how to snap off a DM counter when it is really needed.

View from the West: the line has not changed. A lot of japanese infantry has died, but the surge isn't stomped. Luckily, most of the stacks are now step-reduced and ELR'd. Will this be good enough to withstand the next two minutes.

View from Bloody beach: Everyone has climbed up on Hill 148. A few fresh brokies are low-crawling downslopes. Murderous MTR fire is raining from a pier to the North.

On the far left, japan is on top of the hill and encircling a small patch of jungle. On the centre, a large number of high-quality SMCs and fresh squads are in position for a Banzai charge. On the right, a number of degraded troops are swerving around the beach. A lone crew is keeping an eye on Bloody beach to keep a lid on the caves and the pillbox.

Japan's turn 8

Just before the Banzai charges resolutions

Banzai charges have crept on marines from the North-West and the Eastern beach.  The marines guarding the eastern edge weren't as lucky and got swept by large Banzai charge. The flank of the marine's defense got wiped by a snakeye from the lousy 8+1 kill stack. 

Near the top of Hill 148, a huge pile of japanese took huge punishments on during their charge, but made it into the patch of jungle. The marines, however, crushed them on the spot during CC as their combined force had been decreased a lot via step-reduction. 

Shortly after the storm while bracing for another one.

Turn 9

The marines consolidate their position as the noose is getting tighter. A hero rises among the troops hiding in the communication building on the crest of Hill 148.

The view is great, but the neighborhood is going downhill.

Japan swept the marines in the communication building, but the banzai charge on the foxholes gives a chance for the marines (mostly broken), to withdraw without fighting.

There is not a lot of ground to give anymore.

Final turn of Assault phase 1

The marines are running the gauntlet around a squad of conscripts to avoid the bulk of a giant banzai charge in the making. DFF from the hill is terrible and both remaining leaders are killed in action. The faithful crew that is positionned in the palm trees holds the line on the edge of the beach.

Hey sarge, why are we still lugging this dm mortar again?

Japan threw its best Banzai charge at the remaining marines. The result was pyrrhic: the marine took the best Japanese leader down with them on their way to Valhalla. At this point, the Japanese part of my brain started to wonder whether this was a worthwhile charge. The valiant crew finally succumbed to a banzai charge, but not without shoving something hot and sharp up Col. Honda's landing gear. 

When the fire died down, there was much to collect on the battlefield that was made in the US of A.

Col Honda has outdone himself.

The US invasions of Gavutu-Tanambogo has been averted, at a great cost.

Japan's OOB going forward. Only one cave entrance collapsed. Enough to hold?

Japan's loot by the end of the assault phase. 

The question is now, would have the Marines aborted the invasion at this point? All future waves are half as big, with lightly armored LCVs...

Gavutu-Tanambogo Assault 1 turn 8 - Little Bighorn

As I thought that Assault Period 1 was winding down, things got weird. The Japanese figured out that they held strong defensive position and the Marines could hold Hill 148 easily while clearing the beach to the south for the next wave of landing. However... two unlikely events coincided.

1. A japanese HMG finished off a USMC hero keeping an eye on cave 3112.
2. USN NOBA placed a SR in the middle of the Japanese assembly area. 

The Japanese leader decided NOT to sit a 200mm FFE, although NOBA has been unreliable so far. With the Eastern Cave unobserved, a squad of 2nd-liners and a MTR slipped out and into the USMC's rear. All squads in caves at the base of Hill 148 ran out while the counter attack followed the trenches towards US positions.

The Fanatic USMC squads spend the turn pinned by HMG fire while the japanese assaulted in CC two other positions. Their advancing fire broke one stack, and the two other stack miraculously both won ambush withdrawals. What's left that is unbroken in a wounded 9-2, a squad wading in WP, one covering the brokies in the jungle hex and a MTR crew in the summit of Hill 148. 

On the Eastern shore beach, japanese ran out of caves, trenches and foxholes to rush south towards USMC positions. The US squads overhead fired without much effect while the troops on bloody beach (south) are mainly broken or under fire from the pillbox at the far end of the beach.

On bloody beach, a USMC squad got really pissed at the MMG fire on them as they recovered a DC (I know, there should be no HoB on a beach: my mistake). There are only two squads in good order, one Fanatic and the other manning a DM MTR left there by an eliminated squad. The Japanese are steamrolling southward while their MTR fire are finishing off broken squads stranded on the beach. No one will come to their help anymore: MMG fire are spewing from a cave and a pillbox which resisted the last DC assault. 

The Western position are surrounded, the North face is having an unsuccessful turkey shoot through the palm trees, these stranded on bloody beach as being shredded by MG fire. 

Things take funny turns in desperate situations. I hope that the CG isn't going to die before the first assault period is over. 

Gavutu-Tanambogo Assault 1, turn 3.5

The Marines have landed with the timing of a synchronized swim team, giving up a few more CVP to Japan. NOBA is still nowhere to be found, but this is now largely due to the fact that the Marines and the Japanese are on top of each other. 

Shortly after taking this picture, a few CC were resolved with devastating effect for the Japanese conscripts in foxholes and trenches. The Marines are still alive! But it is great time to secure a better beachhead and collapse many caves.

I think that I hate dealing with piles of counters like that.