Gavutu-Tanambogo Assault 1 turn 5.5 - Friendly fire

This had to happen, a fighter-bomber CAS on a big stack of entrenched Japanese in light jungle went astray and smote my 9-2 SMC and a squad on the edge of the hill. The pilot during debrief reported that they looked japaneser. The SMC lost both thumbs during the point attack, but still instruct the remaining broken HS to give the finger to "blue falcon" flying over. A mystery cave was discovered, but there is no telling what's inside. The good news is that my 10-2 SMC was closer to the target, but in a blind hex and so was spared (Although not blind from a different hex grain, so I may have played this wrong).

Blue Falcon just after his bombs smashed the Marine
overwatch covering the beach.

Lesson learned: +3 sighting TC because of woods is a bit of a bitch. Blue Falcon shall never strike

Finally, the 200mm NOBA finally bothered with a FFE on the assembly point of the Japanese counter attack.

This assault phase is way too close to be called right now: the way good ASL scenario are going usually. In the next turn, the DC assaults on two key caves will be carried over: this will decide how hard the next landing wave will be for the Marines. The Japanese will also decide whether to launch a counterattack or consolidate the line.

Turn 5.5 is over... look at the cool guys wading in the shallow-OCEAN!

Happy hours is still on on the beaches of Tanambogo, despite the airstrikes on
the MTR.

Gavutu-Tanambogo Assault 1 turn 4.5

Turn 3.5 to 4.5 delivered a pile of awesome. The Marines have the high ground, but little safe path to the beaches still. A brave HS collapsed a cave thus allowing safe climb in a single location. With a counter attack mounting, lots of lost DC when the LCV sank, an unknown number of japanese crawling under their feet and MTR and HMG streaming from Tanambogo, it is hard to claim that things are looking up (but they do).

A destroyer even bother firing WP across the causeway! In less than a turn, Close air support will kick in!

The Marines have the high ground, but no safe way to get back down.

The beach is kind-of clear, but not secure at all.

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.

Gavutu - Tanambogo - Turn 2

The IJA has shredded 5 of the 12 Higgins boats. In one case, there was time for one squad to jump and start swimming, but many other marine squads didn't get this chance. The two LCVs that made it to shore got thrashed by MG fire coming from caves and pillboxes while another LCV ran aground.

Things may have gone better had the NOBA kicked in with White Phosphorus and HE. The batteries did not fire as the worried Marines dashed to shore. One good news, the INF gun in the cave overlooking the beach has jammed. 

The left wing of the landing has avoided heavy fire and will hit the beaches on Turn 3. Wading, landed and swimming infantry will try to gain the cover of the jungle and the IJA's prepared fortifications. They will, however, run in quite a bit of HIP units waiting in ambush. 

Good news, there may be some 120mm WP FFE in the coming turn. Let's just not mention the lousy accuracy dr of the 200mm battery.

End of Turn 2 - The landing isn't going too well.

Turn 2 - Midpoint: the Para Bn has mostly touched down. Waiting the the fire to open.

Gavutu-Tanambogo CG - Setup

The LCV setup prior to Turn 1

The IJA setup 

19 - Backs to the Sea - An AAR.

Introduction

I just bought Yanks! and am taking it for a spin. I read about the US infantry, but I have yet to see how they play out. The 2nd Ranger Bn, F Coy has its back to the cliffs of Normandy and are sitting tight as the first credible wave of 2nd line german rifles are launching an assault. All grain, buildings, junctions and bogs are shellholes. The numerical odds are over 2 to 1 for the germans. 

2Rng/F, concept of operation

The company is to screen the whole width of the AO and slowly trade terrain for time. Keep the germans at standoff range, using shellholes for cover before settling into the woods. 

726th Inf Rgt, concept of operation

We're facing US rangers: their standoff range is larger than ours, their firepower, and ability to fire in the AfPh makes them tough nuts to crack. They key here is to overwhelm by presenting too many targets, and overrun them while they run from our bullets. They don't remain broken for long! 

We are making a feint on our right, punching hard in the centre, with a credible push on the left.

AP45 - Reaping Rewards - T5 - Burning tanks!

Marvel at the chain of a burning KV-8, a burning T-34, an immobilized T-34, and another burning T-34. 

AP45 - T5
The Germans have taught a valuable lessons to the Russian tankers: don't assault in a built-up area without infantry support! This is particularly so if the enemies have MOL capabilities.

Both sides are 30%+ casualties. Lots of things went goofy dues to a crazy number of snake eyes. However, I learned the hard way that tanks aren't invincible against infantry. Not that I didn't know that at first, but I didn't had a feel for how easy it is to kill tanks in CCV/MOL.

What an awesome scenario.