Slitherine

_________A ROUGH RESCUE**

_USMC Assault vs. Japanese Defend*
_______Wana Draw, Okinawa*
_________1100, May 18, 1945*
_____________Turns: 12**
________Scenario Size: Small*
_Estimated Playing Time: 45 Minutes**
______Design: Wild Bill Wilder*
_______bwilder@bellsouth.net**

_________PLAYER NOTES:**

This is the third of a series of three consecutive tank-infantry battles in the Pacific that occurred late in the war. Other scenarios of this type can be found scattered through this list of scenarios.**

This scenario can be played from either side and as a two-player game. If playing solitaire, go to the preferences menu before beginning and add 30 points to the qualities of the AI side in player preferences. Be sure and change them back when you are finished.**

As the US Marines, you have a two-fold mission. Two tanks of your company have been hit and the crews are trapped in Wana Draw. You are to take your combined armor-infantry rescue force into Wana Draw and protect them. Each team is worth 500 points so don't lose them.**

Your second mission is to take and hold the two objectives against counterattacking Japanese troops, intent on killing those crews.

You will have smoke and a little artillery to help you, plus a couple of Corsair flyboys are enroute to offer more support.**

For the Japanese player it is a matter of killing those crews if you can find them. You have some well hidden forces. You must also take and hold the two center objectives till the end of the battle.**

___HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:**

The final battle for the Pacific, the struggle of US Army and Marine forces to take the 60 mile long island of Okinawa was an epic one. The bloody fight on land, in the air and on the sea was memorable for many reasons. Here the infamous "Kamikaze" legend was born. Here the Japanese showed unmistakably their iron will to fight to the death.**

The hardest fight was on the southern half of the island where General Ushijima had set up three tough lines of defenses, including thousands of mines and nearly impregnable defenses. Interlocking fields of fire, tunnels, caves and stout concrete bunkers withstood all the US forces could hand them. And still they fought.**

The troops had come ashore on April 1st, 1945. It was nearly seven weeks later and the Shuri line had still not been broken. On May 18, Marine tanks of Company F with a Marine rifle platoon rolled down into Wana Draw to rescue two trapped fellow tank crews. The enemy knew they were coming. That was why they had not already been killed. As the tanks and troops rolled down into the cut, the Japanese launched a vicious attack from all directions. The tankers were resolute. They would not leave their comrades lying in the muddy slime of the valley to be mercilessly slaughtered.**

Veteran tanker, Bob Boardman later commented, "Without hesitation, several of our tankers gout out of their tanks to help the wounded, both our wounded and the infantry, place them on the backs of the tanks, to take them to the battalion aid station. We were not told to do that, or assigned to do that. That was the right thing to do."**

Sources:**

Marine Tank Battles in the Pacific, Gilbert*
Marines under Armor, Estes*
Operation Iceberg, Astor*
Okinawa: The Great Island Battle, Bemis*
Typhoon of Steel, Belote & Belote*
Okinawa, 1945: Final Assault, Foster*
Storm Landings, Alexander*
A Special Valor, Wheeler*
The Marines' War, Pratt*
Strong Men Armed, Leckie*
Goodbye Darkness, Manchester*

_____"DID YOU HEAR THAT?"**
Japanese Advance vs. USMC Delay*
_______Beach Area, Saipan*
______0300, June 17, 1944*

___________Turns: 10**

______Scenario Size: Small*
_Estimated Play Time: 45 Minutes**

____Design: Wild Bill Wilder*
_____bwilder@bellsouth.net**

________Player Notes:**

This is the first of a series of three consecutive tank-infantry battles in the Pacific that occurred late in the war. Other scenarios of this type can be found scattered through this list of scenarios.**

The scenario can be played from either side or used as a two-player game either online or as PBEM. This scenario has been designed using version 7.2 and new map features. It can, however, be played in version 7.1**

For those who are playing this scenario against the AI, it is strongly recommended that you open the preferences menu before beginning the scenario and raise the "Player Preferences" 20 points each. Don't forget to reset them to the default numbers once you have finished.**

As the leader of the US Marine landing force, you are to stop the Japanese attack and prevent the capture of the objectives. It should be played with all options on except command & control.**

USMC Commander: Please Note: The two 105mm artillery crews are asleep in their tents. You'll have to move them quickly to their respective guns and pray that they will man those guns before the Japanese arrive!**

The Japanese player is faced with the dilemma of using his tank-infantry attack force wisely. Time is a factor. The Japanese player must strike swiftly as the Marines will be reinforced. Taking all of the objectives is imperative to winning this battle without too many losses. This will be very hard to do.**

____Historical Background:**

After an American briefing officer had described all the adverse conditions of Saipan, a private's hand shot up. "Sir, why'n hell don't we let the Japs keep the island?"**

It was not that easy.**

Saipan was one of the three major islands of the Marianas scheduled to be occupied by US forces. The other two were Tinian and Guam. None of them were a paradise by any means, but they were essential to the war effort. They would have to be taken. By controlling them, America would have a site for the launching of the new B-29 SuperFortress for raids against the Japanese islands. It was also the headquarters of the Japanese Central Pacific Fleet under Admiral Nagumo. It was imperative, therefore, that they be secured at any cost.**

Two Marine divisions made the initial assault against the west coast of Saipan on June 15, 1944. A diversionary attack by one Regiment did not fool the Japanese. The taking of the beaches at near Chalan Konoa was even more difficult than anticipated. By the end of the day, the Marines sought to consolidate and prepare the beach head against a sure Japanese counterattack.**

At about 3:00 AM, June 17th, 1944, Captain Claude Rollen, commander of B Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines thought he heard the noise of engined vehicles approaching the front lines. He asked his first sergeant, "Do you hear that?" The sergeant tersely acknowledged that it sounded like "kitchen sinks" (USMC name for Japanese tanks) were rolling toward them.**

In the darkness it was impossible to see at a distance. He radioed to the ships offshore and requested a few star shells to light up his area. Within a minute, the front was illuminated and the Captain saw to his horror that enemy tanks were drawing a bead straight for him and his men.**

A strong Japanese tank-infantry force of the 9th Tank Regiment came screaming out of the darkness. Three separate attacks, with over 40 Japanese pieces of armor, lashed out at the weary Marines. The Japanese soldiers, pretty well "liquored up," rode the tanks, screaming and firing as they came. The officers on the tanks all had their Samurai swords drawn, and slapped them against the sides of the tanks, much as a cavalryman would do to spur his horse to a even faster gallop.**

In coordination with the attack, Japanese infiltrators had crept through the American lines and attacked from the rear and both flanks. It seemed to the Marines that suddenly the enemy was all around them. The viciousness of the assault broke through the front lines. An alarm went out to the forces at the water's edge. A few Marine tanks were near the water and struck out immediately to take on the Japanese armor.**

Even some of the lightly armed LVTAs, equipped with the 75mm Howitzer rolled inland to help slow down the fanatical Japanese advance. Captain Tokuzo Matsuya heroically drove his T-97 Chi Ha tanks into bazooka and open sighted artillery fire. The American tanks struck his force suddenly. One by one the Japanese tanks were taken out. Some of the Japanese tanks were the newer version of the T-97, with a 57mm antitank gun mounted in the turret.**

The fighting between infantry was extremely violent and hand to hand. It included rifle butt, bayonets, ammo boxes, grenades, and fists. Troops on the beach in charge of unloading incoming transports, as well as cooks and quartermasters were awakened, given a gun and sent into the fight. A couple of Jap tanks were able to reach the sands of the beach, but there they were promptly eliminated.**

The 105mm howitzers lowered their barrels, and aimed along their length, firing directly at the tanks. Timely intervention with star shells and indirect fire from off shore US ships also helped turned the tide. Captain Matsuya was found dead the next morning beside his tank, samurai sword in hand.**

By dawn, the battle was over. Over 30 Japanese tanks were strewn throughout the area, blackened with the smoke of inner explosions, some still smoldering. The beach area was secure, and the Japanese were severely crippled by the expenditure of its few resources.**

From this point, except for a few uncoordinated "banzai" charges, the Japanese would adopt a defensive posture and make the Marines pay for every inch of ground gained on Saipan.**

Sources:**
Marines nder Armor, Estes*
Marine Tank Battles in the Pacific, Gilbert*
To the Marianas, Hoyt
Strong Men Armed, Leckie
History of the USMC Corps, Vol. IV*

__________SNIFFIN' 'EM OUT*
___________(Large Version)**

__USMC Advance vs. Japanese Delay*
_________Yae Take, Okinawa*
________0900, April 20, 1945*
______________Turns:18**

________Scenario Size: Medium*
_____Estimated Time Play: 1 Hour**

_______Design: Wild Bill Wilder*
________bwilder@bellsouth.net**

__Tested by: Federico Doveri, WBW**

___________Player Notes:**
This scenario can be played from either side or as a two player game. In this scenario, the Marines are using dog teams to sniff out hidden Japanese. This is a little larger scenario and takes a little longer to play.**

There is a dog support team and another unit with the dog and its handler. The satchel charge held by the dog handler represents the attack/intimidation factor of the dog itself.**

Marines will win by enemy elimination more than the capture of objectives. Killing the enemy is essential to win. The Japanese are to (1) avoid detection and/or (2) kill the attackers.**

USMC Orders: You've been given orders to clean out any Japanese left in the highlands of Yae-Take. Victory comes by finding and eliminating these final hidden pockets of resistance. The dogs will help but move with care. You will have smoke and some air support.**

Japanese Orders: The key to winning this battle will depend on your ability to elude the enemy. Banzai charges may not help you in this fight. Ambushing the enemy will.**

______Historical Background:**
By April 20th, General Lemuel Shepherd, commander of the Marine 6th Division, declared the end of enemy organized resistance on the Motobu Peninsula, Okinawa. The 6th Division was known as "The New Breed," but in actuality many of the men in the division were hardened veterans. Most of the 4th Regiment was composed of former Marine Raiders, some dating back to Guadalcanal.**

The struggle for the heights of Yae-Take had been hard. These Marines, however, had clearly proven that they could fight in any conditions, from assaulting beachheads to rugged climbs through difficult terrain.**

Even after the big fighting, not all of the Japanese had been eliminated. Dog teams were called in to help "sniff out" what scattered enemy units there might be in the harsh ridges of Yae-Take. Early experiments with canines had by the time of Operation Iceberg developed into a useful tool in war.**

The dogs most used were Doberman Pinschers and German Shepherds. Animal instincts, enhanced with training, made the animals quite effective in a number of ways. Some were so intelligent that they could distinguish between the human smells. They were also trained to attack and kill on signal.**

The Japanese were generally terrified of them. In one incident, a Doberman chased four enemy soldiers into a cave where they committed suicide with grenades rather than face the animal pursuing them.**

It is interesting to note that on Okinawa the Japanese also had trained dogs, especially the breed known as Akitas. They were not as effective as the US trained animals.**

Even though defeated en masse, the enemy troops left alive were tough and still full of fight. Desperation and fear had driven them to the point of suicidal tactics to at least make their lives count for the Emperor. The fighting would still be tough, even in these smaller pockets of resistance.**

Sources:**
Okinawa, Leckie*
Operation Iceberg, Astor*
The USMC in WW2, Smith*
Okinawa,the Great Island Battle, Bemis*

junk2drive wrote:
The manual states a unit surrenders when morale is <0 and an enemy unit is adjacent. I'm not sure if it can be scripted to be something else.