I was back on Okinawa again, this time as the Americans. Tanigawa's Outpost features fanatic, elite Japanese in caves and pillboxes behind a line of mines and wire on some of the most difficult terrain you'll ever see. The Americans bring two full companies and two platoons of assault engineers to the hill, one of each to begin with and one of each entering on turn five of this ten turn game.
I had played this once as the Japanese, which resulted in a resounding victory for the IJA, and I wanted to apply the lessons learned from that fight to see if the Americans could win. Although there is plenty of opportunity for a foxy Japanese player, the skill side is definitely the Americans. They have many toys but these are not Marines, these are six (seven for assault engineers) morale, regular Joes. Their leadership includes a 10-3 to begin the game and a 9-2 entering in the reinforcements, but the leaders are not numerous. Against a solid Japanese defense, it requires planning and some luck to drive this herd up a hill up which they are inclined not to go.
When I played this the first time, my first idea for the Americans was to send one company against the Japanese right. The American reinforcement company enters on the Japanese left, and the goal is to crush the Japanese between these two pincers. The problem with this is that by the time the second group comes on, the first group is pretty well fought out, or at least seriously weakened. In my first game, the forces I allocated to holding the starting group had kept them at arms length. The lack of LOS through the hill prevented the second group from supporting the first, so the second company had to fight its own battle and was faced with the task of breaching the fortifications by themselves. Using two pincers like this must be an obvious approach to the battle, because I had it and both my opponents had it, but I would now recommend against it.
The strategy for the Americans that came out of the first playing was to use the first company to clear a path up the Japanese left flank. This flank seems less appealing because The Americans have 60mm OBA with WP. Use this WP to cover the rush up the base of the hill. Under its shroud, search for wire and mines and use the 747 Assault engineers to clear a path through them. This path will also be used by your second wave. With three assault engineer squads and a 10-3 leader, Clearance is automatic.
Once on the hill, the problem is killing Japanese. They are fanatic and in general in caves. The Japanese player is allowed to freely deploy, and he may want to do this: if a HS breaks, it routs into the complex where the calm, Buddha-like visage of his 9-1 leader will encourage him to be good order on an eleven (8 broken ML plus fanatic plus commissar equals ML 10; DRM = +0 DM (because of the Japanese leader) -1 leadership -1 rally terrain). If you find a Japanese unit out of a cave, do as much as you can to kill it; you're life will be much easier. If you find one in a cave, break it and then place a DC on it, to seal the cave and eliminate the unit.
On the highlights film: two 7-4-7 & the 10-3 start in the entrance hex of a cave with a 9-1 leader, crew & HMG. They assault move as a stack, with both assault engineers attempting to place WP grenades IN the cave, both get them IN the cave, but only wound the 9-1 leader. The Japanese fire desultorily, and break their MG when the Americans place a DC in the cave. But the only effect against the Japanese is the wounding of the leader. Great move, but these Japanese are tough hombres!
Also on the highlight film, a Baz CH in a cave. Sixteen FP down four. Ugly. Since the unit in the cave had just snake-eyed another American squad out of existence, I didn't feel too sorry about killing it.
I was helped by the fact that my opponent had not put any mines/wire on in the 38F1 (?) area. I had my assault engineers forward with my 10-3 to clear these if they were found, but none showed up. This is not to say that the area was undefended: two caves and two HIP squads guarded the area, but at least I was spared having to look up the clearance rules ;-)
Unfortunately we had to call the game off because it was late. At the end of American six, the Americans had gotten to the hilltop, but the Japanese were still hanging tough. The major challenge was clearing the two pillboxes: one on the peak and one adjacent to it. The Americans had the time and FP to do it, but it was going to be close.
JR