Hellfire in the Pacific

December 17th was my 63rd birthday, so I claimed the right to pick the game.  Wanting to get more mileage out of my Marines and curious about the new theatre of operations we got an unexpectedly high player turnout.  Maybe it was the brownie cake. 

The Japanese fielded two platoons of infantry, two platoons of HMGs, a pair of 70mm infantry guns, a battery of four 75mm guns, barbed wire and five Type 95 Ha-Go tanks.  If that sounds familiar I was providing both sides so the only difference from the last game was the 75s in exchange for basically one Ho-Ni tank destroyer.  Marines had two platoons upgraded to having BARs and LVT-4s, an assault platoon, a HMG platoon, pair of 37mm ATGs, three M3 Stuarts and limited air support Corsairs, carrying napalm.  Points for both sides were 2010.  The Marines won the dice throw and were the attackers in a meeting engagement.

I was very busy with new(er) players and answering questions so not many pictures.  But click them to enlarge.

Both sides loaded up on the same side and positioned weapons
to hold the other flank.

My Corsair was 3D printed.  Not the best, but I learned lessons.

Not enough cover but we make use of what is available.

The Marines used the MG platoon and 37s to hold the left while the two straight-leg platoons, assault section and Stuarts went for the objective on our right.  The Japanese used their infantry guns, 75s and MGs to hold their right hand objective, so not much happened there.  MGs in the center and the two infantry platoons and tanks on their left opposite our strength.  Going to be lots of carnage there.

Not enough as we lost an Amtrac.

One Japanese platoon tested the close action option and did a Banzai charge against a Marine platoon and their Amtracs.  They were quickly removed from play against the BARs and multiple machine guns on the Amtracs.

Napalm only hits on a "6" on a d6 but covers a 6x12" template.
The dice represent bailed out tanks.

The napalm was effective against anything not in a bunker or fully armored vehicle.  I rolled very statistical and with the regimental banner I bought for them they always rallied from the pinning effects of an airstrike.  Unfortunately for me I cheated myself, forgetting that Limited air support is two planes so I should have been rolling twice the dice.

Stuarts and Ha-Gos play hide and seek.  Eventually two of three
would be lost but they made their Fearless motivation twice.

Both sides took chances throughout.  The Stuarts lost two of three AFVs to the Japanese 75s firing over open sights.  The third kept going.  One Marine platoon was destroyed and the other reduced to taking motivation tests every turn.  But the assault section wiped out the other platoon and banner and a MG section ran off.  When the Ha-Gos, reduced to two vehicles had to be testing they finally failed and the game narrowly was for the Marines.  If scored in a tournament setting, a 4-3 win.

My Japanese were purchased and built for Rising Sun, an early-war book.  So they aren't faring well against a late-war list.  No AA allowed for example in the early-war lists.  I've since added the better Shinoto tank and Ho-Ni tank destroyer.  More games will be needed.  In honor of my father and uncle, Semper Fi.