New Campaign - Scenario #3

RANGERDANE · **RANGERDANE**

OPERATION FORAGER:

Background: From a new forward operating base in the Marshall Islands, it was time for the next strategic campaign in the PTO – Attack of the Mariana Islands, Guam, Saipan and Tinian. From these islands, long-range American B-29 aircraft would have the ability to bomb the Japanese Home Islands. The Japanese were well aware of this fact, and planned a decisive Battle to prevent it. Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa’s plan was to use the longer range of his aircraft to good effect by shuttling them between his carriers and the airbases on Guam and Saipan, hitting the Americans coming and going, while keeping his carriers out of range of an American counterstrike.

For the US, the battle represented the next step in its’ island–hopping assault toward Japan; a significant moral victory because the US was now attacking the "inner ring" of the Japanese Pacific sphere, and it dispelled the myth that Japan could not be beaten. For the Japanese, the battle represented the failure of the outer defensive ring. A concerted effort was made to hold the inner ring as Japanese defenses were prepared in depth. The battles of Peleliu, Guam, and the Marianas were to prove costly to the United States.

After the failure at Guadacanal, Vice Admiral Nagumo was demoted to various unimportant posts before being given command of a small naval flotilla in the Marianas. On 15 Jun 1944, Admiral Nagumo and his Army peer General Saito attempted to defend the island of Saipan against the American task force rapidly approaching.

As D-day for the Marianas approached, attacks on Japanese airfields on the islands accelerated. American submarines had patrolled the supply routes and had cut off the islands, preventing much needed supplies and munitions from reaching the Marianas. ULTRA intelligence reports pinpointed Japanese airfield and command post locations. Aerial reconnaissance and bombardment for two weeks prior to the invasion destroyed or damaged gun emplacements, airplanes, supply and ammo caches and harassed Japanese soldiers to the breaking point.

On 6 Jul, during the last stages of US operations on Saipan, Admiral Nagumo committed suicide for his failure to hold Saipan. His remains were later found by US Marines in a cave that was his last stand command post.

Several Hundred Japanese troops held out in the jungles for months. On Aguijan Island off the southwest cape of Tinian, a Japanese Infantry Company commanded by Lieutenant Kinichi Yamada, held out until the end of the war, surrendering on September 4th, 1945. In December, 1945, On Saipan, Captain Oba and 46 Japanese soldiers in his command surrendered to U.S. forces. The last holdout on Tinian was Japanese soldier Murata Susumu, who was captured in 1953. On Guam, in January 1972, Corporal Shoichi Yokoi was found by two hunters while he was fishing along the Talofofo River. He offered his army-issue rifle, and said he wanted to return to "the Honorable Emperor," adding: "I am sorry I did not serve his majesty to my satisfaction." He had seen reports of Japan's surrender in leaflets and newspapers scattered about the island but refused to surrender because he thought they were American propaganda. "We Japanese soldiers were told to prefer death to the disgrace of getting captured alive,"

Scenario Description: On the morning of June 15th, 1944 the Japanese Task Force under Admiral Nagumo must stop the US from breaching Japan’s inner defensive ring and the Marianas Islands from being captured and used as an Allied forward operating air base or cause significant damage to the Allied surface force. Admiral Turner, Commanding 5th Amphibious Force, must subdue the shore batteries, screen the landing force and engage Admiral Nagumo’s Marianas Fleet and capture the 3 key islands of the Marianas chain.

Allied Commander: Vice Admiral Turner

250 point fleet

+ 6 SS Jeremiah O’Brien’s / LST’s each with one Marine Battalion loaded on each

Axis Commander: Vice Admiral Nagumo

200 point fleet

On each of the 3 Marianas Islands the INJ has two shore batteries (use the 5th Yokosuka SNLF shore battery card and stats from the Guadalcanal campaign) and 2 SNLF Infantry Battalions.

Victory Conditions: Victory is determined after play ends under the following two conditions:

1. After three turns of play, Japanese ships may move off the edge of the map and ‘retreat’. Ships moving this way are considered out of combat for this scenario but not destroyed for the purposes of tallying points. If all Japanese ships are removed from play, the game ends with a bonus 10 victory points for the Allies.

2. If any Japanese forces still hold an Island at the end of the game The IJN player is awarded 75 victory points.
At the end of play, each side tallies victory points equal to the point value of all opposing units destroyed. The player with the highest number of points is the victor.

Campaign Instructions: This is the third in a series of scenarios designed to historically recreate the naval combat actions in the Pacific. Historical fleet limitations are in effect. Ships lost in previous engagements can not be resurrected for this engagement unless there are ample ships of the same class. All damaged ships from previous engagements are considered “repaired”.

Special Rules:
• Place 3 Islands randomly in the center of the playing area. These represent Guam, Saipan and Tinian.

• All Axis submarines start off “hidden”. Hidden submarines are patrolling in “silent mode” and can not been seen on the playing surface area until detected. To detect an Axis submarine an Allied destroyer, destroyer escort, or a long range reconnaissance aircraft (like a PBY) must pass over, occupy a same grid (on a die roll of 3+), or be adjacent to (on a die roll of 6) the Axis submarine.

• During the first turn, the Axis player automatically wins initiative.

• Use the 5th Yokosuka SNLF shore battery cards and stats from the Guadalcanal campaign on each of the 3 Islands.

o Variation 1: install a 3rd shore battery and 3rd SNLF Battalion on Saipan.

• Island shore batteries must be neutralized before amphibious assault can occur.

• Land Infantry combat is resolved using Risk rules.

o Variation 2: When a tie is rolled, instead of the defender automatically winning – reroll the combat engagement.

o Variation 3: instead of using Risk rules, use AAM rules.

Battle Report: The Marianas Islands 15°10’51”N, 145°45’21”E
15 JUN 1944 Before Morning Nautical Twilight (BMNT).
Darkness…..Surface Action

Emperor, I am pleased to present you with an American .45 pistol captured from the American General invading Tinian.

Pre-dawn naval bombardment by the US fleet effectively destroyed our shore batteries on Saipan. One of our submarines was detected by American destroyers escorting the landing fleet to Saipan. American PBY aircraft continually harassed and depth-charged our submarine fleet. His Majesty’s Imperial battleship Musashi charged the American battleship fleet and destroyed the American battleships. Our cruiser escort screens North and South of the islands did little to stop the American cruisers from enveloping the island. While our attention was focused east on the invasion force, the American cruiser fleet harassed our rear and interdicted our supply lines. The sea was thick with our long-lance torpedoes but only a few actually detonated upon impact. I feel that some of the impressed laborers in our factories are sabotaging our torpedo warheads. Brave A6M2 escort pilots of our much renowned Guam strike group fought through advanced American fighters time and again to allow our D4Y1 dive bombers to strike at the American cruiser, destroyer and LST fleet. These brave samurai enabled the elimination of the American destroyer fleet and almost freedom of action of our submarine fleet. This was accomplished at a terrible cost as the American advanced fighters ripped through our strike group squadrons as a Samurai’s blade; all were lost. Although the island of Saipan was under American flag for moments, it is back now, under the rising sun.

Signals dispatch signed:
- Vice ADM Admiral Nagumo

Summary:
US Navy loss:
2 x BB USS Iowa, USS Tennessee
1 x CA USS Baltimore
1 x CL USS Cleveland
3 x DD USS Claxton, USS Hudson, USS O’Bannon
1 x PBY Squadron
5 x LST
6 x Marine Battalions

IJN loss:
4 x CL Agano, Noshiro, Sakawa, Yahagi
1 x DD Suzutsuki
2 x SS I-20, I- 21
4x (Zeke) Squadrons
2 x SNLF Battalions

Greyh Seer · **Greyh Seer**

So this is the 3rd. I saw your first in the other post...is there a 2nd scenario?
_________________
-Greyh

Trade List: Greyh's WAS Trade List
+13 On AH Trade Boards
+10 On aaminis Trade Boards

RANGERDANE · **RANGERDANE**

still working scenario #2 - Operation A-Go

Greyh Seer · **Greyh Seer**

RANGERDANE · **RANGERDANE**

been busy at work....

haven't had a chance to touch it......