BATTLEFRONT - HALLS OF MONTEZUMA SCENARIOS
Strategic Studies Group (SSG)

1. Your First Battle
It  is  September 13th, 1847. Ten thousand men under General
Winfield  Scott are about to assault Mexico City.  Not  many
Marines  are  present but it's quality, not  quantity,  that
counts.
Your  task  is  to  use  these men to  crush  resistance  at
Chapultepec,  move swiftly along both causeways  to  capture
the  gates to the city and then strike for the Halls of  the
Montezumas. Following these tutorial instructions  will  get
you  started. We recommend that you refer to the Game Manual
for further details about the various game mechanics.
As  well as this tutorial, you'll need to have the game  map
in front of you and to have located the appropriate area for
the  Mexico  City scenario. Keep the Game Manual handy.  Use
the reference card appropriate for your computer.
2. Starting Up
Open  the  Mexico  City scenario from the  scenario  folder.
Colour Mac users should select the Mexico City (c) scenario;
monochrome  Mac  users should select the Mexico  City  (b&w)
scenario.
The  game  preparation screen will appear and three  choices
have to be made for each side. The Mexicans are going to  be
commanded by the computer so click in the radio button below
the   Mexican  headquarter  description.  Do  not  make  the
Mexicans enhanced. The Americans will be under human control
(that's you) and you can select enhanced if you wish  to  be
absolutely sure of winning your first game.
Go to the Environment menu and select Play from it.
3. Reviewing Your Forces
The  game  map opens and to the right of it is  the  Command
Window.  All  of your orders are issued through the  Command
Window.
The  picture  in the top left corner tells you  the  current
weather  while  the  time  of day,  the  date,  the  weather
forecast  and the extent of any air superiority is displayed
to the right of the picture.
Before  issuing orders we'll review our forces, examine  the
battlefield, the objectives and the enemy forces.
The  display menu contains seven items. The five items above
the line are on-off switches.
The  Objective switch will reveal/hide the location  of  the
objectives assigned to your forces. Holding the mouse button
down  while the cursor is positioned over an objective  will
tell  you  its  name,  which turns it is  active,  how  many
victory points (VPs) you earn for capturing it and how  many
turns  to date you have held it. Objectives which have  been
assigned to the division currently displayed in the  Command
Window will be identified by a flashing star icon instead of
the cross-hair icon.
The  Minefields switch will reveal friendly minefield hexes.
There are none of these in the scenario.
The  Control  switch will reveal the exact location  of  the
front  line. Knowing which hexes are under friendly  control
is very important for maintaining supply lines.
The  Arrival  Hex switch will tell you where  reinforcements
are scheduled to arrive.
The  Units switch will temporarily remove units from the map
to allow you to examine the battlefield.
The two items below the line are reports.
The VP Report presents a breakdown of the situation to date.
It  tells  you the result if the game were to  end  at  this
point.
The  Objectives Report summarises the details  of  all  your
objectives  in a single table. Clicking on an  objective  in
the table will centre the map on that objective.
Whenever  the cursor is positioned on the map and the  mouse
held  down, you will be told the type of terrain in the  hex
and  who controls it. If friendly or enemy units are in  the
hex, you will be given details about them.
4. Issuing Orders
Back  to  the Command Window. There are three buttons  below
the  weather picture which correspond to the three  American
divisions.  When  the  window  opens,  the  first  of  these
divisions  (Pillow's) is displayed. Below these buttons  you
are  told the condition of Pillow's division. A single click
in  a  division button will select that division.  A  double
click in a division button will open up the dialog box which
contains  the division's asset battalions. Pillow's division
has  three asset units; one cavalry and two artillery. These
units may be assigned to any regiment from the division on a
turn by turn basis.
Similarly, there are four regimental buttons, although  only
three  of  them are active in this scenario because Pillow's
division has only three regiments. The information panel  to
the right of the buttons displays information about the high-
lighted regiment.
At  the  bottom  of the Command Window is a  palette  of  12
orders  which  can  be  issued. Not  all  of  them  will  be
available  at any one time. Reading from left to  right  and
from  top to bottom the orders are Reserve, Objective, Enemy
Unit,   Deploy,  Defend,  Delay,  Support,  Prepare,  Probe,
Assault, Exploit and Wake Up (used only at night).
Click  in  the  top regimental button. This is Caldwalader's
regiment. Its current order is defend. You can confirm  this
by  holding down the mouse over the order icon and  a  small
dialog  box  will  open up to identify  it.  The  regimental
information  tells  us  the regiment  is  ENGAGED  and  this
defines  which orders are available to us. The enemy  target
unit is high-lighted on the game map.
Give  this  regiment a Probe order by clicking on the  Probe
icon  from the Orders palette. It's 1847 so there isn't  any
air  support available. Similarly, give a Reserve  order  to
the second regiment (Clarke)) and a probe order to the third
regiment (Garland).
Now  go  to the second division (Quitman) and issue  prepare
orders  to  both  regiments (P. Smith and  Shields).  Double
click  on Quitman's division HQ button. There are four asset
battalions  available;  one marine,  one  engineer  and  two
artillery.  Both  artillery battalions are  assigned  to  P.
Smith's  regiment.  Click on the 4th battalion  (Hug),  then
click  on the second regimental HQ button. This action  will
transfer the artillery battalion from P. Smith's regiment to
Shields' regiment.
During  the  game  it is vital to continually  monitor  your
asset  battalions. Switch them to whichever  regiment  needs
them  the  most. When losses mount and/or the asset  becomes
fatigued,  place in it reserve (i.e. click  on  the  reserve
button instead of a regimental HQ button).
The  third division (Twigg) has no movement points  (static)
and  not  much of a job. They must stay where they are,  but
the Mexicans will probably come visiting anyway.
5. The First Turn Reviewed
We  have  issued probe orders to Caldwalader's and Garland's
regiments from Pillow's division, and prepare orders  to  P.
Smith's  and Shields' regiments from Quitman's division.  We
have  examined all the troops in our command and switched  a
divisional  asset in Quitman's division. Now  it's  time  to
fight. Go to the Play menu and select Run 5 from it.
6. The Computer's Role
Combat  and movement will then occur. The Mexicans will  not
attack  you  on this first turn, so you will  get  a  combat
report  from  each of your attacks. Click the OK  button  to
continue after each report.
After the first turn is finished you will be returned to the
Combat Window.
7. The Game Plan
War  being  what it is, it is not exactly possible  to  tell
what  may have happened by now. The defenders of Chapultepec
may have routed or they may still be there. If they are, use
the   Assault  order  for  both  regiments  from   Quitman's
division. This will certainly finish them off. If they  have
already retired from the field there will be no shortage  of
replacements  which will stream out from Mexico  City  along
the  causeway on the first turn. Quitman's division has  the
task  of  removing these obstacles and capturing  the  Belen
Gate.   Keep  pushing  forward.  Use  the  Probe  order   to
concentrate  your men if you are only in CONTACT,  and  then
the Prepare order followed by the Assault order when you are
ENGAGED with the enemy.
Pillow's  division  must lend a hand on the  first  day,  to
clear   Chapultepec  and  the  road  junction  it  commands.
Sometime  on  the  second  day you should  have  pushed  the
Mexicans  back  far enough to allow you to swing  north  and
take  the San Cosme gate. To do this you will have to be  in
the  READY  state; i.e. not in CONTACT or ENGAGED.  Use  the
Reserve  order if necessary to withdraw from contact.  Don't
do  this until the Mexicans are at least four hexes from the
road  junction otherwise you will just get caught up in  the
fighting.  The  battlefield  narrows  towards  the  causeway
anyway,  so there won't be the room to fight. Once you  have
taken  San  Cosme  Gate,  press  on  to  the  Halls  of  the
Montezumas.
Twigg's division has an unenviable job. Unable to move,  all
he  can  do is fight any Mexicans who come his way. Conserve
your  efforts  and  you should outlast your  attackers,  who
should soon have other problems.
8. Tactics
Some brief points to help you on your way. These remarks are
amplified in the game manual. Your men are superior  to  the
Mexicans  and  should win any contest  of  arms.  Don't  get
carried  away  and assault more than once a  day.  Too  many
assaults  result  in  exhausted men  who  have  run  out  of
supplies, so watch your supply and fatigue status.


PART TWO
THE SCENARIOS
1. MEXICO CITY
September 13th, 1847
"I  knew I could not be wrong, so long as the enemy in large
numbers were ahead" Captain George H. Terret
"I  believe  if we were to plant our batteries in  hell  the
Yankees would take them from us" Santa Anna, after the  fall
of Chapultepec
"God is a Yankee" was his Chief of Staff's reply
The  assault on Mexico City was the culmination of  a  three
year war between the USA and Mexico. The proximate cause  of
the  war was the election of James K. Polk to the presidency
in  1844,  on an expansionist platform. At this time  Texas,
New  Mexico, Arizona and California belonged to Mexico,  but
the  resident American whites were keen to join  the  United
States of America.
The  war  started  in April 1846, and the  US  Navy  quickly
blockaded  all  major ports on both coasts of Mexico,  which
had  no  navy to speak of. At this time the marines were  an
integral part of the navy, and their main task was to  guard
ships and ports. They numbered about 1,000 men.
The  Navy,  aided  by the Americans already  in  California,
eventually  conquered San Francisco,  Los  Angeles  and  San
Diego,  securing  the future state. The  next  step  was  to
invade  Mexico and force it to peace. Major General Winfield
Scott commanded the American Army in this incursion. He  was
persuaded  by  Henderson to include Marines in the  invasion
force,  since they were a permanent trained force, and  many
of  Scott's  volunteers had served their time  and  returned
home.
When  the Army reached Mexico City on the August 8th,  1847,
the  Marines were disgusted at having been used to guard the
supply trains, thus missing the battles (such as they  were)
so far. The battalion of 357 men was commanded by Lieutenant
Colonel  Samuel E. Watson, and was attached to the  division
of Brigadier General John A. Quitman.
Scott's  Army numbered 10,738 men, and faced a Mexican  army
of about 32,000 commanded by the self-styled Napoleon of the
Americas, Santa Anna. The Mexicans were massed south of  the
city   (the   direction  from  which  the   Americans   were
approaching), so Scott decided to attack from the  west.  On
7th  of  September  he  used Brigadier  General  William  J.
Worth's division to assault a group of heavy stone buildings
called  Molino del Ray, which guarded the western approaches
and  were resolutely defended by the Mexicans. They took it,
but ruined the division in doing so.
On  Monday,  September 13th the attack proper  started.  The
first  and  main  obstacle  was Chapultepec,  a  steep  hill
surrounded  by walls. It was defended by about 900  soldiers
and  a handful of cadets - known ever afterwards to Mexicans
as  the Ni¤os Heroicos. Quitman's division was assigned  the
difficult south face, as a diversion from the main attack by
Brigadier General Gideon Pillow's division up the west face.
To the east of the hill, the Mexicans had garrisoned a vital
road   junction  with  a  battery  of  artillery  and   some
entrenched infantry.
The   attack  was  a  success.  Special  storming   parties,
including  some  Marines,  were  formed  and  equipped  with
ladders  and  pick-axes. These were to take the lower  walls
while the bulk of each division provided covering fire. They
were  quickly  pinned down under the intense crossfire  from
the walls and from the force at the road junction. Then,  by
sheer persistence the pioneers of Pillow's division won  the
walls,  and the brigade on the right flank cleared the  road
junction.  The  bulk  of  both  divisions,  including   some
Marines, swept up the hill and captured the fortress.
Captain  George  H.  Terret took his  company  of  about  30
Marines  and raced up the western causeway towards  the  San
Cosme  gate,  the last defended position before Mexico  City
proper.  Joined by one Ulysses S. Grant and  about  20  men,
they  stopped a counter-attack by some Mexican lancers, then
routed  a  force of over 1,000 enemy foot en route.  Heavily
outnumbered,  they  assaulted  and  took  the  gate  against
determined resistance, becoming the first troops to set foot
in  Mexico City itself. They had far outrun the rest of  the
Army,  and were forced to return to the road junction.  This
gate  was  eventually  re-taken  by  Worth's  division  that
evening.
The  rest  of the Marines, with Quitman's division, advanced
along the eastern causeway and established themselves inside
the  BelŠn gate before nightfall, after a fierce fight.  The
Mexicans counter-attacked several times, but could not press
home against the American artillery and musketry.
Overnight  the city fathers persuaded Santa Anna to  abandon
the  city  to  prevent damage to the buildings and  civilian
population.  By  morning the Americans discovered  that  the
Mexicans  had  withdrawn  and  abandoned  the  city  out  of
consideration  for the populace, and the low morale  of  the
Mexican army and its commanders.
Up  until this time the Marine standard had borne the motto:
"To  the  Shores of Tripoli". On their return to  Washington
the  people  of that city presented the Marines with  a  new
banner  and a new motto: "From Tripoli to the Halls  of  the
Montezumas". Thus a piece of Marine Corps history was born.
SCENARIO NOTES
Because this battle is somewhat outside the time period that
the  Battlefront Game System is designed to cover, the  time
scale  has  been expanded. Historically all the action  took
place  in one day, but this scenario is four days long  with
each  day  representing  one normal turn.  This  allows  the
numerous small skirmishes that happened to still occur while
giving  the  Americans time to get to their  objective,  the
Halls of Montezuma.
The scenario as created departs from history to add interest
to both sides. The assumption is that the Mexicans stood and
fought  for  their  city  on  the  second  day  rather  than
evacuating it. The Mexicans now have a chance to  conduct  a
limited  offensive  in the southeast of  the  map,  possibly
spoiling the US attack in the centre.
The  research for this game was the most difficult yet,  and
the  Mexican OB is necessarily substantially guess-work. The
names  of  the  units  are  real  ones,  but  further   hard
information is limited.
While not as challenging as the other scenarios, Mexico City
is  nevertheless of historical interest and a good  learning
scenario.
PLAYER'S NOTES
THE  MARINES. You must make the running. Assault Chapultepec
defenders   and  their  supporting  units  with   everything
possible  until they are eliminated, as they block your  way
to  the  city.  Then  advance along both  causeways  towards
Mexico  City. Pillow's division should take Belen  Gate  and
Quitman's division the San Cosme Gate. After that  you  will
have  some street fighting in Mexico City. You will have  to
fight  your way through a fair few units to be able to  take
the Halls in time.
MEXICAN FORCES. There is only a limited amount you can do to
affect the game. Make an immediate and swift advance down to
the objectives at the south of the board, and try to capture
one of them. You will have to attack very carefully, as your
offensive  capability is small. Be prepared to run  back  to
the city as soon as the US approach the Belen Gate.
SCENARIO VARIANTS
(1)  Assume the Americans had launched their attack from the
south, their direction of approach. Move all US units to the
southern board edge east of the swamp.
(2)  Assume  the  Americans had suffered  more  disease  and
supply  difficulties (as they might well have done).  Reduce
all US admin and supplies to 2.
2. BELLEAU WOOD
May 28th - June 18th, 1918
"Retreat,  hell. We just got here!" Captain Lloyd  Williams,
USMC
1918 was the decisive year of World War I. The Russians  had
surrendered  in  1917,  and huge  numbers  of  Germans  were
transferred to the western front. The German commanders  had
decided  to  try  to  end the war before  the  new  American
divisions  could arrive in numbers. Their massive offensives
of  March-May  1918  threw the Allies reeling  back  towards
Paris,  and once again the French government made  plans  to
evacuate  the city. The US 3rd division played a vital  part
in stopping their drive at Chƒteau-Thierry.
The  Germans wheeled right at this check, moving  along  the
Marne  instead of trying to cross it. This brought  them  to
the  area  of  Belleau  Wood, from which  they  ejected  the
dispirited French in the last days of May.
The  4th  Marine Brigade, made up of the 5th and 6th  Marine
Regiments,  was  part  of  the 2nd US  division.  They  were
holding  a  line from the Paris-Metz highway on  the  right,
through Lucy-le-Bocage, to Hill 142 on the left.
On  June  3rd,  the Germans continued their  attack  towards
Paris,  advancing from the Wood towards Lucy-le-Bocage,  the
centre  of  the Marine line. The well-trained  Marines  held
their  ground  and shot the German attack to  a  standstill.
This was the climax of the German advance.
The  Germans knew that their advance on Paris was  finished,
so they dug in inside the woods and waited. The Marines were
not to disappoint them. Early on June 6th, 26 years before D-
Day,  the  Marines went in to the attack. Their inexperience
was  to  cost them dear: they had failed to send out patrols
to gauge the defence, and had believed the French reports of
no  enemy  troops in the woods. The woods had in  fact  been
converted  into  a  mini-fortress, with barbed  wire  and  a
network of interlocking machine-gun nests, and manned by  an
experienced regiment of Germans.
The  epic  battle of Hill 142 went on all day. At one  point
the  Marines nearly took Torcy, at another they nearly  lost
the hill itself. But by 5 pm, the appointed hour of the main
assault, they held the hill, depleted but firm.
There was no pre-assault artillery bombardment, as this  was
to  be  a  surprise attack - but the Germans were  expecting
them. As Sergeant Dan Daly started to lead his men into  the
withering  fire  from  the woods,  he  turned  to  them  and
exhorted: "Come on, you sons-o'-bitches! Do you want to live
for ever?".
The  centre  and  right of the attack did  somewhat  better,
since  they  did  not have to cross such  expanses  of  open
ground  as did the left. One platoon in the centre  actually
managed to fight their way through the Wood, only to be  cut
down as they emerged into the open.
The  right flank's task was to capture Bouresches, to anchor
that  flank  of  the  main assault. Twenty  three  men,  the
remnants of one company took and held the town for  half  an
hour against counter-attacks until reinforcements arrived.
By the end of the day the 4th Marine Brigade had taken 1,087
casualties (about 60% of its infantry strength),  more  than
in their entire history up to that point.
The  following  day, June 7th, was a day  of  rest  for  the
Marines.  Disorganised, with many small units shattered,  it
was  all  they  could do to hold their ground  and  feed  in
reinforcements and ammunition. The Germans put in an  attack
at around midnight but were stopped cold.
At 4 am on June 8th, the Marines of the 3/6th Battalion were
ordered out of their foxholes again. After 6 hours of  heavy
fighting  with no perceptible result, the attack was  called
off  and  the  battalion withdrawn from combat.  The  German
defence had again been underestimated.
June  9th was spent in an enormous artillery duel, with  the
Americans and French raking the woods from end to  end,  and
the  Germans shelling Lucy-le-Bocage and Bouresches and  the
ground  between. On the next day, June 10th, 1/6th Battalion
advanced up the long axis of the Wood from the south,  while
2/5th  Battalion  attacked from the west across  the  deadly
wheat  fields. The two units were able to link up, but,  due
to  exhaustion and casualties, were unable to  further  dent
the Germans' determined defence.
The following day saw the 2/5th Battalion advancing, so they
thought,   north  east  through  the  woods.  Taking   heavy
casualties, they struggled in platoons and companies through
the  dense forest. When they emerged from the cover  of  the
trees,  they reported back that they had taken the north  of
Belleau Wood. Unfortunately, they had been travelling  west,
and  had  merely  crossed the Wood at 90ø to  the  defensive
lines.  They had accidentally rolled up much of the Germans'
southern defence line, but exposed their left flank  to  the
remaining Germans.
General Pershing had already announced to the world that the
Marines had taken Belleau Wood, so the local commanders  set
about  making  that  news true. The  Germans  were  prepared
because  the  preliminary bombardment had overshot  by  1000
yards,  leaving the front line undamaged. The Germans fought
back  with  everything, including mustard gas.  Despite  the
fierce combat, the eastern half of the Wood was captured  by
the Marines that day.
Due  to  the  mix  up  in  position,  the  1/5th  and  2/6th
Battalions, coming to relieve the 2/5th, found the  west  of
the  Wood  full of Germans. Finally, on the morning  of  the
15th, the Marines were able to get a toe-hold in the western
side of the woods. Gas had caused so many casualties by  now
that the whole 4th Marine Brigade was judged unbattleworthy,
and  was relieved by the US 7th infantry, who failed to make
any headway in the next week.
To  break  the  log-jam,  the 3/5th  Marines  Battalion  was
brought  back to 'clear' the northern part of  the  woods  -
resistance still being reckoned to be light. The Germans had
manned  their line with three fresh battalions, to hold  the
remainder of the Wood. The attack quickly ground to a bloody
halt.
The whole of the Marine Brigade was now recalled for action.
At  5  pm on the 25th June an attack went in, after a proper
all-day bombardment. The attack was spearheaded by the 3/5th
Battalion,  with the now-veteran 2/5th and 3/6th  Battalions
on  the flanks. The attackers took heavy casualties, but the
artillery  preparation had knocked out many  enemy  machine-
guns,  and they were running out of reinforcements.  On  the
morning  of  June  26th, men of the 3/5th Battalion  finally
reached  the  northern edge of the Wood, and  were  able  to
signal  "Woods now US Marine Corps entirely". The  cost  was
1062 killed and 4121 wounded Marines.
The  defence by the Marines saved Paris and removed the last
German chance to win the war.
SCENARIO NOTES
The  scenario begins when the first German attacks  hit  the
French  forces in front of the Wood on the 28th of May,  and
continues for 87 turns until the Marine Brigade is withdrawn
for refit on the 18th of June.
The  French division is made brittle to simulate the  forced
withdrawal  it made on about the 1st of June. By  this  time
the Germans should have occupied the Wood and Hill 142.
PLAYER'S NOTES
THE  MARINES  (AND SOME FRENCH). You must  first  conduct  a
careful defence with your fragile French troops. As soon  as
a  regiment approaches its brittleness rating, withdraw  it.
You  can  often stop the Germans advancing beyond  the  Wood
until the US troops arrive.
With  the US troops in hand you must make continual  assault
on  the  Germans in and around the Wood, where  the  victory
points  are. You have good admin and supply values, so  your
damaged  units  will recover quickly. You must,  as  always,
rotate your units as they get tired or low on supplies.
GERMAN  FORCES.  You  must  quickly  establish  yourself  in
defensive positions as far forward as possible. If  you  can
disrupt the Americans as they come on the board, so much the
better.  Your  divisional admin and supply  values  are  not
good, so do not indulge in frequent counter-attacks.
SCENARIO VARIANTS
(1)  Assume  the French make a good stand here.  Remove  the
brittleness  flag  and increase their divisional  admin  and
supply  values to 4. This will unbalance the game  severely,
so _
(2)  Assume  the  Germans had got their  logistics  as  well
organised as their tactics. Increase their divisional  admin
and supply to 5 each.
(3)  Assume  that the Wood had not exercised its  powers  of
fascination   over  the  Allied  commanders.   Delete   both
objectives  for both sides within the Wood, as well  as  the
two adjacent hills.
3. IWO JIMA
February 19th - March 6th, 1945
"Uncommon  valour  was a common virtue" Admiral  Chester  A.
Nimitz
Operation Detachment, the plan to capture the island of  Iwo
Jima  in  February 1945, was a vital part  of  the  American
strategy of island-hopping their way to Japan. Possession of
Iwo   Jima  and  its  two  airfields  (with  a  third  under
construction)  would cut the Japanese links  with  the  huge
expanses of ocean that they still controlled. It would  also
enable  the  air force to escort the B29s now bombing  Japan
from the Marianas Islands. It was thus an obvious target - a
fact which was itself obvious to the Japanese.
The  Japanese  armed forces had suffered an almost  unbroken
string  of  defeats for over two years. Even their  prepared
defences of islands had resulted in far more casualties  for
themselves  than  for the attackers. They looked  to  change
this with a range of new tactics. Gone would be the reliance
on  fanatical banzai charges to decide the issue.  They  had
proved  wasteful  of manpower, and had not  succeeded  in  a
single instance, close though they were to the heart of  the
Japanese warrior.
Iwo  Jima  was  to  be fortified to the  limit.  The  island
consisted  of  the relatively small Mount Suribachi  in  the
south,  and  the  larger  Motoyama  Plateau  in  the   north
(supporting the airfields), connected by a plain of volcanic
sand.  This sand would cause great problems for the Marines,
as  it  was  too  soft  to  dig in properly,  and  virtually
prevented running. "Like trying to fight in a bin  of  loose
wheat"  was  the  comment  of the  4th  Division's  official
history.  Both  elevated areas were naturally  endowed  with
hundreds   of  caves,  which  the  Japanese  augmented   and
interconnected  with  kilometres of  tunnels.  Thousands  of
concrete  emplacements were built, and the  Japanese  spread
their  supplies, ammunition, and 21,000 men over many  sites
so that they would not all be destroyed or captured at once.
The  American plan for the invasion was simple.  They  would
use  two Divisions of Marines for the main invasion, the 4th
and  5th,  and  hold the 3rd in reserve to be  committed  if
necessary.  The only possible landing place was the  eastern
shore  of  the volcanic plain, where eight Battalions  would
alight  on  the  first  day.  This  meant  that  there   was
inevitably  going to be incredible congestion on  the  first
day,  no matter how well the landing went, with over  50,000
men  packed into 2 square miles of open plain - the Japanese
gunners would find it difficult to miss.
The Americans had also taken account of their experiences in
previous  invasions.  Each  Battalion  now  had  an  assault
platoon attached, equipped with flamethrowers, bazookas  and
satchel  charges. The tank Battalion increased their numbers
of  flamethrower tanks. A two day bombardment from  hundreds
of warships would take care of the surface defences.
The landings occurred in the early morning of February 19th,
1945. The Japanese held their fire until the Marines stepped
ashore  from their am-tracks, then let loose with  artillery
and  mortar fire in an intensity unequalled in the  Marines'
history.  The  two  Divisions  making  the  initial  assault
suffered 2,300 casualties in the first day, taking  an  area
only  half  that  of the first day objectives.  The  Marines
scooped shallow foxholes in the volcanic sand and waited for
the  usual counter-attack _ which never arrived. Few Marines
had  even  seen  a  live Japanese soldier  so  far,  and  no
prisoners were taken.
The  next few days were spent in cutting across the  island,
and working through the preliminary defences at the base  of
the  Motoyama Plateau, including the first airfield. At this
stage  the  4th  Division held the left flank  and  the  5th
Division  the  right.  Most of the  3rd  Division  was  soon
committed  to the fight in the central front, as  units  ran
low on men and officers.
February 23rd (D+4) saw the historic capture of Mt Suribachi
by  the 28/5th Regiment, with the famous flag-raising  under
fire.  The  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  James  V.  Forrestal,
witnessed  this  from off-shore, and said  to  the  Marines'
commander,  Holland Smith,: "The raising  of  that  flag  on
Suribachi  means that there will be a Marine Corps  for  the
next 500 years". Smith turned to an aide and whispered "When
the  war  is over and money is short they will be after  the
Marines  again,  and  a  dozen  Iwo  Jimas  would  make   no
difference". How right he was.
The  Japanese  defenders fought with  their  typical  dogged
skill,  not  giving ground where unnecessary, not  expending
themselves  uselessly in counter-attacks, using the  terrain
and  their  superb  spotting positions on  the  top  of  the
Motoyama Plateau to the best advantage. Often they would let
the  Marines advance past a hidden position, then open  fire
from  the  rear.  There seemed to be no front  line  on  the
island;  areas that were thought to have been 'secured'  had
to be cleared and cleared again before they were safe.
The  island campaign would not be over until March 16th,  as
the exhausted Marine Divisions slowly eliminated the pockets
of  resistance  in  the  north of the island.  The  Japanese
garrison  had,  in the main, died in place as  ordered.  The
21,000  defenders  had  caused  28,500  casualties  to   the
attackers; the first time in the Pacific campaign  that  the
Japanese had inflicted more casualties than they had taken.
SCENARIO NOTES
The  whole  island  of  Iwo  Jima was  covered  by  Japanese
defensive  works.  To  simulate this  all  terrain  is  more
resistant  to  attack, especially by artillery,  than  would
otherwise be the case. To allow for the exposed and  crowded
US   positions   along  with  the  well  prepared   Japanese
artillery, all Japanese artillery ratings and strengths have
been  increased.  The  Japanese  units  with  zero  movement
allowance  represent  the fact many units,  while  forbidden
suicide  attacks, had no qualms about suicide defence.  Many
expected to die in place.
The  original game in this series, Battlefront,  included  a
scenario on the Marine invasion of Saipan in 1944 and  Issue
3 of Run 5 included a scenario on the Guadalcanal campaign.
PLAYER'S NOTES
THE MARINES. Your only task at first will be to win a beach-
head  large  enough to deploy your troops. The 5th  Division
must  head for the West Coast and also contain Mt Suribachi.
The  4th  Division must capture Airfield 1. Be prepared  for
some   high   casualties  in  doing  so,   especially   from
minefields. The 5th must then clear Mt Suribachi.  When  you
have  the  necessary room you can rest, reorganise and  then
drive north.
The  5th  should drive along the western coast to Hill  362a
and  Hill  362b. The 4th must clear the Amphitheatre  before
assaulting Hill 362c. When it arrives, the 3rd can assist in
the  south if necessary, before striking up the heart of the
island for Airfield 2 and Motoyama.
While  you  have  excellent troops, they must  be  carefully
managed  to  ensure victory. KIA'd units, especially  armour
will be expensive in victory points.
The US has large numbers of OBS points during the day. These
are  necessary for a successful attack but can also be  used
to repulse the expected Japanese attacks on weakened units.
JAPANESE  FORCES.  Your job is to hold  on  to  key  terrain
features and delay the US advance as long as possible.  Your
artillery  units can give you an edge in attack if allocated
carefully.  Attacks at night will be most effective  due  to
the  absence  of  the overwhelming US OBS.  Attacks  in  bad
weather  should  be considered for the same reason.  Attacks
should only be made against US units in bad shape. Units who
have spent some time in minefields are obvious candidates.
Your  men  will be most effective in their forts,  so  these
should  not  be abandoned lightly. If you can  keep  the  US
player  off balance and unable to concentrate his power  you
can win.
The 109th Division has responsibility for the defence of the
North,  with  the  2nd Brigade and the  Navy  defending  the
Amphitheatre and Turkey Knob respectively.
SCENARIO VARIANTS
(1)  The  3rd  RCT  of the 3rd Marine Division  remained  in
reserve and were not committed at Iwo Jima. Assume that they
were used and land them after the 9th RCT. Model them on the
9th  RCT but make the three infantry battalions strength  12
and the artillery unit strength 4.
(2)  The D-Day weather for Iwo Jima was excellent, with very
light  seas. Assume that the weather deteriorated, hampering
supply  operations. Reduce the Supply value  by  2  and  the
admin  value by 1 for all regimental HQs of the 4th and  5th
Divisions.
(3)  Assume that the preliminary bombardment had  been  more
effective. Remove three forts of the US player's choice.
4. OKINAWA - THE SHURI LINE
May 10th - 22nd, 1945
"You  cannot by-pass a Jap because a Jap does not know  when
he is by-passed" A Colonel of the 96th US Infantry Division
Two weeks after the campaign on Iwo Jima was officially over
Operation  Iceberg,  the  invasion of  Okinawa,  began.  The
decision to take Okinawa was made at the same time  as  that
for Iwo Jima, and for much the same reasons.
The Americans thought they knew what to expect after the Iwo
Jima   campaign.  A  fanatical  defence  of  position  after
position,  each  having to be winkled out by  flamethrowers,
demolition charges, and sometimes even direct fire from  14"
naval  guns. There were known to be around 100,000 defenders
on  the  island,  good  quality troops  in  the  main,  well
supplied with artillery and automatic weapons.
The  Japanese  planned to defend the southern third  of  the
island  as they had the northern part of Iwo Jima - tunnels,
caves,  concrete  emplacements and  a  strict  ban  on  vain
suicide attacks. This part of the island contained the  best
defensive  terrain, as well as four air-bases, the  port  of
Naha,  and the best beaches and anchorages. The rest of  the
island would be covered by delaying forces, and left to  the
acknowledged  US  superiority in  air  and  sea  power.  The
defenders  included the crack and experienced 62nd Division,
the  green 24th Division and the 44th Mixed Brigade, as well
as  numerous independent small units, including 10,000 naval
troops,  the  elite  5th Artillery Command,  the  27th  Tank
regiment and 20,000 native Okinawans (Boetai ).
The  Americans  hit  the island with  everything  they  had.
Carrier  planes and B29s bombed airfields in Formosa,  Japan
and  other  nearby  islands to suppress Japanese  raids  and
kamikaze missions; a full week was spent pounding the island
from  sea and air. The invasion force consisted of the  7th,
27th, 77th and 96th Infantry Divisions, and the 1st, 2nd and
6th  Marine  Divisions, accompanied by 1,500  ships  of  all
types.
The landings began on April 1st and initially went well. The
Japanese  had  chosen not to contest the  beaches.  The  1st
Marines  landed and were held in place to act as  the  local
reserve. The 6th Marines were given the task of clearing the
north of the island, as they were not as experienced as  the
other Marine divisions. The 2nd Marine Division performed  a
landing feint near the south eastern corner of the island to
pin Japanese reserves.
On  the  6th  of April the gigantic battleship  Yamato,  the
pride  of  the IJN, sailed on a one-way mission to interdict
the  US Navy off Okinawa. The Allied air forces had kept  an
eye  on  her, and detected the movement straightaway. Within
24  hours, she joined her cousins on the sea bottom. But she
had  done  some good: the distraction allowed a huge  aerial
kamikaze  attack  to achieve unprecedented success.  An  air
armada  of  700 planes, over half kamikazes, struck  the  US
fleet.  Six ships were sunk and seventeen damaged.  If  this
rate  of  success was continued, the kamikazes  had  a  real
chance of delaying or even stopping the Allies at Okinawa.
It  took until April 8th for the two Army divisions to  work
their way through the scattered defenders and outposts up to
the main Japanese defensive line along Kakazu ridge, one  of
a series of rugged terrain features that ran directly across
the  US  line  of advance. These defences were part  of  the
first  Shuri defence ring, a fortified line extending across
the  island through the town of Shuri, which was an  ancient
castle and the centre of the defences.
By April 12th, the defenders had brought the Americans to  a
standstill.  The men would work their way up a hill  through
artillery, mortar and machine-gun fire, take the crest,  and
then  be  pinned  down or driven back by the  main  Japanese
position  on  the reverse face of the slope,  almost  immune
from  indirect  fire. The 'blowtorch and corkscrew'  tactics
developed  by  the  Americans,  referring  to  the  use   of
flamethrowers followed by demolition charges, were needed at
almost  every  step. Often the defenders of a position  were
entombed  alive  and  by-passed, only  to  appear  elsewhere
having escaped through a tunnel.
The  Japanese  command  was  divided  between  the  cautious
realists, led by the highly competent General Ushijima,  and
the 'fire-eaters', the junior and less experienced officers.
Encouraged  by  the course of the battle thus far,  Ushijima
gave  the fire-eaters their way on April 12th, and put in  a
six  battalion attack that night. The Americans had  decoded
the  signal  flares using a captured signal book,  and  were
prepared.  By the light of star shells from the  ships  off-
shore,  US firepower blew the attack apart before  it  could
get going. Still the Japanese persisted until the 14th, when
Ushijima  finally  put an end to the  slaughter.  It  was  a
return  to the worst of Japanese tactics, relieved  only  by
the lack of the suicidal and unproductive banzai charges.
Lt.  General  Buckner, Tenth Army commander,  decided  on  a
large  frontal attack to crack the tenacious defensive line.
On  April 19th all three front line divisions ( XXIV  Corps)
went over to the offensive.
The  preliminary bombardment was ferocious. Over 600 planes,
18  warships  and  300 guns opened up. The  net  result  was
estimated later to be about 200 Japanese dead. The defenders
reappeared from their tunnels when the barrage stopped,  and
halted  the  advance  in its tracks. The  longest  gain  was
around  one kilometre in the west; many units ended the  day
on their start lines.
The  2nd Marine Division was again used for a landing  feint
to  distract  the  defenders, who  were  in  fact  expecting
another landing. In one of the most unfortunate decisions of
the  campaign,  the experienced 2nd Marines were  then  sent
back to Saipan, not having seen action on Okinawa at all.
But  the  strain told on the defenders. Every  gun,  man  or
position  lost could never be replaced. Slowly the  Japanese
were  forced back by the unrelenting pressure. On the  night
of  April 23rd/24th, the Japanese fell back to their  second
line.  After  a month of combat, the US Tenth  Army  was  in
trouble.  Three infantry divisions, the 7th, 27th and  96th,
had  attacked  for  all they were worth  against  the  first
Japanese  defensive line for three weeks and had taken  more
casualties than metres of ground.
There  were  two alternatives available to Buckner  at  this
point:  he  could use his reserves (1st and 6th  Marine  and
77th Infantry Divisions) to replace his exhausted front line
units,  or he could make another landing behind the Japanese
defensive lines.
Buckner chose the first course for two main reasons: he  was
in  a hurry, and organising another invasion would mean  two
weeks  of  delay; and he feared "another Anzio, but  worse".
The  27th  and 96th Divisions were pulled out on  the  April
30th  and  replaced  by the 1st Marine  and  77th  Divisions
respectively. The 7th had to wait another 10 days until  the
96th was ready to return.
At  first  the  fresh troops made little difference.  For  a
week,  the US troops advanced perhaps two kilometres in  the
centre,  and less on the flanks. The Americans had run  into
the second Shuri line of the defence ring. The men had to go
through  it  all  again; the names changed but  the  tactics
remained the same.
Ushijima  once  more allowed himself to be  talked  into  an
offensive.  Encouraged by the stalemate  at  the  front,  he
planned  an attack for May 4th, to be accompanied by massive
kamikaze strikes on the US Navy. The 24th Division, the 27th
Tank  regiment and the 44th Mixed Brigade were to  lead  the
assault,  and miscellaneous small units would make  landings
behind   the   American  front  to  disrupt   supplies   and
communications.
After  a half-hour barrage of over 13,000 rounds, the attack
went  in early in the morning. The coastal landings were  an
abysmal  failure;  most were penned in or  destroyed  within
minutes of debarking. The main assault met the fate  of  the
earlier attack: US firepower rapidly decided the issue.
Incredibly, another assault was put in the next  night,  and
actually achieved a small breakthrough. By the next day, the
Americans  had  restored the front and  killed  all  of  the
successful attackers. The two attacks had cost the  Japanese
hundreds  of  planes,  5,000 casualties,  almost  all  their
tanks,  and 60 precious guns. The US losses amounted to  six
ships  sunk,  six  damaged,  and 720  land  casualties.  The
Japanese attack was another expensive failure.
By  May  11th  the refreshed 96th Division was brought  back
into  the  line  to  replace the 7th,  and  the  6th  Marine
Division  was added to the western flank. Buckner  scheduled
an  all-out  attack along the whole line for that  day.  The
Japanese, certain by now that no second landing was  coming,
committed  most  of  their reserves. The fighting  went  on,
hardly moving, for ten days.
At  the end of this period, the Japanese line was in danger.
Both flanks were bending back, and the Americans were on the
outskirts  of Shuri in the centre. On the east coast,  there
was  a  real possibility of a breakthrough as the US  troops
opened a gap between the Japanese and the shoreline. At this
point  the  rains, unseasonably late, started. Much  of  the
front became a sea of mud, even stopping am-tracks. The only
significant advance was made in the west, where the  Marines
finally  took  the  town  of Naha, largest  in  Okinawa  but
virtually deserted now.
The  Marines also began to outflank Shuri to the south west.
The  situation looked desperate to General Ushijima,  as  he
had no hope of reinforcement. The only viable option open to
him  was  to  abandon  the hard-fought-for  Shuri  line  and
retreat into the very southern portion of the island,  where
a last defensive line had been prepared.
The  Japanese  took advantage of the cover afforded  by  the
constant  rain to stage their withdrawal, skilfully  covered
by  a  rear guard. The withdrawal was complete by May  28th,
but  the Americans only realised that it had happened at all
on the 30th, when a Marine unit slipped through a gap in the
rear guard and took Shuri castle. Even then, the town proper
held  out for another day. When the men finally entered  the
ruined town, it was deserted.
SCENARIO NOTES
The  scenario begins with reformation of the III  Amphibious
Corps as the 6th Marines enters the line to the right of the
1st.  The  resulting bloody struggle for the Shuri line  was
only  stopped by the cyclonic storms that commenced  on  May
22nd and rendered offensive action impossible.
The  Japanese  defended their positions  to  the  death  and
withdrew  only  under the cover of the storms.  To  simulate
this many Japanese units have zero movement allowance.
Each  side will take heavy losses and if both have  held  at
the  end  then  the  issue  may  be  decided  by  casualties
inflicted as well as objectives held.
PLAYER'S NOTES
THE  MARINES.  You  must  conduct a  steady  and  calculated
assault  on  the  Shuri line to be successful.  Careful  co-
ordination  of  assets and OBS is essential.  Marine  losses
will  be  high  but your excellent supply and  elite  troops
should allow you to maintain steady pressure. Watch for  any
weakening  in the Japanese lines and hold try  to  hold  any
gains  without overreaching. Pushing exhausted troops,  even
marines, can result in disaster.
The  1st  Marines' ultimate objective is Shuri  Castle,  but
Dakeshi  must be reduced first. The 6th Marines  must  cross
the  Asa River and assault the Sugarloaf and Horseshoe hills
which  dominate the Shuri Line in the 6th Division's sector.
These must fall before the Japanese rear areas at Kokuba can
be taken.
JAPANESE  FORCES. Many of your units are dug  in  and  these
must form the backbone of your defence. The mobile units you
control are essential for shoring up the weak points  caused
by  US assaults. Holding the line is your only aim as in  so
doing  you  will have caused heavy losses to  the  US.  Your
units  will also suffer but you may be certain that  the  US
player is probably suffering in at least equal measure.
The Shuri Line must be held. The 44th Independent Brigade is
responsible  for Sugarloaf, Horseshoe, Hill 55  and  Makuba.
The Navy is responsible for the Naha area including Makishi,
while the 62nd Division defends Wana and Shuri Castle.
SCENARIO VARIANTS
(1a)  Assume  that Japanese kamikaze attacks  are  having  a
greater  than  historical  effect  on  US  shipping.  Reduce
divisional and regimental supply values by 2 points.
(1b)  You  can also assume that the US carriers  were  being
somewhat diverted and reduce the reliability of US OBS by 2.
(2)  Assume that heavy rains which stopped the US  offensive
arrived earlier. Reduce the scenario length by 4 days.
5. OKINAWA - THE FINAL REDOUBT
June 4th - 19th, 1945
"It's  all  over now but cleaning up pockets of  resistance.
This doesn't mean there won't be stiff fighting but the Japs
won't be able to organise another line" General Buckner, May
31st 1945
By  early  June, when the rains had subsided, the  Americans
were  advancing faster than ever before. They had come three
kilometres  in  a  week - fast by Okinawan  standards.  They
started  to  by-pass the Oroku peninsula on the west  coast,
held  by  the troops of Admiral Ota's naval base  force.  On
June 3rd, two regiments of the 6th Marine made a landing  on
the  northern point of the peninsula. The landing by sea was
considered easier than moving the men in the mud.
The  remainder  of the Japanese forces on the island,  about
30,000,  had retreated to a new line in the south. Only  one
third of these, however, were trained infantry. The Japanese
were  running  out  of  men. The support  troops  fought  as
bravely  as  the  rest,  but not so well.  The  now-familiar
process  of  prising the defenders out  of  every  nook  and
cranny  in  the  convoluted hills continued. Tanks  were  of
little use, as the ground was still soft from the rains.
Again the Marines and the GIs faced the daunting prospect of
resolutely  held ridge lines raining mortar and  machine-gun
fire  on  them as they struggled up the slopes. The Japanese
had  very  few  heavy guns left, which eased the  Americans'
task  somewhat. General Ushijima sensed the end was at hand,
as  the first ridge line fell in only 12 days. On June 17th,
the  Japanese front collapsed, so Ushijima, after one final,
futile counter-attack, ordered his men to infiltrate through
the  US  lines  and  carry on guerilla warfare  in  northern
Okinawa.  He  and his staff took refuge in a cave  near  the
island's  southern  shore. He committed  hara-kiri  on  June
22nd, when US troops approached.
General  Buckner  was killed on June 18th  by  an  artillery
shell,  in the final days of the drama that was Okinawa.  He
was  the  highest ranking American officer to be  killed  in
combat in WWII, and he died only two months before the end.
The  total  Allied losses were 49,000 casualties,  of  which
9,700  were naval personnel - the worst losses in the navy's
history.  The  naval dead (4,900) outnumbered those  of  any
other  service  in the campaign. They also  lost  221  tanks
(over  half  the  original force), 36  ships  sunk  and  368
damaged, and 763 planes.
The  Japanese  losses were 110,000 troops and  thousands  of
civilians. They also lost 16 ships sunk and 4 damaged,  and,
incredibly, 7,800 planes. But they had served their  emperor
well, and delayed the Allies by 83 days - nearly three times
as long as originally estimated by the Allied planners.
The island fighting had shown that the only way to deal with
determined  defenders  who  would  not  surrender  was  with
fighting men of equal skill and determination who would  not
relent.
The  desperate, resolute and intelligent defence of  Okinawa
by  the Japanese must have been a factor in the decision  to
drop the atomic bombs on Japan. After all, if they fought in
that   fashion  for  an  island  populated  by  people  they
considered their inferiors, how would they fight  for  their
homeland?
SCENARIO NOTES
The Japanese vacated the Shuri line under cover of the heavy
storms. After the rains abated somewhat, the US forces  took
up  the  pursuit. This scenario depicts the contribution  of
the  Marines to the closing stages of the Okinawa  campaign.
Movement costs are greater than in the Shuri scenario due to
the sodden ground.
PLAYER'S NOTES
THE  MARINES. You must drive south and assault  yet  another
fortified  line. To win you must clear Oroku and breach  the
Japanese  defences near Kunishi Ridge. The  Japanese  troops
are weaker now but still occupy formidable positions, so all
previous  comments  about assaulting fortified  lines  still
apply. Be prepared for the arrival of the 8th R.C.T. late in
the game. A fresh unit can make all the difference.
The  1st  must  attack  towards Itoman,  clearing  important
terrain  around  Dakiton, en route. Once  accomplished,  the
main  defensive line on the Kunishi Ridge must be penetrated
to reach Makabe.
The  6th Marines has been split into two groups to clear the
Oroku  Peninsular. Once cleared the 6th should proceed south
and support the 1st by striking Kyamu.
JAPANESE FORCES. You still have excellent positions, but the
quality  of your troops has suffered. You must be  extremely
careful  in choosing attacks. Base units and Boetai are  not
suitable for any real offensive action. If you can delay the
fall of Oroku and hold the line at Kunishi, you should win.
The  Ad  Hoc  formation must delay the advance  of  the  1st
Marines on Itoman. The Navy defends Oroku to the death.  The
24th  division holds Kunishi Ridge and then makes  its  last
stand at Makabe.
SCENARIO VARIANTS
(1a/1b) Same as Shuri.
(2)  Assume that the 8th R.C.T. clean up their small  island
objectives earlier. Change their arrival to turn 25.
(3) Assume that the rain clears earlier and therefore allows
easier  movement.  Adjust all the movement  values  for  all
terrain to that used in the Shuri scenario. Also adjust  the
movement allowance of US divisional HQs, which were  reduced
to  reflect  the logistical difficulties of the poor  ground
conditions.
(4)  Assume  that  more  of  the  Japanese  24th  Division's
battalions  remain  intact  for  the  defence  at   Kunishi.
Substitute   standard  rifle  battalions  for   the   Boetai
battalions  used and add 1 to the experience rating  of  all
24th Division rifle battalions.
6. PUSAN - SACHON
August 6th - 12th, 1950
"Following Brigade rapid advance from Chindong-ni to  Sachon
in  which  this Brigade attacked, overcame, and pursued  the
enemy, the 25th Infantry Division directed the withdrawal of
this  Brigade in order to hold a defensive position and  mop
up enemy resistance in the zone of action of elements of the
25th  Division" 1st Provisional Marine Brigade order, August
13th 1950
The  1st Marine Brigade, consisting mainly of the 5th Marine
Regiment, landed at Pusan on August 2nd, and was to go  into
action  on  the 7th. The plan was to launch a counter-attack
on  the very southern end of the North Korean front, to draw
NKPA attention and reserves from their anticipated attack on
the  centre  of  the  US  line. The  attacking  forces  were
designated  Task Force Kean, and consisted of  the  Marines,
the  5th  Regimental Combat Team (RCT) and two regiments  of
the 25th Infantry Division.
The attack would jump off from the coastal town of Masan and
head  towards  Chinju,  cutting off a  large  peninsula  and
threatening  the right flank of the entire  NKPA  line.  The
35th  Regiment  of the 25th Division would take  the  inland
road  through  Pansong,  the 5th  RCT  would  accompany  the
Marines  down to Chindong-ni and then cut across to Pansong,
and  the  Marines would take the longer coast  road  through
Kosong and Sachon - their first major objective.
Facing   TF   Kean  was  the  NKPA  6th  Infantry  Division,
reinforced with the 83rd Motorcycle Regiment. This force was
also about to put in an attack, hoping to stage an 'end run'
on  the  weak left flank of the UN forces and roll up  their
line.  The  initial  set-up advances  of  these  two  forces
collided at Chindong-ni on the night of August 6th/7th.
From  then until the morning of the 9th the fighting swirled
around the hills overlooking Chindong-ni. The NKPA positions
here were eventually wiped out and the advance began to  get
under  way.  The Marines headed south along the coast  road,
and arrived at Taedabok Pass, a narrow defile 15km short  of
Kosong, on August 10th. The day was spent clearing the hills
overlooking the pass of an ambush.
When  the  lead elements of the force arrived in Kosong  the
next  morning, they surprised about 100 vehicles of the NKPA
83rd  Motorcycle  Regiment. Good  co-operation  between  the
ground  troops  and  Marine  Air  Group  33  ensured   their
destruction, at a cost of two Corsairs down. The  24km  from
there to the village of Changchon were almost uncontested.
The  Marine  Brigade  was now fighting on  two  fronts  40km
apart,   facing   in  opposite  directions.  Their   leader,
Brigadier-General  Craig, commanded from  a  helicopter.  At
midnight  on the 12th/13th, the rest of the Brigade received
orders  to  withdraw back to the Chindong-ni area.  As  they
started to move in the early morning, an all-out NKPA attack
hit  them. One platoon was overrun, and the pressure did not
let  up until dawn, when artillery and air power forced  the
attackers to retreat.
The  Marines  were finally free to withdraw from  combat  to
prepare  for  MacArthur's  masterstroke  -  the  landing  at
Inchon.
SCENARIO NOTES
The  exact  composition  of  the NKPA  units  is  uncertain.
Nevertheless the names, locations and approximate  strengths
are correct. Both sides are given as night combat capable to
simulate the NKPA's preference for nocturnal combat and  the
Americans' demonstrated ability to cope with it. The Marines
have  been split up into company-size units to reflect their
actual employment.
PLAYER'S NOTES
THE  MARINES.  You must first deal with the  extensive  NKPA
forces on your flanks. They should be wiped out if possible,
but  leave  the GIs to deal with them and push  the  Marines
south  as  soon  as practical. You must take  Sachon  and/or
Chinju to secure victory.
The  American  25th Infantry Division must  hold  Masan  and
Chindong-ni. The 1st Marine Brigade are to attack along  the
path Kosong-Changchon-Sachon-Chinju.
NORTH  KOREAN  FORCES. You must make the  best  use  of  the
limited  forces you have. Leave one 'regiment'  (actually  a
battalion)  of the 13th Regiment to tie up the  Allies  near
Chindong-ni,  and  withdraw  the  rest  into  the  rough  to
regroup.  You  can  then  strike east  at  Masan,  south  at
Chindong-ni or west at Pansong. Chinju and Sachon  must  not
fall.
SCENARIO VARIANTS
(1)  Assume that the NKPA had been prepared for the  attack.
Move their units to a sensible defence line, say from Paedun-
ni  along  the south side of the road to near Pansong,  then
north. Allow them 10 mine and 10 fort hexes, to be placed at
will.
(2) Assume that the Marines had not been depleted by pre-war
budget  cuts. Use the blank Allied third division to  create
the  1st Marine Regiment, similar to the 5th already  there.
Place it anywhere that is Allied controlled at the start  of
the game.
7. INCHON - SEOUL
September 15th - 27th, 1950
"Mr  President:  By the grace of a merciful  providence  our
forces fighting under the standard of that greatest hope and
inspiration  of mankind, the United Nations, have  liberated
this  ancient  capital city of Korea." Douglas MacArthur  to
President Syngman Rhee, September 29th, 1950.
With  the  addition of large numbers of UN (mostly American)
troops,  the  situation around Pusan had finally stabilised.
The NKPA, in its last offensive gasp, had taken the key town
of Taegu, but outnumbered and battered, could go no further.
General  Douglas MacArthur, commander of the  UN  forces  in
Korea, had decided to stage an amphibious landing behind the
NKPA   lines  to  retake  Seoul  and  cut  the  supply   and
communications  lines  that ran through  there.  Inchon  was
chosen because it was the closest large port to Seoul.
Despite  five  days of air and two days of sea  bombardment,
the landing on September 15th took the NKPA by surprise. The
harbour  islands of Wolmi-do and Sowolmi-do  were  captured,
after  a severe pounding, with light casualties. By the  end
of  the first day the Marines controlled most of Inchon  and
the surrounding hills.
On  the  next day, the two Marine regiments attacked out  of
Inchon  along the highway towards Seoul, leaving the KMC  to
secure  the  town. After a short, sharp fight to take  Ascom
City,  the  5th  Marine regiment and the  KMC  turned  north
towards  Kimpo,  site  of a large airfield,  while  the  1st
Marine   Regiment   headed  east  towards  Yongdungp'o,   an
industrial  suburb of Seoul just across the Han  river  from
Seoul proper.
After  beating  back some determined but  hopeless  counter-
attacks,  the 5th Regiment took the airfield and some  hills
to  the south east that overlooked it. By the morning of the
18th, the airfield at Kimpo was secure. The next day it  was
being  used  as  a  base for Marine air squadrons.  The  1st
Marines  were  having a harder time of it.  Halfway  between
Ascom  City  and  Sosa, a group of NKPA  ambushed  the  lead
platoon, but were repelled with a loss of over three hundred
by  tank and aircraft fire. It had been the Marines' hardest
fight so far.
The  5th Regiment were now ordered to cross the Han and take
Haengju,  preparatory to moving on Seoul itself.  The  recon
team  that preceded the crossing forces had failed to  check
the crest of nearby Hill 125, and gave the all-clear signal.
As  the crossing started, NKPA bullets and mortar bombs  hit
the  water and shore around the Marines. The unprepared LVTs
and am-tracks beat a hasty and unauthorised retreat.
Embarrassed  by this repulse, the Marine commanders  ordered
the battalion concerned (3/5th) to cross in force at 6.30 am
that same day. A single company was sent across in LVTs  and
am-tracks,  and  made  it  over  almost  unhurt.  The  three
platoons then assaulted and took the hill. The rest  of  the
regiment crossed over during the day.
The  1st Regiment now concentrated on Yongdungp'o. They took
the hills overlooking the town, then had to retake them, due
to an administrative blunder. Having captured the last hills
outside  Yongdungp'o, the regiment plunged into the city  at
dawn  on  the 21st. Fierce resistance cost the Marines  many
casualties,  and  the twin drives, from  the  northwest  and
southwest,   were   stopped.  One  company,   however,   had
penetrated into the very centre of the city.
Between  9  pm  and midnight, the company  fought  off  five
strong attacks by NKPA infantry. The 5th Marine Regiment was
in  position  in  front  of the hills  that  run  along  the
northern  side of Seoul on September 22nd. These hills  were
defended by the 25th Brigade, veterans of the Chinese  Civil
War.  There was hard fighting ahead for the men of  the  5th
Marines.
The  next three days saw combat as fierce as any the Marines
had ever seen. The NKPA small-unit leadership and tactics in
the  hills were impeccable, and they put in several  locally
successful counter-attacks. The Marines were told  that  the
capital  was  to  be  taken by the  25th,  so  that  General
MacArthur could announce its liberation exactly three months
after  its  capture. By the 24th much of the hill  line  had
been   cleared,  but  there  was  no  slackening  of   enemy
resistance.
Major-General  Almond, commanding the X Corps,  changed  the
attack  plan.  The 32nd Infantry and the 17th  ROK  Regiment
were  ordered to cross the Han south of Seoul and  take  the
city's  defenders  in the rear. For the first  time  in  the
campaign,  the  1st  Marine  Division  was  fighting  as   a
division.
At  7 am on September 25th, the UN forces entered Seoul from
three  directions; the 5th Marines finally swept  the  hills
clear  and  entered from the northwest, the 1st Marines  had
crossed the Han and entered from the southwest, and the Army
troops  had  taken  South  Mountain  and  entered  from  the
southeast. The announcement of Seoul's capture went  out  on
time.
The  announcement was, however, somewhat premature. The NKPA
still  held  the bulk of the city, and none of the  captured
areas  were  secure. Units had to constantly about-face  and
retake  a  building or city block to clear out infiltrators.
The  initial  caution  against use of  supporting  fire,  to
preserve the city, evaporated with the need to take the city
swiftly.
Two  more days of close-in street fighting were required  to
clear  the city centre and take Government House.  The  NKPA
proved  skilled in city combat; everywhere were  barricades,
ambushes, mines and booby-traps. Finally, as the evening  of
September 28th drew in, the North Koreans gave up the  fight
and  started withdrawing to the north. The next day, to  the
sound  of  distant  cannon, with an  honour  guard  composed
chiefly of Marines, General MacArthur handed the remains  of
the  city  over to President Rhee. The lightning  strike  at
Seoul,  together with the conventional attack at  the  Pusan
perimeter, had shattered the NKPA. Of the 130,000  men  that
had  poured  across the border three months ago,  less  than
30,000 got back.
SCENARIO NOTES
The  game starts at noon on September 15th and goes  for  50
turns  until the 28th, when the capital had fallen  and  was
secure.  Again  both sides are flagged as night  capable  to
simulate the almost 24-hour-a-day combat that occurred.  The
Marines  are split up into companies to conform  with  their
employment.
PLAYER'S NOTES
THE   MARINES.   You   must  advance  swiftly   to   capture
Yongdungp'o, then swing your Marines either north  or  south
(preferably  both)  to  take Seoul.  The  airfield  must  be
cleared for the air-landing troops that will arrive on  turn
38.  The Marine Division has a string of objectives Haengju-
To Nth Korea-Government House and must attack them in order.
The 32nd Regiment has solely Seoul 3 as divisional objective
for  the southern approach. The UN's Miscellaneous unit  has
the Kimpo airfield to mop up.
NORTH KOREAN FORCES. You must defend carefully. You will not
be  able to attack with any prospect of success until the US
player  gets  men into Seoul. Your troops there,  especially
the  25th  Brigade, are quite good. The reinforcements  from
the south that arrive on turn 8 can be used as defenders  of
Yongdungp'o, or can launch an end run on Inchon itself.  The
31st  Division  has  been given the  task  of  fighting  for
Government House, a highly symbolic building.
SCENARIO VARIANTS
(1)  Assume  the  NKPA had got around to  laying  mines  off
Inchon  (they were going to any day _ ). Reduce  all  Allied
troops landing in the first two days by 1 strength point and
2  fatigue  points, and stretch them out so  that  only  two
units plus a HQ land each turn.
(2)  Assume the complimentary Allied offensive had been more
successfully  prosecuted  than  it  had.  Remove  the   NKPA
reinforcements  from the south and one regiment  from  Seoul
itself.
8. HUE
February 8th - 23rd, 1968
"But by the middle of February, he [the NVA] was through. He
had not gained the popular support he expected. The American
presence  in  Vietnam  was unshaken.  The  Vietnamese  armed
forces _ had done surprisingly well _ not a single ARVN unit
defected. He had won no battle field victories, held no  new
territory,  and in I Corps alone had used up the  equivalent
of three divisions." General William Westmoreland
Hue  was  another story. The beautiful ancient  capital  had
always  been something of an open city thus far in the  war,
and  was  not properly defended. In less than a  day,  seven
Communist battalions took almost the entire city.  The  only
holdouts   were  the  MACV  (Military  Assistance   Command,
Vietnam)  compound south of the river, and the  headquarters
of the 1st ARVN Division within the imperial citadel.
Early  on  January 31st, A/1/1st Company Marines arrived  at
the  MACV compound. They were soon joined by G/2/5th Company
and  a  tank  platoon. The compound was safe. Reinforcements
composed of F and H/2/5th Marines joined them on the 1st and
2nd of February respectively, followed by B/1/1st Company on
the   4th.  The  five  companies  were  organised  into  two
(understrength) battalions, the 1/5th and 2/5th.  Not  until
February 9th did the Marines recapture the whole city  south
of the river.
Meanwhile,  north  of  the  river,  the  3rd  ARVN  Regiment
reinforced  by  three airborne battalions was  making  slow,
steady progress, moving from the northeast corner (where the
ARVN HQ was located) towards the southwest.
Three  days  later, after further calls from the  ARVN,  the
Marines  moved into the old city north of the river. Monsoon
rains  nullified  airpower. The US  Marines  took  the  left
flank,  the  ARVN  Marines  the right,  with  the  3rd  ARVN
Regiment in the centre. It was eleven days of hard house-to-
house,  block-by-block combat before the bulk of the NVA  in
the city had been eliminated.
The NVA had committed between eight and eleven battalions to
the  battle, under the aegis of the 6th NVA Regiment. Facing
them  were  three understrength battalions  of  Marines  and
thirteen ARVN battalions, although not all at the same time.
West  of  the city five US Army battalions had been used  to
cut the NVA supply lines to the hills.
Militarily  speaking, the Tet offensive in general  and  the
Hue  battle  in  particular were a disaster  for  the  North
Vietnamese. The Viet Cong organisation in South Vietnam  was
shattered, the NVA severely battered, and no lasting results
were obtained. But politically it must be counted a success.
The US public were shaken to discover that an enemy supposed
to be on the brink of defeat could deal such a blow.
SCENARIO NOTES
This  scenario depicts the second phase of the  fighting  in
the  old  city  north of the river. It begins  with  the  US
marines in position after being re-deployed north to support
the  ARVN  regulars and marine units who  were  making  slow
progress against strong enemy resistance in the old citadel.
Their  final  goal is the Palace of Peace located  near  the
southern wall.
PLAYER'S NOTES
THE  MARINES (AND SOME ARVN). You should maintain  a  steady
pressure  while  fully  utilising  available  fire   support
points.  Any  VC  infiltrations must be swiftly  dealt  with
while  maintaining constant progress toward your objectives.
You must take territory to win.
NVA/VC FORCES. You must delay the enemy advance with skilful
defence.  Don't waste your strength with fruitless assaults.
Attack only small, tired, enemy units. It doesn't matter how
many of your men survive at the end of play; if you can hang
onto the major objectives, you'll win.
SCENARIO VARIANTS
(1)   Assume  that  additional  marine  armour  support  was
committed  to the fight in the Citadel. Activate the  armour
asset  of  the  marine division by giving it a  maximum  and
current  strength of 6. The remaining information  necessary
to activate the battalion is already in the database.
(2)  Assume the NVA command structure had not been disrupted
by  a  B52  strike  (as  it was). Increase  all  NVA  admin,
leadership  and supply values by 1 at division and  regiment
levels.

EPILOG
"We're  professional  soldiers.  We  fight  any  enemy   the
President designates" Commandant David M. Shoup, 1961
Looking  back at the history of the USMC, we can  see  that,
from  uncertain beginnings, it evolved into an  organisation
that  acquired,  through  its  exploits,  a  reputation  for
military skill and determination unexcelled by any force  of
comparable size in the world.
To  a  great  extent  it has been able to  live  up  to  its
billing.  Its  popularity  is both deserved  and  necessary.
There is no doubt that without the support from Congress and
the  general public that the Corps has enjoyed in  the  past
and enjoys today, the armed forces of the USA would long ago
have  been deprived of an elite fighting arm that has always
been 'The First to Fight'.


PART THREE
A DESIGN TUTORIAL
The following example is a simple introduction to the use of
WarPlan.  In  it we will give the United States  some  more
marines at Iwo Jima.
Open  the  Iwo  Jima  scenario to work on  and  then  select
WarPlan  from the Environment menu. The Iwo Jima  map  will
open  and  to the left of the map will be the Tools  window.
See  Fig 6 in the Game Manual. This window contains all  the
tools used in map and unit creation and placement.
The  hand icon is used both to access the unit database  and
to  place them on the map. Double click on this icon and the
Order  of Battle or (OB) window will open. See Fig 8 in  the
Game  Manual. The top left of the window contains the  icons
for  each  side,  along  with buttons  for  selecting  them.
Obviously  you can only edit one side at a time. Select  the
US side.
The window shows the divisional HQ buttons along the top, as
they  appeared in the Command Window, and the regimental  HQ
buttons  below. Click on the first division HQ  button.  The
second  and  third regiments will be defined and have  their
component battalion icons to the right. The first and fourth
regiments are undefined (as shown by the question mark)  and
their battalion icons are empty.
We  will  now define Regiment 1. Double-click on  the  first
(top)  regimental HQ button (currently a question  mark).  A
dialog  box  will appear so we can enter the  regimental  HQ
details. See Fig 9 in the Game Manual.
Make  the  following  entries; HQ ID  (R.C.T.  3),  HQ  Type
(Marine),  Admin  (6), Leadership (7), Supply  (7),  Brittle
(0). The Return key enters the data in a field, the Tab  key
moves the cursor the next field and Shift-Tab moves it  back
one  field. Any field can be selected by clicking on it with
the mouse. When you have finished press the Done button.
You will see that the regiment HQ button has changed from  a
question  mark  to  the normal shape. To the  right  of  the
regiment  are  the  battalion icons.  Double-clicking  on  a
battalion icon brings up the battalion dialog box. It  works
just like the regimental dialog box.
Double-click  on  the  first battalion  icon  of  the  first
regiment.  Enter the following details; Battalion ID  (1st),
Unit  Class  (0), Arrival Mode (3), Equipment (1),  Movement
(12),  Arrival Turn (26), Max. Strength (12), Cur.  Strength
(12),   Tactical  Rating  (12),  Range  (0),  Fatigue   (7),
Experience  (7). When you are finished, instead  of  hitting
the  Done button, use the Bat button. This takes you to  the
next  battalion in the same regiment. Enter the details  for
the  next two battalions in the same way, but make  the  IDs
(2nd) and (3rd) respectively.
The  fourth  battalion  is  an  artillery  battalion.  Enter
Battalion  ID  (12a),  Unit Class (13),  Arrival  Mode  (3),
Equipment  (4),  Movement  (14),  Arrival  Turn  (27),  Max.
Strength (4), Cur. Strength (4), Tactical Rating (9),  Range
(15), Fatigue (7), Experience (6).
After  creating  the fourth battalion you  should  see  four
landing craft icons opposite your new regiment. Now you have
to  place  these on the map. To do that just  click  on  the
battalion  you want and drag it onto the map, releasing  the
mouse button when it is in the desired position. The current
cursor co-ordinates are displayed in the bottom left of  the
map  window. The co-ordinates for each battalion (in  order)
are (8,17), (9,16), (8,17) and (9,16).
That's all you have to do. Save your altered scenario  under
a different name and you can test it out.
