How to win Sand and Blood (the Gavutu-Tanambogo campaign) as the American?

WuWei

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We started the first Assault Period three times, with different approaches, but the result was always similar:
  • The American attacker loses some LCs on the way to the beach. They are unarmored, so that can't be avoided.
  • They lose most of the passengers of a bunch of other LCs the turn they set foot on the island. Point-blank machine gun fire (probably with a -1 or -2 leader) and thrown DCs do that to you.
  • The survivors struggle to get a foothold on the island. The Japanese can move around more easily, there might be another ambush or two by HIP squads, and by that point, NOBA is as dangerous to the attacker as to the defender.
So by the end of Assault Period #1, the Japanese have racked up so many CVP that retreating into the Cave-Complexes is a winning strategy for them. The Americans - by that point - lack the DCs to close off both of them.

We are both no experts regarding PTO, so we are probably missing something. What is a winning strategy for the Americans in this campaign?
 

WuWei

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One idea I had was to try to take prisoners. There are a lot of Japanese conscripts running around that could conceivably be overwhelmed in CC, and the double points would help the Americans stay ahead in the CVP game. But while it is an idea, I'm not sure it is a good idea.
 

jrv

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One idea I had was to try to take prisoners. There are a lot of Japanese conscripts running around that could conceivably be overwhelmed in CC, and the double points would help the Americans stay ahead in the CVP game. But while it is an idea, I'm not sure it is a good idea.
It is certainly a good idea. The more important question is whether it is good enough, and that I can't answer for you.

The FP for IFE & small arms/MGs is halved against LC that aren't beached. It's possible for LC to stay at IFE long range from gaomi. If you do that the AAMGs on gaomi have to roll three or less if using IFE to inflict DP on an unarmored LC, or two if in a NOBA blast area. The AAMGs might also use AP using the VTT, but I think the TK# is the same.

The Americans should not enter point blank range of Japanese units except when necessary to land. Obviously use NOBA and air support liberally to suppress units that are near the beach.

JR
 

Augie

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One idea I had was to try to take prisoners. There are a lot of Japanese conscripts running around that could conceivably be overwhelmed in CC, and the double points would help the Americans stay ahead in the CVP game. But while it is an idea, I'm not sure it is a good idea.
And this where I did my first Hari Kari, denying my US opponent capture points.
 

Vinnie

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I got the impression that small arms coukd not inflict DP on unarmoured LC. You need an MG. Is this right?
 

jrv

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I got the impression that small arms coukd not inflict DP on unarmoured LC. You need an MG. Is this right?
No. The G12.61 EX uses Small-Arms/MG. FT, DC and MOL can't attack LC & their PRC per G12.611. Because of the halving vs. unbeached LC (in addition to halving for range, etc) you need a pretty good FG to get to the point where you are going to have a fair chance to affect an LC, especially if your most-common squad is a 3-4-7.


JR
 

hongkongwargamer

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I did lose some LC's but not a lot (but lost most of my DCs). Guns at Gaomi is more of an issue, so my first Assault Period landing was on the southwest of Gavutu. That was fortunate since the IJA didn't expect a landing there.

If I play this again I would use my Fighter Bombers early, and sight whoever opens up on my LCs. Especially when G14.34 "... friendly units in Beach/OCEAN Locations as hidden for all Sighting-TC and Mistaken-Attack purposes"
 

jrv

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I did lose some LC's but not a lot (but lost most of my DCs).
This confused me. You have twelve LC and twelve DCs. I would have thought one DC (plus two squads, ≤ one crew, ≤ one other SW & ≤ one leader) per LC is the "obvious" allocation. Or do you mean you lost them in the land battle?

JR
 

hongkongwargamer

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This confused me. You have twelve LC and twelve DCs. I would have thought one DC (plus two squads, ≤ one crew, ≤ one other SW & ≤ one leader) per LC is the "obvious" allocation. Or do you mean you lost them in the land battle?

JR
Both IJA & US Balance Provisions are in effect as a test.
 

jrv

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Both IJA & US Balance Provisions are in effect as a test.
This confuses me further. With their balance the Americans get one more DC and can freely allocate them rather than having specific numbers allocated to particular waves. Did you over-allocate to the first wave and lose them at sea?

JR
 

hongkongwargamer

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This confuses me further. The Americans get one more DC and can freely allocate them rather than having specific numbers allocated to particular waves. Did you over-allocate to the first wave and lose them at sea?

JR
Yes. I over allocated to the first wave and lost them at sea.
 
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WuWei

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It would be tempting to try to bring them in early to get the extra firepower at the start. That's a lesson to learn then.
I think DCs are crucial to close off caves - but we never got this far.
 

hongkongwargamer

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I think DCs are crucial to close off caves - but we never got this far.
I got down to Assault Period 4 where all the IJA were driven underground. The job then became not letting the IJA get out of their caves .. ie winning a HtH in the final CC. Obviously the more caves you close off the more you can focus on blocking.
 

jrv

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I think DCs are crucial to close off caves - but we never got this far.
I agree.

I got down to Assault Period 4 where all the IJA were driven underground. The job then became not letting the IJA get out of their caves .. ie winning a HtH in the final CC. Obviously the more caves you close off the more you can focus on blocking.
Yes, and I think lesson learned is that sending many of the DCs in on that first wave is not as good an idea as it first appears. Those LVPs are vulnerable, especially without a cleared beachhead. If you aren't playing with the American balance then one per boat, and if you are, my thought would be 4-8 DCs in the first wave.

Depending on how the end of the scenario unfolds, I would consider having at least one concealed unit in each guarded cave entrance if possible. That would also require surrounding the hex with other units to prevent an ambush withdrawal victory. Where there are entrance hexes with ambush terrain you also have to surround the entrance for the same reason.

JR
 

WuWei

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Is anyone here who won this CG playing the American side? According to ROAR, there should be a few.
 

witchbottles

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Is anyone here who won this CG playing the American side? According to ROAR, there should be a few.
A very long time ago we ran this CG via PBEM (2009-2011). Win as Marines. The strategy was hit Gaomi with 1/2 of the at start LC to put the guns out of action there immediately, the other half vectored into the hinterland side of Tanambogo. The rough landing for basically climbing onto the island was offset by surprising the defenses with only 1 cave and one pillbox having initial LOS to the guys coming in and then climbing up without using a beach. The Gaomi guns and the rest of the topside weaps on both sides hit the Gaomi assault force hard, but not hard enough, and 1.5 GO squads and a 8-1 leader made it ashore to end the Gun crews lives without any other casualties. one of the guns remained undamaged, so the half squad manned it and the healthy 5-5-8 and 8-1 waded over towards Tanambogo, making the pier just at the end of the assault period 1. E5/F4/G5/E6/H6 was the perimeter at the end of the period, with the pier at L5 under Marine control from the waders.

Period 2 saw the planes arrive in another day period along with an assault force hitting K4/K5/K6 beach on Tanambogo and the Tanambogo side of the causeway. End of this period had about 80% of Tanambogo under Marine control , and a Marine foothold on Gavutu at M14/N13/O13/O14.

Period 3 was the night period and the Japanese counterattacked the Gavutu foothold, but lost too many troops throwing the Marines off Gavutu. The NOBA was used here with IRs to allow the on map Marines to decimate the Japanese from neighboring Tanambogo.

Period 4 was the last day period, and the marines went all out with a landing on the K23/L22/M22 beaches coupled with a push from the causeway up Gavutu hill. The last Japanese cave was sealed on turn 8 of the 4th assault period, ending the game. Marine losses were devastating, but so were the Japanese. We determined the big mistake the Japanese made was in that night counterattack. They lost too much for too little gain.

What I am interested in is where players like to put the night assault period? I have tried it at turn 2 and lost and at turn 4 and lost.

KRL, jon H
 
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