Battle of Tinian

At Leprecon just gone, I ran this using Memoir '44

The 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions landed on 24 July 1944, supported by naval bombardment and artillery firing across the strait from Saipan. A successful feint for the major settlement of Tinian Town diverted defenders from the actual landing site on the north of the island.
The Japanese adopted the same stubborn defensive tactics as on Saipan, retreating during the day and attacking at night. The gentler terrain of Tinian allowed the attackers more effective use of tanks and artillery than in the mountains of Saipan, and the island was secured in nine days of fighting.
On July 31, the surviving Japanese launched a suicide charge.

Japanese near airstrip await American landing craft. This position really allows no retreat. Unlike in the centre and left which have cane fields to cover a retreat to the caves.



Corsair bombs emplaced artillery on Faila San Hila Point. The general on this flank made good use of his air sorties, using this aircraft to continuously attack the Japanese artillery and its supporting infantry, and positioning it to avoid the worst of the anti-aircraft fire.



Japanese charge Americans on beach. The initial wave comes in piecemeal, and with an amtrac attached this is too dangerous to allow develop, and too tempting to ignore.



Americans make it ashore with armour support north of airstrip. With more on the way in on the other side of the airstrip, this will be an important attack for control of the northern shore of the island.



LCT gives supporting fire. OK, so this has no game effect, I just leave the empty landing craft off-shore for visual effect.



Japanese in centre pushed back. With heavy losses and tanks ashore, the pressure is too much for the Japanese to bear.



Armour skirts airstrip to find Japanese battalion lurking in jungle. This is just a lure to bring the Japanese out in the open, especially with supporting marines just out of shot.



American armour ambushed in cane fields. The cane fields don't affect the operation of armour half as much as the jungle, but they can still be ambushed to great effect.



Japanese counter-attack leaves American centre looking weak. Back-to-back banzai charges clear one of the beaches of marines.



Japanese artillery on Mount Maga spots second American wave. This represents a vital fall-back positino for the Japanese, which will surely exact a heavy price for any infantry advance across the open ground.



Japanese armour works its way through cane fields. Having been very meagre with this unit, the Japanese have finally worked it into a position to hit weakened marine units are they work their way inland.



Burning cane fields force Japanese retreat. A Japanese infantry unit, being commanded personally by Colonel Kiyochi Ogata, is forced to retreat back out of the cane fields as they catch on fire.



Japanese counter attack from airtrip hangers. With nightfall the Japanese have planned for a fierce attack designed to force the marines back onto their landing craft. It is successful, and day comes to find both sides on their last legs.



American foothold on Tinian secure. A barrage from the cave complex still held by the Japanese should obliterate a marine battalion on the beach, but does not. And with daylight restored a naval salvo destroys the entrenched artillery, an infantry battalion on Mount Maga and kills Colonel Ogata as well.



So victory for the Americans who won 11-17: by a whisker. Their break-point was 18.