Thursday, September 19, 2013

THE BATTLE OF GUADALCANAL


                                THE BATTLE OF

GUADALCANAL

By Bear

NOTE: Here are the rules for playing a great war game that my brothers and I enjoy playing. ENJOY!

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: On August 6, 1942, the United States finally went on the offensive  against the Japanese by launching a sea born invasion on to the Japanese held island of Guadalcanal . The attack was a complete surprise and the initial landings were virtually unopposed . It took the Americans six months to completely capture the island and when it was firmly in their hands they used it as a base for aircraft and supplies. Its capture was crucial to the American victory in the Pacific
 


VICTORY CONDITIONS: The Americans must capture the airfield within twenty turns to win the victory otherwise the Japanese win.

GAME BOARD: The game board is 7x5. Set up pillboxes were indicated (the small gray squares on map) Around the airfield there are trenches.  For the board you can use cardboard painted different colors such as blue for the ocean, yellow for beach and green for the main land, or you can draw it on a large sheet of paper.    




Board lay out for game. Blue water, Yellow beach, Green mainland.Gray squares are pillboxes the long one is the airfield.

BUILDING THE ARMIES:  The armies for this game are 1/72 scale plastic miniatures. Mine are IMEX  and Airfix with a few unidentified men in the mix. At the end you will find links for soldiers  you can print and use. For this scenario you will need six Japanese pillboxes each completely surrounded by a ring of barbed wire .

Americans                                                  Japanese

 5 companies each with:                          4 companies each with:

4 squads of 12 men including                 4 squads of 10 men including

2 heavy weapons (mg , Bazookas,          1 heavy weapon per squad

Mortars, Flame thrower.  )  per squad.

ORDER OF BATTLE: the Americans are deployed directly on the beach while the Japanese are in their trenches or around the pillboxes.

 


 

 

TURN SEQUENCES:

1.American artillery

2.American move, shoot, clear obstacles or assault Pillboxes

3.Japanese artillery

4.Japanese move, shoot

 

ARTILLERY : At the start of each turn each side may fire their artillery. The Americans get to throw 15 cotton balls from 18 inches away from the sea side of the game board towards the Japanese. This represents the shells fired by the Americans’ destroyers off shore. The Japanese get to fire two cotton balls per undestroyed pillbox. Any man that a cotton ball touches is removed from the game. Any obstacles that are hit are also removed.

MOVEMENT: Figures move up to 6 inches per turn .

SHOOTING, CLEARING OBSTACLES & ASSALTING PILLBOXES :  

SHOOTING: all figures can shoot 8 inches. Each figure rolls 1 six sided dice.   Americans kill Japanese on roll of 5-6.Heavy weapons roll 2 dice(except flamethrower) . Japanese score a hit on a roll of 6.

OBSTACLE CLEARING : Any American figure that starts their turn in contact with an obstacle may attempt to clear it. Figure rolls 1 dice, if it is a six the obstacle is removed. Heavy weapons clear it on a roll of 5-6 (except flamethrower).

ASSALTING PILLBOXES: Any Americans that start their turn within 1 inch of a pillbox may try to destroy it. Each figure rolls 1 dice, a roll of 6 destroys it. Heavy weapons  destroy pillboxes on 5-6. Except flamethrowers.

FLAMETHROWERS: First off draw a cone on red paper that is 8 inches long & 4 inches wide then cut it out . To fire place the narrow end of the cone at the flamethrowers feet. Any man or obstacle that the cone touches or covers is destroyed. After firing once remove from play because he is now out of fuel.                                                   SETUP: At the start of the game all Americans are deployed along the waters edge . Japanese are deployed in their trenches around the air field.


                       US Marines on the beach

SURPRISE ATTACK  : The landings at Guadalcanal were meant to be a surprise attack, so at the beginning of each game roll the dice, if  the roll is 1-2-3 the Japanese may fire on their first turn. If roll is 4-5-6 the Japanese cannot fire on their first turn. They’ve been surprised!!!

 

Links for Paper Soldiers




 

 

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