Pacific Battles: Guadalcanal

Pacific Battles: Guadalcanal
at least +16 VP to reach a marginal
victory. A major victory is achieved at
+31 VP, and a decisive victory at +45.
At the start, the Japanese player has
the 11+13 Engineer Regiment deployed
near Henderson Field. Supporting it are
the 81st Infantry Battalion and 3rd Kure
Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF).
Turn One
August 1942
Planning
The initiative belongs to the US on turn
one. That player selects three campaign chits. One is “Staff Planning,”
which allows an HQ to activate without
supply. Then there is a “MAGIC”
chit for revealing enemy reinforcements. The last chit is “Coordinated
Fire.” That has a permanent effect
on air and naval bombardment.
The Japanese player already has a
“Banzai” chit. He then selects three
more: “Operation KE,” “Santa Cruz,”
and “INTEL.” The Battle of Santa Cruz
occurs off-map, and it provides the
Japanese with additional air units
available as reinforcements. INTEL
will allow the Japanese player, when
defending, to select the Combat
Results Table (CRT) for one battle.
Operation KE can have no effect at
this time and is returned to the pool.
by E.R. Bickford
Production:
Lise’ Patterson
© 2012 Decision Games
Bakersfield, CA.
World at War no. 23
By ER Bickford
This replay is going to look at the
operational game Guadalcanal. It
covers the entire land-air campaign
for Guadalcanal in 1942-43. Each
turn represents one month from
August 1942 through February 1943.
Maneuver units are mostly regiments
and battalions. Air markers each
represent from 12-60 aircraft.
In order to win, a player must collect
victory points (VP) for eliminating
enemy units and capturing and
holding objectives on the map. With
both sides accumulating VP, it’s the
differential between the two totals
that finally matters. A player will need
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The US player flies air superiority
missions, which eliminates a Japanese
unit and damages two others. One US
air unit is damaged. The US 1st Marine
Division lands without effect from
enemy interdiction. The Japanese
Ichiki Detachment is also free from
air harassment. The Japanese second
wave reinforcement is subject to US
air interdiction, and is hit, though it
doesn’t absorb too many losses. Some
of the forces within it are delayed
a turn, until September. The US
player lands some forces at Koli Point.
Another unit lands at Kokumbona.
The Japanese player debarks a force
near the air strip while other units are
spread out to capture the Tasimboko
and Cape Esperance objectives.
The US player expends a supply
unit to activate the 1st Marine
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Pacific Battles:
regiment there already. An infantry
battalion is sent to Bloody Ridge,
and the Marines take up position
near the airstrip. There’s no attack.
First Impulse
unit. That unit is subjected to an
attack. It’s the weak 81st Battalion. It
will be no more than a road block for
the Americans. An attack is launched
on the Raid CRT, and the unit is
wiped out. The Marines advance.
The Marines march toward the
airstrip and encounter a Japanese
The Japanese fall back toward the
airstrip. They have an engineer
The US 1st Armored is in Tamaru, and
it attacks the Japanese force near the
airstrip. The US player decides to use
the Assault CRT. (The Japanese player
could’ve changed the CRT with the
INTEL chit, but he chose not to do so.)
The battle goes well for the Americans:
the defender is shattered. Two of the
Japanese battalions are eliminated
and one retreats to the airstrip.
headquarters. The Japanese player
decides to reorganize the two infantry
regiments into battalions, so they
will have better defensive ratings.
Second Impulse
End of Turn
The US player has collected five
VP for enemy losses. The Japanese
player has an engineer in the airstrip
but, since it’s August 1942, it’s not
eligible to be activated. The airstrip
lies dormant. The Japanese nonethe-
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Guadalcanal
less have control of three objectives;
so the score stands at US +2 VP.
Turn Two
September 1942
The noteworthy event during campaign chit selection is the Japanese
“KA-Go Operation.” That releases
a lot of reinforcements. Both sides
absorb losses during the air superiority
segment. (That hurts the Japanese
more than the US in terms of VP.)
US 1st Marine lands its second wave.
They must face Japanese interdiction,
but most of the troops manage to land
unscathed. The Japanese 2nd Division
also performs a landing, and one of the
supply units is destroyed by American
air interdiction. Another regiment
from Rabaul loses a battalion as well.
Some of the Japanese KA-Go units
attempt to land, but the US interdiction
takes its toll. The Japanese corps
headquarters is destroyed for four VP.
First Impulse
Both sides decide to activate their
respective headquarters, expending
supply units to do so. There are two
US attacks aimed at the airstrip and
Bloody Ridge. A bloodbath results
at the airstrip, and both sides lose a
battalion. At Bloody Ridge the Japanese
battalion is destroyed and the Marines
capture the location. On the other side
of the airstrip the Marines use the Raid
CRT, and that results only in a contact.
The Japanese player counterattacks
and knocks out one of the Marine engineer units. Both sides incur losses, but
the unit at the airstrip withers away.
Second Impulse
During the second impulse the marine
HQ moves onto the airstrip, taking
control of it. Then they attack the units
at Matanikau. These Japanese are
severely damaged and the Americans
capture the village. Another attack
is launched at Mount Austen. That
Japanese unit is annihilated. That
result allows the victorious unit
to advance into the objective.
End of Turn
The US has accumulated 20 VP to
the Japanese 17, which yields a +3
US lead. That’s still a draw, but the
Americans have made progress. They
didn’t get anything for the airstrip,
which has been renamed Henderson
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Field, because their engineers were
so badly damaged during the combat
they were unable to activate the base.
Turn Three
October 1942
The US continues to hold the initiative.
Additionally, the American player
obtains another Staff Planning chit
along with a “Destroyer Support”
chit. The Japanese player selects
“New Guinea Diversion.” That takes
away three air units for that off-map
operation. Next the “Disease” chit is
selected, and the Japanese must lose
three battalions. Then a “Weather”
chit takes out a Japanese supply
point and an air support unit.
Both players allocate their air missions
and air superiority is resolved. The US
has one unit and the Japanese two.
The Japanese are unaffected, but the
US has one unit damaged and another
is eliminated. The Americans have
difficulty getting their reinforcements
to Guadalcanal due to the Japanese
interdiction. On the other hand, the
Japanese land without incident.
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Pacific Battles:
The US player expends one supply
unit to rebuild the engineer unit at
Henderson Field. The HQ there can’t be
activated while those forces regroup.
The special forces are moved to defend
Bloody Ridge, while the airstrip is set
up for defense against counterattack, so
the engineers can make it operational.
While the US Marines are defending
the airfield, the Japanese send an
infantry battalion to secure Beaufort
Bay, which is an objective hex. A
second infantry battalion secures Aola
Bay, another Japanese objective. Then
the Japanese 35th HQ orders an attack
against the Marines on Bloody Ridge.
That attack employs the Banzai chit,
which provides a column shift. The
result of the attack is contact, which
is converted to AE due to the Banzai.
Fortunately for them, the Japanese
have a unit that can breakdown.
The 1st Marine counterattacks on
Bloody Ridge and eliminates the
rest of the Japanese force there.
Overall, that works out well for the
Americans. The Banzai backfired.
A4
The Japanese player is able to launch
an air strike against Henderson
Field and, as a result, the engineers
there become suppressed and are
still unable to activate the airfield.
End of Turn
Both players tally their VP. The
US is still +2 VP. The Japanese are
occupying a number of objectives,
which counters their combat losses.
Turn Four
November 1942
The US player continues to have the
initiative. The Japanese player selects
the “Tokyo Express” chit and receives
four supply units. Both sides pick their
air missions. During the Air Superiority
Phase the US and Japanese both
absorb damage, and both must place
one aircraft in the Damaged box.
Elements of the Americal Division
begin to land. They face Japanese
interdiction, but land unharmed
while the Japanese Air Force absorbs
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some loses due to AA fire. The
Japanese 24th Regiment lands near Koli
Point. There’s no US interdiction.
The American player expends a supply
unit to recover two damaged air units.
A Staff Planning chit is expended to put
the 1st Marine headquarters in active
status. The Japanese also expend supply to rebuild damaged units and activate their 38th Division headquarters.
US Impulse
The Marines move out from Henderson
Field in two directions. One force
heads toward Koli Point, while the
other moves toward Kokumbona.
US destroyers fire on the Japanese
position at Kokumbona, but with
no effect. Two infantry units attack
but fail to make headway.
Near Koli Point, 1st Armored Battalion
attacks the 38th Division HQ and the
engineer regiment. Those Japanese
forces are shattered. The 38th Engineer
is eliminated. The HQ falls back, but
the Marines don’t pursue. At Aola Bay
the Americal makes its first contact.
Guadalcanal
The Japanese 4th SNLF Battalion is
deployed there. The Japanese player
changes the combat to the Raid CRT,
using an Intel chit. The attack is turned
back and the US player loses a unit.
Japanese Impulse
The forces at Kokumbona move out of
contact with the Marines. On the other
side of the island the Japanese detachment at Aola Bay fights the Americal
regiment. Though outnumbered, the
Japanese player wants to assault as
there’s a one-third chance of a bloodbath. The US player wants to protect
the units; so he uses an Intel chit to
choose the Raid CRT. The result is
contact, no effect. The Japanese player
will likely get a VP for the objective.
Japanese 2nd Impulse
The air force launches a strike against
Henderson Field. That again leaves
the engineers suppressed; so they
won’t be able to activate the airfield.
The Japanese at Aola Bay are also
out of command but in contact with
American forces. A mandatory attack is
launched. The US player uses another
Intel chit to switch the CRT and, as a
result, the Japanese force is shattered.
One unit is eliminated and the other
is forced to retreat. Two US infantry
battalions advance into the area.
The Japanese player gains four VP
for objectives, and the total stands at
Japan 31 VP and US 27 VP: Japan +4.
US 2nd Impulse
The US force at Aola Bay isn’t in command range, but it’s adjacent to the
enemy; so it must attack. That doesn’t
go well; the result is attrition. The
Japanese player gains two more VP.
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Pacific Battles:
them, their 38th Division HQ and an
infantry battalion are entangled with
the Americal Division near Koli Point.
Those units are forced to attack; so
they choose the Raid CRT. That ends
in disaster, as the Japanese infantry is
destroyed outright and the headquarters is eliminated while attempting
to rout. Since the Americans have
dispersed their forces near Henderson
Field, the Japanese Air Force makes
several weak attacks looking for the
engineers. They fail to gain any results.
US 2nd Impulse
Turn Five
December 1942
The Japanese player now has the
initiative. First he selects four
campaign chits. One isn’t applicable
and is therefore returned to the pool. A
Weather event occurs, and both players
lose an air unit to the Damaged box.
Then both players lose one supply unit,
also destroyed in the foul weather. Due
to poor medical supplies and logistics,
the Japanese player loses four battalions worth of units to a Disease chit.
The US player selects three campaign
chits. The XIV Corps goes into effect,
which raises the US command-control
level to four. Both players assign their
air missions, then air superiority is
determined. The Japanese player loses
this time: three units are eliminated
and two are damaged. The US also loses a unit while two others are damaged.
The Japanese player has no reinforcements at this time. The Americans
do, and they land with supply near
Tasimboko. Both sides expend supply
to repair damaged air units and rebuild
eliminated forces. The Japanese
player uses the Dig-In chit to build
bunkers. The US player expends a
Staff chit to activate 1st Marine HQ,
A6
and then expends a supply unit to
activate the Americal Headquarters.
Japanese Impulse
The 4th SNLF attacks the US units
near Aola Bay. That doesn’t go
well, as the Japanese battalion is
outnumbered. It’s also destroyed.
The rest of the forces are out of
contact and have hunkered down.
US Impulse
The Marines advance along into
contact with the Japanese infantry
northwest of Kokumbona. A naval
bombardment is employed by expending the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
chit. That leaves the Japanese there
suppressed. The Marines attack and
manage to obtain an attrition result.
The Americal Division attacks
Japanese 38th Division HQ and the
24th Infantry Regiment. That results
in a bloodbath. The Japanese suffer
heavy loses, but still manage to hold
their position. The US force absorbs
catastrophic casualties. The Japanese
player collects a good number of VP.
Japanese 2nd Impulse
The Japanese can’t move, as they don’t
have any activated headquarters due
to lack of supply. Unfortunately for
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The Americal Division deploys into better defensive positions at Tasimboko.
The 1st Marine Engineer Regiment moves
to Henderson Field to get it operational.
US forces also occupy a Japanese
objective. Though that doesn’t produce
any American VP, it will deny those
points to the Japanese player. The
Marines on the northwestern part of
the island attack the two Japanese
infantry battalions that have been left
behind there. They’re both destroyed.
The Japanese player collects three VP
for objectives. The US player adds five
VP as Henderson Field has become
activated as an airbase. That will also
present the US player with additional
air units. The US player is +10 VP.
Turn Six
January 1943
The US player has the initiative again,
and he selects four campaign chits. One
is “Cactus Air Force,” which results in
four additional air units. “USMC Relief”
is also selected, and is implemented
as a permanent event. That increases
US command-control to five points.
The Japanese player selects his
campaign chits. One is Operation KE.
Since the US has 10 more VP than the
Japanese player, it’s implemented.
That will bring more reinforcements.
The Japanese command-control le
el also advances to five points.
Both players assign their air
missions. The US player is finally
getting competitive in that area. Air
superiority is resolved. The Japanese
Guadalcanal
Air Force loses two units to damage.
The US incurs no losses this time.
The 14th Division is received as
reinforcements at Espirito Santo. The
US player attempts to get supply to
Guadalcanal, but Japanese interdiction manages to sink a lot of it. Some
supply does arrive, though. The air
supply chit is played to get more
supplies to the Americal Division.
Similarly , the Japanese player
attempts to land his Operation KE
force. Some are delayed and others
are destroyed by US interdiction.
A few units manage to land. Then
an attempt is made to get supply
onto the island. That also has mixed
results due to US air interdiction.
The American player uses a Staff chit to
activate 1st Marine HQ. One supply unit
is expended to activate the Americal
Division’s headquarters. Another supply
unit is employed to rebuild an infantry
regiment. The Japanese player rebuilds
an infantry regiment and activates an
HQ. The Japanese player evacuates one
headquarters and another infantry
regiment from objective hexes.
US Impulse
The Americans decide to be aggressive
and launch three attacks. The Americal
Division has caught the XVII Corps
headquarters in the open. In a move
of desperation, the Japanese player
uses a Banzai chit. The tactic works,
and the units remain in contact.
The 1st USMC launches an attack
against the Japanese troops at Koli
Point. The defenders have dug in
here. The US player employs the
“Gung Ho” chit, while the Japanese
player expends another Banzai.
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The 1st Marine HQ provides support.
The Marines win this one, with
the Japanese suffering attrition: 5th
Yokosuko Battalion is eliminated.
The final attack is against the Japanese
units between Kokumbona and Visale.
The defense consists of an HQ and
a tank regiment. There’s no effect,
as the Marines use the Raid CRT.
Japanese Impulse
The 2nd Division HQ and 8th Tank
Regiment both fall back from
contact with the Marines and run
all the way to Cape Esperance.
The other units are pinned.
Japanese air strikes are used to
barrage the Marines poised to take
out the forces at Koli Point. That’s
done in conjunction with the “Iron
Bottom Sound” chit. There’s no effect,
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Pacific Battles:
however, and the air unit becomes
damaged. Another air strike manages to neutralize 1st Marine HQ.
An attack is launched against the US
force near Aola Bay. The Japanese
player uses the Assault CRT, hoping
for a bloodbath. Instead he obtains
an attacker shattered. There are
significant losses to the Japanese force.
At Koli Point the Japanese initiate
another attack. It’s at poor odds, but
1st Marine HQ has been knocked out
of command; so there may be a ray of
hope. The Assault CRT is used, but to
no avail. Another attacker shattered
result is obtained. Due to the fortification, the Japanese forces don’t retreat.
US 2nd Impulse
The Americal Division is active,
and it orders its units forward to
target the XVII Corps HQ and its one
A8
remaining combat unit. That Japanese
force is surrounded. The American
commander plays it safe and selects
the Raid CRT, but the Japanese
player intervenes with an Intel chit,
changing to the Assault CRT. The
result is a bloodbath. Japanese XVII
Corps HQ is eliminated., but an entire
American regiment is also wiped out.
Then the 1st Marine Division launches
an attack at Koli Point. The marines
are out of command but are adjacent
to the enemy position. The American
commander decides on the Raid CRT.
The Japanese take an attrition loss but
the rest of the forces remain intact.
Japanese 2nd Impulse
The 7th Infantry Battalion is cut off
and forced into an attack against
the US forces on the eastern side of
the island. Severely outnumbered,
the Japanese unit is eliminated.
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The Japanese force at Koli Point conducts another raid against 1st Marine
Division. Those Japanese are compelled
by the ZOC to attack, even though
out-numbered. The attacking infantry
battalion is destroyed while the
Japanese HQ abandons the objective.
The Japanese player adds two VP for
his remaining objectives, and the US
player collects five VP for an activated
Henderson Field. The US currently has
73 VP to the Japanese 58 (USA +15).
Turn Seven
February 1943
The US player continues to have the
initiative. The Americans add five campaign chits. Two of them are Destroyer
Support. The Japanese player selects a
couple damaging chits, one is Weather.
That takes out some air and supply on
both sides. The Japanese player doesn’t
Guadalcanal
have much supply left. Disease also
sweeps through Japanese forces again,
and another battalion disappears.
Both sides allocate their air missions.
The Japanese player diversifies
while the American focuses on air
superiority. The two air forces engage
for air superiority. The Japanese
player loses two air units and two
others become damaged. The US
incurs no damage this time.
One USMC battalion is evacuated.
Most of the reinforcements are unable
to land due to Japanese interdiction,
but some units and supplies get to the
island. The Japanese player is unable
to get reinforcements to Guadalcanal.
One battalion is evacuated, followed by
a headquarters and a tank regiment are
evacuated from Cape Esperance. That
yields seven VP for the Japanese player.
US Impulse
The Americans have most of
Guadalcanal under control. The
Japanese player has one headquarters
unit left, which is trapped. US destroyers are used (chits) to bombard that
HQ, which becomes suppressed. Then
the Marines attack it. The headquarters
is dispatched, and the US collects four
VP. The Japanese player has no units
left on the map; so not much happens
during the remaining impulses.
The US player adds five VP for
Henderson Field. The final score
is US 88 VP and Japan 72. That
gives the US a +16 differential,
which is a marginal victory.
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A9