Saipan/Tinian operation 1944 - Alternative history - SB+ event
The landings began at 07:00 on 15 June 1944. More than 300 LVTs landed 8,000 Marines on the west coast of Saipan by about 09:00. Eleven fire support ships covered the Marine landings. The naval force consisted of battleships, cruisers and destroyers. Careful artillery preparation — placing flags in the lagoon to indicate the range — allowed the Japanese to destroy about 20 amphibious tanks, and they strategically placed barbed wire, artillery, machine gun emplacements, and trenches to maximize the American casualties. However, by nightfall, the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions had a beachhead about 6 mi (10 km) wide and 0.5 mi (1 km) deep. The Japanese counter-attacked at night but were repulsed with heavy losses. On 16 June, units of the U.S. Army's 27th Infantry Division landed and advanced on the airfield at Ås Lito. Again the Japanese counter-attacked at night. On 18 June, Saito abandoned the airfield.
The invasion surprised the Japanese high command, which had been expecting an attack further south. Admiral Soemu Toyoda, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), saw an opportunity to use the A-Go force to attack the U.S. Navy forces around Saipan. On 15 June, he gave the order to attack. But the resulting battle of the Philippine Sea was a disaster for the IJN, which lost three aircraft carriers and hundreds of planes. The garrisons of the Marianas would have no hope of resupply or reinforcement.
Without resupply, the battle on Saipan was hopeless for the defenders, but the Japanese were determined to fight to the last man. Saito organized his troops into a line anchored on Mount Tapotchau in the defensible mountainous terrain of central Saipan. The Japanese used the many caves in the volcanic landscape to delay the attackers, by hiding during the day and making sorties at night. The Americans gradually developed tactics for clearing the caves by using flamethrower teams supported by artillery and machine guns.
By 6 July, the Japanese had nowhere to retreat. Saito made plans for a final suicidal banzai charge. At dawn of the 7th, a group of 12 men carrying a great red flag in the lead, the
remaining able-bodied troops — about 4,000 men — charged forward in the final attack. Amazingly, behind them came the wounded, with bandaged heads, crutches, and barely armed. The Japanese surged over the American front lines, engaging both Army and Marine units. The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 105th Infantry Regiment were almost destroyed, losing well over 650 killed and wounded. However, the fierce resistance of these two battalions, as well as that of Headquarters Company, 105th Infantry, and of supply elements of 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Artillery Regiment, resulted in over 4,300 Japanese killed. The attack on July 7th would be the largest Japanese Banzai charge in the Pacific War.
By 16:15 on 9 July, Admiral Turner announced that Saipan was officially secured.
Event
Settings:
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Tickets: 30 000
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Respawn limits
- American 120 times/team, 4 times/player.
- Japan 120 times/team, 4 times/player.
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Recommended time limit: 60 minutes
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Recommended number of players: 50-64 ( in a 1: 1 ratio )"
In our SB+ EVENT we would like to tell a different story of the Saipan invasion. We gave to the Japanese defenders better tanks than an obsolete Ha-Go. These tanks can compete with an american M4 and M4A1(76).
We also gave them a suitable number of planes and warships to balance the scenario.
Link for the test map: drive.google.com/uc?export=17KifnAegfWaNOMKd9-Lail8llIvYb8Ah
To activate: Open Custom Battles/Create session/Mission by URL/Add mission/ Copy the address to the URL Mission.
Orders of the battle
American side
American forces will have 120 respawns with 4 respawns per player. Types and quantity of units are listed below:
teams{
teamA{
playerMaxSpawns:i=4
spawnLimit:i=120
limitedUnits{
us_m4a1_76w_sherman:i=20
us_m4_sherman:i=40
us_m10:i=30
us_halftrack_m16:i=10
us_m2a4:i=10
f6f-3:i=10
f4u-1d:i=4
f4u-1a:i=6
p-38j:i=10
p-47d-28:i=10
tbf-1c:i=10
sb2c_1c:i=10
us_cruiser_atlanta_class_atlanta:i=2
us_cruiser_omaha_class_trenton:i=4
us_destroyer_fletcher:i=2
us_destroyer_clemson_barker:i=2
us_destroyer_sumner:i=2
us_elco_80ft_pt_boat:i=4
us_pt6:i=4
}
unlimitedUnits{
}
}
Japanese side
Japanese forces will have 120 respawns with 4 respawns per player. Types and quantity of units are listed below:
teamB{
playerMaxSpawns:i=4
spawnLimit:i=120
limitedUnits{
jp_type_3_chi_nu:i=40
jp_type_5_na_to:i=30
jp_type_4_chi_to:i=20
jp_type_95_so_ki:i=10
jp_type_95_ha_go:i=10
a6m3_zero:i=6
a6m5_zero:i=4
j2m2:i=10
ki_84_ko:i=10
ki_61_1a_hei:i=10
b5n2:i=10
d4y1:i=10
jp_cruiser_agano:i=2
jp_cruiser_kuma:i=4
jp_destroyer_yugumo:i=2
jp_destroyer_mutsuki:i=2
jp_destroyer_akizuki:i=2
jp_t51b:i=4
jp_t14_class:i=4
}
unlimitedUnits{
}
True story
The bombardment of Saipan began on 13 June 1944. 15 battleships were involved, and 165,000 shells were fired. Seven modern fast battleships delivered 2,400 16 in (410 mm) shells, but to avoid potential minefields, fire was from a distance of 10,000 yd (9,100 m) or more, and crews were inexperienced in shore bombardment. The following day the eight older battleships and eleven cruisers under Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf replaced the fast battleships but were lacking in time and ammunition.
MAP of the battle
Rules
1. Scenario will be played in the frontline mode, so there are three frontlines on the map of the Tinian Island which have to be taken over by the opposing parties.
2. There are three CAP zones on the East side of the Tinian Island which play a role of landing zones for American forces. The landing zones are marked by the landing ships anchored by the beaches and are active from the beginning of the game.
3. American CAP zones are vulnerable and can be destroyed by air forces.
4. There are also two RESP zones for American and Japanese ships.
5. American zone is marked by transport ships anchored a few miles from theTinian shore.
6. Japanese RESP zone is marked as a port on the Saipan Island.
7. Main task for the ships is to take over the D zone located in the middle of the strait between Saipan and Tinian island. Taking over the D zone causes the disabling of the ship RESP belonging to the opposite side.
8. American forces have four aircraft carriers at its disposal at the beginning of the game.
9. Japanese forces have two airfields located on the Saipan island at the beginning of the game.
10. Aircraft carriers and airfields are vulnerable and can be destroyed by ships or bombers.
11. During the game opponents can take over one or two additional airfields located on the Tinian Airfield marked as zone A and B.
12. Once the airfield is taken over the planes can operate from it immediately.
13. The airfield can be recovered by the second side. In this case the airfield operates for the side that took it over and the planes can take off and land.
14. Radio fuse ammo is forbidden.
15. AA guns can shoot only for planes.
Conditions of the victory
To win the battle the yellow CAP of an opposite party must be taken over. To take over the yellow CAP at least two front lines must be taken. The second way of winning the battle is to destroy all of the enemy units.
