Tarawa - LVT Allocation

I thought it time to go back and look at detail on the structure of assault waves.

We know that the LVT-2 only joined up with the rest of the invasion force as the assault began so were allocated to the second and third waves (a back up plan of how to go without the additional vehicles had been made)

A range of sources state that:
42 LVT-1s comprised the first wave;
24 LVT-2s, the second;
21 LVT-2s, the third.

Divide that between the thee assault battalions and we get something like
14 LVT-1 in wave 1
8 LVT-2 in wave 2
7 LVT-2 in wave 3

As to the loading plan, the three assault battalions appear to have had the same tactical loading plan based on the E Series organisations;
Four reinforced rifle platoons in the first wave
Two reinforced rifle platoons in the second wave
Two Company HQ and supports in the third wave
The rest of the battalion would follow in LCVP

Each wave was meant to have been separated by 3 minutes but in war nothing goes to plan and there is plenty of evidence documenting the intermingling of the boat teams on the way in.
The three waves carried the lead companies from the three Landing teams onto Beach Red-1, Beach Red-2 and Beach Red-3.

Looking at the landing plan at company level in more detail we have:
Two rifle platoons with the Company weapons platoon 60mm and .30 Cal Sections in the first wave
one rifle platoon in the second wave
Company HQ and a Platoon from the Bn MG platoon in the third wave.

The assault rifle platoons are stated as comprising 42 men.  This is three 12 man sections and a 6 men in the Platoon HQ.

If each assault platoon has 3 LVT-1s that makes 6 per company and 12 per LT or 36 in the first wave. So what went in the other 6?  It is reasonable to assume that the other 6 are split two to each LT, one per company and could have carried the balance of the Company weapons platoon if we assume that the 60mm and .30cal teams are dispersed in the rifle platoon vehicles (Platoon HQ, SNCOs, ammo carriers etc).  If we accept this model that gives us a combat loading of 18 men per vehicle (rifle platoon LVT) and 15 men in the Weapons platoon LVT.

Wave 2 then has a similar loading plan
3 LVT-2 carrying the third platoon of each company
1 LVT-2 carrying an undisclosed load possibly combat engineers (noting there isn't any more company support elements or battalion weapons mentioned in the first two waves in the available accounts)

Wave 3
Company HQ

WW2 - Field Defences

This was going to be an Anti-Tank ditch 10" long to use with BG Kursk.

 But now I have made it I am not so sure.  It might now become part of a trench system instead and I will go back and redo a ditch along the lines of one of the photos in the Blood, Steel, and Myth book. I think my issue is that my ditch is too regular so that could be addressed.  The other way would be to change the angle of the banking.  However, that would require a different construction approach and I am not sure of what materials I could use that would still keep this with a reasonable low relief.

WW2 - Amphibious Assault

I have always found Tarawa interesting so when the nice people over at Grenzer games were talking about their new rule set "Muzzle Flash", I was intrigued to how it would handle a specialist engagement.

 So I invited them over and threw a challenge down.  Beach Assault.  Played on a 5' x 4' table with the USMC attacking from the long table edge.  The rules are played at 1:1 which was interesting as I am in the process of rebasing all my infantry as single figures and hadn't made any progress with the USMC or Japanese so we played this using my old 3 figure and 2 figure bases with me snipping figures and sticking them onto new 20mm MDF bases as the game went.

A view of the Defenders which comprised five figure sections each with a LMG. Four 14mm HMG bunkers and two 40mm Anti-Boat guns.

The USMC would be straight infantry organised as an E Series comapny.  NCO, 9 Riflemen, 2 BAR Gunners.  In hindsight I would have been better off actually thinking about what the game system needs so I was missing Corpsmen and aid station the 60mm Sections and the 1919 LMGs which would have been expected at the early stages of establishing the USMC amphibious warfare doctrine and also hadn't included the company commander.  We also threw all the LVT1 & 2's onto the table as the first wave rather than the 3 sequential waves that were used at Tarawa.

The USMC laid out in their entry positions, they are actually off table at this point.  The rules cater for friction in terms of arrival which related well to the actual events on Betion in that some of the Amtracs never arrived and the Infantry had to entry wading and had already suffered some casualties and other Amtracs arriving on later game turns at random.

This section is wading to the beach from their destroyed AMTRAC and have already lost 2 men including a BAR.

One gap in the sea wall in covered by a 14mm HMG

There are two Japanese sections dug into the sea wall in prepared positions

These two AMTRACS will be delayed and wont enter until I roll the required number indicated on the dice.  One more AMTRAC to the left is also delayed so I was already down to just two assualting platoons.

First turn.  This isnt IGOUGO, each figure can reserve dice to use in the opponents turn so as I entered in the 14mm and Anti-Boat guns opened up. I had to start disembarking the marines short of the obstacle.  Elements of one section have reached the wall and I have reserved some actions for use in the enemy turn.  The AMTRAC at the bottom has been hit but is still mobile, 2 rifle disembarked.

 Wading under fire is as deadly in the game as in reality. I have dead and wounded in the surf just above the jetty but I have managed to pin the Japanese section directly opposing the section.

The AMTRAC to the right has been riddled with 14mm fire I have one killed as he leapt over the side and the rest of squad are pinned in the vehicle.  If they don't collect their wits they are in trouble.

 In turn two the Japanese defenders are forced to retire but the AMTRAC is now hit with 40mm fire and I have five wounded in the vehicle.

In the center I have also pushed the defenders back but I am still in the fire arc of another section on the left and the bunker on the right.

The AMTRAC is still mobile and uses the gap in the sea wall while the section near the bunker attempt to destroy it with grenades and satchel charges.  I ended up causing two killed and one injured from a mistimed grenade attack.  In the bunker itself one of the Japanese defenders sacrificed himself by smothering the posted grenade.  Two other marines worked their way to the entrance and have breached the door.  In the ensuing firefight another marine goes down and the Japanese defenders are down to one man.

On the left flank the US have made some progress have pushed an AMTRAC through a gap in the sea wall while the AMTRAC on the extreme flank has unloaded a complete combat effective squad.

General situation at the end of the US Turn 2.  The US have cleared the initial 30 metres or so of the beach.

Two marines have worked their way to the rear of the bunker and are priming grenades and satchel charges.

 Turn 3 and the US now have two sections on the left flank poised to try and take the bunker and then attempt to clear out the Japanese rifle pits, however there is still a Japanese 14mm HMG bunker which will have to be dealt with.

 As this was a play test we had stopped at this point.  Very involved and both sides are engaged throughout the turn.  You need lots of game markers for stress status and you do need to actually have the non combat units in your force as non evacuated casualties continue to affect your units performance.

WW2 - Zvezda Sprues

The newer releases are a lot easier than the earlier Art of Tactic kits.  These are the sprues for the T-34/76 1943, Ferdinand and ISU-152