Counterattack at Saipan - Chain of Command at Cancon

I've enjoyed running participation games at shows in recent years, there's something very satisfying about seeing it all come together on the day. When the opportunity arose to run games in the Lard Zone at Cancon this year I was more than happy to put up my hand. In previous years I've run games of Sharp Practice set in the Sudan, and during the Great War using a variant of Chain of Command. All of those drew on my 28mm collection, but I'm conscious that 20mm, the scale I use for the Second World War, receives very little exposure at shows. I thought I'd address that for Cancon 2025. 

Having painted up a collection for the US Marines earlier in 2024 I set about devising a scenario set in the Pacific. 

 

Reading about the the actions on Saipan in June 1944 generated several good ideas. My initial thoughts were perhaps the most obvious. I would have the Marines trying to fight their way off the beach and clear the Japanese defensive positions. While that remains an attractive idea, I thought it might make for too complex a game given the short amount of time available for each session at Cancon.

What did grab my attention was the Japanese counterattack against the beachhead. While we tend to think of the Japanese holding mainly defensive positions during these campaigns, they mounted their largest armoured counterattack of the Pacific war shortly after the Saipan landings. The idea of reversing roles appealed to me and became the source of inspiration. Not least because I have recently painted a number of new models for my Japanese armour collection.

It also gave me a reason to make use of a beach mat from Cigar Box Battle Mats that I purchased with just these sorts of games in mind.

Ironically, the only previous time I had used it, was for a 15mm club game of O Group, set on the beaches of Normandy. In this case, we had used the mat for the beachfront but then overlaid it with another mat for the hinterland, which we raised enough to incorporate a rather nice 3D printed sea wall. All up, it made for a very effective looking table. I thought I would try something similar.

The lesson was to find a way to disguise the join between the two different mats, or at least find a way to blend the two together. Looking at pictures of the Saipan landing beaches you can see there is a narrow beach with a line of foliage running its length. That would be a simple enough feature to replicate on the table and, in so doing, blend the transition from one mat to the other.

Yet in many ways those images are deceptive. The impression from the photographs above, is that the Marines are landing on an island of tropical forest or jungle. That's actually anything but the case. Aerial reconnaissance photographs from the time tell a different story. This part of Saipan is very flat and the hinterland is a neat patchwork of sugar cane fields. The strip of foliage along the beach is not very deep, and beyond it runs the main coastal road and then sugar cane fields. 

Using jungle terrain pieces that I've made for the Far East, in particular many of the smaller scatter pieces, I could see how, without much effort, I could make the coastal foliage and break up the neat join between the beach mat and the one I intended using for the hinterland. A few trials for the early play test of the scenario showed that was something I could achieve quite effectively.

The remaining terrain was very straightforward. There was a Japanese radio station not far inland from the beach and recapturing this was one of the Japanese objectives. For that I could use an existing ruined building in my collection. I thought a destroyed pylon for the radio antenna would add to the narrative. I had picked up the Warbases 20mm version of a lookout tower in a 50% sale from 172 Scale Miniatures. At the time I couldn't see an obvious use for it (but hey, it was cheap!). In Chain of Command terms, anyone atop a flimsy thing like that is asking for trouble and likely to become an easy target far too quickly, nonetheless, I thought it was a piece that might come in useful for something. 

Well, I think I found that something. I would use the lower frame to make the damaged antenna pylon. The upper platform I could repurpose as a small hut, so nothing was wasted.

Off cuts from the MDF frame were used to make up extra bits of collapsed pylon. A length of household wiring was added to represent damaged cable.

For the cane fields I would use my existing teddy fur fields and a ploughed field made from a piece of sample carpet. I incorporated all of these into the playtest table and was happy with the way they worked together. The added bonus is that they take up little storage place and are very easy to transport, always something to take into consideration when planning for a show.

That gave me a concept for the scenario and the knowledge that I could put together an appropriate table to represent that area of Saipan. The next task was to turn that initial idea into a tangible and playable scenario that could give both players a chance to achieve their objectives.

On the night of 16 June 1944, the second night after the landing, the Marines were expecting the Japanese to counterattack, but had no idea exactly what they might be facing. They were ordered to form a tight perimeter, dig in where they could and prepare to be attacked. The Japanese massed armour and infantry and knowing the firepower available to the Marines, elected to make the attack in darkness. 

What they didn't expect was that the Marines could call on the Navy to fire star shells that would, almost literally, turn night into day and completely negate any advantage the darkness may have given them. This was rather convenient for my scenario design, as I didn't want the game to be conducted using complex night rules.

My solution was to start the game in darkness, but with a few simple rules:

• Line of sight extended to only 24"
• There was a +1 to hit to all fire
• Targets 18-24" away were considered in one level better cover
• Command radius was reduced to 50% 

However, once a USMC senior leader had line of sight to a Japanese unit, he could spend 1CI to call for star shells. These would arrive in a following phase on a die roll of 4+, with a +1 added in each consecutive phase until they arrived. 

Once the star shells illuminated the table the remainder of the game would be played as if in daylight, with night rules no longer in effect. Historically the Marines could hear the Japanese preparing to assault and were already alert. The moment they could be sure they were under attack they called for illumination, which arrived very quickly and was maintained almost continuously. 

The game would play across the short edge of the table which would put both sides in close proximity quite early on. I wanted this brief period of darkness at the beginning of the scenario to give the Japanese a small window of opportunity to close down the distance to the Marines or attempt a flanking move. To play historically the Japanese player should be very aggressive, not least because the relatively open sugar cane fields offer little in the way of protection.

As happened historically the Marines start with no armour, relying on a bazooka team and an attached 37mm AT gun.

The Japanese start with three Type 92 Chi-Ha Shinhoto tanks under the command of a senior leader.

While the Marines' 37mm gun might deal with the poorly armoured Ha Go tanks the odds are tougher with the Chi Ha, which means their main defence is the bazooka. While that might appear to favour the Japanese, the Marines also have entrenchments, barbed wire and several locations offering hard cover from which to construct a defensive perimeter.

The Marines on Saipan were supported by two armoured regiments and they soon called for armour support once they realised the extent of the Japanese attack. I factored this into the scenario and, much like I did with the star shells, once a Marine senior leader has line of sight to two Japanese tanks he may spend 1CI to call for armour support. This will arrive in any following American phase on a roll of 5+ on 1D6, with a +1 to the roll for every consecutive phase.

Support could come from either Shermans or M3 75mm half tracks. The Marine player won't know what this is until the phase they arrive, at which point I created A6 cards which would be selected at random to determine what would turn up.

While I had Shermans available for the Marines I didn't have any M3 75mm halftracks. That was rectified with a purchase of the Italeri quick build set which comes with two in a box. Given the relative simplicity of the kits they are reasonably well detailed. All I did was add a few piece of stowage and a crew. Unfortunately, for now at least, the crew is something of a fudge. I didn't have any suitable Marine figures and so I've 'repurposed' a few ETO Americans by simply painting them as Marines.

The Americans don't have things all their own way. I also wanted the option for the Japanese to spring a surprise. They have two possible events. The timing of these is determined by the roll of 1D6 every Japanese phase, with the total number being cumulative. Once it reached 24 the player could select one of two cards at random. One is the arrival of the SNLF, with a Type 2 Ka-Mi amphibious tank and a squad, on one flank of the beach (as also happened historically). This allowed me to make use of a model of a Ka Mi that I picked up in a sale of pre-built and painted models.

The other is the arrival of two Type 95 Ha Go tanks in a supporting wave of armour to the main assault.

Play testing the scenario helped smooth out a few wrinkles. All that then remained was to put together a few play aids to keep the game flowing and negate the need to refer to the rule book. While I've had the Marines painted for most of the year I was yet to make up a platoon board like those I have for my other platoons. 

I used the exact same technique for the Marines as I have done for all the others.

I made a few small QRS for the additional rules and support options to help keep play moving along.

I added one final touch. While I was doing research on the terrain in Saipan I came across this picture of a crashed Zero on Munda.

It reminded me that my youngest son went through a spell of making models and that his interest had dwindled long before his stash of unmade kits did. One of those models was a 1/72 Airfix Zero and that inspired me to make it up to use as a piece of scatter terrain for this and other games in the Pacific/Far East. 

With that all done I was ready for Cancon. The drive from Sydney to Canberra passes close to the picturesque, historic village of Berrima in the Southern Highlands, home to the Berkelouw Book Barn and a huge repository of second hand books (an excellent restaurant, cafe and winery there to boot). To my good fortune (and amazement) I found a copy of The Little Men, a memoir about the Burma campaign that is increasingly hard to track down. Here was a paperback in excellent condition at a very reasonable price. The weekend was already looking good.

Arrival at Cancon and setting up gives an indication of how big the whole event is. This is just one of three pavilions used for gaming. This was a space the Lard Zone shared with several other activities including a very large Age of Sigmar tournament.

We may not have been the biggest event, but we were certainly the largest historical gaming event. I soon had the table ready for the arrival of players the next morning.

Even found an appropriate place for the crashed Zero, partly inspired by the Munda photograph.

So, then came the true test, how long would the scenario survive first contact with wargamers? Pretty well, it turned out. Generally the game rewarded Japanese speed and aggression, even if it came at a cost in casualties. The more cautious Japanese players would find the star shells arrived before they could close with the Marines leaving their troops exposed to a barrage of withering automatic fire.

Not that all Japanese aggression paid off. In one game the armour senior leader ordered all three drivers to drive flat out towards the American lines. They drove remarkably fast and came very close to overrunning the position.

Had fortune been more kind it could have been a decisive moment for them, instead it looked more favourably on the Marines. The next Marine phase saw the timely arrival of armoured support in the form of one M3 75mm half track. It dealt quickly with the nearest Chi Ha. Up until that moment the 37mm AT gun had been unable to do much damage but at this point its luck changed. That was the end of a second Chi Ha.

Last, but not least, the Marine player used a CoC die to conduct an ambush with the bazooka team, appearing at the rear of the commander's tank and despatching him in a ball of flame. A swift and brutal phase that put paid to Japanese hopes of an armoured breakthrough to the beach.

In another game the Marines secured one flank with a 30cal MMG team dug in behind barbed wire.

For a while that put a check on any attempt by the Japanese infantry to storm the position.

However, this time, aggressive use of a Japanese tank saw a path ploughed through the wire and the MMG crew crushed beneath its tracks.

The Chi Ha was to come to a fiery end soon after, but it had done enough to allow the Japanese infantry to advance on the flank.

The call for armoured support led to many tense moments, especially as the Marines did not know what would arrive or when. In this case a Sherman arrived in the nick of time.

Running games leaves little time for taking pictures, but I hope these give a taste of how the scenario played out. Overall I was very happy with both the look of the table and the way the scenario unfolded. All games came close. The last game looked like the Marines had stopped the Japanese in their tracks. They deployed early to generate as much firepower as possible. While that looked like it might pay dividends it allowed the Japanese to identify the location of some of the anti-tank weapons and so avoid them. It was enough to see the tables turned and the Japanese player snatch an unlikely victory from the jaws of defeat.

If nothing else it was great to fly the flag for 20mm historical gaming, the table certainly attracted a fair bit of attention as a result. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised, but when someone enquired about the scale, my response elicited a very quizzical expression and he exclaimed "20mm?" as if it was some funky new scale that had just been introduced. I was half expecting him to say, "whatever will they think of next?". 

Once again it was great to have Richard Clarke from Too Fat Lardies in attendance and in the noble tradition of Lard the evenings were awash with beer, food and banter. The combination of talking all day in a very noisy gaming hall and then talking all evening in equally noisy restaurants meant my voice was shot by Sunday evening - a mark of a weekend well spent!