5th Annual Burning Wreck Barbecue AAR

[Jim Aikens]

We had 18 members including cameos from John Lehman and Scott Thompson for our 5th Annual Burning Wreck Barbecue Saturday in Anaheim. We opened the doors at 8:00 AM as planned and games got underway shortly after our 9:00 AM start time. Our theme for the day was “Playing the Big Ones”, and we saw some seriously large scenarios being played:

Blair Bellamy’s Russians fell to Bill Yuen’s Germans in “Hill 621”.

Dave Rosner’s American’s defeated John Wootress’ Germans in the Deluxe scenario “Another Day, Another Field.”

In a four player rendition of the mega-scenario “Texas Flood” Dave Reinking and Dan Plachta, playing the Americans, fought Chip Wertenberger and Glenn Sellar’s Germans to a draw. This scenario is truly impressive to see set up, particularly with my blown-up boards. It required two full tables to play.

Eric Morton organized our headline event this year; “Utmost Savagery” from the Blood Reef Tarawa module. Eric was joined by Jim Cotugno and Matt Morocco on the Japanese team against Matt Cicero, Mike Cirrincione and Geoff Coward playing the Marines. This scenario is visually spectacular, and I can say from experience, truly a blast to play. Cheers and groans came from that table throughout the day, and it was obvious that everyone was having a great time. By the time the clock ran out the Marines had lodgments on all three beaches, but there was still a lot of fighting to done. Eric did an outstanding job organizing this and getting the game underway in short order.

And Dave Nicholas and I paired up for the Dispatches scenario “Sandbanks of the Volga”. I wanted to play this Red Barricades scenario from the time I received my issue of Dispatches. Dave and I arranged this game in advance, and Dave brought a Russian set-up with him. I like this scenario; good options for the attacker and defender, interesting OB’s, nice unit density. You know, every once in a while you play a scenario that just doesn’t quite come together for you, and that was the case here with David. It had nothing to do with his set-up, which was good and well thought out. Shots just didn’t drop that needed to, my kill stack went on a nasty rate tear that chewed up a lot of Russian units and other small but cumulative frustrations. But perhaps the most noticeable was the imbalance of SAN’s. Dave’s Russians had a SAN of 5, and my Germans had a 3. Yet in the 4 full turns we played, I *never* rolled a 5. With my Germans poised to push into the victory area almost unopposed we decided to pull the plug and call it a German victory. I like this scenario, and I’d like to try it again as either side.

Because we still had some time, we set up another new Dispatches scenario “Willingness to Die”, with Dave taking the defending Russians against my attacking Germans. This looked like a cool scenario and has an interesting sniper mechanism. Maybe it was because we were both tired, but we realized that neither of us really groked what we needed to do and the scenario unraveled into a screwy mess. We tossed it in after a couple of turns and called it a night. Maybe we’ll try it another time.

Harmon Ward put on another terrific barbecue dinner for us this year. He even made up a table centerpiece featuring original Squad Leader and Cross of Iron boxes. We wrapped everything up at about 10:30 PM. It was another outstanding day of ASL!

[David Rosner]

The Japanese plan: Kill Marines

Attached is an the annotated map that I sent to the Marine players beforehand to show the Marines what they would be able to see of our set up. Matt, Jim and I each bought a variety of Gun types to handle what ever type vehicles the Marines would throw at us. Attached is a picture of Matt and Jim with the map, set up complete and serenely waiting battle and eventual enshirement at the Yaksukuni Shrine.

Also attached are the three Marine set up trays – one for each BLT. Imagine them floating in the lagoon waiting to storm ashore. Each slot contained a company or platoon. The LVTs and leaders were separated by type.

On RB1, I bought a 120 AA, 75 AA, 3x37L, 2×12.7AA. On the beak, I bought 3 BP, mostly _-4-6 PB and some _-3-5PB. I did not buy trenches on the cove side of the beak (to prevent cover for the Marines coming over the seawall). I did put trenches on the Green Beach side of the beak. I placed all positions on the beak under Wire, no Wire on the beach since Wire on the beach tends to get removed by LVTs and tanks. I wanted the Marine advance inland slowed moving and to force the Marines to clear each position by fire rather than risking CC while on Wire. I put a 75 AA, and a large number of .50 and HMG on the Green side of the beak..

I spread the Guns and MG around the cove. I pointed the PB, MG and one 37L on the first three hexes of the beak forward. I had two tetrahedrons in front of the beak with 2AT mine factors each. The idea was to discourage the Marines from coming around to the Green side of the beak. I also sealed off the base of the beak with Wire. I had a 120 AA on Green beach facing north behind the seal off Wire to back up the defenses on that side.

At the base of the beak I had PB, trenches, the command bunker, including 2 .50MG, 1 37L, MMGs, 1 12.7AA; and at the far end of the Cove, the 120 AA and a 37L.

I wanted to stop any Marine advance down the beach on the beak as well as prevent an end around the nose of the beak. Force the Marines into the Red Beach side of the beak, which is the easiest place for the Marines to land, and continue to pound them at range. The Marines would have come over the seawall and onto the wire, move across the beak and face the firepower on that side.

Jim and Matt place tetrahedrons close to the pier and lots of Wire around the base of the pier. They also had lots of 12.7 AA at the base of the pier. They had 37L AT and 75 AA and 76L AA long the rest of their beaches for any Marine landings that avoided the pier (which is what happened). Matt also had a 120 AA down the eastern end of RB3.

We also had numerous Guns on Black beach including about 4 75 and 76L AA. I also had a 75AA on Green Beach away from the cove. We had a couple of 140 Guns on the Black Beaches pointing inland.

Matt's bombardmen basically missed but did destroy my 120 AA on Green. And set fire to two buildings.

Matt came in a wedge. Moved away from the beak early and came on in mass. Attached is a photo of the end of Marine Player Turn 1. 2 LVTs are destroyed (one burning) and three are Immob. Also note the two 5/8″ acq, markers on the Green side of the point of the beak. Those are from the 8″ Guns. I had two observers in the tower near them. I Area acq.ed that hex to further discourage an end around. Matt got a HS with a 60 mtr ashore on Turn 1.

On my player turn 1, I destroyed destroyed or Immob. the leading edge of the LVT wedge. Matt began shooting back with Immob. LVTs to good effect. I had a fair number of Immob. results from my 37L shots which turned them into fire platforms if they weren't abandoned. I moved a couple of .50 MG from their PB on Green beach into the Trench in the same hex so that they could shoot at RB 1.

The Marines got airsupport on Turn 1. We damaged one with Heavy AA fire (all those 75 and 76L AA Guns came in good use). The other two gacked their TC and went home.

On Turn 2, Matt turned into the beach on the west side of the cove. I opened fire with the 75 AA and a stack with the .50 MG and a 9-1 from Green Beach across the beak. I kept shooting with everything else I had had. The 12.7 AA Guns did well against the waders. I lost the crew of my 75 AA Gun on RB1 and Matt reduced and broke the crew of the 12.7AA where Matt's Marine's came ashore.

On our turn 2, I just kept shooting. The Marines got air support. We shot down one of the planes with Heavy AA! The other two attacked. The best attack killed my 9-1 on Green Beach with the .50 MGs and reduced the crews. I got some more shots with that stack before Matt drilled it with from RB1 and killed the crews. I also disabled one of my 37L along the cove. I began to methodically destroy the Immob. LVTs that were still shooting.

The Marine firepower was just beginning to take a serious toll with the crews on Green and the squads in the PB on the beak getting reduced.

At the end of turn 2, I advanced units onto the abandoned 12.7AA and 75AA. The positions on the west side of the cove where the Marines landed were reduced but still manned. I also advanced units onto the unmanned .50 MG on Green beach. My plan was to continue to gun the LVTs still in motion (about 3-4 still coming in) and blast the Marines on the beach. I had only lost one Gun permanently at that point and none of the Marines were coming over the wall any time soon. However, the Marines had Mr. 10-3 Hawkins wading in and others loaded in the remaining mobile LVTs. The Marine sniper had whacked about 4 of my leaders and striped a few crews but mostly away from the fighting.

Attached is a photo at the end of my Prep Fire on Turn 2. The Marines are ashore in three hexes. The Marines are cocooned by wrecked/Immob. LVTs.

I would have loved to have played another turn or turn to see how things worked out. The Marines did not get around the beak or advance much down it when we stopped. I had lost some units but all but one of the Guns were still in action or would be on turn 3. But the Marines had a lot of firepower ashore or coming ashore. My units were just beginning to melt away. I had units that could keep coming up and man positions and Guns to keep shooting but it would have been a battle of attrition that the Japanese just couldn't win given the Marine firepower.

All in all a lot of fun to play and to set up. Many thanks to the participants and organizers.

I can't seem to figure how to post photos.

Eric

[Jim Aikens]

To Everyone: was great to see you all and get to roll some dice!

To Robert…..here was the PLAN!

The Japanese were set up pretty beach heavy as expected. The beak was a hedgehog with basically internal trenches, wire covering everything and pillboxes pointing in all directions with Bombproofs in the middle. Very similar setup along Red Beaches Two and Three with some extra ordnance on the far eastern part of the map to side-shot the LVTs east of the pier. It was a grim looking defense with 8 tetrahedrons along the pier to keep the two landing forces separated on RB2 and RB3.

When we looked at this, the Marines decided two things. First, we weren’t going to go for the combined attack on the pier…we were just going straight in. Second, we were going to stick Hawkins with my forces over on the beak. My compatriots had rolled a pair of 10-3s each and I had only a 10-2…plus, I wanted to see if I could get the guy onto the beach with his bully-boys and flamethrower something for fun.

We set up the waves as follows:

Assault Wave 1: Turn 1: (All in LVTs)

Red Beach Three (Geoff Coward): 2 rifle companies w/2 MG Platoons and Ldrs attached. That’s about 30 squads, 10 leaders and 10 MGs. 10 LVT(A)2, 10 LVT(2)m

Red Beach Two (Mike Cirrincione): 2 rifle companies w/2 MG Platoons and Ldrs attached. That’s about 30 squads, 10 leaders and 10 MGs. 10 LVT(A)2, 10 LVT(2)m

Red Beach Three (Matt Cicero): 2 rifle companies w/2 MG Platoons and Ldrs attached AND Hawkins Scout Snipers. That’s about 33 squads, 11 leaders and 10 MGs. 20 LVT(2)m

Assault Wave 2: Turn 3: (All Wading)

Red Beach Three (Geoff Coward): 1 rifle company w/MG Platoon and Ldr attached. Assault company. That’s about 24 squads, 9 leaders and 5 MGs.

Red Beach Two (Mike Cirrincione): 1 rifle company w/MG Platoon and Ldr attached. Assault company. That’s about 24 squads, 9 leaders and 5 MGs.

Red Beach Three (Matt Cicero): 1 rifle company w/MG Platoon and Ldr attached. Assault company. That’s about 24 squads, 9 leaders and 5 MGs.

Assault Wave 3: Turn 5: (Pathfinders leading the way…)

Red Beach Three (Geoff Coward): 6 Light Tanks, 7 Medium Tanks

Red Beach Two (Mike Cirrincione): 6 Light Tanks, 7 Medium Tanks

Red Beach Three (Matt Cicero): 6 Light Tanks, 7 Medium Tanks

TURN 1:

Well, we stepped off and the killing began. Our bombardments went in with a 3-hex hitting dead on the middle of RB2 and RB3. The 2-Hex shots hit just east and west of that one. My 3-hex shot scattered in the one way possible to leave the beach unscathed. Sigh. Overall, the smoke helped a little and we did kill a few things but really the bombardments were not that great.

We got FB support on Turn 1 which the Japs promptly reduced from 3 planes to 2 with heavy AA fire.

RB3 took a beating from ROF. Burning and wrecked LVTs began appearing early as Geoff tried to crab close to the pier and make it to dry land. Lots of dead marines inside their iron boxes. RB2 also took a beating despite good smoke cover, though not as bad. RB1 came away with a few immobilizes and only three wrecks despite the ring of guns around the lagoon. The extra range had made up for the lack of smoke. Also, my run in had avoided the tip of the beak cutting down on the casualties and guns able to actually shoot me. I should mention that while RB2 and RB3 were running basically straight in, I was trying to move in along RB1 towards the Island Command Bunker then cut to the beach at the end of the sea wall. However, I did manage to get one 1/2-squa with a MTR onto the beach!

Jap Turn 1 and the slaughter continued. About half the LVTs over on RB3 are dead. Less than that on RB2 and RB1 lost about 1/4 of theirs basically all in a row. The immobilized LVTs are pouring heavy MG fire into the defenses with an occasional stripe here and there. The Marine sniper is hot, though and I think the one near the beak killed four leaders over the course of the first two turns. So as the smoke of the bombardment was starting to lift, the marine FBs drove in on a particularly nasty gun position…and both missed their sighting task checks. The Marines promptly told the Navy flyers to piss off and they left.

TURN 2:

Well, the marines plunged forward! All three groups made it to the beach this turn, though casualties were again horrific! Japanese guns were going down to melted barrels and some were coming back on line. Marine firepower was striping or clearing some guns. But point blank firepower on the beaches was devastating. Lots of marine losses amidst the toehold troops. I stopped looking at RB2 and RB3…the carnage was too much for me. Meanwhile, on RB1, I had driven a number of LVTs onto the beach and kicked out a bunch more troops. Waders were almost on the beach and the dead and burning LVTs in the lagoon had formed a nice barrier between me and the remaining guns still firing. I was lucky in that I had killed or de-crewed a couple close guns and the range and hindrances were helping to keep things alive. Still, Eric managed a nice shot into a hex with 2 full LVTs and about 3 squads of marines…it hurt a bit. All along, Hawkins was sneaking through the surf, slowly approaching the beach, hidden from view.

Jap Turn 2 saw more LVT’s blow up everywhere and more Marines die on the beaches. Despite some progress in reducing the defenders, RB3 and RB2 were looking a bit thin. RB1 was in better shape but not great. The lousy Navy flyers decided to appear again on Turn 2 despite our strident desire for them to return to their carriers. This time, they managed to hit their targets and did some striping and minor damage. The marine firepower on the beach managed to half melt everything in range on RB1. Pillboxes, crews, the kill stack Eric had been hosing me with…all took a pounding and suddenly the beach looked holdable after D-Fire.

But time ran out….

We had completed two turns and the waders were about ready to join the fun but we were out of time. So we did some counting and all felt that the RB3 and RB2 areas were a bit behind the 8-ball. Just too many casualties. The waders would be hitting reinforced beaches, though they’d have lots of cover on the walk in. RB1 had a solid lodgement. A lot of forces were still available in some active LVTs too. Probably about where they needed to be but it was the beak…not exactly able to lend help to the struggles on the other beaches. If it were a CG, I’d have said that the Marines were on their way to win a crushing victory.

I have pics..I’ll post them when I download them!

And again, thank you Eric for the incredible effort to set this up and to the four other gents for rolling dice and making this a fun day of ASL!

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