Matt hosted our first scenario using Battleground’s Islands of Glory rules. Charlie Keller, Tom Gallagher, and John Burke played the Japanese. Eric Schlenger, Kirby Stiltner, James Myrden, and Ian McGurk played the US Marines. The Japanese were dug into the jungle on the banks of a stream. There marines were ordered to capture a bridge across the stream and clear the Japanese out of the area.

Despite a huge firepower advantage the marines advanced cautiously. This provoked taunts from the Japanese. Periodically Japanese would appear out of the jungle to shout insults, then disappear. When two Sherman tanks finally worked up enough nerve to cross the beach they were ambushed by two Teishin suicide sappers with demolition charges strapped to their bodies. Incredibly, Tom rolled two 20s and both charges were duds. They died in a hail of bullets.

As the game wound down to the final turns and fatigue set in (it was well after midnight) the Japanese decided to banzai. It was a fatal mistake. The Japanese were killed to the last man by canister rounds, machine gun fire, and BARs. Only on the American right flank did the charge succeed inclosing with the marines and inflicting casualties. This was a major victory of the marines.