1st Battalion 5th Marines

[KG Erwin]

For background on this battalion, see tm.asp?m=1273349

This is the second battle, Sept 27, 1942. BLT 15 occupies a formidable line, and is facing off against the Japanese Kawaguchi brigade.

It's raining, as it so often does on this godforsaken island. For close support, I have six 75mm Pack Howitzers on-map, two for each rifle company. As off-board support, I can count on two 105mm Howitzer battalions.

The enemy waste no time -- they emerge out of the jungle in force. After the destruction of the Ichiki force by my unit in August, the 1/5 has become marked men. Intercepted radio messages have referred to us as "the green devils".

Well, General Kawaguchi, welcome to your worst nightmare. I'm waiting for you.

[KG Erwin]

Dang it, I've already got jumpy Marines abandoning their foxholes. Sgt. Crockett has just moved up with his engineers to fill the hole. Sonofab*tch! I just fired off a mesage to that sorryass platoon commander to get his men back in their holes.

The engineers are the only reserve I have. I don't wanna have to commit them when the battle's just started.

I'm sending out requests for fire missions. Let's put some high explosives on those b*stards' heads.



Note: In the midst of all this, I get a message from Capt Cates, the CO of Able Company. It seems that one of his light mortar squad leaders has already gotten 9 confirmed kills. He insists that I come down to see this unit.

After I call in the fire missions, I accede to his wishes. He leads me to the position of one Sgt Ernie Young, a short squat blond-haired Marine with piercing blue eyes. I look at him, and blink. He's the spitting image of one of my uncles back home.

"I hear that you're a sharpshooter with that mortar, Sergeant."

Young: "Yessir. My boys won the targeting trophy at New River. Even ol' Gunny Lou (Diamond) came over and shook our hands. "

"Where you from?"

Young: " I'm from Columbus, Ohio, sir".

"Well, keep up the good shooting. I'll be asking your commander about you when this
is over. Good luck, and God Bless You. "

Young : "Thank you, sir"

I got back in my jeep, and as I drove away, I lowered my head and realized that I might have underestimated these men.

[KG Erwin]

I've made a decision. I am NOT gonna sit here and let my men absorb punishment passively. I am taking the battle to the enemy. I've ordered Charlie Co in the north to move forward.

The brunt of the enemy attack is falling on Able and Baker Companies on the right and center. They will stand firm. Webb's Company C is ordered to counterattack on the left and swing south, rolling up the enemy's line. See that ridge on the right side of the map? That's the key. I'm moving all available armor north to support this assault. Hammer and anvil.

[KG Erwin]

Progress report, turn 15 : two platoons of Company C, supported by tanks, engineers and some recon, have begun moving down both sides of that ridge in the north. In the far south, I've also starting moving a platoon of Company B forward.

There are some half-dozen groups of enemy I can currently see, and each stack has been targeted by mortars and pack howitzers.

I've suffered about 150 casualties, so far, and several squads have been reduced to 2 or 3 men. One Company A squad and an MG team have been completely destroyed.

[KG Erwin]

End of second battle: decisive victory

USMC losses: 225 men, 1 ammo carrier
Japanese losses: 1154 men, 1 mortar

My third battle will be an advance mission towards Kokumbona. The enemy has been reinforced by units shuttled in via the Tokyo Express. This time, however, 1/5 has been ordered to launch a pre-emptive strike. It's now October, and a battalion of 155mm Howitzers has arrived. This will help tremendously in suppressing the enemy's mortars and field guns.

Note: Company A's 60mm mortar section has accounted for 22 kills so far, with half of those credited to Sgt Young's crew. Of the infantry, Sgt Rockmore's 1st Sqd/2nd Plt/Co A has 9 kills.

[KG Erwin]

General order from Lt Col Higginbotham to his company commanders:

"October 21, 1942

Gentlemen, we have been ordered to advance against an enemy of unknown strength. The Japanese are reinforcing themselves for another assault on our lines. Our job is to disrupt their forces while they are assembling for the attack.

Maintain communications with adjacent units -- if contact is made, immediately inform my HQ -- we will get fire support to you.

However, company commanders ARE encouraged to be aggressive and assume the offensive when opportunity permits -- keep HQ apprised of such actions.

I want you to destroy the enemy, and we will do so with all the means at our disposal.

Good luck and godspeed."

[KG Erwin]

Stirring up a hornets' nest : 1/5 has encountered the enemy, and they have elected to defend in depth. I'm making progress in the south, but on the center and left, the enemy seem to actually outnumber me. One of my BAR squads has been wiped out -- the enemy is defending tenaciously, but will give ground only when overwhelmed by mortars and direct fire from my tanks.

The problem is, I don't WANT these b*stards to retreat, dammit! They are stacking up against each other, which makes an infantry assault suicidal. 9 men against 20 just won't do.

God, what I wouldn't give for some air support. None is available. I'm gonna have to smother them with fire and try to pry open a gap. They are dug-in, and I can't see them until I'm right on top of them.

On the plus side, I've targeted identified enemy artillery concentrations with my 155s and 105s. If I can reduce the enemy's artillery support, then I can start whittling away at their infantry.

"Note to regimental/division HQ: I have not encountered any prepared defenses. The Japanese can be defeated easily when they are attacking, but are stubborn defenders even in hastily prepared foxholes. We should recommend to higher HQ the previously suggested TOE changes (i.e, fewer and larger squads and replacement of the standard bolt-action M1903 Rifle with the semi-automatic M1.) We also need some flamethrowers for the engineers."

[KG Erwin]

On the right flank, turn 11 -- the main concentration of resistance is on the left. Useless to attack them via frontal assualt -- I gotta pin them and hold them in place. The attack will be mounted on the right, and I will try to swing the door shut on them. Charlie Company is the strike force, with Able and Baker demonstrating and pinning. On the far flanks are recon teams, reinforced by engineers. Their mission is deep recon and seizing the rear VHs.

[KG Erwin]

Turn 13 -- a cautious, methodical advance -- this is the advantage of having plenty of time to work with. On the right, Charlie Co is inching forward. On the left, I'm identifying enemy strongpoints and focusing the mortars on them.

It's a battle of attrition -- nothing more than finding, fixing and destroying the enemy. Note that many of my units are at 50% effectiveness or less. My light tanks are life-savers -- they are doing much of the killing at this point. I have captured only one group of VHs, on the far right.

Job number one is neutralizing and rendering the opposition ineffective. Job number two is preventing any more of my units from getting wiped out.

Note: the highlighted enemy unit is a concentration of three Jap HMG squads -- I've identified two such groups in this area, and have destroyed one of them. These MG nests have devastated my infantry.

On the right, my advance has been impeded by stay-behind snipers and randomly-placed squad positions : one of those snipers killed two of my men before being taken out.

[Riun T]

Oh Gunny I'm crossing my fingers for u, I see the way your line is forming the classic "bulls horns" formation of structure and movement,and can say from my jap killing experiences in the game,that your closing the horns too rapidly!! DO the math for how many hexes u still have to cover,,, look at how many of the enemy squads where "A" quality front line pushers that u've killed already, and where on the line that the japs are already commiting their "B" squads, and how close their artillary "PUFFS" are being fired from to your line aswell? ALL these things matter for your timing for survival and your right in the line where their second line of DEFENCE IN DEAPTH will be mustering the left overs!!! LEAVE THE HORNS FROZEN AND CATCH UP WITH THE CENTRAL UNITS,,, if the depleated squads in the horns get to the bulk of the centre too fast one BANZAI charge will cut them off!!

[KG Erwin]

Turn 19, Oct 21, 1942: events have certainly taken an odd turn. On the left, two recon squads have infiltrated behind the enemy line and seized the northern forward VHs-- they are in a precarious spot, but I'm moving up a 75mm GMC as support.

[KG Erwin]

In the center, I'm turning Charlie Company north to take the center forward VHs -- it will then head northeast to seize the north-rear VHs. The weather is clear, so I'm taking advantage of my Marines' marching ability. I still have 19 more turns to work with.

[KG Erwin]

On the right, my 3rd Recon Squad and a section of engineers will hold the south-rear VHs. Somehow, these men evaded any enemy contact in their sweep around the enemy's left.

Japanese artillery fire is becoming more sporadic. Apparently my 155s & 105s have done their work.

Baker Company (on the left) is too shot up to move further. Part of Able Co (in the center) is tying in with Charlie to prevent the enemy survivors from fleeing to their remaining VHs.

[KG Erwin]

Turn 31: pursuit and mop up. Along the way, Charlie Co has destroyed several mortar and ATG positions, and now the Jap HQ is fighting to the last man.

[KG Erwin]

Here's the final tally for battle 3. Dang, in my single-minded determination to reach those VHs, the bulk of the enemy force slipped away. However, I did manage to kill the enemy's battalion CO. I scored a draw.

USMC losses: 198 men, 1 arty, 1 tank, 2 soft vehicles
Jap losses: 416 men, 19 arty

[Riun T]

WOW,tight long intence fight gunny, I'll pray for the pixulated widows[:(]

[KG Erwin]

November 23, 1942: at the end of October, my battalion was abruptly detached from the 1st MarDiv and shipped to New Guinea. We now call ourselves "MacArthur's Marines", as we will be assisting US Army forces in clearing the Buna area. We spent the last two weeks absorbing replacements and repairing equipment.

(I've privately noted to my staff that in view of the inconclusive results of our last battle, Gen. Vandegrift personally picked the 1/5 in response to MacArthur's request for Marine reinforcements. )

We will advance against Buna tomorrow at 0400. I've been told that no additional artillery or air support is available. We have to rely on our tanks and mortars alone. Officially, my mission is being called a "forced reconnaissance". The Army's parsimony in offering us any fire support has caused some grumbling amongst the officers, and I can't say I blame them. [8|]

[Riun T]

Get ready Gunny they will probably have some tanks on this battle!

[KG Erwin]

Turn 3, Nov. 24, 1942: the weather is clear, with visibility at 550 yards. This has become a classic meeting engagement, and the keys are posession of the middle VHs and that jungle trail. No Japanese armor has yet appeared, but they are strong in infantry and MG support.

I'm considering forming my companies into wedges and penetrating the enemy's front, then fanning out to take them in rear. I have plenty of time to reach the rear VHs, so this time around, I'm gonna concentrate on destruction of the enemy forces.