Q about Guam

[JWE]

So Cal Wargamers is poking along on its Pacific Campaign, and we've got to the point of retaking Saipan, Tinian and Guam. We are putting a CPX together for Guam and are doing the July 25-26 Japanese counter attack, on the line Adelup Point/Fonte Plateau to the Mosso R./Piti/Cabras Is. area with Asan Point as the southern and central terrain demarcation.

The contendahs; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Bns, 21st Marines; Rcn.Co. and 1st Bn, 9th Marines;left to right, from Fonte Plateau to to the Mosso River. On the left flank, holding the Fonte River line from the plateau to beach, the 3rd Marines.

Slicing down from Mount Mangan to Asan Point is the IJA 18th Indep Mixed Brigade. Sweeping around the Fonte Plateau towards the Fonte River confluence is the 48th Brigade of the 29th IJA Inf. Div.

We are not sure what kind of arty support the Japanese had. I personally think it was squat, but the Japanese commander, Maj. Faustini (yes, he got his leaf!) wants to have, at least, a couple of hard humping batterys of 75s (he's an artillerist, God bless him) shooting in support.

Anybody have any idea?? The after action reports are thin; captured materials records don't differentiate whether it was an 8" CD gun destroyed on L-Day or a crushed 80mm Mort found in the bottom of a shell crater.

18th Indep. Mixed Brigade and/or 29th IJA Inf. Div. OOB info would be very much appreciated. Please don't schlep out the 1940-41 stats; we're talkin 1944, here. Japanese language auditors, please feel free to respond in Japanese. We are interested, mainly, in artillery support elements.

Thank You. Ciao. JWE

[treespider]

From the green book Campaign in the Marianas:

Estimate of III Corps G2 based on captured Japanese pieces on Guam as of 10 August.

19 - 20cm coast defense guns
8 - 15 cm coast defense guns
22 - 12.7 cm coast defense guns
6 - M91 105mm Howitzers
38 - 75mm mountain and field guns
2 - 57mm At guns
30 - 37mm AT guns
4 - 25mm Navy AA guns

Estimate of Col. Takaeda

16 - 20cm coast defense guns
6 - 15 cm coast defense guns
10 - 12 cm coast defense guns
16 - 12cm coast defense guns
14 - 75mm AA guns
60 - 25mm Navy AA guns
12 - 20mm Army AA guns

[JWE]

Howdy Mr. Spider.

Yeah, that's pretty much what we have too. I think Maj. Jim was hoping to have a couple of hard humping batterys of 75s and hoping against hope for a battery of 105s (you know how Marines are).

We just dont know how the arty was assigned; we think the 105s were deployed behind the beach and were snuffed out by the F6F/napalm combo. 38 75s seems to be OK, MC records say 41, but who's counting. That says 24 (6 batterys) is absolute max for the counter attack (suitably divided, of course).

I'm inclined to give the Japanese their 24 75mm Howitzers (I'm thinking 16 in support of the main attack, along with a couple of 'salvaged' 105s); 8x 75mm tubes firing on the southern flank at the river confluence.

What do you think??

[el cid again]

There is a Japanese authored English account of almost every artillery action. I will look at it after work.

[JWE]

ORIGINAL: el cid again

There is a Japanese authored English account of almost every artillery action. I will look at it after work.

If it's not too much trouble, Thanks.

We know much of the Japanese arty got blown up in its bunkers on the beach, and some showed up in defense of Orote. We just want to give the Japanese some 'reasonable' support. Can't be a good cpx without both sides having some arty, and the Marines had a monster load of it.

[JWE]

ORIGINAL: el cid again

There is a Japanese authored English account of almost every artillery action. I will look at it after work.

No worries Cid, we came to an agreement amongst ourselves as to what would be an appropriate range of Japanese arty support. The moderator has taken our suggestions into account and has built an OOB set we will both fight with.