Black Mountain
Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 1:03 am
Iwo Jima, February, 1945
I'm playing Black Mountain, the initial assaults against the base of Mount Suribachi. I'm at turn three.
My forces are tank heavy, with an entire platoon of C Company and two FT tanks to back up meager infantry forces in the assault on the Black Mountain.
After the Japanese heavy rocket attack on my assault forces, at the beginning of Turn one, I made some tentative moves but found a number of enemy emplacements alive and well. That coupled with some deadly mines have forced me to move with caution.
I ordered smoke from my covering mortars and the offshore destroyer to mask further movement forward.
My tank, "Cold Blooded" has three kills already and I want to take good care of those boys.
By the way, for those who haven't yet read it, here is an interesting excerpt from some transmitted radio messages from a tank company in action on Saipan. Quite an insight into tank crews and their chatter. Of course one cannot hear the falsetto voices, or the anger mirrored in a commander's speech, but use your imagination.
More later on this hard fight...Here is the document
TANK CHATTER
This material was taken from an out of print book, "The United States Marine Corps in World War II” by S. E. Smith.
It is a fact that tanks had a significant influence on the outcome of World War II. Armor would prove to be a vital factor in the success of the United States "island hopping campaign" from Guadalcanal to Okinawa.
To better understand just what went on inside these steel beasts and get a feel for what it was like, the following excerpt is included in this Mega Campaign. It comes from a document that was kept in Navy archives. It contains chatter from a tank company in action on Saipan, during the fighting for the Orote Peninsula. The transmissions were captured by Navy radiomen on ships lying close off the island.
In the background of the transmissions, which is not possible in a written document, radiomen on the ships could hear the sound of gunfire in the background. They also heard the voice inflections of those speaking, from frustration to fear. To better understand the document, note that “Red One” is the tank company commander.
"This is Red One. Blue Two and Blue Three, move left a little, but be careful of the swamp."
This is Red Two, Red One. Heartburn says that he is ready to start shooting at those pillboxes."
"Tell Heartburn I can't receive him. You will have to relay. Tell him to give us a signal and we'll spot for him."
"Red Two, wilco."
"Heartburn, raise your fire. You're right into us."
"That's not Heartburn, Red Two. That's a high velocity gun from our left rear. I heard it whistle. Red One, out."
"Red Three, this is Red One. Can you see that gun that's shooting at us?"
"Red One, I think that our own gunfire."
"Dammit, it's not, I tell you. It's a high velocity gun and not a howitzer. Investigate over there on your left. But watch out for the infantry; they're right in there somewhere. Red Two, tell Heartburn, Down Fifty, Left Fifty."
"Red Two, wilco."
"Red Three, what are you doing? Go southwest."
" I am heading southwest, Red One."
"For Christ's sake, get oriented! I can see you, Red Three. You are moving northeast. Fox Love with hard left brake. Cross the road and go back up behind that house."
"But..."
"I don't know why I bother with you, Red Three! Yellow One, take charge of Red Three and get him squared away. And get that gun. Its too close!"
"Red One from Red Two. Heartburn wants to know if we are the front lines."
"Hell yes, tell him we're plenty front right now."
"This Red Two. Artillery on the way."
"Red One, wilco."
"Red One from Yellow One. I can see some Japs setting up a machine gun about a hundred yards to our right."
"Those are our troops, Yellow One. Don't shoot in there."
"The man at my telephone-I think he's an officer-says we have no troops in there."
"Yellow Two, go over there and investigate. Don't shoot at them. That man at your telephone probably doesn't know where the troops are. If they're Japs, run over'em."
"Yellow Two, wilco."
"Go ahead Yellow Two. What in God's name are you waiting for?"
"I'm up as far as I can go and still depress my machine guns."
"The hell with the machine guns. I told you to run over them. Run over them, Dammit! Obey your orders!"
"Yellow Two, wilco."
"Green Two, do a right flank and go up to the top of that hill. Keep in defilade. Red Two and Yellow One, open out a little more. Guide Right. Move out, now. And watch very closely; these troops are in a position to get into the same sort of trouble that they did yesterday. They're all screwed up, so be ready to move immediately."
"Green Three, where are you?"
"I'm on the left of the road, Red One, just below Green Two."
"Raise the muzzle of your gun so I can spot you."
"Green Three, wilco."
"I thought so. Move out some more. I can't tell whether you or Green One is at fault, but you are too close."
"Move over, Green Three! You're within ten yards of me now!"
"O.K. O.K., Green One. I'm movin'!"
"Yellow One, what have you to report on that machine gun?"
"Red One, a Jap stood up and threw a hand grenade at us so I gave him a squirt."
"Did you run over that gun like I told you?"
"No, Red One, we put an HE in it, and wrecked it. It's gone."
"Damn! Won't you people ever learn to conserve your ammunition?"
"All tanks, move out. Guide right and open out the interval to one hundred yards. Red Two and Red Three, you are too close. Why are you always too close? Open out to the left flank."
"Red One from Green Four. I am moving out to take a pillbox the infantry's pointed out. I will take care of it and let them catch up."
"Where is it, Green Four?"
"In that clump of bushes to my right. It's one of those coconut log things. It looks like it might be too strong to squash. Can you see it? Is it all right to fire in the slit?"
"Affirmative. But be careful."
"Wilco."
"See that mortar over there, Hap?"
"No I don't Fuzzy. Where?"
"To your right. I'm squirtin' now."
"O.K. I got it."
"Red One, this is Blue Two. I just passed six AA guns looked like they was in pretty good shape and just been deserted. I destroyed 'em anyhow."
"O.K. Blue Two, Wilco."
"Red One, this is Hairless. We've got some Japs bottled up in two caves in Target Area Four Baker. We'd like you to leave two tanks to watch them."
"You know damn well that's infantry work. We're a mobile unit, not watchdogs. Put your saki drinkers in there."
"O.K. Harry."
"Red One, out."
"All tanks, this is Red One. Start 'em up. Move out now. Guide right and form a shallow right echelon. As soon as we hit the flat ground around the airfield, spread out to 150 yard interval. All right, move out, move out."
On turn two, I used my tanks to take the lead. Fire is still lethal but I was able to take out a dug-in T-97 and a rifle pit with a bit of a bite to it.
I refuse to run my tanks ahead of my infantry too far. Such tactics are lethal in the Pacific Theater of War. The Japanese have no qualms about assault my Steel Shield and are deadly.
There are snipers picking at me but I took out two of them at the expense of a slowdown.
On Turn three I was able to get to the foot of the mountain but the enemy had a few surprises for me there. One tank was repeatedly assaulted and left in a state of confusion. "Cathy's Boys" move up the first height but was immediately pummeled with heavy fire.
I should have reinforcing units coming in on turn four and then can proceed up this bitch of a hill.
More later....WB
I'm playing Black Mountain, the initial assaults against the base of Mount Suribachi. I'm at turn three.
My forces are tank heavy, with an entire platoon of C Company and two FT tanks to back up meager infantry forces in the assault on the Black Mountain.
After the Japanese heavy rocket attack on my assault forces, at the beginning of Turn one, I made some tentative moves but found a number of enemy emplacements alive and well. That coupled with some deadly mines have forced me to move with caution.
I ordered smoke from my covering mortars and the offshore destroyer to mask further movement forward.
My tank, "Cold Blooded" has three kills already and I want to take good care of those boys.
By the way, for those who haven't yet read it, here is an interesting excerpt from some transmitted radio messages from a tank company in action on Saipan. Quite an insight into tank crews and their chatter. Of course one cannot hear the falsetto voices, or the anger mirrored in a commander's speech, but use your imagination.
More later on this hard fight...Here is the document
TANK CHATTER
This material was taken from an out of print book, "The United States Marine Corps in World War II” by S. E. Smith.
It is a fact that tanks had a significant influence on the outcome of World War II. Armor would prove to be a vital factor in the success of the United States "island hopping campaign" from Guadalcanal to Okinawa.
To better understand just what went on inside these steel beasts and get a feel for what it was like, the following excerpt is included in this Mega Campaign. It comes from a document that was kept in Navy archives. It contains chatter from a tank company in action on Saipan, during the fighting for the Orote Peninsula. The transmissions were captured by Navy radiomen on ships lying close off the island.
In the background of the transmissions, which is not possible in a written document, radiomen on the ships could hear the sound of gunfire in the background. They also heard the voice inflections of those speaking, from frustration to fear. To better understand the document, note that “Red One” is the tank company commander.
"This is Red One. Blue Two and Blue Three, move left a little, but be careful of the swamp."
This is Red Two, Red One. Heartburn says that he is ready to start shooting at those pillboxes."
"Tell Heartburn I can't receive him. You will have to relay. Tell him to give us a signal and we'll spot for him."
"Red Two, wilco."
"Heartburn, raise your fire. You're right into us."
"That's not Heartburn, Red Two. That's a high velocity gun from our left rear. I heard it whistle. Red One, out."
"Red Three, this is Red One. Can you see that gun that's shooting at us?"
"Red One, I think that our own gunfire."
"Dammit, it's not, I tell you. It's a high velocity gun and not a howitzer. Investigate over there on your left. But watch out for the infantry; they're right in there somewhere. Red Two, tell Heartburn, Down Fifty, Left Fifty."
"Red Two, wilco."
"Red Three, what are you doing? Go southwest."
" I am heading southwest, Red One."
"For Christ's sake, get oriented! I can see you, Red Three. You are moving northeast. Fox Love with hard left brake. Cross the road and go back up behind that house."
"But..."
"I don't know why I bother with you, Red Three! Yellow One, take charge of Red Three and get him squared away. And get that gun. Its too close!"
"Red One from Red Two. Heartburn wants to know if we are the front lines."
"Hell yes, tell him we're plenty front right now."
"This Red Two. Artillery on the way."
"Red One, wilco."
"Red One from Yellow One. I can see some Japs setting up a machine gun about a hundred yards to our right."
"Those are our troops, Yellow One. Don't shoot in there."
"The man at my telephone-I think he's an officer-says we have no troops in there."
"Yellow Two, go over there and investigate. Don't shoot at them. That man at your telephone probably doesn't know where the troops are. If they're Japs, run over'em."
"Yellow Two, wilco."
"Go ahead Yellow Two. What in God's name are you waiting for?"
"I'm up as far as I can go and still depress my machine guns."
"The hell with the machine guns. I told you to run over them. Run over them, Dammit! Obey your orders!"
"Yellow Two, wilco."
"Green Two, do a right flank and go up to the top of that hill. Keep in defilade. Red Two and Yellow One, open out a little more. Guide Right. Move out, now. And watch very closely; these troops are in a position to get into the same sort of trouble that they did yesterday. They're all screwed up, so be ready to move immediately."
"Green Three, where are you?"
"I'm on the left of the road, Red One, just below Green Two."
"Raise the muzzle of your gun so I can spot you."
"Green Three, wilco."
"I thought so. Move out some more. I can't tell whether you or Green One is at fault, but you are too close."
"Move over, Green Three! You're within ten yards of me now!"
"O.K. O.K., Green One. I'm movin'!"
"Yellow One, what have you to report on that machine gun?"
"Red One, a Jap stood up and threw a hand grenade at us so I gave him a squirt."
"Did you run over that gun like I told you?"
"No, Red One, we put an HE in it, and wrecked it. It's gone."
"Damn! Won't you people ever learn to conserve your ammunition?"
"All tanks, move out. Guide right and open out the interval to one hundred yards. Red Two and Red Three, you are too close. Why are you always too close? Open out to the left flank."
"Red One from Green Four. I am moving out to take a pillbox the infantry's pointed out. I will take care of it and let them catch up."
"Where is it, Green Four?"
"In that clump of bushes to my right. It's one of those coconut log things. It looks like it might be too strong to squash. Can you see it? Is it all right to fire in the slit?"
"Affirmative. But be careful."
"Wilco."
"See that mortar over there, Hap?"
"No I don't Fuzzy. Where?"
"To your right. I'm squirtin' now."
"O.K. I got it."
"Red One, this is Blue Two. I just passed six AA guns looked like they was in pretty good shape and just been deserted. I destroyed 'em anyhow."
"O.K. Blue Two, Wilco."
"Red One, this is Hairless. We've got some Japs bottled up in two caves in Target Area Four Baker. We'd like you to leave two tanks to watch them."
"You know damn well that's infantry work. We're a mobile unit, not watchdogs. Put your saki drinkers in there."
"O.K. Harry."
"Red One, out."
"All tanks, this is Red One. Start 'em up. Move out now. Guide right and form a shallow right echelon. As soon as we hit the flat ground around the airfield, spread out to 150 yard interval. All right, move out, move out."
On turn two, I used my tanks to take the lead. Fire is still lethal but I was able to take out a dug-in T-97 and a rifle pit with a bit of a bite to it.
I refuse to run my tanks ahead of my infantry too far. Such tactics are lethal in the Pacific Theater of War. The Japanese have no qualms about assault my Steel Shield and are deadly.
There are snipers picking at me but I took out two of them at the expense of a slowdown.
On Turn three I was able to get to the foot of the mountain but the enemy had a few surprises for me there. One tank was repeatedly assaulted and left in a state of confusion. "Cathy's Boys" move up the first height but was immediately pummeled with heavy fire.
I should have reinforcing units coming in on turn four and then can proceed up this bitch of a hill.
More later....WB