Matrix Games Forums

Into September 42 and things are looking pretty good for my allies as we edge into 43.

I'm happy to report that the 27th USA Division with engineer support took Maloelap, despite taking heavy losses during the engagement. Now I'm looking into making some more moves in the area and I have some questions about some units:

USMC Paratroop Battalion: How do you use em first of all, and where are they most effective? The C-47 Dakota isn't terribly long legged (max range 8) but there are many islands that close to Maloelap. Do you just set C-47's to 'troop transport' with destination as an enemy base hex?

USMC Raider Battalion: I think I have two of these small units. IIRC they are only made up of about 300 troops or so, but these guys are crack troops (experience in the 90's). What are they good for?

Amphibious HQ: I'm about to get the first Amphibious HQ but since I lack AGC ships (this is only 42 remember) how do I put em to the best use? Have them land on the beach with my attack troops?

Thanks in advance.

i have bad expierinces with paras so i usually just use them to take unoccupied bases or dots otherwise they get smoked by the defenders. Once i have the base i can unload tons of eng units and quickly build the base up. I find in the begining the paras are best used in the solomons and new guinea followed by the philipines

The marine paratroopers were 'chute trained, but I don't recall reading about them actually making any combat jumps. I believe they landed on Guadacanal on boats right after the raiders. I could be wrong though.

That's right, bstarr, I believe the only US paradrops were at Nadzab, Noemfoor, and Corrigador, and somewhere on northern Luzon (and possibly other places in the Phillippines)

However, George Kennedy's Paramarine Bn made a helluva jump in "In Harm's Way" on Gavavutu in support of Admiral Rock Torrey's OPLAN.

ORIGINAL: V2

However, George Kennedy's Paramarine Bn made a helluva jump in "In Harm's Way" on Gavavutu in support of Admiral Rock Torrey's OPLAN.

Yeah, but the real hero of the movie, Admiral Broderick, gave 'em the R4Ds they needed to do it with. "Fact is, it's going to be a long, tough job throwing the Japanese off of Gavabutu, right, Rock?"

all fascinating, yet very few hints as to the usage of the units [&:]

Drop paratroops in enemy un-occupied base hexes, or behind/around enemy stronghold, then attack with main force, enemy has nowhere to retreat to and dies?

More "In Harm's Way"--
"Are you leaving, sir?"
"Yeah, before I pick you up and throw you to the fisshhh..."

An important use of Paras is to pin down an emeny unit until your main force arrives. I had a situation on Guadalcanal where USMC was at Lunga, IJA was at Tassafaronga. He would attack, and retreat. I would set to march on Tas. He'd immediately attack again, and somehow magically appear in my hex (in one turn, and yet i couldn't march to Tas in 1 turn). I could never attack him. Very annoying.

So I dropped paras at Tas, pinned down his force, and then attacked with my main force the next turn. The paras will make an inital attack, but their point isn't to try and capture, so just set them to defend until your main force arrives. And assuming you didn't drop a single Btn on top of 3 divisions, they should be able to hold out just fine until the main force arrives.

Good Luck.
-F-

teh Amphib HQ, I use like a regular HQ until the AGC's show up. Until the AGC's show up they are REMF's and sit on the second wave transports with my reserve units, Engineers and heavy supply.

Para-Marines- I use them to attack those bases held by base forces. They also make a great fast react force in island chains wher eyou expect a Japanese counter atack. If Japan starts landing troops on an Island you own but have very light forces on, or One of the islands you haven;t gotten to yet, the Paras get there very fast via C-47. They also thrive with just C-47 drops of supply. They may not throw them back in the sea but they will keep twice there numbers from takig the base while you send in more re-enforcements or a bombardment unit to help out.

Marine Radiers- I use these guys as Scouts or as a Fast Transport force. As Scouts I load them on one or two SPD's or Subs and send them to places I want REAL intell about. There have been may times I had set up an invasion of an Island, reconned it with F-5C's for two weeks and when I actually landed my Scout force there, the 5000 japanese that were supposed to be there were gone. The Raiders also make a good force for Reserve force on Major invasions, or to make a second landing to cut off fleeing troops. They are small and effective so they also make good Shock troops, but that gets costly for a small unit. Another use for them is to be a spear head unit. Drop the whole bn, on an island the turn before a major invasion, via FT. This will let them attack and disrupt the enemy CD's while you unload the heavy units. I do try to pull them off after I get major units ashore however. They take heavy casualties in this role.

UB

Use them with a less experienced division - those are very high exp/morale units and really prop up a "normal" division in a good way.

That's how I intend to do it.

Not sure about the HQ.