Panzer Grenadier Headquarters - Library: Saipan 2 #1

Panzer Grenadier Battles on October 24th:
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Fronte Russo #9 - Potemkin Village	Leyte '44 #13 - Failure at Buri Airfield
Red & White #28 - Bastion

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Sap2002

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Red Beach Saipan 2 #1
(Defender) Japan	vs	United States (Attacker)

Formations Involved
Japan		136th Infantry Regiment
United States		6th Marine Regiment

	Total
Side 1	0
Draw	0
Side 2	1

Overall Rating, 0 votes
5 4 3 2 1 0
Scenario Rank: --- of 1093

Parent Game	Saipan 2
Historicity	Historical
Date	1944-06-15
Start Time	08:45
Turn Count	20
Visibility	Day
Counters	139
Net Morale	0
Net Initiative	1
Maps	2: 80, 81
Layout Dimensions	86 x 28 cm 34 x 11 in
Play Bounty	194
AAR Bounty	168
Total Plays	1
Total AARs	1
Duplicates	Saip001

Battle Types
Amphibious Landing
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Urban Assault
Beach Control

Conditions
Entrenchments
Minefields
Off-board Artillery

Scenario Requirements & Playability
Saipan 2	Base Game

Introduction
The opening invasion of Saipan targeted the southwestern coast of the island. The beaches here had minimal coral reefs offshore and a gentle’ sandy slope leading up out of the water. The 2nd Marine Regiment would form the left, northern flank of the landings, and place one battalion each on Red Beach 1 and Red Beach 2, each 600 yards wide. The second wave would come ashore on the third site, Red Beach 3.

Introduction

The opening invasion of Saipan targeted the southwestern coast of the island. The beaches here had minimal coral reefs offshore and a gentle’ sandy slope leading up out of the water. The 2nd Marine Regiment would form the left, northern flank of the landings, and place one battalion each on Red Beach 1 and Red Beach 2, each 600 yards wide. The second wave would come ashore on the third site, Red Beach 3.

Conclusion
A previously-undetected current moved the Marines north of their intended landing beaches, where the Japanese defenses had suffered less damage from the pre-invasion bombardment. “I fear,” Time magazine’s Robert Sherrod wrote in his notebook, “all this smoke and noise does not mean many (Japanese) killed.” Heavy Japanese fire and dense terrain stopped the Marine advance about 100 yards from the water’s edge, leaving the beach littered with the burning wreckage of their LVT tractors. The Marines slowly pressed into the jungle on foot.

Conclusion

A previously-undetected current moved the Marines north of their intended landing beaches, where the Japanese defenses had suffered less damage from the pre-invasion bombardment. “I fear,” Time magazine’s Robert Sherrod wrote in his notebook, “all this smoke and noise does not mean many (Japanese) killed.” Heavy Japanese fire and dense terrain stopped the Marine advance about 100 yards from the water’s edge, leaving the beach littered with the burning wreckage of their LVT tractors. The Marines slowly pressed into the jungle on foot.

Display Relevant AFV Rules

AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle
Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0). AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8). They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank leader in order to carry out combat movement. AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1). Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn (either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more (11.2). Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3) Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire (7.44, 7.64). Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire, but not both (7.22, 13.0). Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0). Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3). Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3). AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42). AFV's may Dig In (16.2). Open-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables, but DO take step losses from X and #X results (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT). If a "2X" or "3X" result is rolled, at least one of the step losses must be taken by an open-top AFV if present. Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT). Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC) Tank: all are closed-top and provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable APC – Armored Personnel Carrier: These are Combat Units, but stack like Transports. They can transport personnel units or towed units. They are not counted as combat units for the +1 stacking modifier on the Direct Fire and Bombardment Tables (4.4). They may be activated by regular leaders and tank leaders (1.2, 3.34, 4.3, 5.43). They do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).

AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle

Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0).
AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8). They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank leader in order to carry out combat movement.
AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1).
Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn (either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more (11.2).
Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3)
Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire (7.44, 7.64). Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire, but not both (7.22, 13.0). Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0).
Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3).
Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3).
AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42).
AFV's may Dig In (16.2).
Open-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables, but DO take step losses from X and #X results (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT). If a "2X" or "3X" result is rolled, at least one of the step losses must be taken by an open-top AFV if present.
Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT).
Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC)
Tank: all are closed-top and provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
APC – Armored Personnel Carrier: These are Combat Units, but stack like Transports. They can transport personnel units or towed units. They are not counted as combat units for the +1 stacking modifier on the Direct Fire and Bombardment Tables (4.4). They may be activated by regular leaders and tank leaders (1.2, 3.34, 4.3, 5.43). They do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).

Display Order of Battle

Japan Order of Battle

Imperial Japanese Army
Foot Leader Mechanized Misc Towed

Imperial Japanese Army

Foot

Leader

Mechanized

Misc

Towed

United States Order of Battle

Marine Corps
Foot Leader Misc Motorized Towed

Marine Corps

Foot

Leader

Misc

Motorized

Towed

Navy
Misc

Display Errata (1)

1 Errata Item
	The 8-3 Marine Infantry counter appears in most of the Saipan 1944 and Marianas 1944 scenarios, replacing the 10-3 DF valued Marine counters for those scenarios and is currently published in the most recent Saipan printing. (JayTownsend on 2015 Dec 26)

Display AARs (1)

Saipan 1944 2nd Edition, scenario #1: Red Beach

Author	JayTownsend
Method	Solo
Victor	United States
Play Date	2026-07-05
Language	English
Scenario	Sap2001

Saipan 1944 2nd Edition, scenario #1: Red Beach

There is enough difference that I’ll call this a 2nd Edition, In this scenario 4 more turns were added and needed and the victory conditions changed a bit and it is like that throughout the scenario book and more.

Red Beach was my favorite scenario to date and still is. It inspired me throughout the design of my first full boxed game. Amphibious landings with Marines in the Pacific was just so needed at this scale and this series and so many cool units added into Saipan that it really hit the mark for me.

In my first play through of this edition a Red Beach I almost restarted as I had heavy losses to my LVT A-1s & LVT A-4s on turn one and then on turn two I lost three loaded LVTs with Infantry units and Leaders but I remembered from playing this before, that the Marines take their lumps early but can recover once they get a toehold on land. So I carried on in this very bloody conflict. Scenario special rule #4 accounts for the American earlier per-landing bombardment but the Japanese have a huge off map artillery group that more than makes up for it.

The Marines sweated trying to achieve their three victory objectives throughout the game making for many tense actions. The Japanese have enough units with anti-tank factors that cause the Marines a number of problems but once they get some good fire-group together they start to slowly conquer territory at a cost. The Marines can’t all land in the same area or they will bunch up too much and create juicy targets for the Japanese.

As the game progress to the end, the Marines were just barely able to control an area four hexes deep and 28 hexes long as well as 7 town hexes. It took me several casualty counting’s to figure who came out on top, as the Japanese lost 45 steps and 8 leader and the Marines lost 44 steps and 5 leaders, about as close as you can get but giving the Marines a major victory with all three objectives.

The Marines had some luck and great dice rolls in the second half of the game or they could have easily lost this one, in a bad way. Great fun and still my favorite scenario.

3 Comments

JayTownsend

2026-07-05 12:56

This one can playout so many different ways, its just fun!

JayTownsend

2026-07-05 12:56

This one can playout so many different ways, its just fun!

JayTownsend

2026-07-05 12:56

This one can playout so many different ways, its just fun!

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Saip040

Sap2002

PG-HQ Library - Panzer Grenadier Hall > Scenarios > Sap2001

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