Panzer Grenadier Battles on October 24th:
Afrika 1944 #22 - PAKfront Leyte '44 #12 - Flying Wedge
Fronte Russo #9 - Potemkin Village Leyte '44 #13 - Failure at Buri Airfield
Red & White #28 - Bastion
PG-HQ Library - Panzer Grenadier Hall > Scenarios > Sap2021
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Hill 500
Saipan 2 #21
(Defender) Japan vs United States (Attacker)
Formations Involved
United States 1st Provisional Rocket Detachment
United States 25th Marine Regiment
Display
Balance:
Overall balance chart for Sap2021
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 1944-06-20
Start Time 10:30
Turn Count 28
Visibility Day
Counters 60
Net Morale 1
Net Initiative 2
Maps 2: 82, 83
Layout Dimensions 56 x 43 cm
22 x 17 in
Play Bounty 176
AAR Bounty 168
Total Plays 1
Total AARs 1
Duplicates Saip020
Battle Types
Hill Control
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Cave Control
Conditions
Caves
Smoke
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Saipan 2 Base Game
Introduction

Straddling the boundary between the two Marine divisions, the well-fortified Hill 500 posed a significant obstacle as the American advance turned to the north. The 25th Marines, with two battalions attacking on a narrow frontage, would have support from two battalions of artillery and the 1st Provisional Rocket Detachment. The Japanese had many caves, but not very many troops.
Conclusion

Under a heavy smoke screen and a barrage of shells and rockets, Lt. Col. Justice M. Chambers (who would win the Congressional Medal of Honor on the beaches of Iwo Jima a year later) led his 3/25th Marines forward. The Japanese had few men atop the hill, but they defended their caves fiercely, shocking the Marines when they counted only 44 bodies, not counting those buried in the caves or under the rubble of the rocky hilltop.
Additional Notes

American Mortars can use smoke.

The USMC HMG's called for in the scenario book should actually WPN's.
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).
  • Unarmored Weapon Carriers: These are unarmored halftracks (Bufla and Sk7/2) or fully-tracked vehicles (Karl siege mortar) with mounted weapons. All are mechanized, except the BM-13 (Katyusha rocket launcher mounted on a truck). They are weapon units, not AFV's, so they are never efficient and cannot be activated by tank leaders. (SB)
Display Order of Battle
Japan Order of Battle
Imperial Japanese Army
  • Towed
United States Order of Battle
Marine Corps
  • Motorized
  • Towed
Display Errata (1)
1 Errata Item
Overall balance chart for 1466

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 2nd Edition, scenario #21: Hill 500
Author JayTownsend
Method Solo
Victor United States
Play Date 2026-08-29
Language English
Scenario Sap2021

Saipan 2nd Edition, scenario #21: Hill 500

An interesting scenario, the Marines have three objectives against a cave heavy hill but they get a nice dose of on board mortar & MK-7 Rocket truck support. With the Japanese I could not decide how to setup the Japanese in best defenses and I ended up putting them all grouped together on the higher hill hexes. In hindsight, I should have setup some blocking units on both trails leading up the mountain and on in the northern clearing but I didn’t.

It nice playing the Marines when you have two FLM and one ENG unit to help you with difficult Japanese. The Marines cleared all the caves and the 80-meter hill hex and eliminated 23 Japanese steps and 6 leaders and left a few demoralized enemy units scattered in the Jungle for a Major American victory. It did cost them 7 step losses and two leaders but this was an enjoyable clearing scenario to play. The 37mm ATGs and Jeeps had little to do in this one.
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PG-HQ Library - Panzer Grenadier Hall > Scenarios > Sap2021
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