Saipan 2nd Edition, scenario #28: Hell’s Pocket

I noticed a change in the 2nd Edition, where the two groups of Army units cannot enter hexes of the other map once they enter on either map 82 or 83, so one group enters on either map. I am not sure what to think of this change, other than it simulates the rough terrain and fighting conditions on Hell’s Pocket. I suppose the Japanese could have setup one map in a gamey situation, but I didn’t do that, and half were setup on the big hill mass on map 82 and the other half on the big hill mass on map 83.

The casualties were actually pretty close with the American barely winning by 4 steps. The Americans could only take two out of four cave hexes, as they lost their FLM unit on map 83, so they didn’t do well, whereas the large hill mass on map 83 they took both caves, as each hill had two. Somehow, the Japanese didn’t protect their artillery units very well and they lost all three units, thus the Americans achieved 2 out of 3 victory objectives for a minor victory.