From: Doug Murphy <dmurphy@WPPOST.DEPAUL.EDU>
Subject: Replay: Beachhead (rather long)

Just finished a quick game of Yaquinto's Beachhead.  Left us breathless
(for an old game...)  US invades a mythical Japanese held island.  There
are three places to land.  Two beaches separated by a marshly delta and
a rockier beach near a town. I chose the longest flattest beach with a
high seawall.  Japanese deployed face down first.  This beach has a
steep hill overlooking it a la Suribachi on Iwo.

As 19 landing craft chugged toward shore (I must've lost a counter),
14", 8", and 5" naval gunfire slammed into the overwatching hill,
suppressing its units.  aircraft bombs and rockets strafed the Japanese
MLR situated on a low treed ridge about 75 yds inland.  Japanese big
guns further back opened up on the LC supported by mortars hitting the
beach and HMGs.  As the LC crawled on, I lost a two-three a turn (with
only a few troops able to stagger ashore).  Finally, the troops of the
first wave hit the beach and raced into the dubious shelter of the
seawall.  2 tanks crawled over the wall on the far left of the beach and
knocked out a flanking MG.  Several bunkers flanked the entire beach
from across the delta.  Troops raced up the overlooking hill and
captured its entrenchments after taking 50% casualties.

There was a lull as troops huddled behind the sea wall and the LC of the
second wave appeared.  The US had captured the hill and had unsupported
armor out along the far left of the MLR. The Japanese player had frozen
his units in place to avoid being caught out by a landing on another
beach.  About 1/3 of the game had passed.

Japanese guns opened up on the 2nd wave as the troopers ashore made a
rush for cover inland.  This attack was quashed by flanking fire from
HMGs and mortars.  Naval gunfire and air support worked up and down the
MLR.  The US needed more troops ashore and the Japanese needed time to
gather a counterattacking force (he had deployed too spread out).  As
the halfway point passed, most of the 2nd wave had landed and spread out
along the sea wall.  Troops on the hill could see Japanese troops coming
through the brush toward their flank. The Marines attacked again,
digging out some bunkers with flamethrowers and close assaults.  The
bridgehead expanded past the MLR on the far left with the help of a tank
which still lived a charmed life. Japanese counterattacks were spotted
by FOs on the hill and stopped by the first arty which had arrived in
the third wave of LC and set up right on the beach.  As game end
approached, the US had cleaned out most of the MLR by rolling it up from
the left.  Some of the bunkers were bypassed and pinned down with an MG.
Japanese troops still were scattered in the interior or deployed
overlooking the other beaches. US 2nd level victory.

Hot washup:   US was in too much of a hurry: took too many losses.
Japanese deployment was too spread out.  WIth initial deployment off the
beaches, a banzai attack might've thrown the US into the sea.   Made
less than optimal use of the ground (for killing zones).  Good use of US
armor and flamethrowers against bunkers.  Less than optimal use of air
and naval support.

Doug Murphy (dmurphy@wppost.depaul.edu)