Flags of Our Fathers, Turn 0

In prepping for this game as the US Commander, I had to take the flip POV of my considerations as the JP Commander in the first game (more below). Also, important lesson learned from Gary was the power of concentrated US bombardments and it's ability to power through the terrain and caves. Bombard, bombard, and bombard some more. Second, I liked Gary's Suribachi gambit with roll-up the pork chop strategy and decided to copy it (with my own mods). Lastly, JP only gets VPs when Marines die, and I only need to hold the 3 bottom air fields for 5 turns with the bonus to get 40 VPs for an auto. Plenty of time; that last point didn't quite turn out true as I had to hustle in the last turn.

I figured Gary wouldn't necessarily position JP units on the beach, but decided to make sure to probe with the "excess" bombard factors when I had the chance. The other thing I tried to do was to keep rough count of destroyed units, which is possible in remote VASSAL game, but maybe not as kosher in FTF game. JP has 26 units, of which one is the HQ and there are 5 JP Navy units that can easily be counted.

US attack consdirations:

1. Get off the beach! 0 terrain doesn't protect anything - I learned this in other games before Ironman

2. Caves are a pain! US needs to have 5 hits+ to cause reductions in 2 terrain areas and 6 hits+ in 3 terrain areas (hills) - concentrated bombards like Gary did is the only way to hit the dug in JP units

3. Engage JP short-range arty to prevent shots on beach-heads and safe to land markers; the JP long-range arty needs to be taken out quickly

4. Hits on 5&6's means very bloody battle; JP units can fire in defensive fire, reset and fire in JP part of turn during assault -- that's a lot of firepower that the Marines have to brave through; need to minimize this

5. IF no Auto-Vic before game end, need to take as many areas as possible

6. Be careful as moving up the pork chop for hidden JP units; need to stop and consolidate an area to force out JP units to reveal to prevent opportunity to end-run US line or let slip US unit past hidden JP unit(s) to take back air fields cheaply or hit weaker units

I think that's the check list.

Flags of Our Fathers, Turn 1

Feb 17 - good clear weather

Bomb Suribachi 26 (12) - 7 hits! potentially killed 3-4 JP units!

Bomb probe Warbler 4(2); Old Man 4(0); Double Root 4(1). No effect, but no caves either, so unlikely that Gary did a defend the beaches gambit.

NO LANDING by the Marines! That should throw a curveball. I decided that I wanted one more bombard before I let my Marines face Defensive Fire. Might as well use the naval arty and the planes.

JP Move Dice 6 (3 units: moved hidden).

4 JP Navy units pop up, with 1 step in Suribachi. So likely 4 units in Suribachi and 3 died. 23 left.

VP JP0 US0

" />

Flags of Our Fathers, Turn 3

Feb 23 - cloudy weather portends storm clouds ahead

US bombards Ohsaka to get rid of that exposed LR Arty 26 (9) - 4 hits and wipes out the LRA. 20 JP left. Funami probe 4 (2) - no effect, but see 2 caves that were going to be there anyway.

3rd Marines land resulting in 2 VPs to JP.

1. 21st to Suribachi

2. 9th to Western

3. 3rd to Double Root - prob. should have moved in 2 or all 3 into Suribachi

Assault Suribachi 24 (4) - just missed doing damage.

JP bombs Suribachi 3 (0). JP Move Dice 1 (1 hidden move)

B/H goes back on Double Root

VP JP 4 US 4

" />