Iwo Jima: The Meat Grinder*
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Date: March, 1945*
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Battle Type: USMC Assault vs Japanese Defend*
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Design: Dick (Boomer) Burleigh*
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The Imperial Japanese defenders of Iwo Jima, under the brilliant command of Lt. Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi, constructed an indepth defense belt across the central island plateau.  The elevated sandstone hills to the north of Motoyama Airfield Number 2 formed the backbone of this fortress.  The Japanese connected natural caves with a network of tunnels and the reinforced it all with additional concrete.  Individual concrete reinforced rifle pits, bunkers, pillboxes, revetted and buried tanks were well concealed with carefully planned overlapping fields of fire.  As the US Marines slowly fought their way northward, the area of hills beyond Airfield #2 became known as the "Meat Grinder".*
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This scenario represents a time compression and a simplification of the fighting that took place on Iwo Jima during the time frame of February 28 to March 3, 1945.  Three heavy Marine Divisions pushed forward side by side.  The 5th Marine Division pushed up along the west coast while the 4th Marines advanced on the right.  The 3rd Marine Division, originally designated as Reserve was called into action to support the center between the 4th & 5th Marines.  Augmented by attached Engineer and tank battalions, the Marines pushed forward through General Kuribayashi's Meat Grinder.  Daily gains were sometimes limited to 50 yards or less.  You have command of one battalion of Marines from each of the three Divisions.  To grasp the full scope of this battle, you must imagine another battalion on each of your flanks and two more behind each of yours.  Capture the village of Motoyama and take control the hills north of Airfield #2.*  
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Designed to be played as USMC.*
Dedicated to those who were there.*