Peleliu #2*
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Date: September 15, 1944*
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Battle Location: Peleliu Island, Palau*
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Battle Type: US Marines Assault vs Japanese Defend*
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Turns: 20*
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Description: This scenario represents the advance of the 1st Marine Division on Peleliu (part of the operation "Stalemate 2") on September 15, 1944,from 09:30 - 18:00 hours and can be played only from the US Marines side.*
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Orders: You are in command of two regimental combat teams. The beaches at ORANGE 1 - 3 have been cleared. Now we are going to move further inland. Combat team 2 (5th Marines) has landed with two battalions. The third battalion, 3/5 Marines is underway to reinforce. Combat team 3 (7th Marines) has landed with one battalion. The second battalion, 2/7 Marines is underway to reinforce. We are sorry, but we haven't enough transportation room to land the third battalion today. The main parts of the 11th Marines (artillery) will try to land today. Parts of 3/7 have landed on ORANGE 2 in the initial assault due to confusion, you need to rearrange your battalions. Your battalion goals are marked with victory hexes and the battalion mark (approx. middle of defence line). Take and hold them. The necessary manoeuvres of the battalions to reach there goals are a little bit complicated but you have the time if you are fast. The reinforcement battalions are part of the perimeter! Beware of counter attacks. Something went wrong with our reconnaissance; we didn't identify the Japanese stronghold called "The point" in the WHITE 1 area and the swamp area south of ORANGE 3 is not passable to tanks. There is More bad news, our observer planes have identified an enemy tank force north-east of the airfield and infantry movement south and east of the airfield. Move the AT-guns with the main force. Good luck!*
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Historical note: The Marines achieved only little progress at WHITE 1 and WHITE 2, because of unexpected heavy resistance at "The Point". So the 5th Marines must stretch its frontline to reach all the defined targets and hold connection with the WHITE 2 beachhead at its left flank.*
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Gameplay Notes/Tips: Move your troops only to the victory hexes and the approx. connecting line between them because the next scenario will start from these points. Find and fight down the Japanese artillery. They can painful slow down your progress inland. Unload your LVT's at the beach (shallow water hex); don't use them inland, they are needed to transport supplies and must go back to the reef. It IS possible to reach the 3/5 objectives in 8-9 turns. But this will result in large gaps between your troops which looks very unrealistic so first assemble your troops and then move.*
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Designer Notes: The troops strength (US Marines and Japanese) is reduced to 33%. Combat looses are subtracted. Some LVT 4 have there cargo capacity changed to transport Jeeps and 37mm AT guns. DUKW's are able to transport artillery pieces; they are fitted with an A-like crane. Marines 37mm AT guns are able to fire AP and clusters; select the ammo (gun; right mouse) before you fire. Japanese light tanks can transport 4 men (frontline chances). The Japanese side have also reinforcements to simulate sheltered troops and the relocation of troops in the battle, this means you are not able to destroy all the enemy with your bombardment or locate them with your spotter planes. A large number of  the original units have been changed in the editor; name, number of men, weapons, ammo, armour, land speed, water speed, sometimes the icon etc to accomodate the compressed time span and other issues. One Example of this is that the number of men in all marines units goes constantly down between scenario Peleliu #1 to Peleliu #5 due to casualities.*
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Sources:*
Moran J. & Rottman, G. L., Peleliu 1944, Osprey*
Rottman, Gordon L., Japanese Pacific Island Defence 1941-45, Osprey*
Zaloga, Steven, Amtracs: US Amphibious assault vehicles, Osprey*
Camp, Dick, Last man standing, Zenith Press*
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-Peleliu/index.html#index*
http://home.sprynet.com/~kier/peleliu.htm#Overview*
http://www.4point2.org/gunboats.htm#peleliu*
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Design by: Christian Basener, Germany*
Email: christian.basener@gmx.de*
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AATB = Armored Amphibian Tractor Battalion*
ATB = Amphibian Tractor Battalion*
TCAT = Transportation Corps Amphibious Truck*
CU = Constrution Unit*
AB = West Carolines Air Force Base Units*
