Toaw Scenario: Corregidor 45

Philippines,
February 16, 1945,

USA army of 44 units opposed to Japan army of 55 units
for a battle of complexity 0.53 at Company(I) level
on a 2.5 Km/Hex map
for 12 turns of Full Day each.

by Eric Wilson submited on 03-12-2002

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Briefing
THE U.S. INVASION OF CORREGIDOR An invasion by the 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment and 3d Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment by P. Eric Wilson Date: February 1945 Location: Corregidor, Philippines Map Scale: 2.5km per hex Time Scale: Full-day turns Unit Scale: Company/Battalion Length: 12 turns UNIT COLORS UNITED STATES: Army 3d Battalion: White on Green Army 503d PIR: Light Blue on Green USAAF: Dark Blue on Green U.S. Navy: Light Blue on Blue JAPAN: Army: White on Yellow Marines, SNLF: Red on White NOTE 1. Modified for TOAW version 1.04.08. 2. Best played from the American side. 3. When I created my map of Corregidor, I used hills, mountains, and major escarpment to give an impression of a flat height atop a steep-sided mountain. I hope you like it. :-) NOTES FOR U.S. PLAYER 1. You have access to two battalions of airborne troops. You must drop them at their historical drop locations. Drop zone A is located at the parade ground around hex 9,13 and drop zone B is located around hex 13,14. If these hexes are under American control at the start of turn two, the U.S. player will receive 50 points (25 points per hex). Too many important historical objectives lie near these locations for these areas to be ignored. Intel indicates this area to be the safest place to land anyway. If you decide to land elsewhere, you can; unfortunately, you will lose the 50 points. 2. Use your naval forces! They are very valuable. Always try to space your ships so that they can attack as many targets as possible. You will want the big guns to help out in as many of your attacks as can be accomplished. 3. The event editor will handle such things as elimination of naval forces due to shore bombardment and suicide "Q" ships, general withdraw of naval forces and aircraft near the end of the game, and, of course, the 50 point bonus to U.S. players for dropping in their proper drop zones on turn one. NOTES FOR JAPANESE PLAYER To make the game more of a challenge for the American player, the Japanese player is given a 150 point VP bonus at the start of the game. If you can hold a few of the major hexes by the end of the game, you might be able to draw. One or two more and you will win. HISTORY Douglas MacArthur always said he would return to the Philippines. The small island of Corregidor stood as a symbol of American withdraw and defeat from this area. In 1945, America had the ability to return. Corregidor was important not only as a symbol of potential return but also for its military value. In order for Allied shipping to enter Manila Bay successfully, the large naval guns on the island had to be eliminated. The island is shaped like a tadpole. At the head of the tadpole is a steep mountain that rises 600 feet above sea level. On its top is a long flat surface where the Japanese main base was. Allied planners realized that in order to capture the island with a minimum amount of casualties, they would have to drop airborne troops on its high and flat surface. High cliffs and escarpment at the water's edge would have made a seaborne landing very difficult. On February 16, two U.S. parachute infantry battalions landed on Corregidor on a disused golf course and parade ground. They dropped only 400 feet above the ground to gain the accuracy necessary to land in the small area required. They took 13% casualties on landing due to fast drop times. Nevertheless, they caught the Japanese by surprise and captured their first day objectives. In addition, they discovered and killed Captain Akira Itagaki, the Japanese leader in charge of the defense of the island within minutes of dropping. To the east, 3rd battalion of the 34th regiment, 24th division, landed at "Beach Black" and easily captured their first day objective at Malinta Hill. On the 17th, the Japanese came out of their caves and started counter-attacking the American invaders. At this same time, 1st battalion, 503rd PIR landed on Beach Black to reinforce and link up with the other two 503rd battalions on the islands tabletop mountain surface. Fighting at the head of the "tadpole" continued until around the 24th. On that same day, American forces started moving east from Malinta Hill. The entire island was captured on the 27th. It was a difficult fight due to the Japanese' use of caves and tunnels. It also didn't help that there were 6000 Japanese troops on the island instead of the 850 that intel expected. Nevertheless, American forces did well. Almost all 6000 enemy troops were killed at a loss of less than 200 American dead. The capture of Corregidor was a major success that paved the way for MacArthur's return.

Briefing

THE U.S. INVASION OF CORREGIDOR
An invasion by the 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment and 3d Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment
by P. Eric Wilson

Date: February 1945
Location: Corregidor, Philippines
Map Scale: 2.5km per hex
Time Scale: Full-day turns
Unit Scale: Company/Battalion
Length: 12 turns

UNIT COLORS
UNITED STATES:
Army 3d Battalion: White on Green
Army 503d PIR: Light Blue on Green
USAAF: Dark Blue on Green
U.S. Navy: Light Blue on Blue
JAPAN:
Army: White on Yellow
Marines, SNLF: Red on White

NOTE
1. Modified for TOAW version 1.04.08.

2. Best played from the American side.

3. When I created my map of Corregidor, I used hills, mountains, and major escarpment to give an impression of a flat height atop a steep-sided mountain. I hope you like it. :-)

NOTES FOR U.S. PLAYER
1. You have access to two battalions of airborne troops. You must drop them at their historical drop locations. Drop zone A is located at the parade ground around hex 9,13 and drop zone B is located around hex 13,14. If these hexes are under American control at the start of turn two, the U.S. player will receive 50 points (25 points per hex). Too many important historical objectives lie near these locations for these areas to be ignored. Intel indicates this area to be the safest place to land anyway. If you decide to land elsewhere, you can; unfortunately, you will lose the 50 points.

2. Use your naval forces! They are very valuable. Always try to space your ships so that they can attack as many targets as possible. You will want the big guns to help out in as many of your attacks as can be accomplished.

3. The event editor will handle such things as elimination of naval forces due to shore bombardment and suicide "Q" ships, general withdraw of naval forces and aircraft near the end of the game, and, of course, the 50 point bonus to U.S. players for dropping in their proper drop zones on turn one.

NOTES FOR JAPANESE PLAYER
To make the game more of a challenge for the American player, the Japanese player is given a 150 point VP bonus at the start of the game. If you can hold a few of the major hexes by the end of the game, you might be able to draw. One or two more and you will win.

HISTORY
Douglas MacArthur always said he would return to the Philippines. The small island of Corregidor stood as a symbol of American withdraw and defeat from this area. In 1945, America had the ability to return. Corregidor was important not only as a symbol of potential return but also for its military value. In order for Allied shipping to enter Manila Bay successfully, the large naval guns on the island had to be eliminated.

The island is shaped like a tadpole. At the head of the tadpole is a steep mountain that rises 600 feet above sea level. On its top is a long flat surface where the Japanese main base was. Allied planners realized that in order to capture the island with a minimum amount of casualties, they would have to drop airborne troops on its high and flat surface. High cliffs and escarpment at the water's edge would have made a seaborne landing very difficult.

On February 16, two U.S. parachute infantry battalions landed on Corregidor on a disused golf course and parade ground. They dropped only 400 feet above the ground to gain the accuracy necessary to land in the small area required. They took 13% casualties on landing due to fast drop times. Nevertheless, they caught the Japanese by surprise and captured their first day objectives. In addition, they discovered and killed Captain Akira Itagaki, the Japanese leader in charge of the defense of the island within minutes of dropping. To the east, 3rd battalion of the 34th regiment, 24th division, landed at "Beach Black" and easily captured their first day objective at Malinta Hill.

On the 17th, the Japanese came out of their caves and started counter-attacking the American invaders. At this same time, 1st battalion, 503rd PIR landed on Beach Black to reinforce and link up with the other two 503rd battalions on the islands tabletop mountain surface.

Fighting at the head of the "tadpole" continued until around the 24th. On that same day, American forces started moving east from Malinta Hill. The entire island was captured on the 27th. It was a difficult fight due to the Japanese' use of caves and tunnels. It also didn't help that there were 6000 Japanese troops on the island instead of the 850 that intel expected.

Nevertheless, American forces did well. Almost all 6000 enemy troops were killed at a loss of less than 200 American dead. The capture of Corregidor was a major success that paved the way for MacArthur's return.