Iwo Jima Wednesday

[mothman]

A very short Iwo Jima game proving that charging in doesn’t work especially with no support.
https://moth107.blogspot.com/2025/07/flaming-hl.html?m=0

[Tom Dulski]

 Nice blog post.

[bluewillow]

Nice post

[Belligerentparrot]

I enjoyed that report, well done! Sounds like the rules/scenarios modelled how well the Japanese were set up on Iwo Jima.

I'd be interested to know whether you felt you had to charge on in as you did or whether you discounted other options. One side of the controversy on the American side during and after the battle and again on Okinawa, I believe (and I might well be wrong), was whether the Marines had any realistic alternative to their grinding assaults.

[Sakuragi Miniatures]

That was a nicely energetic battle report!

I visited Iwo Jima in 2023, what struck me about getting off the beaches was how it felt like going uphill to a flat shelf, that led to another upslope, then another, all nicely in view of the Japanese machine gun positions waiting for you at the top. And the sand is very loose, so you're sliding down as well. It's hard to express in photos as the black sand doesn't show how high or steep those slopes can be.


Suribachi from Green Beach


Saw these on the ground near the foliage, no I didn't touch them. You don't touch any of this stuff.


View from the top. None of this terrain is actually flat. It's all slopes and once you crest the top... it's uneven and hilly with lots of places to put hidden holes in the ground.

[Utgaard]

Impressive pics, thanks for sharing!

[LouieN]

Great photos.  Weird to see it in color, but always was for those that lived it. 

Funny how nature does not care about the carnage that occurred. 

[Sakura]

I enjoyed that report, well done! Sounds like the rules/scenarios modelled how well the Japanese were set up on Iwo Jima.

I'd be interested to know whether you felt you had to charge on in as you did or whether you discounted other options. One side of the controversy on the American side during and after the battle and again on Okinawa, I believe (and I might well be wrong), was whether the Marines had any realistic alternative to their grinding assaults.

Firstly i have to say that the scenario as written was headed Pacific Island and was not intended to be specific.  I think Tim chose Iwo Jima to be more dramatic.  Looking at the photos of the actual terrain of Iwo Jima there is obviously no serious jungly area in front of the high ground.  We had played the same scenario the previous week with different gamers and the US marines ran out comfortable winners.  They advanced slowly in step with the tanks and kept firing on any Japanese targets that appeared.  By contrast Tim kept the tanks and infantry apart and ran with the infantry rather than advancing and firing.  Thanks for your comments.