Japan '46 Operation Coronet Allied AAR

[ComradeP]

18th of March 14:00 Turn 176:



20th Armoured and the 24th ID clear Kamijima and surroundings. The Japanese defenders held out long enough to prevent any units from being encircled to the east, but losses were heavy during the retreat. Units are moving uphill to clear the ridges overlooking Kamijima.

32th ID is redeploying from the XIV Corps area to the X Corps area. Now that bunkers have been completed and all 38th ID units are on-map, I felt I could hold the area with 2 infantry divisions and corps assets. The division will move towards Odawara from the north, after passing through Kamijima. The town has been reduced to RUBBLE, but there's a Clear hex to the north that can be used to bypass the town.



The 11th Airborne Division arrives in bits and pieces throughout the day, landing on the XXIV Corps beaches. It will relieve the 4th Marine Division at Yokoshiba. Some units start at reduced strength, but that might be due to an OOB error. They don't take amphibious landing losses.



There are 3 roads leading out of the Field hexes in the 6th Marine Division area: one through Yokaichioa (reduced to RUBBLE as the B quality 1st Line Japanese defenders proved stubborn), one through Izumigawa (coastal artillery bunker), and one through Ashikawa (coastal artillery bunker). I was careful not to target the latter two towns with artillery fire or air strikes.

Elxaime placed two company-sized 2nd Line units in the bunker hexes, sacrificing two pawns to slow me down. A good move, as the Japanese don't take additional losses when they can't retreat and will never retreat from Bunker hexes.

The USMC unit with the blue counter two hexes south of Izumigawa is the A quality FMFPAC Amphibious Recon battalion, a two company Demolition unit. Cutting defensive benefits from Bunkers by 50% helps a lot. As the unit consists of two companies, I can launch two assaults each turn that receive the Demolition benefit.

Ashikawa would be cleared by engineers and flamethrower Shermans (Marine Sherman battalions have 3 regular 75mm Sherman companies and a 9 vehicle flamethrower Sherman HQ company with an assault value of 37).

The 4th Marine Division continues to run into stiff resistance around Yokoshiba.

The 1st Marine Division is moving up along the coastal road. The division will bypass Ashikawa along the Beach hexes.