Rising Sun Tarawa Scenarios

[Dan Caviness]

Hello Fellow Blitzoids:

Serious question here, I've been looking for some good scenarios, bringing a new player up to speed.
Usually I look for one that is a bit unbalanced so I can really whip him...no...wait...so I can take the short end of it and make it a better experience for both...

I was trying to dig up an old Rising Sun favorite of mine involving the invasion of Tarawa/Betio and I found "Line of Departure:  Tarawa".  That's the one I played.  Years ago.

Created by D. Bevard...who...to be clear...I regard somewhere between Gandhi and the Buddha himself...
Not ever going to complain about a scenario of his.
Superior stuff.

I think there is a mistake though, not sure how it happened.
"Line of Departure:  Tarawa" depicts the entire landing with some scale modification for game play.  It is Complexity 7.  Visibility 1.
1 as in "Very Thick Fog".

I don't remember that being 1 visibility when I first played it because one of the few joys the doomed Japanese player gets to experience is opening with those big bore bunker/pillbox guns and trying to blow a few Alligators out of the water as the Leathernecks came in.

Is this 1 hex visibility a glitch or mistake when the scenario was imported to the current version of the game perhaps?

I know a bit about the invasion of Tarawa and it's well documented a lot of US Marines who got dropped 600-800 up to 1000 yards off shore (the early version LST's, actually Higgins Boats, couldn't navigate the submerged reef) were moving inwards through machine gun fire.  They were spotted.  The hard way.

The island was also pummeled with airstrikes, and the big Navy guns took out 3 of the 4 8 inch guns the Japanese had emplaced on the island.  It was a clear morning.  Fun fact...Eddie Albert was a USN Ensign commanding one of the landing craft...no Green Acres THAT day I tell you...

The only reduced visibility referenced in Alexander's excellent reference "Utmost Savagery" and Robert Sherrod's "Tarawa" (which may be the finest imbedded war correspondent book EVER) was that caused by Navy smoke used to help cover the landings.  Since the scenario includes smoke rounds for the Marines, I wouldn't think this was an attempt to recreate the smoke screen.

I think it's an error.

Only Mr. Brevard would know for sure?

Regards,



Dan