"Best Marines Battle for Wargamers?" Topic

Which battle involving the U.S. Marines makes the best miniature wargaming scenario?

I would suggest the various actions on Guadalcanal.

Jim

ColCampbell+1

Korea

Guadalcanal … then Peleliu

Edson's Ridge, Guadacanal.

A bit more specific, gentlemen.

Edson's Ridge is a good example.

Battle of Derna? 8 marines leading a few hundred Greek mercenaries against corsairs. First battle fought on foreign soil post-independence.

Battle of Derna on the Shores of Tripoli – "Leathernecks"

Battle of Belleau Wood in France WWI – "Devil Dogs"

If forced to chose smaller actions of Belleau Wood – would do the opening Assault on Hill 142 – or one of several action in the woods or the action across the wheat field

Hue
Battle of Cuzco Well

Hadley's Hope, site of the terraforming colony, LV-426.

Bellieu Woods in WW !

Peleliu – The Point
Tarawa – The D+2 Japanese counterattack

Bull Run July 1861

Harpers Ferry, 1859. You get to have Robert E. Lee and Jeb Stuart in command.

Grelber

Cape Gloucester…Suicide Creek.
Aogiri Ridge.

Too many from Peleliu and Guadalcanal to choose from.

I like the outcome of "Alligator Creek" at Guadalcanal.

No love for the Halls of Montezuma?

I'll also add the defense of the US Legation, Beijing, 1900

Guadalcanal

Grenada
The Burning of the Philadelphia

If it were the Mexican Marines, I'm not sure how to specify several of the engagements with the Zetas … but, that.

A few more specific USMC battles to consider
Withdrawal from the Chosin Reservoir (Korea)
Battle for Hue City (Vietnam)
Assault into the Meatgrinder (Iwo Jima, WWII)
Battle for Sugar Loaf (Okinawa, WWII)

With Tarawa, Okinawa and Peleliu the Japanese units are all going to be hidden in bunkers or caves so not a good fit for miniatures.

Guadalcanal especially the Long Patrol: link

which could be a campaign game as there are many engagements. Alligator Creek is basically a shooting gallery with little maneuver.

Hue would be fun but good luck finding an ONTOS.

Belleau Wood would be good for a campaign game as it's a multiday battle with attacking and defending.

For VN the Hill Fights: PDF link

and Force Recon engagements in I Corps.

Wolfhag

Bladensburg makes a pretty good game.

With Tarawa, Okinawa and Peleliu the Japanese units are all going to be hidden in bunkers or caves so not a good fit for miniatures.

That's not true. The Japanese are hidden until the Americans get close enough to spot them (if the Japanese have been shooting at the Americans, that increases the spotting distance).

Once the Japanese in a bunker are spotted, the top is taken off the bunker, revealing the Japanese miniatures inside. Then the American and Japanese miniatures can engage in close combat (shooting, grenade throwing, flamethrowing, Marine assault into the bunker, Japanese banzai charge out of the bunker, etc.), depending on the tactical choice of the players.

The same applies to Japanese in fighting holes and trenches. Once the Japanese are spotted, the miniatures are out on the table,

Also, some of the engagements at Tarawa and Peleliu involved Japanese counteroffensives (e.g., the D+2 Tarawa assault I mentioned earlier in this thread), which means the Japanese miniatures are out on the table.

Eric Alvarado has run several of his Tarawa and Peleliu scenarios at HMGS conventions using the above-described mechanics, and they work really well.

The "Sugarloaf", Okinawa.
Sixteen separate USMC assaults were required before the Japanese defenders were finally driven out

A very tough battle.

B

Battle of Peking!

Random bar in Kin 'ville

Battle of Sacket's Harbor, 1813