Mike's Marines (Part 3: Move Out!)

with Mike

previously... (Mike's Beachhead List...)

“Move Out” - 1500 Points

The Japanese assault has been repelled, but the job isn't finished! It’s time to push inland and secure that objective we were meant to take during the first hours of the beach assault! The company has been reinforced and is raring to go!

Marine Rifle Company (Inland)	Points
Marine Rifle HQ	55
Marine Rifle Platoon with BAR (2/3 strength)	210
Marine Rifle Platoon with BAR (2/3 strength)	210
Company Machine-gun Platoon (with 4x M1919 LMG)	105
Assault Section (full strength)	220
Marine War Dog Platoon (2x Dog Handlers)	70
Marine Artillery Battery (4x M1A1 75mm)	165
Light Tank Platoon (2x M3 Stuart)	350
Flame Tank Platoon (1x M3A1 Satan)	110
add Improvised Tank Assault Armour	5
Total	1500

A fresh supply of flame-throwing and demolition specialists have joined the fight in the Assault Section. This unit is pretty cool with it’s bazookas (a rare piece of equipment in the USMC rifle company!) flame-throwers, and pioneer teams.

The platoon must be attached to the rifle platoons, but it has a special ability to attach its teams at my discretion, rather than having to split them up evenly. This means I could attach them all to a single platoon to make a massive assault unit (something Marines did frequently) or I can make specialist platoons by attaching the flame-throwers to one, and the bazookas to the other and the pioneers to either. It’s an expensive but highly versatile platoon.

Heading inland will put my Marines at the mercy of Japanese ambushes, so I’ve attached some Dog Handlers to the platoons. Like the Assault Section, these must be attached out, but I purchased two teams, one for each platoon.

These unique units are two-man Recce teams, so you can use them for Eyes and Ears, but they can also push enemy ambushes back even further to 10”/25cm rather than the usual 8”/20cm and don’t have to have line of sight to the ambushing platoon either. Having embedded recce in the platoons is a great economical way of keeping your Marines safe!

I’ve backed up my guys with some M1A1 75mm pack howitzers. These will provide smoke screens and pin the enemy to help my assault get in close. In a pinch they can engage the enemy over open sights, but the lack of gunshield makes this a risky proposition. Having a fearless veteran battery with a staff team (and the full complement of US artillery rules) will be helpful with making sure the assault goes in successfully.

I’ve added a second Stuart to the Light Tank Platoon to help give me some mobility. Having two should be able to form a solid anchor for the infantry assault to spring from.Two also means they can protect each other better from enemy assaults.

I’ve also brought up an M3A1 Satan flame-tank. This “devil” has pretty mean flame-thrower on board with ROF 3 an FP 5+, as well as its full complement of machine-guns. I’ve given it improvised tank assault armor, which gives it a special 5+ save against FP 5 or 6 weapons and a 5+ save in assault combat as well, which being a flame tank isn’t that special but for 5 points, it’s worth it to possibly help it survive to withdraw.

Backed by tanks, flame-throwers, and war dogs, these Marines are ready to finish their mission and take that damned airfield...

Next Up: Mike's USMC Late War List...