Conflict of Heroes: Guadalcanal 42-43

The Japanese Imperial Navy and Army exploded in a blitz across across the Pacific in December 1941 (which started with a crippling attack on the U.S. Fleet at Pearl Harbor), and by May of 1942 controlled all of Southeast Asia, the Pacific Rim, and everything in the Central Pacific west of Hawaii and Midway Island. It was an exquisite display of logistical planning and execution that shocked the western powers, and brought the United States into World War II. The only large land mass still held by the Allies in Asia or the Pacific when it was over was Australia, which they desperately needed as a staging area for an eventual U.S. led counter-attack.

The Japanese knew how important Australia was to the Allies, but they lacked the resources to conquer it; so Japan attempted to do the next best thing... isolate Australia from the United States by capturing Port Moresby in New Guinea and building an airfield on the island of Guadalcanal. Planes from both locations could disrupt the Allied supply lines, forcing the United States to postpone its counter attack indefinitely.

The United States recognized the threat the airfield on Guadalcanal posed, so as ill-prepared as the U.S. was for any offensive actions, immediately attacked Guadalcanal with the 1st Marine Division, under the command of Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift. The attack caught the Japanese by surprise, and the 1st Marine Division easily took control of the airfield. The Japanese 17th Army, under the command of Lt. Gen. Harukichi Hyakutake, and supported by the japanese Combined Fleet, counterattacked with an ever increasing number of troops over the next four months to take the island back. It was a desperate struggle took place in the air, and on land and on sea as the isolated U.S. forces fought to hold their tiny perimeter around the airfield against the might of the Japanese Empire.

Conflict of Heroes: Guadalcanal recreates this struggle and includes gorgeous beach and jungles maps of the South Pacific, the USMC, Japanese Bonzai Charges, Night combat and much more.

Firefights Included

• Firefight #T1 Stragglers Remorse
  Training firefight on the basics of jungle warfare.
   
• Firefight 1 – Retribution 19 August 1942
  Matanikau Village, west bank of the Matanikau River. An ad-hoc force of Japanese construction and SNLF troops that fled to Lunga Point when the Marines showed up is dug in on the west side of the Matanikau (mat-knee-cow) River waiting for reinforcements. A battalion sized force of Marines is sent to eliminate them. This is more of a training scenario than it is a large scale action. But Japanese snipers make their appearance, and the Marines suffer their first Banzai Charge of the war.
   
• Firefight 2 - Pride & Prejudice 0030 Hours 21 August 1942
  At the mouth of Alligator Creek on the east side of Lunga point This is the first firefight in a two firefight contest. A contest is a number of linked firefights where the outcome of the first firefight affects the second one, and so on. In this firefight Marines dug in on the east side of Alligator Creek (erroneously referred to at the time as the Teneru River)are attacked by a battalion of elite Japanese troops who are attempting to break through to the airfield. Night combat, multiple Banzai charges, and canister-firing 37mm Anti-tank guns! Who could ask for more? This firefight is designed for 2 Players and the CoH solo rules.
   
• Firefight 3 - Slugfest 0730 hours 21 August 1942
  At the Mouth of the Alligator Creek on the east side of Lunga point. This is the second firefight in a firefight contest. The survivors of the Japanese attack in Firefight #2 are milling about on the east side of Alligator Creek when the sun came up. The Marines counter attack with Stuart light tanks to wipe them out. The Japanese literally fight to the last man in a no-holds barred slug fest. This firefight is designed for 2 Players and the CoH solo rules.
   
• Firefight 4 – Edson’s Lucky Day 8 September 1942
  At the village of Tasimboko near Taivu Point, the 1st Raider Battalion (USMC) and the 1st Parachute Battalion (USMC)conduct a hit and run raid from the sea on a Japanese supply dump at Tasimboko. Amphibious landing craft make their first appearance in CoH. This firefight is designed for 2 Players and the CoH solo rules.
   
• Firefights 4a to 4b – Pacific Dieppe 8 September 1942
  At the village of Tasimboko near Taivu Point. This is a “what if” firefight contest of two linked firefights that speculates what could have happened to the raid on Tasimboko if the Japanese had reinforced the supply dump; which they could easily have done. A special “bonus” rule allows the players to use the surviving Marine squads for the American player’s forces in Firefight #5.
   
• Firefights 5 – 5a Bloody Ridge 13 September 1942
  Lunga Point, One mile south of Henderson Field. This is a firefight contest of two linked firefights that pits the Japanese 35th Brigade against the 1st Raider Battalion, the 1st Parachute Battalion, and elements of the 17th Marines in an all-night battle for a ridge one mile south of Henderson Field. Immovable object meet an irresistible force. U.S. OBA can fire artillery strikes during a round.
   
• Firefight 6 – Easier Said Than Done 27 September 1942
  North coast of Guadalcanal, west of Point Cruz. The 1st Battalion 7th Marines (1/7) lands west of Pt. Cruz to attack the Japanese at the Matanikau River from the rear, but it runs into almost 5 times the number of Japanese that it had anticipated to be there. The outnumber Marines have to fight their way back to the beach where they are withdrawn under the cover fire of an off shore destroyer.
   
• Firefight 7 - The Hedgehog Part I 1300 hours, 7 October 1942
  On the east bank of the Matanikau River, 400 yards south of the coast. This is the first Firefight in a firefight contest of three linked firefights. A Japanese Company (3/I/4) is pinned against the east bank of the Matanikau River by a Marine Battalion. The Marines move in to clear it out.
   
• Firefight 8 -The Hedgehog Part II 1300 hours, 7 October 1942
  On the east bank of the Matanikau River, 400 yards south of the coast. This is the second Firefight in the contest. The Japanese repulsed the first attack, so the Marines try again later that day. Both sides receive reinforcements.
   
• Firefight 9 -The Hedgehog Part III 0300 hours, 8 October 1942
  At the mouth of the Matanikau River. 3/I/4 breaks out of their hedgehog and heads for the mouth of the River where it can cross back to the west bank. Able Company, 1st Raider Battalion is guarding the crossing.
   
• Firefight 10 – Oh What a Night 0300 hours, 23 October 1942
  At the mouth of the Matanikau River. Japanese tanks! The Japanese tanks, with supporting infantry, attack across the sand bar at the mouth of the Matanikau River as night falls. The Marines are dug in and waiting for them, but Japanese numbers might prevail. This firefight is designed for 2 Players and the CoH solo rules.
   
• Firefight 11 - The Sendai Attacks 0100 hours, 25 October 1942
  East of Bloody Ridge. The Japanese 29th Infantry Regiment attacks the 1st Battalion 7th Marines. The Marines are badly outnumbered, but the Japanese throw away some of that advantage with poorly coordination attacks. Never the less it is a regiment verses a battalion. This firefight is designed for 2 Player and the John Butterfield solo rules. The U.S. Army makes its first appearance in CoH.
   
• Firefight 12 -Oka’s Turn 0300 Hours, 26 October 1942
  East of the Matanikau River. The Japanese attack a hedgehog defended by the 2nd Battalion 7th Marines in an attempt to break through to the coast and flank the defenses at the mouth of the Matanikau River. Marine rear echelon troops have to counter attack when the Japanese break through. This firefight is designed for 2 Players and the CoH solo rules.
   
• Firefight 13 - To Little Too Late 1 November 1942
  Pt. Cruz, Guadalcanal. The defeat of the 2nd Sendai Division at Bloody Ridge on October 25th and 26th (Firefight 11) left the Japanese logistical center at Kokumbona vulnerable to capture if the 5th Marines could get there before the Sendai Division returned to it. The only thing standing in their way was a collection of diehard Japanese soldiers dug into caves near Pt. Cruz. The Marines has to eliminate them before moving onto Kokumbona. Caves make their first appearance in CoH!

Contents

• 4 large mounted geomorphic map boards
• 280 1" die cut counters, including the USMC, US Army, Imperial Navy units, Airplanes, Landing Craft, Tanks and many more.
• 2 Track Sheets
• 1 Summary Sheet
• 1 Firefight book that includes the campaign summary and maps, historical context and 16 firefights for 1-4 players.
• 1 Programatic learning rulebook

Guadalcanal employs the same rules as all other CoH games. It includes additional special rules for the American artillery fire, Japanese Bonzai charges, night combat, and jungle movement.