Untitled Document
RED BEACH - BLOOD TIDE: THE BATTLE OF TARAWA follows CH's
successful OMAHA BEACH series ... just move things over an ocean,
and then some.
BETIO, TARAWA ATOLL, 20 November 1943: On the morning of D-Day
on Tarawa, Red Beach Two was to be a killing ground for both sides.
Landing Team 2, 2nd Marine Division paid a stiff price to get
ashore. This was especially so for their attached engineers. These
Marines in particular were a breed apart: skilled infantrymen,
imbued with the skill and nerve to be demolitions experts, flame-thrower
operators and obstacle breaching engineers. Staff Sergeant William
J. Bordellon was among the best and brightest of this group. When
Japanese shellfire disabled his LVT at H-Hour, killing most of
his platoon, Bordelon led a handful of survivors toward the shelter
of the seawall. Bordelon quickly fused the remaining dynamite
into four explosive charges, stood up in the face of intense fire
from Japanese machine gun positions, and lobbed one charge after
another into the positions until being wounded in the left arm
and face by shrapnel. Despite Bordelon's heroics, the most dangerous
strongpoint sat with impunity some distance inland, firing steadily
at the wading Marines/ The Sergeant crawled forward, and managed
to stuff one of his charges through the firing slit, wiping out
the gun and crew. During the effort, Bordelon took another bullet
through his already wounded arm, and his fourth charge exploded
just as he was about to hurl it. Despite being seriously wounded,
Bordelon refused treatment. Instead, he was joined by another
stalwart, Marine Sergeant Beers, and continued his quest to silence
the Japanese bunkers. After Beers was wounded, Bordelon apparently
left the battelfield to drag him to saftey, only to return again
with a grenade launcher to continue his one man war. Wounded again
in the shoulder, Bordelon stood up to fire his weapon when he
was shot dead in the exchange. After the battel, SSgt. William
J. Bordelon was the only enlisted man to be awarded the Congressional
Medal of Honor on Tarawa.
Out of print, at Ebay for upwards of $400.00? Not any more.
CH is putting YOU into the surf, neck high as it is, to wade in
... to your destiny at BLOODY TARAWA! To max out your experience,
we bring together:
>> 8 Sheets of counters (almost 1500 color die cut counters
with custom military art throughout
>> The largest map yet, no need for OCEAN overlays, and
larger hexes to alleviate stacking
>> PLUS you get all of BETIO, no one cut off its tail
>> Color special rules in 3-hole format
>> Color scenario format
>> Yes, a plop them down and let the invasion being macro
game (think OMAHA, The Downfall
for our Berlin series), no ordering soldiers like Chinese take-out,
they were there > they ARE there; you live and game in the
moment
>> LIMITED PRINT RUN FOR THIS MONSTER. This item is in production
and once placed your order is a contract and may not be cancelled.
>> Did we mention MONSTER? Playable monster.
The invasion of Tarawa Atoll was the second American offensive
in the Pacific after Guadalcanal. On 20 November 1943, an aerial
bombardment of carrier-based Dauntless dive bombers preceded the
amphibious landings. The shore was defended by a maze of bunkers
and interlocking gun positions so well-entrenched that the preliminary
bombardment had little effect.
Once the bombing lifted, the island’s defenders were able
to take up defensive positions and began repelling incoming landing
craft. The majority of the Higgins boats got hung up on the barrier
reef surrounding the island, forcing the Marines inside to jump
over the side into neck-high water and wade hundreds of yards
to shore, all the while under constant machine gun and artillery
fire.
Amphibious tractors, also known as Amtrak’s or LVTs (Landing
Vehicle Tracked) fared slightly better as they were designed to
climb over obstacles and land on shore. Over the course of the
day, more than half of the Allied landing craft were destroyed
by Japanese mortars and light artillery.
