Gung-Ho! A Campaign Game for the "Squad Leader" System
I do not have the Gung-Ho! campaign for G. I.: Anvil of Victory, despite looking for over a decade. This article is based on Gung-Ho! advertisements that appeared in On All Fronts, historical research and five ASL scenarios converted from the originals. I would expect the scenarios Historical Overview, Aftermath, Title, date and location are reasonably accurate but not the countermix nor SSRs. -- Scott
Gung-Ho! follows the Second Marine Raider Battalion on Carlson’s long patrol of 6 November to 4 December 1942 during the Guadalcanal Campaign. The five scenarios are designed to be played separately or together as a campaign. No new counters or boards are introduced. The campaign game allots the US player a pool which scenarios draw upon for their forces. The player manages attrition and replacement over the five scenarios. Ownership of Squad Leader and its gamettes (COI, COD and GIA) are required for play. This is the fourth Pacific Theatre publication from Wild Bill’s Raiders, continuing the three series of Blood and Sand.
You can check out a little scuttlebut from 1983 in This is dedicated… published in On All Fronts issue 105 here.
Historical Significance
Evans Carlson, commander of the battalion and a forefather of special forces, is credited with introducing the battlecry ‘Gung-Ho’ into the United States Marine Corps. Chinese for ‘Work Together’, this philosophy believed that when each man understood the moral, political, strategic and tactical reasons for his action, he was better committed to achieving his objectives. This understanding brought out consensus, sacrifice and aggressive action in the individual.
His unique philosophy was the cornerstone of training the battalion for its arduous task of action behind enemy lines. The Long Patrol placed the Raiders at the enemy rear where they sought out and engaged the forces of the Imperial Japanese Army. The battalion killed four hundred eighty-eight of the enemy at a cost of sixteen dead and eighteen wounded by the end of the month long patrol.
On 4 November 1942 the Raiders landed behind enemy lines at Aola Bay against no opposition. Ordered to harass the enemy rear, they moved inland before heading west. There were minor clashes through the eleventh, when they made contact with elements of three thousand retreating IJA troops. Several element were encountered during the day, with the Raiders inflicting significant casualties. The Raiders continued harassing and engaging the enemy as they moved west toward their lines. 4 December brought the Raiders back into their friendly line and ending their successful patrol. Despite suffering few combat casualties, they had evacuated two-hundred and fifty five men for disease and illness. The entered the perimeter with only fifty-seven men, barely one fifth of their original strength.
Reading
Hoffman, Jon T. (1995). “The Long Patrol”. FROM MAKIN TO BOUGAINVILLE: Marine Raiders in the Pacific War. Marine Corps Historical Center pages 1 to 20, pages 21 to 41.
Evans Carlson, in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evans_Carlson
Carlson’s long patrol, in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlson%27s_patrol
Guadalcanal campaign, in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalcanal_Campaign
Gomrick, Kathleen M. (1999). Gung Ho, Raider! The Philosophy and Methods of Brig Gen Evans F. Carlson, Marine Corps Raider. Air Command and Staff College, Air University.
Miller, John Jr. (1949). “Guadalcanal: The First Offensive”. Center of Military History, United States Army.
Anderson, Charles R. (circa 1992). “Guadalcanal”. U.S. Army Center of Military History.
Gung Ho!, The Story of Carlson’s Makin Island Raiders, film produced by Walter Wanger Productions, 1943, 35mm, 88min See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gung_Ho!_(1943_film)
Game Components
Campaign rules - missing
Tally Sheet - missing
Five scenarios - missing (However, ASL conversions below)
Credits
Scenario Design - Bill Wilder
Graphics - Paul Stuhlfaut
Raiders - Bob Safin, Kurt Manglos, Rudy Rico, Rick Walton and others.
Special Thanks
Special thanks to Vincent Maresca for sharing his discovery of the ASL version of the scenario in On All Fronts issues 117 through 121 and providing the PDFs. I never knew they were hiding in plain sight. Also to Paul Kaster for converting the original to ASL and providing the most important part of this page.
Media and Maps
