Attacking bunkers

[Big Insect]

Also obsolete Panzer II and Renault FT turrets used in Normandy, and there's at least one photo of a Panther turret in Berlin in '45, but that may be an improvised buried tank rather than a dedicated bunker.
For a real goodie, Austrått Fort in Norway - a turret off of the battlecruiser Gneisenau. Stunned to learn the thing weighs 800 tons!

For the buried tank (Panther turret) - I'd use the same principle, as if they are a Turret Bunker

The battleship turret idea seems very Scandinavian - as the Danes had some as part of their Cold War coastal defenses on the Baltic coast; and of course we see something similar on the Greek island of Leros (immortalised by The Guns of Navarone novel by Alistair MacLean) with 6" naval guns in a bunker battery on-shore (but not ships turrets).
I think there are also/were some Greek Cold War turret bunkers on the Aegean islands, using old M24 Chaffee turrets.

[Steve J]

The Austrians used T-34, M-47, Charioteer and Centurion tank turrets as part of their Cold War Defences. Details in the link:

https://www.bunkermuseum.at/img/pdf/eng.pdf

[pbeccas]

Japanese caves anyone?

[Big Insect]

Japanese caves anyone?

I think the Allied/US tactic was to block off all the entrances, rather than go in fighting, if I remember correctly.
They were pretty impervious to any form of artillery or BB direct fire. Smoke might work, but overall I'd probably not recommend their inclusion in a BKC game.

Although I am sure you could use any variations on Dungeons & Dragons or even Space Hulk to play an engagement where troops were sent in to route the Japanese out.
That might be an interesting multi-player game - probably best with 20mm or 28mm figures though.

[Steve J]

I remember in one documentary the the US fired armoured piercing rounds at the wooden supports across the top of entrances, as this would cause them to break, thus collapsing the earth above and leading to the entrance being sealed. HE didn't have the same effect.

[Ithoriel]

From what I've seen and read, if the Allies thought there were civilians or non-Japanese workers in the cave they'd be given a chance to come out and surrender. Otherwise the entrance was blown and the Japanese troops were entombed.

[OldenBUA]

For more turret bunkers, there's also this option: https://www.ijssellinie.nl/en/welcome/

Lots of opportunities for Firefly and/or regular Sherman turrets, and also quad .50 mounts.

[pbeccas]

I think the Allied/US tactic was to block off all the entrances, rather than go in fighting.
Although I am sure you could use any variations on Dungeons & Dragons or even Space Hulk to play an engagement where troops were sent in to route the Japanese out.

My grandad was with the Australian 9th Infantry Division and fought during the Labuan Island assault in 1945.  After the initial landings the Japanese retreated into a cave system in a pocket from which they were launching company level attacks.  My grandad told me they used artillery, direct firing Bofors guns, naval guns, frontal assault to throw in explosives, nothing worked.  In the end they had to land Matilda Frog flamethrowing tanks which basically drove up to the cave entrances and burnt them out.  A lot of Japanese got out into the jungle, but then the Australians had to defend the tunnel entrances as the Japanese tried to get back in.

There's was no D&D.  There was a lot of hard fighting.

[Big Insect]

Absolutely - I was just saying that if you wanted to try and game an engagement where troops are sent into cave complexes to route out an enemy, then a good gaming mechanism might be to sue something like D&D or Space Hulks 

[Itinerant Hobbyist]

Dang man. I think it's awesome you got to speak with him about it.

My grandad was with the Australian 9th Infantry Division and fought during the Labuan Island assault in 1945.  After the initial landings the Japanese retreated into a cave system in a pocket from which they were launching company level attacks.  My grandad told me they used artillery, direct firing Bofors guns, naval guns, frontal assault to throw in explosives, nothing worked.  In the end they had to land Matilda Frog flamethrowing tanks which basically drove up to the cave entrances and burnt them out.  A lot of Japanese got out into the jungle, but then the Australians had to defend the tunnel entrances as the Japanese tried to get back in.

There's was no D&D.  There was a lot of hard fighting.