Midway: Turning Point in the Pacific
 On the morning of 4 June 1942, fifteen TBD-1
Devastator bombers of Torpedo Squadron Eight took off
from the USS Hornet to attack the Japanese carrier
force operating off Midway Island. Fourteen of them were
shot down as they pressed their attack, yet not a single
pilot veered away. While Japanese fighters slaughtered
the low-flying torpedo planes, American dive bombers passed
overhead and began their screaming dives onto the Japanese
carriers, sinking three of them and dooming the Japanese
Empire. The sacrifice had not been in vain.
Both Japan and the United States had sought a final,
decisive battle for control of the Pacific Ocean. When
the Japanese unleashed their MI Sakusen plan to capture
Midway Island in June 1942, the U.S. Navy was more than
happy to meet them.
Midway covers the turning point of the Pacific
War, with 11 separate scenarios, or game situations. These
include the Battle of Midway in June 1942, the Wake Island
relief operation of December 1941, the retaliatory raid
on Wake Island in February-March 1942 and Pearl Harbor.
There are options to allow the Japanese to bring in the
forces historically allotted to the Aleutian Islands campaign
instead of Midway, and the American battleship force that
was not risked there but was available.
There are 210 “long” playing pieces, depicting
the major fleet units of both sides: battleships, aircraft
carriers, cruisers and fleet destroyers. There are also
280 square playing pieces, half the size of the ship pieces,
mostly depicting aircraft but also smaller warships and
markers.
Hornet’s dive bombers begin their attack
run at Midway.
The United States has her entire early-war Pacific Fleet,
from the dreadnoughts of Battleship Row to the aircraft
carriers that saved the world from fascist-imperialist
domination. Aircraft like the F4F Wildcat and B17 Flying
Fortress are present, as well as the Devastator.
The Japanese have their own battle line, headed by the
incredible super-battleship Yamato. There’s
also the First Carrier Fleet of six modern first-line
flattops, sporting the awesome Zero fighter and the famous
Val and Kate bombers.
The operational map depicts the seas around Hawai’i
and Midway Island.The tactical map is a generic blue field
of hexagons, used to resolve surface combat. There, ships
maneuver and fight using their gunnery and torpedo factors.
Each player rolls a number of dice according to the ship’s
capabilities, hitting on a result of 6. Gunnery and torpedo
damage tables give the results: ships can suffer damage
to engines, hull or armament.
"Last Moments of Admiral Yamaguchi," Kita Renzo,
1942.
Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi bids farewell to his staff.
He remained with his flagship Hiryu when she sank on 5
June 1942.
Air attacks are resolved in similar fashion. The combat
systems yield results rapidly but in a historically accurate
fashion, giving a good balance of fun and insight.
Midway
includes:
- 24"x18" tactical map
- 35"x24" operational map
- 280 1/2" game pieces and 210 1" game pieces
- 24-page series rule book
- 16-page scenario book
- 1 player aid card
- 4 organizational cards
Links:
STK #0021
Price: $64.99
Status: Now available!
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