AT WAR IN THE ISLANDS: South West Pacific 1942

 

 

1942 was a pivotal year for fortunes in the Pacific and saw the earliest Allied counterstrokes to Japanese expansion. General Douglas MacArthur having been given the directive to capture the Solomons and eventualy the fortress base of Rabaul decided that he needed to capture Port Moresby on Papua to support future combat operations. The Japanese prized Port Moresby for similar aims but the attempted troop landings there were frustrated by their losses during the Battle of the Coral Sea. The Allies had no doubt that they would try again. Their fears proved correct and the Japanese landed an invasion force at Buna in New Guinea starting the long campaign of Papau-New Guinea in earnest. 

 

After the decisive naval victory at Midway the Americans were eager to exploit their success. To that end the landings on Guadalcanal commenced to capture the airstrip the Japanese were building in overall support of the Allied strategy of ousting the Japanese from the Solomons. By the end of 1942 Allied and Japanese land forces were engaged on Papau-New Guinea and Guadalcanal in heavy fighting. The future of the Pacific War would be decided on and around the remote islands of the South West Pacific. 

 

Early air operations in the theater included both U.S. and Australian forces facing the IJN and IJAAF. Both sides operated in inhospitable terrain with supplies and replacements hampered by the distance of the supply lines. Aces such as Joe Foss (USMC), "Buzz" Wagner (USAAF), Les Jackson (RAAF), Hironojo Shishimoto (IJAAF) and Satoshi Yoshino (IJN) all made their names at this time. This FSO recreates the action in the SW Pacific during 1942.

 

Country Percentages:
 
Axis 52%
Allied 48%
 
Field Assignments:
 
Axis Bishop
Allied Knight
CM Rook
 
OOB:
 
Axis (IJAAF/IJN):

 

A6M3
A6M2 (min 20)
Ki-43 (min 40)
D3A1
G4M1 (min 30 players)
 
Allied (USAAF/USN/USMC/RAAF):

 

P-40E
P-39D (min 24)
F4F-4 (min 24)
SBD-5
TBM-3
B-25C

Boston III
 
Special Rules and Ordnance Restrictions:
 
* All aircraft types must be used by a minimum of 12 *players* unless otherwise noted.

* Allied bombers may carry 500 lb bombs and smaller and torpedos only.
* The F4F has the 4 gun loadout disabled.
* All bombers are limited to 20,000 feet.
* Formations are enabled for all bombers.
* ALL AIRCRAFT ARE TO BE LANDED AND THE PLAYERS TOWERED OUT BY FRAME END OR WILL BE CONSIDERED SHOT DOWN AND THE CREWS KIA.
 
Scoring:
 
Aircraft Pts
------------
AXIS:
Bomber = 10 pts
Dive Bomber = 8 pts
Fighter = 4 pts
Landing Bonus = 2 pts
 
ALLIED:
Bomber = 15 pts
SBD and TBM = 10 pts
Fighter = 5 pts
Landing Bonus = 2 pts
 
Target Pts
-----------------

Destroyer = 50 pts
Cruiser = 100 pts
Carrier = 200 pts
Gun = 0.5 pts
Hangar = 25 pts
All Others = 3 pts
 
Arena Settings:
 
- Coral Sea terrain
- Fuel burn 1.5
- Icons friendly 3k/enemy 3k
- 0.2 Ack
- Fighter and Bomber warning range 42,000 (about 8 miles)
- Tower range set to 42,000 (for display only to match the above setting)
- Haze/fog full visibility (17 miles)
- Radar off
- Enemy collisions on
- Friendly collisions off
- Killshooter off
- Time: 15:00 ( 3PM ) Game Clock
- Formations: On
- Bomber calibration: Manual
- Wind: 0K-18K SE TO NW - Speed 5
            18K-24K SE TO NW - Speed 10
            24k+ SE TO NW - Speed 15
        
Designer's Notes: The P-39D represents the P-39 and P-400. 
 
Design by Warloc