Review Pacific Theater Operations/SPI Game

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Scenario 10- December 1941 Turn
The Game Counters and O/B follow the Historical not what if aspect of the Pacific, accordingly Japan cannot afford
to lose ships that cannot be replaced, but must take that risk.
Note: At any time either side can claim Reconnaissance on any TF marker within range of any Friendly Air Unit. No Air Unit is actually moved,
The Contents of the TF markers, used to represent 3 or more Naval Units may be inspected.
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Scenario 10 Rules indicate Japan has the initiative and First attacks Pearl Harbor.
6 Japanese Carriers and escorts are placed in Hex E 4914 with Standby Marker to conduct an Air Offensive attack vs Pearl Harbor. Per Rules
U S Naval and Air Units MAY NOT intercept / Air Units may intercept after the Pearl Harbor Attack

1. A total of 6 Japanese Naval Air Counters 3-4 (3) #s represent Combat # 3- Aircraft Range in Hexes #4- Quality # (3)
2. After the Attack Japanese Ships return to any Friendly Port. Ships of Both Sides return to a Friendly Port at end of attack or move phase

or pay 1 Economic Point up to 8 Ships in each Sea Area, or 2 Economic Points 8 or More to keep Naval Units at Sea. During any Move Phase
interception may occur.
3. Naval Units that spend less than half the Movement Points may be marked Standby, to attack. The Japanese Attack Force of Carriers and
escorts each have 40 Move Points or More.

1. Blue clusters of Hexes on the Map with Borders are Sea Areas that Cost 5 MP Each for Naval Unit or TF to Cross.
2. Air units pay 1 Air MP for each Hex they fly over.
3. To Start December 1941 Scenario- Place Units to be used on Map - U S O B at Pearl Harbor Oahu and the Japanese Carrier Group in Hex E 4914

Japan has the initiative and moves first and attacks first/ Move the Japanese TF to Hex #3930 - 3 Air Hexes from Oahu- Japanese Naval Air Units
have 4 Hex Range.
7. To Attack subtract 1 Offensive from 13 Japan has Avail for Dec 1941.
a. Place 6 Japanese Naval Air Units on Oahu, The Japanese may inspect all U S Counter at Oahu and designate Targets- The Japanese must
also state which Air Units will be Fighters or Bombers at this Time. The Japanese state 2 will be Fighters 4 will be Bombers
Fighters will attack U S Ground Aircraft making 2 Attack Runs/ Bombers may Each make 3 attack Runs per their Combat #.
8. Attack Procedure: 1 Fighter attacks U S Fighters on Ground by making a dr, compare the dr to the Fighter Combat # and Quality # of 6
a dr of 6 or less is a Hit and the U S Fighter is flipped over to other side, would have to be attack again to eliminate it.
a dr of 6 however has no effect and does not count
2nd Fighter attacks the U S Bomber on the Ground using the same procedure.
9. Attack vs Naval Ships: The Japanese Player selects which Battleship will be the first Target of 1st Bomber/ 2 dice are rolled adding +4 to
the DR Total, if the DR is More than 12 it is a Hit and the Battleship is flipped over to reduced side. Battleships at Pearl Harbor have Armor # of 12
so the DR must be more that 12 for a Hit, the reduced side Armor # is 8. Each Bomber can make 3 passes- Bombers must make separate passes-
ie- Bomber 1 makes run then Bomber 2 etc until all have made a bomb run. Then the 2nd round then a 3rd Round.
a. Dice roll of Doubles automatically sinks a Ship
b. Dice roll of 2 AA Hit vs the Bomber is flipped over and returns to Carrier.
After action report: All U S Air Units at Pearl Harbor were eliminated , 1 Battleship sunk 2 other Damaged.
This ends Japanese Dec 1941 First Attack- the Japanese have 12 more Offensives to conduct for Dec 1941. After the Japanese First Attack then
ONE of the Allied Powers conducts their Naval and Air Phase and any Attacks- that will be detailed later.
Pictures show Japans Economic Income areas that must be maintained The U S receives automatic income each Seasonal Turn
as well as Game Effects:

 

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Game Sequence of Play:
Ports are supply bases, Ships begin a Turn in Port and return to Port, to be in Supply. The West Coast Box is a Supply Base that
cannot be attacked.

The Dec 1941 O B scenario Units are Used for Dec 1941, There are no Additional Units/Rein
SOP Sequence of Play:
1.Weather Phase: Each Monthly Turn Weather is determined that affects Air Units ability to Fly and Land Units Movement
a. There are 3 Weather Conditions Fair - Monsoon - Winter
b. Weather Zones: Winter Zone Aleutian Islands- Alaska- Soviet Union and adjacent Sea Areas/Japan is not in the Winter Zone
* Hex 4914 is in the Winter Zone Has no Effect of Japanese Pearl Harbor Force
Monsoon Zone : India-Burma-Thailand-Borneo-Sumatra-Celebes and Parts of those Sea Areas
Fair Zone: Rest of the Map
2. Strategic Warfare Phase: SW Phase reduces Japans Economic Points and Offensive Capability- The U S must have Heavy Land
Base Bombers in Range of Japan or a Submarine Blockade. There is no SW during Dec 1941. Japan has no Strategic Warfare Option. Japan must earn its Economic Points for Offensive Operations- The U S receives automatic Income.
3. Naval Phase- Ships/ Task Force markers in Friendly Port move out for Offensive Action/Attack- Units that move DO NOT HAVE TO ATTACK and may move to another part of the Map. Opposing Naval Units may intercept if TF enters Sea Area connected to
Opposing Port- Opposing Air Units may intercept if Friendly TF move into Bombers Range - ex- 4-8 Bomber- 8 is the # of Hexes
the Bomber can intercept.
a. Naval Units TF that will Attack must use less than half of their Move Points and are marked Standby prior to attack and then
activated during the Attack.

1. After Ships Move- Air Units Move- Change Bases also for Offensive Action- but also do not have to attack and can be intercepted by opposing Air Units if in Range- Fighters can Attack Fighters or Bombers/ Bombers cannot return fire when attacked by Fighters. Air Transport moves Cargo or Troops to any area with Friendly Airfield/ all Movement whether Naval or Air can be intercepted.
2. Offensive Phase: If a side has Offensives avail- Attacks are carried out. There are 3 Types of Offensives Air/Naval/Land
3. End Phase: Naval Units at Sea must return to Friendly Ports to remain in supply- if not may not attack at all but may defend. Economic Points or EP s must be spent from that sides Economic Points total- to leave Ships at Sea- 1 EP up to 8 ships per sea area- 2 EP more than 8 Ships per sea area.

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Game Play:
* Battleships in Port or Coastal Hex Armor # is 1 Less. Ships have no AA Benefit unless they are in a Friendly Port/
Ships except for DD/Destroyers are sitting Ducks for Submarines or Air Units /Unless those Ships have Air Cover or DD Escort
** CV-CVL- Battleships- Heavy Cruisers that are eliminated are permanently removed from the Game- the Game O/Bs only
allow for Historical Ships types in play although the Economic Points Cost Table appears to show that Japan and the U S
could Tilt the Historical Scales and add " Extra Ships" although there are no "Extra Rules or Counters for this".
*** Reconnaissance can only be used if Weather Permits flying.
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December 1941 U S Response:
1. CV Enterprise/CV Lexington/CV Saratoga per scenario rules could not intercept the Japanese Pearl Harbor Force.
a Doolittle type Raid vs Tokio would no effect in Game Terms .
Hawaii-Midway-Wake-Philippines will get reinforcements or replacements, to make any further Japanese moves costly
to burn up scarce Japanese Economic Points.
It is assumed Japans next move will be toward Economic Oil Points and other income before End Game Military Objectives
Australia-Alaska- Hawaii.
2. Task Force 5 of 4 Battle Ships 2 Hvy Cruisers will depart Pearl Harbor move directly toward Wake - running the Gauntlet
of the Japanese 4-8 Bomber at Saipan- that can make 4 Bomb Runs. Land Base Bombers add +2 to the Attack Dice Roll.
Ships have no AA Benefit. The Task Force with Battle Ships has 28 Move Points - 1 MP to Enter Coastal Hex- the 5 MP for each Sea Area - 26 MP to Sea Area N of Wake- then in the End Phase continue on to Philippines at Legasapi during the End
Phase 20 MP and running the Gauntlet of 2 6-10 Japanese Bombers at Formosa- that can each attack 2 due to underline
Combat #. Results of this move 1 Battleship Sunk by Japanese Formosa Bomber rolling Doubles, all other attacks miss.
3. 1 Battleship to Midway- 1 Battleship to Wake
4. 3 CV to Pearl Harbor to Transfer their Planes- 3 Air Unit Counters- to Pearl Harbor then during End Phase return to West Coast Box- Free from attack and in Supply at West Coast Supply Base Box.

 

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Economic Points Cost Table Japan