Historical Background: The 11th of December 1941, a first Japanese attempt to capture Wake Island had failed. The Japanese fleet was repulsed and two destroyers were sunk by the US defense. A new attack occurred in the night of 23rd December when troops of Special Naval Landing Force landed in the darkness. However, the US defenders (Marines of the 1st Defense Battalion under the command of Major Devereux, gunners of the navy and airmen of VMF 211) reacted quickly and opened fire on the attackers. The Japanese Patrol Boat n°33 was destroyed by the fire of a 3 Inch gun which defended the beach. But in spite of their gallant defense, the Marines could not prevent the Japanese to land and to reach the brush covering the island. At the end of the morning after an intensive fight, the US situation was desperate : the defenders were isolated, sometimes surrounded and the communications were broken. The US Command, thinking wrongly that Wilkes Island had fallen, decided at that time to cease fire. Wake Island was in Japanese hands. The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. The rest is history.
Briefing: Axis player [Japan] : 5 command cards, you move first. Allied player [USMC] : 5 command cards.
Conditions of Victory: 7 medals. Camp One and the main hexagon of the airfield are each a temporary medal objective for the Axis player. Destroying the Patrol Boat n°33 give two permanent medals to the Allied player.
Special Rules: - Use "Japanese Imperial Army" rules (Nations 3). - Use "US Marine Corps" rules for all Allied troops (Nation 4). Badges are not required. - Special Weapon Asset rules (SWAs 1) are in effect for US units equipped with machine-guns (SWAs 8). - Use "Heavy Guns" (Troops 3) for Battery E. - Use "Destroyer" rules (Troops 12) for Patrol Boat n°33. - Use "Night Attacks" rules (Actions 19). - All US guns are fixed and can't move, so a second flag means the loss of a figure.
Scenario Bibliography: - Hyperwar - A magnificent fight : Marines in the battle for Wake Island.
* This message "Send us more Japs", supposed coming from Wake's garrison after the Japanese set back on the 11th December is apocryphal (a fake), it was in fact created by US commentators in Pearl Harbor, in order to restore the moral of US troops.
Warning: Please note that this scenario was not approved by Richard Borg or Days of Wonder, so you have to check yourself about playability, potential gaming issues, etc.
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Set-up Order |
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4 |
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17 |
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1 |
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1 |
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6 |
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1 |
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8 |
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1 |
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2 |
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