Pacific War

 I like big games and I cannot lie....

This summer, my learning/gaming project is to tackle Pacific War by Mark Herman and published by GMT games.

This is the first AAR of the Pearl Harbor Engagement Scenario.  

Pacific War from GMT Games

On December 7, 1941 the Japanese Navy using torpedo planes and bombers attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on the island of Oahu.  

Japanese Strike Group inbound to Pearl Harbor

During this attack, waves of Japanese planes scored critical hits on battleships that were moored in the harbor.  

Twelve hits scored on Battleship Row during the first wave.

Meanwhile two other carrier based fighter groups attacked the airbase and strafed allied aircraft on the ground. Scoring six hits.

Allied Aircraft suffered six hits during Japanese Strafe attacks.

The Allied gunners quickly responded scoring 3 hits on the aircraft attacking the air base and 2 hits on the fighters attacking the ships.

Two Japanese fighter groups after being hit by Allied flak.

The second wave of Japanese fighters scored another devastating critical hit on battleship row sending smoke and flames into the air.

Battleship Row after having sustained critical hits on several ships.

Due to the Allied flak gunners' effectiveness, the Japanese did not win the scenario as they only scored 4 hits on 4 battleships and only 6 hits on the aircraft on the ground at the airbase.

In this photo, the California, West Virginia, Arizona, and Pennsylvania all sustained the 4 hits needed by the Japanese, however the remaining ships only sustained 3 hits each.  Had the Allied gunners not been able to hit two of the Japanese groups, the result could have been worse for the Allies. 

Pearl Harbor was ablaze as the Japanese fighters returned to their carriers and minor damage was sustained to the ground installations during the attack.

Wide shot of the overall attack and damage sustained to Allied naval and aircraft units.

More to come in future Engagement Scenarios.