Scenario "Pacific 1"

This is a full-scale historically-based campaign between the United States and Japan in the Pacific, commencing in June 1942.

As with all SAS WW2 scenarios, you can play for either side against the computer, or another player; and you can swap sides at any time during game play. For the US, you play as Alfred Mahan II, a descendant of the greatest US naval strategist of all time; for the Japanese, you carry the name of your grand father, the glorious victor at Tsushima who showed that Japan had truly arrived as a naval power of the first rank.

In the game, the Japanese are at the historical limit of their expansion, but are still pursuing a very aggressive strategy under the influence of Isoroku Yamamoto; so do not be surprised to see a computerised Japanese opponent push for more! In fact, the campaign starts with the moves for both sides already done, and unless players modify the moves for either or both sides before the turn is run, there will be a LOT of action in the first turn, and some very aggressive moves by the Japanese.

Note: By default, SAS WW2 campaigns have 'emergency tactical responses' enabled for players. If you are inexperienced in SAS WW2, or just want a quicker game, you will need to disable some or all of the emergency tactical response options. See tactical responses for help on this topic.

The starting naval forces, including ships then under construction, are historically accurate. Each side has a large navy of over 1.5 million tonnes; but the Japanese have more of theirs available at the start. (The US has a greater proportion still building or commissioning). The US forces include a small Australian and Dutch contingent.

Players can of course add to the specified construction programs as resources allow, so this campaign can result in very large navies indeed by war's end.

The odds are rated as "quite easy" for the US and conversely "quite hard" for the Japanese. The US starts at somewhat of a disadvantage, but over time, as its enormous production capacity kicks in, the tide will turn unless the Japanese can continue to inflict disproportionate losses and/or, somehow maintain their rich convoys to the Dutch East Indies and Malaya. This will be difficult, as the Japanese start with low levels of ASW capability and will be vulnerable to roving attacks from a large and effective US submarine force unless they quickly develop better ASW capability.

The Japanese will also struggle more than the US to replenish their losses of aircraft. As the Japanese player, you can help overcome this by progressively funneling more resources into aircraft production.

The map size is huge - over 28 million square nautical miles, stretching from the US West Coast to Singapore, and from Brisbane in the south to the Aleutians in the far north.

Both sides start with historical levels of technology. With proper resourcing and focussed priorities by the US, expect to see US developments in radar especially; the Japanese will do well to increase their ASW capabilities. The US should also seek to improve the performance of their torpedoes at the earliest opportunity. The US has better construction techniques and is able to build ships more quickly and cheaply. This is also an area that the Japanese may wish to invest in.

Troops are included in this scenario. The US is set to develop strong amphibious capabilities and forces but it will be a while before combined operations of any strength can be mounted against Japanese positions that are well defended by strong disciplined troops and, for the most part, very well-prepared defences.

Both sides have very sizeable air forces; and carrier and land-based air strikes will feature very prominently indeed in the many battles to come.

GENERAL SETTINGS
Countries	US, Japan
Start Date	June 1942
Map	Pacific. 69 * 45 hexes; hex scale = 96nm.
Land-based air?	Yes
Carrier-based air?	Yes
Design your own ships?	Yes
Troops?	Yes
COUNTRY-SPECIFIC SETTINGS
	US	JAPAN
Ports	*San Francisco (Home Port) *Pearl Harbour Dutch Harbor Johnston Is. Wake Is. Palmyra Samoa Kanton Bora Bora Fiji Noumea Efate *Brisbane Townsville Darwin Fremantle Port Moresby	*Tokyo Bay (Home Port) *Truk Rabaul Okinawa Iwo Jima Manila Brunei Guam Palaus Manus Is Lae Biak Hollandia Guadalcanal Tarawa Surabaya Jakarta Singapore
	(* = has ship construction and repair facilities)
Starting Naval Forces	:
Battleships	8 ready 1 repairing 6 building/ commissioning/ yet to be deployed to the Pacific	12 ready
Aircraft Carriers	5 ready 1 repairing 2 building/converting	8 ready 1 repairing 10 building
Cruisers	31 ready 7 building	30 ready 1 building/commissioning
Destroyers/Escorts	94 ready 20 building	111 ready 3 building
Submarines	60 ready 6 building	17 ready.

Notes:

• Construction times for ship building are accurate except where they are longer than the game engine allows for ships of the type. In these cases, the maximum permitted construction time has been used instead.
• Ships still commissioning, or not transferred to the Pacific, are shown as 'building' until they were ready.
• The two US Portland class heavy cruisers - Indianapolis and Portland - are categorised here as New Orleans class.
• US Bristol class destroyers are classed as Fletchers.
• US Clemson class destroyers are categorised as Wickes class vessels.
• The two Narwhal class US submarines are not represented in the game: their design does not fit the constraints of the game engine's ship designer; and they were employed in secondary roles anyway, not being very successful ships. The Argonaut - a large, specialised mine-layer and then transport vessel - also does not fit within the design constraints.
• The US Cachalot and Dolphin class submarines are not represented - they were outdated by the start of the war and used mainly for training.
• The obsolete Japanese Tenryu, Yubari and Katori class light cruisers are not represented in the game.
• The representation of the many variants of the KD class of Japanese submarines has been simplified - all are categorised here as of the 'Kaidai' class, with a standard specification.

Good Luck, Admiral!