Nothing reeks of excess like Pacific War!
After playing an engagement scenario solo of course it was assumed that the noob [moi] was ready for a campaign scenario. Hell – its only 6 months or so long starting in August of 1942… How hard can it really be!

Well it seems that the US Player has played  a lot in the past..the dim past -3 decades ago. Because with an Operational Intel Phase roll of  Surprise attack as the Intel level only a lucky search stalled the initial landings and made them night time on day 4! But not before seeing the airfield strafed and all air eliminated!

The Big Guns of New Orleans and North Carolina (the Navy buff wants to know why they have the same combat FP rating..sheesh-Grognards!!!) open up with awesome vollleys of HE raining down on the Island. Which failed to scare the Imperial Japanese Navie’s Marines….but the plucky Atlanta then rolls a FREAKING Zero and breaks the IJN Marines! Such is the life of a soldier.

This break means morale is halved in combat.  The 1st Marine and the Raiders land and it’s onto the Amphib landing ground combat. The short story is, after amphibian morale adjustments, terrain effects and various and sundry the IJN Marines lose one step and the Marines 2, dropping form 11 to 9. No one retreats. We hold for the first battle cycle.

In the second Battle Cycle IJN gets to its reaction phase and starts turning on units to send in what will not be a resupply or rescue mission but a retaking of the Island. As the US Air, and Naval/Marine forces smash the last two Engineering units and the US 1st Marine lose one more step.

3 of the US CVs are in coastal waters off Guadalcanal, with  6 non capital ships and what is likely a BB.  Admiral Ernst King conceived Operation Watchtower and is so far well pleased with the performance of his Navy such that he only dressed down 2 Flag officers prior to his usual liquid lunch.

By August 8th the Island is under control and the Task Forces leaves in order to be deactivated in Port (it could have stayed in Coastal waters but….perhaps a history buff is looking to lure the IJN to its ultimate demise?

Task Forces set sail from Bougainville and hex 2232 near Nomoi Is. and the IJN is floundering around between two rule books and summary notes keenly aware that an ass kicking is coming.

At the end of Day 8:

UPDATED post since the Database Restore: With an inadvertent table collapse while I was gone we are rebooting. Fresh post to come from play on Feb 12th.