Four Books on Midway

Stemming from an interest that was cultivated from an early exposure to XTR's (Command Magazine) Victory at Midway, I have been fascinated by this battle (see below, and still my most favourite wargame - that is a game plus an excellent reference magazine): 

Since then I have been collecting books about the battle. My four specific reference books being.

Book 1: Midway The Battle That Doomed Japan, the Japanese Navy Story. Albeit acquired and read late in the day (of my interests) but early in the literature review (1954), it is a classic - but suffers from deep political motivations (written for a post war Japanese and Western audience). Extremely interesting as it gave an insight into the Japanese view, from a surviving protagonist, but projected myths about the battle that are still persistent today.   

Book 2: Midway - Incredible Victory. A somewhat popularist follow on from the above, but from an American perspective, that is dramatic in its recounting of the battle. It seems to set the pace and scene for most wargames of the battle. A fight against incredible odds and patriotic American sacrifice, There was great patriotism but the actual combatants were more evenly matched than portrayed. Nevertheless it does convey the tension of the times,

Book 3: The Battle of Midway - The Battle that Turned the Tide of the Pacific War. To my mind not much separates this from Incredible Victory - but it is a different recount of the same battle, again from the US perspective, which fleshes the narrative and lists all the moving parts (essential for a wargamer). 

(The) Book 4: Shattered Sword - The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway. Quite frankly this book blew away the "I already know the story" cobwebs right out of my mind. "Myth busting" and with access to IJN archive material it gives a definitive account from both sides, explaining the who, what, how and why. It places Midway in the context of what it was, an USN "ambush" that the IJN sleep walked into. It also places the nature of the IJN wargaming into its correct context, a tick box exercise. The IJN set themselves up to fail because they expected the USN not to interfere with their (overly) complex plan. Amazing detail, surfacing truths that had already been exposed for years in Japan's academic world.  

Read it. The description above in no way diminishes the US heroism but frames the Japanese operations (because you cannot forget about the Aleutians). With the IJN so focused on Midway they gave the USN a "first strike" opportunity it so gratefully took. The relatively inexperienced USN pilots pulled it off, not in a prefect fashion, but the end results speak for themselves. Japan lost the strategic initiative - but there was much gruelling fighting still to be done.     

PS: Yes I also have the Osprey Midway book, and yes there are hundreds of other "good" books on Midway (it is a very popular battle), but these are the four on myselves. Please read Shattered Sword, it is far ad away the BEST and the most DEFINITIVE account of the battle - but this is only my humble opinion (as well as many better souls). Enjoy!

Early Birthday Present to Me: XTR Command Magazine Games #1, #2, #3 and #4 from the 1980's!

The rationale behind this seemingly crazy purchase of (very, very) old and perhaps "superseded" games being .. that it completes a collection and when it is done, it is done and it is also a source of delight to me. I first discovered XTR Command Magazine in the early 1990's, after buying a few editions I then took the plunge and subscribed to it. This allowed me to bag a continuous run from Issue #15 (I Am Spartacus) through to its final edition (sniff) of Issue #54 (When Dragons Fight) as XTR as a company went "pop" (apparently they made a mistake by relocating their print  operation to a Canadian company and suffered from quality issues - that broke them).  Since that time be it through conventions or watching back issue magazine sites [such as Board Game Geek and Second Chance Games]. I managed to get back to Issue #5 (Hamburger Hill). Although I have not (yet) played them all, I have always enjoyed the production quality and replay value, certainly of the ones  I have played. So when the opportunity cane to get them all and 'close the gate' - I thought, "If not now then when?" (see below, the final four compatriots to complete the merry band of fifty two, three of which are magazine and game, one Issue #4 (Lion of Ethiopia) game only): 

Nostalgia: I think my all time favourite XTR Command game is Issue #14 (Victory at Midway), it still makes me sweat - closely followed by Issue #10 Alexandros ;) 

Most innovative - well I think Issue #20 (Cortes: Conquest of the Aztecs).

One of my brother's favourites being Issue #30 (Across the Potomac) when he crushed me in an old school PBM game.

XTR Command Magazine

As a late Xmas treat to myself I completed the damage recovery to my XTR Command Magazine Collection, a loan that was not returned or stuff lost in transit/misplaced - I remember being very keen on doing Sea Lion at some point so I may be in a special box file somewhere, perhaps it is tie for a spring clean. This meant Issue #45 which was missing the Sea Lion Game (annoying as I had the Yarmuk Game and Magazine part) plus I took the opportunity to extend the collection the Issue #9 Inchon too (see below, waiting to be punched - the Sea Lion Game looks good - well the counters do, I cannot comment on the rules yet):

Sea Lion Issue #45:

Inchon Issue #9:

I have the intention of playing quite a few Command Ziplock games this year. Watch this space for AARs.

Command Magazine #11: Hougemont "Rock of Waterloo"

I have always wanted to play this classic early Command Magazine game, "Hougemont: Rock of Waterloo" (some say the early Command Magazine games were the best). I had the chance to bring it 'out of the packet' to play with some wargaming friends the other day in a "get our collective heads round the rules and play test of mechanics" mode. By the end we were getting there but I am sure another read through is required to fully grasp the colour and "hex terrain" considerations. It played well though (see below, a mere thirty years old and still ready to play fresh out of the bag with the counters still in mint condition):

There are plenty of French (see below, three waves of them in fact):

And pitiful few British, Nassau and Hanoverian defenders (see below, these are the reserves released or rather drip fed into the action):

The original on the board units are eight British Guards at the back and twelve German lights sent forwards (see below, top marks if you can spot them all - extra counters are their leaders):

Please excuse the angle of the photograph but the French move from a released row, to a advancing row and then to the board proper. You literally see them coming towards you from afar - with nothing you can do about it (see below, "Thousands of them Sarge!")

Given the numbers a column tried to run round the outside of the board but were caught by a neat game mechanic of off-table artillery - losing 50% of their number (though note, casualties is not one of the victory conditions - capturing objectives is). The other Frenchies chase the Germans away from the hedge they were defending and further into the woods (see below, there is a nice little game mechanic which is a defender reaction (when within eight hexes) in the attackers phase, which allows the defenders to fire and move (back) first so they are simply not "overrun"):

Trading space for firing works well until you run out of space to trade. The German troops are now pushed back as far as they can go. The French have taken enough casualties for Napoleon to commit another "wave". Whereas the British have not quite convinced Wellington of their dire state - this will come soon). The "other" Allied defenders are roving Howitzer batteries lobbing [guessing where the French troops are going to be with an interesting scatter rule] down air and ground burst (see below, only turn two out of ten and it is looking tight for the Allied troops):

We stopped there so we could re-read the fortification rules of the Chateau and 'a thing or two about gates'. There is plenty of chrome and flavour yet to come. I like the thought of transferring this to the tabletop with miniatures somehow!

Midway (Re-fight) Take II

After a little taste of the "feel" of the Midway game from the previous week we decided it had to be done "head-2-head" with the former USN player volunteering to act as umpire to spice things up with added suspense in the "searches". It was now "double-double-blind" as we would not know where the other player was actively searching. This was going to be 'pants wetting stuff'. Drawing lots was thrown out of the window as the other IJN player from last time definitely wanted to "play red" (I think it was the lure of all that "kit"). So we started in earnest contemplative silence. All I knew was that the Japanese were heading to Midway in force. Midway was banging out searches and getting interesting CV results. I committed my B-17 squadron to a long range daylight raid. It annoyingly failed to find the Japanese Fleet on its first go (as often happened when the distance was great the enemy were not where you expected them to be) but despite the ponderous turn-around time a second B-17 strike found an IJN carrier force. The B-17 was immune to AA and CAP (aka a free attack) and was allowed a "low odds - high level attack" (see below, not what I had expected - the cunning IJN player had divided his force of four Fleet Carriers into "two groups of two", nevertheless I targeted the Kaga):

The Kaga disappeared in a cluster of water spouts, bombs dropping tantalisingly near but missing, then a game changing "direct ht" followed by billowing black smoke and flames. With "ready aircraft" on deck the 'poor Japanese damage control' rule came into effect and Kaga blazed out of control - doomed to sink, with her precious cargo of planes incinerated (see below, the US Army Air Force flyers had struck the first blood - big time):

There was a stunned silence, the IJN player knew this was not going to be a cake-walk now; the gods of fate and war seemed to be mocking him (see below, a gruesome dead-pool - the CAP were forces to ditch [but the pilots were picked so no Allied VPs] but 10VPs for the Kaga and 5 VPs for the five squadrons/flights lost = 15 Allied VPS):

Both players hunkered down for the main event. The IJN player was intent in wrecking Midway's search and offensive capabilities. His direct approach was ignoring the loitering fog-bank at the top of the map. Whereas the USN was actively using it to hide his carrier forces TF16 and TF17 - which was risky as it could 'blow away' by the fickle prevailing winds at any time (see below,  the plans as reconstructed [as I was not in a position to take photos of both players maps for obvious reasons] the Japanese bravely divided his forces to "flush out the Americans", whereas the USN concentrated their and stole into the enemy's backyard and attacked from behind):

US Plan: Hide and Seek

IJN Overlaid on US Plan: The many fingers of the Kit-Kat

The Japanese brought their carriers in close and hammered Midway. Initially the US Marine pilots had a chance to get a carrier but as only 50% [two flights/squadrons of attackers] of the attackers found the carrier, those that got through were hammered by a combination of deadly Zero CAP and AA fire, being brought down - had all four flights/squadrons arrived it might have been another matter The valiant US Marine defenders were thus doomed to be ground down, as the airport eventually became wrecked and non-operational (no planes left) with only one full strength US Marine ground unit remaining. Still the Stars and Stripes proudly flew over Midway. The only sign of the USN was a decoy DD Flotilla sailing south near Midway designed to look as if they were "pickets" for the US Carriers. This was to tempt the IJN attention south (see below, the Midway Ground defences look almost totally wrecked and a sole Buffalo Marine Corp fighter flight to protect it):

However as the IJN player basked in his triumph the USN player announced "carrier strike" of IJN CV group. The attack squadrons of Enterprise, Hornet and Yorktown swamped the air defences and sunk the Light Carrier Zuiho [5 Allied VPs], destroyers and damaged a cruiser [about another 5 Allied VPs worth]. I was hoping it was a IJN Fleet Carrier group but the IJN player had been playing very canny here, as I had not got my "grand prize". This was a stunning player shock to the IJN player as this came as a complete surprise - a literal "bolt out of the blue". "He's somehow got behind me" was all he could say. A second night phase then ensued (see photographs below, perhaps the raid was a little "overkill" .. but satisfactory):

US Air Waves: Three sent "two get through" (see below):

IJN CAP defend: The sole IJN Fighter is overwhelmed and the AA swamped (see below, even though one wave "missed" the target):

As sunk light CV (Zuiho), DD Flotilla and a damaged CA (see below, the BB was too tough to hurt):

Midway however was primed for invasion, but the transport fleets and Midway Bombardment force were being harassed by multiple US Submarine attacks during the day and night. Eventually some torpedoes got through. A transport was damaged and the damaged cruiser sank (another 4 Allied VPs). The Japanese order of battle was now looking very "holey" in places. However with three active Fleet Carriers and yet another Light Carrier in play the IJN was still as powerful as the "as yet" untouched USN TF16 and TF17 Carrier Groups. Dawn would see a Midway invasion fleet assembly and the USN had to commit their carrier forces. Unbeknown to the USN the IJN had split their forces, with half their carrier strength (the most powerful half) on the wrong side of Midway (see below, the US Sub Pickets attack the IJN Fleets during the night phase):

Dawn also caught the IJN looking in the wrong place and the Fleet Carrier Hiryu paid the price. This time their was a frantic CAP battle between Zeros and Wildcats before the Zeros attacked and shot up a couple of flights of torpedo bombers, but again the defences were swamped by all three US CVs attacking squadrons (every plane they could muster got through). The Hiryu exploded into a mass of wrecked metal along with a bevy of escorting destroyers and cruisers (another 5 Allied VPs for the CV, 4 more for the aircraft and another 6 to the damage to the surface ships - another 15 Allied VPs). The US Commander breathed a sigh of relief (see below, another surprise attack, this time with three waves getting through - carnage ensued and the IJN CV destroyer screen was sunk as an added insult - they would have been handy chasing off US submarines):

Midway on the other hand was being invaded and the US ground forces were slowly crumbling. It would take all day but they were doomed. The US TF16 and TF17 recovered their planes and attacked what IJN targets they could find, damaging a BB, sinking a CA and sinking more DD's, another 10 VPs worth but the USN now was forced to perform a tactical withdrawal as Midway fell (13 IJN VPs + another 8 from destroying air assets and the ships decoy USN DD Flotilla - caught by the Kaga's Air Fleet). The USN was now "unaware of where the surviving IJN Fleet Carriers were, so caution and discretion was the order of the day. Note: In hindsight the US Commander's suspicions (mine) were actually totally wrong and if I had hung around I could have well sailed into a trap! Both players agreed [a good] game over (see below, ...):

The VPs were tallied and the score was 2:1 in the USN favour (50+ USN to 20+ IJN). Midway had fallen and that would have strategic consequences for the security of Hawaii and the Aleutians. However half the IJN carrier force had been sunk and the remaining Japanese aircrews had suffered losses during the air battles over Midway. All three USN Carriers were intact and their air crews were virtually unscathed. The morale of the USN pilots would be soaring high. The most likely outcome would be the IJN would consolidate their Aleutian Carrier Force with the surviving Midway Carriers to seek battle with teh Americans. The USN Midway Group (TF16/17) perhaps a reinforced by other USN assets (CVs USS Saratoga and USS Wasp) would be tempted to re-take Midway. I think it could be time to paint up some of that 1/3000 Navwar Pacific War kit that's in the loft ;)

The Aftermath: Both Players were mentally exhausted ... we had played long past our mid-week stopping point and would be very tired but yet enthralled the next day, with events running back through our heads. Countless what-if scenarios to consider. There would be another contest to come for sure ...

Research Note: Interesting Article regarding Midway and Wargaming:
https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/moc-warfighter/vol1/iss11/5/

Command Magazine Ziplock Game: Midway (Play Test)

Of the Command Magazine Ziplocks series from the 1990's this (Midway) is my favourite and I reckon the most "pick-up and playable" game they produced. It was their "golden time" when IMHO they were winning against S&T. I have the game Ziplock but alas never picked up the Magazine and its detailed description of the midway campaign (see below, here are other more complicated Midway games out there, but this one strikes a nice balance between complexity and play-ability):

A simple map but intuitive orbat alongside it gathers everything you need together - a nice piece of game design (see below, the IJN display is shown below - tons of kit heading to Midway): 

The counters are clear and crisp - good quality production for the early 1990's. Red for the IJN, Blue for USN, Green [not shown] for Marine Units from Midway (see below, ships surface-air-move factors, planes air2air-air2ship-range - USN Wildcats (AF 5)are bounced by IJN Zeros (AF 7) nasty for the US!):

We played an earnest play-test, conducting searches and scenario deployments with the Japanese assault train moving steadily towards Midway, with the IJN CVs using a fog bank as cover to get in as close as possible to Midway without detection. The game played through and a mutual air-strike took place. The USS Yorktown was attacked by teh 1st and 2nd IJN Air Fleets. The Yorktown's planes missed their targets but the IJN arrived on time and en masse! (see below, Task Force 17's air defences were swamped):

The USS Yorktown was duly dispatched as well as some cruisers and destroyers with other damaged (see below, most units have two steps strengths, but some weak ones only one step - a hit on a CV has the unhelpful effect of prohibiting flight operations, which can mean a lot of ditched planes in the sea):

We played on a few more turns. The Japanese ahead with the Americans moving in to defend Midway with the USS Hornet and USS Enterprise. The IJN carriers are keeping a respectful three hex (out of air attack) distance. Midway itself is crammed with Marine aircraft and is in effect an unsinkable CV. The IJN plater (me) was waiting for the assault force to go in to wear down the attackers before "going after the carriers" - logic being that the US player will have to try and attack the IJN Invasion Fleet and would suffer losses in the process): 

You get an idea of how much kit the IJN player has(see below, look at all those counters to the right hand side):

I have heard it said by another ''credible wargaming source that the US Naval War College since 1950 have annually wargamed the Midway Campaign and the US side has never achieved a victory on the scale of the historical event. It would be great to corroborate this if at all possible.

Next: We decided that as good as it was as a two-player game we were going to play the full-thing with an umpire so Fog of War could really play its part.

Command Magazine Alexandros - Play Test (2) The Battle of Gaugamela

The Battle of Gaugamela .. where the "King of Kings" .. the bearer of the Holy Flame of  Zoroastrianism ... has chosen to fight the upstart Alexander. Darius' forces are enormous having used four turns of replacements to good effect, amassing every little (and big) troop counter he could lay his hands on. Darius III was even 'provoked' to attack Alexander before he received useful reinforcements of pike and light troops from Macedon (see below, [Persians are Orange/Yellow - Macedonians are Light Blue - Greeks on Persian side are Red - Darius' Royal Family are White] the massed ranks of foot [including Greek mercenary hoplites] hold the Persians centre, with massed archers and cavalry [an experiment combination] on the flanks [intending to outflank] and an assortment riff-raff left in reserve [including a chariot and an elephant] guarding Darius' Royal Family): 

The Macedonians are a thin line "but incredibly hard". Parmerio leads the attack [Note: Only one box can 'attack' with its front line on turn one]. Darius III (me) had great hopes of inflicting grievous loss on the approaching Macedonians with missile weapons but the arrows and spears bounced of the heavy armour of the pikes and heavy horse (see below, Darius III is quickly reassessing his tactical deployments - they certainly didn't call me Darius the Great):

One light Persian unit killed outright and three routed. Still plenty more where they came from [gulp - my extensive second line means I can still fight for the left wing] as the Macedonians retire back to their original box. Perhaps my horses will be able to do better (see below: already I am thinking of deploying my [Darius'] reserves to my "halved" left- not a good sign):

Darius tries to outflank on the extreme right and throws his cavalry at Parmerio. The Persians/Greek  suffer light casualties but Parmerio is locked in combat and in the following turn suffers a step-loss and forces a leader casualty roll. Parmerio the old war-horse of Phillip falls in battle as a true warrior (see below: this was a welcome turn of events for Darius - better a lucky General than a talented one):

Alexander is spurred to try and end this quickly he attacks Darius' Royal Guard and they too are locked in combat. Meanwhile the Persian archers are finding some success on the Persian Right Flank. Darius continues his great enveloping outflanking moves (see below, the Persians are extending their lines and becoming thinner as a result - and possibly vulnerable to counter attack. Darius is worryingly in combat with Alexander - something he should not be doing [4 versus 9 leadership ratings tells you why]):

The Persians are considering a sneaky win by getting four units in the Macedonian reserve box. This causes a flight of the lights back to the Macedonian "camp" to forestall this cunning plan. Alexander at this point commits an all out attack along the line. "Let the die decide" is the Macedonian battle-cry (see below, that must have been very strong wine they were drinking last night - see now that Darius is safely in the second line of the centre box, away from Alexander and his Companions. Alexander has already survived one leader casualty roll, contemptuously shrugging it off):

The result is a sea of carnage. Both sides wings are exhausted. They are incapable of real offensive action. The Persians look strong in the centre but their best troops the Greek Mercenaries are down to their last steps. With night fast approaching Alexander senses one last chance to grasp victory, otherwise Darius may slip away (see below, Alexander seems intent on cutting his way through teh first line to Darius himself):

Two Greek Mercenary Hoplite units are torn apart and Alexander is locked in combat with another. The Persian line is crumbling their second line troops are poor, Darius throws them forward to bleed so night will save him. Alexander rolls his combat [a 6 but "low was good"] and his unit receives a step loss which means a leader casualty roll .. made by the Persian [a "1"] which means KIA .. but the special Alexander rule is invoked and this is ignored but a re-roll is required (see below, "gulp" this is getting tense):

All dice rolls are made in the "basin of fate" [also known as the 'Saturday morning pancake mix bowl"] and the tinkle of the dice on the glass echos .. and stops. Another "1" .. "snakes eyes" .. Alexander falls from his horse, the Greek Mercenaries have avenged Memnon .. an Empire of Man falls .. the Acheamenid Empire is saved and the course of history is changed (see below, "Oh Fortuna"):

Night is falling. The battle has been horrendous. The death toll exceeded the routing boxes. The pursuit of the Persians. The Persians possess still 'fresh' Cavalry and Light Troops, these will undoubtedly take its toll and it is unlikely that any of these brave Macedonians will ever see their home again (see below, "Game Over"):

A good battle with such a fortuitous end of game die roll. We still consider this a play test as we are fathoming out the nuances of a tactical system. We have re-bagged the original armies and we will try this battle again. Assuming a victorious Alexander it will then be the second part of the campaign system (to Afghanistan and then to India - then a return to Babylon). Watch this space for more details. So impressed with this old classic game. Taking a look back through my other Command Magazines and Issue 14: Midway looks appealing!

Command Magazine Alexandros - Play Test (1) The Battle of Granicus and the Campaign System

The hand of Alexander reaches across the game board and Persians tremble - they thought the Anthenians and Spartans were trouble, he is about to rewrite the history books. Alexander lands with the Macedonian Army in Ionia and immediately faces the Greek General Memnon who in charge of the Persian Army at Granicus (although in history Memnon was forced to fight Granicus by his Persian Overlords - his suggested strategy was that of "scorched earth" and retirement into the depths of the Persian Empire, but he was overruled by the Satraps had too much [possessions and income] to lose). So Alexandros has a "special turn one" tactical game (see below, Granicus was fought with a a tactical system almost a pre-cursor to Phil Sabin's Lost Battles - though without the nuanced detail):

Alexander does far better than history as the troublesome Memnon is captured early on causing an "Army Rout" (see below, Memnon's fate can be left to the readers imagination - I don't think it would have been a pleasant one though, a Greek fighting for the Persians, historically I think he was wounded but annoyingly for Alexander lived to fight another day, many a day in fact and was a constant thorn in Alexander's side):

Memnon is replaced with a "zero value" Persian  leader ... and the army scatters into two adjacent provinces [actually I got this wrong as you need a leader to move troops so they would have all gone to one province]. The Macedonians invest Sardis and the Satrap throws open the gates as opposed to resist the siege [advanced riule]. The conquest of Persia has started (see below, Alexander presses on to cut the Gordian knot Halicarnassus falls to Parmerio):

The Persian army retreats and Alexander leads his Macedonians all the way round to Lydia, killing the remaining Persians and having his revelation at Ammon he is the "King of all Men" (see below, no Persians in sight .. they are all gathering around Darius in Babylon):

Darius is waiting in Babylon - be not fooled by the absence of a stack of troops as they are "off to the side" (see below, rather than build up defences Daruis elects to spend all his reinforcement points on the Royal Persian Army):

The turn track shows that Alexander has gotten off to a speedy start. His "coastal strategy" has picked up areas adjacent to the sea hexes but that means there are a lot of interior Persia held provinces which feed Darius with reinforcements for his army. Alexander by this time has fought two large battles - the initial Granicus [as historical] and [a smaller than the historical Issus encounter] one in Lydia (see below, we are less than a quarter of the way through the whole campaign):

The Macedonian has to leave a chain of garrisons [of at least one step] to conquer the area in the name of Alexander (see below, each garrison is one less step in the Alexandrian Army):

Again the newly conquered Egyptian lands must also be garrisoned. This time Alexander uses local (Persian) levies from his reinforcement points to rule in his name. Many a Macedonian grumbles at this but they understand and prefer to have extra Macedonian troops to face Darius in battle (see below, if a counter is one step and has different colours on reversed sides it can be used by either player - first come first served [blue for Macedonian and sand/yellow for Persia]):

The two armies move adjacent to each other. The Persians decide to take the initiative and attack - this means combat resolution on the tactical battle display (see below, note a white counter is a "depleted province" marker which means large armies would role for attrition id they stay in it):

Next: This is set up for The Battle Of Gaugamela (or Arbela) to be played