Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea

Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea is a solitaire simulation of the largest carrier battle in history, fought during the invasion of Saipan (June, 1944). As the U.S. commander, you maneuver your task forces and conduct air searches in a tension-packed contest to find the Japanese carriers before they locate and attack yours. Simple game mechanics control Japanese movement and determine the timing and strengths of their attacks. You will not know that a Japanese air strike is headed your way until it is detected by radar and you scramble your fighters to intercept.

The game has a total of nine scenarios. Five learning scenarios take you through the rules by programmed instruction using slices of the real battle. The other four are full-scale, fully replayable games. These include a one-day scenario for the crucial first day of the battle, a two-day scenario for the whole battle, a hypothetical scenario presuming different U.S. plans, and a hypothetical scenario in which Midway was never fought and the Japanese come armed with the full Pearl Harbor striking force.

 • Complexity: Medium-High • Time Scale: 1 Turn = 80 Minutes • Map Scale: 1 Hex = 33 Nautical Miles • Unit Scale: Single Ships, Groups of Ships or Aircraft

Contents

• 1 Map (22" x 34")
• 3 Countersheets
• 1 Butai Display
• 1 Game Turn Flow Chart
• 1 Air Raid Flow Chart
• 1 Japanese Movement Priorities Card
• 4 Charts & Tables Cards
• 1 Play Book
• 1 Ten-sided Die

Mechanisms:• Dice Rolling• Hexagon Grid• Simulation