Description

Attempting to make a second crippling strike against the U.S. Navy, the Japanese formulated a plan to draw the enemy out into a vulnerable position. Turning their attention to the small island of Midway, Yamamoto's primary strategic goal was the elimination of America's carrier forces, which he perceived as the principal threat to the overall Pacific campaign. Armed with less-than-full-strength carriers, Admiral Nagumo sought to destroy the U.S. Navy’s counterparts commanded by Admiral Fletcher. The Battle of Midway begins with Japanese aircraft poised to demolish the airfield on Midway Island. The Japanese carrier fleet has just moved within range to retrieve the aircraft after their attack, presuming the U.S. fleet is nearby. Knowing the Japanese fleets are within attack range, the U.S. has launched aircraft from Midway to deliver a counterstrike while maneuvering its fleet to launch an all-out air assault against the enemy flattops.

OBJECT OF THE GAME
The Battle of Midway is a two-player game with one player controlling the U.S. forces defending Midway Island and the other player controlling the Japanese forces attempting to sink the U.S. fleet and invade the island.

While the U.S. faces grim odds in this battle, they have one major advantage – they have broken the Japanese radio code. They know the location and makeup of the Japanese forces; while the exact location and makeup of the U.S. fleet is unknown to the Japanese. The Japanese must first find the U.S. fleet before they can attack it, while simultaneously protecting their carriers from the inevitable counter-attack by U.S. aircraft.

For the U.S. to achieve a decisive victory they must sink 4 of the 5 Japanese carriers, matching the success of the real battle. Sinking 3 Japanese carriers or any combination of 4 capital ships (carriers and battleships) will give the U.S. a major victory. The Japanese will achieve a major victory if they sink 2 of the 3 U.S. carriers and destroy the airbase at Midway, forcing the remaining U.S. ships to retreat; and a decisive victory if they sink all 3 U.S. carriers and destroy the airbase at Midway, which paves the way to land the troops and take control of the island and the Pacific theatre. Alternatively, each unit in the game has been given a Victory Point value. The game can be played to 10 or 12 Victory Points (recommended), depending on the length of game you want. If both sides achieve the required points in the same turn, the side with more points wins the battle.