Cape Torokina Landings

by GeneralHowitzer | May 31, 2025 | 1943, Armor, Artillery, Beach, Destroyer, Infantry, Jungle, Location: Pacific, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Overlord, Overlord Game, Scenario, Special Weapons, Strategic, Theater: Pacific

Cape Torokina Landings (Overlord Map)

Cape-Torokina_title

Cape-Torokina_right2

Cape-Torokina_right1

Cape-Torokina_Left2

Cape-Torokina_Left1

Cape-Torokina_center2

Cape-Torokina_center1

IMG_1012

IMG_1013

IMG_1014

IMG_1015

“Listen up, men! On November 1st, 1943, our boys hit those beaches at Cape Torokina like a thunderbolt. Those Marines of the 1st and 3rd Divisions didn’t blink at the sight of jungle, mud, and dug-in enemy troops. They took that beachhead by the throat and held on like bulldogs!

This wasn’t just another island—it was the gateway to busting open Rabaul and cutting off those Japanese forces. The jungle was a green hell, but we cut through it, took the ground, and started building the airstrips and supply bases to keep the hammer coming down.

That’s how you do it, boys—land hard, fight harder, and don’t stop until you’ve got a fortress behind you and the enemy on the run. That’s what those Marines did at Cape Torokina—they paved the road to victory in the Pacific!”

~~ General Howitzer

Timeline of the Cape Torokina Landings (Bougainville)

November 1, 1943 – D-Day for Cape Torokina:
U.S. 1st and 3rd Marine Divisions land at Cape Torokina. Initial beachhead secured despite Japanese resistance and tough jungle terrain.
November 2–3, 1943 –
Marines expand the perimeter, clearing Japanese defenses in nearby jungle areas.
Mid-November 1943 –
Seabees and engineers begin constructing airfields and supply bases within the beachhead.
December 1943–January 1944 –
Marines fortify positions, repel repeated Japanese counterattacks.
Japanese strongpoints isolated and bypassed.
March–April 1944 –
U.S. Army relieves Marines; continuing operations to expand and secure the beachhead.

15 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies (Marines) – 9

Axis (Japan) – 8

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Beach

Context:

Historical

Location:

Solomon Islands

Year:

1943

Theater:

Pacific

Campaign:

Bougainville

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

15 VP’s with various Medal Objectives for various territorial control.

Battlefield:

Islands with many rivers, roads, jungles, and hills

Troops:

Allies – 21 Infantry, 4 Armor, 2 Destroyers, with Landing Crafts to bring them ashore

Axis – 18 Infantry some with Special Weapons, 1 Armor, 1 Artillery

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. There are a number of special rules which you need to be aware as commander of the Allied forces. First, there are two islands (Torokina & Puruata), which must be taken. Because the enemy begins the battle with forces on the islands, they start the battle with two victory medals. As soon as you eliminate the enemy from an island, you will cause them to lose a victory medal, but you will NOT gain one. Also note that because the Landing Crafts (LC’s) leave after dropping off your troops, they will be stranded on that island. So make sure you commit enough troops to win, but not too many.

2. There are also three Field Bunkers which provide Temporary Territorial Medals to whichever side occupies them. But you must remain in the bunker to keep the medals.

3. What this means then, is that although you begin the battle with overwhelming force, in order to clear the islands, and then occupy the Field Bunkers, you will need to be leaving troops at each of those locations. So your attack force will be diminished for each parcel of land which you capture. This must be factored into your planning commander!

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. Your primary role in this battle is a defensive one, but that does not mean passive. You have troops which need to be prepared to fight and brought into the battle arena.

2. You have an Armor unit stuck in the corner in the right flank. Get it into the action as soon as you can.

3. You also have an Artillery which you should use at every opportunity to attack the enemy as they come ashore.

4. Make use of the Seishin Kyoiku doctrine to attack with your full force units at every opportunity in order to maximize your extra firepower while they are still strong.

5. You have a lot of forces on the two islands. Make the enemy pay for every inch of ground they take on the islands in order to reduce their main attack force.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Medeera Pocket

by GeneralHowitzer | Apr 29, 2025 | 1945, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Location: Pacific, Mobile Artillery, Scenario, Tactical, Theater: Pacific

Medeera Pocket

IMG_0782

IMG_0784

IMG_0785

Background

The Battle of the Medeera Pocket in June 1945 was a late-stage engagement during the Marianas and Palau Islands campaign of World War II.

Located on northern Peleliu, the Medeera Pocket was one of the last strongholds of Japanese resistance. U.S. Marines and Army forces faced fierce, dug-in Japanese defenders who refused to surrender, fighting from caves and fortified positions. The battle involved intense close-quarters combat, flamethrowers, explosives, and coordinated assaults to clear the terrain.

Despite being outnumbered and cut off, Japanese troops fought to the death, inflicting significant U.S. casualties before being wiped out.

The elimination of the Medeera Pocket marked the final clearing of organized resistance on Peleliu, securing the island for Allied operations and reinforcing the brutal nature of Pacific island warfare.

General Howitzer summarizes:

The Medeera Pocket was one hell of a last stand—the Japanese were holed up in caves, dug in deep, and determined to die where they stood. They fought like fanatics, even when they were cut off and outgunned, but our Army and Marines finished the job. Clearing that pocket sealed Peleliu for good and reminded everyone that in the Pacific, every inch costs blood.

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 6

Axis – 4

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Jungle

Context:

Historical

Location:

Palau Islands

Year:

1945

Theater:

Pacific

Campaign:

Codename:

Operation Iceberg

Summary:

Objectives:

5 VP’s

Battlefield:

Jungle terrain , hills with caves and some small villages.

Troops:

Allies – 8 Army Infantry, 2 Marine Infantry, 3 Artillery including a Mobile Artillery

Axis – 10 Infantry

Allied Strategy:

1. The center section is the key to victory. You have a Mobile Artillery, plus two other Artillery units which can all focus their firepower upon the center.

2. You have two Engineer units which can overcome the terrain disadvantages of caves on hills. Use them to clear out the entrenched enemy.

3. You have two Marine units which can be commanded every single turn, so they can conduct their own operation on your right flank, if they are supported by the Artillery unit on that side.

Axis Strategy

1. Remember the three special abilities of your Japanese forces (Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine, Yamato Dashi Concept, and the Banzai War Cry). You will need these to stand up against the enemy.

2. There are many Caves on Hills which give you both a defensive and mobile advantage. Infantry units can quickly move from one Cave on a Hill to another one, so that you can rapidly replenish your forces when they are destroyed.

3. You have two Artillery units well-protected in the center of the battlefield. Use them at every opportunity to push back the attacking Infantry, and when it comes into range, to also destroy the Mobile Artillery.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Resource:

Campaign Book, Volume 2

Hlegu Burma

by GeneralHowitzer | Dec 10, 2024 | 1942, Armor, Combat Cards, Infantry, Jungle, Location: Pacific, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Tactical, Theater: Pacific

Hlegu Burma

The engagement at Hlegu in March 1942 was a minor yet notable skirmish during the British retreat from Rangoon amid the Japanese invasion of Burma in World War II.

As part of the broader Battle of Pegu, British forces, including the 7th Queen’s Own Hussars equipped with Stuart “Honey” light tanks, advanced toward Hlegu, only to find it occupied by Japanese troops who had established a roadblock. The Japanese defenders employed Molotov cocktails, successfully disabling one British tank. Despite this resistance, the British forces ultimately overcame the roadblock, forcing the Japanese to retreat under heavy fire.

This encounter was part of a strategic effort by the British to delay the Japanese advance and facilitate the evacuation of Rangoon. Although the city fell shortly thereafter, the actions at Hlegu exemplify the determined resistance offered by British and Commonwealth forces during the challenging Burma campaign.

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 6 + 2 Combat Cards

Axis – 4 + 2 Combat Cards

Complexity:

2

Conditions:

Jungle

Context:

Historical

Location:

Burma

Year:

1942

Theater:

Pacific

Campaign:

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

5 VP’s, plus a Sudden Death Exit Hex for the Allies.

Battlefield:

A jungle scenario with a road running vertically through the map, with a roadblock in the center.

Troops:

Allies – 8 Infantry, 3 Armor

Axis – 9 Infantry

Special Rules:

Roadblock Rules in “Hlegu, Burma”

According to the Terrain Pack Rulebook, roadblocks have the following effects:1j1ju

Movement: Only Infantry units may enter a hex containing a roadblock. Upon entering, the Infantry unit must stop and cannot move further that turn.
Combat:
- A unit positioned on a roadblock hex is protected on all sides.
- When attacked by Infantry or Armor, the attacking unit rolls one fewer Battle die.
- Artillery attacks are unaffected; they roll their normal number of Battle dice.
- A unit on a roadblock hex may ignore the first flag rolled against it.
Line of Sight: Roadblocks do not obstruct line of sight

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. The Allies have a Sudden Death Exit Hex Objective Medal. If a unit begins the turn on the hex and exits, a victory is declared for the Allies.

2. You have Armor units, and the enemy has none. Use them to good effect, but don’t get too close or they will hit you with Molotov cocktails.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. At all costs, defend the Exit Hex.

2. The roadblock is your best chance to surround and destroy the enemy. As they try to cross it, bring all your Infantry to bear against them.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Courtesy of Imperial War Museum

Payagyi Burma

by GeneralHowitzer | Dec 10, 2024 | 1942, Armor, Combat Cards, Infantry, Jungle, Location: Pacific, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic

Payagyi Burma

The Battle of Payagyi occurred in early March 1942 during the Burma Campaign of World War II. British forces, specifically ‘B’ Squadron of the 7th Queen’s Own Hussars, engaged Japanese troops near the village of Payagyi, north of Pegu. The British operated American-made M3 Stuart light tanks, while the Japanese fielded Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks.

Upon arrival, the British encountered Japanese forces already present in the village. Despite poor visibility and challenging radio communications, the British launched an attack. In the ensuing combat, they destroyed two Type 95 tanks, disabled two more, and captured four Japanese anti-tank guns. However, the British also suffered losses, including the disabling of a Stuart tank by enemy fire.

The Battle of Payagyi exemplifies the intense and fluid nature of the early stages of the Burma Campaign, highlighting the challenges faced by Allied forces in the face of the Japanese advance.

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 6 + 2 Combat Cards

Axis – 4 + 2 Combat Cards

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Jungle

Context:

Historical

Location:

Burma

Year:

1942

Theater:

Pacific

Campaign:

Burma Campaign

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s, plus the building hex as a Temporary Medal objective for the Allied forces, and the bridge hex is a Last to Occupy Temporary Medal Objective for both sides.

Battlefield:

A jungle map with jungle, rice paddies, hills, and a river cutting across the entire map, and intersecting roads which come together at the bridge hex.

Troops:

Allies – 8 Infantry, 4 Armor

Axis – 9 Infantry, 3 Armore

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. The key objective for the Allies is to capture the bridge hex, and then as a bonus the building hex.

2. Your Armor is back on the left flank. You will need to get it into action as soon as you can. This will be hampered by the river,so while some may breach the river, some other Armor units will need to head toward the road in the center to support the approach and capture of the bridge hex, and its accompanying Medal.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. The Axis begin the scenario with control of the building hex and its Last to Occupy Temporary Objective Medal. Maintain this territory, and push to the Bridge Hex Medal Objective when you are ready. But do not do so prematurely, or your forces will be destroyed by the British counter-attack.

2. Your Armor is stuck in the corner on the right flank. You will need to get them and the nearby Infantry up into the action right away.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Indian-Troops-17th-Division-Payagyi-1945

Courtesy of National Army Museum

Sugar Loaf and Half Moon

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1945, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Location: Pacific, Memoir 44, Pacific Theater, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Pacific

Sugar Loaf and Half Moon

The Battle of Sugar Loaf and Half Moon took place during the Battle of Okinawa in May 1945, one of the final and bloodiest battles of World War II. Sugar Loaf Hill and Half Moon Hill were heavily fortified Japanese positions that U.S. Marines needed to capture to advance on the island.

Listen up. Sugar Loaf and Half Moon weren’t just two lumps of dirt on Okinawa—they were the kind of fortified hellholes the enemy turns into a butcher shop. The Japanese were dug in deep, with bunkers you couldn’t see and tunnels you couldn’t count, and they poured out artillery, machine-gun fire, and counterattacks like they had an endless supply of men and steel.

Our Marines fought inch by inch, bleeding for every blasted ridge. They stormed those heights again and again, under fire hot enough to melt the paint off a helmet. Casualties were heavy, but the boys never broke. After days of slugging it out—crawling, climbing, charging—they took both hills and tore the heart out of the enemy’s northern line.

Seizing Sugar Loaf and Half Moon opened the door to Okinawa’s southern defenses, and it proved a cold, hard truth: fighting in the Pacific demanded guts, grit, and sacrifice on a scale few can imagine. And it was a grim preview of what it might have taken if we’d ever had to storm Japan itself.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

USA – 6

Japanese – 4

Complexity:

2

Conditions:

Jungle

Location:

Pacific

Year:

1945

Theater:

Pacific

Campaign:

Battle of Okinawa

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s
(Special Rule: Note that if the Marines clear out an entire section of Japanese forces, it counts as a temporary VP.)

Battlefield:

This scenario begins with both forces arrayed across the battlefield and ready to engage in immediate warfare. It is a countryside with hills and caves spread across all three sections. The caves allow for rapid movement of Japanese troops.

Troops:

Allies – 10 Infantry, 2 Armor, 2 Artillery

(Infantry practices the Gung-Ho! rule.)

Axis – 10 Infantry, 2 Artillery

(Japanese Infantry practices the Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine (SKD), and the Yamato Damashi Concept, and the Banzai War Cry.)

Allied Strategy:

1. The enemy is weak on your right flank. They have no artillery protection on half the flank. With your artillery, you have a slight numeric advantage. If you can work up the cards, you could launch an attack on tht side, and gain half the VP’s you need. Once you overwhelm that section, your remaining forces can combine with your center section troops to finish off the job and gain your final three VP’s.

2. Use your Artillery to hit every full force Infantry unit at least once in order to cancel out the SKD advantage they have.

3. Note that one of your artillery is mobile, so you can move in and fire. But do not move in too close prematurely, or the Japanese forces will overwhelm you with their SKD power.

4. Strategic consideration based on this special rule:
“When all the Japanese units in a section of the battlefield (right, center or left) are eliminated, the Marines gain one Victory Medal.” This means that if you can concentrate all of your attacks in one section, you will gain not only the medals for eliminating units, but also one extra Victory Medal for clearing out the section. Your most likely focus for this is the right section, since there are no enemy Artillery to eliminate.

Axis Strategy:

1. Use the Banzai War Cry combined with the Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine to quickly advance your full-power Infantry units to attack any enemy who are within striking range. With the additional dice roll that SKD provides, you can quickly weaken the enemy.

2. Remember to use the tunnel system to quickly move infantry from hill to hill to get your forces into the action.

3. Use your artillery at every opportunity on any enemy forces that approach.

4. Your Infantry are sitting mostly on Cave on a Hill hexes, which give a massive defensive advantage of minus 2 (only one dice attack), for normal attacks. This allows you to fend off many attacks. And when they get weak, you can do a quick swap out with fresh units using the cave system. So do not be quick to leave such a defensive position unless you can launch a decisive attack.

Battle Reports

(classic percentage of Allied victories):

68%

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Japanese Counterattack

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Infantry, Jungle, Location: Pacific, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Pacific Theater, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Pacific

Japanese Counterattack

The “Japanese Counter-Attack” phase refers to the counteroffensives launched by Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater. One notable example occurred during the Battle of Guadalcanal, from August 1942 to February 1943. After U.S. Marines secured a critical airfield on Guadalcanal, known as Henderson Field, the Japanese launched multiple counterattacks to reclaim it. These counteroffensives, involving intense jungle fighting and night assaults, aimed to dislodge the U.S. forces from their foothold. The Japanese committed significant naval and infantry resources, but despite their efforts, they struggled to overcome the U.S. defenses and secure sustained supply lines.

The Japs threw in ships, men, and everything they could float or march—but it didn’t matter. Our defenses held like a steel wall, and without solid supply lines, their fight was doomed from the start. They came in hard, but we broke them harder.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 6

Axis – 5

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Jungle

Location:

Guam

Year:

1944

Theater:

Pacific Theater

Campaign

Codename

Summary

The Japanese Counterattack takes place on the same battlefield as the Guam Landings, but the game mechanics are pretty much reversed.

Objectives:
Six VP’s, plus each side has a permanent Objective Medal hex which they can seek.

Battlefield:
Jungle with a V-shaped river cutting right through the map.

Troops:
Marines – 9 Infantry, 2 Armor, 2 Artillery.
Japanese – 12 Infantry.

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. With three artillery, and one armor, the Marines have more firepower than the Japanese. But the artillery is limited for much of the game by night visibility rules, which slowly improve throughout the game. So take your time to get your troops arranged, and your card management under control, to allow more daylight to help your attack and defense.

2. Your tank is stuck back in the left corner of the fight, so take advantage of the early turns to get it into play.

3. Remember that the Japanese practice the Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine. If they have all four units and are fighting at close combat, they role four! dice, not three. So during the game, one of the objectives the Marines need to practice is to take off at least one figure per hex. This will actually count as two in terms of reducing the Japanese firepower for subsequent attacks.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. Big picture strategy for the Japanese forces is to quickly overwhelm a flank with infantry forces who are still fully intact so that you can use the Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine against the Marines. Because of the four! Allied artillery, the center section is kind of a kill box. So the best hope is to move down one of flanks as the cards dictate.

2. Night-time conditions are to your advantage because the Allies have so much firepower. Therefore your best attacks will be immediately, before the dice rolls enough stars to bring out the full ranged artillery attacks.

3. There are three Permanent Medal Objectives (HQ-Supply & Hospital hexes). These are deep in enemy territory, but should you get your hands on either Behind Enemy Lines or Infantry Assault cards, there is a possibility you could force your way in to them.

Battle Reports (percentage of Allied victories):

66%

(These are the historical records. For new stats, record your games in the poll to the right.)

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link: