Text file for Maybe I Won't Return
Position: While the Japanese military has conquered almost everything in their path, the Philippines has resisted successfully -- a hole in the middle of the empire. General McArthur has never pledged he would return -- since he's never left! The USN has successfully employed a duck and roll strategy -- losing battles wherever heavy IJN battleships were committed but scoring success against IJN cruisers and carriers in lighter areas. As a result, the fleets are almost opposite images of each other.
Starts on: Turn 6
Time: 3 turns
Initial PoC: IJN +29
Japanese Control: Japanese Islands, Aleutian
Islands, North Pacific Ocean, Central Pacific Ocean, Indonesia, South Pacific Ocean,
Marshall Islands
Allied Control: Marianas Islands, Hawaiian
Islands, U.S. Mandate, Coral Sea, Indian Ocean, Bay of
Bengal
Japanese Ports: Yokosuka Navy Yard, Saigon, Singapore, Truk
Japanese Bases: Okinawa, Attu,
Dutch Harbor, Midway, Lae, Kwajalein, Maloelap
Allied Ports: Pearl Harbor, Samoa, Australia, Ceylon
Allied Bases: Saipan,
The Philippines, Guadalcanal, Johnston Island, New Hebrides, Port Moresby, Andaman Islands
Initial Forces
Pearl Harbor: 5+65 Alabama, 127 Baltimore, 127 Boston,
137+4 Essex, 137+4 CV 10, 137+4 CV 16, 027+2 Independence, 027+2 Princeton,
027+2 Belleau Wood, 027+2 Cowpens, 027+2 Monterey, 043 4th Marines (Turn 6
Reinforcements)
Ceylon: 443 Ramillies., 443 Royal Sovereign., 117 Dorsetshire.,
117 Exeter., 117 Shropshire., 1241 Hermes.
Flexible IJN Forces: 2x695, 2x554, 4x444, 2x436, 2x1+27, 2x1+17, 2x1+07, 138+4, 128+3, 005+2, 014+1, 6xLBA, 033, I-Boat
Flexible USN Forces: 3x5+65, 565, 12x117, 2x117., 137+4, 2x027+4, 10xLBA, 043
Special Rules: Prior to play, the Allied player places units in "Flexible USN Forces" at any owned base or port (with a maximum of 9 ships in both the Philippines and Saipan). Then the Japanese player places its "Flexible IJN Forces" at any owned port or base. Then begin with Turn 6 IJN patrols. Missing amphibious units and LBA return to play on Turn 7.
Designer's Notes: There's no perimeter when the USN keeps the Philippines throughout the game and manages to station a fleet there. The IJN, despite a heavy surface firepower advantage, will be hard-pressed to maintain a good position going into the later turns. Can it capitalize in the first turn to keep a winning position? Or lure the USN into a massive loss during night actions? The IJN PoC is set at the maximum in order to give them a decent chance -- but it's highly unlikely they'd have reached that score while the USN raids their key territories from the interior!