Midway: a proposed MBX

[CV32]

Well, against my better judgment, if folks are not interested in or otherwise willing to commit to my first, smaller scale wargame idea (detailed in this thread), then I will put forward my other idea for consideration.

 

I am thinking of wargaming the June 1942 Battle of Midway, using the Command at Sea (CaS) rules and other MBX type umpiring efforts. It would also exploit the capabilities of the wonderfully useful CIC Warfare Plotter (shameless plug!).

 

Though I have been toying with this idea for the better part of a year now, it would take a while to get it worked up, and would not likely be available before mid or late 2010.

 

Right now, I'd just like to hear if there are folks interested in taking part in such a venture.

[pmaidhof]

Right now, I'd just like to hear if there are folks interested in taking part in such a venture.

 

Yes, interested.

[Tomcat]

I'll jump in. Let me know if you need some help.

[CV32]

Thanks, guys. If this one does happen, and I personally think its wonderful material for an MBX, then I can foresee needing 10 or more players.

 

On the Japanese side, players would be needed to play the role of:

 

1. Vice Adm Chuichi Nagumo, in overall command of the First Carrier Striking Force (First Air Fleet) and Carrier Division 1, comprising the carriers Akagi and Kaga

 

2. Rear Adm Tamon Yamaguchi, in command of Carrier Division 2, comprising the carriers Hiryu and Soryu

 

3. Vice Adm Nobutake Kondo, in command of the Second Fleet main body, including the battleships Kongo and Hiei, and the cruisers Atago and Chokai, and other surface ships

 

4. Rear Adm Raizo Tanaka, in command of the Midway Occupation Force

 

5. Vice Adm Teruhisa Komatsu in command of the Advance (Submarine) Force (Sixth Fleet)

 

Other players perhaps to fill out the roles of the Support Force, etc. And if there weren't enough bodies, we could collapse some of the above roles.

 

On the American side, players would be needed for:

 

1. Rear Adm Frank J. Fletcher, commanding Task Force 17, including the carrier Yorktown and her cruiser group and destroyer screen

 

2. Rear Adm Raymond A. Spruance, commanding Task Force 16, including the carriers Enterprise and Hornet, their cruiser group and destroyer screen

 

3. Rear Adm Robert H. English, Commander, Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet, for the various US submarines

 

4. Col Ira Kimes, USMC, in command of the Midway garrison (air forces)

 

5. Col Harold Shannon, Fleet Marine Force commander, and in command of local defenses at Midway

 

Other players could fill out subordinate commands (cruiser groups, destroyer screens, air forces, etc).

 

There's room for a little creative role playing here too, since these are historical figures with a fair bit of information available about their personality, proclivities, etc.

[Tomcat]

I wonder how the battle of Midway would've changed if Admiral Halsey was in command.

[Tomcat]

A great resource you might consider is the book Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway by Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully. It examines in detail Japanese operations in this critical battle. I found it to be an excellent work on the subject.

[CV32]

A great resource you might consider is the book Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway by Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully. It examines in detail Japanese operations in this critical battle. I found it to be an excellent work on the subject.

 

Yes, I enjoyed it very much.

 

I would also recommend Walter Lord's Incredible Victory, and I am now reading Lundstrom's The First Team.

[22GCT_Cook]

Hi there!

 

I'd like to join the party. Just one question: does CIC program let players to play on planet Earth's WWI and WWII era country boundaries? I mean: can a German player use Memel (aka Klaipeda nowdays) naval base?

Greets from Italy,

 

Stefano

[TonyE]

Just one question: does CIC program let players to play on planet Earth's WWI and WWII era country boundaries? I mean: can a German player use Memel (aka Klaipeda nowdays) naval base?

 

The CIC Warfare Plotter does not enforce borders nor even land vs water. From that perspective you can use whatever installation you desire. Secondarily, while it is possible to draw arbitrary country borders, nobody has gone to the (rather difficult) effort to recreate any alternate country borders.

[CV32]

A 'bump' for calls for interest. This would not happen now, of course, before Autumn 2010 (or later) at the earliest.

 

My intent would be to set up the wargame in such a manner that a player would not need to have a copy of the Command at Sea rules.

[pmaidhof]

A 'bump' for calls for interest. This would not happen now, of course, before Autumn 2010 (or later) at the earliest.

 

My intent would be to set up the wargame in such a manner that a player would not need to have a copy of the Command at Sea rules.

 

Wilco