Race for Manila, the Philippines Campaign, 1941 - 42

Title: Race for Manila
Price: $*
Designer: Yasushi Nakaguro (2012)
Publisher: War Drum Game, (2018)
US Seller: Quarterdeck International Games

Subject and Scale: 
A game about the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1941. Scale looks to be grand operational scale as one doesn't worry about supply. The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) units are Regimental in size while the U.S. Army Forces of Far East (units comprised of US Army and Filipino personal (Allies) are divisional in size, except two - the 45th Infantry Battalion and the most famous of all Filipino Regiments, the US 26th Cavalry (Horse) Regiment. This was the last of the US Army Horse Cavalry and actually the best trained and equipped military unit in the Philippines. (note - not my view, but that of the US Army and General Staff and the Philippine Government).

Map Area: Majority of the island of Luzon, Philippines.

Components and Physical Quality:   Components include some of the nicest mounted counters, I have ever seen. They must be laser cut, Jack pointed out to me that these counters are not laser cut, but very well die cut as the counters fall out of the the tree, very easy. They are 15mm in size, very good for those of us with large hands to grasp and move about. No clean up is needed. Counters are single-sided.

The counters include seven IJA units, nine Allied units, one game turn marker, seven "Fatigued" markers and three variable victory conditional markers for each side.

The game map is aprx 10 1/8" by 14 5/16" in size and very well done. Each hex is 20mm and not overly big.  Hexes are outline in white, with the IJA beachheads (where the IJA units can land as they are off map in the IJA Holding Box). The Allies setup hexes are printed directly on the game map. Ports, towns, Manila city, airfields, and of course Corregidor, are printed on the game map.

Included are the game rules and an errata 1.1 sheet. The top half of the sheet (for possible gluing to the game map) has the various game charts (such as terrain and CRT) in English. Be aware that this sheet is not the same size of the area to cover, so I just kept it separate. Also on this same sheet are a few lines of errata.

There is also either Hanzi or Kanji (Kanji is the Japanese name for the Chinese writing (Hanzi). Words may be written the same, but they are pronounce very differently) written on the game map and rather than distract, it adds to the game, imho. I don't know which as the game was originally from Japan and then picked up by a Chinese wargame company. I have to plead ignorance here as I am not a fluid speaker of Hanzi or Kanji.

Complexity (scale of 1 -10):  The game is rated as introductory. Once playing of the game has started, one will realized it is anything but introductory. I give this a "3" as the Allied player will be thinking and planning.

Gamer Versions/Scenarios:  There is only one version of the game, with no additional scenarios.

Setup Time:  About 10 minutes, if that long. One will take more time trying to open the beer than setting up.

Playing Time: My games ran anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours.

Solitaire Playability (Scale 1 to 10):  5 to 7.  Not very well suited for solo play due to the use of the three variable victory condition markers on both sides. One could always just blindly pick the other side's variable victory condition marker and play where the non-human side must move towards the nearest enemy unit, but what fun is that? This is one of those games where two players are needed.  But where there is a will, there is a way and I would be interested in hearing from you on how you solo this game. 

update - changed to a 7. I found a way to play solo. 😊

Rules:  The rules are four pages in length, in English, and are satisfactory. Since they are translated, they are a little rough in a few areas, but reading thru them a few times will make sense of what is being said. There are nine cases (i.e. "headings") from the "Intro" to "Combat" with good examples of play where needed.  And if you have a problem, Jack Greene is only an email away and he will cheerfully answer your questions.

Play-Balance:  The game, of course, highly favors the Japanese.  Out of my 10 games, the IJA player won 90% (yup, that's right, 9 out of 10 times).

Description of Play:  On Game Turn 1, only the IJA players has a turn (rule 5.3.1). From game turn 2 to the end, play is as follows:

• Allied Player
• Either Movement phase or Combat phase.  (yes, one or the other)
• Recovery Phase.
• IJA Player
• 1st Movement phase or Combat phase.
• 2nd Movement phase or Combat phase. Cannot conduct same phase two times in a row in a player's turn (ex - two movements in the same turn).
• Recovery Phase  
• Air Combat Phase (see rule 4.3)

That's it.  And yes, The IJA player has 2 movement/combat phases and a few other surprises, such as not being one hit kills (an IJA unit can take several hits before being removed from play). In addition, there is no stacking of units.

Other Games Possibly Available:  After much searching, I have a found a few other games on this same subject, where the 1941 Japanese campaign for the Philippines is the main subject and not an offshoot of a strategic Pacific War game. Here they are-

1. Bushido Denied is a wargame of the WWII campaign fought for the control of the Philippine Islands from January to May, 1942.  Bushido Denied is actually two games in one package, one game covers the Bataan Campaign and the other game on the battle for Corregidor. You can play them separately or combined to cover the entire campaign.  By High Flying Dice Games. Includes two 11"x17" game maps, 16 pages of rules, a Player's Aid Chart, 286 double sided counters. Cost is $20.95.  How did I miss this game, I do not know. Mea culpa.
2. The Damned Die Hard by HMS/GRD (European)  A game in the Glory series that covers the 1941-42 campaign for the Philippines. The new operational and tactical naval system will be used in the game. Includes separate smaller-scale Bataan scenario (on its own map) and several ‘what-if’ scenarios that explore possibilities of varied additional reinforcements for both sides. Includes 9 quarter-size maps, 3 counter sheets (840 counters).  Price: $65 Product #911 (and lots of $$$ for shipping from Europe, just warning ya)
3. The Battle for the Philippines: Bataan (1973) by Balboa Game Co (out of print and I don't believe Balboa is in business anymore).
4. Fall of the Philippines: MacArthur’s Defeat, 1941 by Minden Games (Panzer Digest #9, out of print).
5. Bataan! is an operational-level game of the 1942 battles on the Bataan peninsula of the Philippines in WWII. Uneven player turns and Special Events, determined by random chit-pulls, combine to create a tense, hard-fought campaign. By Compass Games (unfortunately. out of print).
6. MacArthur: The Road to Bataan covers the battle of Luzon Island during the winter of 1941-1942. Paper Wars Issue 90, still available. Thank you Jack for pointing this one out.

If there are any other games that cover the invasion of the Philippines 1941 and just not Corregidor, I would be happy to hear about them.

History of the Invasion:  I am not going to go into the history, as anybody who plays WWII games will have at least one or two if not more, books on this particular subject.   And if you don't, click on the link to the left, it will take you to the US Army Center of Military History Online where you can read up on the invasion and battle in CMH pub 72-3.  BTW, that is public domain and you can download the .pdf for free. Plus it is very well written.

Evaluation:  Though the game came out a few years ago, it is one of "those" type of games that just doesn't go out of style or play. And in this latest edition, I believe more people will have access to this game.  The graphics are well done.  The rules are good, as is the game's concept. I am giving this game an 8 out of 10. Beautiful graphics, game map, counter, etc. Rules that are good. Honestly, one can't go wrong with this little gem.

Summary:  The Allies will get walked over and beaten most of the time. Depending on how each side picks one of their victory condition markers will depend on the Allied victory or not. Historic, yeah, but not fun.  However, this is actually good, as it is not one of those games that is easily figured out. It will make one think.

There is a rule called "MacArthur takes Command" (rule 5.3) that allows the Allied player to have a secondary movement or combat just like the IJA player, except the Allied player can preform the same phase twice in a row (i.e. two movements or combats for example), but only once from turn 3 onward. And this takes the sting out of lack of movement and combat like the IJA player has. There is another rule that comes into possible play on game turn 5. This is the Allies declaring Manila as an "Open City" (rule 8.4). This allows the Allies one extra movement point and Allies can use the infiltration movement (rule 6.2.3) like the IJA player.   And I failed to mention that in case of a tie in victory points, the Allies still win.

About the only quibble spots I have is the weakness (both combat and movement) of the Allied units and the non-ability to move and have combat once, much less twice.

Of course, the non-ability to both move and have combat for the Allied player, could show the lack of equipment, whether transport or prime movers and/or the age of equipment and/or lack of training of the Allies in the Philippines and the training of the Japanese troops. Up to this point the Allies had not fought a major war for 23 years, while the Japanese units in the game are seasoned. And for this reason, I can understand why the rules and combat factors and movement allowances are the way they are.  

Though General MacArthur was making himself a pain in the butt to the Chiefs of Staff in the US with requests for more troops and equipment, including tanks, since he took over command in the summer of 41 and was getting them, there just wasn't enough time to receive the personnel or train them to a higher combat readiness. It was also believed that the Japanese would not invade until April or May of 1942.

But, I do disagree about the 26th Cav Regt's movement allowance, as this unit was the most trained, mobile, and professional of all the units (Filipino and US) in the U.S. Army Forces of Far East.  If the Japanese can have a movement allowance (ma) of 4 with bicycles, then the 26th should have a ma of 4 with horses, if not more and be able to both move and attack.

The die roll at the end of a game turn for Air Combat simulates in a very easy manner on whether the Japanese can move their aircraft out of this theater of war to another. Even though the Japanese totally destroyed the Allied air, they couldn't take a chance that they didn't.  To keep the IJA player on their toes, VP is awarded for remaining Allied airfields until they have all been captured.

Neither side can afford to be lazy. The Allied player must plan and make the IJA player pay for every hex they take. The "MacArthur takes Command" rule, as well as "Open City" for Manila can be a boon for the Allies and the bane of the IJA.  The IJA player must plan out his strategy and be willing to modify his/her plans when Turns 3 and 5 take place. Regardless, the capture of the Allied airfields will deny victory points to the Allied player. 

For it's price, and honestly, the lack of counters (I like very low counter games), and the simple but elegantly thought out rules, make this game a steal.

Yes, please do note this is a new format and one I will be using from now on.  Let me know if you enjoy it or not. 

Here is a graphic of additional units that I made for the game.  War Diary magazine put them in an issue!  WOW, an honor for me.  If you use, remember that they are copyrighted, not for sale, but you can give them away.

-ab out 

Note: updated Oct 3, 2019 to add an addition Philippine game. Keep them coming!!!!  Updated May7, 2019 for English and to clarify a couple of thoughts.

This blog is considered to be a living blog. Changes will be made to it as needed to clarify, correct errors or update with new information.  And I apologize, but this review may contain references to graphics that are no longer on this blog. Long story, but it was Google who removed them.

Profile in Courage PT-109

High Flying Dice Games recently published a solitaire game on PT-109, designed by Rod Bauer, developed by Paul Rohrbaugh and with game graphics by one of my favorite gaming artists, Bruce Yearian. It is called "Profile in Courage PT-109 The Campaign of PT-109 in 1943". 

 

Whew, thats a long name. I will refer to it as "PT-109" thru out this review. It is a fun game to play. Pretty much everyone of my generation knows of PT-109 and the heroism of the young skipper, Lt (jg) John F. Kennedy, who became the 35th President of the United States of America, but for those young whipper-snappers (and you know who you are) here is a brief history... 

History...

Motor Torpedo Boat 109 was laid down 4 March 1942 by the Elco Works Naval Division of the Electric Boat Company in Bayonne, New Jersey. The seventh 40-ton, 80 foot long Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) built there, she was launched on 20 June, delivered to the Navy on 10 July 1942, and fitted out in the New York Naval Shipyard at Brooklyn.  

PT-109 joined MTB Squadron FIVE, which was sent to Panama, replacing the first eight PT boats that sailed on transports for the south Pacific in early September. On 26 October 1942, 6 of the Elco boats, PTs 109 through 114, were then transferred to MTB Squadron TWO  and prepared for deployment to the Solomon Islands.

The boats were loaded on cargo ships that sailed west, arriving at Sesapi, Tulagi harbor, Nggela Islands, at the end of November. Here is PT-109 stowed onboard the "Liberty Ship" Joseph Stanton for transportation to the Pacific. Heavy bracing at the PT boat's stern and on her deck, was to prevent movement as she was transported to the Pacific

These boats, once unloaded, joined the earlier boats - which had established the MTB base at Sesapi in October 42, to form Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla ONE, under the command of Commander Allen P. Calvert.

Lt Kennedy, took over command of PT-109 (he was the 3rd Skipper) on 24th April 1943.  Starting in late April, the PT boats were increasingly conducting patrols in the Russell Islands area and on 16 June, PT-109 along with other boats moved to a forward operating base on Rendova Island.

On 1 August, an air strike by 18 Japanese bombers attacked this base, damaging PT-117 and sinking PT-164. A strange side note - during this attack 2 torpedoes were blown off the 164 boat and ran erratically around the bay until they ran ashore without exploding.

Intelligence reports indicated five enemy destroyers were scheduled to run that night from Bougainville Island through Blackett Strait to Vila, on the southern tip of Kolombangara Island. Despite the loss of two boats, the flotilla sent out fifteen motor torpedo boats in four sections to meet the Japanese destroyers.

Lt Brantingham in PT-159 made radar contact at midnight with ships approaching from the north, close to Kolombangara. Soon after this, he sighted what he believed to be large landing craft and closed range for a strafing run only to run into heavy shellfire that revealed the "landing craft" to be destroyers. He fired four torpedoes and PT-157 launched two as well, before the two boats withdrew.

Lt Kennedy in PT-109 patrolled without incident until gunfire and searchlights were seen in the direction of the southern shore of Kolombangara. The location was undetermined, however, and PT-109 rendezvoused with PT-162 to determine the source of firing. PT-109 then intercepted a terse radio message (probably from PT-159) "I am being chased through Ferguson Passage. Have fired fish." At this time, PT-169 came alongside and reported an engine out of order. She lay to with PT-109 and PT-162 to await developments while instructions were requested from base. Orders were received to resume normal patrol station, and PT-162 being uncertain as to its position, requested Lt Kennedy to lead the way back to patrol station.

Lt Kennedy started his patrol on one engine ahead at idling speed. The three boats were due east of Gizo Island and headed south with PT-109 leading a right echelon formation. Unknown to them, the Japanese destroyer Amagiri was returning north after completing a supply mission to Kolobangara and had spotted the torpedo boats at a range of about 1,000 yards. Rather than open fire--and give away their position--the destroyer captain, Lieutenant Comander Kohei Hanami, turned to intercept and closed in the darkness at 30 knots.

Initially spotted by PT-109 at 200 to 300 yards, Lt Kennedy ordered the boat turned to starboard, preparatory to firing torpedoes. With one engine, the turn was too slow and the destroyer rammed the 109, splitting the boat apart. The Japanese destroyer was slightly damaged in the collision, smashing part of the bow and bending the propellers, yet, the warship still made 24-knots on the run home to Rabaul and arrived safely the following morning.

Meanwhile, the crew of PT-109 were thrown in the water as the Japanese destroyer sliced through the boat. Fire ignited spilled gasoline on the water some twenty yards around the wreckage, driving the crew in all directions. It quickly became clear that the forward half of the boat was still floating after the flames died down and Lt Kennedy, Ensign Thom, Ensign George Ross, QM3 Edman Mauer, RM2 John Maguire and S1 Raymond Albert all crawled back on board the hull. Shouting soon revealed three men were in the water some 100 yards to the southwest, while two others were an equal distance to the southeast. These were GM3 Charles Harris, MoMM2  William Johnston, MoMM1 Patrick McMahon, TM2  Ray Starkey and MoMM1 Gerald Zinser. Unfortunately 2 sailors, TM2 Andrew Kirksey and MoMM2 Harold Marney, were never seen and presumed killed in the collision with Amagiri.

Lt Kennedy swam to the group of three where he found one man helpless because of serious burns and another struggling to stay afloat owing to a water-logged Kapok life jacket. Trading his life belt to the latter sailor, he towed the injured man back to the wreckage of PT-109. Returning to the scene, he helped tow the exhausted crew member back to the boat. Meanwhile Ensigns Thom and Ross towed the other two survivors back to the floating section. 

Daylight on 2 August found all eleven survivors clinging to the wreckage of PT-109 about four miles north and slightly east of Gizo anchorage. When it became obvious the boat remnants would sink, Kennedy decided to abandon ship to a small island some four miles southeast of Gizo, hoping to avoid any Japanese garrisons that way. At 1400, the crew pushed off for land, towing the badly burned engineer and two non-swimmers on a float rigged from a wooden post which had been a part of the 37mm gun mount. Arriving on shore, the group took cover and set up a temporary camp.

That night, Lt Kennedy donned a life jacket and with a salvaged battle lantern, swam to a small island a half-mile to the southeast, then along the reef stretching into Ferguson Passage where he tried unsuccessfully to intercept patrolling motor torpedo boats. Returning in the morning, he turned the lantern over to Ensign Ross who swam the same route into Ferguson Passage that evening. He too had no luck and returned the next morning.

When the remaining rations and all the local coconuts had been consumed, the survivors investigated a small islet west of Cross Island and took cover in the heavy brush the next day. Undaunted by the sight of a New Zealand P-40 strafing Cross Island itself, Kennedy and Ross swam to that island in search of food, boats or anything which might prove useful to their party. At one point, the two men found a Japanese box with 30-40 bags of crackers and candy and, a little farther up the beach, a native lean-to with a one-man canoe and a barrel of water alongside. About this time a canoe with two natives was sighted but they paddled swiftly off despite all efforts to attract their attention.

During the night of 5 August, Lt Kennedy took the canoe into Ferguson Passage but found no PT boats. Returning home by way of Cross Island, he found the two natives there with the rest of the group. Ensign Thom, after telling them in as many ways as possible that he was an American and not a Japanese, finally convinced the natives to help the Americans. The natives were sent with messages to the coast watchers on Wana Wana, one was a pencilled note written the day before by Ensign Thom and the other message written on a green coconut husk by Lt Kennedy.

The next day, eight natives arrived with instructions from the coast watcher for the senior naval officer to go with the natives to Wana Wana. After the natives dropped off food and other supplies,  they hid Kennedy under ferns in a large war canoe and paddled to Wana Wana. The war canoe reached its destination about 1600 hrs and later that night Kennedy made rendezvous in Ferguson Passage with PT-157, piloted by Lt W. F. Liebenow. In company with PT-171, and guided by natives who knew passages through the reefs, the survivors were picked up by small boats later that evening. Everything went off smoothly and PT-157 returned the survivors to Rendova by morning.

Lt Kennedy was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal "for extremely heroic conduct as Commanding Officer of Motor Torpedo Boat 109 following the collision and sinking of that vessel in the Pacific War Area on August 1-2, 1943. Unmindful of personal danger, Lieutenant (then Lieutenant, junior grade) Kennedy unhesitatingly braved the difficulties and hazards of darkness to direct rescue operations, swimming many hours to secure aid and food after he had succeeded in getting his crew ashore. His outstanding courage, endurance and leadership contributed to the saving of several lives and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.".

PT-109 earned two battle stars for the following operations:
1 Battle Star for the Capture and Defense of Guadalcanal, 7-8 December 1942, 13-15 January 1943 and 1-2 February 1943.
1 Battle Star for the New Georgia Group Operation: New Georgia-Rendova-Gangunu Occupation: 1-2 August1943.

And in-case you are wondering, President Kennedy stayed in the Pacific after recovering from his ordeal with the sinking of the 109. He became the skipper of PT-59, a PT converted to a gunboat. Far deadlier.

PT-109, the boat... 

PT-109 that night was manned by 3 officers and 10 enlisted men. For armament, PT-109 carried four 21-inch Mark 8 torpedoes and mounted four .50 caliber machine guns in two twin mounts. One 20-mm was mounted on the fantail aft. Besides the normal PT-Boat compliment of small arms, that day, Aug 1, a 37mm anti-tank gun was found and lashed to the bow.  Better firepower for barges.

Communication with other boats was with both a blinker tube having an eight-inch searchlight and by voice radio that had a range of 75 miles.

Propulsion was via a trio of Packard 4M-2500 supercharged gasoline-fueled, liquid-cooled marine engines. Fuel consumption  was exceptionally heavy with these engines (modified aircraft engines). A PT boat carried 3,000 US gallons of 100 octane aviation fuel, enough for a boat to conduct a maximum 12-hour patrol. Some 200 US gallons an hour were consumed at a cruising speed of 23 knots, increasing to 500 US gallons per hour at top speed. Hull fouling and engine wear could both decrease top speed and increase fuel consumption materially.

Max speed for a range of 358 miles was 35 knots (30 mph). A full-load patrol speed of nine knots would be usual in covering a 600-mile range. Under ideal conditions, and after torpedoes have been fired, a maximum speed of approximately 46-knots (roughly 40 mph) was possible.

The Bliss–Leavitt 21" Mark 8 torpedo was the bane of a PT Boat skipper and a torpedo-man's nightmare.  With many technical difficulties from just launching the torpedo to lack of precision depth setting and less than 500 lbs of TNT for a warhead,  50% to 75% failure rates were common.  The Mark 8 ran too deep for use against the Japanese barges with their shallow draft and with the small warhead, torpedoes that were used against DD's and hit, lacked the explosive power to damage and sink a DD.

With all this said, PT boats and their crews served admirably in all campaign areas during the war.  Whether preforming rescues of Coast Watchers, other military personal and downed airmen, or beach landing patrol coverage (protecting the rear of a landing force), getting in the destruction of a destroyer or the sinking of supply barges, the PT Boats and her crews were there preforming their job and mission to the best of their ability. These were truly the Knights of the Navy.   

The game...
Profile in Courage PT-109 is a grand little solitaire game. It can be ordered directly from High Flying Dice Games and costs $* and shipping.

Components...
The game comes with in a large zip lock bag with the following:

• one 11"x17" game map
• 24 playing cards
• 24 single sided un-mounted counters that are actually larger than usual for HFDGs.  :D
• and a four page set of rules (actually 3 pages of concise rules, as the 4th page is game charts.)

In addition, two D6 dice are needed.  That's it. Pretty sweet as far as I am concerned. Easy to mount the counters and the playing cards are easy to cut out. 

Game Map...
The game map is 11"x17" (ledger) in size with most of the map dedicate to ocean and islands, representing the areas where PT-109 patrol from April 1943, to August 1943 - Rendova Island, Blackett Strait and the various other islands, northwest of New Georgia. A reference grid is provided along the left side and top for placing units for play. Located on the bottom is both the Round Record Track and a Game Turn Record Track that also does double duty for Victory Point record keeping.

Instead of hexes or area movement, the game map is divided into squares. No diagonal movement can be made for either side, only left to right or up or down. There are a couple of areas that neither side can enter or move thru and these are marked on the game map with darker blue. The Japanese units move accordingly to the "Japanese Movement Table" requiring 2 D6s. 

 

PT-109 can move up to 3 squares if not damaged or 4 squares if carrying extra fuel (1 fuel marker is expended every time PT-109 moves an extra space). A maximum of 2 unit counters (ship type) can occupy a square. For example if 2 Japanese units are in a square, PT-109 can't enter that square.   I like this map and I believe Bruce did the game proud. 

 

Counters...
The game counters are single sided and need to be mounted. Of course, one can get these mounted for a small additional fee. If you order the counters mounted, see if you can purchase an extra copy of the counter sheet in-case you lose one.

These counters are 3/4" in size and one is aprx 6"x11" in size, this being the top down view of PT-109 for placement of the "Resource" markers and the various game charts/game tables needed.

There are 23  .75" (3/4") counters consisting of:
1) 5 "Resource" markers used for keeping track of what resources are available for the 109.
2) 1 "PT-109" boat movement counter for game map.
3) 5 "IJN DD" movement counters representing either IJN DDs or barges for the game map.
4) 5 "Flag" markers representing the IJ supplies or troops when called for in the game.
5) 2 US Victory Point markers.
6) 2 IJN Victory Point markers (used to subtract from US vp)
7) 1 Game Turn  marker and 1 Game Round marker.
8) 1 marker for either Coast Watcher rescue or landing party cover, when it is needed.

Though few in number, these counters and markers are very well designed. I like these counters.

Counter #24 the Players Aid Card...

Yes, that's right - there is a 24th counter and it is the players aid card. This shows a top down view of PT-109, along with various charts or tables. The top down view is used for keeping track of the resources available for the PT-109, such as extra fuel, ammo, medical kit, the 37mm AT gun, etc.

I also believe that this is the largest counter ever from High Flying Dice Games. 😀

Game Cards...

The game cards are the heart of the game. These cards are very informative and have the instructions for carrying out the Japanese actions on them.

Twenty-four cards need to be cut out, but only 23 are used. The 24th card is a content card showing the various card types, how they are used and the symbols used (a very important card indeed).

How to use the cards is very well explained in the rules.  I like these cards. Not only is there the "heat of action" combat cards, but also a little humor, such as my favorite "Time for a Sandwich and a cup of Coffee" card.  There is always time for coffee.

Again, Bruce outdid himself with the design of these cards.

The Rules...

The rules are not very long in length, but the story they have to tell can fill a room.  From the historical introduction on page 1 to the ending art on page 4, they are well written. Of particular note is the Play Sequence, which is important.

Play Sequence...

The game is played in four rounds of ten turns each with each round consisting of 8 phases that must be strictly adhered to in this sequential order:

Preliminary Phases 
1) Rendova Event
2) Mission Determination / Deployment of Japanese units
3) Create the card deck
4) Prepare for Mission

Operation Phases
5) Movement of Japanese units
6) Movement of PT-109
7) Resolve Contact (may result in combat)

End of Round Phase
8) Return to Rendova and score the round

The Preliminary Phases 1 to 4 are done only one time per Round (i.e. at the beginning of the Round)

The Operational Phases 5 to 7 are repeated in each of the 10 turns that make up a Round.

The End Phase 8 is done once at the end to complete the Round.

The game looks complicated, but after a couple of turns, all of this become second nature. I'm not going into a lot of the detail on the 8 phases, luckily for us players, there is a "Detailed Summary of Each Phase" section in the rules.  This section does a beautiful job of explaining all the phases, how many cards to draw, when to draw the cards, basically when/what/how to do everything.

Between this part of the rules and the instructions on the cards, one can play with history on those fateful few months of a young PT Skipper, his crew and his boat in the Solomon Islands during the months of July and August 1943.

I just received this an addenda file on PT-109. It is as follows:

Profile of Courage: PT-109 Addenda
February 2019

Page 1, Game Components (correction and clarification). There are 24 game pieces in the game. 23 are square markers/units. The 24th is the large top view/deck plan of the PT-109 that is used to record the various resources and status of the boat. Use the VP and Point markers to record the number of Victory Points and delivered Japanese supplies/troops on the Game Turn/Record track.

Page 1, Play Sequence (correction): There are 8 phases in each turn (not 9). The asterisk in the first line references the blue text area below the Sequence of play (the corresponding asterisk at the start of the first line in that area went missing).

Page 2, second blue box area on left side (correction): The second line should read “Is drawn, there will be no shuffle deck.”

Page 3, left column (correction and clarification): The third line should read “penalty in VPs will be deducted from your score.” Use the 1 through 10 spaces on the Turn Record Track to record the level of VP during the game.

Time for the buns ratings:
•  Complexity of the game = LOW
•  Solitaire =  LOL, now what do you think? HIGH of course
•  Enjoyment Level = VERY HIGH (imho)
•  Nail biting =  not knowing how the dice will come up or what cards, it can get a little nerve racking. I give it 5 fingers worth of chew.
•  Historical Level = there's the PT-109 and the IJN DD Amagiri in the game.  There is also air attacks, danger of crashing the 109 into the dock (that did happen) trying to be first in line for refueling.  And of course the failure of sinking a ship due to faulty torpedoes. I would have to peg this at HIGH  
•  Length of typical full game of 4 rounds with 10 turns each = about 1 to 2 hours.

Bibliographies:
PT 109: John F. Kennedy in World War II
by Robert J Donovan
ISBN-13: 978-0785105985
ISBN-10: 0785105980

PT 109: An American Epic of War, Survival, and the Destiny of John F. Kennedy
by William Doyle
ISBN 978-0-06-234658-2

Both are fine books and good reads.

And of course the one media that most of us (well, my generation is probably most familiar with) the movie - PT-109 starring Cliff Robertson (President Kennedy's choice)and released in 1963. Below is a small clip from the movie. Guess who is playing the helmsman on the Amagiri, though not credited (Oh myyyyy)?

The movie is good and true, however, a few of the action scenes didn't happen with the 109, but instead with Lt Kennedy and PT-59, such as the rescue of the Marines and running out of fuel while doing so. But it is the first movie that covered part of the life of a living U.S. President.

After thoughts... 

Out of the 20+ games played since I received this game last week, I find it one of the ones I keep going back too. Why? To see if I can do better. Sure there is a lot of die rolling, but that's the fun of it. I have done a lot of research and cannot find another board game that was published only on those last few months of PT-109s life. 

 

This is the first non-computer wargame on PT-109's last days.

Rod really went all out when he designed this game. It's the little things that show up in the game, that makes this one stand out. From eating a sandwich to air attacks to sinking barges, it is pretty much all there in the cards.

Is the game a keeper? I would say yes. Is it fresh and fun? Again, I would say yes it is. Will it last out the years? Who knows. But, one can ask themselves after playing the game, did I learn something? Did I have fun? I believe the answer would be "yes".  It's not a detail simulation of a PT Boat, wasn't meant to be. But, it is a fun, quick game, with meat.

I am sure there are other games coming out from various publishers on the MTB's of War, whether WW1, WW2, or present day, as this area has been neglected too long. 

Actually, as my first game I ever received as a present from Santa, when I was a wee squirt, is this one called "P.T. Boat 109" by Ideal.  And that was Dec 1963. This was like Battleship. And beat Hasbro by 5 years before they brought out "Battleship". Fun, had lots of little plastic pegs used to record damage, had pt-boats, DD, Ca, BB, and CV's, and a screen to keep someone from looking at your setup.  B-4 "Miss".

And one more thing...

If you like the artwork "PT Attack" that Mike graciously allowed to be used in this review, it can be order directly from the artist, Mike Newcomer. Please contact him via email for ordering at newks1052@ptd.net.  Cost is $20 plus postage.  Size is 11"x17".

I don't believe you will find another piece of artwork like this with 2 IJN Rufes (Nakajima A6M2-N) attacking PT Boats.

Thanks for reading. And good gaming!

-ab

 
This blog is considered to be a living blog. Changes will be made to it as needed to clarify, correct errors or update with new information.  And I apologize, but this review may contain references to graphics that are no longer on this blog. Long story, but it was Google who removed them.

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy -

... the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. - FDR

A review on the game "Day of Infamy" by High Flying Dice Games.

Background on Pearl Harbor:

The attack on Pearl Harbor was planned by Admiral Yomamoto and his staff as part of a series of attacks that hit the Philippines, Wake Island, Guam, Singapore, Malaya and Hong Kong, within 8 hours of each other. Basically it was aimed at the two major naval powers Japan feared the most - the United States and Great Britain Navies. 

Historically, Japan won a major victory, in that they were able to sink the US Battleships (from the 1850' till 1990's, battleships were consider the pride of a fleet. Expensive to build, maintain, slow, and having the largest caliber of gun (between 12" to 18") these ships were the ultimate weapon at sea.).   *Remember this thought as we'll be visiting it again. 

Seven battleships (BB) were at their moorings (i.e. docked) and along with one BB converted into a training ship (USS Utah), all were hit and can be consider sunk. Only two BB's were actually sunk, the USS Arizona with 1,177 KIA and the USS Oklahoma with 429 KIA. All the other BB's was able to be re-floated, repaired and put back into service.  As were four Cruisers, four Destroyers, and 4 Auxiliary ships that were hit.

The USS Pennsylvania was actually in dry dock and was hit, but repaired and returned to service Dec 1941. The USS Tennessee and the USS Maryland were returned to service by Feb 1942.  The USS Nevada was returned to service by Oct 1942. She was hit numerous times after making a run for the ocean and was beached on purpose to keep from blocking the entrance to port.  The USS California returned to service by Jan 1944 and the USS West Virginia returned to service by July 1944.  The Oklahoma was raised and sunk on her final tow back to the mainland in 1947.  And though the USS Arizona and USS Utah were sunk, as much of their armament and equipment as possible was salvage and re-used on other naval ships.  In death as in life, these two ships carried on.

Actually Japan did us a service by this attack, as Admiral Hara Tadaichi summed up the Japanese result at the end of the battle, by saying, "We won a great tactical victory at Pearl Harbor and thereby lost the war.". And Japan did.

*Note - remember that "thought" from above? Here it is - with the Pacific Fleet of Battleships out of action while being repaired and/or replaced, the US had to relied on it's Submarine Service and Carriers. The Battles of the Coral Sea May 4-8 1942, was a strategic Allied victory and did not allow Japan to complete it's conquest of Port Moresby in southeast New Guinea or control of the Coral Sea. The Battle of Midway on June 4-7, 1942 was the turning point for Japan, as it was the most decisive naval battle in the Pacific, with Japan losing 4 carriers and the USN 1. By the end of 1943, unrestricted submarine warfare was bringing Japan to her knees, 99% of Japan's shipping was lost to Sub attacks.   By 1944, the USAAF B-29 bombing campaign of destroying Japan's ability to wage war was proving it's self.

Our carriers were being built faster than any other Nation had ever built capitol ships - fleet carriers (CV), light carriers (CVL) and escort carriers (CVE). New battleship classes, cruiser classes, destroyer classes, and a lot of other types of ships (just as important as the big boys) being built and entering into service. And let us not forget, the two a-bombs dropped on Japan - more advance technology than ever before. Men, women, and even children, the might of this nation rose to the occasion to defeat an enemy that choose to attack the US without declaring war. Truly, Admiral Hara Tadaichi was correct. Japan poke the bear one too many times and paid for it. It was total war, pure and simple.

Note - Though I am touching on the big ships, there was 1 Navy tug sunk, 188 aircraft destroyed, 159 aircraft damage, 2,335 Military killed, 1,143 wounded, and 68 Civilians killed with 35 wounded.   

While the big ships were hit, the Japanese ignored the Naval and USAAC facilities.  A 3rd wave was planned but overturned by Vice Admiral Nagumo.  If it would have been carried out, all the port facilities, and airfields could have been so heavily damaged that it could have pushed the war in the Pacific back two to three years. 

There are hundreds of books written on the this subject.  At the end of the credits in the rules  is a listing of books about this attack that Paul recommends on this subject.

The Game:

This game is designed by Paul Rohrbaugh with graphics by Bruce Yearian. I am beginning to think of these two as "Team HFDG", lol.  And though I enjoyed all of High Flying Dice Games with the different graphic designers that Paul uses (yes, all of them), there just seems to be something that clicks between these two and one can tell in the presentation of the games.

Day of Infamy costs $7.95. No longer available. The game consists of one 8.5" x 11" map, 29 (28 double sided and 1 single-sided) unit counters, one Player Aid Card (part of the counter sheet) and a six page rules book (single sided). Plus as an added bonus, a small sheet of variants for the game.

And of course, a card deck is available for purchase for $*. One can also purchase the game with the counters mounted for an additional low fee. Players will need to provide 1D6 die and a deck of cards (if the card set is not bought from HFDG)

The game map is divided into zones. I may have said this before in other game reviews, but I am liking the game map being in zones instead of hexes. With zones, it is just easier to place counters in the spaces than making sure the counters are in the exact hex.

This game packs a lot in it for it's size. There are special events that includes Doris Miller (I hope you know who he is) and Chief Finn  to  2Lt's Welch and Taylor who both almost made "ace" on this day shooting down 6 Japanese acft between them. And let us not forget the heroic effort of  the USS Nevada as in real life just like in the game making a dash for the open sea. It's little things like this that makes a game enjoyable and this one has them.

Though the game is for 2 players, the US player has very little to do and it is very easy to play the game solo.  I made a decision dice table for possibly all the decisions that the US player could make.  Whether it is any good or not is in the eye of the beholder - me.  And since it is being revised constantly, it is not available for download.

Sequence of play:
1. Preparation Phase
2. Activation Phase
3. End Phase

There are 6 turns in the game, with many steps of phases 1 to 3.  The turn ends when the Joker is drawn or if there are no Japanese air units (JAU) in play on the map. If the Joker is drawn before both players have performed an activation, it is discarded and play continues. Turns 1 to 3 is considered the 1st air wave of attack. Turns 4 to 6 is the 2nd wave of attack.  Each turn represents one group of Japanese attackers. And there is section "6.0 unit deployment" telling the player what units are in play on turn 1, turn 2, etc.

Under 1. Prep phase, the card deck is shuffled and draw cards from the deck until a red card appears.

Under 2. Activation Phase is where a card is drawn and depending on the type of card what type of activations occur. These can be one of the following:

• movement
• AA fire on a Japanese Air Unit
• Enemy Acft is attack (Japanese 1st, US 2nd)
• Japanese bomber unit attacks 
• move the USS Nevada

Phase 3 is the end phase:

• the turn ends when the Joker is drawn (after both players have played) or 
• if there are no Japanese air units (JAU) in play on the map.
• remove all Flight units (both sides) from the map.  
• leave bomber units in place as they must move off the map
• advance the different tracks up one level. 
• and proceed to Prep phase.

A game can be compared to a bottle of wine. A truly fine wine can age remarkably well, taste grand to the palate 20 or more years later and become one of the classics. Games also age as well, however, less become a classic. "Day of Infamy"  is like a fine wine and imho, a classic. 

Though simple in play, it is another one of those fine games, where simple doesn't mean silly. If the Japanese player tries to attack everything, he/she will lose. One has to think in this game.

The variants for this game raise a new awareness with possibilities.  Well thought out, they do add another element to the game.   

Time to rate this game:

1. Complexity of the game = LOW with medium overtones.
2. Solitaire = Med HIGH (a little work is needed)
3. Enjoyment Level = VERY HIGH (imho)
4. Nail biting = 10 fingers worth.  I didn't know if I bit off more than I could chew as the Japanese player. (bad pun)
5. Historical Level = High - this game has a solid historical reference background and a very solid OOB (Orders of Battle).   
6. Length of typical full game =about 1 to 2 hours.
7. Out of the 8 games played, it is hard for the US player to win, but it can be done, by limiting the Japanese player. Basically it is limiting the type of victory of the Japanese player. You will have to think about your plans and work with what you got.  The Japanese player will need to think just as hard, as there is no "just right, win every time" strategy plan available.  Most of my games came out as a Minor Japanese Victory, but that could be my solo tables need to be tinkered with.  And of course, using cards generates the "fog of war" and everything in between such as morale, supply, and leadership.

"Day of Infamy" covers a battle that one would think would have loads of games designed about it, but there are very few.  Unlike D-Day or Russian Front, games on Pearl Harbor are few and far in between.

Enjoy the game 
-ab

note:
This game is available once again as a bonus game when one buys Against The Odds 2019 Annual - La Vendée - 1793 directly from ATO web site.  Cost is $49.95 and includes postage.  Both the game "La Vendée - 1793" and the "Day of Infamy" are worth it.   Unfortunately, ATO publisher is not making the game available as a "black swan" for separate purchase. You either will have to do without or purchase the Annual.  😢

Updated: Jul 6th to removed last 3 paragraphs as they are no longer valid.

Updated: June 24th 2020 as this game is no longer sold by High Flying Dice Games. I am not at liberty to say who bought it, but if you have this game, then it is a collector's item.

this blog is considered to be a living blog. Changes will be made to it as needed to clarify, correct errors or update with new information. And I apologize, but this review may contain references to graphics that are no longer on this blog. Long story, but it was Google who removed them.