WWII Pacific Carrier-Battle Maps

The Philippine Sea Area -- from about 300 miles to the east of the Marianas Islands (Guam, Saipan) to about 800nm to the west, to include Yap, Ulithi and Truk islands to the south. Huge area of open Pacific Ocean for the ultimate WWII carrier battle in June 1944 that fell short of its potential of greatest sea battle of all time, but became the famed "Marianas Turkey Shoot". Imperial Japan lost about 315 aircraft in one day, June 19th, to the US Navy's loss of 20. They just didn't have the trained flight crews they had in 1941-43. About 130-deg East to 155-deg East longitude, and 5-deg North to about 20-deg North latitude. About 1500nm x 900nm.

The Midway Islands open ocean battle area for the legendary Battle of Midway of June 1942. Maybe about 600nm x 500nm to include the Midway Islands...practically nothing but ocean and a few moving specks called aircraft carriers...and their 1 to 2 dozen escorts. And, perhaps, several prowling submarines.

--These open ocean area modules might be about $10 and should be fairly quick and easy to produce...99.9% ocean...so put them out already. The real work would be making the aircraft and the ships. Yorktown-class and Essex-class carriers, Fletcher-class destroyers and Brooklyn and Cleveland-class cruisers, to start. And a couple classes of Imperial Japanese carriers, cruisers and destroyers. About 9 models of WWII USN and IJN carrier planes. Place a group of ships in a general area of ocean at random...such as within 100nm of a lat/lon. Then the attack force of planes know nothing but, "fly heading 250 for 300 NM and then just search." Of course, we can place modern ships in these vast open areas, too...and even potentially conduct submarine and anti-submarine action. Lots of searching. Lots of maximum range flights. Boring? Sure. But you have to keep your eyes open, and watch the radar scope if you have one. Blue water ops. A real need for in-flight refueling and carrier landing skills for the modern jets.

Throw in something new...realistic tropical weather systems and storms, and the possibility to fly over or around them to avoid their turbulence. Add 3D modeled towering cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds...giant clouds that could stretch from 2000 feet to 50,000 feet MSL!

The aircraft: USN - F4F Wildcat (AI), F6F Hellcat, SBD Dauntless, TBF Avenger (AI), TBD Devastator(AI).

IJN - A6M2 "Zeke" fighters and fighter-bombers (AI), A6M5 "Zeke" fighters, D3A "Val" bomber (AI), B5N "Kate" attack-bombers (torpedo), D4Y "Judy" dive-bombers(AI). AI aircraft might come in a $40 package with the ships.

I certainly like your optimism/enthusiasm.... perhaps if we had more of it we could one day get the pacific we want...

Great ideas...it would be a dream come true for sure. I like your aircraft selection as well but would like the Avenger to be flyable.

Maybe someday...