DownFall: If the US Invaded Japan, 1945
(DF),
is a wargame simulating the planned but never executed US invasion of
the Japanese home island of Kyushu during the last quarter of that
year. The design combines factual historical detail with educated
guesswork to produce an alternative history simulation covering the
period from X-Day +1 through X-Day +30. One player acts as the overall
commander of the Allied invasion effort; the other takes the role of
the leader of the Japanese defense force. The burden of attack is
generally on the American, but both players attempt to win by
controlling key terrain on the island and destroying opposing forces. A
complete game of DF takes from two to four hours to complete and it's
suitable for solitaire play.
The approach we've taken here is
called, among those who deal regularly with alternative history – which
is itself also known as "virtual history" and "alternative outcome
analysis – the conservation of historical reality. That is, to make the
assumptions and results of our simulation as valid as possible, we made
the fewest possible changes needed to the historic timeline in order to
put our alternative one in place. The basic assumption here, then, is
that the Japanese simply refused to surrender after the atomic bombings
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That would have likely meant one or another
of the coups plotted during those desperate days actually went through,
putting in place a new war cabinet of ultimate hard liners, men
determined Japan should fight to the end no matter what.
Each hex
on the map equals 4.4 miles (about 7 kms) from side to opposite side.
Each game turn represents one day. Every ground unit represents a
division, division-equivalent, or brigade of about 5,000 to 20,000 men
and/or 50 to 350 armored fighting vehicles. Designed by Ty Bomba.
Scale:
Players: 2
Level: Brigade/Division
Hex: 4.4 Miles (7 km)
Articles:
Operation Downfall & Allied Airpower: the Proposed Air Campaign against JapanNOVEMBER 1945-MARCH 1946Plan Orient: The German High Command's Plans to Link-up with the Japanese in IndiaThe Battle of Stones River |