Learning history from WIP AE

[drum_taps]

This is probably old news to most here, but I am learning a new details about wwii in the pacific just by googling about the history of the real units represented in the game as they appear. For Example, I have been using mostly Australian and US Army units in New Guinea. Today I needed to scrape up a fighter squadron for Salumaua. I happened to have some Marine fighter squadrons training in Nourmea. This made me wonder about Marine air involvement in Operation Cartwheel. While Searching I found that on https://www.marines.mil/News/Publications/MCPEL/Search/history/ you can download a 3 volume History Of The U.S. Marine Corps Operations on pdf for free. I'm just posting this for info for what it's worth.

[rustysi]

I am learning a new details about wwii in the pacific just by googling about the history

Good for you. Well it wasn't google, but I started doing so 50 some years when it came to board games.[:D]

[drum_taps]

Tell the truth so have I, but I have been finding a lot of cool stuff. The found an archive on the Air Force site too today. Some of the information I am finding I just had no access to before the internet.

[apd1004]

I am learning a new details about wwii in the pacific just by googling about the history

I've been doing the exact same thing because I'm trying to emulate history as much as possible to see how the game plays out. Wikipedia is your friend. You can search for "35th Pursuit Group" and it will usually have a pretty good write-up describing stations, dates, command structure, aircraft flown, etc.

For instance, 35th PG/39th PS (P-39's early '42) historically made it to Australia at the end of February 42 and then to Port Moresby the beginning of June 42, so I'm doing the same thing in my game. I have discovered though that most things happen much earlier in the game than what they did historically so I do find it necessary to take "command authority" to do things based on the current situation in the game. The Jap AI made a move on PM in February 42 but I had moved some A-24's there based on an intel report ("L" key) that said there was a Jap LCU on a transport headed to PM. I can't recall which A-24 group it was because they had to withdraw by mid-March and I'm at end-March now but they sunk a couple transports and the invasion TF aborted.

I also resist the urge to build up forces too early at historical places until they actually become strategically necessary in the game. A good example would be a place like Efate. A player could start building the base right away but until the Jap AI makes a move into the Solomons that wouldn't be very accurate (imho).

ORIGINAL: rustysi
Good for you. Well it wasn't google, but I started doing so 50 some years when it came to board games.[:D]

Same here with the original SPI War in the Pacific (which I had set up in my basement for about 2 years), but back in the 70's there was nowhere near the availability of research material as there is today to enable us to get down in the weeds with it.

Another example is with the same group mentioned above (35th/39th). In the game they have a named pilot (name in yellow) in that squadron, "MAJ Lynch, T.J.". Never heard of him so I typed in "Thomas Lynch" to Wikipedia and found him. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_J._Lynch

Anyway, good to see somebody enjoying the history as much as I do!

[Sardaukar]

Amazon has made money out of me, bought many books because WitP:AE.