World at war #102 – Invasion Australia: 1942

Invasion Australia 1942 is an operational level two player wargame covering a hypothetical Japanese invasion of Australia in 1942. There was a debate between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) over the course of the war. The IJN wanted to invade Australia, although the IJA opposed such an invasion on the grounds of lack of troops and shipping. In the end, the Japanese decided to launch an invasion of the Solomons with the possibility of moving against New Caledonia. The game assumes that the Japanese won the Battle of the Coral Sea (in May 1942) and captured Port Moresby in New Guinea, turning it into a base to cover the actual invasion of Australia which commenced in July of that year.

There are two sides: Japanese and the Allies. The game system is based on a simplified version of Desert One War and Saddam Moves South, which models ground, air, and amphibious operations.

The central game system is Logistics Points (ATP) which represent sea lift capacity (for the Japanese) and ground communications for the Allies given the distances from the main Allied bases in southern Australia and the actual theater of operations in northern Australia.

Each hex on the map represents approximately 62 miles (100 kilometers) from side to side. Each turn of play represents anything from one to three weeks depending on the intensity of operations. Ground units represent regiments, brigades and logistical installations. Aircraft units represent anything from two to six squadrons depending on the quality of air force and operational tempo. Naval operations are handled abstractly.

22 x 34-inch map and one counter sheet of 176 5/8-inch counters.