Given Up for Dead

At Wake Island an outnumbered Marine Defense Battalion showed the world what they were made of when they fought off a Japanese landing force and secured America’s first but very fleeting victory in World War II.

The Japanese flush with victory after ravaging Pearl Harbor turned their sights to the small strategic island but failed to account for the courage and tenacity of the defenders. Instead of an easy victory, the Japanese were handed their first defeat when two of the attacking destroyers were sunk with all hands lost. The surprising victory immortalized this small coral atoll as the Alamo of the Pacific.

In this solitaire game, you as the American player must hold out for as long as possible against the overwhelming Japanese force arrayed against you. Victory Points are gained by the number of Invasion Attempt Counters revealed and enemy ships placed Out of Action. While it is unlikely you will be able to defeat the invasion force in full, you might be able to change the outcome of the Pacific War by making the invasion of Wake Island a very costly and tragic victory for the Japanese.