Pacific Campaign: completion of the IJA/IJN with tier V - C): New Maps/Night Fight (1)

[IchBenzDichWeg]

Dear developers and fellow commanders,

this (large) comment refers to the need for new maps for the Pacific campaign.
In my opinion, Gavutu and Guadacanal are not enough to represent the Pacific War. First of all, I know we recently got a new map (“New Georgia: Munda Point”), which was the battleground of Operation Toenails as part of Operation Cartwheel in 1943. I really like it, especially the cave complex is a cool feature. Also, I know that there is the new Argon campaign project that needs time to develop. But still, I think we need some more maps to complete the Pacific Arc: even though Enlisted announced at the beginning of the Pacific campaign that it would not focus on the well-known classic battlefields, but rather on more remote and unknown locations, it will probably be necessary to include the map of the well-known battlefields as well.

A). The battles (1. INFORMATION/2. ENLISTED)
1: Midway (info/enlist)
2: Saipan (info/enlist)
3: Guam (info/enlist)
4: Leyte (info/enlist)
5: Burma (info/enlist)
6: Battle of Luzone, Battle of Manila (info/enlist)

… (Part two → extra topic, 'cause 32.000 characters max and I had 64.000^^)
7: Iwo Jima (info/enlist)
8: Okinawa (info/enlist)[/floatl]9: Borneo/Operation Downfall (info)
B). Conclusion (Nr. 1–7)

From my point of view, a depiction of the course of the Pacific War from Midway 1942 onwards is necessary to improve the “feeling” of the missing atmosphere. But if you don’t want to read the historical part of the battles, you can skip it by going directly to the suggestions under the keyword “ENLISTED” or going to “B). Conclusion”. [HINT: This comment has a lot of pictures, some of them are showing battles or ruins]
I would like to point out some features with a chronological review of the Pacific War, starting with the Battle of Widway.

A). The battles
1). Midway (1942)

INFORMATION: The Battle of Midway Atoll was one of the first turning points in the Pacific War. In June 1942, Midway was the westernmost U.S. outpost in the Central Pacific. The strategic value of the islands was low due to their small size, which is why Japan initially avoided an invasion. However, it was suitable for refueling submarines, and because of its proximity to Pearl Harbor, the Americans had to defend the island. In preparation for its future operations, in retaliation for the Doolittle Raid (April 1942), and as an argument to force the U.S. to sign a peace treaty, Japan tried to force the U.S. into a decisive battle.
The result was different: the IJN lost 4 of its 6 large aircraft carriers with 250 aircraft, as well as many pilot trainers gathered for the operation. As a result of these heavy losses, both sides were roughly equal in strength, with the U.S. being significantly stronger economically. As a result, Japan was forced on the defensive for the first time: 2 months later, the U.S.A. attacked Guadalcanal, the IJN could only try to prevent the defeat of the Japanese Empire.
Because of this development, the U.S. was able to implement its “Germany First” strategy sooner than planned, thus ending the Nazi terror in Europe sooner.

ENLISTED: True, there was no ground battle (as far as I know). However, this battle had great significance and would be the perfect segue into the existing Guadalcanal campaign. In addition, the small size of the islands lends itself to a close battle. In this respect, Midway can be seen as a substitute for other small islands where battles have been fought. Furthermore, the landscape is very beautiful and reminds a bit of one of the BF-V Pacific maps. Therefore, the historical fact should not prevent the inclusion of Midway – or at least a map similar to this island – in the collection.

2). Saipan (1944)






INFORMATION: The U.S. wanted to conquer Saipan in order to use the island for air raids on Japan with B29 bombers; the attack took place in 1944. However, Japan ordered the islands to be fortified in 1940, including Saipan in 1941. The terrain is characterized by cliffs and jungle; defensive structures were built along the coast to destroy enemy landing troops on the beach. As a result, the battle began with intense bombing by aircraft and ships, followed by an amphibious landing. In contrast, the hinterland was not as heavily developed by the IJA, but there were still several concrete bunkers. These defensive positions in the jungle hindered the advance of the US troops. After several days of air raids and bombing, most of the Japanese defenses were destroyed. As a result, Lieutenant General Yoshitsugu Saitō was forced to retreat to the northern tip of the island on 05.07.1944 with about 5.000 troops. This left the IJA with only 2 options: Retreat or launch a final banzai attack. Saitō insisted on the banzai counterattack and gave the order on the morning of 06.07.1944; he himself committed seppuku. Although the Japanese were able to defeat the U.S. forces briefly, they were stopped and the area was retaken by the evening. Of the 26.000 IJA soldiers and 6.000 IJN soldiers, 26.000 died and 5.000 were captured. Another 5.000 were MIA, most likely having committed suicide. In addition, about 22.000 civilians died who, partly due to Japanese propaganda, jumped to their deaths from the northern tip in fear of the Americans (“Suicide Cliff”).
This victory was another turning point in the war in the Pacific. The Americans used Saipan for their B29 air raids on Japan, and the IJA troops on the neighboring islands of Tinian and Guam were demoralized, which were conquered shortly thereafter.

ENLISTED: Battleships firing on the battlefield and denser jungle maps with hidden bunkers.

3). Second Battle of Guam (1944)

INFORMATION: After the Japanese conquered the island from the U.S. shortly after the start of the war in 1941, orders were given in 1943 to turn Guam into a fortress because of its size, reefs, cliffs and airfields. On 21.07.1944, a heavy bombardment by the fleet and bombers destroyed every visible building and burned all the palm trees on the beach. However, the shelling did little damage to the caves and trenches, which were more than 4 km (2.5 miles) from the coast. This left fierce Japanese defensive nests and the landing U.S.M.C. and U.S. Army engaged in heavy fighting. They were pinned down on both beaches and supplies were difficult to organize. On 28.07.1944 both beachheads could be connected. The Japanese had few tanks, ammunition and rations left. Rain and jungle made it difficult for the Americans, but they attacked the main IJA defense line around Mount Barrigada. The line collapsed and a few Japanese soldiers held out in the jungle (On 24.01.1972, Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi was discovered by hunters. He lived alone in a cave for 28 years!). Lieutenant General Hideyoshi Obata withdrew his troops from the south to make a stand in the mountainous central or northern part of the island – he committed suicide on 11.08.1944. After the battle, 5 large airfields were built on Guam to support other operations.

Meanwhile, Tinian was taken and its 8.000-man garrison eliminated. Japanese remnants made a last stand in the caves and ravines of a limestone ridge on the southern part of the island. Later, the atomic bomb planes took off from Tinian.

ENLISTED:
aa) Map
As with Saipan, the setting for Guam would have to be a mountainous area with dense rainforest. In addition, a heavily bombed beach with a lot of scorched earth and plants.
One aspect that is almost completely missing from the game so far is destructible buildings. In the course of the Pacific campaign, this game mechanic was added in a toned-down version: straw huts whose side walls and roof can be destroyed, or the hut itself can be destroyed. Leaving these huts standing or destroying them results in different tactical starting positions, mainly characterized by more or less cover.
This feature is almost completely absent in the other campaigns - only temporary buildings made of sandbags (Berlin/Normandy) and simple wooden structures (e.g. shutters and balconies in Tunisia; simple wooden pergolas in Berlin) can be destroyed. Also light brick walls in Berlin.
Of course, the destructibility of buildings raises the problem that this feature can be abused by players. On the other hand, this allows tanks and planes, but also simple infantry with TNT and explosives, to adapt the environment to their needs. Bombing would also regain a bit of relevance after its original damage effect has been massively reduced, and is currently more of a hindrance than an advantage.
For this reason, you should proceed in several steps.

• • The first step is to examine the existing maps to see which buildings can be removed without causing significant strategic deterioration. Such buildings should then be made fully destructible, so that instead of a multi-story building, there is just a big pile of rubble at the end.
• • Then you should consider which buildings that have been important to the game experience so far can be made destructible in certain places (e.g. make certain walls that are only decorative destructible).
• • Once these steps have been taken, you should see which previously open entrances can be blocked, with these newly added walls being destructible. This would not change the tactical situation much, but the player would have to create them first (e.g: D-Day with the thick concrete walls that are destructible in some places).
• • Finally, you should consider making some structures within the buildings destructible. Again, it makes sense to use destructible walls to close open holes in the walls.
    Finally, there is the question of how to display the destructibility. For tanks, you could consider adding a new color marker when they aim at such a wall (blue crosshairs instead of green). This is not necessary for planes; either the bombs/missiles hit something or they don’t - just like now.
    For infantry, destructibility can be easily indicated by drawing small cracks on the surface (e.g. D-Day wall breakthrough).
    A special feature would be to introduce a point for a map that can be conquered, but can be destroyed or at least broken open by massive use of explosives (this possibility existed in BF-4: “Siege of Shanghai” collapse of the tower). This is conceivable for a bunker on the D-Day map, for example, where a wall or ceiling section gives way after constant bombardment (e.g. the existing opening on the ceiling side of the German bunkers is only created after artillery fire and bombing).
    There are also different degrees of destruction - from the total destruction of a building to a mere pile of rubble - and from the complete destructibility of a wall to only small holes in the wall, which only affect the game ambience rather than being really useful tactically.
    In addition, as mentioned, destruction does not have to be uno acta, but can also take place through repeated attacks, with each attack leaving visible traces.
    This aspect of the destructibility of the environment is particularly important for “Battle of Manila”.

4). Leyte






INFORMATION: The Battle of Leyte was the largest naval battle of WWII, and in history it saw the first kamikaze attacks of the Pacific War against the escort carrier Santee and HMAS Australia. During the battle, the IJN suffered its greatest loss of ships and crew ever. This battle secured the beachheads against attack from the sea. Meanwhile, underwater demolition teams swept mines and cleared beaches for troops.
Within an hour, the soldiers had secured the beachheads to receive heavy vehicles and supplies. As a result, General Shiro Makino moved his command post to the town of Dagami. A Japanese counterattack was repulsed; the IJA’s uncoordinated resistance was crushed and the U.S. troops pushed forward, later encountering heavy enemy resistance.
Under cover of artillery and naval gunfire, the soldiers advanced through the swamps south and west of the high ground at Labiranan Head, capturing an important IJA supply base. At the same time, soldiers reached the opposite side of Catmon Hill and fought the IJA. In the end, U.S. troops cleared 53 pillboxes, 17 caves and several heavy artillery positions. They also engaged spider holes with fanatical resistance. After the liberation of Dagami, Makino had to move his command post again, and the Allies prepared for battle in the mountains on the western side of Leyte. They were confronted with a nest of defensive positions with connecting trenches and many spider holes, the so-called “Breakneck Ridge”. In addition, the heavy rains of a typhoon and the resulting mud were an obstacle on the way up Kilay Ridge - on 14.12.1944, the area of Breakneck-Kilay Ridge was liberated.
As U.S. troops closed in on Ormoc City, IJAAS paratroopers launched a surprise attack on Buri Airfield, which was pushed back. The IJA defenders of Ormoc were quickly defeated the next day.

ENLISTED: The Pacific battlefields lack what are known as “spider holes.” These are trenches that are camouflaged with leaves and undergrowth so that soldiers can hide in them. In-game, this camouflage feature could be implemented by making it harder for players and AI bots in a spider hole to be detected by other real players and enemy AI. This defense system was also used on some other Pacific battlefields.
There are also few water and swamp areas on the previous maps, which soldiers can only advance through slowly. While this gives the defenders a bonus, it would be nice to have an area that is not easily accessible on at least one or two maps.
Another point I would like to mention is that there is very little cover against tanks and artillery on the maps so far. While this is not a problem in itself, the IJA often had fortified positions where they could survive these attacks unharmed. It would therefore be desirable, at least for new maps, to include some fortified positions that offer sufficient protection (i.e. are not just made of wood and straw).
In addition, there are few bunkers and no trenches for the Japanese. The solution to this problem is questionable. Either you recreate a historically accurate map, but there are few plans, or the developers create a fictional map that contains many of the elements (pillboxes/caves/tunnels/trenches/spider holes/heavy artillery positions).

I also feel that there are not enough dynamic weather effects in the Pacific maps. Allied attacks were often complicated by heavy rain and strong wind gusts. The (heavy) rain in the game does not necessarily have to impair visibility, but it does make aiming more difficult. As a dynamic effect, it is conceivable that the map could be played under different weather conditions:

• • no rain
• • no rain at the beginning, but it comes later
• • Rain at the beginning, but it stops later
• • Rain all the time
    Different (dynamically evolving) times of day are also conceivable (morning/afternoon/evening) - and: at night (see Iwo Jima).

In addition: Ships off the island fighting each other - similar to Normandy, except that the ships aim at each other (possibly AI-controlled planes, but protected by strong air defenses, so that no farming is possible - as with the existing aircraft carrier).

The US Army could use a Ranger Battalion (6th Ranger Battalion) (England could also use an SBS to complement the SAS).

5). Burma

INFORMATION: The Allied attack on Burma was hampered by monsoon rains that limited the attack options. Although the main Japanese army was defeated in central Burma, it was crucial to capture the capital city of Rangoon and its port before the next monsoon rains to ensure supplies. It was feared that the Japanese would defend the city to the last man. As a result, paratroopers were used to facilitate the capture. However, General Kimura had already ordered a retreat, so the city was taken undefended. In a last attempt, the Japanese tried to free themselves in southern Burma, but suffered massive losses (14.000 soldiers). In all, 150.000 Japanese lost their lives and 1.700 became prisoners of war.

ENLISTED: As mentioned, you could add changing weather effects for the Pacific maps. Gray clouds with strong winds or heavy rain.
You could also add a special unit (event/premium) on the Japanese side: The Indian National Army (INA), made up of volunteers from Indian communities in Malaya and Burma.

6). Battle of Luzone, Battle of Manila
INFORMATION: The island of Leyte was the first objective of the campaign to recapture the Philippines; This was followed by the amphibious attack on Mindoro (13.12.-16.12.1945: no significant resistance with the exception of kamikaze-attacks) and later the Battle of Luzon.

aa) Battle of Luzone (I)


In preparation for “Operation S-Day”, deceptive maneuvers were carried out (e.g: Air raids on Southern Luzon; dropping of “paratrooper” dummies with parachutes; minesweepers on Southern Luzon), but General Tomoyuki Yamashita stuck to his - correct - tactical assessment that the attack would be on Northern Luzon, so he had fortifications and defense lines built around the Gulf. This northern region is characterized by a flat area from the coast to the Cordillera Central mountains, with a mixture of pine forest and tropical rain forest, with the IJA main army defending the Cordillera Mountains (152.000 troops). In the northeast, a long mountain range (Sierra Madre) rises a few kilometers from the coast and was defended by 3.000 IJA soldiers. The Caraballo Mountains in the south connect the Cordillera Central Mountains with the Sierra Madre, separating the Cagayan Valley from the flat terrain of central Luzon (Central Luzon Plain): 11.000 square kilometers (4.200 sq mi)). 30,000 IJA soldiers defended the Zambales Mountains.
On 09.01.1945, 70 battleships opened fire on the Japanese coastal positions, but were attacked by many kamikaze planes (47 ships damaged, 4 sunk). The landing troops received air support and in the first few days 175.000 soldiers landed on the 32 km (20 mi) long beachhead. On 15.01.1945, another landing took place 72 km (45 mi) southwest of the town of Malina. Meanwhile, the first assault troops were able to advance inland and did not encounter major resistance until 23.01.1945, when they reached Clark Air Base; after capturing it, these soldiers also advanced toward the city of Manila. MacArthur had limited the use of artillery and aircraft to avoid endangering civilians and buildings.

bb) Battle of Manila
Maps:

Pictures BEFORE 1945

Pictures during/after 1945

Malacañang Palace

The city of Manila - the capital of the Philippines - was captured by the IJA on 02.01.1942, after General MacArthur declared it an Open City to protect the inhabitants and buildings from destruction. In February 1945, the U.S. and the Philippines launched an attack to retake the city. This led to the Battle of Malina, which became the fiercest urban battle of the Pacific War; in all of WWII, only Berlin and Warsaw were more devastated.
General Yamashita had already withdrawn most of the IJA (270.000 troops) to Baguio, as he considered the defense of the big city strategically impossible (many civilians; large number of flammable buildings [e.g. bombardment of Tokyo in the night of 09-10.03.1945]) and tried to keep his army together by retreating from Manila to the Sierra Madre and Cordillera Central mountains. He therefore ordered all troops to withdraw, leaving only IJA security personnel (3.700) to destroy remaining bridges and key infrastructure to slow the Allied advance, but to withdraw when the Allies arrived. However, unlike MacArthur, he did not declare the city as an Open City. After Yamashita’s withdrawal, Admiral Sanji Iwabuchi (IJN) occupied the city with 16.000 soldiers, took command of the 3.700 IJA soldiers, and began destroying the infrastructure. Yamashita then demanded that Iwabuchi withdraw. However, Admiral Iwabuchi - although technically under General Tomoyuki Yamashita - insisted on a fierce defense of the city, so he ignored the retreat order several times. Instead, he obtained permission from Tokyo to defend the city to the last man, which greatly frustrated General Yamashita and complicated his planning. In preparation for the defense, trees were cut down to block roads, trenches and large obstacles were built on major streets, and even an airstrip was prepared for planes.
On 31.01.1945, 8.000 American paratroopers landed in Nasugbu and quickly marched on Manila. With about 12.000 Japanese defending the south of Manila with artillery, the attackers were stopped on the hills of Tagaytay. Two banzai attacks were launched, easily stopped by heavy defensive fire, but the Japanese tanks continued to push the Americans back until they were forced to retreat by heavy machine gun fire. On 03.02.1945, the first American soldiers reached the northern outskirts of the city. They captured a strategic bridge over the Tullahan River and the Malacañang Palace (seat of the “Japanese” government). Late on 04.02.1945, the U.S. Army attempted to capture the Quezon Bridge (the only bridge over the Pasig River that wasn’t destroyed). However, the Japanese defenders had built up strong defenses, and the attackers were driven back by machine-gun fire and Japanese tanks in the streets, whereupon the defenders blew up the bridge.
By 05.02.1945, there were about 38.000 Allied troops in the city. Although MacArthur had initially ruled out the use of artillery and aircraft (B-29/P-51), the defenders were so entrenched that they were forced to use them. The Japanese also used women and children as shields for the defense lines. The Novaliches Reservoir, 16 km from Manila, was captured on 06.02.1945, but IJA soldiers attempted to sabotage the water supply and were defeated the next day.
On 07.02., the IJN began a slow retreat toward the city center, and the U.S. Army captured district after district, securing the Paco and Pandacan districts from the Pasig River. The attack on the steam power plant on Provisor Island was the most costly. On 08.02.1945, most of the defenders were driven out of their sector with their defensive positions, but the damage to the infrastructure was very extensive, partly due to the attack of the U.S. forces and partly due to the destruction of the buildings by the IJN during their retreat. On 11.02.1945, the last of the Japanese outer defenses were secured, encircling the Japanese defenders in the city and repulsing a counterattack at the Novaliches Reservoir. On 12.02.1945 all communications of the defenders were cut.
To free the IJN, General Shizuo Yokoyama ordered Admiral Iwabuchi to retreat during an IJA counterattack on the night of 17.02.1945; however, the counterattack failed, leaving the IJN (6.000 troops) trapped in West Manila. The defenders retreated on 19.02.1945 to the 0.67 square kilometer (0.26 sq mi) “Intramuros” district, which was surrounded by walls and defenses. As a result, the Allies had liberated the New Police Station, City Hall and the General Post Office on 20.02.1945; the Manila Hotel was liberated on 22.02.1945. Only Intramuros and the legislative, financial, and agricultural buildings remained in Japanese hands. With the near-complete conquest of Manila, the city’s vital water supply was secured. On 20.02.1945, the Marikina River was crossed at Taytay and the soldiers reached the Sierra Madres mountain range, which had been developed into a strong fortification (e.g. retractable 105/155mm artillery pieces; MG nests) with a large number of tunnels and caves. To eliminate these nests as effectively as possible, the USAAF used low-level air strikes to drop napalm bombs into the cave entrances, after which the infantry fired HE shells and white phosphorus until they could penetrate with portable flamethrowers.
On the morning of 23.02.1945, the American assault on Intramuros began with 140 artillery pieces firing to create holes in the defenses through which the infantry advanced. The battle continued until 26.02.1945, when Admiral Iwabuchi and the other officers committed suicide. Houses, universities, churches and administrative buildings were destroyed – only the church of San Agustín survived.
In the following days, the last scattered Japanese defenders were eliminated, the Legislative Building was taken on 28.02.1945, the Agricultural Building on 01.03.1945, and the Treasury Building on 03.03.1945. MacArthur convened a provisional assembly of prominent Filipinos at Malacañan Palace and proclaimed the restoration of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.
The Intramuros district was completely captured on 04.03.1945.

(PART TWO)

[IchBenzDichWeg]

cc) Battle of Luzome (II)
By early March, the Allies had captured all strategic points on Luzon, while the IJA retreated to the mountainous areas in the north and south of the island. On 08.03.1945, the attack on the city of Antipolo began, with two days of artillery and aerial bombardment, and the city was taken on 11.03.1945. The following day, a major counterattack was launched on Wawa Dam, but it was easily repulsed.
During this period, the soldiers encountered fierce resistance at Mount Pacawagan (establishment of a command post) and Mataba (link between Atipolo and Wawa Dam), forcing the U.S. Army to retreat. The renewed counterattack on 17.03.1945 at Mount Baytangan also forced the Allies to retreat there. The mountain was taken on 26.03.1945 and Mount Mataba on 18.04.1945.
Meanwhile, water in the city of Manila was becoming scarce and had to be rationed, so MacArthur declared the capture of Wawa Dam a priority; only later did he learn that the water was now being supplied by Ipo Dam. It was not until 4 days later that MacArthur was able to send the revised order to the front units, stating that Ipo Dam was now the primary objective. However, since troops had already been sent to Wawa Dam, the orders had to be changed for the infantry as well.
This confusing back and forth led to unintentional mistakes on the IJA side by Lt. Gen. Yokoyama, who eventually even withdrew troops from the Ipo Dam to support the Wawa Dam. On 04.05.1945, the Allies launched their renewed attack on Mount Pacawagan and Woodpecker Ridge, and on 09.05., Mount Binacayan was captured. On 12.05., the Japanese launched a new counterattack on Mount Baytangan. While General Yokoyama expected a U.S. Army attack on Wawa Dam and therefore ordered General Kawashima to send troops from Ipo Dam to support him, the attack on Ipo Dam took place - when Kawashima ordered his troops back, they were wiped out by American artillery and the largest napalm attack in the Pacific War (82 airplanes). As a result, the Ipo Dam was captured on 17.05.1945. In the following days, the units at Woodpecker Ridge were resupplied, so that the Japanese defense collapsed on 21.05. (and the ridge was captured on 25.05.); the northern defense was also destroyed on 21.05.
Therefore, Gen. Yokoyama ordered a retreat to the Daraitan area of Tanay the next day. By 31.05.1945, the IJA was effectively wiped out. However, Japanese resistance continued in the mountains, and Yamashita tried to buy time by delaying attacks. It was not until 02.09.1945 that Yamashita surrendered, although he no longer had 50.000 troops at his disposal.
A total of 217.000 Japanese died and 10.000 were taken prisoner, while only 8.300 Allied soldiers died and 30.000 were wounded; civilian casualties are estimated at 120.000-140.000.
The Battle of Manila was the largest urban battle of the Pacific War, which was mostly fought on small, sparsely populated islands. Countless homes, government buildings, universities, and churches were destroyed; for example, in Manila’s business district, only 2 buildings were not damaged (but looted), and Malacañan Palace was the only major government building left standing (only its southwest side was damaged). About 1.000 U.S. soldiers died and 5.600 were wounded; at least 16.700 Japanese soldiers died in Intramuros. At least 100.000 civilians died in the urban fighting, most from massacres (mass rapes/executions/human shields) by the Japanese, others from artillery fire by the Americans and Japanese.
[Gen. Yamashita was found responsible for the Malina massacres (and other crimes committed in the Philippines) in the war crimes trial, although there is no clear evidence of this - his conviction (and execution) is controversial, especially that Gen. MacArthur was allowed to participate, who is seen by some as heavily biased, making the verdict more for personal satisfaction than legal accuracy. In particular, MacArthur had been delegated to decide on the mercy petition, and his views were well known. Yamashita was convicted on the grounds that he made no attempt to discover or stop atrocities committed by subordinates. This controversial U.S. Supreme Court decision has become a precedent - holding the commander responsible for war crimes committed by subordinates as long as the commander did not attempt to discover and stop them - and is called the "Yamashita standard. This doctrine was added to the Geneva Conventions and adopted by the International Criminal Court].

ENLISTED:
Although the Battle of Luzon was important to the liberation of the Philippines, and the island would have provided several battlefields, I will focus on the Battle of Malina. As mentioned above, the Battle of Manila was the largest urban battle of the Pacific War.
As you can see from the pictures, the city was nothing but rubble at the end. This location would therefore represent a battlefield that does not yet exist in the Pacific campaign. However, this addition would be sorely needed, as urban battles are already included on the Eastern and Western Fronts, as well as in Tunisia (Berlin and Stalingrad are logically omitted). For the Pacific, this gameplay experience is completely missing.
The city lends itself very well to this, as there are only a few bridges over which you can fight your way forward (similar to Berlin: Kroll Opera), and then the battles take place in a very confined space. Because of all the rubble and (sometimes narrow) streets, even the weak Japanese tanks could triumph as mobile defensive weapons.
Furthermore, the Battle of Malina is one of the few land battles in which the IJN was involved (see the reference to the event** unit **IJN:S.N.L.F. mentioned in “Pacific Campaign: A)”).
In terms of ambience, Malina would have the opportunity to combine the destroyed cityscape of Stalingrad (many empty, bombed-out ruins) with the otherwise beautiful and colorful ambience of the Pacific (direct proximity to the harbor and local flora) - and all without snow. Not to forget the history of the city’s origins, which is why it had a lot of European-influenced architecture before the battle and was famous for its extraordinary beauty (“Pearl of the Orient”).
All in all, this makes this map very attractive, as it would offer a completely new gaming experience in a European-influenced cityscape, which is otherwise rather atypical for the Pacific, but historically accurate.
In addition, it would not be too difficult to choose several points: as in Berlin, the city can be attacked from several directions, some prominent buildings are easy to integrate into the game and could even appear on the same map. Similar to Berlin, there is the challenge of an attack across a river (with the Provisor Island in the river, so the defenders would be hindered as much as the attackers).
In this respect, there are easily several ways to conquer it, but I would like to mention just 2 as an example:

• From the Santa Cruz district over the Quezon Gate Bridge to Intramuros (and finally to the Finance or Agriculture Building).
• From Malacañan Palace through the Palace Gardens across the river (with Provisor Island) to City Hall and the Port

7). Iwo Jima

Information: Since the already conquered Marianas were about 2.000 km (1.250 miles) away from the main Japanese islands, this was a problem for the B-29 bombers if they were attacked. Therefore, Iwo Jima was to be conquered, it was only 1.200 km (745 mi) away, so it was to serve as emergency airfields and a base for P-51 Mustangs. Therefore, the volcanic islands gained great strategic importance after the loss of the Marianas (early warning station against air raids/intercepting planes). Consequently, under the leadership of Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, Iwo Jima was developed into a fortress, with the defensive lines of the Battle of Peleliu as an example. It was clear that Japan could not hold the island, the IJN had already lost almost all of its power, and the U.S. had superior numbers and weapons, as well as air superiority. However, the Americans would have to pay a heavy price in blood to delay their offensive on the main Japanese islands, even if it meant the death of all defenders, there was no possibility of reinforcements or retreat.
As a result, the rocky, rugged volcanic terrain of the island, with its natural caves, was transformed into a massive fortress of (multi-level) bunkers with underground passages 18 km (11 miles) long, so that a cleared pillbox could be reoccupied. Gasoline-powered generators provided radios and lights. In addition, camouflaged guns were installed, especially tanks used as camouflaged artillery positions.
Due to overly optimistic U.S. intelligence reports, the decision was made to invade Iwo Jima with its two airfields (Operation Detachment). On 15.02.1945 the U.S. Navy and the U.S.A.A.F. started extensive naval artillery and air attacks against Iwo Jima for 3 days. But the IJA’s preparations were too good: the limited bombardment left the defenders almost unharmed, as the Japanese were heavily dug in and fortified, driving them further underground. At least a few bunkers and caves were destroyed. The craters provided additional cover for the IJA and were obstacles for the attacking U.S.M.C. During the amphibious landing on 19.02.1945 near Mount Suribachi, the IJA inflicted casualties on the U.S.M.C. because most of Iwo Jima’s defenses were concentrated at that point. After allowing the Americans to concentrate men and machinery on the beach, Kuribayashi began his counterattack. They came under heavy machine gun fire and artillery barrages rained down on the crowded beach. In addition, the attackers faced a 4.6 m (15 ft) hill of soft volcanic ash, making AmTracs useless and foxholes impossible to build, and hampering the movement of soldiers.
By the end of the day, however, they reached the west coast, and some soldiers were able to capture Airfield No. 1, a first-day objective fort. They were met by a fanatical IJA attack but held the position until nightfall. The U.S. Navy, and later the artillery, fired flares to illuminate the battlefield so that the IJA couldn’t hide in the darkness of the night to sneak into the trenches. So, unlike other battlefields, the usual (and often pointless) banzai attacks at night didn’t happen because Kuribayashi forbade them to save his resources.
In the days following the landing, the U.S.M.C. found that normal firearms were not effective enough against the fortifications. So they used portable flamethrowers and grenades to flush out the Japanese, but many flametroopers died or were wounded, so the attackers used the secretly invented M4A3R5 (“Zippo”). On 23.02.1945, Mount Suribachi on the southern side of the island and the photo “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima” were taken; by 01.03.1945, two-thirds of Iwo Jima had been conquered. But the second objective, taking control of Airfield No. 2 in the center of the island, was still current, so the U.S.M.C. had to push north. However, the IJA had stronger fortifications on the northern side, which had rocky terrain and was not as easy to hit with naval artillery fire as the southern side. Because of these circumstances, the area around the Motoyama Plateau (“Hill 382”) was nicknamed the “Meat Grinder”. In addition, a previously secured position could be attacked from the rear with tunnels and pillboxes. Another problem was that the Japanese soldiers had learned the basic American tactic of laying down bombardments before an infantry attack and used it to their advantage. On the other hand, an important moment in the capture of “Hill 362” was the decision to attack the IJA at night without a prior bombardment. A banzai attack to retake Mount Suribachi or Airfield No. 2 failed.
After running out of supplies, most of the IJA was demoralized and defeat was imminent. As a result, the number of night raids increased and eventually the commanding officers committed seppuku while many others died in the banzai charge. However, some IJA soldiers hid in caves and fought a final guerrilla campaign. The Japanese held out for 4 years and surrendered on 01.06.1949.
Iwo Jima was one of the bloodiest battles fought by the Americans with 6.800 dead and 19.200 wounded in 36 days. The IJA lost over 20.000 dead and 1.000 POW. So the Japanese dead outnumber the Americans three to one – but if you add the wounded, the American casualties exceed the Japanese, which is unique to the Iwo Jima battle. It is quite controversial whether this operation was necessary and conducted with due diligence.

ENLISTED:
aa) Map
(BF-V inspiration:

As you can see from the pictures, Iwo Jima - besides the famous picture “RAISING THE FLAG ON IWO JIMA” - is known for its black beaches, but as described, they were very difficult terrain for the attackers to cross. Therefore, it would be something new to introduce a beach area where progress is made more difficult (e.g.: not as slow as walking over barbed wire). And cannot be worked on by any pioneer with a shovel. It should also be noted that the bombardment from ship guns and bombers had little effect on the Japanese defenses, but shot many holes in the beach.
Well-camouflaged 120mm and 6-inch guns were placed on the island to direct their fire onto the beaches. These could be upgraded as player-usable guns or controlled by the computer. In addition, they could be aimed either at areas off the field or even at the field itself. The latter is of course essential if the gun is to be controlled by a player. If the gun is controlled by an AI, it must not be to the detriment of the attackers. In this respect, the damage caused by the gun on the battlefield should disadvantage both the American and the Japanese side (i.e. kill soldiers).
In addition, armored tanks should be used as camouflaged artillery positions, for which a corresponding environment should be created on the map. This would probably require a deeper excavation of the ground so that only the tank turret would be visible.
AA effects like in Berlin and Stalingrad should also be added.

Furthermore, this island offers the opportunity to further develop the concept of a cave as a battlefield, which was explored with “Point Munda”. On Iwo Jima, several caves can be connected by tunnels, and the caves themselves can become defensive positions.
Multi-story underground bunkers can also be built into the map, where a conquest zone can be placed, with hospitals, cots, armories and command rooms providing the appropriate ambience.
Since the “SEEBEAS” would later allow the vehicles to effectively cross the beach, there would also be 2 alternatives for the design of the maps:

• 1): the first day, on which the landing craft landed on the beach and the main objective was the capture of Airfield No. 1, whose possession had been one of the original American objectives for the first day.
• 2): a subsequent day, so that the beach is no longer to be conquered, but another fortified position or airfield.

bb) Units
U.S.: The U.S. should get the M4A3R5 (“Zippo”) as a special event/premium unit. (The Japanese also need a flamethrower vehicle, but more on that in the Weapons and Vehicles thread).
Since the “SEEBEAS” made it possible for the vehicles to effectively cross the beach, their use on Iwo Jima would also argue for their inclusion in the “Pioneer Squad with Automatic Weapon” event.

IJA: One of the IJA officers was an equestrian show jumper who won Olympic gold in 1932 with his horse Uranus (Takeichi Nishi). He was then assigned to the 16th Narashino Cavalry Regiment and promoted to cavalry instructor. When Japan reduced its cavalry forces and formed tank regiments, he was reassigned as a tank commander and died on March 22, 1945; Uranus died a week later.
This little information is the introduction to a new class: Horsemen.
The Germans and the Americans already have motorcycles; I’ll mention the Type 97 RIKOU in the other post about weapons and vehicles.
But besides that, it would be a cool idea to add horses. Although not as important as in WWI, horses were still used on the battlefield in the early days. While this unit would not be the big game changer, it would be an amusing addition, as motorcycles are generally just as ineffective. By the way, this class serves as a transition to the “Arisaka Carbine Type 44”, which will be mentioned later.
To make the unit more interesting, it should be considered an “infantry or vehicle” unit (e.g. Cavalry with WLA). As long as it uses the horse, it can only throw different types of grenades (AI/AT). If he dismounts, he can use his weapons.
It would be possible to assign weapons to the rider from the beginning (e.g.: bolt action/semi-auto/sniper/LMG/SMG/tools/medibox) or a mechanic similar to the paratrooper, where you can select a prefabricated kit when dismounting from the horse. The former would have the advantage of allowing you to customize the rider to your liking - the latter would have the advantage of allowing the class to be flexibly armed according to the current combat situation.

8). Okinawa

INFORMATION: The lessons learned at Iwo Jima served as guidelines for the Battle of Okinawa, yet it became the bloodiest U.S. battle against the Empire (kotetsu no ame). The conquest of Okinawa would provide air bases to intensify the bombing of Japan (550 km/340 miles) as a base for Operation Downfall. So this island was also built into a fortress; Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima had about 75.000-100.000 men. It was also planned to beach the Yamato – the world’s largest battledreadnought – and use her 460 mm L/45 Type 94 and 155 mm L/60 Type 3 guns as coastal artillery and her crew as naval infantry to support Okinawan fortifications, but the battleship was destroyed by the Allies. The invasion began on 01.04.1945 after 7 days of heavy naval bombardment and air attacks on the main landings and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater of WWII. The British Pacific Fleet’s objective was to attack airfields and prevent the Japanese from reinforcing Okinawa. About 60.000 troops landed that day and secured the southern part of Okinawa without major problems, capturing the Kadena and Yomitan airfields within hours. So they pushed forward and received orders to take northern Okinawa.
The first major counterattack took place on 06-07.04.1945, in a naval operation that cost both sides ships and planes, as well as kamikaze attacks: “There was a hypnotic fascination to the sight, so alien to our Western philosophy. We watched each plunging kamikaze with the detached horror of one witnessing a terrible spectacle rather than as the intended victim.”
The terrain, however, was mountainous and forested, and the IJA’s major was gathered in the north, concentrated on Mount Yaedake. The rocky ridges and ravines led to fierce fighting against well-entrenched Japanese troops. In west-central Okinawa were heavy fortified positions as well with fierce resistance. But these objectives were only outposts guarding the well-prepared and organized Shuri Line, and Japanese soldiers hid in fortified caves to attack the U.S. troops relentlessly. So they had to retreat and tried a new offensive the following night. On 19.04.1945, a new offensive was launched, supported by the largest artillery and naval bombardment ever seen in the Pacific Theater, with 650 planes attacking the IJA positions with bombs, rockets, and napalm. The defenders, however, waited safely in caves to fire back with mortars and grenades – even the use of flame tanks failed to break through. On 04.05.1945 the Japanese soldiers tried a counteroffensive with amphibious assaults behind the American lines; this attack failed. On 24.05.1945, a company of Giretsu Kuteitai commandos crash-landed on Yomitan airfield and wreaked havoc on U.S. troops (Operation Gi-gou). This suicide mission was a disaster and only 260.000 L (70.000 US gallons) of fuel and 9 planes were destroyed.
At the end of May, monsoon rains turned the contested hills into mud and swamps, complicating the advance and resupply of troops. Flooded roads hampered the evacuation of wounded soldiers.
During the naval bombardment of Shuri Castle - the IJA headquarters and the center of Japanese resistance - the IJA retreated to the south, allowing the U.S.M.C. to take it without major problems on 29.05.1945, a few days before occupying Naha, Okinawa’s largest city, which was largely deserted. The capture of Shuri Castle was an important strategic and psychological victory. Despite the artillery fire, the retreat brought 30.000 soldiers to the last line of defense on the Kiyan Peninsula. There they were aided by 9.000 IJN troops supported by 1.100 militiamen. On 04.06.1945, the U.S.M.C. launched an amphibious assault that resulted in the suicide of over 4.000 IJN soldiers and Admiral Ōta. The defense line led to the greatest slaughter on Okinawa, thousands of civilians died.
On 18-19.06.1945, General Buckner and Brigadier General Easley were killed at a forward observation post. General Buckner was the highest-ranking U.S. officer killed by the enemy during WW II. The Japanese resistance ended 2 days later, General Ushijima and Lieutenant General Chō committed seppuku.
The 81-day Battle of Okinawa was the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War, as the Japanese skillfully exploited the terrain to inflict maximum casualties. The IJA even used children as (suicide) soldiers (Tekketsu Kinnōtai) and organized female students primarily into a nursing unit to act primarily as nurses for Japanese soldiers. The U.S.A. had 541.000 men with 183.000-250.000 combat troops and about 50.000 casualties (12.500 KIA or MIA), 77.000 dead Japanese, 30.000 Okinawan conscripts and 7.400-15.000 POWs as well as 40.000-150.000 killed civilians.

ENLISTED:
aa) Map
As described, there was massive resistance and heavily fortified defenses in western Okinawa that withstood even the heaviest artillery and naval bombardment ever seen in the Pacific Theater. A large number of fortified cave systems with a large number of pillboxes and spider holes were decisive for this. Unfortunately, such strong defenses are still missing for the IJA. The weather also had a strong influence on the fighting, which also speaks in favor of incorporating such dynamic weather effects into the Pacific maps.
A battle for Shuri Castle could also be created to integrate one of the more well-known locations into the game.
Kadena Air Base would also be a suitable map.

bb) Troops
The battle for Okinawa would also provide opportunities for additional IJA troops.
The Giretsu Kuteaita Squad is already in Enlisted.
In addition, a squad of conscripts or - what would be more interesting - a squad of women (e.g. Stalingrad with females with the PPsH 42). Since women have also been trained on the home islands (e.g. on the Type 11 LMG), it would make sense to set up a squad of mixed weapons and classes.

9). Second Battle of Borneo/Operation Downfall

Information: The last major campaign in the Southwest was the Borneo Campaign in 1945 with the aim of liberating British and Dutch Borneo from the IJA. During the Allied advance in the Pacific Campaign, particularly the liberation of the Philippines, the IJA prepared to defend the island without the expectation of reinforcements. Australian I Corps conducted a series of amphibious assaults that were the largest amphibious operations conducted by Australia during WWII. They were also supported by lightly armed guerrillas from Special Operations Australia (SOA) and air cover from the RAAF. This Second Battle of Borneo achieved some of its objectives: the rescue of Allied prisoners of war, the securing of oil supplies, and the isolation of a significant amount of IJA forces.
Enlisted: Australia and New Zealand already had their own units to honor their participation in WWII.

Attack on the Japanese Home Islands (Operation Downfall)
After a brutal, bloody campaign in the Pacific and terrible casualties on both sides, Japan was on the verge of total defeat by the planned attack on the Japanese home island (Operation Downfall). But because the IJA turned Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa into fortresses and defended them to the last man without retreat, inflicting so many casualties on the Allied troops, U.S. strategists looked for a way to avoid the invasion of the home islands. They intensified the bombardments, e.g. the bombardment of Tokyo in the night of 09-10.03.1945, which became the most destructive bombardment ever. But the empire didn’t surrender, so the U.S. declared an ultimatum, which led to the use of A-bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6.08.1945/09.08.1945.

B). Conclusion

1). The Pacific maps need more ships active in the background in addition to the carriers. After all, even the Normandy maps have more ships off the beach than the Pacific maps.
In addition, the ships should fire on enemy ships or land.
It would also be worth thinking about introducing AI planes that would attack each other and even drop 50kg bombs on the maps if necessary. After all, these 50kg bombs do not cause any serious damage.
In addition - if the Japanese coastal guns are installed - the guns should fire on the Allied ships.

2). The Pacific had beaches …
The Pacific Campaign is characterized, among other things, by the fact that a landing often had to be made on an enemy fortified beach. Unfortunately, in my opinion, this aspect of the game is not given enough attention. Although there are some landing craft and LVTs on the beach in the Pacific (as well as in Normandy), the assault on the beach is missing.

In addition, the beach under attack was heavily bombarded with artillery in preparation for the landing.
The fact that this option is only available to the Americans is not a problem, as the Americans always attack from the beach on D-Day. If you want to have no influence on the game, the landing can take place just before the game starts. At least the first wave should be landed with landing craft. The question is whether these boats should be steered by the players themselves or by the AI.

Based on all this, I would make the following suggestion:
The landing - unlike in BF-V - should take place during the 30 second countdown, while the ship’s artillery is firing on the beach in preparation for the arrival.
The boats should be controlled by the AI, where there are 5 landing boats and (more than) 10 target points on the beach and each boat is manned with 2 squads and a random generator selects 5 points (alternatively you can increase to 10 boats and occupy each with a squad). The first boats should open in the water a few meters before the sandy beach, so that the squads have to go through the water. After this first landing wave with a very wide attack front, the usual 2 fixed spawn points remain (as a kind of secure bridgehead). The resulting minimal advantage of a wider attack front should be of little tactical importance.
The landing will be accompanied by naval artillery, which can also be supported by bombers to bomb the beach and the fortress. Of course, no defenders will be injured, otherwise this would be an unfair starting advantage.
A few shots should be fired in the first 5 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of intensive bombardment with a few follow-up shots in the next 5 seconds, and the last 5 seconds without any shots as the (own) troops start to storm the beach or the defenders advance.
This landing experience would probably increase the feeling of the attackers and differentiate the game from other games.

In addition, there should be an extra 10 seconds to select the squad before the landing craft takes off.
In favor of this concept is the fact that Enlisted had a shot on the screens of the Normandy campaign of the soldiers getting off the boat, and in the Pacific campaign of the Marines getting out of the water and onto the beach.
Alternatively, the attackers could fly into the combat zone with their chosen squad, be automatically dropped from the planes and land at the pre-determined rendezvous points, and after the last one has landed, the game session begins. Of course, the defenders cannot shoot down the paratroopers because the game has not started yet.
(Meanwhile, AI bots from both teams may already be fighting each other on the ground to make it look like you’re already involved in an ongoing battle. Of course, these bots will not spawn and will only be armed with the initial weapons of each side - so if any bots survive this confrontation, they will not be able to affect the outcome of the game).
Meanwhile, a speech can be made on the defending side (in Japanese for the IJA/IJN).

The opening of the game with the landing craft is ideal for the American side.
The Japanese attackers could parachute in.

3). More complex Japanese bunkers with guns; better defensive positions

As can be seen from the reports, the Japanese defenders had gradually developed their islands into fortresses. This included the use of multi-story underground bunkers and often extensive networks of trenches and underground tunnels. Many existing natural caves were also used. The installations were also equipped with heavy anti-ship and anti-aircraft guns, as well as light anti-aircraft guns.
In addition, anti-tank obstacles were added (e.g. the obstacles at the first point in the Moscow map XXXXX).
As I wrote in the introduction, I think that these elements are not really used to their full potential.
This would also allow for the experience of having to conquer an underground bunker network. In other words, tanks would be of little to no use in this phase. This is not unheard of in Enlisted (e.g. Reichtstag-Conquest, where tanks and planes are of little use).

(PART THREE)

[IchBenzDichWeg]

4). Changing Weather Phenomena/Night Fights

The Pacific campaign had some important battles that were significantly influenced by the weather. In particular, monsoon rains made the terrain very difficult or impossible to cross. In the Normandy-Berlin campaign, rain showers were a weather phenomenon. In Moscow, light snowstorms can occur under certain circumstances (in Tunisia, there were once sandstorms). Rainstorms should therefore be added to the Pacific map.
There is also one highlight that is missing in Enlisted: Night Battles.
Although there were no (advanced) night vision devices, the field was sufficiently illuminated by artillery shells. This feature has rarely been seen in other FPSs and, as far as I know, never before in a WWII shooter. Historically, it would fit in the Pacific, especially since the IJA liked to attack at night.

5). Jungle-Mountain Combat
In the previous maps, there is already rising terrain and some trees - but no really mountainous playing fields and relatively dense vegetation. Nevertheless, many campaigns ended in mountainous areas with heavily fortified defenses, which ultimately caused the most casualties.

6). Urban Combat
As can be seen from the battles mentioned, the absolute majority of operations consisted of amphibious assaults on beaches and jungle and mountain fighting. However, there were also urban battles. The best known - and most intense - urban confrontation was the Battle of Manila. While urban combat is already well represented in the European maps (especially Berlin/Stalingrad), but also occurs in Tunisia, it is completely absent in the Pacific. This is one of the biggest weaknesses of the existing Pacific campaign. So if anything from this list is to be implemented, it should definitely be the addition of Manila to the map list.

7) New game mode: "Operation (Battlefield 1[WWI])
Finally, I would like to propose a new “mode” for the Pacific maps based on “Operations” from BF-1. There, several independent maps were integrated into a common mission series, the attackers had 3 attack waves at their disposal, after they failed with the first wave, they got a support vehicle (airship/train/battleship).
While I think this would be a very interesting concept for Enlisted, I would like to propose it in a toned-down version: One battle development that might annoy some commanders is when your squad fails at the first command post (usually because other players don’t build spawn points). Since there was a lot of naval artillery and bomber attacks in the Pacific, I would suggest that an “event” is triggered as soon as the attack force has less than 200 tickets at the first point:

• Intensive Bomber Attack with 100kg bombs (two staggered bombing runs).
  or
• Intensive naval artillery bombardment of the point
  This feature should only be added to the first (or maybe second) command post. However, in addition to the other improvements, it would give you the feeling that you are involved in a larger operation and that your side is doing everything it can to win.
  Additionally, this feature could be implemented to trigger a specific event after certain points are captured (e.g. artillery fire: Artillery fire; parachute jump by very lightly-armed AI bots that do not count, or similar).

Thank you for reading and please leave a comment below

[adamhello]

[IchBenzDichWeg]

Like I said: I don’t mind if someone skips to “Part B) Conclusion” and/or just takes a quick look at the bullet points.
But as I said - from my point of view the presentation of the Pacific theater helps to understand the “missing thing”.