Banzai!: Japan Beyond the Indian Ocean, April 1942

This covers the Japanese naval foray into the Indian Ocean in April 1942 with five of their carriers. The Japanese were on a roll, seemingly invincible after a string of victories since Dec. 1941, including the taking of Singapore and the Dutch East Indies. Ceylon was next objective due to its strategic location astride the shipping lanes. The Japanese hoped that by menacing Ceylon, they could force the smaller British fleet (with three carriers) defending it to fight and cripple it, then go on to demolish Britain’s vital shipping ports located in India. The map scale 50 miles to a hex, and the game uses the land-air-sea system first showcased in Perry Moore’s War in the Aegean game.