The Operation Market-Garden Campaign has gotten me thinking (which can be dangerous at times). With the 70th Anniversary of the landings on Iwo Jima and Okinawa approaching shortly, is there any interest in a campaign in honor of the final battles of World War II? I am thinking of a general campaign to encompass anything Allied (Army or Marines, USSR) or Japanese as long as it participated in the fighting during the last year of the war (or would have during Operations Olympic/Cornet which opens the field considerably). I'd propose a start date of 19 February 2015 with an end date of 2 September 2015 to coincide with the signing of the surrender in Tokyo Bay.

I like the Idea I am in thinking Sherman and maybe time permitting an LVT of some sort possibly a Japanese tank ?

Hope this Takes off

Sascha(Ironowl)

Excellent! Given that there were all kinds of Shermans running around between the Army and the Marines you'll have plenty to choose from. Same deal with the LVT's, and for that matter the Japanese tanks.

I have one of those Dragon Ka-Mi "floater" kits... I might just sail into this one with "proof" that tanks could float (at least until they developed holes and stuff!)

But again, that dinky Type 95 "Hokuman" calls, too!

Bob

Bob, I have the same!. Good oportunity.

Regards, Alvaro

I would be in, I love the Pacific Theatre of Operations.

Bob

Great, we're at four counting me. I figured by including the What If factor of Olympic/Cornet we could get some interesting markings depicted -- two armored divisions from the ETO were ear marked for the the invasion, there was also to be Canadian and British ground forces in the mix. And there is also the whole area of the Soviets in Manchuria and Kuriles, plenty of choices there, too. Masterpiece Models has a very nice looking model of a Shinyo (Sea Quake) suicide boat which actually was found in significant numbers on Okinawa. If we open it up to the aircraft and ship guys we could really get a nice mix of things.

IF this proposed campaign includes all Pacific theaters in the last year of the war... Manchuria, the Kuriles, last islands from Iwo on, and the planned (thankfully avoided) invasion of Japan...

Speaking just from the "armor" perspective, a huge host of kits could be fair game! The Sovs, for instance, fielded a lot of their older stuff and second-tier there - BT-7, T-26 variants, early marks of T-34, various armored cars, and the like. Virtually everything available in the Japanese camp participated (so all of those FineMolds kits, including those never-used prototype 1945 tanks, as well as the various Dragon, Tamiya, Pit Road and other stuff) - I would bet that there could even have been one or two surviving Pz 1A and Vickers tanks and other ex-Brit, French and Dutch AFV captured by the Japanese back in 1940 and before! And there was all the various stuff the US and Commonwealth fielded in different places into '45.

FUN!

Bob

Bob, I do want to include the planned invasion scenario because of the number of possibilities in both kits and markings alone. A post I saw on another site about a what if project dealing with the invasion of the home islands and then reading Hell To Pay -- Operation Downfall inspired me to include that aspect as well.

I just picked up a copy of that book and have started reading it so far I am enjoying it believe I will be doing and LVT not sure which style and as a Back up I have a DUKW so i'm in

Sascha(Ironowl)

Is this going to be limited to armor/afv? Both of my grandfathers fought for Iwo Jima. One commanded an artillery battery and the other served on the U.S.S. Brown(he also witnessed the Japanese surrender and was part of a task forced that sailed into and engaged Tokyo Bay).

Matt, I don't see why it should just be limited to armor/afv, if it was in Asia in 1945, or would have participated in Olympic/Cornet it's good to go. I have no heartburn to including ships, aircraft, artillery, etc.

Matt, my great uncle was a machine gunner in the 4th Marine Div, and made the ultimate sacrifice on Iwo Jima after fighting on Saipan, Tinian and Roi-Namir. He was awarded the Silver Star. My father in law fought on Saipan and was later stationed on Guam with the Army. So the Pacific means alot to me. I already started an Iwo Sherman but I am interested in this campaign.

How about a Pershing or T28 MGC for Operation Olympic. 2 Pershings were sent to Okinawa but got there too late. All the Japanese bunkers would need some strong bunker busters if Japan was invaded. So count me in. I have an exess of Pershing kits one of my favorite tanks.

Tom

There will be a lot of potential marking varieties if you opt for the Olympic/Cornet scenario given the ETO units earmarked for the invasion of Japan.

I would be interested. Perhaps an Australian Matilda in Bouganville in 44/45

I assume that there is a little wiggle on the one year? I have an LVT(a)-1 in the unbuilt pile that I would like to do as a 1st Armored Amphibian Tractor Battalion at Guam (so the landing was about a year and three weeks prior to VJ Day). Presumably this bit of latitude on the date is OK?

I'll tentatively throw my hat in the ring--knowing full well I probably shouldn't be joining any more campaigns right now....

I have a Tamiya late model Type 97 and Modelkasten tracks that are waiting to be be built, so why not? Count me in!

Hey John, if you open the date from begining to end of the Pacific and central Pacific A.O.O. I belive the lure for the campaign might draw in many more than just the one year. There are a whole lot of possabilities with all the different Counties envolved along with the types of equipment and updated stuff. Fine models has a bunch of Japanese feild guns and some infantry figures available, along with the 4 sets of Dragon Marines and the Japanese infantry from different years. This would open a whole range of dio/vigtn and stand alone figures. Which ever way you go, I am totally in as the Pacific theater is my favorite. I have aircraft, a.f.v.'s landing craft and figures so I'm ready already, count me in. bob d.

You know what, why not? Let's do that. We'll open it up to the Pacific from 7 December '41 through the what-if of Olympic/Cornet in '45 -- '46, including the Soviets in '45. Bob, thanks for the suggestion, it's been a while since there was a Pacific Campaign. See the revised concept thread!