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Overview 1942 WWII Mod BF2 2142 Heroes Online 1943 BF3 BFV

"The island, a coral reef, houses a U.S. airbase. Fortifying the base is difficult because of the island's small size."

— World War II Anthology Edition Manual

Wake Island is a map featured in Battlefield 1942. It was also the map included in the Battlefield 1942 Multiplayer Demo.

It is a Pacific theater map, contested between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC). There are 5 flags, all held at the beginning of the game by the USMC. The Japanese must launch an amphibious attack from their waiting fleet.

Overview[]

Japanese forces start with more reinforcement tickets than the USMC, but are at a slow ticket-bleed until they manage to control at least one flag. If all flags are captured by the Japanese, American forces will lose their tickets extremely quickly, losing over 10 tickets per second, usually resulting in immediate defeat.

Wake Island is characterized by its unique horseshoe-like shape, which makes for a narrow battlefield. As such, there is usually always a certain frontline that can only be displaced by brute force or by entering through a different leg of the island.

Briefing[]

"With its attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan openly declared war on the United States, sinking or severely crippling a significant number of US battleships and destroying a large number of aircraft. To fully leverage the element of surprise, the Japanese fleet is now quickly advancing on other key targets throughout the Pacific. One such target is Wake Island, a small but highly strategic piece of land situated at approximately the mid-point between Tokyo and Hawaii.

Earlier this year, a small US garrison began construction of air and naval bases on Wake. These units will now be put to the supreme test of defending their unfinished bases against a fiercely determined and well-trained opponent. Sure to be outnumbered and outgunned, this small force must execute a precise strategy in order to have any hope of holding off the Imperial Fleet."

— American Map Briefing

"The Japanese fleet launched an attack against the American base at Pearl Harbor. The perfectly staged raid completely surprised the enemy, sending many battleships to the bottom of the harbor. Because of this successful attack, it will take several months for the crippled American fleet to recover. While America scrambles to assess the damage and rebuild its fleet, they will soon realize that this attack was just the beginning of an aggressive campaign to control the Pacific.

Without wasting any time, Japanese forces will strike several other strategic Pacific outposts, including the Philippines, Malaya, and tiny Wake Island. At Wake, a small American force should not pose much trouble for the advancing Japanese carrier-based strike force. Once the island is captured, the Japanese will gain a key airfield from which it will continue to pound Pearl Harbor and other Allied interests in the region."

— Japanese Map Briefing

Conquest[]

"The Japanese fleet has been sighted off of Wake Island. A determined defense of the island including our continued control of all the outposts will allow us to defeat them."

— American campaign briefing

"This island is of supreme importance to our strategy of controlling the Pacific. To force the American garrison to surrender quickly, capture and hold all the enemy outposts."

— Japanese campaign briefing

BF1942 Wake campaign

Campaign briefing

Equipment[]

EmpireJapanFlag Imperial Japanese Navy
Light vehicle(s)

Type 95 Kurogane

Half-track(s)

Type 1 Ho-Ha

Medium tank(s)

Type 97 Chi-Ha

Fixed-wing aircraft
Boat(s)

Daihatsu-class landing craft

Ship(s)
Emplacement(s)
Flag of the United States United States Marine Corps
Light vehicle(s)

Willys MB

Half-track(s)

M3 Half-track

Medium tank(s)

M4 Sherman

Fixed-wing aircraft
Emplacement(s)
Neutral
Emplacement(s)

Defgun

Flags[]

Japanese Fleet[]

At the start of the game, possessing no capture points, the Japanese forces spawn at the Japanese fleet, consisting of an aircraft carrier and destroyer, each with landing craft. The ships are movable, but in singleplayer the destroyer is initially located off the island's South coast, near the 'Landing Beach' control point (within range of the Landing Beach's defgun), while the aircraft carrier is positioned at the narrow entrance to the lagoon in the North West (within range of the North Western and South Western defguns). In multiplayer, both ships are located where the aircraft carrier is in singleplayer.

Landing Beach[]

Usually the point of initial engagement, this is the closest part of the island to the Japanese fleet (in singleplayer) and makes an ideal location for an amphibious landing (other suitable locations are present, in the Southeast corner of the lagoon near the Airbase, at the Northwest and Southwest defgun positions and on the Eastern coast between the North Base and Airfield). Located on the island's Southern limb, West of the Airfield. Like all points on the map, it is initially American controlled. Two tanks spawn at the Landing Beach on the road behind the beach and overlooking bunker. A coastal defgun is located here, pointed at the Japanese fleet. where a scout can launch artillery strike to sink the Destroyer.

While in multiplayer the flag is located on the beach itself, in singleplayer it is located on high ground, behind the bunker.

Airfield[]

Wake Island features an airfield, located in the island's South Eastern corner, where the island's southern and northern limbs meet. Spawning 3 fighter planes, a tank and a jeep, it also houses a defgun, overlooking the atoll's lagoon. Initially controlled by the US forces, it is a key Japanese target for potentially disabling the defensive US forces. While under Japanese control, Japanese forces also have ultimate air superiority, with no US opportunity to launch aircraft.

South Base and coast[]

The South Base is the furthest West control point of the island's southern limb, initially under US control, it is located on the other side of the Landing Beach to the Airfield. It spawns a tank, a jeep and an APC and it has one AA on the back of the base.

To the West of the base is a short bridge from the main island to a smaller island. Located at the far West end of this island is a Defgun.

Village, North Base and Coast[]

To the North of the Airfield is a stretch of island leading to another limb, heading West parallel to the Southern limb. At the corner of these two limbs is the initially US controlled North Base. Home to an AA gun and defgun, it also spawns a jeep and an APC.

To the West of this is another initially American control point, the Village. Home to multiple buildings, it spawns a jeep and a tank.

Similar to the Southern coast, to the West of the Village, at the far West of the island's horseshoe are a defgun and a Willys MB.

Capture the Flag[]

The Axis team starts at the South Base, spawning only a Chi-Ha, a Ho-Ha and a Black Medal. The Allied team starts at the North Base, spawning only a Sherman, an M3A1 and a Willy. The Airfield is a neutral flag, and capturing it will provide the same vehicles as in Conquest.

The other two control points, namely Village and Landing Beach, do not appear.

Outcomes[]

"Though vastly outnumbered, the small US force couldn't be outfought. Coming so soon after Pearl Harbor, this important victory allows the US to maintain a vital position in the Pacific. It also serves to let the Japanese know that the United States refuses to roll over after Pearl Harbor. In addition to the strategic implications of holding Wake Island, the victory provides a huge morale boost to US troops and its Allies everywhere."

— American victory

"Though the small US force on Wake fought hard, it could not stop the Japanese attack on Wake Island. With Pearl Harbor still smoldering, Wake Island captured, and other key targets under siege, the Imperial Fleet looks to be in strong position to control the entire Pacific."

— American defeat

"The capture of Wake Island will long be remembered as another glorious victory for the Imperial Forces of Japan. Like the strike on Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces overwhelmed the Americans by surprising them with superior naval and air power. Japan's fearless carrier-based pilots led the assault on Wake, demonstrating once again why they are the world's best pilots."

— Japanese victory

"After such a glorious victory at Pearl Harbor, it's difficult to explain this surprising defeat at Wake Island. The Imperial Japanese fleet has stumbled badly in its inability to capture a key strategic base from such a small US force. Inexplicably, the Japanese commanders were unable to take advantage of their superior firepower and the momentum built by Pearl Harbor. It is unlikely that any Japanese commander going into battle with US forces will take his opponent so lightly as did the commander of this force."

— Japanese defeat

Gallery[]

Concept Art[]


External Links[]

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