Hit the Beach!

by the BEL Crew

We here at Behind Enemy Lines have been anticipating this release for many many years. We are each highly motivated to get our armies under weigh! Here's our personal reflections about what we're about to dive into. But our's aren't the only stories and we're not the only ones who've been waiting to play Pacific games, so sure to share your story and connection with the Pacific in the comments section below!

Gung Ho!
Dan

Back in 2003 when I first started playing Flames of War we had Midwar, Earlywar and of course Latewar but this was limited to African and European theaters of operation and like most fans of Flames of War I was prepared to wait for The Pacific.

Well it looks like all that waiting has paid off as Battlefront announced it was diving into the Pacific. I could not wait to start building and list noodling. It certainly has been a long wait and like many of you I’ve seen posts on the Battlefront Forum asking for the release date but it’s finally here! For real!

2016 will see us hitting the beach and fighting through tropical jungles and across coral atolls all over the Pacific. I’m looking forward to playing the Devil Dogs in both the Pacific and Late War as the rules for Gung Ho and Banzai allow.  I really like what Battlefront have done here and can’t wait to get a few games under my belt and to translate my Marine paint schemes over to 15mm.

Japanese Infantry? Are you mad?
Greg

Actually, yes. I am a little.

I’m actually looking forward to the prospect of painting a horde of Japanese infantry to use over my Pacific campaigns and their support tanks and crews. While the uniforms are suitably down-played to blend in to the lush background of the jungle, the vibrant banners of the Imperial force will add a splash of colour that you just can’t get with other infantry forces. I’d never considered myself much of a painter, but as I’ve progressed through my hobby over the last couple of years, I’ve actually noticed that I’m a lot better than I used to be!

The Pacific theatre offers a lot for me, personally. Growing up it was always a period that I wanted to game, but there just wasn’t the focus or attention given to the PTO like there was in Europe. Exotic terrain and Banzai charges would have to wait…and they’ve waited for too long for me. Its palm tree time!

Lets get our Pacific on!

Why The Pacific? Why Not!
Damian

The very first thing that crossed my mind when I found out we were helping out with the two new books from Battlefront (Banzai and Gung Ho) was “This is really awesome!”

My main focus on WW2 history and building forces for Flames of War has been the Mediterranean and Italy because, like many of you, I’ve been waiting for the Pacific books to come out. Now they are finally here and I get the chance to do something I’ve always wanted to do. A Japanese force that can be used in the Pacific and of course in any Late War setting.

I want a Mitsubishi Zero fighter plane, I want Naval bombardments and the thought of swirling carrier battles off shore, I want a horde of Japanese tanks crushing Marines under their tracks.

And guess what? I’m going to have them.

The PTO and Me
Mike

To say I’m excited about the Pacific coming out for Flames Of War is an understatement. Like many, I’ve been anticipating this release for over a decade, to finally see the USMC crash ashore underfire and secure the beach and to jump into the shoes of the defiant Japanese defenders. I’m rather excited to have a chance to put these Pacific Theatre thoughts on digital paper and put paint to miniature over the next few weeks!

For me, the PTO is WWII because lies closest to home. My grandfathers were a bit too young to serve at the time, but they both had a lot of close friends who did. As I grew up they talked to me about their experiences and they had a profound impact on me. Always careful not to glorify war, they taught me valuable lessons in duty, honor, and respect. Many, but not all, served in the Pacific. I knew a PBY pilot who was based in Pearl Harbor and just happened to be on patrol on 7 Dec. He returned to a base ruined by the attack, having left it intact hours before. I knew a guy that served in the 1st Marine Division at Peleliu, driving an unarmored bulldozer under fire to clear obstacles for follow on waves. I had another close friend who shared his hard tales about being a Marine crew 

member of a Sherman flame-thrower tank in Saipan and how their tank was assaulted several times by futile suicide attacks. Another piloted B-24 bombers on missions in the Pacific, fending of Japanese fighter interceptors in the early days of the campaign. There were many more and they remain the greatest generation. For me, wargaming the PTO is a way to preserve their memory, to never forget what they did for me and for my family.

Well, that’s my angle, so now it's time to roll out some Pacific news. We hope you enjoy what's coming in the next few months as much as we have producing it!

So what's coming up this week on BEL? We've had some time to dig deep into the upcoming Pacific books and come up with some great articles for you to enjoy! This week Greg gives us an in depth look into both Gung Ho and Banzai. So stay tuned as the first article goes live tomorrow! And don't forget to join the new PTO community: FoW Pacific Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/FoWPacific/)