East of Suez

As the Second World War lurched toward its end in Europe, the British Chiefs of Staff realized that the United States could defeat Japan without the assistance of its allies. Participation by significant elements of the Royal Navy in American operations against Japan, they believed, would be critical to the post-war political environment where the Americans would certainly assume the leading role. Failure of England to bear her share of the burden could lead to accusations that could only harm relations between the two nations.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill, meanwhile, constantly demanded aggressive operations in South-East Asia. Churchill sought to regain the glory of the British Empire, including the colonies lost to the Japanese early in the war. He believed that the only way to do this was by demonstrating British military might by retaking them without American help. Historically Churchill’s plans dropped by the way when it became obvious that joining America in the defeat of Japan was good from a political standpoint as well as giving the Royal Navy experience in carrier and major fleet operations as defined by the powerful American Navy’s campaign across the Pacific.

East of Suez is a 64-page scenario book for the Second World War at Sea series. It covers Churchill’s plans, which ranged from the hopelessly optimistic to the patently absurd, and the Royal Navy’s operations in the Pacific alongside the Americans in 1945. Background articles and scenarios describe the operations executed and those planned by the British Eastern and Pacific Fleets from 1943 to 1946. The Dutch East Indies Squadron is also covered by article and scenarios.

Like Dreadnoughts, East of Suez includes die-cut, mounted game pieces: 70 “long” ship pieces and 140 standard-sized pieces, most of them representing aircraft. The British receive the battleships Vanguard, Duke of York and Anson, numerous light and escort carriers, and a number of cruisers and destroyers. The French battleship Richelieu, the Dutch battlecruisers and light cruisers of the 1939 building program, and British jet fighters (even the SRA-1 seaplane jet fighter) are all present.

Players will need Eastern Fleet, Strike South, Bismarck and Leyte Gulf to enjoy all the scenarios in East of Suez.