Great War at Sea #4 - U.S. Navy Plan Orange

Great War at Sea: U.S. Navy Plan Orange is based on the war plans the United States hatched for fighting a naval war against Japan in 1930, and the Japanese plans to attack American bases in the Philippines. The Americans believed the Japanese would attack the islands, and a mighty American relief force would then charge across the Pacific to engage the Japanese in battle somewhere nearby. The Japanese had a similar view, though they believed the massive battle might take place closer to Japan.

Great War at Sea: U.S. Navy Plan Orange also contains counters for many ships designed and begun in the early 1920s but cancelled as part of the Washington Naval Treaties of 1922 that limited warship construction. Japan and the United States had engaged in a massive arms race, and neither nation could afford to continue it. Japan stopped construction on four battleships and four battle cruisers; the United States cancelled a class of six battleships and four battle cruisers, and scuttled one nearly-complete battleship from an earlier class. In addition, huge numbers of older warships went to the scrapyard.

Present in the game are the American Constellation-class battle cruisers and South Dakota-class battleships (huge warships carrying twelve 16-inch guns). Japan has her Tosa-class fast battleships, Amagi-class battle cruisers and Kii-class fast battleships. Early aircraft carriers such as the Hosho and Langley are here, and big converted battle cruisers such as Akagi and Saratoga.

Great War at Sea: U.S. Navy Plan Orange introduced aircraft rules to the Great War at Sea series, and both sides have land- and carrier-based torpedo planes and fighters. In addition, the Americans have the airships Akron and Macon, each of which carries its own fighter squadron!