NOTES

More Simulations by General Quarters Software

Action in the North AtlanticAction off the River PlateAir Raid Pearl HarborBanzaiBattle StationsBattleship BismarckGerman Raider AtlantisMare NostrumPrelude to JutlandReturn to the FalklandsThe Rising SunTurkey Shoot MarianasWar in the FalklandsWar at SeaThe Warship that Changed History

GENERAL QUARTERS SOFTWAREP.0. Box 1429

Torrance, CA 90505(213) 547-0597

MIDWAYTHE BATTLE THAT

DOOMED JAPAN

Second Edition

HISTORICAL N O T E

To many historians, the battle of Midway (June 4-6, 1942) marked the turning point of the war in the Pacific. Up to that point, the Japanese had achieved a nearly unblemished string of military victories. In the spring of 1942, Japanese naval command was faced

with a major decision regarding the deployment of its carrier forces. Basically, there were three options: a southern thrust (toward Australia), an easternthrust (toward Pearl Harbor) or a western thrust(toward India). In May they sent a modest carrierforce to help secure Port Morsbey located in southernNew Guinea, which resulted in the indecisive battle ofthe Coral Sea. As a result of a number of factors,the naval command elected to move eastward and captureMidway Island. (The Doolittle air raid on Japanearlier in the same year represented a major factorcontributing to the Japanese decision.) The task oforganizing and executing this policy was given toAdmiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander in Chief of theCombined Fleet. Yamamoto assembled a battle fleet ofnearly 140 warships and supply ships. He entrustedcommand of the First Carrier Strike Force to ViceAdmiral Chuichiagumo (the victor at Pearl Harbor).Nagumo's task was to destroy Midway's defenses and toguard against a possible counter attack from Americancarrier forces. The entire complex plan was to becarried out in complete secrecy. Unfortunately forYamamoto, the Americans had "broken" the Japanese codeand were routinely reading Japanese naval communica-tions. Thus, Admiral Chester Nimitz, CIC of thePacific fleet, prepared a trap for Yamamoto with thecarrier forces under his command. The actual oper-ational command was assigned to Rear Admiral RaymondSpruance on board the Enterprise. The resultingbattle was a complete disaster for the Japanese. Thebattle fleet lost four front line carriers and over200 experienced pilots. More information on thisfamous naval battle can be found in Miracle at. Midway ,by Gordon W. Prange, Mcgraw-Hill Book Company, and

. Doomed Japan by MitsuoFuchida, United States Naval Institute.

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

SECTION PAGE

1 - INTRODUCTION ......................... 1

2 - GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS ................. 3

3 - FORCES ............................... 6

4 - OPERATIONAL COMMANDS....................1 2

5 - TASK FORCE MOVEMENT.....................15

6 - TASK FORCE SEA SEARCH...................16

7 - AIR OPERATIONS...........................17

8 - BASE BOMBARDMENT & CAPTURE..............19

9 - SUBMARINE OPERATIONS....................2 0

10 - CONVOY OPERATIONS.......................2 0

11 - INTELLIGENCE...........................2 1

12 - SHIP RESUPPLY & REPAIR.................2 1

13 - TACTICAL SHIP COMBAT....................2 2

14 - VICTORY CONDITIONS......................26

15 - GAME STRATEGY...........................27

16 - COMPUTER GRAPHICS.......................28Second Edition (May 1989)

Outline MIDWAY G Q S GQS MIDWAY Outline

1 - INTRODUCTION.......................1.1 Overview1.2 Minimum Equipment Configurations

and Start Up Procedures1.3 Password1.4 Options

2 - GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS...............2.1 Time Period2.2 Search Board2.3 Weather2.4 Order of Battle

3 - FORCES.............................3.1 Overview3.2 American Warships and Aircraft3.3 Japanese Warships and Aircraft3.4 Ship Subdivision3.5 Aircraft Characteristics

4 - OPERATIONAL COMMANDS...............4.1 Quick Reference4.2 Operations (0)4.2 Information (I)4.3 Submarine Movement (M)4.4 Data Report (D)4.5 Quit Game (Q)4.6 None (N)4.7 Patrol/Port (P)4.8 Change Course and Speed (C)4.9 Air Search (S)4.10 Ready Aircraft (R)4.11 Air Attack (A)

. . 3

. 12

5 - TASK FORCE MOVEMENT...................155.1 Movement and Speed5.2 Illegal Movement5.3 Course Diagram5 . 4 Termination

6 - TASK FORCE SEA SEARCH.................16

7 - AIR OPERATIONS........................177 . 1 Limitations7 . 2 Air Search7.3 Air Attack7 . 4 Air Defense7.5 Flight Attrition, Recovery, Transfer

8 - BASE BOMBARDMENT AND CAPTURE..........19

9 - SUBMARINE OPERATIONS..................20

10 - CONVOY OPERATIONS.....................2010.1 Formation and Movement10.2 Interception

11 - INTELLIGENCE..................................21

12 - SHIP RESUPPLY AND REPAIR..............21

13 - TACTICAL SHIP COMBAT..................2213.1 Overview and Quick Reference13.2 No Change (N)13.3 Change Course and Speed (C)13.4 Target Guns (T)13.5 Fire Guns (F)13.6 Launch Torpedoes (L)13.7 Report Course, Speed, Range (R)13.8 Damage Control Report (D)13.9 Disengage (S)13.10 Scuttle (K)13.11 Smoke13.12 Termination

14 - VICTORY CONDITIONS....................26

15 - GAME STRATEGY.........................2715.1 American15.2 Japanese

16 - COMPUTER GRAPHICS.....................28

GQS MIDWAY 1

1-INTRODUCTION

1.1 OVERVIEW

This battle manual describes the basic rules andoperational commands for MIDWAY -- The Battle ThatDoomed Japan. This game simulates the classic battlebetween American and Japanese carrier forces thatoccurred during the early stages of World War II andhas options for both solitaire and two player action.In addition to automating tedious calculations, theuse of the computer permits truly “blind” play. Playbalance and variability are assured by incorporatingrandom factors in the placement of forces,occurrences, and outcomes.

The simulation takes place over a three to seven dayperiod. Each day is divided into twelve turns (i.e.,two-hour periods). Each turn consists of operationalorders from the American player, followed by theJapanese player; as outlined in the Order of Battle(section 2.4) . Operational orders are issued via thekeyboard, by selecting options from menus andresponding to prompts. Inappropriate responses aredisregarded, and the request is repeated. Mostkeyboard interaction consists of single charactercommands (e.g., press the <S> key to search), and<enter> (or <return>) is not required: the computeracts as soon as valid input is detected. However,<enter> (or <return>) is required in cases where thecommand is critical or could be more than one char-acter (e.g., number of degrees for new course). I B Musers may enter all responses (except password) ineither UPPERCASE or lowercase.

Several hours may be required to complete eachsimulation. The game may be stored via the saved gameoption which facilitates spreading the play overseveral sessions.

2 MIDWAY GQS

1.2 MINIMUM EQUIPMENT CONFIGURATIONSAND START UP PROCEDURES

The Apple Version runs on the Apple ][ series with aminimum of 64k memory and one 5 l/4” floppy diskdrive. A color monitor and a parallel printer (port1) are optional. Saved game diskettes must beformatted with DOS 3.3. The program disk is an auto-boot diskette.

0 Place the game diskette in the #l drive.0 Turn on the power to the computer.

The IBM version runs on the IBM PC series with aminimum of 256k, one 5 l/4” floppy disk drive, and acolor or monochrome graphics card (which is completelycompatible with standard IBM CGA). PC-DOS (or MS-DOS)version 2.1 (or greater) is required. The operatingsystem must be active before the program disk willrun. A printer is optional. If the printer is not aparallel printer which is assigned to LPT1, outputmust be redirected to the appropriate device beforethe game is started (check the printer manual and theDOS manual (refer to MODE) for specific procedures).

0 Place DOS disk in the A drive.0 Turn on the power to the computer.0 Wait until “A” prompt appears.0 Place game diskette in the A drive.0 Type ACTION and press <enter>.

1.3 PASSWORD

Before the game is completely loaded, the computerwill request input of one of the five passwords (iden-tified by Greek characters) listed on the inside coverof this battle manual. When requesting a password,the computer will supply the code (e.g., alpha), andthe user must respond by typing the characters(exactly as shown (i.e., uppercase)) next to the codeon the password page. After five incorrect responses,the start-up procedure is terminated.

GQS MIDWAY 3

1.4 OPTIONS

After the start-up procedure is complete, the computerwill display an opening message which is addressed tothe American commander. At this point, a stored gamemay be resumed or a new game may be started. Before anew game starts, a series of options are presented.These options include the number of players (1 or 2),side to control (if 1 player), length of simulation(3, 5, or 7 days), sound (on or off), task forcealignments, and task force starting positions.

The initial task force alignments are listed in thetables of forces (sections 3.2 and 3.3). Eitherplayer may change these alignments during the setupprocedure and/or during the progress of the simula-tion. Task force 'B’ (Yorktown, Astoria, and Port-land) is not available for operations until the secondday. The American player can avoid this restrictionby assigning warships to the other task forces.

Additionally, each side has the option of eitherassigning its forces to specific sea squares orallowing the computer to determine the initialstarting positions. Initially, Japanese forces cannotbe located east of Wake Island (11,19) and Americanforces cannot be located west of Midway (20,14). Ifthe computer determines the initial assignments, theJapanese warships are randomly located east of WakeIsland, and the American forces are located at or nearPearl Harbor and Dutch Harbor.

2-GENERAL I N S T R U C T I O N S

2.1 TIME PERIOD

There are twelve two-hour turns per day (i.e., 0200,0400, 0600,...2400). Darkness occurs during the 2200,2400, 0200, and 0400 time periods. Some operations,such as air search, may not be performed duringperiods of darkness. Time of day also impacts theeffectiveness of some other operations, such assurface search and naval bombardment.

4 MIDWAY GQS GQS MIDWAY 5

2.2 SEARCH BOARD

Most action occurs on the search board: a map of themid Pacific area which has been divided into seasquares. A sea square is approximately 100 nauticalmiles on each side, and can accommodate an unlimitednumber of task forces. A two dimensional coordinatesystem (i.e., X,Y) is used for identifying locations;which are given to the nearest tenth of a sea square(e.g., 0.1 to 1.0 = sea square one).

10 4 57 8

111-1

3

L O C A T I O N INITIAL DEFENSE FULLSIDE (X,Y) BASE FACTOR AIRBASE REPAIR

A 17, 1 Kiska 1 N NA 24, 1 Dutch Harbor 100 Y YA 20,14 Midway 100 Y NA 30,18 Pearl Harbor 300 Y YJ 11,19 Wake Island 100 Y NJ 2, 5 Ominato Y* Y

* automatic search and attack only.

2.3 WEATHER

The vagaries of weather have been included in thesimulation. Weather consists of a state, wind speed,and wind direction. The search board is divided in tonine weather zones; conditions apply throughout eachzone. The state can change up to four times per day(i .e . , every six hours). The wind speed can changeevery two hours, and the direction may change everyfour hours. The following table summarizes thevarious weather states and their impact (A=Zones l-3,B=Zones 4-6, C=Zones 7-9) :

STATE PROBABILITY OF IMPACTOCCURRENCE

A B C

Calm Seas 20% 40% 60% None

Rough Seas 30% 40% 30% Reduced visibilityReduced air opsMax speed 25 knots

Fog 50% 20% 10% No sea searchNo air opsMax speed 15 knots

Wind can have a significant impact on carrier opera-tions. Generally, a carrier must be moving into thewind (& 30 degrees) in order to launch and recoveraircraft. Typically, the wind moves from east to west( i .e . , right-to-left) across the strategic searchboard. This phenomenon gives the Japanese a distinctadvantage since they can continue to steam towardstheir target (e.g., Midway) while launching andrecovering aircraft. The American carriers usuallymust turn around from the advancing enemy in order tolaunch aircraft. Wind speeds vary between 0 and 30knots, with higher speeds during rough weather. Inorder to launch aircraft, a minimum relative windspeed of 20 miles an hour across the flight deck isrequired. This requirement can be accomplishedthrough a combination of wind and ship’s speed.

6 MIDWAY GQS GQS MIDWAY 7

2.4 ORDER OF BATTLE 3.2 AMERICAN WARSHIPS AND AIRCRAFT

A. American Submarine Search and Attack (if any)B. American Command Level Operations (if any)

o Airbase Operations (e.g., search, ready aircraft)o Task Force Alignment Operations (e.g., merge)o Submarine Operations

MAXIMUM

SHIP TYPETF POINTS

TF SYMBOL (SUNK)

C. American Surface Search and Sea Combat (if any)D. American Task Force Operations

o Course/Speed changeso Carrier Operations (e.g., search, ready aircraft)o Movement

E. Repeat steps A-D for JapaneseF. Japanese Troop Transport OperationsG. Air Attacks (if any)

0 Americans, then Japanese, specify number ofaircraft and attack locations

0 American, then Japanese, air attacks0 American, then Japanese, aircraft recovery

3-FORCES

1. Enterprise2. Hornet3. Yorktown4. Minneapolis5. New Orleans6. Vincennes7. Astoria8. Northampton9. Portland

10. Indianapolis11. Lousville12. Nashville13. ST. Louis14. Honolulu

cvcvcvCACACACACACACACACLCLCL

11211121233333

AABAAABABCCCCC

3.1 OVERVIEW

A task force is the lowest operational unit in thesimulation (i.e, individual ship movement is notpermitted). All warships are initially assigned to aspecific task force (TF). Warships may be moved fromone TF to another TF whenever the two existing TF'sare in the same sea square. New task forces can beformed from an existing task force and existing taskforces can be combined to form a single task force.The American side is limited to a maximum of six TF's(A-F) and the Japanese side is limited to a maximum ofnine TF's (G-N).

CV-Aircraft CarrierCA-Heavy CruiserCL-Light Cruiser

The following tables identify the warships and air-craft available to the American and Japanese players.Each battleship and cruiser also operates severalscout planes. Both sides also control three sub-marines. Each airbase supplies air reconnaissance.

200 8x5"200 8x5"200 8x5"4 0 9x8 "4 0 9x8"4 0 9x8"4 0 9x8"4 0 9x8"4 0 9x8"4 0 9x8"4 0 9x8"4 0 15x6"4 0 15x6"4 0 15x6"

GUNSI Z E

8 MIDWAY GQS GQS MIDWAY 9

SHELLDAMAGEPER HIT

GUN MAXIMUMRANGE SPEED

1 1 2 0 0 0 3 21 1 2 0 0 0 3 21 1 2 0 0 0 3 22 1 8 0 0 0 3 22 1 8 0 0 0 3 22 1 8 0 0 0 3 22 1 8 0 0 0 3 22 1 8 0 0 0 3 22 1 8 0 0 0 3 22 1 8 0 0 0 3 22 1 8 0 0 0 3 21 1 8 0 0 0 3 21 1 8 0 0 0 3 21 1 8 0 0 0 3 2

AIRCRAFTINITIAL*td f

14/38/2715/37/2713/37/25

9 09 09 0---

--

---

SHIP SHIP TYPE T F

123456789

1 01 11 21 31 4

15. Akagi cv 716. Kaga cv 717. Hiryu cv 718. Soryu cv 719. Zuiho CVL 92 0 . Hosho CVL 1 021. Ryujo CVL 1 122. Junyo CVL 1 123. Yamato BB 1 024. Nagato BB 1 025. Mutsu BB 1 026. Haruna BB 727. Kirishima BB 728. Hiel BB 829. Kongo BB 83 0 . Tone CA 731. Chikuma CA 732. Kumano CA 833. Suzuya CA 834. Mikuma CA 835. Mogami CA 836. Atago CA 937. Chokai CA 93 8 . Myoko CA 939. Hagura CA 940. Ashigara CA 1 041. Nachi CA 1 142. Maya CA 1 143. Takao CA 1 1

The following land-based aircraft are also available:

AIRBASE COMPLEMENT*

td f m hDutch Harbor 24,l 0/ 0/ 21/ 20/ 0Midway 20,14 6/ 27/ 27/ 4/ 1 9Pearl Harbor 30,18 50/ 50/150/ 75/ 7 5

* Number of attack and defense planes:t-torpedo bomber d-dive bomber f-fighterm-medium bomber h-heavy bomber

3.3 JAPANESE WARSHIPS AND AIRCRAFT

,TF

SYMBOL

GGGGIJKKJJJGGIIGGHHHHIIIIJKKK

MAXIMUMPOINTS(SUNK) S I Z E

2 0 0 12x4.7"2 0 0 12x4.7"1 5 0 12x5"1 5 0 12x5"1 0 0 8 x 5 ”

7 5 4 x 5 ”1 0 0 1 2 x 5 ”1 2 5 1 2 x 5 ”1 5 0 9x18"1 0 0 8x16"1 0 0 8x16"

8 0 8x14"8 0 8x14"8 0 8x14"8 0 8x14"4 0 8 x 8 ”4 0 8 x 8 ”4 0 10x8”4 0 10x8"4 0 10x8"4 0 10x8"4 0 10x8"4 0 10x8"4 0 10x8"4 0 10x8"4 0 10x8"4 0 10x8"4 0 10x8"4 0 10x8"

CV- Aircraft CarrierCVL-Light Aircraft CarrierBB- BattleshipCA- Heavy Cruiser

10 MIDWAY GQS GQS MIDWAY 11

SHELLDAMAGEPER HIT

G U NR A N G E

MAXIMUMSPEED

1 12000 321 12000 281 12000 321 12000 321 12000 281 12000 261 12000 281 12000 28

14 25000 2710 25000 2710 25000 27

8 25000 288 25000 288 25000 288 25000 282 18000 332 18000 332 18000 332 18000 332 18000 332 18000 332 18000 332 18000 332 18000 332 18000 332 18000 332 18000 332 18000 33

* Number of attack and defense planes:t-torpedo bomber d-dive bomber f-fighter

AIRCRAFTINITIAL*tdf

21/21/2130/21/2121/21/2121/21/2112/ 0/12

0/ 8/ 021/ 0/150/21/24

-

757 5707030154550--

---

--

----

--

SHIP

1 51 61718192 0212 22 32 42 52 62 72 82 930323 3343 53637383 94041424 3

The aircraft complement on Wake Island (11,19)consists of 20 fighters and 40 medium bombers.

3.4 SHIP SUBDIVISION

Each warship is divided into stations which areassigned a maximum damage level. Generally, warshipscontain ten stations, as listed below. However, theactual stations may vary (e.g., IJN Yamato has onlythree turrets). Secondary guns are only available onbattleships (maximum range is 12,000 yards, shell

1) .damage is

SECTION BATTLESHIPS CRUISERS CARRIERS

1 Forward Forward Forward2 A Turret A Turret Flight Deck3 B Turret B Turret Guns4 Fire Control Fire Control Fire Control5 Bridge Bridge Bridge6 Midships Midships Midships7 Secondary Torpedoes Flight Ops8 X Turret X Turret Guns9 Y Turret Y Turret Flight Deck

10 Aft Aft Aft

A section’s level of damage affects its performance inproportion to the percentage of maximum damagesustained. Damage received above the maximum level isassigned to the midship section. A warship is sunkwhen the damage to the midship section reaches themaximum level. Ship speed is affected by damage tothe forward, midship, or aft sections. When the aftsection is destroyed, the rudder may also be jammed.

3.5 AIRCRAFT CHARACTERISTICS

.The following tables present the basic operatingcharacteristics for the American and Japanese combataircraft. “Combat radius” refers to the maximumdistance that an aircraft can fly from its launchpoint. “Aim” refers to the accuracy of a particularcombat aircraft type on a one to ten scale (with tenbeing most effective). “Dam” refers to the averageeffective damage level that can be achieved by asingle attacking aircraft.

12 MIDWAY GQS GQS MIDWAY 13 ~

AMERICAN COMBAT AIRCRAFT OPTION DEFINITION

COMBATNAME SPEC TYPE RADIUS ARMAMENT

Devestator TBF Torpedo 200 1x18"

COMMAND LEVEL: 0AIM

4 1 5

MDQN

OperationsSubmarine MovementData ReportQuit GameNone

Dauntless

Wildcat

Marauder

Fortress

NAME

Kate

Val

Zeke

Betty

Bomber

SBD Dive 200 lx500#Bomber

F4F Fighter 200 MG

B-26 Medium 400 4x5008Bomber

B-17 Heavy 600 lOx500#Bomber

JAPANESE COMBAT AIRCRAFT

COMBATSPEC TYPE RADIUS ARMAMENT

B5N2 Torpedo 250 1x24"Bomber

D3Al Dive 250 lx500#Bomber

A6M2 Fighter 250 MG

G4Ml Medium 400 4x500%Bomber

7 4

8 0

4 8

TASK FORCE LEVEL: P Patrol/PortC Course & SpeedD Data ReportS Air SearchR Ready AircraftA Air AttackN None

3 1 2 4.2 OPERATIONS (0)

The following list summarizes theavailable to both sides:

AIM

5

DAM

20

0

0

0

0

0

I 0

0

4.3

Combine existing task forces.Develop new task forces from existing ones.Move ship from TF to TF (unless rudder jammed)Scuttle ships (IBM only, Apple scuttle is underdata report)

7 5Conduct land based air search.Conduct land based air attacks (attackingaircraft must be readied one turn in advance).Ready aircraft including fighter defense.

8 0SUBMARINE MOVEMENT (M)

5 8Submarine(s) can be moved by indicating course indegrees. Submarines move at 15 knots.

4-OPERATIONAL COMMANDS

4.1 QUICK REFERENCE

Each commander may perform any (or none) of thefollowing operations each turn. The task force levelmenu is repeated for each task force.

operational options

4.4 DATA REPORT (D)

Data Reports provide information on the location ofenemy task forces discovered, the number of Japanesetroop transports sunk, the status of friendly andenemy bases, task force locations and alignment,airbase aircraft, carrier aircraft, and individual

14 MIDWAY GQS

warship damage. Individual warships may be scuttledto avoid sinking by the enemy (Apple only, IBM scuttleis under task force alignment operations).

4.5 Q U I T G A M E (Q)

Either side can quit and view the results up to thatpoint. The current game may also be saved. Aftersaving a game, play may be resumed immediately or at alater date. Games may be stored on any separate, pre-formatted disk other than the program disk.

4.6 NONE (N)

This command must be issued to move from command levelto task force level, and to complete operations foreach task force. Task forces retain prior course andspeed unless a new movement command is issued.

4.7 PATROL/PORT (P)

Task force remains in its current sea zone. Thiscommand will not be accepted if any member has ajammed rudder.

4.8 CHANGE COURSE AND SPEED (C)

Player enters desired change in course and speed forspecific task force. A change in course is given indegrees and the desired speed is given in knots: Themaximum speed for a task force is restricted to themaximum speed of the slowest warship in the taskforce. This command will not be accepted if anymember has a jammed rudder.

4.9 AIR SEARCH (S)

Airbase and carrier air search operations can beconducted during daylight hours (except during fog).

GQS MIDWAY 1 5

4.10 READY A I R C R A F T (R)

Player indicates the number and type of airbase orcarrier aircraft to be readied for attack or fordefense. Attack aircraft become available on the nextturn. Defense aircraft are available immediately.Ready aircraft may also be moved to reserve. Readyfighters may be reassigned as defensive aircraft.

4.11 AIR ATTACK (A)

This command must be issued to indicate that an airattack is to be performed at the end of the period.Each side can conduct air attacks during daylighthours (except during fog) . Attacking aircraft must bereadied one turn in advance.

5-TASK F O R C E M O V E M E N T

5.1 MOVEMENT AND SPEED

Each task force can move once per turn. A speed of 25knots moves a task force approximately one half of asea square per turn. Speeds above or below 25 knotsyield proportional results. The maximum task forcespeed is constrained by the warship with the slowestspeed. A task force may not steam above 25 knots fortwo consecutive turns. The maximum speed for a taskforce is 15 knots during periods of fog or whenleaving or entering port. When a TF enters a port,the TF is centered in the square. When leaving, theTF is placed just outside the port square.

5.2 ILLEGAL MOVEMENT

American task forces may not move into Ominato.Movement off the board or on Japan (proper) or Hawaiiis not possible, and results in the following message:ILLEGAL MOVE. The task force involved in an illegalmove is returned to its previous location, and thetask force loses its turn.

16 MIDWAY GQS

5.3 COURSE DIAGRAM

In addition to remaining in its current sea square atask force may be moved into one of the eight adjacentsea squares. For example, to move into the sea squareabove your current position simply enter 0 (or 360).The following chart is designed as a navigational aid:

5.4 TERMINATION

The simulation is automatically terminated when thetime limit is reached.

6-TASK F O R C E S E A S E A R C H

Each task force automatically searches approximatelyone-half of one sea square around its current positioneach turn (except during fog). The probability ofdetecting an enemy task force is a function of theweather and time of day. The search pattern isapproximately doubled (i.e., one sea square) throughthe use of spotter aircraft during periods of daylightwhen weather conditions are calm.

GQS MIDWAY 17

7 - A I R O P E R A T I O N S

7.1 LIMITATIONS

Air operations are not possible during darkness orfog. The maximum number of aircraft that can belaunched from a carrier is somewhat reduced duringrough weather. Each type of aircraft (e.g., torpedobombers) launched from the same point may attack onlyone target location per turn. The maximum range forair attacks varies depending on the type of aircraft(see section 3.5) . Attacking aircraft must be“readied” on a previous turn. All “readied” aircraftare automatically “dereadied” at the end of the 2400turn. While land based airfields can operate anunlimited number of aircraft, the number of planesthat a carrier can operate is limited by the maximumcapacity (see sections 3.2 and 3.3). However, theactual mix of aircraft may vary as long as the totaldoes not exceed this limit. Land based air fieldsbecome inoperable when captured or destroyed by enemybombardment. Carriers may not launch aircraft if theforward flight deck or midship section are severelydamaged (i.e., above 75 percent of the maximum damagelevel) . Carriers may not recover aircraft if the aftflight deck or midship section are severely damaged.Damage to flight operations reduces the number ofaircraft that may be launched and/or recovered.

7.2 AIR SEARCH

The probability of locating the enemy is a function ofthe weather and time of day. Each task force contain-ing a carrier has the option of searching approximate-ly a two square radius around itself. Search planeslaunched from land bases automatically search all seasquares in the immediate vicinity of the base. Bothsides can also search three additional sea squares perturn per base. The maximum search range is about fivesquares from the base (actual range may extend some-what further, depending on weather conditions.American forces that are discovered in the vicinity ofJapan will be automatically attacked and sunk.

18 MIDWAY GQS

7.3 AIR ATTACK

The effectiveness of various types of aircraft issummarized in section 3.5. Attacks may be launchedagainst both naval and land targets. The playerindicates the sea square and the number & type ofaircraft involved in the attack. Different types ofaircraft may attack different locations. Aircraftlaunched from different points (i.e., individualcarriers) may also attack different locations. Allattacking aircraft are given orders at the same time.If the attacking squads find multiple targets at thespecified location, the squad commanders may selectindividual targets. Targets that contain readiedplanes will experience more extensive damage(approximately twice the normal level). The number ofaircraft on a carrier during an enemy attack isreduced in proportion to the sustained damage.Escorting an attack with offensive fighters reducesthe effectiveness of enemy fighters defending thetarget.

7.4 AIR DEFENSE

Attacking aircraft can be shot down by either navalgunfire, land based gunfire, or fighter aircraft.Each base, except Kiska, contains anti-aircraftbatteries which are used to defend the base againstair attacks. All warships contain anti-aircraft guns.The effectiveness of point air defense is directlyproportional to the number of warships in the taskforce, the status of the anti-aircraft guns, and/orthe damage status of the base. Air defense (i.e.,fighters) significantly improves the chances ofeffectively repelling enemy air attacks. Each sidecan specify the number of fighter aircraft for airdefense at the beginning of each turn. Defensiveaircraft are ready immediately, and operate during theentire turn. At the end of the current turn theyreturn to the carrier. Unlike offensive aircraft,defensive aircraft may be used each turn.

GQS MIDWAY 1 9

7.5 FLIGHT ATTRITION, RECOVERY, TRANSFER

Aircraft suffer attrition due to flight operations,which ranges between one to three percent depending ontime of day and sea state (higher rates occur duringrough seas and twilight). Normally aircraft return tothe launch point after the attack is complete.However, medium and heavy bombers engaged in longrange attacks (i.e., greater than 300 miles from base)return to base on the next turn. Aircraft may notreturn to bases which have been destroyed, or tocarriers which have been sunk or are unable torecover. Aircraft which cannot return to the launchpoint have the option of attempting to land at a localairbase or on any available carriers that are withinrange. Aircraft may also be transferred between landbased airfields and carriers that are within range.

The Japanese can bombard Pearl Harbor, Dutch Harbor,Midway, and Kiska. The American side can bombard WakeIsland. Bombardment reduces the defense factor of abase. Bombardment can be carried out using eithernaval gunfire or air attacks. Bombardment can occurany time except when the target is obscured by fog.To bombard a target by gunfire, the task force must belocated on the target sea square. Naval bombardmentreduces the defenses by five points (during daylight)or three points (during darkness) per turn per battle-ship or cruiser in the task force. To bombard atarget by air, the carrier task force must be withinattack range. Air attacks reduce the defenses by onepoint per attacking dive bomber . Aircraft remainingon the ground during bombardment can be attacked byfighters as well as enemy dive bombers. All remainingbase aircraft are destroyed when the base defensefactor is reduced to thirty percent of the maximum orwhen enemy troops have landed. The maximum defensereduction by any combination of air attacks and navalbombardment is limited to 70% of the initial defenselevel.

2 0 MIDWAY GQS

The Japanese can capture Dutch Harbor, Midway Islandand Kiska Island. Capture can occur after the targethas been occupied by Japanese troops. A base iscaptured when its defense factor is reduced to zero.The troop convoy is required to capture either DutchHarbor or Midway. Each troop transport located on anenemy base reduces the defenses by one point per turn.Similarly, troop transports can be destroyed by enemydefensive ground forces in proportion to the theircurrent strength. For example, between 0 to 3 trooptransports will be destroyed per turn when attacking abase that is at full strength. Kiska can be capturedusing any Japanese task force. Capture occurs afterthe Japanese have occupied Kiska for one turn.

9-SUBMARINE OPERATIONS

Initially, each side operates three submarines.Submarines automatically search their current seasquare each turn (except during darkness or fog), andautomatically attack any enemy forces located. Thepriorities given to targets are: 1) carriers, 2)battleships, and 3) cruisers. American submarines canalso attack the Japanese troop transports. Theprobability of obtaining a torpedo hit is a functionof weather and the enemy warship’s speed. Submarinescan be sunk by enemy action.

1O-TROOP TRANSPORT C O N V O YO P E R A T I O N S

10.1 FORMATION AND MOVEMENT

A convoy consisting of 15 troop transports isavailable to the Japanese commander. This convoy canbe used to capture Dutch Harbor, Midway, or KiskaIslands. The convoy moves at a speed of 12 knots.The Japanese player directs the convoy by indicatingthe desired course in degrees. An input of 360 movesthe convoy north while an input of 0 results in theconvoy remaining stationary.

GQS MIDWAY 2 1

10.2 INTERCEPTION

The troop transports can be intercepted and attackedby enemy aircraft, submarines, and warships. If theconvoy is escorted, the American warships must engagethe escort before attacking the convoy. Afterdefeating all Japanese warships, the American forcesmay then attack the convoy. Convoy losses areproportional to the number of enemy aircraft orsubmarines, or size and composition of the task forceinvolved in the attack.

11-INTELLIGENCE

Both sides receive information on the movement ofenemy task forces through sea, air and submarinereconnaissance. Additionally, both sides will receiveinformation on the bombardment and capture of bases.At the end of air combat, each player will receive acombat summary of the number of aircraft and warshipsdamaged and destroyed on both sides. Estimates ofenemy losses are usually greatly exaggerated.

American naval forces and airbases can receive advancewarning of enemy air attacks via radar. Americanradar can also spot enemy search planes.

12-SHIP RESUPPLYA N D R E P A I R

Each task force contains a sufficient number oftankers to supply the task force during the shortduration of this simulation.

2 2 MIDWAY GQS

Warships undergo repair in operational ports (defensefactor 50 percent or above) with full repairfacilities (Dutch Harbor, Pearl Harbor, Ominato) atthe rate of one damage unit per section per turn. Atsea, warships undergo repair at the rate of onemidship damage unit per turn up to 50 percent of themaximum damage level. Additionally, carriers canrepair damaged flight decks and flight operations upto 50 percent of the maximum. If the aft section isout and the rudder is jammed, the warship mayexperience repair to the aft in lieu of midships.

13--TACTICAL SHIP C O M B A T

13.1 OVERVIEW AND QUICK REFERENCE

Ship combat can occur whenever enemy task forces arediscovered within range (refer to Task Force SeaSearch for details). Unlike strategic combat,tactical combat deals with ships on an individualbasis only (versus a task force group). Duringtactical combat, limited repairs (at the rate of onedamage unit every third turn) are made to the firecontrol and bridge sections. Each side can selectfrom a number of tactical options as outlined below.While each warship is limited to one command perwarship per turn (except for L, R, and D), thecomputer may perform multiple commands.

OPTION DESCRIPTION

No ChangeChange Course and SpeedTarget GunsFire GunsLaunch TorpedoesReport Range, Course, SpeedDamage Control ReportDisengageScuttle Ship

GQS MIDWAY 2 3

13.2 NO CHANGE (N)

Maintains warship’s current heading and speed.

13.3 CHANGE COURSE AND SPEED (C)

The computer will display the maximum speed possiblefor the ship. Player indicates course heading (o-360)in degrees and speed in knots (0-max). Steering istransferred to aft control if the bridge has been“knocked’ out”, and no change in course or speed ispossible during this period.

13.4 TARGET GUNS (T)

The player a selects target for main and secondary(battleships only) guns from among available enemywarships. The maximum range for targeting is 25,000yards. An input of 0 aborts command (returns totactical menu) .

13.5 FIRE GUNS (F)

Guns are fired at the selected target. Guns will notfire if they are not targeted, are out of action, orif the target is out of range. The maximum range formain guns is given in sections 3.2 and 3.3. Themaximum range for secondary guns is 12,000 yards.

The probability of obtaining a gunnery hit is afunction of enemy speed, enemy range, number of gunsfiring, wind direction and status of fire control.Warships that are windward of their opponent have anadvantage. As damage to a warship’s fire controlincreases, the probability of obtaining a hitdecreases. Warships carry sufficient munitions toengage in an unlimited number of tactical battles.

2 4 MIDWAY GQS

13.6 LAUNCH TORPEDOES (L)

Only cruisers carry torpedoes. The player selects atarget from among available enemy warships. Torpedoescan be launched every 5 turns. The probability ofobtaining a ship launched torpedo hit is a function ofthe enemy warship's speed and range. Torpedo hits areassigned to the midship section. The following tablesummarizes the performance characteristics:

AMERICAN JAPANESE

MAXIMUM RANGE 5,000 9,000DAMAGE 10-15 15-25

13.7 REPORT COURSE, SPEED, RANGE (R)

Displays selected ship's course, bearing, speed, andrange from the current ship. Enemy vessels must bewithin 25,000 yards.

13.8 DAMAGE CONTROL REPORT (D)

Displays warship's damage status for each station andcompares with the maximum limits.

13.9 DISENGAGE (S)

Either side may disengage if the range between theclosest enemy warship is greater than 25,000 yards.

13.10 SCUTTLE (K)

A warship may be scuttled to prevent sinking by enemyforces. Maximum point total for a scuttled warship isreduced by ten percent.

GQS MIDWAY 2 5

13.11 SMOKE

Either side may make smoke during the course ofcombat. Making smoke reduces the effectiveness ofgunnery on both sides (approximately 10 percent forthe ship making smoke and up to approximately 30percent for enemy warships). When a ship makes smoke,its symbol disappears from the tactical sea squareboard. Smoke lasts for one turn.

13.12 TERMINATION

'Tactical ship combat is automatically terminated ifall American or Japanese warships are sunk, or ifeither side withdraws.

2 6 MIDWAY GQS

14-VICTORY C O N D I T I O N S

The winner is determined by a point system based onthe following criteria:

AMERICAN SIDE

o Sinking enemycruisers* 40 points per ship

o Sinking enemybattleships* 80 to 150 points per ship

o Sinking enemycarriers* 75 to 200 points per ship

o Damaging enemywarships 1 point per midship hit

o Sinking troopships 10 points per shipo Air Bombardmentt 1 point per dive bombero Naval Bombardment+ 5 points per warshipo Avoiding Midway capture 100 points.

JAPANESE SIDE

o Sinking enemycruisers* 40 points per ship

o Sinking enemycarriers* 200 points per ship

o Damaging enemywarships 1 point per midship hit

o Air Bombardment+ 1 point per dive bombero Naval Bombardment+ 5 points per warshipo Capturing Midway 400 pointso Capturing Dutch Harbor 400 pointso Capturing Kiska 25 points.

* The maximum point total for a scuttled warship isreduced by 10 percent.

t Maximum of 70 percent of initial defense factor perbase unless captured. Carriers do not perform navalbombardment.

GQS MIDWAY 27

15-GAME STRATEGY

15.1 AMERICAN

The American commander should concentrate his/herforces in an attempt to defeat the main Japanesecarrier battle group. The primary goal of theAmerican commander should be the destruction of theJapanese carrier forces. Care should be exercised inattacking the carrier forces because Japanese carrier

aircraft outrange American aircraft by approximately20 percent. Once the Japanese carrier forces havebeen neutralized, the American commander should seekout and destroy the Japanese troop convoy.

The American commander should use the air powerlocated on Midway in conjunction with the availablecarrier forces in attacking the enemy. Efficient useof medium and heavy bombers can prove effective inreducing the Japanese margin of superiority. Althoughan attack against Pearl Harbor is highly unlikely, theAmerican commander should guard against thispossibility. Each turn, the American commander shouldready a portion of the available fighter aircraft fordefensive operations.

15.2 JAPANESE

The Japanese commander should seek out and destroy theAmerican carrier forces prior to invading Midway. Toaccomplish this mission, the Japanese commander shouldconsider-combining all carriers into a single taskforce. The Japanese commander should attempt tolaunch aerial attacks against enemy carriers whilestill out of range of enemy carrier aircraft. If theAmerican carrier forces cannot be located then theJapanese commander should destroy Midway’s offensivecapabilities through air and surface bombardment.The Japanese troop convoy should be kept out of attackrange until Midway’s offensive capabilities have beendestroyed.

28 MIDWAY GQS

The Japanese commander may wish to generate adiversion by slipping past Midway and launching an airattack against Pearl Harbor. This strategy should bewell planned out because of the potential forsignificant losses. Attempting to capture both KiskaIsland and Dutch Harbor represent another strategicalternative for the Japanese commander. Each turn,the Japanese commander should ready a portion of theavailable fighter aircraft for defensive operations.

16-COMPUTER G R A P H I C S

The simulation does not perform animation. However, anumber of graphic aids are provided to enhance gamerealism. Computer sounds are also enacted duringphases of the simulation.

The strategic action takes place upon a map of the midPacific area which shows the relevant ports andislands. The strategic board also displays the date,time of day, current weather conditions, andinformation (e.g., X,Y location) for the task force(or submarine) currently being commanded. Task forcelocation is depicted by the assigned symbol (e.g., Afor American task force #l). Other symbols representsubmarines and located enemy forces.

Tactical battle screens are used for both sea combatand air strikes. The tactical board for sea combatconsists of the battle area, movement data, targetingdata and wind data. A similar screen is displayed fortactical air strikes.

MIDWAY

A l p h a = FIRST7STANB e t a = MARCH3FILLG a m m a = ROUGH5MEETD e l t a = SIGHT4MASTE p s i l o n = BAKERlLAST

------------------------- Software License ----------------------------

The Midway game simulation and manual are the property of Seneral QuartersSof tware. You have purchased the right to use these materials, and areentitled to make copies of the diskette for your own use only. GeneralQuarters Software reserves all distribution, licensing, and reproductionrights. Use of this product signifies acceptance of the foregoing.

-----------------------------Credits ------------------------------

Software copyrighted by Owen P. Hall, Jr.

Portions of the Apple Version are copyrighted by Microsoft Corporation.

Portions of the IBM version are copyrighted by IBM Corporation.

All product names are trademarks of their aannfacturer.

Cover picture from US Navy archives,

S E C R E T COMMANDS

The IBM versions of GQS naval war games contain secretoptions which are n o t listed on the menu or explainedin the battle manual. These options require the useo f t h e <alt> k e y (used j u s t l i k e <shift> key) i nconjunction with a letter key. An * s i gn i f i e s thatoption is not available in all scenarios.

RECOGNIZED BY STRATEGIC COMMAND LEVEL MENUAND BY TACTICAL COMMAND MENU

<alt> Q quit immediately, do not g o throughconclusion r o u t i n e , ex i t to DOS.

<alt> c change color o f background.. . cyclesthrough 24 colors, some o f which saybe identical on some hardware configurations.

<alt> S toggle sound on/off. Computer beepsimmediately after sound toggled on.

<alt> T * c h a n g e amount of t ime messages stay onthe s c r e e n . time can be from 0 to 9999,

with 0 = minimum delay, 9999 q longest pause.

<alt> P instruct c o m p u t e r t o t a k e over a n d p l a yt h e c u r r e n t s ide . Advisory messages are

displayed i f both sides are simulated.

<alt> x instruct computer to switch sides: playc u r r e n t s ide a n d t u r n opposition over t o

user. Player configuration must b e a solo simulation.

continued o n other s i d e . . .

. . . continued from other side

S stop a simulation... can be pressed anytime during a simulated player’s turn. If

both sides are simulated, there will be a short pauseand the configuration will change to a solo

simulation. If only one side is simulated, thiscommand must be given immediately- after issuing thelast command for the team not being simulated.

RECOGNIZED BY TACTICAL COMMAND MENU

<alt> F displays a firing summary for tacticalcombat . Summary r e p o r t i n c l u d e s - the

number o f hits and misses for both sides and relativeeffectiveness.

<alt> R either r e s t a r t s t a c t i c a l combat o f , i fa strategic game is in progress, returns

to strategic level without completing tactical combat.

RECOGNlZED BY ANTI-AIRCRAFT ATTACK WARNINGMESSAGE (PREPARE TO REPULSE)

<alt> D * d e c r e a s e t h e size o f t h e hi t area ont h e incoming torpedo b o m b e r s .

<alt> I * i n c r e a s e t h e size o f t h e hi t a r e a on

the incoming torpedo bombers.

Scenarios may contain additional secret commands. Forexample: T h e b o o t s c r e e n r e q u e s t s <enter> t o c o n t i n u e .i f <space> i s p r e s s e d i n s t e a d , t h e bosun's whist le(that follows password a c c e p t a n c e , will b e S i l e n c e d .Feel f r e e t o experiment w i t h t h e k e y b o a r d .