Introduction

Operation Olympic is a hypothetical simulation at a regimental/brigade level of the planned invasion of Japan in November 1945. The Olympic invasion of Kyushu, the southernmost of the Japanese Home Islands, was planned to secure a base for Operation Coronet, a follow-up invasion which was scheduled to be launched against the principal Home Island, Honshu, in March 1946.

Credits
Publisher: SPI, in S&T 45 (July/August 1974)
Designer: James F. Dunnigan
Developer: Frank Davis
Graphics: Redmond A. Simonsen

Game Scale

Each turn is one week, and each hex is 6.5 kilometers across.

Components

1 Standard map
1 Counter sheet of 200 die-cut counters
1 Large sheet of rules, folded in eight parts

Counter Manifest

US
3 4 4-12 Infantry Regts (1, 11, 25, 33, 40, 41, 43, 77, 81, 98, Americal)
9 5-12 Marine Infantry Regts (2, 3, 5)
1 2 Aircraft markers
1 2 Fortified Beachhead markers
1 2 Beachhead markers
2 8 Control markers
3 Casualty markers
1 Game Turn marker

Japanese 7 2-4 Infantry Regt (Coastal)
1 1 3-4 Infantry Regt (Coastal)
5 4-4 Infantry Regt (Coastal)
2 3-4 Infantry Bde (Coastal)
3 4-4 Infantry Bde (Coastal)
8 1-8 Infantry Regt (Line)
1 4 2-8 Infantry Regt (Line)
5 2-10 Infantry Bde (Line)
8 3-10 Infantry Regt (Line)
6 1-8 Infantry Regt (Reinforcement)
6 2-8 Infantry Regt (Reinforcement)
1 2-10 Infantry Bde (Reinforcement)
2 2-10 Armor Regt (Reinforcement)
1 3-10 Armor Regt (Reinforcement)

Player’s Value

Operation Olympic was designed as a solitaire game: the player fights for the Americans and the Japanese troops respond by means of the system. As an optional rule, a second player can play the Japanese.

The American player must choose some beaches to invade, and try to capture the southern half of Kyushu island and as many cities as possible, before the end of the 10 turns of the game, without taking too many casualties.

The game system is very classical with movement and combat for the American and the Japanese. The terrain does not make movement easy, the rules for supply restrain large moves across the island, and ZOCs block movement. The game calls for a front line around each beach head, big attacks to create holes, and attempts to surround the remaining enemy forces and destroy them, before the rush for the objectives. Of course the Americans are not restricted in their actions, and the player can do what he wants, provided he is careful with casualties, as they can accumulate very quickly. The Japanese units are moved by the player but with strict rules called the Doctrine. The Doctrine specifies which, and how, troops move and fight.

In summary, Japanese troops are divided into coastal and line troops frozen in fixed positions, waiting for the big invasion. They react in three ways, as per the tables and dice. The first reaction triggered by the initial assault is the tokko, a large kamikaze attempt to stop the ships and kill a lot of soldiers; the second reaction is the release of coastal and line troops by areas or sections; and the third reaction is the introduction of reinforcements from Honshu.

When the Japanese troops are released, they move as far as possible towards the closest American units, form a front line, then try to fight as hard as possible to inflict casualties. Per the CRT, it is very rare that American counters will need to be removed, but each time casualty points are inflicted, they are recorded on a track. Some Japanese attacks are very stupid, but can make sense if a six is rolled, becoming banzai attacks and inflicting large casualties. Japanese militia garrison all the towns and cities around the map with variable strength, so the American player will have to dig them out before occupying the buildings. All in all, the game is very tough for the Americans, and the player will lose a few games before understanding the right strategies.

The choice of beaches to invade on the first and second turns, and the placement of the marines or the US Army, are the initial decisions that can make or break the game. Then, during each turn, the choices of the Japanese to destroy (at +10 it works every time), the number of units to surround, and the strength of forces to commit, are hard to balance to minimize losses. It is possible to land south in numbers, to regroup quickly at the beachheads, or to land north sparsely to cut the reinforcements and attract all the Japanese troops. Both cases can work but again the casualties will decide the game.

Collector’s Value

Operation Olympic is typical of the S&T magazine games of the period: the graphic standards are not those of today, yet are functional, and the game is very playable. The play of the Japanese counters is, of course, the worst part of the game and should be done as honestly as possible, and this game cries out for a computer version. There have been two version of the game, one with the magazine and another sold in a flat tray box.

Boone quotes low, high and average prices of 7/36/15.77 at auction and 5/60/ 17.84 for sale.

Support Material

Three issues of Moves talk about Operation Olympic:

Moves 20 presents a more historical order of battle for the Japanese troops, and some changes to the map to improve the real geography of the island.

Moves 21 offers two views of the American initial strategy with a more careful allocation of forces and the final plan to win.

Moves 61 gives a quick overview of the game as part of a survey of alternative history games.

Other games of this type

S&T has published three other solitaires games about amphibious landings by Americans during the Pacific War:

Iwo Jima (S&T 92); Tarawa (S&T 142); and, Saipan (S&T 162).

Samurai Sunset (Command 3) is the only other game about a hypothetical invasion of Japan. It simulates both Olympic and Coronet, with a lot of chrome.

Other games by this designer

A lot...