by Gregg Adams.
Softcover (7.25×9.75 inches). 80 pages. 2026.
Subtitle: Philippines 1944-45
By this time in the war, the US material advantage was so overwhelming, the Japanese had little hope for even a negotiated settlement. Still, on a small-unit tactical scale, Japanese adapted and used their experience in defensive operations to slow down the US troops as much as possible. This overview describes US and Japanese troop weapons, equipment, training, and tactics.
One aspect of interest for tabletop scenarios: a Japanese Type A regiment (5,687 men in three battalions) held two-three miles of frontage while two US battalions (871 soldiers each) would attack across a 900-yard (half-mile)*. I put an asterisk by these statements because paper strength, field reorganizations, and different Japanese types of divisions would alter those troop and frontage numbers.
Per usual, three battles are highlighted: Breakneck Ridge (Nov 5-15, 1944), Zig-Zag Pass (Feb 1-15, 1945), and IPO Dam (May 6-21, 1945). Each contains a Background, Timeline, Map (thankfully a 2D map with scale and contours), and battle description. Zig-Zag includes short bios of commanders.
The booklet contains 49 black and white illustrations, one color photo, four color uniform illustrations (two of US soldier and two of Japanese soldier), four color maps, and three color two-page action illustrations.
Enjoyed it.
— Reviewed by Russ Lockwood
