Description[]
Operation Watchtower is the second scenario of the Pacific Campaign in Empire Earth: The Art of Conquest. It serves as a reenactment of the landing on Guadalcanal.
Briefing[]
From: Commander-in-Chief, United States Pacific Fleet.
To: Commander, 1st Marine Division
1 AUGUST 1942
We've had to step up our plans to recapture Guadalcanal. There are reports that the Japanese are building an airfield on the island.
It is crucial to take Guadalcanal before the base can be completed, otherwise we'll be facing an enemy with the advantage of significant air support. Just to the north lies Florida Island, which has an ideal protected harbor. We will need to secure this as well. With these two strategic locations in our hands, we'll have a strong foothold in the Solomons from which we can launch further operations.
I know you need more time to prepare and equip your men. I've heard some of the grunts have even nick-named it 'Operation Shoestring.' But time and materials are luxuries we don't have. We have to press on.
With our victory at Midway, the momentum of the war is starting to shift away from the Japanese. It is essential that our forces take advantage of the situation before that momentum swings back in favor of the enemy.
Objectives[]
° Capture Florida Island and Guadalcanal.
° Land the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal.
° Move the Marines inland to establish a forward position.
° Capture the main enemy base. A is captured once all enemy units within it have been eliminated. Look for weakness or breaches in the enemy defenses. Try to keep buildings and fortifications intact.
° Engineers can dismantle defenses. They must be next to the defenses to dismantle them.
° Find a safe area to moor the transports so they don't get caught by the Japanese naval patrol. If all the transports are destroyed, the mission will fail.
° Stop all fleeing patrols from warning the main Japanese force.
° Rebuild / repair base defenses in case of counter-attacks.
° Florida Island lies to the North across the strait. Use air strikes to soften it's mobile defenses, then capture the naval base by landing troops there.
History[]
After suffering significant losses in the early months of World War II, the United States dealt a strong blow to Japanese forces by sinking four of their heavy carriers at the Battle of Midway. This created a period of relative equality in the Pacific Theater, where neither the Japanese nor the United States had an overwhelming military advantage.
The US Army was currently committed to a "Europe First" strategy that focused on defeating Nazi Germany, while simply holding their ground in the Pacific until Europe was liberated. But simply using forces defensively wasn't enough in the American public eye. Still angered over Pearl Harbor and the demoralizing defeats suffered over the past year, the public demanded to hear news of progress in the Pacific. Ironically, Winston Churchill - leader of the last free country in Europe - was also pushing for more aggressive initiative in the Pacific.
The United States learned that the Japanese had begun building an airstrip on Guadalcanal in June of 1942. At this time the Japanese also occupied Florida Island to the north, which had a protected harbor ideal as a base for conducting naval operations.
From this area the Japanese would be able to stage air and sea attacks on allied bases in the area and interfere with crucial supply lines to Australia and New Zealand.
But even before word had been received about the airfield under construction, plans had been initiated to take Florida Island and Guadalcanal - capturing these islands would provide enormous tactical advantage to the United States in reclaiming the Solomons. The mission was called Operation Watchtower. On August 7th 1942, the 1st Marine Division landed on Guadalcanal in what was to be the Marine's first amphibious assault since the Spanish - America War.
The following combat scenario is a fictionalized re-telling of the landing on Guadalcanal. Some of the details of the events - as well as the order of those events - been altered to preserve gameplay. This should not be taken as a trivialization of the magnitude of this conflict. Rather, this scenario is based on and inspired by the heroics and the sacrifices of the men who fought in that epic battle.
Hints[]
Avoid landing troops on points west. Intelligence indicates that they are heavily fortified.
A direct frontal assault on the airfield could prove disastrous. Stealth and exploring the terrain will be to your advantage. Remember, every man counts. If your losses exceed 75%, Operation Watchtower will fail.
Capture bases by eliminating the enemy military units within it. Try to keep the buildings and fortifications intact. Capturing secondary bases is not required, but capturing them reduces the enemy's ability to counter-attack.
The terrain on Guadalcanal is rough, and it's easy for men to get separated. Try to keep your forces consolidated in one strong group for maximum effectiveness.
Walkthrough[]
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