Last Battle: Ie Shima, 1945

About this board game

Last Battle: Ie Shima, 1945 is a board game for 1–2 players with an approximately 120-minute playing time, simulating Operation Indispensable, the American invasion of Ie Shima from April 16 to 21, 1945.

The American player commands plentiful, well-trained infantry but faces a strict timetable. The island and its vital airfields must be taken quickly so the 77th Infantry Division can move to Okinawa, while casualties must remain modest enough for the division to relieve the 96th Infantry Division.

Success requires an economy of force approach. Air power, armor, artillery, and the American Navy must be used efficiently as the invasion pushes across the island. The Japanese player instead seeks to impose the highest possible cost, focusing resistance around the best terrain, especially Mount Gusuku and the urban areas nearby.

Japanese defenses combine regular army units, airfield construction personnel, and island civilians. Machine gun nests and civilian resistance can disrupt American positions behind the front, while artillery creates attritional pressure and a possible kamikaze attack on the 5th Fleet remains an important threat.

Night brings opportunities for small Japanese assaults and satchel charges, potentially producing local victories or forcing the American player to surrender control of the advantage marker to demand a reroll. Random weather changes can alter the battle, with rain benefiting Japan and rubble making urban areas more difficult.

• Optional rules bring Ernie Pyle near the front and allow Major Igawa to join combat.
• The historical figures may also be killed in action.
• Components include a 22″×17″ unmounted map, a ½” countersheet, a rulebook, and a cover sheet, all in a bag.

With its opposing objectives, limited time, terrain-focused defense, and dangerous attrition, Last Battle: Ie Shima, 1945 presents a compact simulation of a demanding Pacific island operation.