Bougainville Gambit

Bougainville Gambit 1943 is a strategy boardgame set on the WWII Pacific campaign, modelling this historical joint American-Australian operation at battalion level. From Joni Nuutinen: By a wargamer for the wargamers since 2011. Last update October 2025

Uniquely, you have to manage the hand-over the military operations from US troops to Australians, as the Americans are redeployed elsewhere, which can make a mess of the entire front line if you're not carefully planning ahead.

You are in command of American/Australian forces in WWII, tasked with leading an amphibious assault on Bougainville. Your first objective is to secure the three airfields marked on the map, using American troops. These airfields are critical to gain air strike capabilities. Once secured, fresh Australian troops will relieve the US forces and take on the task of capturing the rest of the island.

Beware: a massive Japanese naval base nearby may launch a counter-landing.

Additionally, you will be facing the elite and battle-hardened Japanese 6th Division, which has seen combat since 1937. Air strikes will only be available after the three designated airfields are under your control. On the positive side, the western coast, though swampy, should initially have a lighter Japanese presence, unlike the heavily fortified north, east, and south sectors.
Good luck with the campaign!

Unique Challenges of the Bougainville Campaign: Bougainville presents a number of obstacles rarely seen in other campaigns. Notably, you may face a rapid Japanese counter-landing almost on top of your own ongoing landing. The Japanese will repeatedly attempt to reinforce their troops, though many of these efforts will fail. This campaign also marks the first combat action of African American infantry units, with elements of the 93rd Division seeing action in the Pacific Theater. Additionally, partway through the campaign, US forces will be replaced by Australian units who will need to secure the rest of the island.

This campaign is often overlooked due to its role in the wider passive encirclement of Rabaul, one of Japan's most fortified positions in the South Pacific. Bougainville’s active periods of combat were interspersed with long stretches of inactivity, contributing to its lower profile in WWII histories.

Historical Background: After assessing the heavily fortified Japanese base at Rabaul, Allied commanders decided to encircle and cut it of supplies rather than launch a direct, costly assault. A key step in this strategy was seizing Bougainville, where the Allies planned to build several airfields. With the Japanese already having constructed fortifications and airfields on the northern and southern ends of the island, the Americans boldly chose the swampy central region for their own airfields, catching Japanese strategic planners by surprise.