This rule is intended to give Cruisers and Battleships a bit more love and to represent the naval bombardment of airfields and the like that occurred in the Pacific during the war.
Island Bombardment
An island bombardment is a direct attack on a facility on an island (see Islands). During this step, you can bombard enemy air bases and naval bases with your battleships and cruisers. When you damage these facilities, their capabilities are decreased or eliminated, and your enemy must spend IPCs to repair them in order to restore those capabilities. Repairs can be made by the units’ controlling player during his or her Purchase and Repair Units phase (see Phase 1: Purchase and Repair Units).
To conduct an island bombardment, the attacking player moves his or her battleships and/or cruisers to the sea zone on the map containing the target(s). If there is NOT combat in the sea zone in which you are performing the bombardment, you roll a die for each participating battleship and cruiser. Any results higher than the attack value of the unit is ignored. Any other value indicates the amount of damage caused to the facility. In other words, a battleship can do 0-4 points of damage and a cruiser can do 0-3 points of damage.
Cruisers
Cost: 13
Attack: 3
Defense: 3
Move: 2
Unit Characteristics
Offshore Bombardment: Your cruisers (along with your battleships) can conduct offshore bombardment during an amphibious assault (see Step 2. Battleship and Cruiser Bombardment).
Island Bombardment: A cruiser can make a direct attack against an enemy air or naval base on an island in the same sea zone. Such an attack on a facility is an island bombardment (see Island Bombardment).
Battleships
Cost: 20
Attack: 4
Defense: 4
Move: 3
Unit Characteristics
Capital Ship: Battleships require 2 hits to destroy. If an undamaged battleship is hit once, even by a submarine’s Surprise Strike, turn it on its side to mark its damaged status. Don’t remove an attacking battleship from play or move a defending battleship behind the casualty strip unless it takes a second hit. If a battleship survives a combat having taken a hit, it can be repaired by a visit to an operate friendly major naval base.
Offshore Bombardment: Your battleships (along with your cruisers) can conduct offshore bombardment during an amphibious assault (see Step 2. Battleship and Cruiser Bombardment).
Island Bombardment: A battleship can make a direct attack against an enemy air or naval base on an island in the same sea zone. Such an attack on a facility is an island bombardment (see Island Bombardment).
