Ambon: Burning Sun & Little Seagulls

“After Rabaul, Kendari and Balikpapan, the next important enemy objective on the eastern flank was Ambon. Initially the Japanese had planned to take it by 6th February, but they had now advanced its place on the time-table.”

Australia in the War of 1939–1945, Volume IV — The Japanese Thrust by Lionel Wigmore.

Ambon: Burning Sun & Little Seagulls is a two player wargame simulating the battle that took place between 30 January and 3 February 1942 on the key island of Ambon, in the Moluccas. A Japanese force composed by the 228th Regiment, 38th Division of the IJA and the IJN’s 1st Kure Special Naval Landing Force assaulted the island defended by the Dutch Molukken Brigade and the Australian “Gull Force”.

The game is the first in a series of games called SNAFU Small Battles that intend to publish small wargames on rare topics, with special emphasis on playtest and rules clarity.

The playing pieces represent the various units, at company level of the forces present in the battle. 

Regimental Headquarters, infantry companies, artillery batteries, heavy weapons... a reinforced regiment attacking, a reinforced brigade defending, and a rigid timetable...

The map, wonderfully designed by Nils Johansson, depicts the Island of Ambon, in the Moluques. Roughly 1 km per hex, the Japanese has to decide where to disembark... the game starts the moment you start planning your landings...

A game by Marc Figueras and the SNAFU Design Team.

Resistance is futile but time is pressing.