1979 · The Avalon Hill Game Co
Pacific Theatre Via Midway is a variant/expansion to the Midway wargame (1975 Avalon Hill) that appeared in The GENERAL Vol.15,No.5, Jan-Feb 1979.
The basic idea is each player has his or her own map of the area (in this case the South Pacific) behind a screen. Each player "searches" for the enemy fleet by flying search planes to the hex and calling the hex number. Once found, bombers can be sent in to sink the enemy fleet. The actual attack is fought on a separate battle board where the ships are first placed on hexes and the attacking planes are placed in hexes to indicate which ship it is attacking.
The basic game is very simple. But there are many additional rules, which add realism (and complexity): CAP fighters, surface actions, bases, inaccurate search reports, etc.
The game is superior with a neutral referee for true double blind play.
Note: the rules and maps for the Coral Sea Variant were published in General Magazine Vol. 15, #5, counters were available separately via ordering through Avalon Hill.
