Pilots
This option reflects the growing inexperience of Japanese pilots.
Japan had expected a short conflict with Occidental powers. It had skillfull elite pilots but very few training programs.
As the war protracted, the overall pilot quality quickly started to worsen, especially after the attritional battles of Midway and Guadalcanal.
Scenario.: Philippine Sea Summer-1944
This scenario covers 3 major US operations of Summer 44: Securing Saipan, Guam, and Palau islands.
June 44, with both major naval bases neutralized, Rabaul and Truk, the road to the Mariana islands is now wide open. Capturing them would allow B-29 strategic bombers to reach Japan.
The Japanese were aware of the threat and strove to send more land forces to the Mariana islands. However most of reinforcement were intercepted and sunk by US submarines.
The Philippine Sea would be the largest and last carrier battle of World War II. The Imperial Japanese Navy lost a great part of its air asset and could not oppose any credible resistance to further US foray into the Japanese defense perimeter. The invasion of Palau was of a doubtful interest and prove to be a bloodbath.
