Pacific Islands Campaign: Iwo Jima is a blend of operational/tactical level combat and maneuver during the retaking of the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese during the Second World War. The game is played in turns, each one divided into phases for amphibious landing, maneuver, and combat. The game system uses many of the seven Battlefield Operating Systems to simulate actual combat and maneuver that both the US and Japanese players must use to fight the battle. The Japanese defenses are sophisticated and well manned with fanatical soldiers willing to die for their emperor. This battle is the most expensive in terms of US casualties for the amount of time spent in combat (32 days) and the area taken (6 square kilometers). Victory in the game is measured against the time and casualties it took the US forces to actually accomplish the same mission. The marines had to take the island as an important stopping point for B29s from Saipan and Tinian. They lost 26,000 of their number in the assault and saved 24,000 airmen from likely deaths by not having the island to land on in emergencies. The game features US Marine Corps, US Navy, and Imperial Japanese forces at the Battalion, Company, and Platoon level.