Officially the longest article I have written, relying on 300+ pages of contemporaneous operational material, including war diaries, action and after-action reports, deck logs, and intelligence summaries, recreates an account of Task Force 50.3's attacks on Rabaul on November 11, 1943. My latest⬇️
The Rise of the Fast Carrier Task Force: Rabaul
Part I: The "Second Team" Goes to War
secretaryrofdefenserock.substack.com
June 3, 2026 at 9:05 PM
Officially the longest article I have written, relying on 300+ pages of contemporaneous operational material, including war diaries, action and after-action reports, deck logs, and intelligence summaries, recreates an account of Task Force 50.3's attacks on Rabaul on November 11, 1943. My latest⬇️
Planes of Carrier Division 3 being sent to Rabaul in April 1943
September 28, 2026 at 6:37 PM
Planes of Carrier Division 3 being sent to Rabaul in April 1943
1943: Race to Rabaul - from art underway by Donal Hegarty, sample Allied and Japanese Operations cards
December 13, 2025 at 4:56 PM
1943: Race to Rabaul - from art underway by Donal Hegarty, sample Allied and Japanese Operations cards
Beautiful Tabletop Simulator module by the redoubtable Pete Wagner for ongoing Race to Rabaul playtesting
May 1, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Beautiful Tabletop Simulator module by the redoubtable Pete Wagner for ongoing Race to Rabaul playtesting
"1943: Race to Rabaul" for Phalanx - early development cooking right along.
April 17, 2025 at 3:51 PM
"1943: Race to Rabaul" for Phalanx - early development cooking right along.
1943 Race to Rabaul: artist @domhnallh.bsky.social working out Convoy cargo loading --
April 17, 2026 at 11:58 AM
1943 Race to Rabaul: artist @domhnallh.bsky.social working out Convoy cargo loading --
homeskillet wanted to directly assault Rabaul with 2 divisions and 3 carriers in the summer/fall of '42
July 13, 2025 at 7:50 PM
homeskillet wanted to directly assault Rabaul with 2 divisions and 3 carriers in the summer/fall of '42
Looks like @phalanxgames.bsky.social folk have a production set of 1943: Race to Rabaul in action!
August 31, 2026 at 12:27 AM
Looks like @phalanxgames.bsky.social folk have a production set of 1943: Race to Rabaul in action!
Sir George Telek from Baron village, Raluana, Rabaul ENBP, PNG
September 25, 2025 at 5:36 AM
Sir George Telek from Baron village, Raluana, Rabaul ENBP, PNG
1943: Race to Rabaul from @phalanxgames.bsky.social -
box back
box back
May 15, 2026 at 2:34 PM
1943: Race to Rabaul from @phalanxgames.bsky.social -
box back
box back
Horace Bristol. Pby Blister Gunner, Rescue at Rabaul.
July 18, 2026 at 12:30 AM
Horace Bristol. Pby Blister Gunner, Rescue at Rabaul.
Race to Rabaul preorder from @phalanxgames.bsky.social announced! gamefound.com/en/projects/...
Pacific War Games by PHALANX - Gamefound
This is the pre-order page for Tora Tora Tora! and 1943 Race to Rabaul, two games that explore the Pacific War from very different angles. One delivers a fast, brutal duel of attrition, the other a de...
gamefound.com
February 24, 2026 at 11:56 PM
Race to Rabaul preorder from @phalanxgames.bsky.social announced! gamefound.com/en/projects/...
Card art comparison from two current designs:
Coast Watchers (Wouter Schoutteten) &
1943 Race to Rabaul (Donal Hegarty)
Coast Watchers (Wouter Schoutteten) &
1943 Race to Rabaul (Donal Hegarty)
April 20, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Card art comparison from two current designs:
Coast Watchers (Wouter Schoutteten) &
1943 Race to Rabaul (Donal Hegarty)
Coast Watchers (Wouter Schoutteten) &
1943 Race to Rabaul (Donal Hegarty)
Lest We Forget - my Father Ken Ball 29th/46th Australian Infantry Battalion seen here at Rabaul 1945
April 25, 2025 at 2:40 AM
Lest We Forget - my Father Ken Ball 29th/46th Australian Infantry Battalion seen here at Rabaul 1945
Demo of 1943: Race to Rabaul on pre-production set at SDHistCon North in St. Paul on Saturday
July 13, 2026 at 10:20 AM
Demo of 1943: Race to Rabaul on pre-production set at SDHistCon North in St. Paul on Saturday
Description of 1943: Race to Rabaul that Phalanx posted the other day - phalanx.co.uk/1943-race-to...
1943: RACE TO RABAUL - A new game by Volko Ruhnke
The Pacific is vast.Your options are not. In Race to Rabaul, every step forward stretches something thin, supply lines, patience, time. The Allies are pushing across islands and jungle. Japan is pulli...
phalanx.co.uk
February 16, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Description of 1943: Race to Rabaul that Phalanx posted the other day - phalanx.co.uk/1943-race-to...
Listening to designer Volko Ruhnke and Andrew Bucholtz discuss the upcoming 1942: Race to Rabaul at SDHistCon Winter Quarters. Check that map!
#boardwargames #boardgames
@sdhistcon.bsky.social @volko.bsky.social @andrewbucholtz.bsky.social
#boardwargames #boardgames
@sdhistcon.bsky.social @volko.bsky.social @andrewbucholtz.bsky.social
January 31, 2026 at 2:09 PM
Listening to designer Volko Ruhnke and Andrew Bucholtz discuss the upcoming 1942: Race to Rabaul at SDHistCon Winter Quarters. Check that map!
#boardwargames #boardgames
@sdhistcon.bsky.social @volko.bsky.social @andrewbucholtz.bsky.social
#boardwargames #boardgames
@sdhistcon.bsky.social @volko.bsky.social @andrewbucholtz.bsky.social
For anyone attending CircleDC, Saturday I will have a new design along to demo.
March 23, 2025 at 3:32 PM
For anyone attending CircleDC, Saturday I will have a new design along to demo.
Just got the art rulebook for 1943 Race to Rabaul - first-rate work from layout artist Katarzyna Jasińska - big advance toward getting the game print-ready.
Below, demo this past weekend at Montreal Stack game con.
Below, demo this past weekend at Montreal Stack game con.
May 8, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Just got the art rulebook for 1943 Race to Rabaul - first-rate work from layout artist Katarzyna Jasińska - big advance toward getting the game print-ready.
Below, demo this past weekend at Montreal Stack game con.
Below, demo this past weekend at Montreal Stack game con.
Sarah Johnston Chinnery - Lightning in clouds, the aftermath of a volcanic eruption, Rabaul, New Guinea, 1937
September 17, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Sarah Johnston Chinnery - Lightning in clouds, the aftermath of a volcanic eruption, Rabaul, New Guinea, 1937
"1943 Race to Rabaul" playtest Tabletop Simulator from Pete Wagner getting very fancy with its bits!
May 17, 2025 at 11:53 AM
"1943 Race to Rabaul" playtest Tabletop Simulator from Pete Wagner getting very fancy with its bits!
Soon I’ll be picking up where Fortress Rabaul leaves off with ‘Target: Rabaul - The Allied Siege of Japan’s Most Infamous Stronghold, March 1943-August 1945’ by Bruce Gamble. It is also my humble #photofriday #histbookchat offering this week.
October 24, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Soon I’ll be picking up where Fortress Rabaul leaves off with ‘Target: Rabaul - The Allied Siege of Japan’s Most Infamous Stronghold, March 1943-August 1945’ by Bruce Gamble. It is also my humble #photofriday #histbookchat offering this week.
"1943: Race to Rabaul" art integration testing, TTS first. Game art by @domhnallh.bsky.social in TTS module by Pete Wagner.
January 11, 2026 at 1:53 PM
"1943: Race to Rabaul" art integration testing, TTS first. Game art by @domhnallh.bsky.social in TTS module by Pete Wagner.
I'll post an introduction to the design on the game's @boardgamegeek.com page soon.
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/45...
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/45...
1943: Race to Rabaul
Players face off in a tense push toward Rabaul, fighting each other as much as time.
boardgamegeek.com
December 14, 2025 at 12:07 PM
I'll post an introduction to the design on the game's @boardgamegeek.com page soon.
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/45...
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/45...