ENTERPRISE!
Daniel Broh-Kahn
United States
Phoenix
Maryland
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To celebrate the publication of two of the most expensive games ever published, I wanted to do a Geek List of games with a similar theme to the just-published Leyte Gulf and the upcoming reprint of War in the Pacific. Unfortunately for me, there are already several great lists out there about the best Pacific War Games. So I decided to take an unusual approach. I wanted to look at all those naval games that had a piece for the USS Enterprise, and this list attempts to do that. But I wanted to go a little further. OK, a lot further!
Each item on the list is laid out in the same order. In addition to listing the game, company, and publication information, I show the Enterprise counter from the game, and then I describe the information on the counter from the game shown.
Then, to tie it all together, I decided to add a little bit of history on the Enterprise itself. Feel free to add your thoughts about the game, the counter, or the history of the USS Enterprise. Oh, there are some puzzlers in there too. One counter is from the wrong game, one counter has the wrong values defined, and one counter isn’t even of the Enterprise (but it should be!) Can you true grognards figure out my three intentional mistakes?
My simple rules for this list:
I tried to include games with counters showing only the Enterprise, if possible.
I tried to include as many company’s games as possible, but recognized that I have missed many.
I apologize in advance if your favorite Enterprise counter is missing. I restricted this list to 25 entries myself, but feel free to add more on your own, just follow the rules!!!
Enjoy! And let me know if you like this list… I’d love to see people inspired to do another geeklist (perhaps about a Napoleon or his pals, US Civil War generals (any games with Robert E Lee?) or specific tactical units, like a T-34/M4/Panther, or an ME-109/Spitfire/Mustang)
Daniel
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Paul D.
United States
Stratford
Connecticut
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Sorry! Couldn’t resist. To the future! "The Undiscovered Country," of the Final Frontier. NCC-1701 U.S.S. Enterprise.
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Kevin Ankoviak
United States
Pleasanton
California
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I don't have a scan of the counter...but she was definitely there...
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Kenneth Bailey
United States
Ypsilanti
Michigan
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In 1958, her keel was laid (about the same time the other Enterprise was being scrapped). In 1960, she was launched, being the first nuclear aircraft carrier. In 1962, she participated in the blockade of Cuba during the Missile Crisis. In 1965, she took station off Vietnam, becoming the first nuclear ship to be used in combat. She's also participated in patrols off Libya, Bosnia and was one of the ships in Clinton's Desert Fox against Iraq. She was also one of the first carriers involved in Afghanistan.
Anyways, she has a card in Modern Naval Battles.
http://wentworth-ltd.org/enterprise.jpg
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John Vasilakos
United States
Annandale
Virginia
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Dan
Just saw your list, and I was surprised that you missed this game. Has an excellant scenario with Enterprise and Glasgow vs a squadron of German DD's
Oh did I mention it was HMS Enterprise 
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M Stumptner
Australia
Unspecified
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Covers the carrier battles in the Solomons, the system is a descendant of Victory at Midway.
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Raytown
Missouri
The sad thing is while Enterprise was the only carrier of WW II to survive the war from beginning to end, she was never saved so future generations could enjoy her beauty. She was a ship of great historical importance. Unfortunately she was sent to a scrap yard instead of being saved as a museum for future generations to see and learn from.
Austin
Texas
A Legendary Ship
In the annals of naval history few ship's names carry as much distinction as Enterprise. From a sloop of war of the American Revolution to the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the name Enterprise represents the finest traditions of the Navy's past and present. Yet, of the eight ships to carry the proud name, none can match the storied service of USS Enterprise (CV-6), which was commissioned on 12 May 1938 as the Navy's sixth aircraft carrier.
Though not in port during the fateful morning of 7 December 1941, Enterprise experienced her own tragedy that day when one of her squadrons unwittingly flew into the midst of the Japanese attack, losing nine planes, the majority to friendly fire. Undaunted, the carrier began establishing a combat record that by war's end was the envy of the fleet, her crew earning the Presidential Unit Citation and 20 battle stars.
Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey established his legend while leading the gallant ship in the first carrier strikes of the war, and SBD "Dauntless" dive-bombers launched from her deck on the morning of 4 June 1942 helped turn the tide of Japanese victory at the Battle of Midway. In the bitter campaign for Guadalcanal, she was battered by three bomb hits at the Battle of Eastern Solomons and two at the Battle of Santa Cruz, yet survived to fight another day.
After helping hold the line during the desperate months of 1942, Enterprise joined the great offensive across the Pacific, carrying the war to the enemy from Tarawa to Tokyo. Along the way she changed the face of naval warfare. In November 1943 aircraft from the carrier, led by famous fighter ace Lieutenant Commander Edward H. "Butch" O'Hare, pioneered carrier-based night operations, and three months later an Enterprise torpedo squadron performed the Navy's first night radar bombing attack. Her planes also flew into the gathering darkness on 20 June 1944, during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, participating in the epic mission that culminated in Admiral Marc A. Mitscher illuminating the fleet to guide his aircraft home.
It took the deadly breath of the divine wind to knock Enterprise out of the war. Operating in the embattled waters off Okinawa during April-May 1945, the ship suffered two separate kamikaze hits, the second one destroying her forward aircraft elevator and killing 14 members of her crew. She departed the war zone for the final time on 16 May 1945, sailing eastward across the wide expanse of the Pacific that had been the scene of so many of her great triumphs.
Ypsilanti
Michigan
Anyways, as far as counters go. I think the modern Enterprise is in one of the Fleet games, Modern Naval Battles, and probably Harpoon. I would imagine she's in one of the Vietnam games.
Unspecified
Unspecified
Nice job,
Mark
Pasadena
Maryland