Wake Island (Battlefield 1943)

"The coral atoll of Wake Island was conquered by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1941, and remained in Japanese control until the end of the war in 1945."

- Loading Screen Tip

In Battlefield 1943, Wake Island is one of the three original maps, being available as soon as players purchased it. It was a highly modified version of the Battlefield 1942 map, being relatively smaller and differently set out. It is also the first time the map was built with the Frostbite Engine.

Overview
Like all maps in Battlefield 1943, it is contested by the Imperial Japanese Navy and the United States Marine Corps. There are five flags, all initially neutral. Players of both sides spawn on aircraft carriers and must deploy to the island and capture flags. As long as a team controls at least one flag, the opposing team will be at a constant ticket bleed, made faster depending on how many flags are under their control.

Wake Island is a very versatile map. Like Iwo Jima, players have fighters, boats, tanks and jeeps at their disposal. The map retains its iconic horseshoe-shape, though doesn't quite have the same sense as of the frontline as in Battlefield 1942, and it can be relatively easy for players to navigate around the map, and maneuver around enemy lines. Long-range to close-range combat is present.

Carriers
The Carriers are the starting points for both factions, with the Japanese carrier near the southern limb of the island, and the American carrier near the norther one. Two fighters and four LCVPs spawn on them.

Signal Station
Located past the bridge connecting the southern limb of the island, the Signal Station is the closest flag to the American carrier. Comprising of a few houses, a trench decorated with sandbags and barbed wire facing the lagoon, fuel tanks surrounded by sheet metal, the signal station spawns a 40mm Bofors, an M1919 Browning mounted in a watchtower and an LCVP docked in the water. A tank and a jeep also spawn. To the West of the flag, past the bridge on the southern leg, a neutral Willys MB spawns.

Beach
The Beach is a relatively minor flag situated on the south side of the map. It comprises descending paths to a small bunker and sandbag formation. Inside the bunker spawns an M1919 Browning. It spawns a single jeep located up the path leading West. It is secluded and does not provide much vehicle support, and as such rarely sees a large amount of combat. It is notably unsuitable to vehicular combat, since the paths are difficult for a tank or jeep to enter, and as such is generally prone to close-quarters infantry combat.

Airfield
The Airfield, located to far south-east of the map, is arguably the most important flag of the map. It provides one tank, two jeeps and an extra fighter plane, and most importantly activates the map's Air Raid Bunker. It is a large area, comprising of many small and large buildings, including a repair station and an airstrip (with two hangars). The flag itself is placed near an L-shaped house by the airstrip, and can be captured within the house or outside it. It is important to note that even if a player's faction does not control the Airfield, they can still use the Air Raid Bunker.

AA Village
The AA Village is located to the North-West of the island's northern leg. It comprises several houses, similar to the Village and the Signal Station. As its name states, it spawns several 40mm Bofors anti-air guns, situated in or on the outskirts along the paths leading to the village. It also spawns a jeep.

Village
Symmetrical to the Signal Station, the Village is located near the end of the island's northern limb, and is the closest flag to the Japanese carrier. It is past the bridge, and as such can be difficult to access by ground vehicles if the bridge is destroyed. Comprised of a few houses and sandbag formations, it spawns 40mm Bofors, an M1919 Browning mounted in a watchtower, an LCVP docked in the water, a tank and a jeep.