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The subject of this article appeared in Call of Duty: World at War.
For the challenge, see Hard Landing (Challenge).

"Neutralise the Japanese defenses at the Peleliu airfield."
— Level description
"We're all numbed by Sullivan's death. We just never saw it coming. I still can't believe it. The most solid, dependable, and courageous Marine we've ever known... blink of an eye... gone. Now it's down to me. And me alone. To lead these men, my brothers... safely through this campaign. AA Fire from Peleliu Island is knocking our planes right out of the sky. Taking this airfield is our only priority... whatever the cost."
— Roebuck, in the opening

Hard Landing is the third campaign mission in the American campaign of Call of Duty: World at War.

Characters[]

Plot[]

At the start of the mission, Miller is treading through a swamp, in order to out-flank most of the Japanese defense. They come across a downed F4U Corsair, which a group of Marines are examining and trying to remove the dead pilot from the plane. However, the pilot is wired with a booby trap and explodes, signaling a Japanese ambush consisting of well camouflaged banzai chargers. After dispersing yet more enemies, Miller and the squad is out of the swamp and is faced with trenches and bunkers. After clearing these out, there is yet another machine gun nest.

A Marine with a M2 Flamethrower runs up and goes prone behind an earth mound, when he gets up, he is shot and Miller is told to retrieve the flamethrower. He then proceeds to burn the pillbox and the group of Marines then moves down a road, and is faced with a large Japanese stronghold. Miller is then told to pick up an M1 Garand attached with a rifle grenade. After clearing out the building, Miller and the Marines proceeds to help out some tanks that are trying to enter an enemy airfield.

After covering the tanks, he must clear out the main building and nearby trenches. Once he kills the soldiers manning anti-aircraft guns, a whole load of enemy reinforcements arrive. As soon as a tank threatens them, Miller is told to man an AA gun and destroy it. When it is destroyed, the mission ends.

Death Card[]

The death card is located in the Japanese stronghold. It is in the room that contains the stairs to the first floor, it is next to a dead soldier and support pillar.

Weapon Loadout[]

Starting Loadout
Found in level

Achievements/Trophies[]

  • No Safe Place (15 Gamerscore/ Bronze Trophy Bronze Trophy PS3 icon) - Burn a Japanese sniper out of a tree with the Flamethrower in Hard Landing. (Solo or co-op)
  • The Sword Is Broken (30 Gamerscore/ Bronze Trophy Bronze Trophy PS3 icon) - Complete Hard Landing on Veteran.

Transcript[]

Main article: Hard Landing (Campaign)/Transcript

Gallery[]

Video Walkthrough[]

Trivia[]

  • This mission was originally going to take place at night, as shown by the scene in the official launch trailer.
  • When noclipping above the building right before the Airfield and firing the flamer one can see a large wall of text that says "Caulk Shadow". A Caulk Shadow in the IW engine is a brush that prevents light from passing through an object/area.
  • It is possible to cause the bunker to blow up without actually using the flamethrower. If the player sneaks around and begins to shoot the machine gunners and the replacements, Roebuck will eventually say his line, and the bunker will explode for no apparent reason. Also, the explosion does no damage whatsoever to the player.
  • After leaving the bunker where the player uses the flamethrower, it is possible to see the Banzai chargers hiding in the grass from the exit of the bunker. The player can shoot them. However, killing the chargers in the front row will trigger the charge while killing the ones in the back will not.
  • This is the level available on the demo on the Xbox 360 and the PS3.
  • In the Wii version, there is a loading point between the first bunker that the player incinerates with the flamethrower and the outdoors area when seeing another bomber get shot down. This is probably due to space limitations.
  • Sometimes there is a soldier called Sergeant Pepper. It is a reference to the Beatles album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".
  • At the beginning of the mission, if the player runs too far ahead, the Banzai attackers will come out of the grass anyway, even though the rigged plane hasn't exploded.
  • By the time the player reaches the crash site, American weapons will already be laid out even before any Marines arrive.
  • During the tank battle, which occurs on the airfield. After the player pushes forward with the friendly M4 Sherman tanks, Roebuck tells Miller to use M9A1 Bazooka to destroy the Japanese tanks. If the player destroys the Japanese tanks fast enough (Before the Japanese tanks firing at Shermans, and annihilating them all), there is odds that few or all M4 Sherman tanks would not be destroyed and keep firing at the edge of the airfield, eventually killing some of the enemies.
  • There is a glitch when the American radio operator disappears for unknown reasons at the last stage of the mission.
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