Long Campaign - Japanese

[PatG]

Game 1
1931 China Hills
Meeting Engagement
scattered VH's

Japan vs AI Chinese Nationalists

Japanese Forces:
Infantry Coy

Tank platoon

All mule-born:
Weapons Platoon - I am enamoured of those little French 37mm trench guns
70mm mortar platoon - 2 tubes
70mm inf gun platoon - 2 guns
HMG section - 2 guns
AOP on horseback

Support: Motorcyclists and trucks for the squaddies.

Terrain:
Fairly open hills with n/s ridge about map centre
2 East-west roads each with a few huts about map centre

I looked at the map and found a large clearing just behind the central ridge and south of the centre line. I decided to push two platoons of infantry and armour up to the clearing to await the oncoming Chinese - thus the trucks.

Right - so the starters gun goes off and my gunjin are away. The motorcyclists tear off in a cloud of dust hell bent on glory like their bosozuko descendants. One and two platoons mount up and head down the south road heading for the clearing followed by the tanks. Three platoon's Isuzus charge up the north road to establish a blocking postion just north of the central clearing. Francis-san and the rest of the mule-borne support platoon plod up the southern road, my precious Model 11 37mms firmly strapped to their backs. The company commander and batallion commander sit down for a quiet game of shogi.

The passage of a few turns sees one and two platoons set up at the clearing edge well supported by tanks, HMGs and my AOP. Three platoon has gone to ground as flank security. Their trucks have all retired smartly to concealed lagers, their drivers looking forward to an extended tea break. In the south, the two wheeled speed demons have avoided any opposition and are fast approaching a VH deep in the enemy rear. In the north, their brothers have tagged a couple of VHs forward of three platoon and run smack into a platoon of angry natives - naught remains but smoke and the echo of their motors. Seeing the smoke up north, one and two platoons are chafing at the bit. The scout sections tread with some trepidation into the clearing for a peek about - nothing happens.

Meanwhile, back with the mules ... ah the mules I have no luck with these four legged warriors ... Chinese mortar fire has caught the support platoon moving at speed up an open road - a classic interdiction strike. However - it appears that hanging a 37mm bore shiny infantry gun and the associated crew off one of these poor creatures turns them into medeival destriers - all but one of the mules survived - not so the IGs....

Next turn, the VHs tagged by the late motorcycles in the north are reclaimed - three platoon braces for impact. In the centre, one and two platoons wait impatiently - again they push forward. One particularily naive gunjin stands up and yells "Hey look - there they are!" Three Chinese sections open up in response - the one remaining squad member decides to have a nice quiet sit-down. The other recce section decides that now would be a good time to make a verbal report to the platoon commander in the rear - and also opts for quiet moment as it too is reduce to but a single member. One and two platoons, unimpressed with the fireworks show get down to the business of making sausage. The AOP pulls out his plotting table and prepares to unleash a divine wind.

Deep in the enemy end zone the remaining two motorcycles spot some suspicious looking smoke. Zipping in to investigate, they over-run a mortar position putting it out of action. Looking around they see another suspicious cloud a bit to the north.

Over the next few turns. The Chinese advance into the clearing. Japanese rifle, MG and tank fire take care of the troops in the open while mortar and howitzers beat the treeline behind. Routers stream back up the southern road. To the north, three platoon bloodies the noses of the first few troops coming up the road but soon find themselves under increasing pressure but holding firm. The motorcyclists take out another mortar pit and spot the prize of prizes - the Chinese HQ - they decide a stationary attack might be wise and open up on the command group. It would appear that this particular Warlord is an experienced big game hunter - the motorcycles are destroyed without inflicting lasting damage. The Warlord generously credits the two AAMGs positioned near him with an assist.

Another few turns pass to find three platoon's flank security position in serious trouble. It is facing about three companies of determined Chinese infantry and some desultory mortar fire. Three platoon is forced to fall back as the Chinese bunch up in front. One and two platoons crush the centre attack and advance across the clearing and into the woods. The plan is to flank the infantry threatening three platoon. The COs finish their game and head off up the north road to lend some samurai steel to three platoons holding action. The AOP, accompanied by the HMG groups moves into the north end of the clearing to get a better sight picture on the enemy. The tanks charge north and engage the enemy, careful to stay just out of assault reach.

One and two platoons set up along the north road taking care of a number of routers in the process. The AOP starts dropping mortar and shell fire into the bunched up Chinese while the tanks shoot the lands out of their guns and are forced to rely on MG fire only. The COs arrive and sucessfuly bolster three platoon's morale. The HMGs open up with effective flanking fire. Once the arty is dropping where it should be, the AOP decides that a few potshots into the crowd would be just the thing and promptly gets destroyed for its arrogance.

Meanwhile, the south road is quiet but an awful lot of routers went that way so a couple of lads from the motor pool are given the honour of trying out for a combat arms role and up the road they go. Nothing for the first bit then they run bang into a decidedly un-routed Chinese grenadier group. The motor pool boys out survive their transport and through their prodigious lung capacity are able to keep their commander informed of developments. Ulitmately, they too will have their ashes sent to Yasukuni.

About 20 turns in the artillery and tank fire prove too much for the Chinese and they stream back along the north road to into a gauntlet of fire from two and three platoon that none survive. A quick push along the north road and a hook south through the rear areas and the annihilation is complete - even the CO managed to pickup a couple of kills. Promotions all round including a couple to the support platoon mules. One and two platoons all get multiple kills with one particularily energetic group racking up 16.

Lessons Learned:

• Be a bit less agressive with the foot recce.
• 70 mm mortars have about the same range as an obasan flinging weeds out of a rice paddy - not nearly enough. Send a note to the R&D people.
• ALWAYS check you observer's range settings to make sure they don't initiate rifle combat.
• Stop buying 37mm IGs even if they are pretty.

Next scenario - into the mountains.

[PanzerBob]

Good Day,

Interesting AAR Pat, during a part of the war I've never gamed yet. But, you've stirred some interest, I may step into that part of history. Keep us abreast with more SITREP's

Cheers, Bob

[PatG]

Game 2
1931 China Mountains
Meeting Engagement
38 turns - see later

Japan vs AI Chinese Nationalists

Japanese Forces:

Infantry Coy

Tank platoon

All mule-born:
Weapons Platoon - Trying again with the trench guns
70mm mortar platoon - 2 tubes
70mm inf gun platoon - 2 guns
HMG section - 2 guns
AOP on horseback
4 Motorcyclists
2 ammo wagons

Support:
Spotter plane
3 Aichi with 250 kg bombs

Terrain:
Mud, trees, mud and bush, and some more mud, rising out of the mud is a large moutain covered with - mud. Fortunately, the top is relatively mud free. The Chinese side has less mud but is fairly heavily treed. There are two large clearings one south of the centre line and one on the north west side of the mountain.

Three VH clusters - two at the base of the Chinese side of the mountain, one higher up near the north board edge. A map recce showed a relatively clear path (as in only 2 mud slopes to pass over) path in the north leading to the northern VH cluster.

The Plan:
Send the Motorcycles up the flanks. The northern pair is to clear the way for the tank platoon. Tank platoon to advance along the northern route and be ready to take the northern VHs. Southern pair to wreak havok in the enemy rear as required.

HQ, support platoon and 70mm guns to move to the mountain top and set up a fire support base covering the southern clearing and providing fire support into the woods below. One, two and three platoons are to move into the rough on the north side of the mountain and cover the northern clearing.

The Attack:

At the starters gun, the company began its slow slog uphill through the mud. The motorcycles ripped up the flanks and the tank platoon carefully picked its way through the north edge muck. The Aichi D3 took a spin around the mountain top and composed a haiku on the loneliness of the muddy mountain top.

About 10 turns in, the northern motorcycles have by-passed the northern VH cluster and are moving deep into the enemies rear area. The southern motorcycle pair have come under fire from a concealed AAMG. The infantry are still slogging up the hill and the tankers are clearing the last of the mud from their running gear.

Then things get interesting. The FO is still math impaired so artillery plotting is slow at best - another D3 flight over the mountain finally arrives and spots the Chinese hordes about to hit the VHs at the base of the mountain. The FO decides they would be a good target for some birds eggs so plots the 3 bomb armed Aichi to strike. Unfortunately, my infantry is about a turn too late to get into ideal firing position but dig into the rough and prepare to receive charges. A few turns back, the ammo carts got bogged so the 70mm mortars decided to set up shop next to them. The rest of the fire support group is also a bit late but all dismount and begin to push forward into position on foot. I decide the 70mm infantry guns would be better deployed indirect so set them up back of the crest line. The southern motorcycles are holding out of sight of the AAMG - it's just out of 70mm mortar range of course. The northern motorcycle boys are cautiously moving into the enemies rear are and preparing to sweep south. Having a clear run, the tanks head off to threaten the northern VH cluster and run smack into a 75mm barrage. One tank is immobilized right behind a clump of bushes - 50 metres further north and it would have had line of fire over the central north edge of the map.

As it stands: The remainder of the tank platoon is heading toward the Northern VHs, The infantry company is settled into adequate if not ideal postions and will receive the Chinese onslaught from static positions. The support platoon is slowly consolidating the fire base on the mountain top and the Imperial eagles are preparing to drop some hurt on the enemy below. On MC group is keeping an eye on an MG while the other prepares to wreak havoc on any onboard arty that shows up.

At this point, the game goes into its usual wash-rinse-repeat cycle. The Chinese attack en masse. The bombers go in pasting the densely packed enemy and the arty opens up as well. My Gunjin open up and the Chinese get pinned/retreat/routed. The Chinese flee and another wave arrives. In the rear, my motorcycles chew up the Chinese artillery completely removing them from the map. Sadly they run afoul of another AAMG group and over several turns are destroyed as they retreat under fire.

The Chinese wave attacks go on without apparent end. While the match up says I'm fighting Nationalist Chinese - I suspect I'm up against Mao himself! Lowly Militia squads are fighting like Stormtroopers! I'm doing a lot of damage to the Chinese but attrition starts to grind down my boys. I send in the tanks to grab the northern VHs to relieve some of the pressure - risky un-escorted but I have to get a break to re-group my infantry. After a turn or two, the infantry hordes turn on my tanks who blissfully send round after round of 57mm HE into their ranks. Several crunchies get close enough to assault but all but one group gets tank terror and runs off. The surving group manages to stuff a grenade into one of the main guns and I'm now reduced to one Gun armed tank - the other only having MGs to play with. In the south, a group of militia shows up to harass my observing Motorcycles - killing one and driving off the other. The fire base is working hard but the infernal AAMG just won't die. That is untill one of my beloved Type 11 pop-guns works it over in partnership with an HMG - just like it was designed to do.

Despite the efforts of the armour, the waves keep coming. So much so, that by turn 30 I decide to cut my losses and pull back. I switch the arty to smoke for a round and pull back. and so it goes Turn 31, 32, 33 ... 35, 36, 38, 40, 42 - Hey wait a second - the Chinese supermen have all the VHs yet we're 4 turns over the game end ... I check the clock - It's not 38 turns - it's 58 turns! The withdrawal continues. My 70mm mortars keep up a hail of fire just barely keeping the enemy at bay. The tanks pull back fighting - even the immobilized Type 89 tags a couple of infitrators. My 70mm howitzers shoot their lands out and pull back only to get flanked and destroyed by an infiltrating militia squad. Two platoon on the north edge gets ground into mochi paste while the HQ group, the support platoon and the other two infantry platoons play at being Spartans and form an ever-shrinking defensive perimeter under a hail of Chinese fire. The HMGs and 37mm popguns are reduced to rifle fire only and my knee mortar groups have long since shot off their basic load. Finally night falls with turn 58 and my much battered troops withdraw under the cover of darkness.

I end up with a marginal defeat losing about a third of my troops while destroying about half of the enemy.

Lessons Learned:

• Even low grade enemy troops can suprise you and put up a superb effort.
• As Stalin said: Quantity has a quality of its own.
• While the firebase worked well, once I knew I was too late to fully implement my infantry plan I should have set up better supported fire positions behind the ridge line rather than pushing onto the forward slope.

Next game - back onto the plains.

[blitzkreig]

PatG,

Great battle report. I look foward to the next one. Those infantry "horde" armies can sure be a tough nut to crack. Those 20 man Polish Squads are a real nightmare for the early war Germans.

Regards

[PatG]

Game 3
1931 China
Meeting Engagement
36 turns

Japan vs AI Chinese Nationalists

Japanese Forces:

I decided to simply reconstitute my forces after the debacle of the previous game.

Infantry Coy

Tank platoon

All mule-born:
Weapons Platoon - Trying again with the trench guns
70mm mortar platoon - 2 tubes
70mm inf gun platoon - 2 guns
HMG section - 2 guns
AOP on horseback
4 Motorcyclists
2 ammo wagons

Support:
Trucks for all non-mule borne infantry.

Terrain:
Fairly flat overall with moderate woods. North/South creek in small valley with village at map centre. East/west road through village crossing north south road paralleling the creek. VHs - two clusters just on the Chinese side of the village, one near north map edge just to my side of map centre.

The Plan:
One and three platoons to move rapidly into the village and set up a reverse slope position in the gully. Tank platoon and two platoon to advance along North flank and take upper cluster. Support platoon to set up on high ground on the East side of the village and provide fire support over the heads of the main force. Motorcycles up the flanks to create havoc as usual.

The Attack:
Pretty much text book. With the speed of the trucks I was able to set up the village position and get decent interlocking fields of fire before the Chinese arrived. The tankers in the north, supported by truck borne gunjin moved on the northern VH cluster unopposed. The motorcycles managed to by-pass any opposition and went sniffing for the artillery's cooking fires. The FO got into a good position to observe the probable line of advance. The support platoon was slow in moving up - as expected due to their equine mounts so were a little out of position when the Chinese hit the village.

Mid-game was almost boring - The Chinese came over the ridge line smack into my waiting infantry. The FO rained HE death on their heads, the 37mm and HMGs fired into the densely pack troops and - wash - rinse - repeat. In the North, my Type 89's ran into some moderate opposition but by reverting to the infantry support role helped two platoon crush the opposition and take the northern cluster. The tanks and infantry then turned south to flank the Chinese main body. In the enemy rear, the bosozuko were back in fine form eliminating the enemy artillery. The Kami smiled on the steel samurai and they over-ran the Chinese HQ eliminating it without casualty - obviously Mao Zhe Dong was elsewhere for this battle.

The end game was predictable. With their HQ eliminated, the Chinese broke en-masse and all that was left was the mopping up. There was a very brief moment of tension when one group of militia managed to take a couple of potshots at my HQ only to be annihilated.

Next mission: China 1932

[PanzerBob]

Excellent, eagerly await your next engagement.

PanzerBob, out.

[PatG]

Game 4


1932 China


Meeting Engagement

39 turns


Japan vs AI Chinese Nationalists


Japanese Forces:


I neglected to mention that before the last battle, the support platoon was changed to all 37mm Type 11 giving me 4 of the little HE chuckers in total.


Given my previous successful integration of armour and infantry I was allowed to upgrade my motorcycles to Type 91 So-Mo armoured cars. The loss of speed will be offset by greater staying power. The endless waves of Chinese triggered a request for some dedicated artillery support. HQ replied with a 75mm battery and another observer team.

Some replacement gunjin were brought in to offset my minimal casualties.


For support, I purchased a motorcycle group for fast recce and an Aichi D3 scout plane for some eyes in the sky.


Terrain:


Low partially wooded hills. Two East-West roads with a North-South cross road about map centre. Moderate hill map South of centre overlooking a clearing to the north with two VH clusters. To the West of map centre along the bottom edge, a paddy field constricts movement. To the East of map centre one row South of the north map edge is a rectangular clearing surrounded by a low hill wall containing the last set of VHs.


The Plan:


Two pairs of motorcycles will charge up the two roads until they find something interesting then report back. Mortars to set-up along forward edge of set-up line along with one ammo wagon. Lead by the tank platoon, the infantry company will advance in column on the south side of the map skirting the rice paddy and staying screened by the central hill.

Infantry guns and support platoon supporting. The company will advance past the central hill then turn north by platoons and hit the enemy rear. One FO to advance to the hill to call fire on the VH clusters there from a covered position. The armoured car platoon will take their shining steeds along the north map edge and advance past the walled field and into the enemy rear area. At the opportune time they will take the northern VH cluster.


The Attack


The attack went in pretty much as planned. The motorcycles advanced to contact and confirmed that the main enemy advance was toward the central VH cluster. The Chinese advance was monitored by the D3 until it was driven off by AAMG fire. As expected , the motorcycles were driven off by the advancing infantry but three of the four were able to rally and took up flank watch positions north of my mortar group.


The amoured cars raced along the north map edge until they found themselves deep in the enemy rear area completely screen from any Chinese forces.


One FO raced up the hill, left it's horses back of the ridge line and crept into position in a cluster of trees. Careful to ensure all safeties were on, they surveyed the mass of infantry below. Plotting boards came out, radios were warmed up and the tekkokaze began.

Meanwhile the main force trudged through the woods reaching about board centre as the FO got into place. The FO reported Chinese troops advancing on a line high up the hillside so the HMGs and Type 11s were deployed as flank security.

Unfortunately, there was a small dead space just beneath the FO position and the FO was surprised and wiped out by a Chinese grenadier group. The second FO dismounted and took up direction duties.


The armoured cars rampaged through the rear areas chewing up artillery then advanced on the northern VH cluster in the enclosed field. As the infantry moved through the bush, the tank platoon moved onto the hilltop and engaged the Chinese troops below who were already suffering under the artillery. A few sections were seen heading east toward my now very obvious mortar positions so the motorcycles were told to keep an eye out and get into mutual support positions.


Over the next few turns, a platoon of Chinese cavalry with some assorted infantry battered themselves to pieces on the MGs of the motorcycle troops. While I had moved the ammo wagon feeding the mortars to safety, the heroic efforts of the motorcycles let me bring it back into service position. Note to self: Do Not Charge Concentrated MGs with cavalry!


While the horse slaughter was underway, the HMGs and type 11s moved into over watch positions and added their fire to the tanks and artillery and the Chinese infantry caught in the cauldron began to route. Safe from close assaulters, the tank platoon swept in, tagged the VH clusters and returned to the hilltop. This drew out fresh Chinese forces from the north and pulled a few battered infantry away from the savage fire of the motorcycles. By this time, one platoon of infantry had worked its way into the bush on the Chinese edge of the central clearing while the other two platoons had set up a gauntlet of fire along the obvious Chinese retreat road. Up in the field, the So-Mo crews were having a tea break, admiring nature and picking off the odd router. They mounted up and tagged the last cluster leaving only a couple of hexes in the cauldron under Chinese control.


As the last of the Chinese troops trickled in from the north, they were split between the So-Mo group and the cauldron - despite their dedication they perished. The infantry company made short work of the routers and annihilated a few Chinese AAMG groups who dared to move up.

With nothing left of the Chinese force, I tagged the last few hexes and the game was over.


Observations


I've now completed my 4th meeting engagement and my tactics really aren't changing much: recce forces to the enemy rear, commit main body to a flank attack and let the artillery hammer on the Chinese hordes. While I'm looking forward to getting my first elites in the next game, a bit more variety would be nice. I may restart the end game until I get something other than a meeting engagement.

[PanzerBob]

Excellent

PanzerBob

[PatG]

Battle 5 - Be careful what you wish for
May 1932
Chinese Communists
China - City
Mission: defend

Map: A big city. Two VH clusters my side of the centre line about mid-board, one further into my zone and North of the centre line. Three roads run east-west near board centre and one other further south.

Finally not meeting the Chinese - though a defend means I'll be facing even greater hordes than usual.
Only 500 support points and the engineers at this date have no flamethrowers.

So trying to be realistic - I am probably in a rest area when attacked by Chicom guerrillas. VH and map arrangement does not justify fortifications. However I have 3 airstrikes so I purchase a recce ship and 2 strike shotai to represent fast reaction support from an airfield in the city. This uses most of my points. Acutely aware that every point I spend only increases the hordes, I refrain from using repair points and purchase a pair of HMGs.

I setup back of the two central VH clusters hoping to stay clear of any artillery. There are fingers of high ground on the three central roads so I set up a mix of HMG, 37mm and 70mm inf guns to cover the roads in depth. Two platoons are back of the central VHs and the third platoon covers the north flank in between the main position and the northern VH cluster. The northern cluster is left undefended - defend everything and defend nothing.

Turn 1 So-Mo ACs drive out along the south flank road. The main force sits tight - catching a few long rounds but out of the main artillery. Aichis scout overhead finding nothing. Tanks move forward to take up positions supporting the infantry

Chinese send cavalry against my So-Mos supported by a couple of armoured trucks

Turn 2 My tanks change course to support the armoured cars which have routed a Chinese cavalry platoon.

Covering smoke lines appear on the Chinese side so I assign my mortars morts to hit one and 2 Aichi to hit another.

Turn 3 the So-Mos keep working over the cav. The Chinese just armoured trucks sit there doing nothing. My tanks are still moving up – BT’s these ain’t

In the Chinese phase, the armoured trucks decide to push forward – good the sooner they will be under the guns of my 98s.

Turn 4 the eagles come in but with no effect other than to spot a few more trucks.

Somewhere around I have some further notes but I just don't have the heart to look for them.

The Good:
The armoured cars supported by the tanks thoroughly worked over the Chinese rear area eliminating a cavalry company and about 6 75mm guns, 2 Stokes mortars, a pair of infantry guns and once again the Chinese HQ. The armoured trucks gave a bit of trouble since my 57mm tank guns would only fire AP at 0 hex range and the HE just bounced off. One tank was skewered by a 37mm ATG in the end zone - have to have a word with the Germans about their sales policies - but those are the breaks.

The Not So Good:
The Chinese seem to have Russian advisors. Apart from the small stuff mentioned above, I was facing multiple off-board batteries in the 100mm class. Over time the Chinese FOs got on target and started hitting my positions. I had to withdraw a couple of sections - they were so chewed up by the arty that I decided it was safer to let the rest ride it out. The Chinese advanced in what seemed to be a continuous wave.

Pure and simple - I was swamped. For every people's militia squad I routed or pinned, six more seemed to open up with reaction fire. The Aichis and artillery swept over the Chinese advance - about the only good they did was to kill a few more of those damned trucks. My line held for quite a while but began to crumble under the intense artillery fire and mass of infantry. When Chinese started molesting the pack mules well behind my main line of resistance, I lost heart and flipped the game to automatic. As I watched the AI beat itself up, all I could see was hordes of little Chicom flags. At a rough guess I was looking at a couple of battalions of infantry supported by a company of armoured trucks, a couple of companies of cavalry and as mentioned a shedload of medium-heavy artillery. I minimized the game and went for a cup of tea expecting the campaign to be over.

On my return I found that the CO, my tanks and ACs and about a platoon of infantry survived.

Observations:
I won't blame the game but I didn't have a chance. Static positions against that many infantry just don't work. Perhaps if I had spent support points for mines, wire and fortifications, I might have made a better run of it. On reflection, a mobile defence would be more effective - sadly the Japanese are not particularily well equipped for mechanized warfare.

The obvious thing to do is set up a couple of practice defence games to work out where I went wrong and how to fix it.

One final strange point - I saved the end game and resumed the campaign under human control. I was surprised to see I received a "decisive victory" - my propaganda troops must be working overtime.

[PanzerBob]

Interesting, I think, Pat, you are seeing one of the strengths of the game, and from what I know of the time and place you were fighting in and how you were trying to defend, the game portrayed your situation well. (imagine the Germans uber advertising something) Given the day, you were in, I certainly would have had some engineering points, mines and wire, especially, with hordes hitting you. Excellent AAR,Pat, hope you are going to continue kicking around in China.

Eternal War(gaming) PanzerBob