Kohima

TopT

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I recommend Road of Bones by Fergal Keane by anyone who wishes to read about Kohima.

One of the striking things is the help the Brits and Indians received from local Naga warriors.

Also, there seemed to be a little more 'humanity' shown than many battles involving the Japanese. Perhaps the notion of shared sacrifice more in effect? For example, it tells the story of a British Officer who had held off the Japanese for a long time single handedly whom, when eventually killed, was given a full military burial by the Japanese. Shaving his head, the full shaboodle. And post war, the two combatants appear to have found it easier to come together in reconciliation together than I've ever read elsewhere. I found this aspect really interesting and touching.

The trenches at the tennis courts were really close. Close enough for each side to throw even sticks of dynamite at each other. And the cost of this on the soldiers nerves was really high. There is a strange element of the battle, towards the latter part. The British nerves were so shot that, instead of remaining dug in (where they could cause many more casualties and lose far fewer casualties on the defence) the Brits began launching local attacks just to release the pent up nerves. The British officers had to really clamp down on this as we simply could not afford the casualties.

On one of these British raids across the court, one of the supporting Bren gunners set their MG up on the billiards table in the club house where they could see over to the enemy trenches and lay suppressing fire. Tells how tight and close up this all was.
That is a well written book. I have read it twice and will probably read it again.

I think that a way to accomplish the battle at the tennis courts (in ASL) would be the same as CH has utilized for some of their modules (IE: larger Reichstag overlay -Berlin module). On a larger overlay you could place the trench counters and such and attempt to re-create, a little more historically, this key area of the battle. Although the CC rules do cover the use of grenades and such. Just thinking out loud.

For anyone that has purchased this CH module: Did CH provide a larger overlay to cover the tennis court area or is it just the one hex on the map?
 

Martin Mayers

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Good golly, I didn't even notice that. You're right, that's not the way the lines go on a tennis court!

I'm sympathetic to the challenges faced by the Poor Map Guy. Really I am. But C'MON.
It's Critical Hit mate.

I was looking for the section in my Kohima book explaining how the Brits re-marked the Tennis Court so that the Japanese didn't realise where they were on their maps...

"Hai. Sato San. Map says tennis court but this is badminton Court"

"Arigato 1st Lieutenant Horyuku. You appear to be correct. We are in the wrong place...keep on marching Sons of Nippon"
 

Martin Mayers

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That is a well written book. I have read it twice and will probably read it again.

I think that a way to accomplish the battle at the tennis courts (in ASL) would be the same as CH has utilized for some of their modules (IE: larger Reichstag overlay -Berlin module). On a larger overlay you could place the trench counters and such and attempt to re-create, a little more historically, this key area of the battle. Although the CC rules do cover the use of grenades and such. Just thinking out loud.

For anyone that has purchased this CH module: Did CH provide a larger overlay to cover the tennis court area or is it just the one hex on the map?
Shhhhhh I'm in the process of designing a scenario with exactly this in mind (true story)...
 
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