214 SEOUL SAVING

Michael R

Minor Hero
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Feb 4, 2003
Messages
4,622
Reaction score
4,162
Location
La Belle Province
First name
Michael
Country
llCanada
This scenario is another that evoked in me the imaginings I had when I read books about the Korean War; a hoard of Chinese soldiers attacking a British defence line in the mountains during April of 1951.

One can call this a "night light" scenario, because a SSR takes away Straying, Jitter Fire and Cloaking.

A total of 29 Chinese squads and six crews attack 10.5 British squad equivalents with two crews. There is also a British squad and leader in front of the defensive line, to represent a patrol caught out at the time of the attack. The Chinese have 12 LMG, 4 MMG, 2 60mm light mortars and 2 DC and they have bugles. The British have 80mm battalion mortar support of HE/IR, but I believe it is really there for the IR because a SSR halves the FFE firepower. The British have also 3 wire, 20 trip-flares, 10 foxholes (maximum of 1 per hex), 2 MMG, 4 LMG and 2 50mm light mortars that can fire IR. A SSR limits starshell usage for the British to only their SMC.

A SSR forces the Chinese to be in three groups that each have their own Operational Zone for movement/advance, although it does not restrict the SMC and crews. Each group is identical until one adds the crews, heavy weapons and leaders. The Chinese objective is to exit 55 VP on the south edge of the board. The British are also allowed to exit starting on British turn 6 of this seven turn scenario. Each of the British exited units takes away from the Chinese Exit VP. That British exit possibility forces the Chinese to work to inflict casualties upon the British, as well as exit the map.

The Chinese player will be moving people forward, trying to keep his units contiguous for the IPM possibilities. Some units must engage the British to cause casualties, but they cannot be reckless about it; too many Chinese casualties will make it impossible to exit enough VP.

Bruno L. played the British side. Here is his setup before I saw it. If I had played the British, I would have put the wire on the British left, or maybe used some to protect the MMG teams from close combat.

15378

The Chinese setup instructions have one group north of the river, one group south of and adjacent to the river and the third group in the river. I had the choice of which group to put in each zone, so I placed them to have them approach close together. This image shows my units before concealment and the British units that I could see.

15379

During the first Chinese turn, the east group found the forward British units. The British units had no luck with their defensive fire and then self-broke to avoid a CC that they could not win. The wire was discovered as well. The British had illumination early; being so far away, the Chinese moved ahead anyway and lost concealment thus removing many British "No Move" counters. The second Chinese turn sees casualties on both sides. The British generate a hero, however, giving them one more starshell generator. British turn 2 fire is mostly ineffective. Chinese defensive fire, however, breaks the two known British units on the east flank. The NVR lowered to 3. Here is an image after two turns of play.

15380

In Chinese 3, because of the illumination, some west flank troops are able to move independently because they can see the board edge. The British hero dies when a Chinese DC blows up. The center group is moving the slowest because they are between two British MMG. The Chinese assaulting kill stack of a 10-1 with two 6-2-8 in the center group go berserk during final fire. Several CC end in mutual destruction. During British 3, their radio breaks.

During Chinese 4, I use bugles for the first time (ever) to have more independent Chinese movement. The berserk stack charges a MMG position; one squad stripes but the stack does not have enough MF to enter the MMG hex. On the east and west flanks, Chinese units start exiting. A British 9-1 leader receives a HOB promotion to 9-2. The Chinese initiate four close combats and win three of them. The key event of the British fourth turn is the MMG team adjacent to the berserk stack breaking when it tries to move away. This is an image after four turns.

15381

The berserk Chinese stack charges again in turn 5 to the last position occupied by KEU then sees the pile of broken British and continues its charge. The berserk stack gets reduced, probably by the other MMG team led by the 9-2, to a wounded leader and a half-squad. The broken British rout out of their hex into an adjacent foxhole. More Chinese troops exit. I make a mistake that will cost me 2 VP. I forget that the berserk stack will keep the British in DM status and I move another squad adjacent to that stack. Why will that cost me, you wonder? In British 5, there is a miracle rally phase. In the broken stack in the foxhole next to my berserk units, the DM 8-1 leader rallies and he brings back a DM full squad. In the following fire phase, they shoot at the adjacent non-berserk Chinese squad and roll a KIA. Two points gone that didn’t need to be gone. Other British fire also causes some casualties to take more possible points away from the Chinese.

At the end of Chinese 6, I have only five stacks of units left on the map. The British start moving towards the south edge during their turn 6. They exit two squads with an 8-1 leader. During Chinese 7, I exit the rest of my Chinese because they are in no position to interfere with the British exit. The Chinese end with 62 Exit VP. The British, partly because of some good rally rolls on their last turn, end with 11 Exit VP to reduce the Chinese total to less than 55.

Perhaps I could have done more to hurt the British by keeping most of my exiting troops on the map until the last turn. All the squads have a range of only two, however, so I would have needed to bring the MMG and light mortars to have any reach to the British. Of course doing that would allow the British more time to inflict casualties.
 

Cpl Uhl

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2007
Messages
862
Reaction score
476
Location
Brussels, Belgium
Country
llUnited States
This is a fairly unique scenario in that it has 20 trip flares, with the added KW possibility of pop up flares. The SR making roads paths makes the trip flares waaay more effective. Given that and the other Chinese disadvantages I'd expect this to favor the Brits. But they're brittle!
 
Top