Kohima

Tuomo

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It certainly is. I recall talking to Shaun about this. The tennis court would not be big enough for a single hex yet you had both sides entrenched along the base lines. This was a very close fought battle.
Assuming the British used a standard tennis court (and the British were ALL ABOUT standards), then the court itself would have been 23.78m x 10.97m. Let's round it up to 25x12m just to give a little bit of border around the edges. For a standard VASL hex (65px tall) which represents 40m, that would yield a rectangle roughly 41x20 px in size. Rounding THAT up to 41x21 just so the thing can be symmetric, it would look like:

9965

So, shrug. Not too bad a fit for a single hex.
 

Vinnie

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Assuming the British used a standard tennis court (and the British were ALL ABOUT standards), then the court itself would have been 23.78m x 10.97m. Let's round it up to 25x12m just to give a little bit of border around the edges. For a standard VASL hex (65px tall) which represents 40m, that would yield a rectangle roughly 41x20 px in size. Rounding THAT up to 41x21 just so the thing can be symmetric, it would look like:

View attachment 9965

So, shrug. Not too bad a fit for a single hex.
Fine but you have both sides in that hex...
 

macrobo

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Kohima


Hi All



Just for those interested - I thought I would do a brief RV of Kohima from CH and when the LC product comes (likely larger and more comprehensive) I could compare then



So some questions raised I will also try and answer briefly



Product

Board

There is a picture earlier in the thread

It’s a dense ridge but has the two characteristics of the battle done in the SSRs below – The IJA could only attack north and south (east and west were impassable cliffs) and the jungle on the top though tall was completely stripped of vegetation from leftover effects of battle (denuded jungle)



Counters

2 and 1/2 Sheets of very Mustard (more orange) coloured IJA – very different to MMP

1 and ½ sheets of usual coloured Brits



2 page blurb consisting of

Small history paragraph

Terrain – important that there is what they call denuded jungle – works like orchard not debris just tall

Jungle very tall

Cliffs un climbable so really you can only scale the hill at the North and South ends

Monsoon weather – Mud and Hindrance from the Rain



Then the Scenarios- 9 = are divided into the two different stages of the war – note long due to the terrain conditions – very slow grind in mud and jungle



Initial April stuff is the IJA dominating in attacks from North and South

KH1 – 18 IJA sqs vs 9 Brit Sqs in SE corner where the brits have to hold the level 2 – 6GTs

KH2 – 22 IJA sqds vs 15 Brits and 2 x 76mm Mtrs in the South area and now they have to take Level 3 – 8GTs

KH3 – Counterattack in the South – 18 Brit Sqds vs 12 IJA in Bunkers – take the bunkers – 8GTs

KH4 – Retake the hill in the South – 24 IJA Sqds with 2 x 70mm INF try and retake bunkers held by 21 Brit sqds – later reinforced by another 6 sqds – 8.5 GTs

KH5 – Take the Tennis Court in The North East (actually part of a building complex) – and the victory is actually the Bunkers– 24 IJA sqds vs 15 Brits sqds in bunkers – 9 GTs

KH6 – Combined North South Game – 24 IJA sqds vs 18 Brits in Bunkers – 9.5 GTs

KH8 – Monster North South Game Combined – 46IJA sqds vs 36 Brit sqds in Bunkers with 4 x 76mm Mtrs – 16GTs

KH10 – Small counterattack in the south – 15 Brit Sqds vs 12 IJA sqds in Bunkers – 10 GTs

KH11 – Attack in NE to protect the hospital – 24 IJA Sqds wit reos of 14Sqds vs 12 Brits in Bunkers – 10 GTs

KH12 – Monster ½ Bard game - Reinforced in the North and then attacked again – 24 Brits sqds in bunkers defend against 58 IJA sqds = 9.5 GTs

May Stuff when the Brits Clear the Hill with Tanks and send the IJA back into Burma – Note IJA ELR is 1/2 in these Games to represent they were starving to death- and the Mud affects the Grants

KH7 – Caught in the Middle in the South – An IJA force of 16 Sqds in Bunkers is caught between 9 x Brit Squads and an entry force of 21 brit Sqds with 3 x Grant Tanks – 9 GTs

KH9 – Hold the Bunkers in the North – 18 IJA sqds in Bunkers hold out against 12 Brist with Two Grants

KH13 – Small but bloody first Taking the ridge – 25 Brits sqds Vs 18 IJA sqds in bunkers = 9GTs

KH14 – Opening up the road to the Hill in the North – 12 Brit Sqds and 6 x Grants Vs 18 IJA sqds = 9GTs

Extra - KH15 – In Ningthoukhong India 22 April = Using ½ Kohima Board (South) – 12 Brit Sqds and 4 x Grants attack 11 IJA sqds with 2 x 47L ATGs = 8 GTs

SO There it is in brief

When Pete and I have time to scan the VASL boards we will and I might eventually play a few and comment on their balance

Cheers

Rob :)
 
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Whiskers1123

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6 more scenarios where emailed to everyone that bought the pack for a total of 15.

KH10 Go Directly to Jail 10 game turns
KH11 Hospital Case 10 game turns
KH12 Last Gasp 91/2 game turns
KH13 Utmost Savagery 9 game turns
KH14 Fatal Distraction 9 game turns
KH15 White Tigers, Black Cats 8 game turns
 

macrobo

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6 more scenarios where emailed to everyone that bought the pack for a total of 15.

KH10 Go Directly to Jail 10 game turns
KH11 Hospital Case 10 game turns
KH12 Last Gasp 91/2 game turns
KH13 Utmost Savagery 9 game turns
KH14 Fatal Distraction 9 game turns
KH15 White Tigers, Black Cats 8 game turns
I will be a good Boy and add them - just give me another day


ADDED THE EXTRA AS OF NOW

Rob :)
 
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Honza

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I have seen photos of a scenario that has 16 turns called Garrison Hill. It is on two scenario cards. What happened to that one?
 

Martin Mayers

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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.
 
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