jrv
Forum Guru
Winter Offensive, Friday Morning.
Aaron Schwoebel wanted to play something out of The Forgotten War. He found "The Grist Mill", 208. A quick random side selection gave me the Americans. The North Koreans are relatively simple to play (especially compared to the CPVA), so we didn't have any major difficulty there.
There are six American first-line squads facing fourteen NKPA 4-4-7s. The Americans are already pinned against the board edge with almost no room to maneuver and no place to hide. They have a variety of early war deficiencies, including ammo shortage and a reduction of all repair drs to 1. They have a .50 caliber MG but it can't move from the hex it must set up in. They also have a 60mm MTR, three sangers, and some concealment counters (which they can't use in many places). They do not have a wheelbarrow.
Fortunately the North Koreans have a few flaws too. They have no heavy weapons (unless you count a LMG) and very limited leadership. Of the two leaders they have for fourteen squads, they are probably going to trade the 8-1 for the 10-0 commissar, leaving them with a 7-0 leader as backup.
The VC are for the North Koreans to capture a stone building in the American setup area in five turns. After I set up my small force, Aaron set up his forces in a great semi-circle around my position. With only two leaders in some areas the North Koreans could not afford breaks. In other areas they relied on numbers. As they closed in the Americans kept punching at them. The 60mm MTR did a yeoman's service in breaking squads. The heavy firepower of the American squads and the .50 cal broke some too. The broken North Koreans ran back for the (light) woods, and the MTR fire followed them, now with airburst. During the first game turn one NK halfsquad died; during the second, two-and-one-half; in the third one-and-one-half. Additional squads broke, and the 10-0 commissar got wounded when he went into woods to help some of his boys out.
Even so the North Koreans kept creeping forward. The Americans were helped by a good deal of luck too, as none of their units broke nor none of the SW malfunctioned (ammo shortage, remember?) until late in the game. The North Koreans managed to get a foothold in the woods on the American right, next to the grist mill, but a shot from the American left (after several failed shots from the mill area) broke the wave. The North Koreans resigned on the beginning of their last turn, down seven-and-a-half squads to the American one.
My Take
As the Americans, you are going to feel the situation is hopeless. I don't know what to tell you. I won the scenario, and I still feel the situation is hopeless. On the North Korean side I would say that they should keep their forces concentrated. The American defensive area is so small that you don't gain that much by spreading out. Having units positioned in a few different directions (but not necessarily attacking) so the Americans have difficulty routing might help. With only two leaders you risk leaving broken units scattered about the board if you attack in too many directions. Obviously don't expose your leaders to unnecessary risks.
Aaron Schwoebel wanted to play something out of The Forgotten War. He found "The Grist Mill", 208. A quick random side selection gave me the Americans. The North Koreans are relatively simple to play (especially compared to the CPVA), so we didn't have any major difficulty there.
There are six American first-line squads facing fourteen NKPA 4-4-7s. The Americans are already pinned against the board edge with almost no room to maneuver and no place to hide. They have a variety of early war deficiencies, including ammo shortage and a reduction of all repair drs to 1. They have a .50 caliber MG but it can't move from the hex it must set up in. They also have a 60mm MTR, three sangers, and some concealment counters (which they can't use in many places). They do not have a wheelbarrow.
Fortunately the North Koreans have a few flaws too. They have no heavy weapons (unless you count a LMG) and very limited leadership. Of the two leaders they have for fourteen squads, they are probably going to trade the 8-1 for the 10-0 commissar, leaving them with a 7-0 leader as backup.
The VC are for the North Koreans to capture a stone building in the American setup area in five turns. After I set up my small force, Aaron set up his forces in a great semi-circle around my position. With only two leaders in some areas the North Koreans could not afford breaks. In other areas they relied on numbers. As they closed in the Americans kept punching at them. The 60mm MTR did a yeoman's service in breaking squads. The heavy firepower of the American squads and the .50 cal broke some too. The broken North Koreans ran back for the (light) woods, and the MTR fire followed them, now with airburst. During the first game turn one NK halfsquad died; during the second, two-and-one-half; in the third one-and-one-half. Additional squads broke, and the 10-0 commissar got wounded when he went into woods to help some of his boys out.
Even so the North Koreans kept creeping forward. The Americans were helped by a good deal of luck too, as none of their units broke nor none of the SW malfunctioned (ammo shortage, remember?) until late in the game. The North Koreans managed to get a foothold in the woods on the American right, next to the grist mill, but a shot from the American left (after several failed shots from the mill area) broke the wave. The North Koreans resigned on the beginning of their last turn, down seven-and-a-half squads to the American one.
My Take
As the Americans, you are going to feel the situation is hopeless. I don't know what to tell you. I won the scenario, and I still feel the situation is hopeless. On the North Korean side I would say that they should keep their forces concentrated. The American defensive area is so small that you don't gain that much by spreading out. Having units positioned in a few different directions (but not necessarily attacking) so the Americans have difficulty routing might help. With only two leaders you risk leaving broken units scattered about the board if you attack in too many directions. Obviously don't expose your leaders to unnecessary risks.
Last edited:
