Saturday, 16 June 2012

The Korean War, After Action Report part 2



Turn 1.
It is turn 1, for special rules only the 2nd action segment will be played (to represent the late start of the invasion) and because units have organic supply with them no depot will be used on turn 1 and 2. The KPA has the initiative and for the first turn also air support.
The KPA player roll a 6 for his operations meaning 3 operations. Let’s start with our attack on the west coast.
As special rule (again because the turn represents only 6 days opposed to a full month) units will receive only two action. I will activate the 5th KPA division.
Because I want to force back the ROKA regiment and then advance I will use a normal attack (1 point)  instead of a more effective intensive one (2 points). I will also save air support for my main effort on west coast.
Combat is based on a simple ratio. The 5th KPA infantry has an attack strength of 12, the defending 10th ROKA regiment of 2, so 6 to 1. The units have also an anti-tank rating, but this combat will not have any tank involved. I will then look at the combat table and check both the 6 to 1 ration and the defender terrain,  that in this case is clear, very good for attacking into.
For this combat there are no modifier. I roll the 10 sided die...
and got a 2...
on the table I read a no effect.  The valiant ROKA defenders have stopped the KPA, at least for the moment. Luckily the 5th division has another action point that I use to launch a second combat except I cannot attack more than once from the same hex.  So what I do with the 2nd Action Point?
I do not have a lot of possibilities. Every unit project a "zone of control" in the six hexes surrounding it representing artillery fires, patrols and activities that hinder enemy movement. Units cannot move from ZOC to ZOC and leaving a ZOC will cost me 3 movement points. Each action point spent on movement gives 4 movement points.
The 5th division cannot do anything useful. I gambled and lost... I will end this activation. and turn the unit to its fatigues side meaning it cannot be activated again for this action phase. Well done 10th ROK regiment!

Ok if you have not played wargames before all this will sound alien. But, trust, me this is a quite interesting model of “reality”. Yes, historically almost everywhere the ROK Army units folded under KPA pressure, but in some case they were able to delay the invaders. This is what happened in this case. The ROKA regiment will probably be destroyed in the next turn, but it will have bought some days to the rest of the army. Plus the example show how wargames uses randomly generate number to introduce a friction element to ensure variable combat results.
- Ok I have still 2 activations.
Will the 7th KPA division activate?
Let's see what this division could do. It is nestled in the rugged central spine of the peninsula. Movement is difficult. There is a trail that will reduce the movement cost of rough terrain (the tan hexes) from 3 to 2. Movement provides us with some interesting twists in Joe characterization of the armies.
Usually KPA units pay less movement point in difficult terrain but UN and ROK units pay less on road to represent the motorization of the latter. Simple and effective way to portray different capabilities.
One of main criticism levelled at UN units was that they were road bound because they depended on trucks for almost everything. In the game if UN units want to go somewhere quickly it has to be clear terrain or has to be close to roads.
Back to the 7th KPA division. To go anywhere significant I will have to expend at least 6 movement point so 2 action points to generate a "operational movement action" and no point to attack. This is definitely a low priority movement. I will not activate the 7th Division but instead go on my primary attack, especially considering the disaster on the east coast...
Enemy has a chance to say and after my 3 operations will end the ROK forces will have an attempt to do something. I want to exploit the current situation so I will concentrate on the Seoul "blitz".

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