The Japanese had landed 1,300 Special Naval Landing Forces to protect their interests in the International Settlement, and the instigated the "Sino-Japanese" incident near Beijing. Hostilities in Shanghai between the two belligerents began on 13 August when Chiang Kai-Shek, eager to involve the Western powers by engaging the press, moved two of his best German-trained divisions into Shanghai. These two, the 87th and 88th assaulted the Japanese naval forces near the bridgeheads along the bank of the Huangpu. Yet life in the International Settlement near the fighting went on as normally possible. While businessmen drank pink gin and played dice in posh nightclubs, the Western powers deployed troops along the perimeter of the International Settlement. No one could conceive of a real war here without their involvement.
Attacker: Chinese (87th and 88th Divisions and 2nd Tank Battalion, 9th Army Group)
Defender: Japanese (Shanghai Expeditionary Army)
8.5 turns
Players: 2 OBA: Japanese Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:38.0 D:19.0
AFVs: A:8
Vickers 6-Ton Mk E(b) x 3 VCL Mk VI Carrier(b) x 2 VCL M1931 x 3
AFVs: D:0
Guns: A:2
Cannone da 70/15 x 2
D:2
Type 92 70mm INF Gun Type 94 Rapid-Fire Gun
Misc Rules:
HIP (G1.631) N/A, AS (E7)
Map Board(s):
1
20
21
45
Overlays:
NONE
Errata (source)
Players wanting to play this game/Request a match:
NOBA and the lone Japanese air support proved to devastate the Chinese infantry and the Japanese concealment slowed down the Chinese advance. In the end, there was not enough time. Chinese tanks were all either immobilized or wrecked by the end of Turn 7.
2023-02-22
(A) Jeff B
vs
Scott Sherer
Japanese win
I attacked almost exclusively on Board 21, hitting the big stone building on the Japanese front line with about half my troops, and the next big stone building down with the other half. Helped with the dreaded VBM freeze I had the top one well in-hand by the end of Turn 1, while the bottom one took a couple more turns, thanks in large part to a pesky HS in the upper reaches. One tank was knocked out by some deadly NOBA which just missed my kill stack, and a carrier by a sneaky shot from the AT gun. I made some severe underestimations in this game: 1) the devestating and continued effect of the NOBA 2) how long my AFVs could survive with very few decent AT weapons against them, and later 3) the extremely limiting effect the FBs would have on my movement because, yes, the Japanese received two. Turn 2 was pretty brutal for both of us, but the NOBA continued to rain terror - blasting my 9-2 and most of his compatriots to smithereens. I also had more bad AFV luck, with a tank knocked out by a MG, another recalled for some forgotten reason, another UK by the NOBA, and a carrier immobilized by (CC?). I was down to two (maybe three) mobile AFV, and this was knocked down to one when the UK was confirmed, and another tank knocked out by the freshly-revealed (and very well-placed) INF gun. Meanwhile the body count continued to pile up for both sides. Thankfully for me the NOBA activity came to a prolonged respite or this probably would've been game over quite quickly, but the uncertainty of it reappearing player turn by player turn still did an effective job of severely slowing my assault, as I just did not have very many troops left to lose. Honestly I just wanted the game to be over at this point as it had lost most of its fun for me, and the prospect of my men entering up top having to storm the fully-stacked VC building surrounded by open ground and wide open sights for the NOBA didn't help any. I really should refuse to play any scenarios where the defender gets OBA. Waiting for my plane(s) to subdue the NOBA and the disappearance of the Japanese FBs, there's just not enough time to coordinate an attack on heavily-armed and possibly fortified Japanese postions. My men made a fairly valiant effort at the end to take the remaining southern building, but came up short. Credit Scott for a nice defense, but this one just wasn't a whole lot of fun.
2023-02-22
(D) Scott Sherer
vs
Jeff B
Japanese win
2023-02-04
(A) Shane Pask
vs
Japanese win
Misplayed my tanks again (Lost 2 to mechanical breakdown - one on the first turn, one to DC, two to NOBA, one to AT first shot, two to CC but none to T-H heroes). The Chinese artillery is window dressing - I don't know how it would ever get into a useful position in time to be useful. FB were also of little help. Japs received one that jammed its guns on the second shot (first missed) and missed with its bomb. Chinese received two - used one to suppress the NOBA and the other one kept missing spotting checks. On the last turn, Chinese had heaps of troops in building 20C7 but could not hit the side of a barn and return fire broke or pinned everyone that could CC 20D9. Both other buildings were contested.
I felt the Chinese had a good chance to win this but blew it. Would play it again.
