The Chinese on the right flank ran into an Asian Giant Hornets' nest of Japanese troops who took a heavy toll on the advancing Chinese. After stopping their attack cold, the Japanese counter attacked inflicting over 50% casualties on the Chinese forces with the survivors disrupted, demoralized and scattered to the wind.

The Chinese attack on the other flank fared better, with the Chinese rolling up the Japanese line opening up a route to one of their objectives, the bridge over the major river. The Japanese tried to pull back and regroup to defend the bridge, but the Chinese kept up the pressure and attacked in strength supported by HMGs and artillery.

The Chinese had to overcome low morale, 7/6 and 7 out of 12 leaders drawn with a rating of 7 or 8 (mostly 7). Out of the rest only three had any type of a modifier, but they did win two out of three objectives.

Author	treadasaurusrex (China)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	China
Participants	PANISTA
Play Date	2023-07-30
Language	English
Scenario	ChOp003

This was a 6-session, intense but enjoyable, play-through with the ferocious & cagey, PANISTA as the highly aggressive Japanese Commander. I played the typically hapless Chinese side and was prepared to get clobbered by the high morale Sons of Bushido. Both sides drew decent leaders in this longish scenario, with a slight edge to the Japanese, who benefited from more combat modifiers. We used the FOW, consolidation and excess initiative optional rules and dispensed with house rules in this infantry-heavy slug fest. Surprisingly, the harder-to-play, Chinese prevailed in this fight with 2 of the 3 objectives accomplished as time expired.

As Juiceman has ably described, the Chinese approached along two, separate axes and paid a very heavy price in casualties on the right flank for the first 10-13 or so turns. This feinting flank advance took the bulk of the losses and was rapidly fading as time progressed, and ever-stregthening, Japanese close assaults prevailed. No real chance of reducing the Japanese initiative level to 1 in this scenario, with these kind of losses to to the Chinese NEW 20th Infantry Division.

The, better-supported, left flank Chinese advance did considerably better and was able to secure the bridge on the Ku Shui River after bitter fighting - and quite a bit of luck with the dice. There were many leader losses for both sides, and the Japanese suffered a surprise decapitation during game turn 15, that thwarted some of their close assaults, when their over eager Lt. Colonel and the Major were both eliminated. Fighting proceeded by fits & starts and the Japanese began having trouble sequencing their attacks and tactical withdrawals starting in game turn 16. A combined TWENTY EIGHT combat 7-die rolls were thrown in this bloody engagement, and there were 9 FOW-shortened turns that significantly hampered Japanese counter attacks and withdrawals at critical moments.

We each gave this one a rating of 4, and recommend it for both SOLO & SHARED play. It is perhaps better suited for experienced PG players as nearly all decisions to be made by either side are of the lesser-of-2-evils kind.

Once the initial defense line was penetrated, it wasn't long before the Chinese pushed the Japanese troops back to the river. There was a slight mistake on the part of the Japanese as they let the Chinese take a river crossing without any defenders. (Although they tried to get someone there!) Note: Without tanks and other mobile units... the game seems a bit empty and not much fun.