Pusan Perimeter: Scenario #42: Fall of Chinju

I have wanted to set this scenario up and play at my leisure for some time now and over the last week I have done just that and finally finished playing today. Not that it would taken that long normally but I would play a turn or two here and there.

I set up the Americans mainly on map 94 from east to west mainly on one thin line across the map using that rough terrain but putting my artillery back on map 92 out of sight of the North Koreans. The Koreans come on the map in all three areas on map 93; north, east and west as not to bunch up and to keep the Americans guessing to where the main thrusts will be and to keep their fire power stretched thin.

The North Koreans hit in three areas into the American lines with the middle/center turning into a stalemate, the American pretty much blunt the NKPA’s left flank attack but on the NKPA right flank a total breakthrough happens and the North Koreans have enough forces to exploit it while both sides wear down a bit, the Americans cannot recover enough to plug the major hole on their left flank. The Pershing tanks come on the map in the early turns but after knocking out a step of T34/85’s they are then lost as well to more blocking T34/85s which turned into a cat and mouse side show. Once freed up the remainder of the NKPA armor also pushed through the holes in the American lines. The American Engineer unit did destroy two bridges but once the NKPA units pushed into the map 92 they spotted the American artillery park and brought down fire upon it with their own artillery. Both sides had some very nice artillery dice rolls throughout the battle.

Chinju fell once again to the NKPA, as my American strategy was poor. I should have setup a one very small delaying force and then a secondary line of defense further back, both delaying and pounding the NKPA units but that was not the case, as I went with the totally defend up front strategy which failed for me. When the NKPA exited enough units off the south edge of the map, I pulled the plug, as there was no recovery for the Americans in points at his point.

The North Koreans won a major victory with 17 eliminated American steps and 45 points of exited steps for a total of 62 points for a major victory.

The American had 22 points of eliminated NKPA steps and 6 points for blowing bridges for a total of 28 points.

I still feel with different setups and strategies either side could pull off a victory in this scenario.