The Korean war, especially the early stages are a newish area for wargamers, indeed another arena where war games have a different edge. Moreover, you can dustoff your existing British or American armies add and take away a few units and there. But, then you have to find a opponent whose willing the be the North Koreans and or Chinese, but don't be disheartened as any Soviet player will have hordes of T34/85's and Su 76's. Just get him to invest in some new infantry (Russians won't do). Here are some army lists to get you started, anyone willing to take the plunge must get the new booklet from Gauntlet publications - Its called ; ' Pusan to Panmunjon ' - The Korean war 50-53, a wargamers guide, by Mark Hannam. Its 99 pages of rules, ideas, army lists and scenarios. It includes further ideas for adapting ' Rapid Fire ' and a rule set called ' Point of Attack '. Rapid Fire 27TH INDEPENDENT INFANTRY BRIGADE, KOREA 1950-1951 Brigade HQ: 6 figures, 1 jeep, 1 radio truck Troop, 27 (Dragon) Battery, RA, with: 1 17-pdr AT gun - 3 crew, 1 tractor 4 Infantry Battalions, each with: HQ: 4 figures (1 bazooka), 1 jeep 4 Rifle Companies, each with 8 figures (7 for 1st Middx & 1st A & SH) Support Company, with: 1 Vickers MMG - 2 crew 1 3" mortar - 2 crew 2 bren carriers 2 recon bren carriers These 4 infantry battalions were: 1st Middlesex, 1st Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 3rd Royal Australians & 2nd Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. The first two of these arrived in theatre in August 1950, with the third arriving in October of that year. The PPCLI (4th battn) arrived in February 1951. 16th Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery, with: HQ: RHQ - 4 figures, 1 FOO, 1 jeep, 1 staff radio truck Supply Column, with 2 medium ammo supply trucks with trailers 3 Firing Batteries, each with 2 25-pdr field guns - 4 crew each, 2 Morris quads 29TH INDEPENDENT INFANTRY BRIGADE 1950-1951 Brigade HQ, with: 6 figures, 1 jeep, 1 radio truck RASC Company, with 12 heavy trucks 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, with: RHQ & HQ Squadron, with 1 Centurion - command 1 Churchill ARV 1 Churchill bridgelayer 1 Daimler scout car 3 Sabre Squadrons, each: 1 command Centurion 4 Centurion 1 Humber scout car C Squadron, 7th Royal Tank Regt, with: 1 command Crocodile 3 Crocodile 55 Independent Field Squadron, RE, with 6 figures - 1 flame-thrower, 1 light truck 3 Infantry Battalions, each with: BHQ: 4 figures (inc. 1 bazooka), 1 jeep 4 Rifle Companies, each with 8 figures Support Company, with: 1 Vickers MMG - 3 crew 1 3" mortar stand - 3 crew 2 universal carriers 2 recon universal carriers 1 17-pdr AT gun - 3 crew 1 tractor These were 1st Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 1st Gloucestershire and 1st Royal Ulster Rifles. 45 Field Regiment, RA, with: HQ: RHQ - 4 figures, 1 FOO, 1 jeep, 1 radio truck, 1 medium truck with counterbattery radar Ammo Supply, with 2 medium ammo supply trucks with trailers 3 Firing Batteries, each with: 2 25-pdr field guns - 4 crew each 2 Morris quads 11 (Sphinx) LAA Battery, RA, with: 3 Bofors guns - 3 crew each 3 Bofors gun tractors 1 medium ammo truck 170 Mortar Battery, RA, with: 3 4.2" mortars - 3 crew each 3 medium trucks 1 medium ammo truck with trailer US MARINES IN KOREA THE 1ST MARINE DIVISION Like most of the allied forces in this period the US Marines were in the process of being restructured. The decision to send Troops to Korea caught them largely on the hop, and the executing order to form a stopgap unit - the 1st Provisional marine Brigade was made - the combat element of which was the Marine regimental combat team (as below) . During the course of the war the 1st marine division was eventually brought up to full strength. Commander ; Maj- General Oliver P Smith In Korea the following units saw action as part of the 1st US marine Division. Infantry Regiments - 1st, 5th and 7th marines Artillery -11th marine regiment Combat support units ; 1st amphibian tractor, 1st armoured amphibian, 1st combat service, 1st engineer, 1st Medical , 1st motor transport, 7th motor transport, 1st ordnance, 1st service, 1st shore party, 1st tank (M26 Pershing's) , and the 1st combat service group. Attached units ; marine observation squadron 6, marine helicopter transport squadron 161 US MARINE RCT - KOREA, 1950-51 Regimental Headquarters: 6 figures, 1 jeep, 1 radio truck Regimental Heavy Mortar Company 1 FOO, 1 jeep, 3 4.2" mortars - 3 crew each, 1 medium trucks with ammo trailers Regimental Anti Tank Company 3 75mm RR - 3 crew each 1 M-26 medium tank (heavy platoon) 1 medium trucks with ammo trailers Three Infantry Battalions, each with: Battalion Headquarters: 6 figures, 1 jeep 3 Infantry Companies, each with 8 figures 1 Weapons Company, with 3 MMG's - 2 crew each 2 bazooka's - 2 crew each 1 81mm mortar - 3 crew Attached Formations : Company, 1st Engineer Battalion, with 8 figures, 2 medium trucks, 1 bulldozer 1st Tank Battalion, with BHQ: 1 M-26 medium tank, and 3 M-26 medium tanks Artillery Battalion, 11th Marines (the artillery regiment) Headquarters Battery, with 1 FOO, 2 jeeps, 1 radio exchange truck 3 Firing Batteries, each with: 1 FOO 1 jeep 1 105mm howitzer - 4 crew each 3 trucks 1 ammo truck THE ARMY OF NORTH KOREA Tank Force in 1950 The tanks of the North Korean army represented the elite of an army that was to be embroiled in war for 4 years. Indeed, even when the Chinese came to their aid, they were still relied upon to provide the armoured 'might' in which to fight this 'modern' war. The North Koreans in 1950 had only one armoured brigade the ; 105TH ARMOURED BRIGADE, the brigade comprised 3 armoured regiments, 1 motorised infantry regiment, and one self propelled gun battalion 105TH BRIGADE: 3 ARMOURED REGIMENTS 107TH TANK REGT- 40 T34/85 - unknown 109TH TANK REGT- 40 T34/85- colonel Kim Tae Ryon 203RD TANK REGT- 40 T34/85- colonel Choe U Sik 206th MOTORISED INFANTRY REGT - TRUCKS ONLY 308TH ARMOURED BATTALION - 16 SU76M ASSAULT GUNS 208TH TANK TRAINING REGT - 20 T34/85 In addition there were 5 independent tank regiments 41ST TANK REGT 42ND TANK REGT 43RD TANK REGT 45TH TANK REGT 46TH TANK REGT The above five units were never really anything more than battalion strength only about 15 T34/85 in each regt. Later in the war the armoured force was increased by supplies of new T34/85's from the Soviets. Two new brigades were formed, however again they were not at full strength at only about 45 T34/85 each. (15 per regt). 16TH TANK BRIGADE with 3 regts: 104th, 105th, 106th 17TH TANK BRIGADE with 3 regts, units unknown. There were also about 75 other SU76 assault guns, these were split into separate battalions (12 Su76 per bttn) and always attached to North Korean infantry divisions. NORTH KOREAN INFANTRY REGIMENT The North Koreans had 3 infantry regts per division. A regiment had the following assets : Regimental HQ Regt mortar coy -6 120mm Regt how coy - 4 76.2mm how Regt a/t coy - 4 45mm a/t guns each Regt had 3 infantry battalions and one battalion level weapons company Battalion level weapons coy ; 9 14.5mm a/t rifles 4 HMG 4 45mm a/t guns 3 Infantry Regiments each with 1 weapons Company - 2 45mm a/t guns, 9 82mm mortars 3 infantry Companies each with 2 infantry Platoons (31 men each) 1 weapons Platoon ; 4 61mm mortar & 4 DP lmg The divisional assets had the following: Artillery Regiment ; 2 Battalions of medium arty each with 12 76.2mm field guns 1 Battalion of heavy artillery with 12 122mm field guns 1 SPG Battalion with 12 SU 76 1 AA Battalion with 36 12.7mm AA guns 1 Anti tank Battalion with 12 45mm a/t guns NORTH KOREAN INFANTRY REGIMENT IN RAPID FIRE Regimental HQ - 6 figures, 1 Gaz 67 jeep Regt mortar coy - 1 120mm mortar - 3 crew Regt how coy - 1 76.2mm how - 3 crew Regt a/t coy - 1 45mm a/t guns - 3 crew Each Regiment had 3 infantry battalions and one battalion weapons company each with ; Battalion level weapons coy; 2 14.5mm a/t rifles - 4 figures 1 HMG - 3 figures 1 45mm a/t guns - 2 figures Battalion HQ - 4 figures 1 Weapons coy - 1 45mm a/t guns - 2 crew 2 82mm mortars - 2 crew each 3 Infantry companies each with 4 figures 1 weapons platoon ; 1 61mm mortar 2 crew Back to Frontline Vol. 1 Iss. 3 Table of Contents Back to Frontline List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by Rolfe Hedges This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. 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