During 1947, the Chinese Civil War is still raging. After much debate, US led UN forces land in southern China to help the Nationalist Chinese. Massive airstrikes from B29 Superfortresses and carrier groups devastate Communist advances, causing much alarm in the Kremlin. By early 1948, secure in the knowledge that they also now have nuclear weapons, the Soviets lend aid to the Communists, in the form of the "Mongolian Peoples' Volunteer Army" (MPVA).
Using the experience of 1945 this corps strength unit races south-east to attack Nationalist forces attempting to surround Peking. In this hypothetical encounter the advance guard of a mechanised division bumps into the Nationalist outpost in the southern approaches of the Gobi Desert.
You command the Soviet forces, otherwise known as the MPVA, with orders to advance south as
quickly as possible, overcoming Nationalist Chinese outposts with minimum delay. Enter north edge at H3 and/or H1, exit at A3 and/or A5.
Your forces are:
Regimental HQ: 1 x T34/85 (radio), 1 x T34 ARV, 2 SMG squads, 2 trucks, 2 jeeps, 10 x RPG-1, 1 radio.
- 2 Tank Companies (each with): Company HQ: 1 X T34/895 (radio), 3 platoons: 3 x T34/85.
The tank companies are carrying: 2 SMG Companies (each with):
- Company HQ: 1 SMG squad, 1 radio, 5 x RPG-1
3 platoons (pltn): 3 SMG squads, 3 LMG, 15 RPG-1
2 MG platoons (each with): 3 MMG, 1 truck
1 recce platoon: 4 x Ba-64B (LMG)
1 (off table) battery: 9 x 82mm M37 mortars, Assigned FC, radio
2 Batteries: 5 x ISU-152 (1 with radio), obsolete FC
Radios are only as noted. The 82mm battery must be assigned to the RHQ or one of the SMG Company HQs. The mortars are still moving, so if a fire order is sent, it will take 3 extra moves initially to arrive. The ISU- 152s can be off table on an indirect pre-planned fire mission (1 - 10 moves fire) from move 5, or can be fielded on table as direct fire units. The SMG Companies can be in trucks if desired. RPG-1 are Panzerfaust 30 copies. Forces are BT4 (good morale, poor training).
DO NOT READ MATERIAL ON FOLLOWING PAGE UNTIL A BATTLE PLAN HAS BEEN DRAWN UP.
Back to Lone Warrior #116 Table of Contents
© Copyright 1996 Solo Wargamers Association.
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com