IJA Pack Divisions (and related matters)

[el cid again]

Some time ago it occurred to me that all our formations were the same in terms of logistical cost to move - they differed only in
the kind of artillery assigned (field or mountain guns - and the difference between these was very little indeed)

IRL Japanese units came in three falvors -

Semi-motorized
Draft
Pack

Their SIZE was the inverse of their FIREPOWER - it takes a lot more to lift or feed a pack unit than a Draft one - and similarly a
semi-motorized one has a lot more firepower but is actually easier to lift. [The US Army dismounted the First Cavalry Division in North Africa
essentially for that reason]

What could I do to make this the case in the game?

MOST units are Draft - so we use the system as is for that.

Semi-motorized is next - it has half its transport in the form of trucks - so we replace that number of squads with motorized support squads.
Also - it gets heavier weapons - motorized recon - more and bigger artillery - so the unit will have more firepower.

But what to do for pack? This came last - but finally I figured it out: you get THREE TIMES the "men" in transport regiments:
twice as support and - so they do not generate any more effective support - half of that (1/3 of the total squads in transport regiments) as labor squads which require support but contribute little to a battle. This formation is vastly larger - takes more to transport by ship or air - and it eats a lot more - but it actually has less firepower - as it should have.

[el cid again]

Labor squads and an exactly equal number of support squads represent vast numbers of mules, mule handlers, or less often, actual squads of porters - if actual IJA these would be Koreans.

This works remarkably well. These divisions have MORE combat power than you might expect - because WITP code considers total squad count in its calculations - but it has little heavy weapons firepower - and only the usual amount of infantry and engineer firepower. They are very useful in China or against weak enemies - e.g. supply sinks. They are mostly useful where they can be fed - not so good where every last ton must be sent to them.

Semi-motorized units (5th Division, 18th Division, 48th Division) work better than you might expect too. The motorized support counts as vehicles, and vehicle count matters in WITP combat. On the other hand, trucks DO have military utility - and their being present matters even if you use Dupuy or some other resolution system. This combined with the heavier weapons makes them nice units. Add to that that two are square - 18th and 5th divisions have four regiments - so they are big to begin with. These are the premier IJA units in the SRA - followed by triangular (B) 48th.

RHS uses A and B designations to help players understand the kind of formation. A units tend to have heavier weapons. There are also C units - these being more or less garrison units - two brigades each composed entirely of independent infantry battalions - 4 or 5 per brigade gives 8 or 10 battalions per division. But there is nothing above battalion heavy weapons wise - and all the engineers and artillery are parceled out to the battalions to begin with. These are not iintended to stand in the line against real divisions - and they are also smaller - and for that reason easier to move - or buy political assignment for.

Yet other terms are "division" brigades - these are binary divisions with two regiments.
And there is a "Brigade" division - 65th Brigade has three regiments - but only two battalions ecch. Calling it a division lets them split up - they could and did - but it is smaller than a normal division.
And there is a "light" division. This is a division with less heavy weapons - and less support - t han a regular one - but it has the normal 3 regiments of infantry. It is easier to lift - but has less combat power - than a norma drvision.

ALL these are draft units - of course - the norm.

[el cid again]

Armor is different. The Russiand and Japanese get no Armor Divisions per se. THe Russians start with them, and break into parts. THe Japanese start the other way around and form into divisions. I kept them both at brigade/regiment level all the time - so if you want a "division" you put three elements in the same hex - or in the case of Japan - two elements.

These units are either tank brigades or motorized/mechanized regiments. They are coded as armor units and will move twice as fast as other units do. The Japanese ones are pretty light - but devastating early in the war when not opposed by true armor. The Russian ones are pretty normal - and get a lot stronger. Both should upgrade their vehicles. Both are more or less triangular - and far too weak in infantry. The regiments, on the other hand, are almost entirely infantry. Both brigades and regiments in the armor have some artillery, but not a lot.

Now in the Western powers, units either do not exist or are very small and weak when the war begins. But they either grow to gigantic size or they come in as reinforcements. These units end up being very big, very hard to lift, and very powerful - and there are very few of them in PTO. Often a tank battalion or brigade is a big deal - and early even companies are. There are a number of actions in which as few as 1 or 2 light tanks mattered.

[goodboyladdie]

Thanks very much for the fantastic explanations. Now I'll know to panic when SigInt tells me an A Division is planning for my hex! [:)]

[Dili]

I have put Field Hand Squads in my Alpini, Celere and Cavalry(with  horses) units.

[el cid again]

I heard (well read) that. I also am pleased they have a job in the pack units. This means they will survive even the demise of Supply Sinks for which they were invented (in AE). I don't know why - but I like them.