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I just uploaded the Scenario "Hokushin-Ron" to the scenario bank.

A brief history of why it came into being. I have long had the urge to add something unique to the DC series. Also I have an itch for doing what-ifs.

This scenario began to take form as I researched the Battle for Khalkin Gol or as the Japanese would call it the Nomonhan incident. It was one of at least two border skirmishes that the Japanese fought with the Soviets prior to WW2. I thought it could have been a good scenario. So I looked into it.

Getting the maps and such or OOBs wasn't really a problem, but the small scale of the battle was. However I had already begun to warm on the idea of a Japanese vs. Soviet scenario. So I stumbled across a few threads. One in particulary caught my attention. It called the Question: What if Japan had fought the Soviet Union, the Operation Sealion of the East. Well that really had me thinking.

SO I did a quick search, and then searched some more, and even more than that.... and nobody had ever made such a scenario, as far as I could tell....

I invested in a few books, most of them ebooks, and studied the situation... and came up with the Scenario: Hokushin-Ron.

From the Scenario Description:

"The Japanese had two potential warplans drawn up at the start of the 2nd world war. One school of thought was the to choose the northern path (Hokushin-ron) the other was to choose the southern path (Nanshin-ron) of expansion. In the real world the Southern expansion route was chosen, to some extent because of the results of the Nomonhan incident, where the Soviet Union won a decisive victory. The battle there gave the supporters of the Southern expansion arguments enough to win the debate over which way to expand, and the rest is history...

But what if the Japanese had not lost at the Nomonhan incident, what if they had fought it to a draw, or even drawn opposite conclusions that the Soviet Union was simply too dangerous a foe to leave as a threat in their back yard while they expanded southwards. This scenario depicts just that.

A few other things would probably have needed to have happened for this scenario to unfold like it has been written. Among others the Japanese will have quietly left the occupied French Indochina, and thus have curried some favor with the Americans, preventing an all out oil embargo, which would be crippling to the Japanese offensive. Also Hitler would have had to make more than broad hints to the Japanese that they were going to attack the Soviet Union, and said it outright, to the Japanese delegations visiting Germany.

A plan already existed for the assault on the Soviet Union. That plan, would require the Japanese securing Vladivostok, and sinking the fleet there by air. Since Pearl Harbor never happened, the Japanese naval air would instead sink the Soviet Fleet in port. Securing the port, while not losing any other assets will allow for a Japanese minor victory.

The Soviet union is in the midst of a death struggle with Germany at this point in time. Reserves have been moved from the Far East to fight the Germans, and they are at the weakest they ever were in real life. This is when the Japanese attack, to cause maximum disruption. The Soviet Union will begin with forces that can barely cope with the Japanese attack, the situation does get better, especially in the west, where forces from the Transbaikal are moved in fast to counter the Japanese assault. It will be a race against time.

The map itself is made up of 40 km hexes, and the time scale is 7 days a turn. Navies have been omitted, as the Japanese navy was very much in favor of the Southern expansion route, and would be indifferent at best to the Imperial Japanese Armies adventures in the North. Instead it would guard the main islands against an attack from what would survive of the Soviet Navy. Especially the Submarines might cause troubles.

The date is August 1st 1941. What happens next, is up to you... "

Hello ernieshwitz! I downloaded your Winter War scenario then tried to play it by going into DC-Barbarrosa, but when I clicked on the scenario button it wasn't there. Is there something in the Community project that allows it to be run?

Yes, they are supposed to be run from within the community project program. I think Vic has made it downloadable from his site. It used to be downloadable from the scenariobank at advancedtactics.org but now that is merged with the VR site.

Hope you enjoy the scenario, when you get that far

http://www.vrdesigns.net/community1.php

Go to that link, and download once you've logged in, oh and maybe you need to update it.

Thank you! [:)]

ORIGINAL: ernieschwitz

I just uploaded the Scenario "Hokushin-Ron" to the scenario bank.

A brief history of why it came into being. I have long had the urge to add something unique to the DC series. Also I have an itch for doing what-ifs.

This scenario began to take form as I researched the Battle for Khalkin Gol or as the Japanese would call it the Nomonhan incident. It was one of at least two border skirmishes that the Japanese fought with the Soviets prior to WW2. I thought it could have been a good scenario. So I looked into it.

Getting the maps and such or OOBs wasn't really a problem, but the small scale of the battle was. However I had already begun to warm on the idea of a Japanese vs. Soviet scenario. So I stumbled across a few threads. One in particulary caught my attention. It called the Question: What if Japan had fought the Soviet Union, the Operation Sealion of the East. Well that really had me thinking.

SO I did a quick search, and then searched some more, and even more than that.... and nobody had ever made such a scenario, as far as I could tell....

I invested in a few books, most of them ebooks, and studied the situation... and came up with the Scenario: Hokushin-Ron.

Thanks for that scenario.

[:'(]

That was brilliant idea. It's unique and it's refreshing because of it. I tried it a little (playing both sides simultaneously) and I've got some thoughts about it. I hope it will be helpful:

(in loose order)

- All replacements do not come to specified hex, but to HQ unit (Sov has 2 places specified, but all goes to FarEeastFront HQ).

- 7 days turns means like 14-15 turns for whole scenario, but the scale of scenario (3 months) suggests something longer. I would prefer 1 day turns, so 97 turns in scenario.


- When I formed Japanese mobile infantry brigade in turn 2 (from scratch) it was battle nearly ready (full) at turn 14.

- Forming regiments (1 unit) is faster, but it takes a few turn also.

- Suggested names changes:
Japanese infantry to Infantry (jap) - too long
Infantry to Infantry (sov) - will be easier with compare function (alphabetical)
37 AA Gun to 37 AA Gun (jap) - two same names for jap and sov
37 AA Gun to 37 AA Gun (sov)
Japanese Cavalry to Cavalry (jap)
Cavalry to Cavalry (sov) and so on.

- Sov got T-60 tanks as replacements. Are there units using them?

- There is possibility to create Imp. Guards divisions, but there seems not Imp. Guards replacements (like NKVD for Soviets). It fills up very slowly. I think guards replacements start coming when real Imp. Guard division comes by card.

- DISTANCE and PACE of scenario. Mukden-Harbin 25 hexes. In real 563 km. 1 hex = 22 km. Artillery (10cm Howitzer) moves 4 hexes by road to Harbin a turn. So it seems 88 km a week. I think 22 km is distance than can by traveled by one day, not whole week (by road). I think Japanese artillery has horses anyway (even if they are not seen in game). The same is true for infantry units.

Comparison:
1941. 22 June Tilsit (near German-Soviet border). German I. Infanterie-Division goes to Narva. 694 km. It takes 30 days to Narva (22 July). 23 km a day during whole month of fighting!

- Now, there is nearly impossible to send reinforcements as Japan to northern front (12th Army). There is no rail, so troops go by foot and it takes whole campaign to go there from Mukden [7-8 turns in fact].

- Jap needs more trains. Maybe random replacements from time to time. Let's say possibility of 1 new train every 7 days will be enough.

- Sov supplies go through few places but comes only to HQ. So when Jap divides them (taking road in the middle north between Svobodnyj-Pavlowich) then left side of Soviet forces have no supply. 17th Army should have no superior HQ (actually it is connected to FEF). I'm not sure if AI knows that fact

- Please add jap Tankettes as replacements. There is deficit of those in units. Even armor card gives only 5 of them.

- Please add trains to Truck card replacements. There are so many reinforcements and replacements and so few trains to move them, so most need to go by foot (so slow).

- Deck Card Gamble. Risky orders misfired says -18% malus, but in fact gives +18 bonus.

Hi Hanti,

You've outlined some interesting things. I will give them consideration.

Honestly this scenario, was made exclusively in the simple and intermediate editors, so there are some things that are alittle off.

I did make a special event library, that contains, one event, that allows troops to come in faster to units. Maybe it is not working?

As for scale it should be 25 km, so you are pretty close in calculations. I followed the recommendation from Vic and let it fit to his Scale that can be defined in the simple editor. So days are meant to be 7 days, but I can easily see that they are too slow.

I was constricted in the making by my attempt to build it only in Simple and Intermediate Editors. So some things, like supplies and what is whats superior is very much remnants of that.

I also did not, unfortunately had time to test the Scenario much against other human opponents. Sadly there might still be some developement needed in the Scenario for that reason.

I will try doing the name changes you suggest. I guess it would be best for all involved.

The Imperial Guards Divisions are purposely left with only one way to reinforce them, that is by using the cards that come. I had a good reason, I remember but now I cannot remember what it was. Tankettes come in very small number cause they were actually stopped in production, i believe... You may be right that there are too few trains.

If you wish to improve apon this scenario, I can provide all the files If not it might be some while before I address all your points.

EDIT: Oh and that deck card, that is Vics programming that is faulty, so I expect him to correct that.

- Deck Card Gamble. Risky orders misfired says -18% malus, but in fact gives +18 bonus.

Hi there. I am adding this to the to-do list for the next CP version.

Thanks for spotting it.

Best wishes,
Vic

Thanks for scenario!I wanted to ask ...

AI USSR acts aggressively when reserves are suitable?