Matrix Games Forums

In the AAR section, there are several AARs which see Allies invade the Home Islands. So, after the Soviets have activated in 1945, and after the two atomic bombs have been dropped, and the Japs still don't surrender, the Allies are forced to invade the Home Islands proper. Shouldn't the Jap player receive some Civilian Infantry Squads with bamboo sticks and old rifles then? No supply upkeep included. Anti-armor rating 0, anti-soft rating 5 ( just like support squads). In the RL, the Jap command was eyeing such a mobilisation.

The manual mentions "emergency mobilization", which creates some LCUs for no cost, but I've never been trying to hold the home islands in '45, so I'm not the authority.

In the ground combat model how would that work? What AV would you assign? How would that do anything for the game except give the Allies a lot of VP?

IIRC the Japanese emergency reinforcements are called Depot Divisions and they arrive when you breach that 15 hex range of the home islands (or whatever it is - it seems to keep changing). That sounds like the untrained soldiers being rushed out of combat school.

I agree there could be a civilian militia with sharpened Ken-do swords and wasabi chemical weapons, but they would just be cannonfodder against any military unit strong enough to be landed on their shores. Their only purpose would be to use up allied supply.

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

In the ground combat model how would that work? What AV would you assign? How would that do anything for the game except give the Allies a lot of VP?

It's just an idea. In the late DBB mod, Symon created New Guinea and Samoan battalions with O AV to represent how poorly they were armed . Desperate times, desperate measures. VP haul for Allies? Why not. Gives the Emperor more food for thought re unconditional surrender.

IIRC the Japanese emergency reinforcements are called Depot Divisions and they arrive when you breach that 15 hex range of the home islands

Its done by 'country code'. Each hex has a 'country code', for Japan the number is 100. So if a hex with a code of 100 is taken the emergency reinforcements are activated.

Edit: I should add you may examine the 'country code' by pressing the '4' key.

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

IIRC the Japanese emergency reinforcements are called Depot Divisions and they arrive when you breach that 15 hex range of the home islands (or whatever it is - it seems to keep changing). That sounds like the untrained soldiers being rushed out of combat school.

You have to land on a land hex that has the proper national designation. There's no hex range involved. I activated them on purpose in two PBEM games in the early war.

ORIGINAL: Yaab

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

In the ground combat model how would that work? What AV would you assign? How would that do anything for the game except give the Allies a lot of VP?

It's just an idea. In the late DBB mod, Symon created New Guinea and Samoan battalions with O AV to represent how poorly they were armed . Desperate times, desperate measures. VP haul for Allies? Why not. Gives the Emperor more food for thought re unconditional surrender.

I suspect the DBB entries were based on historical units. What you're talking about is ahistorical. The game doesn't model guerrilla war to any extent. And so far as I know it always models squads as having some kind of ranged weapons, not sticks. Not sure if combat can even happen if there aren't weapons stats that involve firepower. Even 0 AV units have something.

Most of the IJA divisions that arrive in 1945 are the emergency mobilisation forces that you'd like to see. Considering that the depot divisions were little more than basic equipment and a training staff, the fact that you get them as actual combat units is about as emergency a mobilisation as you can get - a bunch of disabled infantry squads with experience and morale in the gutter.

One titbit worth discussing is the Downfall Scenario - in it, aviation and naval support is replaced with something along the lines of IJA/IJN Armed support units, basically support squads with rifles. A nice touch to reflect the "down to the triari" attitude of the Japanese forces in 1945.

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: Yaab

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

In the ground combat model how would that work? What AV would you assign? How would that do anything for the game except give the Allies a lot of VP?

It's just an idea. In the late DBB mod, Symon created New Guinea and Samoan battalions with O AV to represent how poorly they were armed . Desperate times, desperate measures. VP haul for Allies? Why not. Gives the Emperor more food for thought re unconditional surrender.

I suspect the DBB entries were based on historical units. What you're talking about is ahistorical. The game doesn't model guerrilla war to any extent. And so far as I know it always models squads as having some kind of ranged weapons, not sticks. Not sure if combat can even happen if there aren't weapons stats that involve firepower. Even 0 AV units have something.

Home Island invasions in WiTP:AE are ahistorical too. We don't know how such mobilisation would have played out if the Allies had been forced to go through with "Downfall" and "Olympic" in absence of the Jap's unconditional surrender. Such civilian militia could work the same way as support sqauds in combat.

ORIGINAL: Yaab

Home Island invasions in WiTP:AE are ahistorical too. We don't know how such mobilisation would have played out if the Allies had been forced to go through with "Downfall" and "Olympic" in absence of the Jap's unconditional surrender. Such civilian militia could work the same way as support sqauds in combat.

The invasions are ahistorical, but the forces used are not.

Support squads in the game are military, with at least some formal training and weapons that work in the combat models. You're talking about housewives with bamboo sticks. If creating them by the hundreds of thousands so the Allies can liquidate them with flame tanks blows up your skirt I guess the editor could be used to try.


(N.B. for visitors from other forums. That was an attempt at terse. It's what I do.)