Korea? Again? Again???

[John B.]

My previous bout with Marc ended right after the Greeks took Wonsan with a UN victory because the Chinese did not intervene. So, we agreed to switch sides and now I'm free to unleash my inner revolutionary as I drive the capitalist bloodsuckers from their lairs and liberate the workers and peasants of South Korea. All hail Most Fabulicious Leader Kim Il-Sung. We are not even worthy to type his name!!!

This war is clearly an act of Imperialist aggression as I was merely moving troops around in NK when they were struck by interdiction airstrikes (perhaps a bug that should be fixed?). Fortunately, the workers army just happened to be at the boarder and just happened to be fully supplied and just happened to be ready for a war of liberation and just happened to be in echelon formation that just happened to be ready to storm the ramparts of reaction.

Here is the results about 1/2 of the way through the turn. Pretty good progress all around.

[John B.]

Not surprisingly, the combats are all going the NK way right now.

[John B.]

And, here's how things stand just before the end of the turn. I'm driviving down the east coast and, in the final round of attacks just after this shot I captured (er liberated) Seoul and destroyed the encircled band of Syngman's stooges. I don't think I can get to Pusan, but I"m going to try.

[John B.]

Liberation turn two. Here is the start of the turn.

UN air pirates were annoying this turn. I've noticed that the interdiction is more intense when I go through airfields so I'm trying to avoid those.

[John B.]

Not nearly as many attacks this turn, but the ROK lackeys continue to fold in the face of ferocious freedom fighters (who adore alliteration).

[John B.]

End of the turn. I've pushed hard down the east coast (where supply will be a problem) and eliminated a couple of pockets but did not get much penetration on the West coast or in the center. The lackeys no doubt received extra payments to American gold to stiffen their spines as I was just one mp away from pushing further but could not make any more attacks.

[John B.]

Liberation day turn three. The unthinkable happened. On the East Coast the ROK marines held on the coast and in the West the ROK regiment held at Taejon. The Most Incredible Fantastic Leader ever Kim Il Sung is not happy. No, he is not happy at all. But, on the east coast I did get an armored unit south of the marines. I'm sure there are UN lackey troops skulking about somewhere and this may flush them out.

Damn air pirates!

[John B.]

Liberation Turn 4. We're in the middle of July and alas the tank regiment that made it south went to the great socialist motherland in the sky. Most toasted marshmallow leader Kim Il-Jung applauded them and upheld them as an example to all school children.

We did manage to take Taegu in the center but the reactionaries are holding us up in west as they do not seem to appreciate their given role as target practice for the glorious people's army of workers and peasants.

[John B.]

Liberation turn 5. On the east coast we run into a wall of American arch lackeys (only here due to a totally illegal vote in the UN security counsel). One attack against them failed while the other one, indicated, managed to liberate another ROK town. I also pushed back the ROK marine regiment.

On the west coast some more progress was made but I have been unable to get to the supply point. I've been pushing in the center as it is not defended right now and may help me get around the flanks of either coast.

My troops are beyond exhausted and running low on supplies. But, now is the best time to push with the ROK troops shattered and the Americans thin on the ground. Not as much air piracy this turn.

[John B.]

Liberation turn 7. We're at the end of July and, as you can see, so close to Pusan that the Leader We All Adore Because He Is So Handsome, Kim Il-Sung can almost taste it. It was actually a pretty good turn for the NK forces. One American regiment broke into its constituent parts as did an engineer battalion in the middle when I'm one hex shy of cutting the ROK in two. I also took Kwangju and the supply point at Kunsan.

I've only identified two US divisions (the ROK is basically just a speed bump right now) so there are likely two more lurking someplace.

All NK units are set to ignore losses. And they all die with the name Kim Il-Sung on their lips!

[John B.]

Liberation turn 8. It's the start of August and I suspect that the NK army has reached it's high water mark. Marc had a number of attacks in his turn and here you see me at the end of mine. I had two failed attacks against the Americans in the East and pushed back a couple of SK units in the west.

I did not push too hard this time as my supplies are a little bit better and I'm resting the boys behind the lines who did not fight. Also, there seems to be at least one US division (aka 1st Marine) that has not made an appearance. Inchon is fortified and so is Wonsan so let's hope he can't make too much of an impression with an invasion.

[John B.]

Liberation turn 9. And, Strikingly Handsome Leader Who Is Kind To Small Animals Kim Il-Sung is both pleased and displeased with the results. The UN mercenaries made inroads in the West and pushed my forces back towards Kwangju. In the East (where I have more forces) they pushed hard and made some penetrations in my line, but no breakthroughs.

Here is the map about 1/2 of the way through my turn. I had two failed attacks in the West but pushed back an incursion in the east and broke up a US regiment into battalions.

I'm taking very heavy casualties by continuing the offensive but I figured this army is doomed anyway and rather than let the UN pick me apart, I'd rather keep the pressure on and keep his troops tired and disorganized. I also try to target the ROK Marine Regiment as it can cooperate fully with the UN so there is no cooperation penalty.

After this picture was taken, I moved in and attacked another regimental combat team in the East and pushed it back as well. A lot of my soldiers became one with the dialectic as result but the hex was retaken and the line straightened out.

The 1st Marine division is oddly missing.

[John B.]

BTW, the US armored battalion in the center was attacked three times from both sides (with my staff telling me that the prognoses was good each time) and it held all three times. My staff are now each buying lottery tickets for a weekly piece of bread in the Gulag. It does not pay to disappoint the Leader Who Is A Really Snazzy Dresser Kim Il-Sung!!

[John B.]

Some of my attacks work and some of them don't. It's a real sense of accomplishment when a US unit retreats!

[John B.]

Sorry for the delay, the UN went nuclear and the Chinese intervened but there did not seem to be any reason for that, so Marc re-did the turn and we're back on. Here is the situation at the start of my turn. Marc is unfairly taking advantage of his better firepower and supply to push me around. Typical capitalist.

[John B.]

I decided that many of my men had done quite well and deserved some R&R so I pulled units out of the front to go home to the socialist motherland. Anyone who calls this a retreat rather a reward for a job well done will be shot.

I did do a couple of attacks on the east coast and pushed back one stack but could not dislodge his armored batallion on the coast. My lack of supply may have had something to do with it. But, I did get it into the red and hopefully out of serious action for awhile.

[John B.]

Here is a current view of the Korean Peninsula or, as we like to call it, Kim Il-Sungland.

[John B.]

Well the Americans, in a completely unexpected move, invaded at Inchon and, unfortunately, they made it ashore and even pushed me back a hex. I think I managed to pull back from Pusan in time so I should be able to continue to fight around Seoul for awhile while Marc is tied up in the south clearing me out.

[John B.]

I did manage some attacks in the south, and a couple of them worked.

[John B.]

The indomitable will of the army or Workers and Peasants actually managed to cut off a couple of US units and to run down a US artillery battalion. Don't tell Sweeter Than Peanut Brittle Leader Kim Il-Sung but it's all over in the south. I'm just trying to tie Marc up and wear out as many of his units as I can.

BTW, I'm never quite clear, what actually happens to units that retreat when you click on them? Do they lose devices as they retreat or are they just getting more and more disorganized?