Matrix Games Forums

The East Manchurian Railway - built by the Russians before Japan took over the area originally on Russian Wide gage and converted to Standard gage by the Japanese - runs from Vladivostok to Harbin. It is correctly represented in the game map. The approach to Mutankiang - on the Japanese side of the border - was covered by a set of major fortifications NOT in the OB of CHS or stock. These included an experimental 41 cm howitzer (designed for coast defense but not used when 16 inch naval guns became available after the Washington Naval Treaty) remounted for use as a fixed field gun. [In 1945 this weapon took out a RR bridge - because it had been pre sited to do that - near its maximum range of 20 km]. According to a Levenworth Paper on August Storm, which has a detail map of the fortification, the immediate complex had 15 forts,
and in addition to the super heavy stated above, also had two 300 mm howitzers, two 240 mm howitzers, six 150 mm guns (two of these casemated and four in revetments), and a very different order of battle than game fortress OBs. The TO&E was 12 infantry companies and 1 engineer company, 3 artillery batteries and 2 artillery companies, not at all the engineer heavy organizations I see in the OB we are using. I have, naturally, added the 41 cm gun as a device.

There is a different Japanese super heavy one off. Built by Schneider of France, it is a 28 cm railway gun. [A German name in France!] It was called Type 90. One Japanese web site says it was the "only RR gun in IJA" and that its history was not glorious - cought displacing by Russian troops it was destroyed to prevent use by the enemy. Other sources say there were versions of Japnese 24 cm guns used on railroads, and some of these (using standard gage in Manchuria) were used to reduce Corregidor and attempt to reduce Fort Drum in the Philippines. [ Fort Drum was undamaged except for loss of concrete - the CO surrendered because the meeting called to decide on this was informed they were out of food.] But this Japanese web site says that only non-rail versions of the 24 cm guns - there were two of these (long and short) - were used.
The mid war US Army Manual on Japanese Forces also lists the Schneider gun - so I will add it. But there is a problem: if mobile, what ties it to rail lines? Only a house rule as far as I can see could deal with it. Further,
it could not be used in any place without standard gage rail (e.g. outside China, Korea, Manchuria or the Philippines).

Hi,

there were 13 Border Garrison Units in Manchuria (1st - 13th), two more were added later (14th + 15th) to replace disbanded BGU's. Seems that you're referring to 15th BGU (which replaced 4th) that manned Koutou Fort.

Problem with this forts/units is that it seems that they were mostly included in the Japanese divisions that formed in 1945 (which gave some of them a quite strange artillery TOE!). And they varied alot in strength, between 3,000 - 8,000 men at full strength, but this seems to have been somewhat theoretical, at least 15th BGU did only mobilize 4 rifle companies, 2 artillery companies and 1 engineer platoon (1,400 men).

K

Problem with this forts/units is that it seems that they were mostly included in the Japanese divisions that formed in 1945 (which gave some of them a quite strange artillery TOE!). And they varied alot in strength, between 3,000 - 8,000 men at full strength, but this seems to have been somewhat theoretical, at least 15th BGU did only mobilize 4 rifle companies, 2 artillery companies and 1 engineer platoon (1,400 men).

K

To begin at the end, you are correct: when the Soviets invaded the 15th was down to only 4 infantry companies and 1 engineer platoon (but rather more artillery). However, I listed the TO&E which was NOT theoretical, but which was historical. The entire Kwangtung Army had been gutted of manpower for the war in the South by 1945 - and it was only a shadow of its former self. Also, in this area, typically the Kwangtung Army had assigned regiments, which remained back at base, and only a battalion was forward. In the event this mattered because the Soviets achieved surprise - they cancelled artillery preparation in all areas but one to prevent using it as warning. Had the Japanese had time, all these units would have had more manpower and units forward. In the game we cannot force the system by assuming a worst case for Japan - it is wholly unrealistic and unfair. And in the game if a player allows his units not to be supplied, they will get weaker too. This can also be forced by the enemy if he cuts lines of supply. I think the system works fairly well - but it needs the normal strength to work properly.