Degrading Japanese Colonial Units
Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:54 am
I noted that the one proper IJA Cavalry Group seems to be misnamed as the Mongol Cavalry Division. There are nine seperate Mongol Cavalry Divisions in addition to this unit, but no IJA Cavalry Group, although most references (including US Army intel) say there was one (and only one).
I do not have hard evidence for the number of Mongol formations, but USN and Chinese sources indicate there were such formations: so I am accepting the existing data there could have been 9 numbered units.
However, I did not think these formations are properly rated as divisions. They break down into two weak "brigades" - each with only two line battalions - plus support units. So I defined them using the official IJA name (group) and then classified them as brigades - which in our system break down into two sub units (not three like a division does).
Each of these sub-units will only have 8 x 75mm guns, for example - which does not seem excessive.
I also felt the Japanese habit of not issuing the best (or very numerous) weapons ought to be reflected in a difference between the IJA and Mongol formations: so I created a Mongol Cavalry Squad (and combined two IJA cavalry squads which are almost identical into one - to get the slot). The difference is that the anti-armor value of the Mongols is very poor and the anti-soft value slightly less than the IJA cavalry squads. The IJA one upgrades - but the Mongols do not.
This caused me to wonder about many other units which have been added by CHS - either past or new. [There are Vietnamese, Burmese and Indian units for example.] I want to add still others - especially in China and Thailand (the latter only after Thailand Joins the Axis - a few days into the war). But it seems to me wrong to rate these formations as the same as Japanese squads - since not one of them was. I seek comments about createing something like an Indian Army Squad or Commonwealth Squad for the Japanese - and also a request for a name if we did such a thing? Again, it would be given the minimum anti-armor value (which is 5 and which means 5mm of armor) and a fairly low anti-soft value (probably 19 - the standard for a second line rifle squad). I would then convert all non-Japanese units (other than cavalry) with IJA squads to this (whatever it is called) colonial/allied squad.
I do not have hard evidence for the number of Mongol formations, but USN and Chinese sources indicate there were such formations: so I am accepting the existing data there could have been 9 numbered units.
However, I did not think these formations are properly rated as divisions. They break down into two weak "brigades" - each with only two line battalions - plus support units. So I defined them using the official IJA name (group) and then classified them as brigades - which in our system break down into two sub units (not three like a division does).
Each of these sub-units will only have 8 x 75mm guns, for example - which does not seem excessive.
I also felt the Japanese habit of not issuing the best (or very numerous) weapons ought to be reflected in a difference between the IJA and Mongol formations: so I created a Mongol Cavalry Squad (and combined two IJA cavalry squads which are almost identical into one - to get the slot). The difference is that the anti-armor value of the Mongols is very poor and the anti-soft value slightly less than the IJA cavalry squads. The IJA one upgrades - but the Mongols do not.
This caused me to wonder about many other units which have been added by CHS - either past or new. [There are Vietnamese, Burmese and Indian units for example.] I want to add still others - especially in China and Thailand (the latter only after Thailand Joins the Axis - a few days into the war). But it seems to me wrong to rate these formations as the same as Japanese squads - since not one of them was. I seek comments about createing something like an Indian Army Squad or Commonwealth Squad for the Japanese - and also a request for a name if we did such a thing? Again, it would be given the minimum anti-armor value (which is 5 and which means 5mm of armor) and a fairly low anti-soft value (probably 19 - the standard for a second line rifle squad). I would then convert all non-Japanese units (other than cavalry) with IJA squads to this (whatever it is called) colonial/allied squad.