I just came across this video on youtube about the Chinese Nationalist army and their German friends.
Great for a bit of inspiration.
Showing posts with label WW2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WW2. Show all posts
Setting up for my first China vs Australia WW2 game
A couple of photos showing the Australians on patrol in the Jungle:
This scene will be the jump off point for the game - the Australians have to reach a number of patrol points before making it back to the other side of the river.
I will be playing with the DH: Point Blank rules, and using Platoon Forward for the management of the enemy. Although Platoon Forward is geared to, well..,, a Platoon, I am adapting the supplement to smaller sized units.
I am also thinking of remaking my jungle scenery to make it look a lot more 'sexier'.
This scene will be the jump off point for the game - the Australians have to reach a number of patrol points before making it back to the other side of the river.
I will be playing with the DH: Point Blank rules, and using Platoon Forward for the management of the enemy. Although Platoon Forward is geared to, well..,, a Platoon, I am adapting the supplement to smaller sized units.
I am also thinking of remaking my jungle scenery to make it look a lot more 'sexier'.
Revisiting WW2 Alternative History - China as the aggressor
I played one game of Bolt Action in the setting and didn't do anything more with it. Given I only have a section per side, and I am using the "DH: Point Blank" rules that only require a section per side, it might be time to kick this one back in to action.
Like with all my alternative history settings, I like to base it as close to actual history as I possibly can.
To this end, I am using the following actual history for my back ground:
In the 1880's until the end of WW1, China and Germany had very close ties, and China was getting help from Germany to modernise the country. This went a little pear shaped during WW1, and it wasn't until 1926 that things were getting back on track between the two countries, with German military trainers arriving the train the Nationalist Party of China.
This really kicked up a notch when the Nazis came to power in 1933 and started training and supplying China with training and equipment in a much bigger scale.
The Finance minister of China and Kuomintang official H.H.Kung and two other Chinese Kuomintang officials visited Germany in 1937 and were received by Adolf Hitler.
Kung visited Hermann Göring on June 11 and Göring told him he thought Japan was a "Far East Italy" (referring to the fact that during World War I Italy had broken its alliance and declared war against Germany), and Germany would never trust Japan. Kung asked Göring "Which country will Germany choose as her friend, China or Japan?", and Göring said China could be a mighty power in the future and Germany would take China as friend.
With these points in mind I can start to weave a bit of alternative history in to the back ground.
Historically, the Nationalists fought wars against the Communists and Warlords in China.
In the alternative history, the warlords and communists were defeated and the nation united (except for maybe a small communist area close to Russia... just to allow for some future fun and games from that area).
If this unification was done sooner rather than later, China would have the ability to modernise and build a very large army before the events leading up to WW2.
Now, with such a large army and wanting avenge military humiliation at the hands of Europe and Japan from the 1800s onwards, China starts to flex its muscles and invade other nations for their natural resources to provide for their ever expanding modernisation.
The Sino-Tibetan war of 1930-1932 would make an ideal jump off point for this aggression.
The big question is what to do with Japan in this alternative history.
Do I treat them like Britain - Japan could have its own Dunkirk as it is kicked out of Korea?
This would put them on the back foot as they prepare to defend Japan from Chinese aggression. The main focus for Japan could be keeping their borders safe and conducting their own "Battle of Britain" as it were preventing China from launching it's own "Operation Sealion" against Japan.
With no Japan as the main antagonist, there would be no Pearl Harbour, so no major involvement from the US, although China would invade the Philippines, but would that be enough to galvanise the American nation in to declaring war?
Following the occupation of Korea, the other Asian nations bordering China would go next Southeast Asia and South Asia soon after that.
This would give control over most of the areas Japan held during WW2.
Britain, and thus Australia, are drawn in to the conflict when Singapore is captured.
With most of Asia under China's control, Australia and the Pacific would be next in line for conquest.
Military Developement - the big factor
As Nationalist China was equiped by Germany, including weapons, tanks and planes, it wouldn't be too hard to see early war German equipment in a game set in this alternative history.
The question is, does China keep getting German support in the form of blueprints and new technology during the war?
This is probably the most practicle way to game this conflict, so as to make for some games with a lot more gear to play with.
Wargaming the War
Unfortunately, there isn't a large range of WW2 era Chinese figures to use for this alternative history.
Brigade Games makes some 28mm Chinese Nationalists, some of which I have, and I can add WW2 German equipment in the form of tanks and trucks to the game easily enough.
Eureka miniatures does some 15mm Chinese, but again, it isn't a large range. Eureka do make some lovely Australians, Gurkhas and early war US figures that would be great to game with though.
The only other company that I know of that makes WW2 Chinese is Reiver Casting, who at least make some suport weapons in the form on mortars and HMGs. They also make artillery crew, so I could add German artillery or AT guns to the game.
At the moment I have a section of Australians and Chinese to start playing with, and I could easily switch to using Eureka Miniatures 15mm range.
At squad level plus some support weapons etc, 15mm wont break the bank, and I can play in smaller areas.
WW2 Alternative History
One of the things I like about wargaming is the ability to play out "what if" alternative history settings.
There is a a bit of scope to do this for WW2.
I have a setting for this where the Allies and Russia go to war, but a few years ago I came up with a different setting: China vs the Allies.
I am still ironing out the finer details for this Alternative History setting, but it is something that allows me to use the excellent Brigade Games 28mm Australians and Chinese troops.
I have painted up a section of Aussies, and a Section plus of Chinese for a skirmish game:
With any luck I will be able to play the first game using this setting in the next week or so when my mate comes back from holidays in Queensland.
There is a a bit of scope to do this for WW2.
I have a setting for this where the Allies and Russia go to war, but a few years ago I came up with a different setting: China vs the Allies.
I am still ironing out the finer details for this Alternative History setting, but it is something that allows me to use the excellent Brigade Games 28mm Australians and Chinese troops.
I have painted up a section of Aussies, and a Section plus of Chinese for a skirmish game:
With any luck I will be able to play the first game using this setting in the next week or so when my mate comes back from holidays in Queensland.
Bolt Action WW2 Soviet Reinforcements
Huzzar!
Warlord Games have released their WW2 Bolt Action Soviets as single figures again, meaning I can complete my WW2 Russian army!
Soviet Reinforcements
Huzzar!
I might have to wait a while now seeing as I have a few other projects on the go.
Warlord Games have released their WW2 Bolt Action Soviets as single figures again, meaning I can complete my WW2 Russian army!
Soviet Reinforcements
Huzzar!
I might have to wait a while now seeing as I have a few other projects on the go.
My 28mm WW2 figures
One of my concurrent projects (well, not that concurrent) is putting together forces for late war WW2.
At this stage I have a platoon of British Infantry less command and support, a Section plus of British Paratroopers, and the makings of a Soviet Platoon with a scout section.
I have two tanks - a German Panther that I had painted for me, and a Soviet T-34 that I might have to get painted for me.
The Germans haven't been forgotten - apart from a couple of Artizan Designs late war Germans I also have the plastic set from Warlord Games.
I need get a lot more troops for all sides to finish off my armies - I want some more BTD British and Soviets, but a) BTD are very unreliable [it took me 8 months to get the Soviets] and they don't accept paypal... having lost over $10,000 to credit card fraud last year I refuse to use my CC online anymore. [the bank paid me back, but I had a really really really crap Christmas last year due to having no money.]
The British Platoon will be painted up without any unit identification as I intend to get two uses from them. The majority of their use will be in the guise of Polish troops in exile, and when I don't want to use them as Polish I can use them as British troops.
I need another section, command and support for them. I will make the Polish troops Dragoons, so I will need some vehicles to make them mounted troops.
Even though the British figures are BTD I was able to get them when someone sold them cheap on a forum. I will look around at various ranges for figures to add to the collection.
The Paras - I need a couple more sections and support for them. Being Paras I won't need a lot of vehicles, but the army lists allow for some to be included, so I will see how I feel when the time times to expand the collection.
For the Soviets I will start adding Warlord Games/Bolt Action figures to the collection. At the moment the BA figures are only available in unit deals, so I am holding off until I can pick and choose the figures I want when they are released as individual figures.
I am also thinking of add Crusader Miniatures WW2 Soviets to the pool as well.
My German collection needs to be built - I think I have made one or two of the plastic figures to see if I liked them or not, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that I did like them.
As mentioned in a previous post I like to tinker with Alternative History. To this end most of my games will pit Allies (and to a limited degree the Germans) against the Soviets.
The rules I will be using will be "Rules of Engagement" from Great Escape Games.
At this stage I have a platoon of British Infantry less command and support, a Section plus of British Paratroopers, and the makings of a Soviet Platoon with a scout section.
I have two tanks - a German Panther that I had painted for me, and a Soviet T-34 that I might have to get painted for me.
The Germans haven't been forgotten - apart from a couple of Artizan Designs late war Germans I also have the plastic set from Warlord Games.
Black Tree Design British
Bolt Action British Paras with a few Artizan Designs thrown in
Black Tree Design Soviets (one scout is a Bolt Action mini)
I need get a lot more troops for all sides to finish off my armies - I want some more BTD British and Soviets, but a) BTD are very unreliable [it took me 8 months to get the Soviets] and they don't accept paypal... having lost over $10,000 to credit card fraud last year I refuse to use my CC online anymore. [the bank paid me back, but I had a really really really crap Christmas last year due to having no money.]
The British Platoon will be painted up without any unit identification as I intend to get two uses from them. The majority of their use will be in the guise of Polish troops in exile, and when I don't want to use them as Polish I can use them as British troops.
I need another section, command and support for them. I will make the Polish troops Dragoons, so I will need some vehicles to make them mounted troops.
Even though the British figures are BTD I was able to get them when someone sold them cheap on a forum. I will look around at various ranges for figures to add to the collection.
The Paras - I need a couple more sections and support for them. Being Paras I won't need a lot of vehicles, but the army lists allow for some to be included, so I will see how I feel when the time times to expand the collection.
For the Soviets I will start adding Warlord Games/Bolt Action figures to the collection. At the moment the BA figures are only available in unit deals, so I am holding off until I can pick and choose the figures I want when they are released as individual figures.
I am also thinking of add Crusader Miniatures WW2 Soviets to the pool as well.
My German collection needs to be built - I think I have made one or two of the plastic figures to see if I liked them or not, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that I did like them.
As mentioned in a previous post I like to tinker with Alternative History. To this end most of my games will pit Allies (and to a limited degree the Germans) against the Soviets.
The rules I will be using will be "Rules of Engagement" from Great Escape Games.
A mine field
After reading an excellent article on using flywire to make barbed wire for WW2 i applied the same techinque to make a section of a mine field.
This model is about 11 cm long x 9 cm wide.
As soon as i can get a colour print out i intend to place an mine warning sign on one side of the field.
I intend to make more sections that can be added next to each other for longer emplacements - although i may not use the grass flock on the base and instead just keep it as over turned soil.
This model is about 11 cm long x 9 cm wide.
As soon as i can get a colour print out i intend to place an mine warning sign on one side of the field.
I intend to make more sections that can be added next to each other for longer emplacements - although i may not use the grass flock on the base and instead just keep it as over turned soil.
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