Feb I 38

Political Events

The nation is rocked by news of the Shansi warlord declaring openly for the Japanese with a coup by warlord forces overpowering local KMT officials in the captial. Rumors indicate that Japanese agents have long been busy in the province, sowing the seeds of sedition amongst local militia and bandit groups which led to 75% of warlord soldiers turning their coats and joining the Japanese invaders. Again substantial inducements delivered to the warlord fail to impress the avaricious warlord, who has obviously been promised a high position in Japan’s post-war future vision for China. CKC is heard swearing about the impossibility of fighting a campaign in such conditions. Mao Tse Tung cites the event as an example of the ongoing decadence of capatilist philosophy and proves the inevibility of the marxist doctrine in the march of history. CA secret agents in Shansi dig up the warlord’s ancestral tomb and scatter the bones in the sewers of the provincial capital’s poor quarter in revenge. In North China Area Army High Command, many bottles of saki are drunk and toasts made to the everlasting emperor in celebration of this magnificant imperial victory. The night ends with C-in-C 10th Army doing a karaoke number of Al Jolson’s ‘Mammie’ before being escorted home by Kempai police.

Japanese Player Turn

In Shansi local patriotic forces aided by Japanese and Jehol units surround and destroy isolated CA and MNF units, except for two stacks of MNF XX’s spted by CA Arty III’s, located north of Luan. All cities in Shansi are now Japanese/puppet occupied. In Kiangsu, Yenchang and Hwaiyin fall to the 9/5 Mtn X (Mot) and KS Cav XX while the western hex of Shanghai fall, leaving the CA an enclave across the Whangpoo in the citys southern outskirts. Other CA forces are forced back from the north shore of Yangcheng lake. In Shantung the 2nd Army crosses the Weishun Hu canal, however the majority of units are weak static brigades and Manchukuo puppet formations with limited arty spt. The 1st Army pins the CA/MNF forces around Anyang to prevent reinforcements being sent to Shansi.

Chinese Player Turn

Weak MNF forces attempt to take Puchow in Shansi, but the river crossing fails in the face of opposition by a single bandit brigade. The local MNF chief curses the CA forces in Shensi who refuse to help retake Shansi due to important “training requirements” that demand the spted CA XX’s remain in close contact and observation of CCP units to the north. A mixed force of MNF/CA units march towards Luan to try and link up with the remaining Chinese units in Shansi, but cannot make the distance. As the MNF no longer need to garrison Honan, large amounts of forces are sent to strengthen the Kwo River and and the broiling mass of units around Anyang/north of the Hwang HoYellow River. Around Shanghai, a two valuable 4-6 XX’s are withdrawn from the battle to reserve at Ihsing to react North or South as needed. Most CA stacks around Shanghai are based on a single 3-5 XX and a couple of CA 1-4 XX with the odd brigade thrown in.