Weather roll 6, Tokyo mandate failed.

Japanese Player Turn

Despite the unexpected rough seas, an ordinary infantry regiment lands next to Chefoo and takes it, while the SNLF lands next to Tsingtao and takes that, both with NGS. Fortunately, the Manchurians in Tsingtao had left to destroy infrastructure, leaving only the naval troops to defend it; otherwise the attack would not have worked.

In the Nanking front, after spending much time trying to figure out how to destroy the Chinese north flank, I suddenly realized that the southern flank was exposed to a breakthrough. The Szechuaneze at 0412 were overrun, as was the engineer unit at 0313. Most of the forces that did so attacked north and east, with the 4-6 at 0214 being cadred and the 4-6 at 0211 and the stack at 0312 being destroyed. Also, all the front line forces on the southern flank were destroyed, except for 10 Corps (3×3-5s) at 0711. A mobile force killed the engineer at 0413. The armored car battalion ran forward and overran a 0-4 construction unit in Taiping, which was followed up by a motorized brigade (transport points) overrunning a 1-4 in Wuhu. This supported brigade cut Chinese supply to Nanking.

Chinese Player Turn

A large number of resource points are spent to make sure that important factions don’t go uncooperative and to get uncooperative factions back in line. It partially works, as Hunan returns to cooperative. On the front line, the units in front of Nanking stumble back. Also, a 4-6 is evacuated from Nanking. The Chinese start to form a line between Ta Nan Hu (G3:0514) and Changtang (G3:0212). To my great surprise, the SEF HQ reacted. I had thought that did not happen! I use the opportunity to kill 10 Corps and all the Chinese units not in Nanking, except for the fortress brigade in Chiengning. A 0-1-6 Eng and the War Zone HQ are again overrun. Only one thing can save Nanking now.

The Japanese handily overrun the Ting-Tzuya pocket, and exploit the hole blown by the Chinese AH last turn, with the 20th Light Infantry making a crossing of the Hoto just southeast of Shihkaichuang. 10th Light Infantry has lunged across the Hwang Ho and occupied Tsinan, even lurching south down the river road to G1:2821. Plans. Shihkaichuang must now be conceded, but it will be defended nonetheless. The door swings wide open all the way up the Hwang Ho, therefore reinforcement will only be to the Hwang Ho Delta sector (Kaifeng-Chengchow) from now on. This area has been prepared since September. Deployments. Strong screening forces (i.e. National Forces Divisions) are thrown in front of the Japanese bridgehead across the Hoto. Reinforcements and construction engineers are mustered in the Kaifeng-Chengchow sector. The 26th National Forces Infantry Division is sent to screen the Wei-Hwang Ho confluence, however the river road to Kaifeng is clear (including the bridges in Shantung across the Weishan Hu and tributaries.) The approaches to Yangku are also prepared as that city is expected to become hot by year’s end.