Haven’t heard from my comrades for a while, but there was little to do anyway. I guess the university holidays in the states take their toll. Anyway, David Stokes has finished his game of “For Whom The Bell Tolls”, the Analysis is still missing but to follow soon.
JULI I 1938
The weather worsened again. Torrential rains and mud except in the far, far off northwest, and gale-force winds along the entire coast.
Japanese Player Turn
5th Mountain and Formosa at it again! Having wiped out the guerrilleros that had threatened Changkaikow, these stalwarts took up the search for the base form which they had come and destroyed much of it [3 pts killed on “6”]. The cordons of security troops in the mountains and forward of the cities returned home. Life in Hopei and Chahar is back to normal.
No activities in central and southern Shansi. In northern Honan, 27 Division pulled back into Loyang to join the defenders of that city, braced for the human wave.
In northern Honan south of Chengchow, 16 Division again tangled with factional troops in its western flank, this time without much success [a DR only helped the factionals in the attempt to envelop the position]. Farther east, reinforcements that had arrived earlier from Manchukuo via Tunghai took on a detachment of factional troops that had crossed the Kaifeng-Tungshan rail line and battered them at the town of Tsoochow [DH]. However, others still remain farther east near Fenghsien.
Guerrilla sweeps in Honan, the Big Bend, and the Tienmu Mountains were unsuccessful.
The front on the Hangchow-Nanchang road remains stalemated forward of Chuchow.
A naval operation in the South China Sea had to be cancelled because of the weather. Dive bombers from the carriers attacked the port of Yanchow near the border with French Indo-China, but were frustrated by low clouds and high winds.
Chinese Player Turn
It’s over! Even generous bribes were to no avail. Amid growing unrest, deep dissatisfaction, and a rift in his cabinet, Chiang Kai-Shek was forced out of power and no one has been able to take his place. The failure of Red Dragon was the last straw. Without a strong hand at the helm it is only a matter of time when the troops will lay down their arms. Japan is triumphant. [Before the random rolls the Chinese had 8 stabilization points (5 for government in Hankow, 1 for foreign aid, 2 for inflicted losses) versus 12 destabilization points (7 for captured cities, 2 for two or more operative regional puppet governments, 1 for six or more guerrilla bases, 1 for two KMT anti-guerrilla sweeps, 1 for two or more terror bombing hits on the capital). To prevent the drop of the stabilization level to zero, the Chinese needed a random roll of “6” for 3 extra stabilization points against a Japanese “1” for no additional destabilization to give a score of 11:12. This was a chance of one in 36. The rolls were “5” and “2” for a score of 10:13.] This amounts to a decisive Japanese victory.