The UN Advances The Other Way - Fighting For Dear Life In North Korea

North Korea, December 1950. A piss-poor time of year to be a US Marine on the Korean Peninsula. The Chinese 10th Army Group has surged across the Yalu River and is crossing the rugged mountains north of Hungnam, threatening the US 10th Corps. They run into the 1st US Marine Division just below the Chosin Reservoir.

The opening positions.

This was a first for me. I've never played a game on the Korean War (indeed, OCS Korea is the only game I have dedicated to the subject), but what a game! I'm reminded of my poor tactics when it comes to OCS, as we'll see shortly, but it's an easy system to grasp once you've played through a few scenarios. 

The UN forces consolidate.

Contrary to the strengths of the system, the Chinese "volunteers" of the 20th and 27th armies elected for a head-on approach to take on the UN forces. The former battered away against the leatherheads of the 1st Marine Division, the latter against defending elements of the 3rd US infantry. The marines were lucky enough to hold against the first forward assaults, but the infantry were pushed steadily to the rear towards Koto-ri. The "advance" in the other direction, was stopped for a few days as the 3rd Infantry regrouped against the 27th army's onslaught. Counterattacks from the Marines, while valiant, were largely unproductive, but it proved a better tactics to keeping the 20th army off balance.

The 7th Infantry applies pressure to the Chinese line of supply.

The scenario only lasts 7 turns, and three turns in, head-on attacks have done little to dislodge the Americans. Confident of victory, elements of the 7th Infantry Division were sent on a isolated operation north along the Yalu to threaten the flanks of the Chinese advance. While successful at first diverting North Korean reserve regiments, combat losses and a turn for the worse to the south quickly change fortunes for the UN.

The 27th Army takes Koto-Ri!

Certain of my defensive position along the main roads leading south from the reservoir, I left the UN flank through the mountains undefended. To make matters worse, all of the UN air cover, which had been critical to the American defense until this point, was out of action rearming and refueling. In a quick exchange of artillery fire and a surprise attack from the 80th Chinese Division, the divisional artillery for the 3rd and 7th divisions found their positions overrun. The Chinese attack cut off the entirety of the 3rd Infantry Division. The bad luck didn't last for long, though. Armor from the 1st Marines, fresh air cover, and the expenditure of critical internal supplies by the 3rd Infantry led to an equally swift breakout, restoring UN lines. 

The final positions.

The damage had been done though and heavy artillery from the 20th Army had taken its toll on the Marines, who were soon dying in droves. The UN pulled the line back closer to Sudong, where the Americans consolidated and reorganized their defensive perimeters. Renewed attacks to turn the American flank at this point proved unsuccessful and on turn 6 of 7, far from the Chinese victory locations, I called it a game. UN victory! Well, a pyrrhic one at least.