VIII Nations Collide 213

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1 VIII Nations Collide 213 NATIONS COLLIDE CHAPTER 8 The Tactics and Strategy Guides are not history books, but they pay homage to history. And since Memoir 44 is also a historical game, a brief historical introduction will be an appropriate opening for this chapter devoted to the diverse nations that participated in World War II. A variety of combatants and fronts From 1937 to 1945, besides the main fronts, troops battled in Thailand, Iran, Iraq, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Mongolia, and West Africa. Just because the collective memory of humanity has favored the principal fronts (Poland, Western Europe, the USSR, Cyrenaica, Italy, Japan, the Pacific, South-east Asia, China and Germany), the action on the secondary fronts is no less valuable. It's quite impressive when we list all of the countries that the British Empire and the Royal Navy engaged in combat during the during the six years of war, from Africa to the Java Sea, from Hong Kong to the South Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Years III rd Reich Japan United Kingdom United States USSR France Canada Total number of soldiers for each main combatant army Germany s numbers are taken from May 31 of each year. Source: Philippe Masson, Une guerre totale, , Taillandier, 1993, p. 426

2 214 Tactics Guide OVERVIEW OF THE NATIONS To reflect this incredible diversity, scenario designers have covered all of the primary and secondary fronts you can consult the scenario indexes in this book and online. One of the many strengths of the Memoir 44 rules and expansion packs is that they have taken into account this great diversity and a battle like The Battle of Hong Kong (1638), though it shares formal similarities with other landings, such as Gold Beach, will unfold in a unique and distinctive way. Rommel s Battle of Gazala, for example, won t play anything like the tank battles on the plains of Kursk or in Belgium in 1940 (Hannut-Merdorp, Gembloux). In the North African desert, the British Commonwealth Forces (BCF) and the Italian army have strong defensive abilities. The French Resistance and the Russian and Yugoslavian Partisans have noteworthy offensive and defensive abilities. The Red Army: from 1939 to 1943 (after Stalingrad), the Political Commissar is a hindrance rather than a help. The Imperial Japanese Army: the Infantry possess three powerful abilities. Marine Corps (American troops on the Pacific front): these troops have the very powerful Gung-Ho! bonus.

3 VIII Nations Collide 215 The series of proverbs that accompanies this overview will focus on the nations that are the most confusing for beginning players, specifically: The Red Army (Eastern Front expansion) The Imperial Japanese Army (Pacific Theater expansion)

4 216 Tactics Guide THE POLITICAL COMMISSAR 62. In Memoir 44, the Political Commissar retires on February 2 nd, While most players agree that the Political Commissar plays almost no role in the second half of the war, few know exactly when and why he disappeared. There were political commissars in Stalingrad in December 1942, but far fewer in Kursk in July Accounts seem to converge around February 1943 for the moment of transition, even if, in some scenarios, you find them as late as Here is a quote from Yves Bar-91 : As the conflict evolved, Hitler continued to micro-manage military decisions, even as far as operational orders, while Stalin begin, in early 1943, to grant increasingly more independence to his staff officers. During the war, the Russians took a rather paradoxical cue from the Germans hyper-effective organization; from that point, their strength and competence only increased, starting with their victory in Kursk, then in the monumental Operation Bagration (during which they destroyed the Army Group Center in Belorussia in June 1944, which coincided with the Normandy landing on the Western Front), all the way to the end of the war itself, in Berlin and Hungary in Bar-91 The Political Commissar in Memoir 44 The fact that the Political Commissar disappears little by little starting in February 1943 frees the Allied player from his most significant obstacle in more than half of the Eastern Front scenarios.

5 VIII Nations Collide 217 But don t be fooled: the Days of Wonder official rules don t indicate a date for the end of the Political Commissar. On the other hand, the Commissar will babysit you only if the scenario mentions it. Now let's take a look at the involvement of the Commissar in scenarios From the Front. Russia 1943, Stalingrad Battle of Nikolaevka (jdrommel) [6/5-6] 5042 Since the Russian Command Rules apply to this battle from January 26, 1943, the player must work around the confines that the Political Commissar presents. Reading the cards is not enough in this scenario because the Commissar s presence tips the scales in favor the Italians, who, according to the battle reports, win more often than the Russians. The Commissar restricts flexibility, especially in defensive positions, where a speedy response is essential. FOR THE RECORD JANUARY 26, 1943 The large-scale Russian offensive that wiped out the 6 th German Army in Stalingrad also threatened the Italian Army, which fled to avoid being surrounded.

6 218 Tactics Guide Russia 1943, Moscow Third battle of Kharkov (Brycie35) [6/5-5] 1854 Brycie35 has designed many scenarios for the Eastern Front. He kept the Political Commissar out of this particular battle, which took place on February 15, 1943, only a few weeks after the end of the Battle of Stalingrad. The battle reports indicate that the Soviets have a significant advantage. That said, since the Russian strategy is by nature offensive and dependent on section-based initiative, a commissar would have only created minor challenges. Flexibility, initiative, and responsiveness are closely linked to the cards that we will analyze in The Strategy Guide along with the Political Commissar. A note to future scenario designers: you can omit the Political Commissar from battle scenarios that take place in February 1943 and later. FOR THE RECORD FEBRUARY 15, 1943 After the defeat of Stalingrad in Feb. 1943, the Russian and German armies were vying for control of the city of Karkhov. Although the SS Panzergrenadiers Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler put up a tough fight, the Russians prevailed, gaining temporary control of the city.

7 VIII Nations Collide 219 THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE ARMY 63. Japanese foot soldiers attack like berserkers. Berserker The term comes from Germanic and Scandinavian folklore and refers to a specific kind of warrior: they fought their battles dressed in animal skins (notice the etymology: bear skin to berserk), and have been linked to the werewolf legend in Europe. These suicidal mercenaries often fought as shock soldiers on the front lines, as body guards, or assassins. Even though the word has no connection to Japanese culture, the similarities in the level of commitment and sacrifice make the comparison appropriate. The Japanese Infantry possess three special abilities that give them a truly formidable offensive potential. When the occasion presents itself, they can undertake repeated charges and attacks through unprotected terrain, even against full-strength Armor units! Seishin Kyoiku: a whole Infantry unit fires with one extra die in close combat. Banzaï: barring terrain limitations, Infantry units that move two spaces can fight adjacent units. These abilities go hand in hand. With them, you won t hesitate to launch a major attack early in the game when your front-line units are intact and can still take advantage of the Seishin Kyoiku bonus. In that phase of the game, you can be sure that your opponent is still building his hand and will probably not be able to optimize an opportunity for counter-attack. On the other hand, the Yamato Damashi ability, which requires the Infantry to ignore the first Flag, is a double-edged sword. Take a look at Proverb 51, which explains why retreating is sometimes desirable.

8 220 Tactics Guide Japan 1945, Iwo Jima, the Meat Grinder (Official PT/AP) [5/5-7] 1483 Despite circumstances on the battlefield, charging straight into the Infantry in the Amphitheater isn t totally crazy, thanks to the Imperial Army s bonuses, Banzaï (units charge two hexes, then combat at close range) and Seishin Kyoiku (a +1 bonus in close combat if the unit is whole). Depending on the severity of the retaliation, the troops will either need to pull back immediately or see their berserker mission through to the end. Either way, a move like this would be impossible with any other nation. We ll come back to this battle in The Strategy Guide. 64. Keep a few intact Japanese Infantry units for the endgame. The final phase of the game will determine the victor and the vanquished; you must use every means at your disposal in this short period of time to turn the tides (the number of medals) in your favor. The Japanese Army s special abilities especially Seishin Kyoiku will come in handy.

9 VIII Nations Collide 221 Pacific 1941, the Battle of Hong Kong (Official PT) [5/5-6] 1638 Try to keep at least two or three intact Infantry units for the end of the game in order to increase your chances of successfully capturing Stanley, and maybe even Little Hong Kong. Once again, maintaining a consistent front line is not the answer. Techniques of infiltration and guerilla warfare perfectly suit the Imperial Japanese Army. If one commonly associates guerrilla tactics with Jungle terrain, similar tactics also work for Japanese troops, even on the Beach during landing operations! FOR THE RECORD DECEMBER 8, 1941 The day after the Pearl Harbor attack, Japanese forces continued their assault by invading numerous western military strongholds: Malaysia, Wake Island, and Hong Kong. Because of their inferior numbers in Hong Kong, the British troops were forced to pull back immediately. The Japanese crossed the straits on December 18 and the battle raged until Christmas, when the last flagging defenders finally surrendered.

10 222 Tactics Guide 65. Firing upon intact Japanese Infantry units counts twice. A standard opening strategy is to fire even with just one die upon all of the Japanese Infantry units that are still complete. In short battles (four, five, or even six medals), ignore the Japanese Armor and Artillery; instead, focus all of your energy on the Infantry. Reminder 1-die fire on an Infantry unit hits its target half of the time, and results in an average of.50 figures eliminated. 2-dice fire hits the mark three out of four times, and destroys 1.00 figure, on average. As the proverb says, each hit on an intact unit negates the Seishin Kyoiku bonus by reducing that unit s close-range counter-fire by one die. Several scenarios lend themselves well to this strategy, especially the battles from the 1942 Guadalcanal Campaign, designed by Nemesszili. Both the Official and the From the Front scenarios have great tactical richness. Unfortunately, my opponent (Treize, playing the Allies) was all too familiar with the anti-seishin Kyoiku approach in this campaign. Used effectively, it can lead to smashing victories: in our case, seven battles lost, he scored 37 medals to my 9! Guadalcanal 1942, Kawaguchi's charge (Nemesszili PT/AP) [5/6-5] 6138 If you are successful at weakening the Japanese Infantry units early in the games, scores of 5-0, 5-1 or 5-2 in favor of the US player are easily attainable. On the other hand, if you leave the Japanese Infantry at its full combative potential, there is no doubt that these troops will invade the entire map.

11 VIII Nations Collide 223 THE US MARINE CORPS The Gung-Ho! ability allows you one additional activation on each turn. It s the best way to initiate outnumbering and saturation maneuvers. 66. The Gung-Ho! Marines are experts in outflanking. This is an ideal tactic for close combat: instead of attacking one or two points, like on the Western Front, you can take advantage of the Gung Ho! ability to set off three or sometimes even four skirmishes at close range. However, there is an obvious problem; the Japanese are also wizards at close combat, thanks to Seishin Kyoiku and Banzaï. So who has the advantage? The following three criteria will surely tip the scales toward one nation: Initiative Support Exploitation phase In close combat, it s generally the first player to fire who gets the most out of the battle. The American troops often have powerful support assault units (Heavy Artillery, Destroyers, Engineers, Armor, Flame Throwers) that work significantly in their favor. The US player can use his special ability on each turn, whereas the Japanese player can only use Seishin Kyoiku (+1 die) if his units are whole, which they are unlikely to be after the first close-combat encounter Ultimately, the US Marine Corps has the advantage over the course of the game, and the Japanese troops often end up running out of steam. For that reason, Gung Ho! is the most powerful special ability assigned to a nation so far.

12 224 Tactics Guide 67. With Gung-Ho! all cards are good cards! When you first discover the Pacific Theater, it s natural to be intimidated by the Imperial Japanese Army s power. But with experience, Gung Ho! veterans not only measure up to their enemy s abilities, but often surpass them, as the battle reports From the Front confirm. Weak cards made strong When you can activate an additional unit, even the weakest cards become strong (a nuance of Proverb 54): Even a humble American Recon will be more powerful than a Probe played by another nation, since the US player will activate two units and follow through with the action on the card, that is, drawing two new cards and choosing to keep one. Dig-In helps you establish a relatively stable united front line (either offensive or defensive) or, at the very least, protect your weak units (and it s rare to have more than five units who need this help). Medics & Mechanics becomes a shock-attack card as two units (usually) return to life in the heart of the enemy s defensive network. Strong cards made ultra-powerful What happens to cards that are already powerful? The Finest Hour with Gung-Ho! activates on average 3.7, 4.3, and 5.0 ultrapowerful units, depending on the number of cards in hand (4, 5, and 6, respectively). A double Behind Enemy Lines is the peak of shock operations and can have a major impact on the score. It s ideal for going after Exit hexes and medalobjectives at the top of the map. For example, it can be kept in hand for a critical end game move, accelerating the victory in a battle where the US Marines are the underdog, losing 4-5. Gung Ho! does not apply to Artillery Bombard, Barrage, Air Sortie, Assault or Ambush, but aren t those cards already powerful enough?

13 VIII Nations Collide 225 THE REALITY OF THE BATTLEFIELD This graph shows the distribution of victories in Official scenario battles between the US and Japan. As you can see, Japan only has the upper hand in three of the thirteen scenarios available (as of September 2013). Does this prove that the Gung-Ho! ability is definitively superior to the Japanese bonus, or that managing the Japanese Infantry merely requires practice? A little of both, probably. Form your own opinion after playing both sides. I think Guadalcanal Tenaru is extremely difficult for the Japanese player, while success in Guam: Japanese Counter-Attack or Mabatang is not as hopeless as the statistics lead you to believe. It is highly recommended that you use the updated versions of these scenarios in the Air Pack because these battles are a little more even in those versions. Campaign Book #2 Although few reports (as of Sep. 2013) were recorded, making the statistics somewhat unreliable, the CB#2 expansion offers fantastic campaigns with good perspective for the Japanese side.