Monday, October 25, 2010

CROSS FIRE FOR THE KOREAN WAR

Chinese attack supressed (red markers) Marine platoon
The Forgotten War, Korea, seems to be essentially forgotten in wargaming as well. The Korean War has at least as many situations that can be gamed using Cross Fire (CF) as does WWII. Perhaps more, as there were many small company-sized actions in very mountainous terrain. Yet there are enough similarities to the armies of WWII that the transition is easy. There are a few new weapons and new organizations (especially the Chinese) to be researched, but this is not insurmountable. I have always been interested in the period as it was the war I grew up with and the numerous possible scenarios present different problems than does WWII. For those of you not familiar with CF, I recommend this site: http://crossfire.wargaming.info/.

NKPA
The North Korean People’s Army of 1950 used essentially Russian organization and tactical battle concepts.  They were well armed and supplied and especially well trained. Soon after the Inchon invasion, their quality diminished as the veteran cadre was killed off and replaced by Green recruits. The Btn. support weapons and higher echelon support weapons were reduced to lower levels from Oct. 1950 to Aug 1951. After Aug. 1951., the NKPA built up to its previous levels.

LEG INFANTRY BATTALION
(June-Oct 1950, veteran; Nov 1950-Aug 1951 , Green; after Aug. 1951, Regular)

Battalion Headquarters:
1-BC (+1)
1-Commissar (+1)
                Machinegun Company
                3-HMGs
                Mortar Company
                3-82mm Mortars
                Anti-Tank Platoon
                1-45mm ATG/Truck
                Anti-Tank Rifle Platoon
                1-PC
    3-Sqds w/14.5mm ATR

                3-Infantry Companies, ea.(55/37/44pts) with:
                1CC(+1)
                1-SMG Sqd.

                                Company Heavy Weapons
                                1 HMG

                                                3-Rifle Platoons; each with:
                                                1-PC(+1)
                                                2-Rifle Squads
                                                1-SMG Squad


Infantry Fire Support
12 FMs                   82mm Mortars                       6
12 FMs                   120mm Mortars                     7             
12 FMs                   76mm Infantry Gun                6
4 FMs                     122mm Howitzer                   10


T34/85
SU-76
CHINESE PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY

Sunday, October 24, 2010

CROSS FIRE FOR THE KOREAN WAR AIRCRAFT

Control of the sky over the battlefield was of tantamount importance in battle. We usually ignore that aspect of the battles in Cross Fire but taking air into account can certainly add some “spice” to the scenario. Steve Thomas of the UK came up with some very playable rules for CF in WWII. With Steve’s kind permission, I have modified them for The Korean War. Steve’s site is replete with scenarios and rules ideas for Cross Fire - please check it out. The original can be seen at:

www.balagan.org.uk/war/crossfire/musing/aircraft.htm

Air superiority

The air superiority tends to vary over time. Use this air superiority modifier which is dependent on year the game is being played in:

Year
Air Superiority Modifier

UN
Communist
1950 Jn, Jly

+2
1950 after July
+1

1951 on
+2

Planes, but are they ours?

There are two ways of assessing when planes are over the table.

Option 1: Contested skies

This rule tries to simply simulate a fluctuating situation where both sides have planes in the sky.
Each side throws 1D6 for air support at the start of their own initiative, adding or subtracting their Air Superiority as they choose. On a 6+ something happens:
·         If there is already an aircraft (of either side) over the table the aircraft is immediately driven off the table by enemy fighters. It or a replacement, however, can return in subsequent initiatives.
·         If there is no aircraft over the table then a plane friendly to the player whose initiative it is arrives over the table.

Option 2: All or nothing

Each side with aircraft rolls a D6 to determine air superiority in the game; if a side can't have an aircraft then they effectively get 0 for this roll. The player with the higher score gets a plane; a draw means no plane for either side.
The difference between the air superiority rolls is the number of friendly initiatives in which the side with air superiority can deploy their plane over the table.
The plane first arrives on table on a 6 at the start of any friendly player initiative.

Ground Attack

Each bound the plane is on-table the player must draw a straight line across the table, representing the flight path. The aircraft can only attack targets along the flight path, and is only susceptible to AA fire along this path.
Once on-table, aircraft act in a similar way to off table artillery. As with artillery fire, failure to suppress or kill with an aircraft's attacks does not end the phasing player's initiative. The ground attack process goes like this:
  1. Player nominates the target and type of attack.
  2. Anti-aircraft reactive fire is resolved.
  3. If the aircraft is not driven off or shot down, determine the result of the ground attack itself.
Each plane has a certain number of bombs, of a certain potency (HE/EFF), plus machine guns or a cannon for strafing. A plane's bomb/rocket load is roughly analogous to the FM of artillery. Bombs/rockets are treated as indirect fire for Protective Cover and strafing with machine guns as direct fire. A plane can do one of the following each initiative it is on table:
  • Drop one or more of its remaining bombs (Dive Bombers can only drop one bomb per initiative)
  • Fire a pair of Rockets or its cannon
  • Strafe with its machine guns
  • Drop Napalm (Napalm does not suffer cover penalties except for targets in structures)
An aircraft may not engage the same target in two consecutive friendly initiatives.

Weapon
HE/EFF
ACC
PEN
NOTES
Machine Guns
4/0 SQ



20 mm Cannon
2/1 SQ
-1
-3

37 mm cannon
2/1 SQ
-1
-2

Small bomb (up to 100lb)
4/1 SQ


A
Light bomb (250lb)
4/2 SQ


A
Medium bomb (500lb)
5/3 SQ (2 EFF in structures)


A
Heavy bomb (1000lb+)
6/3 SQ (2 EFF in structures)


A
Pair of 3.5”, 5”Rockets
4/2 SQ
+1
-1
Target armor is always “Flank”
Pair of 6.5” Rockets
(US Only Mid-Aug 1950 on)
4/2 SQ
+1
+3
Target armor is always “Flank”
Napalm
6/3 SQ  (2 EFF in structures)



A. Bombs use Hit the Dirt's Special Rule 7 Indirect Fire on Vehicles.

Anti-aircraft (AA) fire

The non-phasing player can reactive fire against the plane as it attacks. Only one stand can perform AA fire this stand can be either:
  • Dedicated AA guns which are the target or with line of fire to the flight path. Such guns fire with their full effect against the aircraft (assume 4d6, unless otherwise known).
  • Other targets shoot with their normal factors (HE factors in the case of guns), less 1d6, e.g. a Rifle Squad shoots in AA with 2d6.
(Other stands cannot reactive fire against aircraft.)
The results of reactive AA fire are:
Hits
Effect
1
No effect
2
If aircraft is a Dive Bomber, then no effect.
Otherwise the current attack is aborted. Two aborted attacks in consecutive initiatives means the plane is driven from the table.
3
Killed

Cost

If you're using points to build your force then:
  • 20 points for a chance to roll for air superiority
  • +20 points gives a +1 on the air superiority roll (can't buy more than +1)

Aircraft

Note: I left out aircraft whose mission was primarily air-to-air combat.

Aircraft
Cannon/MG
Bombs
Rockets
4/2 SQ
Hvy

Med

Light

Napalm
UN






F-51 (P51)
MG
2
4
8
1
10
F-80
MG
2
4
8
1
8
F-84
MG
2
4
8
1
24
F4Ucorsair (AU-1)
20 mm Cannon
2
2
4
1
8
AD -4 (Navy)
20 mm Cannon
4
8
16
2
24
China/N. Korea






MIG-15bis
37mm Cannon





 20 mm Cannon

2
4

2
Ilyushin Il-10
20 mm Cannon
2
4
8

4
PO-2
“Bedcheck Charlie”



6


British






Gloster Meteor
20 mm Cannon
2



16
F4Ucorsair (AU-1)
20 mm Cannon
2
2
4
1
8
Fairey Firefly 5

20 mm Cannon
2
2
4
1
-
*