BGForums

September 26th, 2026

Manchurian Landing

I am running the beta test of Ruge's SR2020 6.6.2 compatible Mod 3.38.

After six years of building units and missiles I finally decided to deploy against China.

In my game, China has successfully DOWed and conquored many of its neighboring regions. China is technically still at war with Malaysia, Phillipines, Taiwan, Thailand and now with the U.S - none of which China has borders with.

Pakistan has conquored India, but is not at war with China.

So, except for my U.S. invasion, these are "wars on paper" only, rather than actual conflicts.

This was a 100% deployment, although I did not have sufficient transport to get everyone to the theatre of battle.

I took a long time thinking how best to attack the Chinese capital at Beijing. I was not yet at war with China and I actually had full transit treaties with them. China now had control of all of Eastern continential Asia except for the South-East Asian nations and Japanese-controlled coastal Mancheria.

After lengthy consideration I decided to enter Asia via the supplied part of allied, Japanese-controlled Mancheria. These units had to be introduced into Mancheria either by tranporting them with amphibious assault ships, flying them into the two crowded Japanese air bases in the North, or by pains-takingly steaming non-amphib transport ships 500 km up the Amure River to the "secret" naval/sub base there.

This is the former Russian base with a naval fab, sea-pier, barracks, air-strip and a river full of warships and submarines. Unfortunitly the other Japanese-held, air field on the Pacific coast does not come equipped with a sea pier.

January 24th, 2027

After about 4 months of logistics I managed to land about 240 land combat units and supply trucks in allied, Japanese-controlled Mancheria, on the Pacific coast, mostly by air-lift.

Japanese supply was strong in an East-to-West band that roughly followed the Amure River. North of the River to the Arctic Ocean and South of the Japanese river-base (where the enemy bases were) lacked supply since there were only the three allied bases there to generate them. Japan also held a lot of Mancheria farther South, all of the way to Vladivostok.

In order to establish our foot-hold in China, my units would need to capture Chinese territory to the West of the Japanese river-base/air-field. Also we wanted to stay as far away from the Chinese as possible. But in the end, this did not really help.

_________________
"War is merely the continuation of politics [diplomacy] by other means"
General Carl von Clausewitz - 1832

"Defense: De ting dat keeps de cows off de road."
Catatonic - 2012

March 14th, 2027

Another two months and I have landed about 1040 land combat units and supply trucks in allied, Japanese-controlled Mancheria, on the Pacific coast.



Another 715 non-combattant units were also "in-theater" - 100 Marines/Special Forces on Sakhalin Island, 30 transports, 270 warships, 9 carriers, 150 carrier aircraft, 85 attack helos, 40 transport helos/VTOLs and 7 un-loaded transports with another 125 units. I took just 10 M8 airborne tanks.

1117 deployed units were left behind in the Continential United States (CONUS) and about 500 in reserve. 374 tanks and Recon units were left behind. So were over 28 F-22Ds, 70 FB-22's and other fighter aircraft. All of my bomber force remained behind as did large quantities of AT and artillery.

I left hundreds of combat aircraft back in CONUS since there were only two already-crowded Japanese air-fields in Mancheria.

The battle took place so far inland that my warships could not be much help. I did get to use my carriers and their planes later in the battle.

Japanese supply was strong in an East-to-West band that roughly followed the Amure River. North of the River to the Arctic Ocean and South of the Japanese river-base (where the enemy bases were) lacked supply since there were only the three allied bases there to generate them. Japan also held a lot of Mancheria farther South, all of the way to Vladivostok.

In order to establish our foot-hold in China, my units would need to capture Chinese territory to the West of the Japanese river-base/air-field. Also we wanted to stay as far away from the Chinese as possible. But in the end, this did not really help.

Allied territory in Mancheria was very crowded with over 1040 units there and this made it very difficult to construct a proper unit deployment. All of my units moved very slowly due to the mountainous terrain and low supply. I did not know from which direction the Chineses would attack, if they were going to attack at all.

I severed diplomatic relations with China and then spent several additional weeks making preperations for battle.

_________________
"War is merely the continuation of politics [diplomacy] by other means"
General Carl von Clausewitz - 1832

"Defense: De ting dat keeps de cows off de road."
Catatonic - 2012

April 9th, 2027

These extra weeks gave the straggling transport ships time to arrive and I was able to unload the ones that did not require a sea-pier. I now have 1180 units deployed on the Asian mainland.

I carefully formed up battle groups, formed battle lines with mixed armor and AT at the front, gun artillery behind that and long-range MLRS, missile launchers and AA to the rear.

I established air-recon patrol to help my artillery spot targets and set up supply air patrols to each of my future construction sites.

With so many units to marshal, it was a tough job arraying them all in such a cramped-supply space. The presence of the wide Anure River severely fractured my units into a dodgy seperate East and West force.

I brought along plenty of missile launchers - 2 Frog launchers (do they really fly?) about 46 HIMARS II. I had about 88,000 ATACMS land-launched anti-armor missiles in inventory - about 720,000 missiles total. China had about 10,500 missiles - total.



I DOW China and then immediately invaded three hexes to the West. One group of Engineers rushed North to the Arctic Ocean to begin construction of a temporary sea pier and air field. Two others initiated temporary air fields and barracks.

I panned the HUD down to watch the Chinese reaction - they immediately started moving units 1100 km away from their 1000-unit super-super-base at Jinxi and from Chinese-controlled Korea which contained about another 400 units. It took a while for the flow of units North to Mancheria to build, but there was now no doubt, I did invoke a strong Chinese reaction. Now the only question was "how bad will it be?".

_________________
"War is merely the continuation of politics [diplomacy] by other means"
General Carl von Clausewitz - 1832

"Defense: De ting dat keeps de cows off de road."
Catatonic - 2012

Indeed, let us see.

April 12, 2027

The battle begins:



The first Chinese defenders arrive at bottom left. My few tanks, my ATs and my best armored units form a protective wall around my Engineers busily constructing bases along the Japanese border.

In the far North Engineers attempt to construct a sea pier to unload the waiting line of tankers loaded with combat units.

All of my transport ships have arrived in Asia from CONUS, but I cannot unload the non-amphib ones without a sea pier. It just occured to me that I could have unloaded them at a sea pier in Japan. I send the empty transport ships back to the CONUS West coast to pick up new units.

Notice the 4 BBG-61 Iowa-class battleships parked in the river, ready to do their part on the battle-line.

Supply leaks over from Japan into my new region and we endeavored to stay within its "cloud":



The supply level on the U.S. front lines ranged from 24-44%.

In an effort not to strain my uranium supplies, I had not made producing nuclear weapons a priority. However, when it occured to me to destroy the Chinese supply sources and barracks in the area, I discovered that I did have 10 Trident I UGM-96 missiles ready for sub-launch. On April 12th I nuked the two nearest Chinese supply bases. There were multiples structures on each hex - three supply depots each. I was wondering since I could only target one depot, how much damage there would be to the others. I needn't have worried - once that nuke went off the entire hex just disappered. Good job Ruges!

I have 400 tanks back in CONUS awaiting sea transport to the theater of battle in Asia. I pre-deploy several smaller sections of my tanks two three West Coast (Pacific) sea piers, where they can be picked up by amphib transport ships when they become available.

_________________
"War is merely the continuation of politics [diplomacy] by other means"
General Carl von Clausewitz - 1832

"Defense: De ting dat keeps de cows off de road."
Catatonic - 2012

April 17th, 2027

I have completed the construction of two temporary barracks, so now I can repair my war-damaged units. However my sea pier has not even started building, due to the lack of supply in the far North. But once my two air-fields complete there should be plenty of good-old U.S. supplies flowing to the construction site.

I start to pre-deploy some air-power from CONUS in preperation for the completion of these Asian air fields. A number of my carriers parked off the Pacific Mancherian coast are packed full of fighter aircraft, carrying them as cargo. However my best F-22-type aircraft are still stacked up in CONUS.

I transfered two over-stacks consisting of about 35 FB-22 and another 30 F-22A aircraft from CONUS to Hawaii so that they will be ready for deployment to my new Asian airfields.

Enough amphib transports have arrived back in CONUS so I sea-transport the first batch of tanks to the Asian battle-front.

_________________
"War is merely the continuation of politics [diplomacy] by other means"
General Carl von Clausewitz - 1832

"Defense: De ting dat keeps de cows off de road."
Catatonic - 2012

Engineers can build in "no supply" areas, it should be building or at least the central hub.

April 18th. 2027

Strangely, Japan had not yet DOWed China. I decided that that was because since I had expanded so far outside Japanese territory, that China had not tresspassed ito Japan and caused a WOI - War on Incursion. So I withdrew my units back inside Japan-controlled territory, hoping that the Chinese would come in and get me.

_________________
"War is merely the continuation of politics [diplomacy] by other means"
General Carl von Clausewitz - 1832

"Defense: De ting dat keeps de cows off de road."
Catatonic - 2012

April 20th, 2027

It worked - China WOIed the next day:



Soon Mancheria will be flooded with additional Japanese armor and aircraft, all eager to turn back the "Red Tide" of Chinese aggressors.

_________________
"War is merely the continuation of politics [diplomacy] by other means"
General Carl von Clausewitz - 1832

"Defense: De ting dat keeps de cows off de road."
Catatonic - 2012

April 24th, 2027

I have completed the construction of two air fields in Asia, so I can now start to deploy air-power there to the help turn the tide of Chinese armor that continues to flood North to attack us. I immediately flew my 35 FB-22 and 30 F-22A aircraft from Hawaii to my new Asian airfields.

I noticed that Chinese units were bogging down as they came North to attack - their very strong supply "cloud" faded as it approached my new borders.



So I decided to eliminate some of China's strong supply sources in order to shrink their supply cloud even more.

I nuked three of their surrounding airbases, reducing the town in which one air-strip was located from a city to a town. Then I nuked the town, taking their nearest barracks with it.

I have noticed that nuking hexes full of dozens of over-stacked-up units armored units is not nearly as effective.

But I failed to accomplish my goal - the Chinese supply in my region seemed to remain unchanged up to the end of the battle.

_________________
"War is merely the continuation of politics [diplomacy] by other means"
General Carl von Clausewitz - 1832

"Defense: De ting dat keeps de cows off de road."
Catatonic - 2012

April 28th. 2027

Ruges has been busy connecting the Japanese Home Islands together with bridges, so that now the Japanese land units can drive from their Home Islands North across Sakhalin Island and into Manchuria.

Note the strong Japanese mobilization at this point and how they are streaming from their Home Islands across Sakhalin Island and into Manchuria:



The Japanese also control the Pacific coastal area of Mancheria all of the way South to Vladivostok as well as an isolated coastal air field/sea pier even farther South bordering Korea:



This one Southern-most Japanese enclave is single-handedly stopping the flow of dozens of Chinese armored units attacking North from Korea and from the Chinese super-base at Jinxi. However these Japanese bases are protected only by Japanese aircraft.

We decide that it is in our best interest to re-enforce these vital Southern Japanese bases. We dispatch a C-5A which loads and transports stacks of Marine units to garrison these vital Japanese bases.

May 1st

Japanese units continue stream in from Japan and soon arrive at the battle-front. The newly-arrived Japanese units put up a good defense against the aggressive Chinese armored units.



Southern Japanese bases continue to hold out mainly with Japanese air-power, but strongly anchored by the U.S. Marine Corps.

_________________
"War is merely the continuation of politics [diplomacy] by other means"
General Carl von Clausewitz - 1832

"Defense: De ting dat keeps de cows off de road."
Catatonic - 2012

May 14th, 2027

The main body of my veteran Asian expeditionary force are still safely stuffed into Japanese Mancheria, West of the Amure River. Most of those East of the Amure River have never moved or even participated in combat. These include a number of active long-range AA that has been pounding a Chinese air field to the South, armor placed there to protect the AA, and a large reserve force.

This reserve force grows each time a new transport ship or aircraft unloads at the nearby air field on the coast. It now includes hundreds of transport and combat helicopters.

But now Japan's Southern defenses have faltered. Its air field/barracks South-West of Vladivostok has failed, allowing the free flow of Chinese armor and MLRS units Northward:



The Chinese have rolled up Japanese held-territory along the Pacific coast and the enemy is now threatening to drive Japan out of the Asian mainland altogether.

Japanese units attempt to hold the line, but the U.S. armored units that are screening the long-range AA there are soon engaged. U.S. forces East of the Amure River are threatened for the first time:



The volume of Chinese attackers on the battle-line, as well as the sheer volume of Chinese units streaming Northward strongly suggest that the U.S. retreat back West of the river.

Unfortunitely, this will compromise the vital coastal Japanese air field that has been receiving dozens of inbound U.S. units via both air and sea.

This may seem like yet another U.S. bug-out, but in reality by now the U.S. has destroyed Chinese attacking units at a rate of 22 to 1. Tactical retreat works.

_________________
"War is merely the continuation of politics [diplomacy] by other means"
General Carl von Clausewitz - 1832

"Defense: De ting dat keeps de cows off de road."
Catatonic - 2012

May 21st, 2027

The U.S. retreat is complete, while fresh Japanese defense units begin to reappear on the battle-line.

The volume of new Chinese attackers streaming North seems to be tapering off.

With the Eastward approach of Chinese units, 22 long-range U.S. DDG-1000 Zumwalt destroyers have been stationed along the coast. They soon open fire on the distant Chinese units.

_________________
"War is merely the continuation of politics [diplomacy] by other means"
General Carl von Clausewitz - 1832

"Defense: De ting dat keeps de cows off de road."
Catatonic - 2012

May 22nd, 2027

It finally occures to the U.S. "Supreme Ruler" that he as command of 40 carrier aircraft units within striking range of the Chinese that are invading Eastern Mancheria, and that he could actually arm these aircraft with air-to-ground missiles. And that these missiles could easily blow the crap out of the remaining, disorganized Chinese "invaders".

At this point I need to explain something about the U.S. "Supreme Ruler" - he is accustom to hording precious missiles due to his fear of running out of them. When this battle first began, it was his fear of the hordes of potential Chinese attackers that motivated him to actually, fully arm all of his land missile launchers and the give them permission to fire any and all of the U.S.'s land-launched missile inventory at will.

So the concept of loading up dozens of planes and ships with missiles and then just "letting fly" was completely foreign to him. But when faced with the decision of losing precious land units or simply "plinking" at enemy armor with stand-off weapons launched from distant aircraft, the decision became clear - break out the AGM missiles!

So began an eight-day campaign of exterminating the remaining Eastern Chinese attacking armor with round-the-clock naval air sorties. And also to wiping out the stranded Chinese units in the Western mountains with F-22/FB-22 AGM missile strikes as well.

And this worked admirably - the rate of Chinese incursion was decreasing and the expendature of a few thousand air-launched Air-to-ground missiles simply stopped the Chinese counter-invasion initiative cold in its tracks.

The U.S. invasion of China was successful and here are the satellite photos to prove it:



The remaining Northern Chinese units are a few soft, unarmed MLRS units without missiles.

China has exhausted its available armored attack units:



Well, OK, there are still a "few" left in the bottom super-base, but apparently China is unwilling to deploy them at this time.

And at this time I am willing to declare victory.

_________________
"War is merely the continuation of politics [diplomacy] by other means"
General Carl von Clausewitz - 1832

"Defense: De ting dat keeps de cows off de road."
Catatonic - 2012

Order of Battle:

During the 50-day battle -

Units
Deployed, Reserve, Destroyed, Lost, Casualties, Personnel

April 9th, 2027

China 5602, 12, 2628, 1777, 941,780, 3.94 m
U.S. 3046, 431, 0, 1, 30, 1.72 M
Japan ?, ?, 129, 136, 38,670, 257,230

May 30th, 2027

China 4485, 65, 2916, 2912, 1.33m, 3.58 m
U.S. 3014, 475, 568, 26, 25,879, 1.74 m
Japan ?, ?, 674, 402, 119,682, 934,446

China lost 1100 units and took about 400,000 casualties.
The U.S. killed 568 Chinese units, lost 25 U.S. units and took about 26,000 casualties
Japan killed 540 Chinese units and lost 263 of its own.

U.S. Missiles:

Total Missiles
720,000 before
693,000 after

Land-launched ATACMS Missiles
88,000 before
62,000 after

26,000 land-based U.S. missiles Fired
1,000 AIM Missles Fired

27,000 Total U.S. Missiles Fired

_________________
"War is merely the continuation of politics [diplomacy] by other means"
General Carl von Clausewitz - 1832

"Defense: De ting dat keeps de cows off de road."
Catatonic - 2012