Steven’s Gurkha Battalion for Crossfire

With my Japanese battalion ready for duty in Burma, my next project was the Gurkhas to face them. This is a battalion nominally from 17th Indian Light Division, the guys who fought at Bishenpur, Potsangbam and Ningthoukhong on the Imphal Plain 1944. You might recall from my A Case Study in Balagan Thinking – How I justify collecting Japanese, my justification for collecting Japanese was that I’m (kind of, sort of) Welsh, and so are the 2nd Battalion, 4th Prince of Wales’s Own Gurkha Rifles (kind of, sort of). Anyway, I’ve now got a battalion of Gurkhas for Crossfire. Yay! Can’t wait to get that bag piper on table.

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Custom made Manipuri Hindu Temple for 14th Army

Temple-117 Temple in village - Banner

The Burma Campaign includes the Japanese invasion of India in 1944. So the setting flips from Buddhist Burma to Hindu India. Our Experiment in Ningthoukhong made me realise that to refight Bishenpur, Potsangbam and Ningthoukhong, I really needed to supplement my Home made Burmese Pagoda with a Hindu Temple from Manipuri state. Here it is. I designed it and Warbases laser cut it from MDF.

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Steven’s Japanese Battalion for Crossfire

Japanese-206 1st Company - 1st Platoon - ID J-1-1 - Banner

My WW2 Japanese are ready for duty in Crossfire. I went for a high priority Type ‘A’ Battalion. Then I added in all the support elements. So I’ve got a massively reinforced Leg Infantry Battalion. Weaker formations, i.e. battalions from a Type ‘B’ Division, Type ‘C’ Division, Mixed Infantry Brigade, or Independent Mixed Brigade, would have less than this.

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Ningthoukhong Experiment – A Crossfire Battle Report

Ningthoukhong-104 Table from south-east - Banner

At 16.30 hours my raised roads for Burma arrived. Unpainted of course. By 20.00 hours they were painted and ready to play. My Japanese have been ready for a while and I recently based my new Gurkha battalion. It was three years ago when I got all keen and wrote up some notes and drew some maps for Bishenpur, Potsangbam and Ningthoukhong – Gurkhas on the Imphal Plain 1944. Finally we could play some Crossfire at Ningthoukhong.

Summary: In a tense game the Adam’s Japanese held the south of Ningthoukhong against a fierce attack by Chris’s Gurkhas.

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British Trucks for the 14th Army in Burma

Trucks-111 Bedford MWDs - Battlefield3D - Banner

I needed a British truck / lorry for my post on Improvising and making Japanese barricades for the Burma Campaign. So I ordered some 3D printed models from Battlefield3D. Before they arrived, and to my surprise, I found an undercoated Bedford MWD in my in progress project box, and some CMP 3-ton lorries in my British unpainted box. So I got to work. You can think of this post as the British extension to You can never have too many trucks.

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15mm Wargaming Figures for Chinese in WW2

Eureka - WW2 - Chinese - Big Sword, Riflemen, SMG, LMG - Banner

When British wargamers think of the Burma Campaign, we think the 14th Army. But the Chinese made an important contribution to the Allied effort in Burma. Eureka Miniatures have a Range of Chinese that covers the Second Sino-Japanese War which overlapped with WW2. I have a quick look at that range then explore other options if you, like me, want even more variety in your 15mm wargaming armies.

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15mm Wargaming Figures for the 14th Army

14Army-102 Inital figures - Banner

This post is for anybody interested in collecting 15mm wargaming figures to use for the 14th Army, which fought in the Burma Campaign of WW2. The figures will work for British, Indian or African units. At least those that wore either helmet or slouch hat. It won’t work for Gurkhas (except British officers/NCOs) because of their size. It will only work for Indians wearing turbans (e.g. Sikhs) and Scots wearing the tam o’ shanter during the earlier period.

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Designing Modular Raised Roads sections for Burma

Raised Road 124 Examples - Banner

Following on the previous success of my custom crests version 2 and the high rice paddy bunds for Burma, I’m now thinking of a set of raised roads. Raised roads were a common feature of Burma. They’ll be the same height as the previous features (1/4″ / 6mm). Otherwise they’d be, well, just roads. I’m hoping to convince Simon from S&A Scenics to make the base features then I’ll do the work to make them look like roads. This post is about my design for the roads, which was a project in itself.

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Japanese Roadblock – A Crossfire Experiment

roadblock-102 Table - Banner

With my Japanese all ready to go and my head full of roadblocks in Burma, I thought I’d knock together a Crossfire game. Chris took defending Japanese. Adam was the British trying to break through. I call this an experiment because very little thought went into it and we were just playing around with the concept of a Japanese ambush.

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Roadblock Battles on the Retreat from Burma

1942 - Burma - Burning vehicles on the side of the road - Banner

I’ve already posted about Japanese Roadblocks in Burma. Japanese strategy involved infiltrating whole regiments behind enemy lines then installing road-blocks to cut off the retreating Allies. So I went looking for examples of road-blocks during the period 14 December 1941 – 24 May 1942. To make my life easier, I’ve just copied out the extracts.

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Japanese Roadblocks in Burma

Handbook Figure 100. Japanese road block - Banner

Japanese roadblocks were a thing. During their initial invasion of Burma, Japanese strategy often involved infiltrating whole regiments behind enemy lines then installing roadblocks to cut off the retreating Allies. So I went looking for some source material. I found a couple of interesting war time articles by the Americans on Japanese roadblocks and some more about roadblocks in Burma. I’ll discuss why the Japanese were keen on roadblocks, the nature of the roadblocks themselves, the terrain selected for a roadblock, and typical defenders.

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WW2 Japanese Flags – Free Rising Sun Wargaming Flags for 15mm Scale

WW2 Japanese Flags - Wargaming - 15mm Scale - Banner

I’m in the process of basing my WW2 Japanese battalion for Crossfire. While I’m doing that I thought I’d sought out the flags. So I needed some Rising Sun flags in 15mm scale. A quick google revealed nothing so I made my own. I’m sharing them here so other folk can benefit.

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Cliffs for Crossfire in Italy and Burma

Cliffs for Crossfire in Italy and Burma - Banner

Hit the Dirt (HTD) introduces Cliffs to Crossfire. And with my re-found interest in the Italian Campaign, I figured I needed some. Particularly as the HTD scenario “Cassino Massif” (p. 17-18) has a bunch. I think they’ll also be useful for Burma. So this is my new / updated cliff collection.

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