War in the Middle of Nowhere
A Red Desert Preview
By Mike Bennighof, Ph.D.
July 2007

In the early summer of 1939, Mongolian troops (clients of the Soviet Union) crossed into a disputed border region around the village of Nomonhan, clashing with Manchurian soldiers there (clients of the Japanese). Over the following weeks both sides poured in troops, tanks and aircraft, until by September a major conflict raged over a small stretch of symbolic but otherwise useless desert.

This is the basis of our latest proposed Classic Wargame, Red Desert. The notion to do a game on this subject has floated around for years, and greatly pre-dates Avalanche Press. It is an unusual battle, as both sides are fighting mostly to make an impression on their other to influence a diplomatic outcome — there are utterly no economic or strategic objectives on the battlefield. Each side needs to eject the enemy from the stretch of useless desert east of the Khalkin-Gol River.

The disputed zone. U.S. Army map.

There are two phases to the conflict. In the first, taking place in July 1939, the Japanese 23rd Infantry Division, reinforced by part of 7th Infantry Division and backed by two tank regiments, attacks the Soviets and drives them back over the river. In the second, Soviet Lt. Gen. Georgi Zhukov pre-empts a Japanese offensive with one of his own in late August, nearly encircling the Japanese Sixth Army.

The game system is that used in Alamein and Red Fortress. Units are infantry battalions and tank companies; the battlefield is shown at a scale of two kilometers per hex. Units are rated for attack, defense and movement, plus morale and armor quality. Artillery units can provide offensive or defensive support, but require ammunition. Air units represent squadrons, and can attack enemy supply lines, interdict enemy movement, attack enemy units directly or support attacks by ground units.

	Japanese troops approach the Khalkin-Gol River, July 1939.

Supply is a vital concern, and as in Red Fortress, this game will apply the two-tier supply system from Alamein. The Japanese are 200 kilometers from their railhead, and have a very difficult time bringing up supplies (including artillery ammunition) with very few motor vehicles available. The Soviets are more lavishly supplied with trucks, even though they are much farther from their own supply bases, and will be able to accomplish more tasks each turn.

On the Japanese side, there is what the Kwangtung Army considered a major commitment of tanks, two small regiments' worth. When the Soviets launch their own offensive in August they bring two full brigades of tanks, plus several battalions attached to other divisions. The Japanese tanks are slow and lightly-armored, over-aged and not particularly well-armed — they do not carry an effective anti-tank weapon. The crews also have little training in cooperation with the infantry. The Soviets are not yet the powerful armored force that will smash Nazi dreams in a few years, but they are still far more capable than the Japanese. Even the BT tanks are greatly superior to the Japanese machines, with much greater speed and armament. The Japanese have nothing to match the T-28 medium tank or even the T-26 light tank, and are forced to rely on infantry tank-hunting teams.

Japanese striking power lies in their infantry. The two divisions are regular army units and well-trained, but rely on infantry attacks as the solution to all tactical problems. They are generally better than the Red Army's foot soldiers, with higher morale and (unlike almost all infantry units in this game system), greater attack than defense factors. In terms of sheer bravery, the Japanese almost meet their own lofty expectations. They are more effective during night turns, reflecting their peacetime training, but they are hamstrung by an irrational offensive doctrine and an officer corps that in many cases sees death on the battlefield as a career goal.

The Japanese also use a number of other units in front-line infantry combat: a brigade of border guards, divisional engineer and reconnaissance battalions, and a Manchukouan cavalry regiment. The Soviets have two rifle divisions and a motorized rifle division, plus a number of smaller units including a parachute brigade (deployed as elite infantry in this campaign). A Mongolian cavalry division guards each Soviet flank.

Japanese machine-gun team and two Soviet armored cars, July 1939.

After the June clashes, the Japanese committed what they believed to be a massive amount of artillery. Most Japanese artillery is of fairly light weight, with the 70mm mountain howitzer the most common piece. The 1st Motorized Heavy Artillery Regiment, described at the time as the "most precious" unit in the Japanese Army, brings modern 150mm howitzers to the battlefield in mid-July, and the Japanese receive another regiment of 150mm howitzers and two regiments with 100mm guns.

Yet the Imperial Japanese Army's maximum effort represents less firepower than the organic artillery of the two Soviet rifle divisions on the field, let alone the many corps-level assets available to the Soviet player. Even before the new artillery arrived, the Japanese high command cautioned local commanders that shell supplies were limited. The Soviets have much greater ammunition reserves. Artillery is the god of war, Comrade Stalin noted, and the Red Army is a loyal disciple.

Make this game a reality and you'll be just as happy as these men of the Japanese 23rd Infantry Division with their "comfort bags."

Only in the air do the Japanese hold an edge. The Japanese Ki.27 fighter is much better than the biplanes flown by the Red Air Force, but numbers often lean to the Soviets. Fortunately for the Japanese, their air bases are well back from the front and easily supplied — unlike Alamein, players are not forced to choose between supplying their ground and air units.

The game map sports oversized hexes to ease play, and of course we have the usual assortment of colorful units. I worked this game out long before I came to Avalanche Press, and I'm not really sure why we never carried it to completion. The Soviet player has to be favored, but the Japanese player gets to launch furious attacks that can overturn Soviet material superiority. As the smallest of the three entries, it will also be the fastest to go from approval to release.

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