"Why not Korea?" Topic

I have seen a lot of games dealing with Vietnam and other modern wars, but I haven't seen one for Korea. Why?
Is there no interest, or is it too similar to WWII in weapons and tactics to deserve it's own game? Maybe it is because there is not enough variety in weapons, vehicles and tanks?

I would love to see the Korean war done in 28mm, especially the winter battles. And there is a difference between the two conflicts concerning gear, armor and in some cases weapons.

Korea, unfortunately, just seems to be a forgotten war (at least here in the US).

Doug

We've played Korea a few times. Mostly using WWII Russians as the Koreans/Chinese.

I actually have it on my list to do a proper Korean war force. Thought I would use the FOW Cossacks and the soon to be released Khurasan Chinese to make a chi com force.

US in greatcoats would cover the US forces.

I have played a few Korean War games, especially the air war. Ground war a bit. Even played a few moderns based on a second war there.

The genre is perceived as WW1 west front with mountains and not many people like WW1 either for lack of variety in games.

It was an infantry-heavy war. The North Koreans fielded a brigade of T-34s early and used it up in frequent attacks.

After that, you get UN use of support armor. The rest is infantry and artillery in mountainous terrain with the odd air strike.

The later war has the imbalance between a large light infantry force (Chinese) and less numerous all-arms UN troops.

15mm please

The early days of the North Korean assault against weak ROK and poorly equipped US troops is a change from late WW11 'panzer' slogs (Eastern or Western Fronts). I recall reading about an American artillery unit (105's) engaging T34's over open sights whilst the NK infantry were 'peeled' away by US/ROK infantry…………also the ineffectiveness of the standard Bazooka against the Soviet armour until the SuperBazooka…….
Of course later UN actions can involve lots of different Western armies cutting up the NK armies until the Chinese come in……..
All interesting grounds for scenarios……………

Yeah, the 2.5 (or was it 2.75?) bazooka just scratched the paint job on T-34/85s. Perhaps the odd track hit…

I have some figs for this in 15mm. I only have a few of them painted. I was going to use Cold War commander.

There are some very interesting fights early on in the war that make great scenarios (including a USMC night ambush of a T-34 company just outside of Inchon.)

As to rocket launchers the 3.5 quickly replaced the 2.75 and did take out a number of T-34s.

The appearence of the SKS in NK hands and later with the Chicoms made a differnec in the firefights. (See David Hackworth's book "About Face."

I'd like to see either 20mm or 28mm.

Interestingly some of the Scots soldiers,wrapped in anything they could get were mistaken for Russians by the chinese troops during the withdrawal.
My dad was a soldier there, the US air force killed more of his unit than the Chinese did in a 'freindly fire' incident.

My father-in-law commanded a company of 2nd Division infantry near Pork Chop Hill. He got a bronze star which he makes light of.

The terrain takes too much time to make. Everything that is not a rice paddy goes either straight up or straight down. Picture West Virginia without the trees.

Picture West Virginia without the trees.

What a dismal thought.

Doug

IMEX did some in 1/72 if you are interested.

link

LLC aka Ron

What a dismal thought.

So is sitting on one of those mountains when it is 20 below!

Thanks for your comments.

I'd still like to do it in 28mm. The later would be trench fights but so what lots of gaming ideas for the whole war.

Outpost also does it in 20mm. I'm working on North Korens after checking out all those cool AAR's for Cold War Commander using Imex 1/72 figs for their battles.

Imex Korea figures at Hobby Lobby. I picked up a bag for 10 bucks.

It is not as easy to do as WWII, but I still plan more 10/12 mm games. My focus is the Pusan Perimeter. Yes, it is mainly an infantry war. It is still fun to have people playing a lesser known conflict.

Acheson Creations is doing a line of 28mm Korean War figures to go with our rules set, Fire in Korea, which should be released later this year.

Just a big tease aren't you Ed!

;-D

Any scenarios for the book?

Thanks,

John

Hi John,
It's actually a supplement to NUTS so all the basic rules are there.

The specifics such as vehicles, organization, etc will be in Fire in Korea, which will include 5 scenarios plus campaign info.

Yes, I agree with Cold Steel, IIRC, he and I were in the ROK at the time(mid- '80s) … bad terrain and very cold weather. And the Korean War '50-'53, it was primarily an Infantry & Artillery conflict, with a smaller number of Tank units in support. More like late WWI then WWII … But since it was a UN Action, there were a variety of troops their, even the Ethiopians sent a contingent … As well as Brits, Aussies, Canucks, French, Dutch, Turks, Greeks, Indian, etc. …

link

Lots of photos from Korea

Here's the concept art for the cover.

picture

A few years ago, there was a company out of Great Britian called "Under the Bed Enterprises" that had Reiver Castings' 20mm Chinese along with U.S. and U.K. figs for the Korean War. I bought a few. Good figs. See the following link. Good guys to do business with, too. Might check them out. link

Aren't those the old Outpost figs? I have a bunch of them. They are nice!

Thanks,

John

Maybe it is because there is not enough variety in weapons, vehicles and tanks?

It's sure a lot more interesting from the Allied perspective. Panther Jets, Pershings & Pattons, Easy Eights, Bulldozer 105 Shermans, sexy brown semigloss OD, Marines in greatcoats & jungle helmet covers, Centurion tanks, like another fellow said, it's the forgotten victory.

Zaloga has a great book on T-34 vs. Perhsing & Sherman tank combat just out. Can give ideas for early dynamic scenarios. Late war is more trench, but not your Great Grandaddy's trench warfare. How about a platoon of Marines attacking a Chinese trenched hill with Sherman105/bullzozers in support and M46 tanks providing overwatch and Corsairs dropping napalm. Could even spice it up by putting an ISU-122 in a cave and taking it out is the objective. (some are said to have been placed in caves which would lob out a shell at random)

Could even spice it up with a late war sneak attack by a Soviet JSIII regiment just as the Chinese did in early war

This is interesting…in order to survive napalm attacks, the Chinese dug their trenches down, then in, then up, then over, which did the trick. In essence it's a trench system within a trench system, which means during an infantry assault, the little s can pop out of anywhere.