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By Benjamin Lai, Illustrations by
Johnny Shumate
Published by Osprey Publishing, 2018
80pp
4 out of 5 Stars
I admit I tend to like the odder periods in military history. Russian Civil War, China in the late-1930s, the defense of the Philippines against the Japanese in 1941-42, yeah, you see a pattern. So, seeing as I had always had an interest in this period and having read the excellent book Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze by Peter Harmsen, I was hankering to get more information on the Chinese Army of the period to eventually build a Chinese Army for the period in 20mm (We’ll skip the fact it’s hard to find any Chinese for the period in anything other than soft plastic in 20mm).
The format of the Combat series is simple; It’s a versus book series where it analyzes two armies that opposed each other in history in the context of a given campaign and breaks it down into an easily read format that gives the reader a clear-eyed view of the capabilities and deficits of both sides.
I found out about this book on Amazon, and my initial hopes were right. Mr. Lai has already written several good books for Osprey about the modern Chinese army and the Japanese campaign in China, as well as the defense of Hong Kong. His background as an officer in the British Army, coupled with his background, gives his writing a sense of authority and grounded in an appreciation for the subject matter. His choice of what actions to cover is also interesting. They aren’t the ones one would expect for the period (Shanghai and Nanjing).
The book is one of two armies that were opposites. The Japanese Army was a product of years of training and development. It had beaten the Chinese before in 1894 and the Russians in 1904-05. The Japanese were well-equipped relatively, compared to their Chinese opponents, and their soldiers were motivated through the spirit of Bushido to win at all costs or die trying. The Japanese had faced the Chinese before in the late 20s and early 1930s and were confident they could defeat anything the Chinese could throw at them. It was that very arrogance on the part of the Japanese that cost them dearly in the fights to come.
As for the Chinese, they lacked a professional NCO corps, radios, or even had competent officers in many cases. Artillery was scarce, airpower non-existent, and some division commanders hadn’t even held exercises with their units or subunits! It would be at close quarters when the Chinese could resort to grenades, satchel charges, and in some cases, swords that the Chinese could inflict any sort of pain on the Japanese. The best units the Chinese had were, ironically, trained by the Germans, and it would be these divisions that would face the Japanese during the timeframe covered by the book. That said, with all the Chinese had going against them, the Chinese soldier was willing to fight, as we’ll see.
The book covers three main battles:
- The Marco Polo Bridge Incident (July 1937) – The spark that reignited hostilities between Japan and China.
- Tai’erzhuang (March-April 1938) – A stand by Chinese provincial forces in the walled town of Tai’erzhuang give the Japanese Army a taste of what they are in for. The Japanese are almost encircled and cut off, with the Japanese being forced to withdraw.
- Wanjailng (July-October 1938) – This month-long defense of this city allowed the Chinese government to evacuate Wuhan for western China.
All the battles are covered well in short but informative sections, with a divisional level map, a couple of illustrations, and supporting photos as well as notes on the terrain (especially useful to wargamers). This is all capped off well with an Analysis section that sums up the historical facts and lessons that can be drawn from the battles described here. There is also an Aftermath section, as well as orders of battle for the three battles described here.
All in all, I found the book particularly good and worth the money I paid. I would have liked some commentary on the fighting around Shanghai and Nanjing, but considering Mr. Lai did a Campaign Series book on that topic, I can more than let that go. I do wish we had gotten some smaller-scale maps of what was going on, especially for Tai’erzhuang, as that sounds like a fun little battle to try to game out on a tabletop.
The quality of the illustrations was excellent, and the small facts, like most Chinese soldiers, didn’t even have helmets to wear, were informative. Still, if I were going to wargame this period, I’d not use this as my only source (Wargamer’s note: Never use one source for anything!)
The book’s value to wargamers is that it’s a great source to get you started in this period, a great launching pad, especially with the works mentioned in the “Further Reading” section. I also have another couple of books I would recommend getting a more detailed context and give you a chance to fully appreciate the nature of the conflict.
All in all, even with the flaws, the book is a solid buy for $14.95 in softcover or $12.49 in Kindle format from Amazon. In short, I recommend this book if you have an interest in the period.
Further Reading
- When Tigers Fight – This is the seminal book on the Sino-Japanese War from 1937 to 1945. It’s a solid work, and to be honest, it still holds up well. I wish I hadn’t lost my copy.
- Shanghai 1937 – Stalingrad on the Yangtse - by Peter Harmsen. I was impressed by this book. It’s a solid work that tells the story of the drama of the four months of the battle. Mr. Harmsen has also written a companion book about Nanjing, which I have been meaning to read.
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At Epoch Xperience, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse Epoch Xperience’s service on our parent site, SJR Research.
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(This article is credited to Jason Weiser. Jason is a long-time wargamer with published works in the Journal of the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers; Miniature Wargames Magazine; and Wargames, Strategy, and Soldier.)