WesWorld

20th August, 1943

From: Jong Un, President of Chosen

To: Paul Theisman, President of the Republic of France

An alteration of Chosens policy concerning submarine warfare is out of question. The naval officers serving with the submarines currently operatiing in the Yellow and China Sea are well trained and have orders to select their targets with outmost care. Therefore, the possibily of any unwanted incidents involving neutral shipping is low.
However, we advise all neutral ships to avoid the area depicted in the attached map. In case Chosens navy provokes an incident which leads to damage or loss of neutral shipping, Chosen will take the full responsibility and offer an adequate compensation.
Nonetheless Chosen condemns the interference of foreign nations into its war policy.
We are disappointed and distressed that France is considering measures which could affect Chosens war effort negatively. We would have expected that a freedom loving and civilized nation like France would support Chosen in its struggle against the barabric chinese opressors who cleary showed what their lowly intention really is: to annihilate the nation and the people of Chosen.

Respectfully,

the soon to be empire of Chosen

map attached:

14th-21st August 1943, Pyongyang, Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Chosen

Weekly combat report no. 4

After four weeks of ground combat our achievements are astonishing. If our troops keep up with their pace of advance we will conquer Shenyang in the end of September.
This week our troops captured Qinghezhen (IC4) and Huanren (MtnC1) without any combat worth mentioning. IC1 captured the important city of Fengcheng after a short but intense firefight with a Chinese infantry detachement which has fortified the townhall.
The bulk of IC 40 started to move to Fengcheng via the road G304, only Rifle Division No. 14 is staying behind in Yuanbao and besieging the Chinese troops which are still holding out.
MC1 has continued to advance along the coastline, the weather conditions are still bad and the Chinese resistance ist stiffening in that particular area. We suspect that parts of the Chinese 19th Tank Division already reached the city of Zhuanghe and are taking up defensive positions.

air activity: Due to our quick advance the enemy air activity is minimal as many airfields had to be evacuated. Our own airforce is concentrating on ground support and the disruption of enemy logistics.



casualty report week 4:

KIA:1334
WIA:3980
MIA:145
POW:34
tanks:8
light tanks:15
armored vehicles:31
unarmored vehicles:61
art. guns:17
fighter planes:19
bomber planes:14
recce planes: 3

new deployments: 98th Police Regiment, Rifle Division No. 59

20 August 1943

From: Joachim Echevarria, President, Iberian Confederation
To: Jong Un, President of Chosen

Mister President,

It has come to our attention that Chosen has embarked on a path of unrestricted submarine warfare in its current conflict with China.

The Iberian Confederation believes this course of action to be ill-advised and self-defeating for Chosen. I note that the last example of such conduct, by Germany during the Great War, failed to have its desired effect of cutting off supplies to Britain. I have been told that your own submarines are only isolating a portion of the Chinese coast; further, China has overland transportation links with other coastal nations - most particularly Bharat. As such, your efforts are most assuredly not going to strangle the Chinese import/export sector. Nor is it likely to affect the balance of power between your respective militaries on land, where this war will be decided.

I would also point out that the unintended consequence of German unrestricted submarine warfare was to draw in previously neutral nations on the Entente side, thereby hastening German defeat. Should your nation's submarine fleet sink - even accidently - foreign shipping, you risk inviting third-party military action against you.

Finally, I would note the perils of stepping down from the moral high ground in this conflict. China has widely been considered an aggressor state by many, including Iberia, and such a situation could arguably justify Chosen's need to launch a pre-emptive attack on its much larger, aggressive neighbour. By resorting to activities that make China seem the better party, Chosen risks international isolation when it most needs international assistance.

Should Chosen seek to regain the moral high ground, it may find that the international community is prepared to support it once more. The Iberian Confederation, as another state threatened by the Chinese, would certainly be more inclined to provide moral and material assistance in such circumstnaces. At present, however, all my government can do is observe and ensure our own security.

Sincerely,

Joachim Echevarria

20 August 1943

Quoted

From: Joachim Echevarria, President, Iberian Confederation
To: Jong Un, President, Chosen
To: Chiang Kai-Chek, President, China

Sirs,

1. An Iberian military convoy will be departing Haikou, San Hainando on 23 August 1943. It will arrive at Macau, via international waters, on 25 August 1943. It will depart Macau on 28 August 1943 for San Hainando.

This convoy will be transporting military reinforcements to the Macau garrison.

The Iberian Confederation will not oppose or interfere with peaceful observation of the convoy by either of your governments. Attempts to interfere with the progress or security of the convoy will, however, not be tolerated.

2. Effective 30 August, the Iberian Armada will engage in a weekly convoy between Haikou and Macau. This convoy will consist of Iberian escort forces and any non-belligerent shipping wishing to travel to or from Macau. Again, peaceful observation of the convoy will be acceptable; interference with the convoy will not.

Sincerely,

Joachim Echevarria

Quoted

From: CIC ARMADA
To: CIC HOMFLT; CIC FAREAST

Flying Squadron to depart home waters for Haikou, effective 72 hrs from receipt of this transmission.

Flying Squadron to consists of BB Mercurio, Venus, CV Seville, Porto, and appropriate screening and auxiliary assets.

Resupply at friendly ports as required.

Message ends.

21st August 1943, Pyongyang, Ministry of Defence, conference room no. 1, emergency meeting

Jung Ho-Jun (Minister of foreign affairs): "My dear leader we have to do something...The europeans are putting pressure on us as they are concerned with the concequences our submarine operations have on the neutral shipping in the region. I think we shouldn't ignore their concerns, my dear leader."

Jong Un (great and beloved leader): "Pha. Shut up. I don't wanna hear this. And what do you mean with "the europeans", just two countries, two wannabe superpowers who think they are important. They should care about their own business. Who do they think they are to interfere with how I, Jong Un, great leader of Chosen, wage my war against those nasty Chinese. It is..."

Jung Ho-Jun (Minister of foreign affairs): "But my leader....The French even issued an ultimatum. I would highly recommend that the we overthink our stance and alter our strategy concerning our submarine warfare."

Jong Un: "These french maggots dare to threaten us? How I hate these boastful imperialists. It is a pity that France is not in range of our bombers....
It is easy to talk about war if you are not affected. And I doubt that they would have mercy with the Chinese if it would be their soldiers dying on the battlefield."

Jung Ho-Jun: "But..."

Jong Un: "No, I don't want to talk about that matter anymore. Let them express their empty threats., I mean we are talking about the French. These cowards wouldn't dare to intervene just because some Chinese sailors are drowning. You know why french tanks have a rear-view mirrors?"

Jung Ho-Jun: "Ehh...no Sir."

Jong Un: "So the crews can see the battlefield. Muahahahaha."

Jung Ho-Jun looked helpless, he knew how important it was to change Jong Uns mind... Fortunately Hwang Lee-Moon sat right next to Jung Ho-Jun and noticed the worried face of his collegue.

Hwang Lee-Moon (minister of defence): My dear leader, please allow me to briefly express my thoughts on that unpleasant situation. You are, as always, right. We shouldn't allow foreigners to dictate us how we fight our war. We are the ones who bleed and who have to deal with all the consequences while the french sip their acrid wine. Nonetheless I have to say, and I can speak for the admirality on that matter: Our submarine operations against Chinese merchant- and civilian shipping are highly ineffective. Our goals were too optimistic. We don't have the capacity to control the Yellow Sea and even if we would, the Chinese would have had enough alternative harbours in southern China.
We have more than a dozen boats constantly operating since almost two months now and we were only able to sink three vessels with more than 5000 GRT. I would love to say the opposite but these sinkings have no effect on the Chinese economy or military capability."

Jong Un: "And what do you expect me to do? Bow my head and apologize to Iberia and France and all the other arrogant imperialists? Never. If our submarines are not successfull enough then do something about it. Have them hunt more aggressively."

Hwang Lee-Moon: "No, you are right, we shouldn't apologize to anyone, we shouldn't even make it offical. I just assert that, at the moment, our submarine strategy is causing more damage to us than to our enemy. It may has some psychological effect to the Chinese but unfortunatly it has even more psychological effects to the neutral nations. We can't afford to get isolated as we are much more dependent on foreign help than China is. Therefore we should indeed modify our strategy."

Jong Un: "Just because some armchair generals in Paris have bad feelings we are not isolated. Everybody loves and admires the nation of Chosen.
And everything we need we are producing ourselves or we import it from the SAE. Our troops will hoist Chosens flag within one month over Shenyang. No need for further allies."

Hwang Lee-Moon: "But my leader, while the SAE proved to be a reliable trade partner they are as illoyal as a civilized nation can be, providing weapons to China and to us at the same time. I won't even talk about our domestic production...that would be too depressing.
Moreover importing materiel from SAE is logistically demanding. If we need anything, we need more allies in the war against China and not more enemies. I would advise to do the following: Issue an order to all submarines operating in the theatre and prohibit any further attacks on unarmed or civilian vessels no matter if they are Chinese or not and give the order to concentrate on Chinese capital ships.
But make sure that the radio transmission is intercepted by the Iberian navy which is operating between Macao and Haikou or some european intelligence service.
With this method we would give the europeans a signal without losing our dignity and moreover most of my admirals agree that it would be much more helpful for the war against China if we keep the focus on their military vessels with our submarines. Besides this would not be an ultimate decision. If the circumstances change and it gets favourable for us to continue sinking Chinese merchant shipping at some point, we could just do that without being bound to anything."

Jong Un: "Well, I don't know...I don't"

Hwang Lee-Moon: "My leader, please, just think about the glory if our submarines would sink some Chinese cruisers...admirals all over the world would revere and praise Chosens mighty submarine fleet....just imagine. All we need to do is to adjust our doctrine."

Jong Un: "I like the way you are thinking, Mr. Lee-Moon. But....uhm...just let me sleep on it, I will decide tomorrow."

[SIZE=1]edit: orthography[/SIZE]

A couple of stories from a different perspective, they are a little out of order unfortunately.



August 6th, South China Sea

Capitan Corona held the big Donier flying boat steady as he scanned the waters ahead. "Keep your eyes open boys, we should be coming up at the reported position soon."

"Capitan, theres something in the water at 10 o'clock approximately five miles. How many people did you say where on the ship?"

"We were told about 400 passengers."

"Madre de Dios! Bring her down to 200 feet, I think... yeah I see a lifeboat and wreckage, wait, I see survivors in the water, turn right... there Capitan lets drop on that group, its big and has no lifeboats."

"Holding steady at 150 knots, 200 feet... lifeboats away!"

"Good drop, its about 100 feet from them."

"Alright find me a good spot to land, away from this wreckage and survivors, it wont do to run them over."


***


Date and location undetermined

Colonel Obregon carefully inspect the tank in front of him. The LT-15 was a fine tank and relatively new, and this one was his. Obregon was a tank veteran, a former AT-31 squadron commander, he had been assigned to the AT-40 development team and then as the head of the technical mission sent to China for the AT-40/LT-15 cooperation mission, the two tanks sharing a simmilar drive train design. As the senior Mexican tank officer in China at the beginning of the war, he had been assigned as an observer to the Chinese armored forces. Using his experience he had managed to get assigned as commander to one of the new LT-15 tanks headed towards the front lines. And now here he was, ready to board a train to an actual war.

He took one last look at the nasty looking 37mm cannon on the tank. Although having a smaller shell than the 47mm cannons on the AT-40 Mk Is, the 37mm was faster firing and had similar penetration, and should be able to make short work of the small Chosen tanks.

With that tought in mind he moved forward looking for his crewmembers. While Obregon could speak tank fluently in Chinese, ordering food was still a challenging mystery, and any other conversation in Chinese nearly impossible, fortunately his crewmen could speak passable Spanish and his radioman was fluent, having spent a year in a student exchange program a few years back. Hopefully, the train has something to eat other than rice and mystery meat.

22nd August 1943

Special Directive No. 16

22-8-1943, 13:34

from: submarine command

to: all submarines operating in the Yellow Sea and China Sea


Rules of engagement are modified as follows: From the 24th of August submarine commanders are prohibited to engage unarmed merchant ships and any civilian ship sailing under Chinese flag. Excluded from this rule are: Any ship sailing under Chinese flag which is observably armed and military/troop transports of the Chinese navy.
From now on Chinese capital warships are priority targets. With Special Directive No. 16 in effect Special Directive No. 14 from the 29-6-1943 is null and void. The new limit of advance is marked by the 16th degree of latitude.

23rd August 1943, 10 kilometres south of Anju, Chosen Army testing ground.


Together with his minister of economy and industry Kang Mung-sik, Jong un arrived this morning in Anju to visit the army testing ground for an inspection of Chosens newest tank developments.

Colonel Ma Shin-Cho, commander of the testing grounds was awaiting his guests eagerly and after saying some warm words of welcome to Jong Un and his delegation he began his guided tour around the military complex:



Colonel Ma Shin-Cho: "This is one of the few Chinese MT-25 tanks we captured during the battle of Yuanbao and Donggang. In total we were able to salvage and repair seven vehicles, of which two were brought to our testing ground for an evaluation while the other five vehicles are already in frontline service again."

Jong Un: "Well, it looks ugly. But what other can be expected from a chinese tank. I would suspect it performs even worse than its apearance suggests.?"

Colonel Ma Shin-Cho: "Uhm...No....quite the opposite, it is a formidable tank performance wise. The armour is decent, the mobility is slightly above the average and the firepower of its 57mm gun is superior to the 75mm gun of our J-5 A and even slightly superior to the 50mm of the CET-2B. At least against armored targets. Against soft targets the 75mm of our J-5 A is still more capable.
The simplicity of the design however is outstanding, it is perfectly suited to be mass produced. Not a single part on this tank is dispensable. Moreover we were suprised how much spacy the turret is. There is a lot of space for the crew to do their work and there is potential to mount a bigger maingun.
However, there are some weaknesses we found during the two weeks we tested the tank thoroughly. The overall quality of the tank is rather weak. The steel seems to be of low quality, and there are signs of bad craftsmanship, like blemished welding seams for instance. Furthermore the optics for the gunner and the commander are quite poor and the situational awareness for the crew is substandard.

Kang Mung-sik had carefully listened to the officers remarks and he was captivated by the Chinese MT-25: a simple and easy to produce yet capable tank. That was exactly what Kang Mung-sik always had in mind as Chosens standard tank...unfortunately not everyone with decision-making authority shared his opinion.

Jong Un: "Enough, enough of this Chinese tin can, show us the real tanks, Colonel."

Colonel Ma Shin-Cho: "Yes sir. please follow me"

With these words the three men headed for another hangar which housed a vehicle much disliked by Kang Mung-sik.



Colonel Ma Shin-Cho: "This is the new J-5 C. We have tested this vehicle for two months now and we deem it ready for production. There is not much too say as it differs only slighty from the J-5 A already in service. As far as I know our troops fighting on the front praise the J-5A and I am sure they will love this model. The most obvious and most important improvement is the new 75mm gun which has been optimzed for the anti-tank role. It will definetly give our tanks an edge above the Chinese."

Jong Un: "Very nice."

Colonel Ma Shin-Cho: "Indeed. Now, my leader, let me show you the last vehicle. A truly formidable weapon I have to admit. Yes. This is the new J-6 A. We are testing it since end of July and it is still a prototype, therefore some technical issues occur from time to time. Nonetheless it is a very promising tank, with exceptional mobility and a high velocity 75mm gun with remarkable parameters. The armor protection was increased and the welded hull should make the production much easier."



Jong Un: "Very well. How long until it's ready for mass production?"

Colonel Ma Shin-Cho: "That is difficult to say but not before spring 1944."


Kang Mung-sik frowned when he first saw this ludicrous tank. But when he finally heard the words "mass production" he really had to keep his temper not to lough loudly or scream in anger. 'Mass production', he imagined the picture of the MT-25 with envy and thought: 'These fools, if they would just take the time analyze the data, see how much workhours and resources it takes to produce on of these overengineered and yet techincally unreliable J-5A they would't even dare to think about a tank which is even more sophisticated. We don't have the resources and we don't have enough educated personnel to meet the monthly production of 70 J-5A per month and they talk about mass prodcution of another, even bigger monster.'

23rd/24th August 1943, Pyongjang, Kang Mung-Siks home

When Kang Mung-Sik, the minister of economy and industry finally got home in the late evening, he was tired. Despite he went to bed directly he couldn't find any sleep, maybe because the moon was reflecting pale light directly into his bedroom but more likely because Kang Mung-Sik couldn't stop thinking about the things happened today.
'No' he thought, 'they can't waste even more time and resources on another inefficient tank. These J-series tanks are too heavy and too expesive. No, we need something like the Chinese MT-25. Easy to manufacture and suited for large scale mass production with the resources we have. A tank with a decent gun and with sloped armor. A powerfull but still reliable diesel engine...and the weight should not exceed 40 tons....yes, that's the tank Chosens needs...I have to find a way to convince Jong Un....'
A few more minutes Kang Mung-Sik pondered about the perfect tank until finally he fell asleep and had a dream...

18th August 1943 - aboard Seagull 4 (Rescueflightboat)

» Is there something to see ?« Zhang Xiaolian asked.

»You are joking, or ! If this succeed so quickly as wished, we could congratulate ourselves. Rather, I believe that we are looking for four hours and then have to pull off but without achieving something«, replied the lieutenant.

Zhang shrugged with his shoulders.

»If we further crabs around so deep, we could stop our search«, he was then heared again. »We descend to 150 meters, then we perhaps have success in seeing a yellow rubber dinghy or poison green colored water from paint bombs.«

Although their eyes were burning from the effort, they looked in vain for hours and hours .

»If we have not discovered anything in five minutes, we unfortunately have to turn back to our base« Zhang said.

»Wait .....«, said the lieutenant suddenly he nudged the pilot »Turn a little to the left ! If I'm not mistaken, I see far ahead of us something flashing.«

»There surely swims an old liquor bottle, and keeps us fooling with their flashing.«,said Zhang who could absolutely see nothing.

»No Zhang ! This time it's something positive, and this are real flashes. And I can decipher them also. The guy, which holds the mirror in his hand, does none other than SOS flashing.«

»So there survivors. Let us touch down as near as possible.«

23th August

Shortly before dawn the supply column rumbled out of Mingyangzhen and drove north. They had loaded ammunition, fuel, food and a few bags of mail.
After a long time once again post from home. They drove to Zhuanghe. They drove from Dalian and itself it was not a big deal. But through the
mountains and in this rain, which fell from the sky ......
One could only grope forward cautiously. Moreover, they had to be reckoned with air attack when brightness increases again.
The driver rolled down the window. Now also the window rattled in its guide rails. Nevertheless, the swelling sound was not to be missed. It came
from the direction where they had to go: Infantry guns, anti tank guns and occasionally the growling of very large chunk. The night sky suddenly
shone about Zhuanghe. Over the horizon rose red flares up; dozens, shimmering with thin trembling light tails.

The enemy attacks!



[size=1]supply column shorty after leaving Mingyangzhen[/size]

25th August 1943, Dalian, Headquarter of the 3rd Infantry Corps

Combat report no. 2:

Overview map




The headquarters of the 3rd Infantry Corps all had only eyes for the front at Zhuanghe.

The 19th Tank Division arrived just in time to prevent a breakthrough of the enemy forces. Together with the 29 Armored ID a strong defense line has been now established here, where the enemy will bounce off.

The 22nd Infantry Division has expanded Xiuyan to a fortress and thus prevents the embrace of our divisions on the coast or the breakthrough in the direction of Shenyang.

The 141th & 122nd Fengtian regiment fight heavy battles around Fengcheng. The town itself was abandoned after fierce fighting and our troops have withdrawn further along the road. The battles require heavy losses on both sides. Here, our forces will soon be supported by the Fengtian Tank Division.

Our two enclosed divisions, the 24th and 17th, are still supplied from the air. However, the combat power decreases day by day. Either the two divisions try to break out or they will perish.

In the north-east, the units of the 6th Infantry Corps slowly pull back and let the enemy earn small area profits.


summary of Air Force Missions:
During the last week the CAF flew 12 attacks on enemy communications and airfields, six ground support missions and intercepting Chosonian aircraft on 18 occasions. During this period the CAF claimed 11 aircraft destroyed and 15 destroyed on the ground.

inter alia ....

A flight of six G-25Bs took off from Yantai. They bombed Tongrim en route to Dandong, but afterward three were shot down and another was abandoned when it run out of fuel. The remaining two G-25Bs reached the home aerodrome, one with its radio operator killed by a fighter.

SH-15As bombed Tien Ho Airfield in Anju, causing heavy damage to the runways and destroying several parked aircraft. Escorting He-112s claimed two Chosen fighters shot down.

From the Diary of Captain Ho Chang-Sun, 342nd Heavy Artillery Regiment, 1st Rifle Batallion


25th August: As we approached Fengcheng via train in the afternoon some of us were looking out of the windows and wondering about the thick columns of black smoke emenating from the urban area. At first we thought it meant nothing, this was a warzone after all.
However, when the train transporting our batallion finally arrived at the central station in Fengcheng we instantly noticed something was going on. An acrid, indefinable smell filled the air and in the distance occasional gunshots could be heard but despite of that....nothing.

We moved to the townsquare just in front of the station, where you would expect the bustling activity of a Chinese city but there was nothing like that. Just emptiness. There were no civilians and not even a single one of our soldiers. The city seemed to be deserted like a ghosttown.

My soldiers, most of them boys not older than twenty years and without much combat experience if any, who were joking and laughing like on a school excursion most of the time were silent know. Of course they tried to hide their feelings from each other but I just had to take a look into their gloomy faces to know what they were feeling: fear.
For the first time during the war I saw them utterly scared. And I had to admit, I felt disquieted myself, the situation just felt surreal.
With a few short orders I lead my men along the street and in total silence we marched through the abandoned streets of Fengcheng.
Just after a few hundred meters down the street we passed the first dead bodies and we were appaled when we saw the badly mangled bodies of women, old men and even children. Little we knew that these were just the first few bodies of those many hundreds we would see in the following hours.
With each pile of dead bodies we passed, the fear was slowly displaced by anger; Who could have done this? Which brute was capable of committing things like that?
We hadn't to wait long to get the answer.
When we met the first group of fellow Chosenian soldiers, most of us got an idea of what was going on: A group of five men, three privates, one corporal and one sargeant, crossed our way. They looked like creatures from another planet, their uniforms were teared and soiled with blood, all of them were drunken so they couldn't even say who their superior was, when I asked them. I gave them a look of disdain when I noticed the attached bayonets on their rifles, smeared with dried blood.
This was just the beginning...dozens of small groups of debauched soldiers and even officers crossed our way, looting, raping and killing.
When we arrived at our quarters pure chaos awaited us. Everybody seemed to be insane, I was unable to find a single officer who could give me any usefull piece of information about what was exactly going on or who was sober at least . The men of the 40th Infantry Corps who suffered during the last weeks in the battle of Yuanbao were ensnared in some kind of murderous frenzy. And there was nothing I could do to restore order.

I could't sleep during that night, which was illuminated by the horrific glow those many fires eradiated which still raged in the city and which nobody cared to extinct.
Until the early morning I was kept awake, I heard the screams, saw the killings and other atrocities way too gruesome to write them down and then finally dozed off in the early morning.
This was the night when the soldiers of Chosen lost their innocence.

Photo Linked. WARNING, potentially disturbing image.

From: Government of Iberia
To: [Insert government here]
Date: 25 August 1943

Please be advised that the following uncoded transmission was intercepted by Iberian ships near Macau. We can not verify that the message is genuine but are passing it along for your information.

Special Directive No. 16

22-8-1943, 13:34

from: submarine command

to: all submarines operating in the Yellow Sea and China Sea

Rules of engagement are modified as follows: From the 24th of August submarine commanders are prohibited to engage unarmed merchant ships and any civilian ship sailing under Chinese flag. Excluded from this rule are: Any ship sailing under Chinese flag which is observably armed and military/troop transports of the Chinese navy.
From now on Chinese capital warships are priority targets. With Special Directive No. 16 in effect Special Directive No. 14 from the 29-6-1943 is null and void. The new limit of advance is marked by the 16th degree of latitude.

27th August 1943, Guanshanzhen, Headquarters of the 2nd Army


In the afternoon Army Marshall San Joon-Ho finally arrived at the command post of General Lee Dae-Du, the commander of the 2nd Army. With muddy boots, a wet coat and an already angry face the Marshall stood before General Lee Dae-Dus desk.

Army Marshall San Joon-Ho (commander of the Army district north): Goddamn General, I hope you have a good reason why you let me come here all the way from Thaechon. You know how much I hate flying and unfortunately driving on those earth tracks they call roads is not any better.

The marshall alighted himself on the chair in front of General Lee Dae-Dus desk..

General Lee Dae-Du: Good day, Marshall. Please have a seat. I haven't called you for nothing. There were some irregularities in Fencheng involving troops of the 40th Infantry Corps during the last days.

Marshall San Joon-Ho: And what does that mean? Irregularities?

General Lee Dae-Du: Well, soldiers of the named Corps where marauding all over the city. Col. Gen. Youn Se-Hong, commander of the 40th Infantry Corps, had temporarily lost the control over his troops as he was not present at the time the irregularities occured. However, everything is back to normal now.

Marshall San Joon-Ho: Beautiful. May I ask why you are bothering me with such a bagatelle? If there are disciplinary issues I expect my officers to deal with them in an appropriate way.

General Lee Dae-Du: No. That's not the problem, but I received a short report from IC40 this morning and it looks like massive casualties have been inflicted amongst the civilian population during those inglorious incidents. I just wanted to discuss the matter with you personally before I send a report to Pyongyang.

Marshall San Joon-Ho: Any Numbers?

General Lee Dae-Du: Nothing precise. But in the report from IC 40 civilian casualties are estimated at 30,000 to 50,000.

Marshall San Joon-Ho lost control of his facial expression for a moment.

Marshall San Joon-Ho: Hell. Waht the.....I mean...Uhm...Well, okay, good work that you informed me about that. Have you send anything to Pyongyang or other administrative commands?

General Lee Dae-Du: Not yet, Sir.

Marshall San Joon-Ho: Okay, nice. Just don't do it. You are less concerned with politics than me, but I assure you, if this leaks out to the international community it wouldn't exactly improve our reputation. I don't want any reports on any level. No radio messages, no telegramms, just act as if nothing has happened, we can't allow that anything is intercepted. Order every soldier to keep silence and prohibit them to mention anything about those incidents in their letters home.
Make sure that Fengcheng is closed off and obliterate any traces.

General Lee Dae-Du: Yes Sir. And no message to Pyongyang?

Marshall San Joon-Ho: No, leave those politicians in Pyongyang alone. They have other things to be concerned about. Why should we burden them with something which can't be changed anymore.

General Lee Dae-Du: I understand.

Marshall San Joon-Ho: Good. And one thing: There are no offical guidelines on how to treat civilians and I don't care if sometimes our soldiers go too far. But on this scale....It can have a political impact if anything leaks. So keep your men in line and make sure we wont see anything happen like this a second time.

21st-28th August 1943, Pyongyang, Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Chosen


Weekly combat report no. 5

The battle is intensifying. Fresh Chinese divisions arrived at the front and despite they are still outnumbered and outgunned they are perceivably slowing down our advance especially at the coastal area.

MC1/A2: The advance of the 1st Motorized Corps stopped just outside of Zhuanghe. After Cavalry Division No. 18 committed two unsuccessfull frontal attacks against the Chinese 19th Tank Division which entrenched in the city it was decided to start flanking attacks with mobile forces to encircle the enemy within the city.

IC22/A2: IC22 managed to capture the city of Xiuyan after a two day long battle against Chiense spearheads of the 22nd Infantry Division on the 26th August. Currently the 22nd Infantry Corps is advancing slowly along the road due north-west.

IC1/A2: IC1 was involved in heavy fighting against Chinese units just north of Fengcheng. Intelligence reports indicate that the CHinese are reinforceing their frontline with a fresh tank division.

IC40/A2: No reports. Replenishing at Fengcheng.

IC28/A2: Advancing as planned. Encountering weak and unorganized resistance.

MtnC1/A1: Advancing as planned. Encountering weak and unorganized resistance.

IC4/A1: Advancing as planned. Chinese troops of the 6th Infantry Corps are trying to delay the advance with little success. The 4th Infantry Corps is expected to capture Tonghua within 10 days.



casualty report week 5:

KIA:3961
WIA:5977
MIA:345
POW:98
tanks:15
light tanks:21
armored vehicles:41
unarmored vehicles:64
art. guns:23
fighter planes:13
bomber planes:24
recce planes: 6

deployments: Rifle Division No. 11

29th August 1943, Sakchu Airfield, Headquarters of the 16th Airfleet


Since the hostilities began the airforce of Chosen flew mostly close air support mission for the army, strikes on installations, Chinese columns close to the front or naval strikes against Chinese ships.
Within the military doctrine of Chosen the airforce was considered a support weapon, a tool to ensure that the groundforce could advance swiftly and unharmed from enemy aircrafts. Therefore the airforce of Chosen relied solely on fighters and light front bombers. The only plane that had at least the range to be considered as a tactical bomber was the GTD-50 M, which was in fact just a modified civilian passenger plane. There was not even a single two-engined bomber plane in frontline service with Chosens airforce.
And despite the severe lack of a powerful bomber plane, generals in the airforce have planned for nearly three weeks a very ambitious operation.

On the 30th August 1943 124 aircraft (74 Bombers, 24x fighter-bombers, 36 fighter) would take off from multiple airfields to carry out a strategical strike against the petro-chemical industry in and around Fushun. The petro-chemical industry at Fushun was considered vital for the Chinese economy by Chosenian analysts.
The strike would be carried out in two phases. In the first phase a total of 24x SSC-70 and 24x WAC-190 would attack three seperate airfields around Shenyang and thus deny enemy fighters from taking off. In the meantime the main force would attack four selected industrial complexes in Fushun while 12x SSC-90 fighters would intercept any Chinese plane airborne.



Aircraft allotted for the strike:

12x SSC-90 B
24x SSC-70 C
24x WAC-190 AC
42x WAC-120 A2
32x GTD-50 M

30th August 1943, Sakchu Airfield, Headquarters of the 16th Airfleet

Combat report: "Operation Match"

Todays operation against Chinese petrochemical industry in Fushun started as schedueled at 7.00 local time. Despite we managed to inflict serious damage to the targeted industrial sites, the operation has to be regarded as a tactical defeat for our airforce.


Overview of the groups and the assigned tasks

Group I (8x SSC-70,8x WAC-190); TGT: Santaizi airfield (Shenyang)

Group II (8x SSC-70,8x WAC-190); TGT: Xiaonangou airfield (Shenyang)

Group III (8x SSC-70,8x WAC-190); TGT: Taoxianthen airfield

Group IV (12x SSC-90); TGT: escort group V,VI,VII and VIII

Group V (10x WAC-120,12x GTD-50); TGT: destroy Wanghua chemical complex

Group VI (10x WAC-120,12x GTD-50); TGT: destroy Hexi powerplant

Group VII (8x WAC-120,8x GTD-50); TGT: destroy Yajigou fuel dump

Group VIII (14x WAC-120); TGT: destroy Dongzhou fuel refinery



Reasons why the operation must be considered a failure:

1. We had coordination and communication issues between the individual groups. Instead of flying to the target in one big formation and hitting the specific targets almost simultaneously, the groups flew mostly on their own and the individual strikes were carried out within a timeframe of 3 hours.
For example Group VIII arrived in the target area at 10:05 while Group I, II, III were still enroute. This meant that the Chinese fighters located on the airfields had enough time to take off. And even though they were unable to intercept Group VIII, this meant that when Group V, VI and VII arrived at their target areas, Chinese fighters already awaited them.

2. Group IV which was supposed to escort Group V, VI, VII and VIII were scrambled by Chinese fighters very early and were thus neutralized.

3. The Chinese AAA assets in the area were much stronger than expected and as Chinese aircraft spotters discovered our aircrafts early, their AAA was well prepared when our flights arrived over their targets.

4. Massive friendly casualties were inflicted by enemy AAA and fighters. Despite we crippled important Chinese infrastructure the aircraft and crew losses we sustained will severely restrain our air operations in the near future.


Casualty report:

17x aircraft shot down by enemy AAA (4x GTD-50,7x WAC-120, 3x SSC-70, 3x WAC-190)

16x aircraft shot down by enemy fighters (7xGTD-50,3x WAC-120,3x SSC-90,1x SSC-70,2x WAC-190)

3x aircraft crash landed on enemy territory (2x GTD-50,1x WAC-120)

1x aircraft crash landed on friendly territory (1x SSC-70)

26x MIA, 48x KIA, 21x WIA


claims: 11x fighters, 23x aircraft on the ground, 32x vehicles, 12x AAA emplacements


combat footage:


Group III is raiding the Taoxianthen airfield under heavy AA fire.


WAC-190 equipped with 250 kg bombs hit the taxiway and several parked planes.


Group V flew devastating attacks on the Wanghua chemical complex. After several bomb hits the complex is in flames.


After the bombs have been dropped Group II is strafing remaining planes on the Xiaonangou airfield.


A heavily damaged WAC-190 is losing altitude over hostile territory. The pilot Lt. Kim Jung-Mo is reported MIA.


One of the many WAC-120 which have been lost today. Cpt. Paek Eui-Kons aircraft is tumbling to the ground after it was hit by a Chinese fighter. As no parachutes have been observed Cpt. Paek Eui-Kon and his rear gunner were reported KIA.

27th August 1943, a village around Fencheng

It was in the middle of the night when there was suddenly a great excitement in the 3rd Platoon of the 2nd Company of the 141th Fengtian regiment. In front of the positions of the platoon suddenly a figure appeared. Staggering, with tattered uniform and gesticulating, the man approached the chinese battle line.

Corporal Psi, suspicious and attentive, already took the strange figure in the visor of his MG. You never know what dirty tricks the Koreans have - he thought. And this stranger came straight from the direction of the Koreans.

Psi still waited until the man was up to 80 meters in front of him, then he called to him: "Stop ! Stood still ! What's the slogan ?"

The called man did not answer, he was gesticulating violently with his arms and Psi was getting nervous. He had his finger on the trigger when his squad leader fell into his arm: "Golly, that's one of us !"

The man who reached the chinese lines with his last strength, was Sergeant Wang. They took him immediately to the command post of Captain Xu, who was flabbergasted when this bundle of rags and tatters, which could hardly stand on his feet, with his last strength stammered: "Sergeant Wang ! Second Bataillon - 122 Fengtian Regiment."

"You are Wang .....?" that was all that Xu could say in surprise

"Yes - Captain", Wang said. Then he could no longer stand and began to totter. Two radio operators caught him and laid him on a cot.

"Come on, bring blankets, where's the booze, cry for the paramedics. And pulls his boots from his feets.", ordered Captain Xu. After about half an hour Wang slowly regained consciousness and began to report something heinous .....


The day before yesterday evening, I had been sleeping in Damao Cave on Tiger Mountain, an area where there were many refugees. . . . On this particular evening, I heard the sounds of dense machine gunfire emanating from the town of Fencheng. There must have been about twenty machine guns firing. I suspected that our army might be staging a counter-offensive. Yesterday, before dawn, two bloodied men appeared: Squad Leader Feng of the instructional unit; and Mr. Guo, a member of the security unit. They described for me what had happened. After the korean invaders entered the city, they rounded up more than 40,000 people, including prisoners, men, women, young and old, and refugees, and imprisoned them in several small hamlets at the foot of Mufu Mountain. On the evening, lead wire and rope were used to tie everyone up in pairs. Subsequently, they were lined up in four rows and driven to the river where they were riddled with machine gunfire. The victims of this atrocity summoned all of their courage and yelled out, "Seize the guns! Seize the guns!" . . . The dead fell on each other and accumulated into a mountain of corpses. The enemy then set upon the corpses with their bayonets, stabbing away randomly. Finally, the bodies were doused with kerosene and set ablaze. Feng and Guo, pretending to lie dead on the ground, pulled the corpses over them. Feng's right arm had been wounded from a bayonet stab and both men's clothing had been burned.

First we tried together to cross the front, but they were killed by snipers. I could luckily jump behind a wall and escape.

Trembling and sobbing Wang couldn't speak anymore....

There was silence in the room. Everyone had to gather his thoughts and had tears in his eyes. Captain Xu shook his head as if he can get rid of these thoughts again. Then he said with broken voice ...

"This must be immediately reported to headquarters. Such an atrocity must not be unpunished."

A short time later, the first report of the massacre of Fencheng lay on the desk of the chinese prime minister.

1st - 4th September 1943, Zhuanghe area, 1st Motorized Corps

After the advance of the 1st Motorized Corps was stopped at Zhuaghe by a Chinese tank division and two hastily executed frontal attacks failed due to heavy Chinese resistance the staff of MC1 decided to avoid the heavily fortified city and conduct a flanking attack further north where the Chinese defence line was less strong.

In the early morning of the 1st Spetember, the 1st and 3rd Armored Brigades crossed the Zhuanghe river on several locations only encountering weak resistance and skirmishing with Chinese recon troops.

In the late afternoon of the 1st September Chosenian troops encountered heavy resistance in the villages of Fengtuncun, Houzhaotun and Laotangfang.
2nd Spetember saw limited combat as AB1 was reorganizing, parts of the Cavalry Division No. 18 were crossing the Zhuanghe River and AB3 was advancing further north against the Chinese 29th AID which employed delaying tactics.

In the early morning of the 3rd September Engineer Brigade conducted diversion attacks on the city of Zhunaghe itself while AB1 launched an offensive due south to take the important Sanjiazi intersection and to cut off the Chinese tank division.
Fightings were heavy during the day and the Chinese troops reorganized their defensive to fight off the Chonsenian flanking maneuver.


Frontline in the evening of the 3rd September.

During the night of the 3rd and 4th Spetember Chinese troops were retreating from Zhuanghe which was first noticed in the morning of the 4th September by friendly troops.
In the forenoon of the 4th September AB1 advanced slowly against heavy Chinese resistance. In the afternoon tanks of the AB1 finally reached the Sanjiazi intersection. Meanwhile the 215th Engineer Brigade moved into the abandoned city of Zhuanghe.

While ultimately the city of Zhuanghe which is of great strategic importance was captured, the attampt to encircle and destroy the Chinese tank division within the city failed. The Chinese troops offered heavy resistance and were able to retreat organized.

During the four days of heavy combat MC1 reported the destruction of 28 chinese tanks and 31 artillery guns. Stockpiles of ammunition were captured in the city. Unfortunately MC 1 lost 8x Type 95, 4x CET-2B and 2x J-5 A.


A Chosenian CET-2B was hit and destroyed by Chinese antitank guns.


CET-2B tanks are attacking a Chinese held village with the support of friendly mortar fire.