15mm Russo-Japanese War Batrep and Rules Testing...............

........for "The Tsar and the Emperor".

The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was the first great war of the 20th century. It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over Manchuria and Korea. The major theatres of operations were Southern Manchuria, specifically the area around the Liadong Peninsula and Mukden; and the seas around Korea, Japan, and the Yellow Sea.

Russia sought a warm water port on the Pacific Ocean, for their navy as well as for maritime trade. Vladivostok was only operational during the summer season, but Port Arthur would be operational all year. From the end of the  First Sino-Japanese War (August 1894-April 1895) and 1903, negotiations between Russia and Japan had proved impractical. Japan offered to recognize Russian dominance in Manchuria in exchange for recognition of Korea as a Japanese sphere of influence. Russia refused this, so Japan chose war to counter the Russian aggression in Asia. After discussions broke down in 1904, the Japanese Navy attacked the Russian eastern fleet at Port Arthur, a naval base in the Liaotung province leased to Russia by China, which led to war. The Russians were poorly organized and the Japanese defeated them in a series of battles on land and at sea.

The resulting campaigns, in which the Japanese military attained victory over the Russian forces arrayed against them, were unexpected by world observers. Over time, the consequences of these battles would transform the balance of power in East Asia, resulting in a reassessment of Japan's recent entry onto the world stage.

Postie (Stuart) invited myself and Ray over to the test his new home bodged rules for his 15mm Russo-Japanese period (The Tsar and the Emperor), the figures are all done and from what I saw he is working on about 2 miles of trench works (it was bleeding everywhere around the house). I loved the sound of this period as I have always liked the Japanese period right up to this era.

Both sides are at division strength, the Japanese have more artillery (3:2) and more machine guns (4:1), the Japanese have better command radius (nearly twice the distance of the Russians) and better morale than their poor Siberian counterparts, guess who ended up with the fecking Russians?, I later received a note from Postie saying that the Russians couldn't fire anything at long range and all firing dice would be halved because they were Siberian!

Initial set up, two divisions about to unexpectedly meet up on a road through a valley....

Some of the Emperor's finest..........

Japanese cavalry lead the way.......

My Serbian boys advancing behind their cavalry......

The distinctive white uniform from the period, there were also green uniform as well but the white looks good.....

A closer look of a regiment and flag.......

These would have the most success.......

The thin white line.......

The enemy...........and Ray........

I spot Japanese cavalry......... 

....and wallop! I would cause a retreat and hit them again and cause another retreat but eventually a bad morale roll would send them off the table.........

The road gave extra movement but was still a log jam........

This was the fecking note the evil shite Postie gave me soon after the opening turns......

"Russian infantry battalions may only fire at close or effective range NOT LONG. Due to poor firing our dice total will be halved, Ha Ha ha Ha Ha, sorry, not really"

Japanese columns reach the top of the hill......

I start to push off the road to allow more movement......

The battle turned into a war of rifle, artillery and machine gun fire, very bloody rules......

We had to call a halt as Ray had to go on an errand (I heard a whip crack) and Postie called a draw but only because Ray started crying but an enjoyable game in a new period I've never played and the rules were quite good too........

Will comment and answer questions later tonight or tomorrow morning, going to see World War Z!!!!!!!