Below you will find the eighth in a series of designer’s notes articles from The Last Hundred Yards series designer Mike Denson. In this segment he will discuss the Imperial Japanese Army in LHY. You can also find this article on his ConsimWorld Community page. Enjoy! -Rachel

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The Imperial Japanese Army

The change from Western Europe in the first two modules to the Pacific for module III required a unique shift in the Last Hundred Yards’ model. The Pacific module incorporates adjustments to better reflect the strengths and limitations of Japanese tactical doctrine, weapon systems, and its soldiers’ behavior in combat.

The individual Japanese soldier was physically hardy, strong and because of good training was “at home” in the jungle and excelled in the use of camouflage. Stealth, infiltration, and deception were noted characteristics. They were relentless when on the attack and when in prepared defenses, usually tenacious unto death.

When it came to weapons production, the Imperial Japanese Army’s requirements often came in second to the needs of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Army was an infantry-heavy organization that lacked much in the way of the modern heavy weaponry other armies enjoyed. Their antitank capabilities were extremely limited, artillery was often lacking and sometimes restricted to small, outmoded pieces, and its armored forces included obsolescent tanks that were greatly inferior to their opponents’ armor. To help compensate for the lack of heavy weapons, the Imperial Japanese Army worked hard to develop large numbers of what were probably the best light infantrymen in the world at the time. Their creed stressed relentless offensive action seeking a quick decision and emphasizing spiritual factors including zealous dedication and fighting spirit. Night attacks were a true specialty, and their weaponry reflected their light and fast doctrine. To offset their frequent lack of artillery, the Japanese augmented their firepower through the extensive use of mortars, the best and most cost-effective substitute for industry intensive heavier artillery. And few were as feared, or as effective, as the Type 89 “Knee Mortar,” or grenade discharger.

Robert Cashner – What Made the Dreaded Type 89 Knee Mortar So Damaging (warfarehistorynetwork.com) October 2010 Warfare History Network.

These unique characteristics of the Imperial Japanese Army are incorporated into the LHY series rules to best model Japanese unit behavior during the Solomon Islands campaign. The enhanced ability of the Japanese to maneuver on their enemy, and maintain contact despite casualties, leads to a nail-biting experience for players of the American forces, especially at Night. Players can take cold comfort in knowing that many a Marine and Army veteran of that campaign felt much the same way.

So, how should you play the Japanese to maximize the impact of their unique characteristics? The Japanese player should play aggressive and be willing take losses. They are at their best in the assault especially in combination with envelopment. The Japanese strength is fighting in the jungle and/or Night. They should avoid attacking in open terrain due the American’s superior firepower. If forced to attack in open terrain during the day, the Japanese should concentrate their force using terrain and MFAs (including smoke) to hinder the enemy’s LOS, enabling their infantry to close with the enemy. The Japanese should advance/infiltrate as rapidly as possible toward their objectives to get past/behind the American forces. This will typically pressure the Americans to give up their forward positions to fall back and avoid being cut off.

Also, the Japanese tanks are inferior to Allied armor and, if used aggressively, their losses will pile up quickly which will contribute to an early CDL loss. They are best used supporting the infantry with fire support and in assaults. The Japanese should avoid directly engaging Allied AFVs/AT guns with their tanks, if possible, and instead use the infantry to either destroy or flush out Allied AFVs and AT guns from their positions.

Additional Resources

Douglas Ford – Dismantling the “Lesser Men” and “Supermen” myth: US Intelligence on the Imperial Japanese Army after the fall of the Philippines, Winter 1942 to Spring 1943. 2009. US War Department – “Excerpts from the Handbook on Japanese Military Forces” TM E 30-480, 15 September 1944. https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/Japan/IJA/HB/HB-7.html.

In our next segment we will discuss Tactics – Attacking Principles in LHY.

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Previous Articles:

The Last Hundred Yards Designer’s Notes: Intro & Time Lapse System

The Last Hundred Yards Designer’s Notes: Initiative & Activation Cycle

The Last Hundred Yards Designer’s Notes: Maneuver & Fire Mechanics

The Last Hundred Yards Designer’s Notes: Armor

The Last Hundred Yards Designer’s Notes: Mortars

The Last Hundred Yards Designer’s Notes: Platoon Leaders

The Last Hundred Yards Designer’s Notes: Elite vs. Regular Units