Why no China?

[Olefin]

Its not much of a victory when you have 200 guys still on their feet out of an entire division

FYI - one reason any book would be hard to write is the lack of information from China about that time - there is very little information out there and some of it contradicts itself - even on the TOE of what a Chinese division would have - i.e. whereas the Soviet, US, British and Kenyan forces had a lot more info to work with to get accurate sourcebooks on them

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by Olefin

Its not much of a victory when you have 200 guys still on their feet out of an entire division.

And that tells you the Chinese are in so much worse condition doesn't it....
If they weren't the Soviets wouldn't have withdrawn so many units. They'd probably have had to keep sending reinforcements.
The whole point of them plastering Northern China with nukes was to wipe out the Chinese forces and free up probably hundreds of thousands of troops (plus untold numbers of support units, vehicles and supplies) and send them to other theatres, mainly Europe, but I believe (without double checking) some went to the Middle East and potentially Korea.

[Olefin]

Oh I agree with you Legbreaker (look I said that and the world didnt end ) about the condition of the Chinese units anywhere near where the Soviet fronts were

And even if Chinese units survived intact in the south or central part of the country most likely many of them were garrison units - meaning that they would have been artillery heavy units with a lot of foot infantry - i.e. even if they still had any command and control left for China those divisions are not going to be ones you can move

and I will look thru my copy of the Soviet vehicle guide but you are right - there were definitely units that got moved after China got NUKED - definitely to Europe and I think the Middle East as well

[Legbreaker]

I'd be quite surprised if the southern units had much in the way of modern equipment, particularly artillery, armour and other vehicles. Much of that would have been required at the front (to get nuked a little later) and the "garrison" and training units equipped with cast offs and left overs.

[Olefin]

actually those units had a lot of artillery - but most of it was older artillery or fixed emplacements (i.e. coastal artillery, AA units, etc..) versus towed and mobile systems - so basically good garrison units - think German Army coastal defense divisions during WWII

[Legbreaker]

But weren't most of those emplacements on the Soviet border and therefore likely destroyed VERY early on.
Anything more mobile though is surely in the south with the 2nd and 3rd line units. Certainly wouldn't have done anyone any good up north where the old 37mm AT guns, etc just bounce off even old T-55's.

[Olefin]

A lot of the garrison units - i.e. coastal defense units - were still facing Taiwan - as well as providing security around Hong Kong and the like - so most likely there are still a good number of intact Chinese divisions in the south and central part of the country - but ones that basically have almost no armor or transport with artillery, mortars, etc. - but no real to move around except with draft animals or by foot

so while they provide a good source of security for whatever warlord they are answering to they really present no threat to what is left of the Soviet forces that are still occupying Manchuria and Mongolia

For the Soviets the real threat is marauders, bandits - and the morale issues they have with their own units - i.e. desertion - to where the units start to lose unit cohesion