Bolt Action Germans, Allies and Chinese Armies

This series of books are photographic collection publications with images taken from archives of official wartime photographers or soldiers who fought in the war and battles covered in the books. Many of the plates in these books being published for the first and offer a unique perspective on the conflicts they cover.

For this review I’m going to look at a trio of books from the range that covers 2nd World War in Asia.

China & Japan at War 1937-1945

This was one of the most bitter conflicts fought during the Second World War and considered by many to be the most bitter of the 20th Century. In fact, there is still a high level of resentment among Chinese of all ages regarding what the Japanese did during the war, and the fact that today Japan still refuses to acknowledge the atrocities it committed against the Chinese people.
It covers the invasion of China by the Japanese Imperial forces in 1937 through to the surrender of Japan in 1945. Millions of soldiers from both countries fought during this terrible conflict, and millions of Chinese civilians suffered greatly.

The author covers the history of this devastating conflict in the photographs taken throughout the war. He has managed to select over 200 images that takes the war from the invasion in 37, the retreat of Chinese forces in the face of over whelming odds, the bitter and violent battles of Nanjing and Shanghai through to the final surrender in 45.

The brutal war in China is often neglected by both historians and war gamers in the west. Yet the author has provided an absorbing yet graphic account of this conflict that ravaged China. The images not only show the armies involved but also the weapons and vehicles utilised by both sides. The book also records the 8-year struggle that the ordinary soldiers of both Chinese and Japanese armies endured during this brutal occupation.

The second book looks at Japans blitzkrieg into South East Asia and the capture of Singapore.

Japan Triumphant- The Far East Campaign 1941-42

In this book the author looks at the extraordinary campaign carried out by the Japanese forces during 1941-42. It was highly ambitious, and they planned to invade and conquer the entire region, and this campaign would put them in to direct conflict with Western Powers.

They fought an array of varying opponents through lightening attacks. Some of which like the attack on Pearl Harbour have gone down in history as examples of stunning victories. During this campaign they fought several armies that included Dutch, British, US and Philippines. The author has again selected a vast number of images that showcase the campaign really well.

It includes many images of Japanese soldiers preparing for battle, as well as the forces they overwhelmed. At this particular point in the war the Japanese looked unstoppable, but this campaign would eventually be the downfall of their military as the supply lines became stretched beyond their ability to maintain.

The final book looks at the Pacific war, and the fight back by US forces.

The Gilbert and Ellice Island Pacific War – Jim Moran

The Gilbert Islands were occupied by the Japanese not long after the attack on Pearl Harbour. As part of the occupation they built a seaplane air base. In August 1942 US forces made a raid on the island, and in response the Japanese re-enforced the islands defences, along with a second base.

Then 1943 the 2nd Marine Division along with the 27th Infantry division had the task of capturing the islands. The battle turned out to be one of the most costly in US marine history.

The book covers the campaign and battles to capture the Gilbert Islands from the Japanese forces. It’s a great reference for everyone wanting to conduct wargames set in the Pacific region, especially those building and playing US Marine armies. As usual with this series of books it has a breath of reference images along with some useful information.
Another great book to add to anyone’s library of reference material.

All of these books are an invaluable resource for anyone wishing to start or is wargaming in World War Two Asia. I now have several books from this range, mostly covering WW2 history, and they’ve been invaluable for me building armies for Bolt Action and Flames of War, but also developing campaigns to play.

Long term I’m hoping they’ll expand more into the post war period, covering some of the more modern conflicts like the Gulf War (Desert Storm).

I can highly recommend not only these three books, but any from the series, as they’re all great visual references. These have been very useful for the Chinese army project.