Global Conflict - New cards revealed
Welcome to the first card reveal of "Global Conflict," our upcoming update on May 10, 2022.
This fifth installment in our series of historically themed updates delivers reinforcements to the battlefield with 7 unique new cards (18 in total) and focuses on the wars in the colonies in SouthEast Asia.
The Southeast Asia Theater of War during WW2 encompassed multiple campaigns and military operations carried out between Japan and the colonial powers of the region, especially the United Kingdom. "Global Conflict" also brings some support to the colonial powers France and Italy.
Global Conflict
[h2]Spoiler season starts now: First new "Global Conflict" card[/h2]
We kick off the spoiler season with the Japanese SUNRISE DIVISION.
[h3]SUNRISE DIVISION[/h3]
This unit of limited rarity shines with its interesting deployment effect: If your HQ has 10 or less hitpoints, then the Sunrise Division gets +6 attack and +6 defense.
The 23rd Division, aka Sunrise Division, of the Imperial Japanese Army was formed in 1938 during the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). The division participated in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol against the Red Army in 1939, where it suffered a staggering loss of 12,000 men, which was about 80% of their combat strength. Following the devastating defeat the remnants of the division returned to Japan to assist with the border defense force, but was later reformed as a mechanized infantry division and sent to Taiwan for garrison duties in 1944. That same year the Sunrise Division was sent to the Philippines where it participated in the Battle of Luzon, against the US and Philippine Commonwealth forces, where it lost 24,508 men out of a total strength of 29,636 men. After the Battle of Luzon the Sunrise Division ceased to exist.
[h3]EDGE OF THE EMPIRE[/h3]
The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, also known as the “New Order in East Asia”, was a concept where the idea was to liberate Asia from the Western colonial powers and create a bloc of Asian nations which would be led by Japan. This concept served as a front for Japan's expansion in Asia during WWII, but the controversy was that Japan replaced the Western powers with a ruthless administration and drained the resources in most of their conquered nations in order to achieve their own imperial ambitions. At the height of WWII, the Empire of Japan was one of the largest in history, its sovereignty reached 8,510,000 km2 and its occupied regions and territories population accounted for 20% of the world's population. However, following Japan’s surrender to the Allies in September 1945 its governance was restricted to Japan and its islands and as a result the Co-Prosperity Sphere ceased to exist.
[h3]2e RIMa[/h3]
The 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment (French: 2e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine or 2e RIMa) is a regiment of the Troupes de marine in the French Army which has been active from 1831 to the present day. During WWII, the regiment took part in the Battle of France and resisted the German invasion forces at Amiens, but was dissolved following the fall of France in 1940. The 2e RIMa was restored with the Free French Forces in 1941 and participated in the Battle of Keren during the East African Campaign, as part of the Free French Brigade of the Orient. In 1942 the regiment joined the 2nd Free French Brigade, which in 1943 became part of the 1st Free French Division (1re Division Française Libre or 1re DFL). They were involved in operations and campaigns in Libya and Tunisia, including the Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Takrouna. The 1re DFL joined the Italian Campaign in April 1944 where it fought in the Battle of Pontecorvo, and landed in Provence during Operation Dragoon, which was the Allied landing in Southern France. Finally in 1945, as part of the French First Army, the division fought German forces in the Colmar Pocket and participated in the city’s liberation.
[h3]MONSOON ROT[/h3]
The Burma Campaign (1941-1944) was very much affected by the geographical characteristics of the region and the tropical climate was particularly extreme during the 1940s. From May to November the heat was blistering and painful, and then the monsoon season came with extreme thunderstorms that soaked the soldiers and their equipment, followed by insects that attacked them ruthlessly and tropical diseases that spread like wildfire among the troops. This made logistics extremely difficult for both friends and foe, but this hit the Japanese harder than the Allies and by 1944 the Japanese forces suffered their greatest military defeat up to that point. In total the Japanese suffered 200,000 casualties and losses in Burma, and some claim that 78% of these losses were from non-combat causes such as starvation and disease.
[h3]ATTACK IN THE COLONIES[/h3]
Following the footsteps of their German ally, Italy declared war on Britain in June 1940. Their goal was to occupy British and French colonies in Africa as well as seizing control of the Suez Canal from the British. Initially the Italian forces managed to seize control of the upper Nile Valley in Sudan and British Somaliland. More troops were sent to capture the Northern part of the British colony of Kenya and to advance into Egypt in the hopes of reaching the Suez Canal. However, by this time the British managed to execute three counter offensives, and with great help from the RAF they managed to push back the Italians. What followed was a series of battles for control of Libya and regions of Egypt, and despite being reinforced by the Germans, the last Italian troops in East Africa were defeated at the Battle of Gondar in November 1941. However, several thousand Italian troops continued to wage a guerrilla war until September 1943, when Italy surrendered to the Allies.
[h3]RNZAF KITTYHAWK[/h3]
The Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk was the backbone of Royal New Zealand Air Force fighter squadrons from 1942 to 1944 when they were replaced by Corsairs. 297 Kittyhawks equipped eight squadrons of the RNZA during WWII, mostly in operations in the South West Pacific. By the end of the war, there were only 124 Kittyhawks remaining, 20 were lost in combat, 152 were lost in accidents overseas and in New Zealand. During the time the RNZAF Kittyhawks were used in front line service they accounted for at least 99 Japanese aircraft destroyed in air combat.
[h3]114th INFANTRY REGIMENT[/h3]
The 114th Infantry Regiment was a regiment of the 56th Division of the Imperial Japanese Army during WWII. In 1942, during the Pacific War, the division was sent to Burma and landed in Rangoon as an attachment to the 25th Army. In Burma the division participated in the Battle of Toungoo in March 1942 where it defeated the defending Chinese forces. Later the division would advance to the Karenni States of Burma where it defeated the Chinese 6th Corps and forced them to retreat. From May 1942 the 56th Division mostly performed garrison duties on the Yunnan border to China, but in 1944 heavy fighting against the Allied forces resumed. During the fighting the 114th Infantry Regiment was credited with defeating Merrill’s Marauders during the Siege of Myitkyina and managed to delay and inflict heavy casualties to superior Chinese forces during the Battle of Mount Song. During these battles the 56th Division suffered heavy losses and was removed from the front line and ended the war on the border between South Burma and Thailand.