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The Pearl of the Orient is the third campaign of Wargame: Red Dragon. The campaign focuses on a Chinese invasion of British Hong Kong.

Background[]

During negotiations for the return of Hong Kong to Chinese hands, Chinese Premier Deng Xiaoping tells British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher that China could take Hong Kong by force "within an afternoon". Viewing this as a challenge and buoyed by the recent success of the Falklands War, Mrs Thatcher confidently decides to take on the might of the People's Liberation Army, and see how far she can run the gauntlet with the Chinese Premier's words.

With war on the horizon, Thatcher gives the go ahead to reinforce British forces in Hong Kong, China responds by massing troops on the border in order to force Thatcher to reconsider her position. However the Iron Lady refuses to give in and is able to at least guarantee the aid of Canadian and ANZAC forces in the event hostilities break out.

Overview[]

On the 19th of April in 1984, China declares war one minute after midnight after recalling its ambassador. The People's Liberation Army invaded the area with hundreds of tanks and thousands of vehicles against heavily outnumbered but far more modern British garrison troops.

The advance however grinds to a halt , where the British have consolidated their positions and use the area's high mountains and valleys as well as several towns and villages to funnel the Chinese forces into killzones where they can be hammered from all sides, the battle turns into a massacre as Chinese forces send regiment after regiment of lightly armed and armored troops and are driven back with heavy casualties.

Within days the ANZAC expeditionary force, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light infantry regiment and the HMS Illustrious naval group arrive to reinforce the defenders of Hong Kong, much of their strength in concentrated at Tsuen Wan where the area has been completely battered and filled with the ruined hulks of tanks and other vehicles.

The PLA then attempt to outflank Tsuen Wan's defenders to the East with a naval assault on the area of Sai Kung, while the Chinese forces are able to break through the British naval defense of the area, the assault encounters stiff resistance from the 3rd Commando Regiment of Royal Marines on land and is eventually defeated with heavy casualties.

A second attempt to outflank the now bloody mess of Tsuen Wan is put down on Lantau island to the West, however the tank battalion assigned is completely destroyed in a brutal urban ambush by the Royal Hong Kong Regiment.

Commonwealth forces utilize their superior mobility to launch heliborne and amphibious flaking attacks that defeat second-line Chinese garrisons and ambush retreating armored columns. Meanwhile air support allows British heavy armor moves forward in the face of 10-to-1 enemy armor. The combined arms attacks of special forces, armor, air and naval assets catch the Chinese high command completely unprepared.

With no other choice left, the Chinese are forced to throw themselves again and again against the commonwealth forces, each time losing more men and equipment, despite complete numerical superiority, every loss causes the Chinese forces to lose morale. In the face of massive attacks the commonwealth forces advance into Chinese territory and manage to capture Chinese ports and airfields.

In the face this string of defeats, the PLA forces give up and retreat as the Commonwealth attains air and naval superiority along with the arrival of more British reinforcements, sealing a victory for the Commonwealth forces.

Gallery[]

Videos[]

Historical Notes[]

  • Although it is limited by the gameplay, the maps where battles take place are far from the actual geography of Hong Kong.
  • The Campaign took place in 1984, but in Commonwealth forces there were units with their Year marked after this date (e.g. M113 ADATS, Tornado GR1B). Perhaps it's to "play the role" of the battlegroups, the local volunteers of the Royal Hong Kong Regiment are entirely composed of British, while there are South Korean ships (Cham-su-ri) in RN Hong Kong Squadron.
  • The PLA orders of battle like Heavy/Light Tank Battalion, Elite Infantry Regiment, Attack Helicopter Company, are completely fictional.

See also[]

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