Components

Maps--11A, 12A, 16, 17, 2 3

Counters--Most of the counters necessary to play this scenario are contained in the games Fall of France, Spain and Portugal, and Their Finest Hour. Some British units will have to be created by the players. These units are so noted in the text of this scenario.

Rules--Use the Fall of France, Spain and Portugal, and Their Finest Hour rules sets.

Scenario Length

May I 1940 to Dec II 1940.

Participants

Axis--Germany, Italy.
Allies--France, Great Britain.

Neutral (Until invaded, then join Allies)--Belgium Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal: Spain, and Switzerland.

Victory Conditions

Axis--By the end of the game, control the following cities: Paris, Madrid, Gibraltar, and two major city hexes in Great Britain.

Allies--Prevent the Axis player from achieving his victory conditions.

Orders of Battle

Irish: Per the Their Finest Hour Supplemental OB.
Belgian: Per the Fall of France Order of Battle.
Dutch: Per the Fall of France Order of Battle.
Portuguese. Per the Spain and Portugal OB
Swiss: Per the Fall of France Order of Battle.
Italian: Per the Fall of France Order of Battle.

Spanish: Spain begins the scenario at neutrality watch. Partial mobilization begins if during the initial phase of any Allied player turn three or more German division-sized units are within eight hexes of the Spanish border. Full mobilization is triggered if during the initial phase of any Allied player turn 30 or more Axis REs are within eight hexes of the Spanish border, or if any Axis forces invade Spain. Upon any type of mobilization, all Spanish units can move anywhere within Spain. They cannot leave Spain, except to go to Spanish territories (note that there is no Axis surprise turn when invading Spain).

In addition to the air and ground forces, place the Spanish fleet. For purposes of this scenario, the Spanish fleet consists of the six light cruisers for which there are counters, thirteen Churruca-class destroyers, three Alsedo- class destroyers, two Huesca-class destroyers, two Ceuta- class destroyers, seven torpedo boats, and one Sotello destroyer escort. The Allied player should assign all flotilla- based craft as evenly as possible given the counter mix, with no more than four ships per flotilla. Ignore the submarine counters in the mix.

The Allied player should then randomly divide the ship counters into four piles as equal as possible in number, without looking at the counters. Take one pile, and remove it from the game; this represents naval units based on Mahon on the island of Menorca, which can have no effect on the game. Take the other three piles and place one each at El Ferrol (23:0313), Cadiz (23:3528), and Cartagena (23:4410). The Allied player can then look at the ships, but the Axis player may not (the Allied player may wish merely to record what ships are at what port). Note: Spanish ships may not move or fire when under Spanish control; they exist merely to be captured or destroyed.

German

The German player begins with the forces listed in the Fall of France order of battle. He receives all Fall of France reinforcements, and all Their Finest Hour air reinforcements. The Jul I 40 turn, TFH rule 42A is in effect for all German reinforcements. The German player receives TFH ground reinforcements only if they are not already in play:

• Of the Aug II 40 reinforcements on the TFH OB, all the divisions listed except the 6th Mountain XX are already in play. None of the non-divisionals are yet in play.
• Of the Sep I 40 reinforcements on the TFH OB, only the following ground units are not yet in play:
  1x 1-6 Machinegun II (17)
  1x 1-8 Bicycle II (402)
  1x 1-10 mot Antitank II (169)
  1x 0-1-10 mot It AA II (607)
  1x 1-10 LW mot hv AA II (11/14)
  2x 2-6 Engineer III (614, 678)

German naval reinforcements are handled somewhat differently. Rule 42B of TFH is in force, with the following modifications, to simulate the absence of a Norwegian campaign. When rolling the die to have ships appear earlier, treat all rolls of 1 as a roll of 2. Additionally, all vessels listed as being possibly available for play (the Lutzow, Spee, etc.) are available for play. Roll a die for each vessel or flotilla: on a 1-3 it is available Jul I 40; on any other roll, it is available Aug I 40.

The Germans receive infantry and c/m replacements on the Oct I 40, Nov I 40, and Dec I 40 turns at the same rate as on Sep I 40. The German player does not receive air replacements after Jun I 1940; instead, he uses the air replacement system of TFH starting in Jul I 40.

British

The British use their FoF OB to determine British forces in France. For British forces in Great Britain, as well as all British land reinforcements, see the attached British Great Western War (GWW) OB. The British also receive all reinforcements from TFH, except for land reinforcements. Please note that historical designations are not provided for the British GWW reinforcements, to allow maximum flexibility in using preexisting counter mixes.

In addition, the British also have available at start the following units, which were not sent to Norway:

4x 2-8 Inf X (15, 24th Gds, 146, 148)
1x 0-2-8 hv AA X (6)

In TFH, these units are represented as being 2-6s, reflecting loss of equipment, so you will have to make your own counters, or scrounge them from some other game. You will also have to make the hv AA X or take it from another game, since such a unit does not exist in TFH. These units can be placed with any other British units in the BEF or the French 3rd Army. At the Allied player's option, one brigade may start in England.

Great Britain starts with the air forces listed in FoF; units listed as starting in France may enter Spain once Spain enters the war. Once Jul 1 40 is reached, the British player has access to all aircraft listed as available in TFH; however, all aircraft currently in play must be subtracted from those totals (with the exception of the optional aircraft listed below).

In addition, the British player may add to his At Start forces in England the following units:

2x 2-6 Marine X (101 RM, 102 RM)
1x 1-6 Marine X (103 RM)
2 pts hv pos AA

These units were discovered by David Hughes, and deserve to be represented in this scenario. These units can leave Great Britain (players must create their own counters for these units).

In an earlier article in Europa #6, Mr. Hughes also lists a number of construction units that could be applicable to this scenario. Players may at their option employ these units, but I would not recommend this, as I don't think that their Europa limitations have yet been adequately explored.

The British player may call for the special naval reinforcements as per TFH rule 39B, but if they call for any ships at all, the German player need only capture one British major city to win the game. Additionally, if these reinforcements are called for after the Germans have captured Gibraltar, roll 1 die. On a 1-3, they appear two turns later, on 4-6 they appear three turns later (as opposed to the one turn specified in the rules).

Optional: Owners of Western Desert are recommended to use the following optional British reinforcements. Had the Germans made a concerted effort to take Gibraltar, the British would have made every attempt to defend it, including stripping forces from the Middle East (since the loss of Gibraltar would have made the Middle East much less defensible, anyway). If Germany invades Spain, the British starting on the following turn may draw upon the reinforcements listed below (i.e., if Germany invades Spain on Jun I 40, then the British may start shipping these units on the Jun II 40 turn). No more than 6 REs may be shipped per turn, and they may only be shipped to Allied-controlled ports in the Mediterranean (if France has not yet surrendered, the Allied player may use French transport points to transport any or all of these forces). Any use of these reinforcements frees the Axis from the second major British city victory condition, in the same manner as use of the Mediterranean Fleet reinforcements.

The forces available are:

Western Desert Optional Units:
2x 3-2-10 Arm X (4,7)
1x 2-3-8 Art X W
1x 2-10 Mot SG X (7)
1x 0-1-8 Cons X W
3x 2-8 Inf X (19 Aus, 17 Aus, 16 Aus)
Additionally, the British may send 2x Blen-1 (3NB3 1-2/20) and 1x Glad (3173 0/8) to Gibraltar.

French

The French player sets up and receives reinforcements as per FoF. He also receives at start those units listed in the French Europa mobilization charts as having been sent to Norway (they are set up in the hexes they occupied before their removal).

French units may enter Spain once it has been invaded; French colonial units being transported from Africa may go instead to Spain (subject to Italian intervention). Additionally, certain units stationed in Morocco may also go to Spain if Spain has been invaded.

The Moroccan pool is as follows:

7-6 Inf XX (1 Mor Col)
6-6 Inf XX (2 Mor Col)
3-8 Mountain XX (3 Mor Col)
2-8 Cavalry X (2 Col)
2-8 Cavalry X (3 Spahi Col)
1-5 Tank III (602 Col)
3-2-6 Inf III (2 REI LE)
3-2-6 Inf III (3 REI LE)
3-10 Light Armored III (2 REC LE)
5-6 Inf XX (86A Col)
3-6 Inf XX (88A Col)

Up to 10 REs from this pool may be transported to Spain, using the French naval transport capacity in the Mediterranean. Note that some of these units are also available for transport to France. Like units transported to France, the units which are to be transported to Spain must be specified; they arrive on the following turn. (For instance, the German player invades Spain on Jun II 1940. The French player specifies on his Jun II 40 player turn that the 88A and 86A Col divisions will move to Spain; they appear on the Jul I 40 French turn.) French units from Morocco may be transported to Spain even after Italian intervention.

French ground units in Spain are removed when France surrenders, unless they are stacked with a British unit. If a French unit is stacked with a British unit, roll 1 die: on a roll of 1, the French unit does not surrender, but continues fighting, using British supply sources. in such a case, treat it as a British unit for the remainder of the game. All French air units in Spain surrender and are removed from play when France surrenders.

Rules Changes

In general, use the rules of FoF as augmented by those of S&P and TFH where necessary. In the vast majority of cases where questions might arise, pure common sense will dictate which rules should be used. The following scenario rules represent new rules or exceptions.

1. British Naval Transport

Use this rule instead of those from FoF and TFH. The British player has unlimited naval transport, but may only transport from ports in Great Britain, or designated supply ports. The designated supply ports in France are specified in the FoF rules. Gibraltar is a designated supply port, and upon the invasion of Spain, the British player may designate any two Portuguese (if applicable) or Spanish ports as supply ports. In any other port, it takes two construction units one full turn to make it a designated supply port. (Note: Even though a port is not yet a designated supply port, those construction units may land there).

The only other type of naval transport possible for the British is the emergency evacuation, as explained in FoF. An emergency evacuation is essentially any naval transport that is not from a designated supply port (or from Great Britain). Units that take part in an emergency evacuation are added to the replacement pool; the British player receives infantry replacement points equal to their value.

2. Supply

For supply in France and Great Britain, use the FoF and TFH supply rules, respectively. Supply in Spain and Portugal is traced as per the Spain and Portugal module, with the following exceptions and additions. British units can only be supplied by tracing a supply line to a designated supply port in Spain or France (or Gibraltar). French units can trace a supply line to any British designated supply port, or if possible, can trace a supply line to a supply source in France. German supply for units off the continent is handled as per TFH; players may create supply depot units for any invading divisions.

3. Axis Garrisons

The Axis player must garrison conquered cities starting with the turn following their capture. Dot cities require a 1 RE garrison, while major cities require a 3 RE garrison. After France surrenders, the Axis player no longer must garrison cities within the borders of Vichy France (designated by the grey line running across the interior of France). Italian forces may not be used to garrison any cities outside of Vichy France (which essentially means that after France surrenders, the Italian ground forces are out of the game).

4. German Sea Invasions

Germany may not launch a seaborne invasion or use any naval units before Jul I 1940. No unit may be launched on an invasion unless it has had two full turns of rest after having last been in combat; i.e., immobility. Resting units must also be in supply, of course; they are permitted to act as garrisons. Newly arriving units and completely replaced units are exempt from this requirement.

5. French Surrender

France surrenders as per FoF Rule 34B. The condition regarding British units does not include British units in Spain; such units are ignored when counting British REs for French surrender. At the end of the turn that France surrenders (i.e., seeks an armistice), players must determine the fate of the French fleet. The Axis player should separate all destroyers into two piles, one pile consisting of all counters with numerical or "A" protection ratings (called the "Aff pile), and one pile for the rest of the French destroyers (called the "B" pile). When "A" pile destroyers are called for, select a counter from the "A" pile, and fill that flotilla up; then select a second counter, and so on, until the requisite number of destroyers have been chosen. The same would go for "B" pile picks. The Axis player then discovers the fate of the various remnants of the French fleet:

A. Mers El Kelbir

The French fleet here consists of the battleships Dunkerque, Strasbourg, Provence, Bretagne, and six "A" pile destroyers. This is the most important part of the French fleet; unfortunately for the Axis, there are substantial British forces stationed at Gibraltar to take care of this force. For each capital ship, roll 1 die. On a roll of 1, the ship escapes the British fleet unharmed; on a 2 or 3 it escapes with 1-6 hits; on any other roll it is turned back or sunk. For each destroyer counter, roll 1 die. On a 1 or 2, the counter escapes unharmed; on a 3 or 4 the counter escapes with 1-3 hits; on any other roll it is turned back or destroyed. Units which have escaped may arrive at any German-controlled Atlantic port two turns after France has surrendered and the Germans control Gibraltar. If the British have called for Mediterranean naval reinforcements subtract 2 from every die roll.

B. Portsmouth

This force consists of the battleships Paris and Courbet, 4 "B" pile destroyers' and the submarine Surcouf. Roll 1 die for the whole force. On a 1-4, the British successfully seize the entire force (remove from play); on a 5-6 the force escapes across the channel to a German-controlled port, and is available for use two turns later.

C. Alexandria

The force here consists of the battleship Lorraine, and the cruisers Duquesne, Duguay- Trouin, Tourville, Suffren, and 3 "B" pile destroyers. This force was intermingled with the Royal Navy, and even if it escaped Admiral Cunningham, would have to traverse the entire Mediterranean. Roll for each counter; on a 6 that counter arrives in a German-controlled Atlantic port three turns after French surrender (no sooner than two turns after the German capture of Gibraltar). For each counter that arrives, roll 1 die; on a 4-6 apply 1-2 hits of damage. If the British have called for Mediterranean reinforcements, subtract 1 from each die roll.

D. West Indies

Forces here include the carrier Bearn, and two light cruisers (choose two at random). Roll a die for each unit; on a 1-3 that unit arrives in a German-controlled port three turns after French surrender. The Bearn could not fly combat aircraft; it was used merely as a plane transport. At the time of the French surrender, it was transporting 100 American planes to France (about 50/50 dive bombers and light attack bombers-historically, the planes were offloaded at St. Martinique, where they rotted away). I don't know what the models were, but enterprising players may wish to find out, in order to give the Germans some unusual air replacements.

E. Algiers

Choose six cruisers at random from the cruisers and light cruisers remaining; these represent the forces at Algiers. Roll a die for each one; on a 1-2 the unit safely arrives at a German-controlled port in France two turns after both French surrender and the capture of Gibraltar. On any other roll, the counter is removed. If the British have called for Mediterranean reinforcements, subtract one from each die roll.

F. Dakar

The Richelieu and two "A" pile destroyers. Roll a die for each counter. On a die roll of 3-6, the unit is destroyed. If the destroyers are eliminated, remove the Richelieu as well. On any other roll, the unit makes it to a German-controlled port three turns later. The Richelieu had working guns, but could not move of its own power. The German player may repair this if the Richelieu sits in port for four turns without being damaged.

G. Shipping Points

With more cooperation from France, Germany might have been able to gather more shipping from French sources. Accordingly, roll a die and add two to the result. This number is the number of shipping points added to the German total (listed in the TFH order of battle).

6. Capturing Spanish Shipping

When a supplied German unit of division size first enters a port with Spanish naval units present, roll 1 die. On a 1-3 (1-4 for Cadiz, if British Mediterranean reinforcements have not been called for), those units have been scuttled by Spanish authorities. On any other roll, they have been captured by the Germans and may arrive in a German-controlled port two turns later. (Note: Captured units in Cartagena may arrive no sooner than two turns after the German capture of Gibraltar.)

Additionally, when a supplied German division enters any of the above cities, or Valencia or Barcelona, roll a die and divide by three (rounding fractions up). This is the number of shipping points that the German player has captured, and may use two turns later. For ports on the Mediterranean, the Germans can only use the shipping points two turns after the capture of Gibraltar.

7. Updating the Rules

If you have Balkan Front, I would strongly suggest that you use the AEC, administrative movement, and air-to-air rules from that game; they represent a not insignificant improvement over the earlier games that make up this scenario.

The Great Western War

A Europa Alternate History Scenario
Scenario and Rules Changes
British Order of Battle
British Charts (slow: 214K)
Last Words: Designer's Notes