Introduction

The Arctic Convoys and Operation Matador are part (the only parts I think) of the game system entitled World War II Naval Campaigns. The designer is listed as David Shewchuk, with graphic credits to Elizabeth Creith and ©1981 by Gryphon Graphics in Guelph, Ontario.

Components

Each of the games comes with:
1 series rulebook 1 scenario book
2 identical search boards consisting of interlocking squares (not sure of scale)
1 battle board consisting of hexagons (10 hexes across, with a scale of 6 miles/hex)
hand drawn counters on thick card, to be cut out prior to use

The counters consist of naval units (individual capital ships, and groups of smaller vessels, i.e., destroyers, corvettes, etc.), aircraft (individual fighters and groups of three to five search and strike aircraft); and informational counters (shadow markers; breakdown counters for multiship counters; and for Operation Matador, counters representing islands and coastline for surface combat that occurs close to the coastline of Malaya). The game turn sequence involves four-hour turns on the search board and 15 minute battle turns for surface combat, which is conducted on the battle board.

Turn sequence

1: determine visibility
2: move all units one wishes to on the search board
3: conduct searches and then resolve all shadow attempts
4: resolve any surface combat rounds
5: resolve air attacks
6: resolve undersea attacks
7: determine air availability for the next turn

As noted, surface combat occurs on the battle board and each 15 minute battle turn is composed of five movement sequences, with the number of sequences in which a ship can move one hex being dependent upon the speed of that ship. Gunfire and torpedo attacks can occur in each movement sequence following movement. Fire attacks involve the type of gun, range to target (maximum range four hexes) and protection value of the target and can result in hull, weapons and special hits. Torpedo attacks occur at zero or one hex range and hit on a roll of six, although in Operation Matador, Japanese torpedoes have greater ranges and damage capabilties.

Each ship has individual values for maximum speed, primary and secondary gun characteristics (type; number; location), AA value, protection value, maximum hull hits, torpedo number and number of aircraft.

Air naval combat involves aircraft moving to squares containing successfully shadowed surface vessels, dealing with AA and defending fighters (simply add the number of fighters to the AA strength), then attacking the selected ship with bombs or torpedos, rolling one die for each aircraft and hitting with a six (five and six when ship speed is one or less). Damage is determined by using the bomb or torpedo damage tables. Air units are more generic than ships, as they differ only in type and range.

In terms of the individual games, Operation Matador deals with the unsuccessful sortie of the Prince of Wales and Repulse off the coast of Malaya in December 1941. It has a historical scenario and three plausible what-if scenarios. The Arctic Convoys deals with the battles involving convoys bringing supplies to the Soviet Union and focusses on the time period from early 1942 to late 1943. It has seven scenarios, including (of course) the destruction of the Scharnhorst in December 1943.

The game system that these games most closely resemble is the GWAS/ SOPAC system from Avalanche games. Both use essentially identical search boards and battle board in terms of scale, and have the same turn length of four hours. However, the WWII Naval Campaigns has a more complex (and realistic) surface battle system and simpler air-naval system than GWAS/ SOPAC. Of course the Avalanche games have much higher production values and a feature that the WWII NC system really needs: hit record sheets for the naval vessels. I am planning to make some of these up to make playing the games easier.

I hope that folks find this information useful. I have no idea how many copies of these games were produced. Overall, I think they are good games that stand up today and that if elements from them were combined with elements of the SOPAC system, it might result in a great operational game system for WWII air-naval warfare.