The reason that defending Surprise Strike casualties are moved behind the casualty strip is that some of them may be subs, which will return fire if there are no attacking destroyers.
What the UK does is based on what they have left. Their fleet in the Med should run and hide if Germany kills the RN in the channel. Then they should build up to defend England and screw africa. Honestly the UK only cares about africa AFTER England is safe. Otherwise taking africa falls to the USA player.
Easy, the game start after the Dunkirk evacuation and after the French navy was scuttled. There is no other way to do it.
The game does start after Dunkirk.
However, whether the French are “well represented” or not….they are finished after 1 round. If Germany doesnt do that, then this would be a QUICK allied victory.
I did some research last night and found out that the if the French are in control of their country at the start of the game … then the French Navy MUST still be “alive”.
The game starts befor the fall of France. This still leaves reasonable assumption that Dunkirk has happened (May 24-26 1940). French resistance ended on June 25. The British bombardment of the French Fleet at Mers-el-Kebir happened on July 4 (70 years ago tomorrow, interstingly enough).
Based on this information, French ships should still be present at the start of the game. They cannot say the game starts after Dunkirk AND the scuttling of the French Fleet. It is impossible because France is autonomous at the start of the game. I for one hope that France has ships and something can be done with them. Either the French person keeps them, the British can sink them or the Germans can use them, I don’t care. As long as they are there.
Actually, that was on the 3rd of July
Oh my mistake… so 70 years ago today. The book I got the information from said July 4.