World War II in Europe now at HBG

It is the end of winter 1939, and next turn it is spring 1940.  Happy New Year.

Those are the convoys.

In order to collect for money over seas, you need to trace a line from each space you own that is worth money to a port.  From that port, you must trace a line over water to a port on the other side.  From that port you trace to a homeland industrial zone.

That line that goes from port to port needs to be delineated.  You could just draw a line on the map to show the route of the convoy, but that can get messy.  I use the Bulge markers to show the route.

On the convoy, you need to have a transport.  That transport can carry $10.  If you are collecting more, then you need another transport.

That transport can be attacked anywhere along its route.

The convoys can have their route changed, new ones created, old ones removed.  They are not permanent and changeable.  The only way to do this is to mark out the route using tiles.  I use the markers from Bulge, but a player can use whatever works for them.

Spring 1940.  Axis retain initiative.

Germany Attacks Norway and Yugoslavia.  Those nations are affected by ‘surprise attack’.

Germany also decides to gamble and hit Paris from across the river and knock out France early, rather than take Cherbourg and then hit Paris the turn after and avoid crossing the river.

Once again, the single German infantry is sent in to tie down the French in the fortress.

German moves are done, now the Allies make their countermoves.

UK decides to land 3 infantry using 3 newly purchased transports form last turn, and land in Brussels.

The French can’t put anymore units into Paris, so the tanks in Brest and artillery in Cherbourg will hit the Germans left in Sedan.

The units in Paris and Sedan have been removed and placed to the side.  In the second pic, the units on the left are in Paris, the ones on the right in Sedan.

Germans barely hold onto Sedan, and barely take Paris.  looks like avoiding crossing the river and instead trying to take Cherbourg would have been better.  Norway goes off without a hitch, as does Yugoslavia.

Germans have taken heavy casualties and will need to rebuild.

In this game, lines of supply are important.  All ground units must be able to trace a line of supply from the space they are in to a supply source.

Supply sources are:
1 Your capital or your ally’s - unlimted
2 capital belonging to your minor ally - limited
3 fortress - limited
4 supply token - limited

If you cannot trace supply back to a source, then the unit is cut off.  To supply the unit over water, you need to set up a convoy.

The German infantry in Oslo is cut off.  The Germans then set up a convoy to supply the infantry and keep them active.  1 transport can supply 10 units.  A transport is also used to carry money back to the home country upto $10, but a transport can do both at the same time.

For example, a transport can carry supply for 2 infantry.  It still has space for supply for another 8 units.  Or it can carry $8.  Any combination is possible so long as the sum of the units supplied and money being carried does not exceed 10/transport.

The German player looks really weak on land. Also, why does the Ruhr have 2 airbases? How so they work with two?

I’m not trying to play a super serious game, as I am in the middle of report cards right now.  Germany could be played smarter than what I am illustrating.  But they have some time to build back up, hopefully.  Always count on your opponent to do something stupid - which in this case is myself…

Normally, the best thing to do is hit a space with all air power and reinforce the flanks to prevent being cut off.  Then once the spaces you want are captured, use rail to bring in reinforcements on redeployment phase and use that space as a launching point for an attack the following turn.  France usually falls in summer 1940 - sometimes in the fall 1940.

As for the 2 airbases:

All industrialized spaces and minor capitals can hold 1 plane.  Player nation capitals can hold 2 planes.  This can be increased by adding a fortress or an airbase.  While fortresses can only be built in certain places and must remain there for the reminder of the game or until captured, airbases can be moved by rail.  And they can be stacked.

For example, UK is allowed to build a fortress on London.  London is already a player nation capital that can hold 2 planes.  The fortress adds the abilty to have 1 more plane for a total of 3.  Then the UK is allowed to build a maximum of 3 airbases.  If UK chooses, all 3 airbases can be placed on London for a total of 6 planes on London.

Germany collects $88 (base $45)
UK collects $60 (base $35)

It is now summer 1940.  Italy is now activated.

Summer 1940.

Italy invades Greece to get some more valued territory.  Athens is attacked from Albania and amphibiously.  Germany moves its units around to get ready for Russia.  They also attack the British beachhead in Brussels while it is weak.  Germans also finish off Yugoslavia by attacking Belgrade.

Now that the channel isn’t blocked, the German u-boats come out.  1 sub to each convoy the British have.

To attack a convoy, a sub merely needs to enter a space that the convoy travels through as indicated by the zigzag lines (I used Battle of the Bulge markers for this, but making your own straight markers would be better.)  If there are more than 1 convoy in the sea space that the sub is attacking, then the sub needs to choose which convoy it will attack.

Planes and ships can try to intercept the German ships, but the British have no ASW ships or planes in port to do this, the cruisers, battleships and empty carrier stay in port as they are not equipped to attack subs.  Britain needs destroyers badly (some are being built now in the construction boxes but are some turns away still).

Submarine warfare is only 1 round.  Attacker rolls for each sub he has attacking a convoy.  3 or less and the defender loses a transport for each hit.  Defender rolls for each destroyer or other ASW unit he has.  3 or less is a hit and each hit removes a sub.  Attack is over.

The Germans manages to destroy the convoys to Egypt (around the horn of Africa), Brussels and Canada, while the convoy to South Africa defended and killed the attacking sub, and the Caribbean convoy was unharmed.

The Italians failed in taking Athens ( :roll:).  Even thought he Greeks are affected by ‘surprise attack’, they still get defence bonuses. The Greek infantry are defending in mountainous terrain, so they get +1 to their defence.  If it weren’t for the Italian infantry coming in from Albania, the Greeks would also get a +1 defence for defending a coastline. The Italian battleship bombards the shore with the Greek artillery returning fire (Much like Axis & Allies: WWI 1914 - although I came up with this long ago!).  Casualties are removed and combat then resumes normally.  Italy lost.

The Germans took Belgrade and destroyed the beachhead in Belgium.

The Greeks move all units to defend Athens, while the Germans rail units in to Albania to finish the job the Italians started.

Itlay starts a convoy to Tripoli to supply the Italian army outside of Libya.

German subs station in Brest to be closer to the British convoys.

Units are placed - those in the build boxes are moved up 1 box.

Germany collects $90
Italy collects $20
UK collects $49

It is now fall 1940

Fall 1940,

Germany moves into Athens.  Italy moves into Egypt.

The German subs attack the remaining UK convoys, while teh Italians move their fleet into position to block the UK fleet at Alexandria.

Now the Allies move.

UK is alone.  They will try to intercept the u-boats using the 2 destroyers and Tac form Bristol.

Interception is rolled on 1d6 for each group of units intercepting those subs (path traced in blue).  The UK will try to intercept them in the space right next to the Bristol port.

Interception is harder to do the farther away from your port you are.  At 5 or more spaces away from your port (or airbase), you need to roll a 1 to be successful.  4 spaces is 2, 3 spaces is 3 and so on.  The Brits are trying to find these subs 1 space away from the destroyers, so they need a 5 or less to find them.  The Tac is 2 spaces away, so they need a 4 or less.

Only ASW units can attack subs.  But to make matters worse, subs are hard to find so interception rolls against subs will have a penalty.

The UK will also try to hit the Italian convoy using the sub from Gibraltar.

The UK fleet from Alexandria will try to engage the Italian fleet.