What rules for a Sept. 1939 start date?

Hmm.  So you’d actually beef up the forces in Western Germany?  I was thinking the opposite - that all their offensive forces would be on the Polish border, with W. Germany stripped down to only 2-5 infantry and some AA.  Also, the overall size of everyone’s starting forces would be smaller, to represent the reservists who were still in the stages of being called up, equipped, given refresher training, and integrating new draftees to bring them up to strength.  Also to represent the completion of units that were already paid for and under contruction, but finished between Sept. 1939 and May/June 1940.

For the Germans, I was thinking they’d be minus (in relation to Alpha+3):  1 tank, 6-8 infantry, 3 tactical aircraft (either 1 fighter and 2 tac bombers, or 2 fighters and 1 tac bomber), 1 battleship, 1 artillery, and 1 mech.  These would all be taken from the forces in Germany, W. Germany, and S. Germany.  All of these except 2 infantry and 1 of the tactical aircraft would be received as “free” reinforcements at the end of turn 1.

Now I suppose you could say the Germans may have had a plan to whack France first, and then go for Poland, or maybe try to take them both at once.  I’m not sure how realistic that would be, but meh.  What the heck.  If you wanted to go this route, you could let the Germans shift their initial land and air units between Germany, W. Germany, and S. Germany any way they want.
For France, I’d start them off with only 2 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 tank, 1 fighter, 1 tac bomber, and 1 AA in France; 1 infantry and 1 artillery in Normandy, and 1 infantry and 1 artillery in S. France.  They’d have no units in the UK, of course, and British would have no units on the continent.  The French would receive 1 artillery and 3 infantry as free reinforcements at the end of turn 1, (and maybe they’d start in Holland/Belgium).  The British starting forces would be the same as A+3 minus the aforementioned Expeditionary Force.

Hmm.  Good point, knp.  I’m beginning to see why Larry chose the start point he did  :-P

Gargantua,  I’m beginning to like your idea of a double impulse for Germany.  It would probably be simpler.  I have a copy of the old Xeno rules, with the regular sized map and the giant blown-up version.  But I hadn’t looked at the rule book in years.

Actually, the more I think about it, there probably wouldn’t be much to gain (in the way of game-play fun) with a Sept. '39 start.  I was originally thinking it would give the Axis a couple of extra turns to shape the battlefield before the US and USSR got into it, in exchange for having to do some extra conquest.  It might also give the French player more options than just getting punched in the groin and being taken out before he can make a single decision.

I think Summer of '42 would be the simplest start point, but it seems so late in the war somehow.  At that point all the decisions that might have made a difference have already been made, and fate has locked everyone in to repeating the historical outcome.  I know the games don’t actually go that way.  It’s just a mental hang-up for me  :-)

Maybe I’ll rethink an idea I had for a Summer of '41 scenario starting with Germany massed on the Soviet border for Barbarossa.  Since a single turn could represent 6 months, Barbarossa could be early on turn 1, and Pearl Harbor could happen right at the end.  That would the need for US entry rules, and most of the neutrals who were historically dragged in would already be in play.