A Spoiled Victory: Dunkirk 1940 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 1.0 Introduction
• 2.0 How to Win
• 3.0 Game Scale & Terrain
• 4.0 Game Components
• 5.0 Sequence of Play
• 6.0 Events
• 7.0 Luftwaffe Attacks
• 8.0 Escape Moves & VP Scoring
• 9.0 German Movement & Attacks
• 10.0 Player Actions
• 11.0 Evacuation Moves
• 12.0 End Turn Procedures
• 13.0 Victory Point Determination
  • Victory Point Schedule
• 14.0 Optional Rules
• 15.0 Game Setup
• 16.0 Event Descriptions
  • Goering Promises a Victory / Goering Rants and Raves
  • The Little Ships of Dunkirk
  • Dutch Skoots Found in Thames
  • Cloudy Skies / Weather is Crystal Clear / Heavy Rains
  • RAF Covers the Harbor / RAF Air Superiority Achieved / RAF Bomber Sortie
  • Pound Withdraws Modern Destroyers / Ramsey Requests Destroyers Return
  • Adm. Wake-Walker & Cpt. Tennant Arrive
  • General Gort’s Foresight
  • Poor Communications with London
• 17.0 Designer’s Notes
• Player Aid Card
  • Luftwaffe Attack Table (against each targeted unit)
  • German Interdiction Attack Table (against each targeted unit)
  • Unit Stacking
  • Player Actions
  • Allied Unit Movement
  • Combat Results Table – German Attack
  • Combat Results Table – Allied Attack
  • Belgian Surrender / Panzer Withdrawal

1.0 Introduction

In May of 1940 the German army invaded Holland, Belgium and France. In a matter of a few weeks they rolled up the combined armies of Belgium, France and England. The BEF (British Expeditionary Force) and other nearby Allied forces retreated toward the French coast. This resulted in approximately 400,000 men being surrounded near the town of Dunkirk. Rescue operations were commenced to evacuate these forces to England and Winston Churchill, the new Prime Minister of Great Britain, was hopeful that 30,000 men could be rescued from the trap. Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay was put in charge of “Operation Dynamo”, the goal of which was to send ships to evacuate these soldiers from the beaches of Northern France and Belgium. Through luck, skill and poor coordination by the Germans, the operation was able to rescue over 330,000 men from the Dunkirk perimeter.

A Spoiled Victory is a solitaire game meant to recreate the tense situation of those 9 days in late May and early June 1940. This game is not meant to be a detailed historical recreation of the event, but rather it attempts to capture the spirit of the decision-making challenges faced by Allied commanders to extricate these trapped soldiers from certain capture or death. Player Actions must be allocated each turn to use for defense of the perimeter, creation of Evacuee units and moving Evacuee units from the beaches to the safety of England. You obviously cannot save all of your units, so you must pick who will stay and fight so that those who do escape can fight another day.

2.0 How to Win

The Allied player has to rescue most of the soldiers that are caught in the Dunkirk pocket before the German war machine kills or captures them. It is assumed that there are thousands of men milling around near the beaches with no unit cohesion. This allows the player to create evacuee unit out of the nameless mass of men until June 1. After that date he must create more evacuees by removing fighting units from the map. The player accumulates Victory Points during the game by directing Evacuee units to escape to England. The level of victory or defeat is measured by the number of troops that are saved.

3.0 Game Scale & Terrain

3.1 The amount of ground encompassed by each space will vary depending on its location on the map but averages approximately one square mile. Each square also contains a dominant terrain feature, as follows:

Clear – No defining features and no additional effect on gameplay.

Town – Represents a large town and its environs (ex: Bergues). Due to the built up area, these spaces provide extra benefits to the defenders. Attacking units reduce their Attack Dice by one die and the Frontline defending unit increases its Combat Factor by one.

East Jetty – The East Jetty space of Dunkirk (which is also a Town space) is used to move Evacuee units out to sea and has a higher capacity than a Beach space. The status of this space is represented by “The Mole” marker which is placed in The Mole area on the map.

The harbor at Dunkirk had an eastern and western jetty (or “mole”, which is a massive work, formed of stones and masonry and earth laid in the sea as a pier or breakwater). These moles shielded the inner harbor from the open sea and allowed ships to tie up at the docks with safety. The East Jetty (more popularly known as “The Mole”) became a focal point of the evacuation as the inner harbor of Dunkirk was badly damaged by air raids.

Canal – This space represents the “far side” of a major canal and is a good defensive position as the attacker has to cross the canal’s bridges and/or water obstacle. A Frontline defending unit increases its Combat Factor by one when in this space. Note that the long blue lines on the map are just canal graphics – they are for informational purposes only. They are not used for movement and have no additional effect on play.

Beach – The Bray Dunes and La Panne beaches are encompassed by these spaces. Beach spaces are also Clear spaces, but their special ability is to allow Evacuee units to form there and transfer to the Evacuation Staging Area.

Marsh – The two Marsh spaces are general, abstract representations for the swampy, soft and wet terrain that surrounds Dunkirk. Their unique effect is that they stop all movement immediately (and in the case of German units, they must roll successfully to leave them) and prevent Breakthrough Moves.

Lowlands – These blue-colored spaces are Clear spaces for all purposes until you decide that you wish them to be Flooded. Once you conduct Flooding, all Lowlands spaces are treated for all purposes as Marsh spaces.

La Panne – This small resort village represents the headquarters area for the Allied forces. Defending Frontline units have their Combat Factors increased by one. If the Germans occupy this space unopposed, all future Evacuation Moves are halved (rounded up).

Evacuation Staging Area – This large space is technically a Channel Route space with some special characteristics. It is the first space for all three Channel Routes (thus the “X1”, “Y1” and “Z1” labels) and allows unlimited Evacuee unit stacking. All Evacuee units making an Evacuation Move from the East Jetty or Beach space must first move into this space. They then continue on to any of the three Channel Routes.

Channel Route – These are large, irregular areas of water function to show the general location of evacuee-laden ships as they sail back to the safety of England. There are three Channel Route tracks – “X”, “Y” and “Z”. Channel Route “Z” is the shortest track but also the most dangerous; Channel Route “X” is the median track as far as length and danger, but it can’t be used until Game Turn 5; Channel Route “Y” is the safest track but also the longest. All Channel Route spaces are identified by their track letter and number. Space #1 for all the Channel Route tracks is located in the Evacuation Staging Area space. The last space for each track is marked “To England”. Evacuee units (only) always move from the lower-numbered spaces to the higher-numbered spaces (for example, from “Y1” to “Y2” to “Y3”, etc.).

3.2 The Combat and Evacuee Units are generalized representations of historical combat units and groups of escapees and vary in size as follows:

British & French units = each is approximately a battalion, including variations in complement due to losses, stragglers (gained and lost), etc.

Belgian units = each represents an assorted amalgam of scattered Belgian Army formations.

German units = each is approximately a division in size, along with attached assets (artillery, etc.). There are three types of German units: Panzer (the front of the 1/9th and 2/9 Panzer units with the tank icons), Motorized (the reverse of the 1/9 and 2/9 Panzer units, along with the 20th Motorized, with the halftrack icons) and Infantry (with the soldier icons).

Evacuee units = these are random groupings of escaping soldiers, civilians and equipment. Each Factor of an Evacuee unit equals roughly 6,500 men.

4.0 Game Components

Included in this copy of A Spoiled Victory are the following components:

• 88 unit counters
• 36 Action cards
• 1 Player Aid card
• 1 Set up sheet
• 3 Six-sided dice (boxed format only)

4.1 Combat Unit Counters: A majority of counters used in A Spoiled Victory are Combat Units and represent the player’s armed forces (British - tan, French – blue and Belgian - green) and the enemy armed forces (German - gray). All Combat Units counters are arranged in the same manner, as follows:

Combat units have a full-strength side and a reduced-strength side (with a lower Combat Factor and indicated with a red number). When a Combat unit takes a Casualty, flip it to its reduced-strength side. If an Allied unit is already on that side, the unit is eliminated from the game (German units are never eliminated).

4.2 Evacuee Unit Counters: These are laid out exactly like Combat Units but their Combat Factors also serve to award Victory Points to the player. These units are created and upgraded during the game and are treated exactly Combat Units except that they are the only units that can be evacuated and earn the player Victory Points.

4.3 Game Markers: There are a number of various game markers that are used to keep track of a unit’s condition and note various game events and effects. These will be discussed in detail in their relevant rules sections.

4.4 Action Cards: There are 36 Action Cards included in the game. These cards drive the action of the simulation and provide critical information to the player. Action Cards are laid out as follows:

Each area’s function is described in detail in the relevant rules entry.

4.5 Dice: Three six-sided dice are included with the game.

5.0 Sequence of Play

There are 18 Game Turns played in A Spoiled Victory and each Game Turn proceeds in seven phases, each phase needing to be completed before proceeding to the next. Note that most phases require the player to draw a new Action Card to determine the values used in that phase. No single Action Card is ever used to generate information for more than one phase. In addition, never pull the last card in the Draw deck. When there is only one card left to draw, reshuffle it with all the previously discarded Action Cards and start a new draw pile. Note that Action Cards that were removed from the game because their Event was used (6.2) are not reshuffled – they are out of the game permanently.

1 – EVENT PHASE: Draw the top Action Card from the draw pile and consult the Event listed at the top of the card. Follow its instructions as to how to implement the Event’s effects during this (or possibly the following) turn. If needed, place the card in a convenient location to remind you of the effects. Any activities or bonuses allowed by the Event that are to be conducted immediately are done so in this phase.

2 – LUFTWAFFE ATTACKS: Draw the next Action Card and consult the Luftwaffe Attacks section of the card. You must now resolve Luftwaffe Attacks against the listed space(s). These are resolved to conclusion and all effects are immediately applied.

3 – ESCAPE MOVES & VP SCORING: Remove eligible Evacuee units located on all To England Channel Route spaces (remembering first to resolve any German Interdiction Attacks). Such units that are successfully removed each score Victory Points equal to their Combat Factor. Adjust the Victory Point markers on the Victory Point Track to reflect the new cumulative score.

4 – GERMAN MOVEMENT & ATTACKS: Draw the next Action Card and consult the German Moves section of the card. All listed German units will move forward their allotted movement. Those that find themselves in the same space as an Allied unit(s) will immediately conduct an attack against that Allied unit(s). Each combat is then resolved to conclusion and any Breakthroughs are also conducted immediately and further combats resolved (if any).

5 – PLAYER ACTIONS: Draw the next Action Card and consult the Player Actions section of the card. This will provide you with the total number of Player Actions you can spend for the phase. Spend and resolve your Actions to their conclusion during this phase. Resolve any combats immediately.

6 – EVACUATION MOVES: Draw the next Action Card and consult the appropriate Evacuations section of the card (Day or Night depending on the current Game Turn). You may now conduct the indicated number of eligible Evacuation Moves with Evacuee units.

7 – END TURN: Conduct Belgian Surrender determination; Panzer Withdrawal determination; Remove Suppression; and Adjust Markers.

Upon concluding the above steps, move the “Game Turn” marker ahead one space, flipping it to the appropriate Day/Night side for the next turn. If the last Game Turn has just been completed, consult the Victory Point Determination rules (13.0) to find out how you did.

6.0 Events

During the Event Phase of each turn, you will draw the top Action Card and refer to the Event section for instructions. The title of the Event is listed at the top of the card. Read the Event instructions carefully and apply any effects immediately. Most instructions are self-explanatory – those that need elaboration are covered in section 16.0.

6.1 Types of Events: There are a number of different ways the Events on the drawn Action Card are enacted, as indicated in the Event text itself:

• At the beginning of the turn;

• During a later phase of the turn;

• Over the course of two turns (those that use a reminder marker).

The Action Card containing the Event in question is placed in a convenient location for your reference until the Event is enacted.

6.2 Excluding Event Cards: After an Event has been enacted, that Action Card is removed from the game. Place it aside so that it is not mixed up with the other cards. These Action Cards never re-enter the game for any reason but may be consulted at any time (in fact, you are encouraged to look over the excluded cards as their removal does effect what kinds of results remain in the Draw deck).

Example: You draw the top Action Card and look at the Event title and underlying description. It is the Weather is Crystal Clear event. You place the card in front of you as a reminder that during the following Luftwaffe Attacks Phase, all attacks will each get a “+1” added to the die roll. After all Luftwaffe Attacks are resolved, the Event has been enacted and you place the card off to the side in an area designated to place excluded cards. This event will not occur again in this game.

7.0 Luftwaffe Attacks

The German Luftwaffe was a constant threat to the Allied forces in and around the Dunkirk perimeter. During the Luftwaffe Attack Phase of each turn, you will draw the next Action Card and refer to the Luftwaffe Attacks section of the card.

7.1 Luftwaffe Attack Locations: The entry in the Luftwaffe Attacks section will tell you where attacks must be resolved. These are read as follows:

a) Channel Route “?” – all Evacuee units located in any space on the indicated Channel Route track are each attacked. Note that this includes the Evacuation Staging Area space, which is considered to be the first space on all Channel Route tracks.

b) Dunkirk – all Allied units located in either Dunkirk Town space (A4 and A5) are each attacked. Note that a die roll of “12” on the East Jetty space (only) will also flip the “The Mole” marker to its “Damaged” side.

c) Beaches – all Allied units located in any Beach space on the map are each attacked. Note that a die roll of “12” on any Beach space will also flip the “Beach Jetties” marker to its “Damaged” side if in the game.

d) Track “?” – all Allied units located anywhere on the indicated Track are attacked.

e) Close Support: Tracks “? to ?” – all Allied units located in a space on the indicated Tracks that are adjacent to and connected with a German unit (but not Engaged with it!), are attacked. All Tracks in the given range are eligible for this attack.

7.2 Resolving Luftwaffe Attacks: Once you’ve determined the eligible target units to be attacked this phase by the Luftwaffe, you must consult the Luftwaffe Attack Table. Identify each eligible target unit and determine what type of target it is – Channel Route Evacuee Unit, Other Evacuee Unit or Combat unit. Roll two dice, add them together and modify that total by the following (if applicable):

a) Target is in a Town space = -1

b) Target is in a Marsh space = +1

c) Attack occurs on a Night Game Turn = -2

c) Event Modifier (check the Action Card that generated this turn’s Event in Phase 1, if any) = +/- ?

If the modified roll is greater than “12”, use the “12” result.

Cross reference the type of target with the modified die roll and apply the indicated result to the target (either No Effect, Suppressed, 1 Hit or Eliminated). If a Suppressed result is achieved, place a “Suppressed” marker on the affected target unit. If a 1 Hit + Suppressed result is achieved, flip the unit over to its reduced-strength side and place a “Suppressed” marker on the unit or, if already on that side, eliminate it. With an Eliminated result, the unit is removed (a Combat unit is out of the game; an Evacuee unit is placed back in the pool of available Evacuee units). Each individual non-German target unit has a separate attack resolved against it, even in a space containing multiple units. German units Engaged with targeted Allied units are ignored and unaffected by the Luftwaffe Attack.

7.3 Damaging The Mole and Beach Jetties: If the East Jetty or any Beach space is targeted and “The Mole” or “Beach Jetties” marker is present and not already on its “Damaged” side, it become damaged with a natural (unmodified) die roll of “12” on the Luftwaffe Attack Table. The relevant marker is flipped over to its “Damaged” side and the “The Mole” or “Beach Jetties” marker is then ineffective.

7.3.1 Empty Locations: Normally, an empty space is ignored when resolving Luftwaffe Attacks. However, if the target location is the East Jetty or Beach space and either the “The Mole” or “Beach Jetties” markers are in play and not already on their “Damaged” sides, conduct the attack normally to determine if these markers become damaged.

7.4 Multiple Luftwaffe Attacks: Should the turn’s Event instruct that there are two or three Action Cards pulled for this phase, draw one card at a time and resolve each card separately before proceeding to the next card. Note that this means that the same spaces can be targeted a multiple number of times this phase.

7.6 Cancelled Luftwaffe Attacks: Should the Event call for the cancellation of Luftwaffe Attacks this turn, the entire Luftwaffe Attacks Phase is skipped over and no card is drawn for that phase.

Continued Example: You draw an Action Card during the Luftwaffe Attacks Phase and consult the Luftwaffe Attacks section, which reads “Track F”. You look at the map and see that Track F has a British Combat unit on F2 and a “2” Evacuee unit on F5. You roll for the attack on the Combat unit first, noting that it is a Night turn and that the Weather is Crystal Clear event is in effect. You roll two dice and get a 6 and 4 for a total of 10. This is modified by +1 for the event and -2 for Night, yielding a net total of 9. Crossreferencing the “9” result on the “Combat Units” row of the Luftwaffe Attack Table shows a “Suppressed” result. You place a “Suppressed” marker on the British unit. You then roll for the Evacuee unit and again roll a total of 10, which is modified in the same way to a “9” result again. But this time you use the “All Other Evacuee units” row and the result is “1 Hit + Suppressed”. Therefore, you flip the Evacuee unit over to its “1” side and place a “Suppressed” marker on it.

8.0 Escape Moves & VP Scoring

The Escape Move & VP Scoring Phase is the most important phase of the game as it is here where you will move your eligible Evacuee units off the map and on to England. These successful escapes will gain you Victory Points and determine your success (or failure) in the game.

8.1 Escape Moves: All non-Suppressed Evacuee units located on any of the three Channel Route spaces labeled To England (the last space on each track) are picked up and removed from the map (however, see 8.2 for units on Channel Routes “Y” and “Z”). Note that these units must be removed! After being counted for Victory Points (8.3), Evacuee units removed in this way are placed back into the pool of available Evacuee units. Note that Evacuee units with a “Suppressed” marker do not escape – they remain in the space this phase!

8.2 German Interdiction Attacks: Evacuee units located on the To England space of Channel Route “Z” or of Channel Route “Y” when the Nieuport space is under German control (i.e., a German unit is alone in the space) must first undergo a special attack by the Germans before escaping. For each such eligible Evacuee unit, you must consult the German Interdiction Attack Table. Find the column for the proper Game Turn (Day or Night) and roll two dice, adding them together. Cross reference the die roll total with the proper column for the result to be applied against that Evacuee unit. Results are applied in the same manner as a Luftwaffe Attack. Each eligible unit is rolled for separately. Note that this attack is conducted before any Victory Points are scored! Also note that “Suppressed” units can’t escape and thus are not subject to Interdiction Fire until they are eligible to escape.

The German army placed long-range artillery along the coastline near the towns of Calais and Gravelines which was able to harass the Allied ships as they passed by. It became so dangerous during the day that the Allies ended up only using Route “Z” during nighttime. In the case of Nieuport, we are assuming that German occupation of that city will allow the Germans to both harass the beaches near La Panne and possibly interfere with the evacuation ships on Channel Route “Y”.

8.3 Victory Point Scoring: Those Evacuee units that are able to conduct successful Escape Moves (see 8.1) and survive any German Interdiction Attack (see 8.2) will score Victory Points for you. For each Combat Factor that escapes you will score one Victory Point (so a “2” Evacuee unit will gain you two Victory Points). Add up all the Victory Points that you have scored this phase and then adjust the appropriate markers on the Victory Point Track to reflect the new cumulative score.

In addition, at the conclusion of Game Turn 18, conduct one last additional Night Escape Moves & VP Scoring Phase for all those Evacuee units in To England spaces at that time. Evacuee units that successfully escape score VPs normally and are added to the Victory Point total. Evacuee units that are “Suppressed” during this phase count as half the normal VPs (rounded down).

Example: It is the Escape Moves & VP Scoring Phase, so you consult the map and see if there are any Evacuee units on any of the three To England Channel Route spaces. You discover that you have two “2” Evacuee units in Channel Route space Z2 and therefore these can escape. However, such units on Channel Route “Z” must first undergo a German Interdiction Attack before they can escape. You roll two dice for each unit and consult the German Interdiction Attack Table, using the “Night” row. The first unit you roll a total of 6, so that attack is a “Miss” result and that unit escapes. You immediately score 2 VP’s and adjust the Victory Point markers to reflect your new cumulative score. You then roll for the second Evacuee unit and roll a total of 12. Unfortunately for you, this result is “Eliminated” and thus eliminates the entire unit. You do not score any further Victory Points.

9.0 German Movement & Attacks

Your main problem in the game is keeping the German Army at bay long enough to enact the safe and efficient escape of your evacuees. Where and when the Germans will attack is unknown to you (unless you use the “Intelligence Report” action, but more on that later).

9.1 German Movement Determination: During the German Move & Attack Phase, you will draw the top Action Card and refer to the German Moves section of the card. Listed there will be instructions as to which German units will move this phase, as follows:

a) German Unit Names – the names of some of the ten possible German units can be listed here. All those that are named will each be moved according to the German Unit Movement Procedures (see 9.2).

b) All “?” Corps Units - if the entry lists one of the four German corps (either IX, X, XIV or XXVI) then all German units belonging to the listed corps will be moved (starting from the lowest lettered track).

c) Random Moves – for every single German unit on the map, starting with the one on the lowest lettered track, you must roll one die. On a roll of 1 through 3, the German unit moves normally; on a roll of 4 through 6, the German unit will not move this phase.

d) Surprise Attack! – for every German unit that has a “Disrupted” marker on it, you will remove the marker and move the German unit normally. Begin with the unit on the lowest lettered track.

9.2 Conducting German Unit Movement: German units are each assigned one track (as labeled on the map). They may only move along their assigned track and never off of it. German units that are determined to be moving are moved immediately by the player according to the following guidelines:

a) German Infantry units move a maximum of one space and German Motorized and Panzer units move a maximum of two spaces;

b) German units move from their current space to the next higher numbered connected space(s) on their assigned track only (the greencolored path). If they reach the end of their respective track, they remain in that last space and never move off of it (though they may still attack from it – see 9.3.9). German units never move backwards down the track unless retreating from combat (9.3.4) and can never move along the red or orange-colored paths.

c) An Engaged German unit (9.38) that is determined to move does not actually move from the space it shares with an Allied unit(s) but still attacks that same enemy unit(s) normally.

d) A moving German unit must stop moving upon entering a space containing an Allied Combat unit(s) or Evacuee unit or when entering a Marsh space. It must also stop upon reaching the end of its assigned track.

e) A moving German unit that starts its move in a Marsh space must first make a successful roll to leave. You must roll one die each time such a unit needs to move from a Marsh space. On a roll of 1 – 4, it will move normally; on a roll of 5 – 6, it will remain in the space and ends its movement there.

f) German units never share the same space. If a German unit is instructed to move but another German unit is already occupying the next space, the unit will not move. Note that this can only occur on spaces “G5/H5” and “I4/J2”.

All German units are moved simultaneously per the instructions of the Action Card. Those units that were triggered for movement this phase (only) that also find themselves sharing a space with one or more Allied units must then attack those Allied units. In addition, if the German unit is in the last space of its track (only) and is called upon to move, it will not actually move out of the space but will instead attack along a redcolored connection against one adjacent Allied-occupied space. If more than one such space exists, you have the choice of where to attack.

Examples: It is the German Movement & Attack Phase and you draw the top Action Card and refer to the German Moves section and it indicates “20th Motorized + 56th”. This means that you move the German 20th Motorized unit up to two spaces and then the 56th Infantry unit up to one space. If either unit was Engaged at the start of the phase or moves into a space with one or more Allied units, a German Attack is then resolved. If the card had the entry of “All X Units” instead, then you would move the 254th Infantry, 18th Infantry and 14th Infantry units (in that order) up to one space each.

9.3 German Attack Resolution: Beginning with the lowest lettered track, each German attack is resolved individually and to completion. Combat resolution is resolved in the following steps:

a) German Attack Dice: Check the German unit’s Combat Factor and modify that factor by any of the following applicable circumstances:

• Night Game Turn = reduce the Combat Factor by one

• German Unit is Disrupted = reduce the Combat Factor by one

• Combat is in a Town space = reduce the Combat Factor by one

All such modifiers are cumulative. Regardless of accumulated modifiers, an attacking German unit always has a minimum Combat Factor of “1”. Take a number of dice in hand equal to the net Combat Factor of the attacking German unit.

b) Defense Number: If there are multiple Allied units in the attacked space, you must select which one Allied unit will be the Frontline unit (this unit can be of any nationality). If there is only one Allied unit in the space, that unit is automatically the Frontline unit. If a German attack continues into another combat round (see 9.9), you may/must select a new Frontline unit for that round of combat. The Frontline unit’s Combat Factor is the Defense Number for the combat and can be modified by any of the following applicable circumstances:

• Combat is in a Town, Canal or La Panne space = increase the Defense Number by one

• Allied unit has a “Suppressed” marker on it = decrease the Defense Number by one

All such modifiers are cumulative. Regardless of accumulated modifiers, a defending unit always has a minimum Defense Number of “1”.

c) Combat Result: Roll all the German Attack Dice (as calculated in step “a”) and compare each number rolled to the Defense Number (as calculated in step “b”). Count the number of dice that exceed the Defense Number and the number of dice that equal the Defense Number. Dice that are less than the Defense Number are misses and are ignored. For every die that exceeds the Defense Number, the German attacker scores one Win. For every two dice that equal the Defense Number, the German attacker also scores one Win (note that if there is only one die that equals the Defense Factor, no Win is scored but that single equaling die prevents the German unit from being Disrupted – see 9.5).

Count up the total number of Wins scored (if any).

Example: The German 1/256th Infantry unit on its reduced-strength side attacks the British 1/6 East Surrey unit in a Canal space. It is a Day Turn so the German unit will roll three Attack Dice and the Allied unit will defend with a Defense Number of 3 (it’s Combat Factor of 2 + 1 for the Canal space). If you roll 1, 2 and 2 then the German unit would have a “No Wins” result. If you roll 4, 4 and 6, then that would be a “3 Wins” result. If you roll 2, 3 and 5, that would be a “1 Win” result. If you roll 1, 3 and 3, that is also a “1 Win” result.

d) Implementing Combat Results: The ramifications of the combat are determined by the number of Wins scored by the attacking German units. Consult the Combat Results – German Attack Table and find the column representing the number of Wins. There will be results listed for both the attacking German unit and the defending Allied unit. These results will tell you whether either side becomes Disrupted, Retreats and/or applies Hits, will conduct a Breakthrough Move and if the attack will continue another round.

9.3.1 Disruption: German units (only) can become Disrupted from a failed attack. If the German unit scores “No Wins” on its attack (see 10.3d) and did not roll one die equal to the Defense Number, place a “Disrupted” marker under that German unit. If one of the Attack Dice equals the Defense Number, then no Disruption occurs. “Disrupted” markers can be removed by certain Events. If the affected unit already has a marker on it, then there is no additional effect of another Disruption.

For example, if a German attacker rolls 1, 2 and 3 against a Defense Factor of 3, it will have a “No Wins” result. Thus, the German is retreated but will not be Disrupted (because of the 3 it rolled).

9.3.2 Casualty Roll: If the German unit scores only a “No Wins” or “1 Win” result, then it may possibly suffer a Hit. Check the Attack Dice rolled: if only one Attack Die was rolled and it is a “1”, then the German unit is flipped to its reduced-strength side; if multiple Attack Dice were rolled (the more common occurrence) and there are at least two “1’s” contained in the roll, then the German unit is flipped to its reducedstrength side. If the affected unit is already on its reduced-strength side, then place a “Disrupted” marker on the unit instead. If it is already on its reduced-strength side and has a marker, then there is no additional effect of the result. Note that German units are never eliminated from the game.

For example, if a German attacker rolls 1, 1, 2 and 3 against a Defense Factor of 2, it will have a “1 Wins” result. The defending Allied unit applies a Hit and remains in the space. Thus, the German unit is retreated and takes a Hit (for the two 1’s), flipping it over.

9.3.3 Win Effects: For each Win achieved, there must be an effect on the defending unit(s). You may choose to apply a Retreat (9.3.4) and/or a Hit (9.3.5) to an Allied unit in the defending space for each Win by the attacking German unit. You may apply each Win against your unit(s) in any eligible combination of Retreats and/or Hits that you wish until all Wins are applied. However, the first Win application must occur against the Frontline unit used in the defense. After that, any remaining Wins can be applied against any Allied units in the space. All Wins must be applied if possible!

For example, if a German attacker rolls 1, 5, 2 and 6 against two Allied units with the Frontline unit having a Defense Factor of 4, the Germans will have a “2 Wins” result. The player must now apply two Win results against his defending Allied unit(s). The first WIn effect must be applied against the Frontline unit, so it will either Retreat one space or remain in the space and take a Hit. The second Win effect can be applied against either the Frontline unit again (if it did not already Retreat or was not eliminated by a Hit) or the other Allied unit.

9.3.4 Retreat Moves: Retreats can be mandated against the attacker (with a “0 Wins” and “1 Win” result) and elected by the defender to apply Win results.

An attacking German unit that must Retreat due to a “0 Wins” or “1 Win” result simply moves back one space on its assigned track (toward its “Start” space). The unit may not Retreat any further than the “Start” space. If forced to do so, the German unit must instead become “Disrupted” or if already so, must take a Hit instead. If it is already both on its reduced-strength side and Disrupted, there is no additional effect and the unit German will remain Engaged with the Allied unit.

A defending Allied unit may choose to Retreat to apply one Win result by moving to any adjacent, connected square that is not German-occupied or controlled (see 10.1.4). You may decide which square the unit is retreated to should there be multiple options. If more than one Allied unit is retreating, they can each go to any space that you choose. If an Allied unit cannot retreat safely, it must take a Hit instead (see below). Units with a “Suppressed” marker retreat normally and keep that marker during the retreat move. A unit may only retreat one space from a particular combat. If other German Wins are applied to that unit, they must be Hits.

9.3.5 Applying a Hit: Hits can also be chosen by the defender to apply Win results. An Allied unit may choose to take one or more Hits per Win result. If you choose to do so, you will flip the affected full-strength Allied unit to its reduced-strength side or eliminate the unit if it’s already on its reduced-strength side. Elimination means removing it permanently from the game.

Continuing the previous example, the German unit has scored two “Wins”. The player decides to Retreat the Frontline unit to an adjacent space (one Win applied) and apply a Hit to the other Allied unit, flipping it over to its reduced-strength side (the second Win applied).

If instead the player decided that he didn’t need to hold the space, he could have opted to have both Allied units each Retreat (both Wins are then applied).

If the player decided that he wanted to hold the space with a full-strength unit, he could have applied a Hit on the Frontline unit (one Win result) and then had it Retreat (second Win result). The other Allied unit would then remain in the space unharmed.

9.3.6 Ending and Continuing the Attack: When a “No Wins” or “1 Win” result is achieved by the German attack, regardless of the results to the individual units of either side, the attack is ended. That German unit cannot conduct any more rounds of combat this turn.

In the case of all the other results, the German unit will continue to attack the next Allied unit in that space (a new Frontline unit that you will choose). In this case, another combat is resolved immediately and the new result applied normally. If there are no Allied units remaining in the space and there is no Breakthrough Move (see 9.3.7), the German attack ends.

9.3.7 Breakthrough Moves: If the German unit scores a “2 Wins”, “3 Wins” or “4+ Wins” result and there are no Allied units remaining in the space, a possible Breakthrough may occur.

If the result is “2 Wins”, only an attacking German Panzer unit (that hasn’t had its Panzer Withdrawn (see 12.3) will Breakthrough. It immediately moves one space forward from the combat space (the next higher-numbered space) down its assigned track. If there are Allied units in the newly entered space, a new German Attack combat is immediately resolved.

If the result is “3 Wins”, only an attacking German Panzer or Motorized unit will Breakthrough as above.

If the result is “4+ Wins”, any German unit will Breakthrough as above.

In all cases, a German unit may only conduct one Breakthrough Move per turn, regardless of further combat results.

A German unit located in the last space of its track or if the combat took place in a Marsh space cannot Breakthrough.

Example: The German 1/9th Panzer unit scores a “3 Wins” victory over a lone Allied unit, which eliminates that unit. Since there are no more Allied units in the space with the German unit, it will conduct a Breakthrough Move. Therefore, the 1/9th Panzer is immediately moved one space down its track to the adjoining space. If there are any Allied units located in that space, another attack is immediately resolved to conclusion. However, regardless of the level of victory (if any) in that new combat, the German unit is not allowed a second Breakthrough Move.

9.3.8 Engaged Units: In all cases where, after a Combat is totally resolved and a German unit still shares its space with an Allied unit(s), all these units are all said to be Engaged with one another. These units only attack the Engaged opponent when activated – by Action Card for the Germans or by spending a Movement action for the Allies.

9.3.9 End of Track Attacks: When a German unit reaches the last space of its assigned track, it will move no further. It remains in that space for the remainder of the game (unless retreated). However, if it is instructed to move during the German Move & Attack Phase it will still attack one adjacent, red-line connected Allied-occupied space. If there is more than one such space eligible to be attacked, you may choose which space is attacked. The attack is resolved using normal procedures except that the German unit does not actually move into the attacked space and it can never conduct a Breakthrough Move – it will remain in the last space of its track. The German unit can be forced to retreat and in that case it will be moved one space back up the track.

10.0 Player Actions

Player Actions (PAs) allow you to conduct certain activities that you must utilize to the fullest extent in order to win the game. How and when you use these Actions is a critical part of the game. During the Player Action Phase, draw the next Action Card and refer to the Player Actions section of the card. This will tell you how many Actions you receive for this phase.

The average number of Player Actions you will receive each turn is 3. Plan accordingly!

There are a number of activities for which Player Actions can be used.

10.1 Unit Movement: You may select any one space containing one or more non-Suppressed Allied Combat or Evacuee units and immediately move any or all of those units by expending 1 or 2 PAs, as follows:

For 1 PA, the selected unit(s) may use Foot Movement and move two spaces during a Day turn or one space during a Night turn (exception: see 10.1.3).

For 2 PAs, the selected unit(s) may use Truck Movement and move an unlimited number of spaces during a Day turn or four spaces during a Night turn (exception: see 10.1.3).

Units move from their starting space to any connected space. Allied units can move along any colored connection (German units may only use the green connections). Units starting from the same space may each move to different destination spaces. Moving units must stop their movement upon entering a Marsh space and when entering a space containing a German unit, in which case the German unit must be attacked unless that German unit is already Engaged (9.3.8).

10.1.1 Allied Unit Stacking: There is no limit to the number of Allied Combat Units that may occupy or pass through a single space.

Evacuee Units do have a limit as to how many units may be in the same space at a time, as follows:

East Jetty space = four Evacuee units

Evacuation Staging Area = unlimited Evacuee units

“To England” Channel Route spaces = two Evacuee units

All other Channel Route spaces = one Evacuee unit each

In all other map spaces = two Evacuee units

Any number of Evacuee units may pass through a space during the course of the turn. Combat units do not affect the number of Evacuee units that can be in the same space.

10.1.2 Allied Non-Cooperation: British, French and Belgian units may not move together with units of the other nations. If you wish to move all the units in a multi-national space, a separate PA expenditure must be made to move the units of each separate nation. Note that units of different nationalities may still stack and defend together without penalty.

10.1.3 Montgomery’s Division: British units of the 3rd Mechanized Division under General Montgomery (these have a unique red-banded unit ID counter coloring for easy identification) were specially trained to move at Night. Therefore, these units may use the Day movement rates during Night turns.

10.1.4 German Garrisons: Allied units may not enter any space located behind the German unit assigned to that track (i.e. a lowernumbered space than the space currently occupied by the German unit). These spaces are considered to have strong, entrenched German garrisons and may not be entered or attacked by Allied units.

10.1.5 The GHQ: A number of British (only) units stacked in the same space with the GHQ unit may conduct movement for free (i.e. either type of movement and at no PA cost) equal to the Combat Factor of the GHQ unit (ex: if the GHQ unit is on its reduced-strength side, one British unit stacked with it could move at no PA cost). In all other ways - including movement, combat and evacuation - the GHQ unit is treated as a normal combat unit.

10.1.6 Suppressed Units: An Allied unit with a “Suppressed” marker may not move voluntarily (it may retreat normally) during the Player Action Phase. This includes Escape and Evacuation Moves! Also, “Suppressed” units may not conduct attacks.

Example: It is the Player Action Phase of a Night turn and unfortunately the drawn Action Card has awarded you only 1 Player Action. You decide that you need to move units to plug a hole in your lines, so you elect Movement as your activity and select the units in the La Panne space (G5/H5) as the active units. Stacked there are the 1/Grenadier Guards, 2/Royal Fusiliers, 4/East Yorkshires and the GHQ (on its reduced-strength side). You spend the 1 PA to move them all and do so as follows:

The 1/Grenadier Guards moves to space B3 for no PA cost. The 1 strength GHQ allows one free unit Movement (of either type) and because the unit is part of Montgomery’s Division, it can use Day movement rates during a Night turn. Thus it has an unlimited movement ability.

The 2/Royal Fusiliers uses Foot Movement (it would cost you 2 PA to move them by Truck Movement) and can only move one space, so it moves to G4 to bolster the second canal-line defense.

The 4/East Yorkshires moves by Foot Movement to Beach space F5, in preparation for eventual conversion to an Evacuee unit and, hopefully, escape to England.

Note that regardless of the number of units stacked in a space, you only need to pay the one PA cost (either 1 or 2 PA) to move all units of one nationality.

10.1.7 Belgian Army Area of Operations: British and French units, with the exception of the GHQ unit, may not move into any space on tracks H, I or J until the Belgian Army surrenders (see 12.2). Such units may retreat there if there is no other option but then must be moved from that track at the first opportunity. Upon the Belgian Army surrendering, all such restrictions are removed.

10.1.8 Allied Unit Attacks: If an Allied unit moves into a space with a German unit, it must conduct an attack at the end of the Player Action Phase unless that German unit is already Engaged with another Allied unit(s). Allied units may move through a space that already contains Engaged units.

Note that only one Allied unit can move into a space with an unEngaged German and conduct an attack! If there are other Allied units already in the space (i.e., Engaged with the German unit), they have no effect on the combat and suffer no consequences.

You may only attack with one eligible Allied unit that spent one or more PA’s to conduct Movement (the unit doesn’t actually move if it is already Engaged with the German unit – it just attacks). This attack is conducted after all other Player Actions are conducted for the phase.

Allied Unit attacks are resolved exactly like a German Attack except that you will use the Combat Results – Allied Attack Table instead. Also, Allied units do not get “Disrupted” results and may not Breakthrough. Importantly, German units never receive the combat benefits of Town or Canal spaces but do suffer the “Night” penalty. The results on the German unit is dictated, there are no Retreat/Hit choices to be made by the player.

Continuing the previous example, let’s say that the 1/Grenadier Guards unit enters B3 and in that space are two French units already Engaged with the reduced-strength German 2/9th Panzer unit. You have the option to simply move the British unit into the space with no further action (since the French are already Engaged with the Germans) or you may launch an attack if you choose to (but just with the British unit as the French units were not activated for movement). You decide to go ahead and attack the German unit. The Brits get three Attack Dice (Combat Factor of 4 less one die due to the Night turn) and the German Defense Number is 4 (the Canal space has no benefit). You roll a 3 and two 6’s, which scores a “2 Wins” result. The German unit must Retreat one space and you immediately move it back to space B2. The British unit is unaffected (a Casualty Roll was not achieved) and it remains in the space with the two French units. The attack automatically ends.

If the British unit had only rolled a “0 Win” or “1 Win” result, the German unit would have been unaffected and the British unit would have to retreat one space. The French units remain unaffected as well.

10.2 Create Evacuees: You may create a new “1” or “2” (when converting a full-strength Combat Unit) strength Evacuee unit for the cost of 1 PA but only in an East Jetty or Beach space. In addition, a maximum of four Evacuee units (regardless of strength) may be placed in the East Jetty space and only two Evacuee units (regardless of strength) in a single Beach space. These spaces may not contain a German unit. The actual creation process depends on the actual Game Turn, as follows:

During May Game Turns, a “1” Evacuee unit (only) may be created and placed in an eligible space (if an Evacuee Unit is available in the pool to place). This represents you gathering and organizing new evacuees that have been wandering around the area. For each such unit created, the player must spend 1 PA. When created, simply take an available Evacuee unit from the pool and place it on the map in the eligible space with its “1” side face up. Combat Units may not be converted in May.

During June Game Turns, Evacuee units may only be created by converting Combat units into Evacuee units. Evacuee Units may no longer be created from nothing. For each such converted Combat Unit, the player must spend 1 PA. The Combat unit must already be located in the East Jetty or a Beach space when converted and Evacuee stacking limits in the space must be adhered to after conversion (see above). The converted unit may not have a “Suppressed” marker on it or be Engaged in combat. A Combat unit on its full-strength side in converted into a “2” Evacuee unit and a Combat unit on its reduced-strength side into a “1” Evacuee unit. Remove the Combat unit from the game and replace it with the appropriate Evacuee unit.

During the first half of the game, these Evacuee units represent injured soldiers, civilians, cooks, headquarter employees, and other non-frontline units gathered at the beach to leave. According to Colonel G. H. Whitfield (Gort's assistant adjutant general): "Men who belonged to untrained or poorly officered regiments and corps broke to pieces when the heavy bombing raids occurred....I am not surprised that small bands of men, utterly helpless and lost, were reported to me as wandering about Dunkirk trying to find shelter from the next raid." This is where the first wave of evacuees comes from. Only after the beaches were devoid of the “rabble” are the fighting units able to convert to Evacuee Units and disembark.

10.2.1 Evacuee Limits: Any number of Evacuee units may be created in a turn, providing you have enough PAs to spend and the units are not placed beyond the Evacuee Unit stacking limits (see 10.1.1). If there are no available Evacuee unit counters (i.e. they are all in play already) you may not create anymore Evacuee units.

10.2.2 National Restrictions: British Combat units can be converted into Evacuees on any eligible June turn. French Combat units can be converted only starting on the Night turn of June 2nd. Belgian units can never be converted into Evacuees.

10.3 Upgrade Evacuees: For the cost of 1 PA, you may upgrade any one non-Suppressed “1” Evacuee unit to a “2” Evacuee unit. Simply pay the PA and flip the Evacuee unit over to the “2” side. Evacuees located in any Channel Route space or with a “Suppressed” marker cannot be upgraded.

Example: It is the Night turn of May31st and during the Player Action Phase you have 4 PAs available. You have no Evacuee units in the game so you decide to build some. You decide to create one “1” Evacuee unit on a Beach space and another one on the East Jetty space for a cost of 2 PAs. You place both units onto the map from the available pool of Evacuee units. You then spend 1 PA to upgrade the Beach unit to a “2” and the last PA to upgrade the East Jetty unit to a “2” (flipping both units).

Now let’s assume the same situation but for the next game turn – the Day turn of June 1st. In this case, you see that you have four British Combat units on eligible spaces – two full-strength units stacked on the East Jetty space and two reduced-strength units, one each on separate Beach spaces. You spend your 4 PA’s by converting the two East Jetty Combat units into two “2” Evacuee units and converting the two Beach Combat units into one “1” Evacuee unit each. You remove the Combat units from the game and replace them with the appropriate Evacuee units.

10.4 Intelligence Report: This action allows you to pre-select what the German Moves card will be for the next turn. This will cost 1 PA and you may then draw the top Action Card. Place the card aside face-up in a place you’ll see the card and remember to use it (perhaps adjacent to the Draw Pile). During the next turns German Movement & Attack Phase, you will use that set aside card for the German Moves result rather than drawing a new card. Place the card in the discard pile after applying its effect.

10.4.1 False Intelligence Report: If you’ve set aside an Action Card as above but the next turn’s Event Phase yields an Event that cancels or mandates a German Moves event, the set aside card is overridden and discarded immediately. The current Event takes precedence and the intelligence is deemed to have been incorrect. The events that cancel the set aside card are: German Reconnaissance, Major Offensive, Blitzkrieg! and Tightening the Noose. If the events Schnell! or Vorwarts! are drawn, the first card used is automatically the set aside card - the second card is randomly drawn.

10.5 Raise the Dunkirk Spirit: To begin the game, you are given the “Dunkirk Spirit” marker for free. You hold this marker off to the side until it is used. You may choose to apply it after any Attack Dice are rolled (German or Allied) in order to re-roll any or all of the Attack Dice you wish (obviously the ones that are the most damaging to you). Pick up those selected dice (only) and re-roll them. You must accept the rerolled dice results – even if worse than the original. Combine the rerolled dice with the ones you left alone to get the new result of the attack. Discard the marker after using it. You may reacquire the “Dunkirk Spirit” marker after it’s been discarded by spending 1 PA during the Player Action Phase and once again holding it for later use.

10.6 Evacuation Move: For the cost of 1 PA, you may immediately conduct a normal Evacuation Move with an eligible Evacuee unit (see 11.0).

10.7 Release Flooding: There are four light blue spaces on the map labeled Lowlands. These function as normal Clear terrain spaces when not flooded. You may opt to spend 2 PA to immediately Flood all four of these spaces. By doing so, the four Lowlands spaces are immediately treated as Marsh spaces for all purposes for the remainder of the game. Place the “Flooded” marker on the map near these spaces as a reminder.

10.8 Build Beach Jetties: You may spend 3 PA to construct the “Beach Jetties” marker. Upon expenditure of the PA, place the “Beach Jetties” marker in the designated space on the map. From that point on, jetties exist for all Beach spaces. The “Beach Jetties” marker allows you to move two Evacuee units for each one Evacuation Move (see 11.0). Note that this is the same bonus that the East Jetty space allows (with the “The Mole” marker active) but in this case the “Beach Jetties” marker must first be built to get the bonus.

The Royal engineers used trucks (lorries) to build jetties into the water from the beaches east of Dunkirk. Some of the trucks were driven into the surf above their tires and then the tires were flattened. The escaping troops were then able to walk on top of the trucks to reach the boats.

10.9 Repair a Jetty: In order to repair either a “Damaged Mole” or a “Damaged Jetties” marker (see 7.3), you must spend 2 PA and may then flip it back over to its front side. The relevant marker functions normally again from that point on.

10.10 RAF Sortie Marker: This marker is two-sided and can be used for a couple of purposes: an RAF Bomber Attack and an RAF CAP Mission (CAP = Combat Air Patrol).

10.10.1 At the start of the game, you are given the “RAF CAP” side of the marker for free. You may play this marker at the conclusion of any Event Phase – and before the Luftwaffe Attacks Phase - on any one Channel Route (remember – this includes the Evacuation Staging Area). During the following Luftwaffe Attacks Phase, all Luftwaffe Attacks against the selected Channel Route (only) will be cancelled with no effect. The marker’s effect is ended at the conclusion of that Luftwaffe Attacks Phase.

10.10.2 If the RAF Bombers Sortie event is drawn, you may play the “RAF Bombers” side of the marker during any future Player Action Phase (place the Event card near you as a reminder). When you decide to launch the attack, simply place the marker on any German unit at no cost. Then conduct an attack by using the Luftwaffe Attack Table procedure (the “Combat Units” line) and adding “+1” to the die roll. If a “Suppressed” result is achieved, give the German unit a “Disrupted” result. A “1 Hit” result will flip the German unit to its reduced-strength side.

Both sides of the “RAF Sortie” marker can be used in the same game and even in the same turn. If both sides have been used in the game, then discard the marker.

11.0 Evacuation Moves

The goal of A Spoiled Victory is to get your Evacuee units off the piers and beaches and on their way to the safety of England. The only way to do this is by using your Evacuation Moves effectively. During the Evacuation Moves Phase, draw the next Action Card and refer to the Evacuations section of the card. Use the box that corresponds to the current Game Turn (either Day or Night). The indicated number in the box is the number of Evacuation Moves you receive for the phase.

The average number of Evacuation Moves awarded during a Day turn is 3 and during a Night turn 5. Again – plan accordingly!

11.1 Eligible Evacuee Units: Only non-Suppressed Evacuee units can be moved during this phase and only those located on an East Jetty, Beach, Canal or Channel Route spaces. All Evacuee unit stacking limits (10.1.1) must be adhered to at the end of each Evacuation Move.

11.2 Evacuation Move Procedure: Each Evacuation Move allows you to move one Evacuee unit (exception: see 11.4) one eligible space. An allowed move of one space is any of the following:

From an East Jetty or Beach space to the Evacuation Staging Area;

From the Evacuation Staging Area to any adjacent Channel Route space;

From any Channel Route space to an adjacent, higher-numbered Channel Route space;

From a Canal or Dunkirk space to an adjacent Beach or East Jetty space (due to the game setup)

Note that the Evacuation Staging Area is considered to be the first space on all three Channel Routes. Also note that the To England spaces are the last spaces on each Channel Route. Evacuation Moves cannot be made “backwards” – they must proceed toward the To England spaces.

The same Evacuee unit can be moved multiple times (up to the limit of the number of Evacuation Moves) or many Evacuee units can each be moved one or more spaces (again, up to the Evacuation Move limit). Units cannot be moved further than the To England space.

11.3 Channel Route “X”: You may not use any Channel Route “X” spaces beyond “X1” until Game turn 5. Place the “Modern Destroyers Deployed” marker in the “X2” to block the path as a reminder.

This channel route was the last to enter service as the Allied navies had trouble clearing it properly of German mines – especially those placed by German E-Boats and dropped by German aircraft. They finally cleared the route on May 29th and Allied evacuation craft could start using it at that point.

11.4 The East Jetty and Beach Jetties Bonuses: You may instead move two Evacuee units for each Evacuation Move allowed if the Evacuees are all either on the East Jetty space (when the “The Mole” marker is not on its “Damaged” side) or on any Beach spaces when a “Beach Jetties Built” marker is present (and also not on its “Damaged” side). The two units must both be in the relevant type of space and the bonus only applies to moving from the bonus space(s) to the Evacuation Staging Area space. Note that in the case of the “Beach Jetties” bonus, the two units can be from different Beach spaces.

11.5 La Panne: The small town of La Panne served as the center of Allied headquarters and housed the only telephone line back to England. If this space becomes German controlled (i.e. the German unit is in the space with no Allied units present), then your awarded Evacuation Moves during each turn’s Evacuation Move Phase are halved (rounded up). If you are able to recapture the La Panne space (i.e. retreat the German unit out of the space) then the full Evacuation Move result is reinstated.

Example: It is the Evacuation Moves Phase of a Night turn. You flip the next card and reference the Night number of the Evacuation Moves section of the card. The entry is “6” and thus you get six Evacuation Moves this phase. Let’s assume you have two Evacuee units on the East Jetty space, two on a Beach space and one in the Evacuation Staging Area space. You decide to move both Evacuee units from the East Jetty space (we’re assuming that The Mole is not damaged) to the Evacuation Staging Area space (1 Evacuation Move), then move both of those same two units to the Z2 Channel Route space (2 Evacuation Moves). Note that this is allowed because Z2 is a “To England” space and the stacking limit is two there. They could not have both moved to Y2, for instance, as the stacking limit is only one in that space. You then move one of the units on the Beach space (assuming there is no “Beach Jetties” marker) to the Evacuation Staging Area space (1 Evacuation Move) and then move the Evacuee unit that started in the Evacuation Staging Area space to spaces X2 (assuming it’s later than turn 4) and then to X3 (2 Evacuation Moves). That totals six Evacuation Moves and the phase is over. Note that this is only one of many possible series of moves that could have been made.

12.0 End Turn Procedures

12.1 Remove current Event Action Card: If you have not done so already, remove from play the Action Card that created this turn’s Event.

12.2 Belgian Surrender: If there are any Belgian units remaining in the game, you must roll one die on the Belgian Surrender / Panzer Withdrawal Table during the End Turn Phase. Modify the die roll only by the listed “Belgian Surrender” modifiers. Apply the result as indicated. If the Belgians do surrender, then immediately remove all Belgian units from the game, regardless of where they are located.

The remnants of the Belgian Army covered the extreme left flank of the Allied forces. By the morning of May 26, the first day of the Dunkirk evacuation, the Belgians held the town of Nieuport and a small portion of the front lines to its south and east. During the night of May 27, 1940 King Leopold of Belgium decided to stop fighting to save his country from further losses and his troops left their posts and went home. This left Gen. Gort with a huge hole in his defenses. He decided to send Gen. Montgomery’s division to plug this gap. Montgomery’s division had extra training in night maneuvers and was able to fill the positions in less than 18 hours.

12.3 Panzer Withdrawal: If the German 1/9 Panzer and 2/9 Panzer units are still on their “Panzer” sides (the side with the tank graphic), then you must roll one die on the Belgian Surrender / Panzer Withdrawal Table during the End Turn Phase. Modify the die roll only by the listed “Panzer Withdrawal” modifiers. Apply the result as indicated. If the panzers are withdrawn, then flip both units to their reduced-strength (Motorized) sides if not already on that side. Note that if these units have taken a Hit already and are on their reduced (Motorized) sides, it is assumed that the panzers in that unit were either damaged/destroyed in combat and/or already pulled back due to fear of further losses.

Hitler was worried about losing his beloved panzers. He met with Gen. Kleist in late May 1940 at an airfield near Cambrai to discuss the situation at Dunkirk. Kleist remarked that a great opportunity had been lost there. Hitler replied; “that may be so, but I did not want to send the tanks into the Flanders marshes. The British will not come back in this war. “

12.4 Suppression Removal: All “Suppression” markers are removed from Allied units during the End Turn Phase. Simply take them off any affected units. Suppression effects no longer apply to those units.

12.5 Adjust Event Reminder Markers: If the “The Harbour is Closed” or “Wake-Walker and Tennant Arrive” markers are in play, flip them to their “1” side (if on the “2” side) or remove them from the game (if already on the “1” side).

12.6 Game Turn Marker: Move the “Game Turn” marker to the next box on the Game Turn Track, flipping it to the appropriate time of day as reflected in the new box. If the last turn of the game (the Night turn of June 4th – Turn #18) has been entirely completed (including the extra Escape Moves & VP Scoring Phase), you should proceed to Victory Point Determination to find out how you did.

13.0 Victory Point Determination

The game is now over and you need to find out how you did. The historical result was a true miracle, so your performance will be measured against that result. Check the Victory Point Track to find out how many points you’ve accumulated throughout the game.

Victory Point Schedule

Compare your net Victory Point Total to the schedule below to find out how well (or poorly) you played.

Number of VPs	Level
25 or Less	DISASTER
26 - 28	ABYSMAL
29 - 31	AWFUL
32 - 35	POOR
36 - 39	AVERAGE
40 - 43	GOOD
44 - 46	OUTSTANDING
47 - 49	EXCELLENT
50 or More	MIRACLE

14.0 Optional Rules

14.1 Free Allied Setup: Ignore the Allied Setup sheet and place all British and French units in any space on the map except the German “Start” spaces. Belgian units must still be setup per the normal instructions.

14.2 Free German Setup: Mix up the German units and randomly place one unit on each “Start” space. Ignore the German unit name given to each track and move the unit itself when instructed to by the German Moves result.

14.3 Chaotic Events: Instead of removing Event cards from the game after their application, place those Action Cards into the discard pile. In this way, some Events could occur a multiple number of times.

14.4 Free-for-all: Use all three Optional Setups (14.1, 14.2 and 14.3) together!

15.0 Game Setup

See separate Setup sheet for game setup details.

15.1 The German Forces: There are ten German units and each is assigned its own track, as follows: 1/9th Panzer = Track A; 2/9th Panzer = Track B; 20 Motorized = Track C; 254th Infantry = Track D; 18th Infantry = Track E; 14th Infantry = Track F; 216th Infantry = Track G; 56th Infantry = Track H; 1/256th Infantry = Track I; 2/256th Infantry = Track J. Place each unit on the “Start” space of its corresponding track with its full-strength side showing.

15.2 The Allied Forces: There are a number of French, Belgian and British units available to you and can be setup as you wish within the indicated parameters. All units are placed on the map with their full-strength sides showing. You may place any unit of any strength of the given nationality on the indicated track or space. Historical Option: If you wish to place units in their historical locations, place only those units listed in parentheses after each track or space location.

15.21 The Belgians: Place one Belgian unit in each of the following spaces: H1, I1 and J1.

15.22 The French: Place two French units in each of the following spaces: A1 (1/208 and 2/208), B1 (1/225 and 2/225), C1 (1/341 and 2/341) and D1 (1/137 and 2/137). The remaining five French units may be placed in any space(s) on tracks A, B, C or D that you wish.

15.23 The British: The following British units must be placed as indicated:

• Place two British units anywhere on Track C (1/Loyal and 2/5 Sherwood Forester)
• Place two British units anywhere on Track D (1/East Lancashires and 5/Border)
• Place three British units anywhere on Track E, with at least one in space E1 (2/Coldstream Guards, 1/Duke of Wellington and 4/Green Howards)
• Place three British units anywhere on Track F, with at least one in space F1 (4/East Yorkshires, 5/Green Howards and 6/Durham Light Infantry)
• Place three British units anywhere on Track G, with at least one in space G1 (9/Durham Light Infantry, 1/Kings Own Scottish Borderers and 2/Royal Ulster Rifle)
• Place the GHQ unit in G5/H5 (La Panne)
• The remaining twelve British units may be placed in any space(s) on tracks A, B, C, D, E, F or G.

15.3 Evacuee Units: Deploy two Evacuee units with their “2” side showing on A5 (East Jetty). Deploy five Evacuee units with their “1” side showing as follows: one each in the five Beach spaces (B5, C6, D5, E5 and F5). Deploy seven Evacuee units with their “1” side showing as follows: two on A4 and one each in the five Canal spaces adjacent to the Beach spaces (B4, C5, D4, E4 and F4).

15.4 Markers: Place the “The Mole” marker with its “The Mole -Operating” side showing in the assigned space on the map. Put the “Modern Destroyers Deployed” marker with that side showing on Channel Route space X2 (as a reminder that the “X” route can’t be used yet). Put the Game Turn marker in the Day space of May 27th (Turn #1) with its “Day” side showing. Finally, take the “Dunkirk Spirit” and “RAF Bomber/CAP” markers and place them near you (you may use them at any eligible time for free). All other game markers are placed aside within easy reach.

16.0 Event Descriptions

The game’s events set the atmosphere for the game and drive the narrative and gameplay flow. Most are self-explanatory, but to further elaborate historical significance and/or game play use, consult the reverse side of the Setup sheet for details.

Goering Promises a Victory / Goering Rants and Raves

Reichsmarshall Hermann Goering was the head of the German Luftwaffe. He told Hitler that the Luftwaffe could wipe out the British forces without the need to risk Wehrmacht troops on the ground and Hitler’s strategy was affected by that promise. The Luftwaffe terrified the Allied forces in the perimeter and out in the channel and caused massive death and destruction. But it failed in its primary goal of eliminating the British army. Nonetheless, it was a harrowing and dangerous experience for the Brits as they underwent constant harassment from the skies. BEF lorry driver Tom Bristow said of the incoming Stukas, “they looked like filthy vultures, their undercarriage not being retractable so that their landing gear reminded one of the cruel talons in which they held their victims.”

The Little Ships of Dunkirk

The real “miracle” at Dunkirk was the ability of the English populace to rise to the occasion and help save their fighting men across the Channel. All sorts of vessels – private, commercial and military – were mustered and sailed across the waters to take on survivors in the midst of a horrendous ongoing battle. Among the many small crafts that were pressed into service in the Dunkirk flotilla was the yacht “Sundowner”. She was skippered by Charles H. Lightoller and his son. He was the highest ranking officer to have survived the sinking of the HMS Titanic 28 years earlier and was responsible for saving 136 men.

Dutch Skoots Found in Thames

The Royal Navy found 50 Dutch skoots (a flat-bottomed boat) in the Thames estuary. They manned the skoots with British sailors and sent them across the Channel to save many of the soldiers on the beaches. Due to their flat bottoms they were able to sail right up onto the beaches and thus were more accessible than the larger, deep draft ships.

Cloudy Skies / Weather is Crystal Clear / Heavy Rains

The weather during the battle varied quite a bit and directly affected the ability of the Luftwaffe to launch effective attacks against the perimeter. On May 28th, the weather was very bad over the beaches near Dunkirk and therefore Fliegerkorps VIII was grounded by its commanding officer, General Major Wolfram von Richthofen. Wolfram was a cousin to the famous “Red Baron” of the First World War – Manfred von Richthofen. On clear days von Richthofen ordered extra sorties to try to reduce the British and French perimeter even faster.

RAF Covers the Harbor / RAF Air Superiority Achieved / RAF Bomber Sortie

The RAF (Royal Air Force) scrambled planes to cover the Dunkirk evacuations during the entire engagement. In the end, the RAF lost 106 planes during the entire eleven days of Operation Dynamo. However, British pilots in turn shot down 150 German planes of the vaunted Luftwaffe, making it possible for the ships to evacuate hundreds of thousands of men.

Pound Withdraws Modern Destroyers / Ramsey Requests Destroyers Return

The British admiralty withdrew the most modern destroyers after they lost HMS Harvester, Havant, Ivanhoe, Impulsive, Icarus and Intrepid to German mines and aircraft. For three days Operation Dynamo was only protected by the older ships of the Royal Navy. Admiral Ramsey demanded that the new ships be returned and they eventually reoccupied their stations.

Adm. Wake-Walker & Cpt. Tennant Arrive

The British Admiralty sent Admiral Frederic Wake-Walker and Captain William Tennant to direct the shore patrols, coordinate the ships and attempt to organize the masses of men on the beaches east of Dunkirk and west of La Panne. Wake-Walker set up within the headquarters of the BEF at La Panne and was in constant contact with the Admiralty in London. Their ability to bring order and efficiency to the evacuation was a primary ingredient in its success.

General Gort’s Foresight

General Gort (John Standish Surtees Prendergast Vereker), commander in chief of the BEF, ordered the strategic withdrawal of all British forces from Belgium and northern France before they were surrounded. He helped to setup the defensive perimeter that allowed the time for the British evacuation of the BEF and French forces in the Dunkirk pocket.

Poor Communications with London

On the evening of May 30, 1940 an officer of the naval shore party whose judgment “had been affected by the events of the day” sent word back to England from La Panne (BEF headquarters), that because of tremendous enemy aerial bombardment, Dunkirk harbor was blocked. Therefore, further embarkation from the breakwater was impossible. It wasn’t true. Dynamo headquarters had no option but to order that no further ships should try to enter the harbor.

17.0 Designer’s Notes

Thank you for purchasing A Spoiled Victory – we certainly hope you enjoy it. One aspect of the design that should be highlighted is that this game is not really a “war game” as much as an “escape game”. The emphasis of the design is not to beat the Germans in combat, but rather to allow your forces to survive to fight another day and eventually defeat the Nazis on the battlefields of North Africa, Italy and Normandy. This makes the game a unique experience to play and thus quite appropriate for such a singular event.

There’s no question that Operation Dynamo was an unequalled event in military history. The very successful evacuation of 336,000 British and Frenchmen from the harbor and beaches of Dunkirk in May and June of 1940 was a small miracle. This event lends itself well to a solitaire game, because the German army and air force have but one mission - crush the BEF before it can escape. The Allied player (that would be YOU) on the other hand has many decisions to make as to where to defend, where to fight and how fast to retreat toward the relative safety of Dunkirk and the nearby beaches. As you play this game, you should feel the tightening of the German stranglehold on the Allies. As fast as you get men off of the beaches and jetties, the more that appear, waiting to escape. Once off the shoreline, the ships are not a guarantee of safety either, because they can strike a mine, be sunk by the Luftwaffe or hit by gunfire from the high ground at Calais or even Nieuport. Thus, accomplishing a result even close to the historical achievement will be difficult. We have set the victor/defeat levels on a sliding scale to encourage the player to try each time to beat his previous score. But it will not be an easy task to save 300,000 plus souls while you are being bombed, strafed, and attacked by the vaunted German Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe.

Please be aware that this game is not meant to be a detailed simulation of this operation. We have instead opted to provide a somewhat abstracted, generalized view of the overall situation. The scope of the game is for you, the player, to make the big choices of where your troops will deploy and the management of the evacuation of survivors. The game board represents general deployment zones with only major terrain features shown. The Combat units themselves are not precise in their representation as many of them were only partial units, amalgamated pieces of units or stragglers with no unit cohesion. Evacuee units can be made up of jumbled groups of cooks, mechanics, headquarters clerks, etc as well as escaping fighting men. So while the details are somewhat obscured, the decision making is not. The player needs to defend the towns and canal line while also sending units towards Dunkirk and the beaches for evacuation. During May turns the player can create evacuees from the nameless mass of men on the beaches, but starting in June he must convert fighting units into evacuees. This creates the dilemma of who stays to fight and who runs for the safety of the ships.

The “engine” of A Spoiled Victory is driven through the use of Action Cards. Each card contains one event, used once per game, instructions for where the Luftwaffe and German units attack that turn, and the all important Player Action points and Evacuation Moves. This is where the player has to take time to decide where and how to spend those points and moves to his best ability. Do you create more evacuees? Do you move units back from the frontlines to get them ready to board ships? Do you spend resources to build the jetties? Each move has a bearing on what happens in subsequent turns. Then in the Evacuation Moves phase, which men do you move off the beach and which down the ship channel tracks? None of your Evacuee units are safe until they have their feet on dry land in England. Be assured – you will never have enough Player Action Points nor Evacuation Moves to get done what you need to get done.

This was a fun project and a true joint effort. We split our tasks for this game along practical lines, based on what we felt that we each could best bring to the design. Hermann primarily created the hardwiring and central game mechanics while Paul ensured that those mechanics properly portrayed the historical situation that existed during Operation Dynamo. We were able to give and take ideas back and forth and we feel that the partnership ended up making for a better game and a fun and rewarding experience. We hope you feel the same way!

Player Aid Card

Luftwaffe Attack Table (against each targeted unit)

Target	Miss	Suppressed	1 Hit + Suppressed	Eliminated
Channel Route Evacuee Unit	2-5	6-7	8-9	10-12
All Other Evacuee Units	2-6	7-8	9-10	11-12*
Combat Unit	2-7	8-9	10-12*	-

*Mole/Beach Jetties Damaged on die roll of “12”.

Modifiers: Target unit in Town Space -1; Target unit in Marsh Space +1; Night Turn -2; Event Effect ?; RAF Bomber +1.

German Interdiction Attack Table (against each targeted unit)

Turn	Miss	Suppressed	1 Hit + Suppressed	Eliminated
Day	2-5	6-7	8-9	10-12
Night	2-7	8-9	10-11	12

Unit Stacking

• German Units = 1
• Allied Combat Units = unlimited
• Evacuee Units in Evacuation Staging Area = unlimited
• Evacuee Units in “To England” area = 2
• Evacuee Units in East Jetty = 4
• Evacuee Units in Other Channel Routes = 1
• Evacuee Units in All Other = 2

Player Actions

1. Move ALL units of same nationality in one space by Foot (1 PA)* or by Truck (2 PA)*
2. Create a “1” Evacuee unit (1 PA) – only allowed in a May turn
3. Convert a Combat Unit into an Evacuee Unit (1 PA) – only allowed in a June turn
4. Upgrade a “1” Evacuee Unit to a “2” Evacuee Unit (1 PA)
5. Intelligence Report (1 PA)
6. Raise the “Dunkirk Spirit” (1 PA)
7. Conduct one Evacuation Move (1 PA)
8. Release Flooding (2 PA)
9. Build the Beach Jetties marker (3 PA)
10. Repair a “Damaged” Mole or Beach Jetties marker (2 PA)

* a number of units stacked w/GHQ unit = GHQ’s Combat Factor may be moved for FREE.

Allied Unit Movement

Unit Type	Day	Night
Foot	2	1
Truck	Unlimited	4
Montgomery	always “Day” rates	always “Day” rates

Marsh/Flooded Space: units must stop for the turn. German units must roll 1-4 to move out. Allied units may freely continue next turn.

Combat Results Table – German Attack

	0 Wins	1 Win	2 Wins	3 Wins	4+ Wins
German	Retreats and “Disrupted” if no tying die roll is made. Check for Casualty Roll. ATTACK ENDS	Retreats if any Allied unit remains in space. Check for Casualty Roll. ATTACK ENDS	No effect, will Attack again if any Allied unit still in space. Panzer units may Breakthrough	No effect, will Attack again if any Allied unit still in space. Panzer and Motorized units may Breakthrough	No effect, will Attack again if any Allied unit still in space. Any German unit may Breakthrough
Allied	No Effect	Apply one WIN result against a Frontline unit	Apply Two WIN results against Allied unit(s)	Apply Three WIN results against Allied unit(s)	Apply four or more WIN results against Allied unit(s)

Combat Results Table – Allied Attack

	0 Wins	1 Win	2 Wins	3 Wins	4+ Wins
Allied	Retreats. Check for Casualty Roll. ATTACK ENDS	Retreats. Check for Casualty Roll. ATTACK ENDS	No Effect. ATTACK ENDS	No Effect. ATTACK ENDS	No Effect. ATTACK ENDS
German	No Effect	No Effect	Retreats	Retreats	Applies hit and Retreats

Casualty Roll: If attacker rolls only one Attack Die – one “1” rolled is a Hit. If attacker rolls multiple Attack Dice – Two or more “1s” rolled is a Hit.

Belgian Surrender / Panzer Withdrawal

Die Roll	Result
1	All Belgian units Surrender / Panzer Units Flipped if not already flipped
2-6	No effect

Belgian Surrender Die Roll Modifiers: -1 for each Hit suffered by Belgian units; -1 on Turn 2 and each turn thereafter.

Panzer Withdrawal Die Roll Modifiers: -1 for each Hit and Disrupted marker on Panzer units; -1 on Turn 6 and each turn thereafter.