Anzio Beachhead

Anzio Beachhead Rulebook

Table of Contents

The Playing Board

The playing board shows the area of the Allied beachhead at Anzio, where some of the most intense fighting of World War II took place between January 22nd and late May 1944. A hexagon grid has been superimposed on the map to determine movement. Hereafter these hexes will be called squares. The following is a description of the terrain features on the board:

Clear Terrain Square: Any square that doesn't contain swamp or woods. However, for combat purposes there are some exceptions to this definition of clear terrain.

Swamp: Any square covered partially or wholly by the Pontine Marshes (also known as the Bonifica Pontina). This was a major land reclamation and resettlement project of Mussolini's, but the Germans have pulled its cork.

Woods: Any square completely within the Padiglione Woods (also known as the Selva de Nettuno). This includes any square wholly or partially covered by forest.

Tripled Squares: All units have their defense factors tripled when in these squares with the heavy sides.

Road Squares: Any square with a road passing through at least two sides.

Unfinished Roads: Dotted lines. These, as well as railroads, have no effect on the game. They are included for geographical reference.

River Square: Any square with a river passing through at least two sides. Canals are considered rivers.

Beach Squares: Squares where certain specific Allied units must land on the first turn. See INVASIONS section.

Sea Squares: Any square containing ONLY water. Squares containing any land at all are considered land squares.

Miscellaneous Terrain Features: Town (circle symbol); Village (filled dot); RR and RR station (railroad symbol); Overpass (symbol on a railroad line).

Unit Counters

The unit counters represent all of the major military formations that took part in the Anzio Campaign. A description follows:

Size: The unit size is shown by the symbol at the top of the counter.
Type: The unit type is shown by the symbol at the side of the counter.
Movement factor: The number at the bottom left of the counter.
Combat factor: The number at the bottom right of the counter (the example counter shows a 9-4 unit: movement factor 9, combat factor 4).

Unit Sizes:

Brigade: X
Regiment: III
Battalion: II

Types of Units:

Infantry
Panzergrenadierin German, Armored Infantry in Allied
Armor, or Panzer
Reconnaissance, or Aufklarungs
Paratrooper, or Fallschirmjager
Engineer, or Pionerie
Armored Engineer, or Panzer Pionerie
Antiaircraft, or Flak
German Airforce Infantry
Special Service Force
Commandos
Rangers

Combat Factor: A unit's basic strength when attacking or defending.

Movement Factor: The maximum number of squares a unit may travel over clear terrain in one impulse.

See separate unit counter sheet.

How to Win

The Germans win by, at the end of the last turn of the game:

eliminating all Allied units from the board; OR
having at least one unit in either Anzio or Nettuno, or adjacent to one of these ports, OR
having at least a two to one superiority in combat factors over the Allies AND occupying (or being the last to have passed through) all tripled squares on the board EXCEPT Anzio and Nettuno.

All the Allies have to do to win is to avoid all three of these conditions.

Prepare for Play

The German player places his AT START units on the board as specified in the Order of Appearance card. The Allied player places his assault units AT SEA where indicated. You are now ready to play.

How to Play

The game is played in turns. There are seven of these. Each turn, however, consists of six impulses labelled A-F. Three of these (A, C, E) are Allied impulses, B,D and F are German impulses. During your impulse you may move as many of your units as you are able, or none at all. Your opponent may only move during his own impulses.

How to Move

Except as modified below, a player may move his units up to their full movement factor during each impulse. They may be moved in any direction or combination of directions.

You may move through friendly units but not on top of, or through, enemy units. The die has nothing to do with movement.

Moving by Impulse

The following chart shows exactly what kind of movement and fighting is allowed during each impulse:

Impulse	Who can move how far	Who can attack	Move into enemy ZOC
A	Allies full factor	Allies	YES
B	Germans 1/2 factor	No One	NO
C	Allies full factor	No One	YES
D	Germans full factor	Germans	YES
E	Allies 1/2 factor	No One	NO
F	Germans full factor	No One	YES

Zones of Control

The six squares adjacent to a unit are its zones of control. When a unit enters an enemy zone of control square it must stop and move no more in that impulse. You may never move from one enemy controlled square to another enemy controlled square. In addition, UNITS MAY NEVER MOVE MORE THAN ONE SQUARE WHEN THEY BEGIN THEIR IMPULSE IN AN ENEMY ZONE OF CONTROL.

How to Have Combat

The Allied player may attack on impulse A; he may attack as many units as he is adjacent to after he has moved all the units he wishes to move for that impulse. The German player attacks the same way in impulse D.
You need not attack all adjacent enemy units.
Battles are resolved one at a time, with the attacker choosing the order in which they are resolved.
Battle odds are determined by totalling all the attacking units' combat factors in one battle, and comparing them with the defender's. The attacker's factor is given first, and the result is simplified into an odds ratio. For instance, 18 to 6 would be 3 to 1. Odds are always rounded off in favor of the defender, so 15 to 6 would be 2 to 1. To obtain the battle result, roll the die. Match the die roll and the odds comparison on the combat results table.
Units attacking from one square may attack all surrounding units in one battle or they may attack surrounding units in more than one battle. However, the combat factors of a unit defending on the same square may never be split; they must be attacked as if they were one unit with a combined defense factor.

Effect of Terrain on Combat

Tripled Squares: Units in tripled squares have their defense factors tripled; they do not, however, attack at triple strength from these squares.

Rivers: When all attacking units are on river squares, the defender is doubled. The defender is not doubled if he is attacked from river and non-river squares simultaneously. A unit is only tripled when behind a river in a tripled square.

Effect of Terrain on Movement

Woods & Swamps: Units must stop on the first woods or swamp square they land on, and may proceed through woods and swamps at one square per impulse.

Rivers: Units may move up and down rivers at normal rates, but must stop before crossing. (While it is true that rivers on the map board are rather insignificant, this rule was adopted for the following reasons: the terrain around rivers in the north of the map was very broken, 'wadi' country while the rivers in the south were actually elevated and in full view of enemy gunners. Also, the enemy should get a chance to react to a river crossing.)

Roads: All movement factors are doubled for units on roads. Road and non road movement may be combined. Units may also pass freely through woods and swamps, and across rivers, on roads.

Unfinished Roads: No effect on movement, except that units may pass through obstacles (swamps, rivers, etc) on these unfinished roads as if over clear terrain.

Combat Results

See playing surface. (The combat results table is printed on the playing surface, which is not reproduced in this 1969 magazine scan; it is not transcribed here.)

Order of Appearance and Reinforcements

Both sides get reinforcements periodically during the game. Notice that the Order of Appearance cards call for these new units to enter at varying impulses. A German unit called to enter the board on impulse 2B could not attack and could only move half its movement factor on that impulse.

New German units appear on any square around the edge of the board. No limit is set to the number of units that can come on through one square. If they come on during impulse D or F they may enter directly into enemy zones of control EVEN IF SUCH MOVEMENT WOULD NORMALLY BE IMPOSSIBLE ALONG THE NORTH AND SOUTH EDGES OF THE BOARD BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE ALLIED PLAYER HAS STAGGERED HIS UNITS ON THE BOARD EDGE SQUARES. German units entering through any of the south edge squares must stop and move no further the first impulse they enter the game. In entering from any other square, German units don't count the first board square as part of their movement for that impulse.

After impulse 1A, Allied units may enter only through Anzio or Nettuno. This first square ashore is not counted against their movement factors. No Allied reinforcements may be brought on anywhere during an impulse when a German unit is in, or adjacent to, Anzio OR Nettuno. The Allies may not use either port until a combat unit has spent one full impulse on each of these squares. Reinforcement units which can't get ashore may be brought on as soon as the ports are reopened.

Supply

There is no Supply Rule.

Flak Reserve

The German player has 10 Flak units which represent the many scratch units rushed to the Anzio beachhead to halt, in the early days of the invasion, Allied progress. FLAK UNITS MAY NOT ATTACK, ONLY DEFEND.

Invasion

The Allied player starts the game by invading the specifically designated beach squares. He may move these units ashore and inland as if he was making a normal impulse A move. However, the first beach square costs one from his movement factor. The Allied player may use roads and attack on the first square. Subsequent invading units, on later impulses and turns, may only come ashore through Anzio or Nettuno. However, they don't count the first square ashore as part of their movement factor.

More Than One Unit Per Square

Up to two regiments (or brigades), or four battalions, or one regiment (or brigade) and two battalions may be stacked on one square.

Being Forced Off the Board

German units which are forced to retreat off any edges of the board are not eliminated. Instead, they may be brought back on the board two impulses later. They re-enter through any board edge square. For instance, a German unit forced off during the Allied player's impulse A (or the German impulse B) could re-enter on the German impulse D. They cannot be with held from the board, but they must be returned.

Allied units forced off the board are eliminated, as are all Allied or German units forced out to sea.

Optional Rules

Naval Gun Fire Support

On every A impulse, and every D impulse, the Allies get three combat factors of naval gunfire support. Gunfire support can be used up to four squares inland, counting the first coastal square. ON THE 'A' IMPULSE, when the Allies are the attacker, the three factors may be added to any attacks within range. The German defender must be within four squares of a coastal square. ON THE 'D' IMPULSE, when the Allies are the defenders, the three factors can be added to the defense factor of any Allied unit four squares from a beach square. In this case, however, the Allied player must make a side note of which unit(s) will get the support before the German makes his D impulse move. The support defense factors are not doubled even if the defender is doubled. (As a result of this rule, the German player may find his 3-1 attacks becoming 2-1 attacks, unless he plans carefully.) Naval support can not take casualties. It can only be used in conjunction with ground units.

C & F Impulse Attack

The Allies may attack on impulse C, the Germans on impulse F. However, only units which are not in enemy zones of control at the beginning of those impulses may attack.

German Supplies

After players become familiar with the game they will find that the best place for the Germans to attack is in the south, and wonder why this wasn't actually done in the real campaign. The reason is simple: the off the board road network favored supply and reinforcement from the north. This situation can be recreated by requiring the German player to bring on at least 50% of the combat factors of all types of units on or north of the Via Anziate. For instance, if he received two 6-5's, three 4-3's and a 6-6 in any one impulse, only one 6-5 and one 4-3 could enter south of the Via Anziate. (Note: this rule applies to the type of combat factor a unit has, not to whether it is infantry or parachute or whatever.)

Automatic Victory

7-1 odds give a player automatic victory (not 5-1 surrounded, however). Units not involved in the 7-1 battle may disregard the defeated unit and its zone of control, pass through or over it and even fight from on top of it. However, it costs two movement factors to pass through the actual defeated unit. It costs nothing to pass through its zone of control. Road movement may not be used by units as they move onto such a defeated unit, nor after passing over the defeated unit. At the end of the attacker's impulse the unit is simply removed from the board.

Allied Air Superiority

On impulse 4D the Allied player receives 8 air attack factors. Before the German player makes his move for that impulse, the Allied player makes a side note of which of his units will get this air support. When the German attacks the air support is declared just as if it were naval gunfire support. Of course, the additional defense factors can be used anywhere on the board. If the Allied player chooses he may save some or all of these eight factors and use them offensively on impulse 5A. They may not be saved longer than impulse 5A. In a similar fashion the Allies get twelve air factors either on impulses 6D OR 7A. The Allied player need never state how much air power he is using on a particular impulse.

Morale

Allied morale almost cracked at Anzio: for a change the GI's and Tommy's were pasted by the Luftwaffe in the same fashion the Allied airforces had been pasting the Germans. German artillery positions overlooked the entire beachhead and could lay a shell anywhere at will. The Allied commander was sacked, British casualties were almost irreplacable. It was common knowledge that the whole invasion scheme had gone out the window. Relations between commanders and press were bad. The Nazi's launched one of their fiercest propaganda campaigns of the war. This effect can be reproduced in the game.

After the German player has moved all of his units, and declared exactly who he is attacking on impulse 4D (he must be attacking at least 30 Allied basic combat factors) the Allied player checks his morale. He rolls the die; a one or two means that morale has cracked. This has the following effects: 1-All German attacks during that impulse are increased by one odds (3-1 becomes 4-1, etc), 2-After all battles are fought, victorious German units have special movement privileges. They may advance two squares, shoving aside any Allied units in their way, and ignoring Allied zones of control. The first square passed through must be that of the defeated Allied unit, and only German units which actually won the battle may so move. Allied units may not be shoved aside if this would result in their being eliminated, moved into enemy zones of control, out to sea, off the board or overstacking. If morale didn't crack in 4D, try again in 5D. If it still doesn't crack, don't try any further. The above special rules can only be used once per game.

THE OPTIONAL RULES ON NAVAL AND AIR SUPPORT, AND MORALE, NEVER APPLY DURING A'C'OR'F'IMPULSE.

Game Balance

Mixing and matching optional rules will go a long way to balancing the game between players of different abilities. Players may also choose to: 1-Require the German player to remove all surviving Flak units before he makes his impulse 3F move and/or give the Allied player one extra infantry brigade or regiment on each A and C impulse beginning with turn 4. Treat these units just like reinforcements.

Unit Designations

The following (for those who care) is a list of unit designations given in the order in which the units appear (reading left-to-right and down on the reinforcement Card).

ALLIES: START (on board) 1, 2, 24Gds, 3, 9Cdo, 43Cdo, 1, 3, 4, 1/504, 2/504, 509, 46, 751, 7, 30, 3, 15. (1C)-6, 191, 157, 179, 81, 36. (2A)- 1, 16, 180. (2C)-168, 1, 2, 3. (3A)-39. (4A)-167. (4C)-169. (5C)-18.

GERMANS: START (on board) Campoleone-'Schmidt'; Padiglione-4; Cisterna-2/71; Littoria-71. (1B)-307, 312, 14, 129, 191, 39, 115, 94, 241. (1D)- 'Hauber', 'Kleye', 29, 104, 9/361, 2/200, HG, 26. (1F)-1 HG, 2 HG, 103, 1, 12. (2B)- HG, 7, 191, 145, 165F, 171F, 11, 4, 356. (2D)-26, 9, 67, 725, 735, 194, 146, 147. (2F)-10. (3F)-721, 741, 114. (4B)-1/4, 508, 954, 955, 956, 362F. (4D)-129, 15, 71, Lehr, 1027, 1028.