France Fights On: An Alternative History Wargame of June 1940 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 1.0 Introduction
• 2.0 Components
• 3.0 Set-Up, Fog of War & Hex Control
• 4.0 How to Win
• 5.0 Turn Sequence
• 6.0 Stacking
• 7.0 Supply & Panzer Scares
• 8.0 German Replacements
• 9.0 German Reinforcements
• 10.0 French Refugees
• 11.0 Movement & Evacuation
• 12.0 Luftwaffe Aerial Attack & Anglo-French Naval Gun Support
• 13.0 Ground Combat

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Premise

This alternative history wargame examines the strategic and operational possibilities inherent in the campaign that would've occurred within France in June 1940 if that country's government had resolved not to give up, as was the case historically. The assumption is that they instead chose to evacuate as much of the French Army as possible to France d'Outre Mer (Algeria). The resultant campaign, then, is one of strategic retreat and pursuit. The German player must try to destroy as much of the evacuating French force as possible, while keeping his own losses to a minimum in doing so.

Both sides' orders of battle are entirely historical. The game length is held to only one month because, had the Germans not triumphed in that amount of time, the delay thereby caused to their plans for the next year would've then amounted to a major defeat in itself in the wider war.

1.2 Scale

Each game turn represents two days. Each hex represents eight miles (13 km) from side to opposite side.

1.3 No Alpine Front

The campaign fought historically along the Franco-Italian Alpine Front, just off the southeast corner of the game map, has been deliberately cut out of this design. That's because it defied meaningful or entertaining simulation at this scale. Historically, 32 Italian divisions attacked six French divisions on that front and they—the Italians—were defeated and entirely thwarted in their efforts. Similarly, the Italian Air Force and Navy were passive during this campaign. Well-constructed alternative history examines only one counterfactual assumption per model, and we already have ours: what if the French high command had been made of sterner stuff in 1940? To have included the Alpine Front would've been to incorporate a second counterfactual proposition within this one design, and it would've been a far greater what-if than the one we're looking into: what if Italo-Fascist culture had created a national mindset within that country similar to the one then prevailing in imperial Japan? Rather than open that improbable can of worms, the design assumption here is that the Alpine campaign is going along, just off the map, just as it did historically. The French units engaged there in 1940 have been left out of the game's order of battle.

2.0 Components

2.1 Component List

The components to a complete game of France Fights On (FFO) include these rules, the mapsheet and 88 die-cut counters (also called "units" and "unit counters"). Players must provide themselves with a standard six-sided die to resolve combat and other probabilistic events that occur during play.

2.2 The Game Map

The game map represents the militarily significant terrain found across southern France in 1940 when portrayed at this scale. A hexagonal ("hex") grid is printed over it to regulate unit placement and movement similar to the way squares are used in Chess and Checkers. A unit is always in only hex at any one instant. Each hex contains natural and/or manmade terrain features that may affect movement and combat. The map's terrain representations have been altered slightly from their exact real-world configurations in order to make them conform to the hex-grid. The terrain relationships from hex to hex are, however, accurate to the degree necessary to present players with the same space/time dilemmas that would've been faced by their real-world counterparts if this campaign had actually been waged. Each hex on the map has a unique four-digit number printed in it. They're provided to help you find specific locations referred to in the rules (for example, Dijon is in hex 5625), and to allow you to record unit positions if a match has to be interrupted and taken down before it can be completed.

2.3 The Counters

There are 88 counters in the game, most of which represent combat units; others are provided as memory aids and informational markers. Carefully punch out the counters. Trimming the "dog ears" from their corners with a fingernail clipper greatly facilitates handling and stacking during play and enhances their appearance. Each combat unit-counter displays several types of information: nationality or faction, type, combat strength and historic identification.

2.4 Sample Unit

The German 14th Motorized (Infantry) Corps is pictured below.

(Sample unit illustration omitted.)

2.5 Sides

A unit's nationality and mobility category are shown by its color scheme, listed as follows:

French

• French Mechanized Units: White on Medium Blue
• French Non-Mechanized Units: Black on Sky Blue
• French (Static) Port Garrisons: Red on White
• British: White on Scarlet

German

• German Mechanized Units: White on Black
• German Non-Mechanized Units: Black on Gray
• German Mountain Infantry (Non-Mechanized Sub-Type): White on Green

Note: The single British unit in the game, the 51st Infantry Division, is treated as a French unit in almost all particulars. A rule said to apply to French units applies equally to it unless otherwise noted.

2.6 Unit Types

There are three broad categories of units in the game: mechanized, non-mechanized and static units, detailed as follows.

Mechanized Unit Types

• Panzer (tanks)
• Motorized Infantry or Mixed Motorized
• Motorized Cavalry

Non-Mechanized Unit Types

• Infantry
• Mountain Infantry
• Fortress Garrison (Maginot Line Troops)

Static Units

• French Navy Port Garrisons

2.7 Unit Organizational Sizes

Units are identified by size (how big they are) using the following Roman numeral codes.

• XXX = Corps or corps equivalent
• XX = Division or division equivalent
• X = Brigade or brigade equivalent

2.8 Abbreviations on Units

Units in the game are printed with various abbreviations, each of which is defined as follows:

• 1d: Roll one die
• 2d: Roll two dice
• Br: British
• Can: Cannes
• Col: Colonial
• GA: Groupement Audet
• GC: Groupement Cuirasse
• GD: Groupement "D"
• GP: Groupement Petiet
• K: Panzergruppe Kleist
• Mar: Marseille
• Tou: Toulon
• W: West Edge (German) Reinforcement

Note: Units with their size symbols bracketed were ad hoc formations organized in the field at the start of this campaign, and weren't normally part of their armed force's organizational structures.

2.9 French Naval Static Port Garrisons

French Naval Static Port Garrisons, once placed on the map, are never moved from it unless it's to be evacuated or go into the dead pile. See 11.6 and 13.19 for details.

2.10 Movement Factors (MF)

Movement factors aren't printed on any of the ground unit counters. The MF of all mechanized unit-types of both sides is six (6) movement points (MP). The movement factor of all non-mechanized units-types is four MP. For more details, see section 11.0.

2.11 Steps

All units with combat factors on both sides of their counters are said to be "two-step units"; those with combat factors on only one side of their counters are "one-step units." Step strength is a convenient phrase to describe a unit's overall ability to absorb a certain amount of personnel and equipment losses before becoming hors de combat (in current US Army jargon, a measure of its "robustness"). All units set up or enter play with their full step strength (higher combat factor) available. When a two-step unit suffers a step loss, it's flipped so its one-step side shows and is thereafter said to be a "reduced" unit. When a one-step unit, or a reduced two-step unit, takes a step loss, it's "eliminated" and removed from the map to be placed permanently in the "dead pile." See rule 4.3 and section 13.0 for more details. Also note the German player has a limited ability to rebuild reduced units to full two-step strength (see section 8.0). Also note step strength isn't a consideration for any of the counters illustrated below in 2.13.

2.12 Combat Factor

Each unit's combat factor is a measure of its ability to participate in combat relative to the other units in the game. Note that in this game several units have combat factors of "0" (zero); such units may still participate in combat. See section 13.0 for more details.

2.13 Other Counters

The following counters (a.k.a. "markers") are also included in the game as informational and memory aids. Their functions are explained in the relevant portions of the rules that follow.

• French Victory Point Marker (see section 4.0)
• Game Turn Marker (see section 5.0)
• French & British Naval Gun Support Markers (see 4.3 & 12.8)
• German 8th Fliegerkorps Marker (see section 12.0)
• French Refugee Markers (see section 10.0)
• German Replacement Marker (see section 8.0)
• City Control Marker (see 3.7)

(Counter illustrations omitted.)

3.0 Set-Up, Fog of War & Hex Control

3.1 Sides

Players should first decide between themselves who will command which side. One player commands all Anglo-French forces, while the other controls all German forces. If this is your first reading of these rules, you might want to skip ahead at this point to read section 6.0 (Stacking) and then, having done that, come back here and start reading at 3.2 below.

3.2 French Sets Up First

The French player completes the set up of his side's forces before the German player begins the set up of that side's units. The German player should turn away from the map while the French player is setting up.

3.3 French Set Up

First the French player should set up his four static naval garrison units in the four port hexes noted on the reverse sides of those counters. Then he should set the French and British naval gunfire support markers anywhere in the Mediterranean Sea portion of the map (particular hexes don't matter). Next, he should set up all four of his four fortress garrison corps, as well as the British 51st Division, in the two easternmost hexes (5923 & 5924) of the map's "red row" (59xx). That's two of those corps in both those hexes along with the 51st in either one of them. That done, he should set up all the other French units in the other hexes of the red row. They may be stacked up to two units per hex, and the French player isn't under any obligation to try to have a unit(s) in any particular number of hexes, nor need his placement hexes all be contiguous with one another.

3.4 German Set Up

The German player should first separate from his other units all those units belonging to Panzergruppe Kleist, 4th Army and 18th Army. Those units are identified by having "K," "4," and "18" printed to the left of their unit-type boxes. He should set all those units, along with the Stuka (8th Fliegerkorps) counter, within easy reach off to the side of the map. He should then place all his other units in any hexes of the 60xx "green row." They may be stacked up to two units per hex, and the German player isn't under any obligation to try to have a unit(s) in any particular number of hexes, nor need his placement hexes all be contiguous with one another.

3.5 Setting the Tracks

The French player should put the Game Turn marker in the first box of the Game Turn Record Track, and he should place both his Victory Point (VP) markers in the "0" (zero) box of that track. All the other markers pictured in rule 2.13 should also be set aside within easy reach off to the side of the map. That concludes the set up for both sides.

3.6 Fog of War

Whenever units of the opposing side are found to be stacked within the strictures of the rules, it's forbidden to look beneath the top unit in such stacks until such time (if ever) that you declare an attack against that stack. Once such a declaration has been made, and you've examined beneath the top unit in the enemy stack, your attack there may not be called off.

3.7 Hex Control

At the start of play, all hexes on the map outside the three colored rows are under French control. The control status of a hex switches from one side to the other as soon as a ground unit from the other side enters that hex. Such control switching may go back and forth any number of times in each hex during play. The German player always controls all green and yellow row hexes. Hex control is only significant when it comes to city hexes and reckoning victory (see 4.1). Some control markers have been provided for use in cities where the overall lay of the front line doesn't make control status clear.

4.0 How to Win

4.1 End of the Game

The game ends at the completion of Game Turn 15, or at the end of the phase during which the last Anglo-French ground unit comes off the map, whichever occurs first.

4.2 Victory Point Track

To facilitate victory determination, the players should use the VP Track on the mapsheet to keep an open and running account of the number of VP scored. Only the French Player earns VP; the German player tries to keep him from earning enough VP to win the game. At the start of play the French player has zero VP.

4.3 VP Awards & Debits

French VP are earned according to the following list (see below). With two exceptions, VP once earned by the French player are irrevocably his (see 4.4 & 4.5). To win, the French player must finish the game with 25 or more VP. Any lesser total is a German victory. There are no drawn games.

• +1 VP every time a full-strength German infantry corps is reduced.
• +1 VP every time British 51st (Motorized) Infantry Division participates in an advance after combat, either alone or with French units.
• +1 VP for every French non-mechanized step evacuated.
• +1 VP for every city hex under French control at the end of play.
• +2 VP for every British or French mechanized step evacuated.
• +2 VP every time a full-strength German panzer or motorized corps is reduced.
• +2 VP if 1st Mountain Infantry Division is eliminated.
• +3 VP every time a German infantry corps is eliminated.
• +4 VP every time a German panzer or motorized corps is eliminated.
• -0 to -6 VP every time an Allied naval gun support unit is used.
• -1 VP for refusing to pay the movement penalty when entering a refugee hex.

4.4 Naval Gun Fire VP Debits

One way the French player may lose VP is whenever he fires one or both of his naval gun support units. Every time he does that, he should roll a die for each fired marker. That result, from zero to six, is then deducted from his VP total. It represents the loss of large capital ships to German aerial attack. Note that it's possible for the French VP total to be driven into negative numbers by this process. There's no particular penalty for that.

4.5 Refugee Debits

Another way the French player may lose VP is by deciding to move one or more of his units into a hex containing a Refugee marker and refusing to pay the MP penalty for doing so (see section 10.0 for more details). Each refugee hex moved into in that way debits the French VP total by one point. That's one debited VP, total, per violated refugee hex per French Movement Phase, no matter how many units may actually move into and/or through any one particular hex during that phase. Note this has nothing to do with German movement, only French movement.

4.6 Permanent VP Losses

If the German player rebuilds to full step strength a reduced corps using replacements (see section 8.0), that rebuilding doesn't work to take back the previously forfeited VP for that unit's reduction. Further, if a rebuilt corps would then undergo another step reduction, appropriate VP are again awarded to the French player.

Designer's Note: Given what would probably have been the positive overarching effects of extended active French participation on the Allied side during the war's first half, it was difficult to come up with victory conditions that could be reckoned "fair" to both players. That is, the entire game is premised on what might best be called "Churchill's Dream Scenario," in that, in simply deciding to fight on from overseas the French have thereby significantly improved Allied possibilities over what they turned out to be historically in 1940-42. In the broadest sense, the Allies have "won" this campaign simply by the French proving to be willing to fight it. So the rules award victory based on the two players' relative performance within the larger context of the evolving war. The German player has to try to win within a timeframe and casualty tally that still leaves him in the running to go on with the rest of the first half of the war more or less historically. The French player is trying to cause enough German casualties, and/or evacuate enough of his own ground force, to disrupt the chances of that. Of course, the ultimate irony in a French "victory" would occur if the changed reality then caused Hitler to decide he had to finish things in the Mediterranean before going on to campaign on any other front. That extended alternative history campaign, and the many branching alternatives inherent within it, could only be investigated in the context of a much larger game.

5.0 Turn Sequence

5.1 Sequence of Play

All turns of the game are played according to the sequence given below. No action may be taken by either player except in accordance with this outline.

I. French Player Turn

• A. French Evacuation Phase
• B. French Movement Phase
• C. French Combat Phase
• D. French Refugee-Recovery Phase
• E. French Panzer-Scare Placement Phase

II. German Player Turn

• A. German Replacement Designation Phase
• B. German Luftwaffe Attack Phase
• C. German Movement or Combat Phase
• D. German Combat or Movement Phase
• E. German Replacement Completion Phase
• F. German Reinforcement Phase
• G. German French-Refugee-Placement Phase
• H. German Panzer-Scare Removal Phase

5.2 Order Of Turns

The French Player Turn is the first player turn in every game turn. A French Player Turn followed by a German Player Turn together make up one "game turn." At the end of each German Player Turn move forward the Game Turn one box on the Game Turn Record Track printed on the mapsheet.

5.3 Special Game Turn 1 French Rules

At the end of Game Turn 1's French Movement Phase, all French units must be out of and not adjacent to the red row. Further, no French units may end that phase in any hex adjacent to any red row hexes. The French Player Turn of Game Turn 1 consists only of that side's movement phase; all other phases are skipped.

Note: Furthermore, the Allied player may not utilize strategic movement (see 11.7) during Game Turn 1.

5.4 Special Game Turn 1 German Rules

At the end of Game Turn 1's German Movement Phase, all German units must be out of the green and red rows. During Game Turn 1, the German player must always choose the move/fight phase sequence (see below, 5.6). Further, the following phases are skipped during the German Player Turn of Game Turn 1: II.A, II.E, II.F and II.H.

5.5 Color Coded Rows

There are three uniquely color-coded hex rows on the map: red (5900-5924), green (6000-6025), and yellow (2900-5800). The following special rules apply to those rows all through play. There may never be any French movement or attacks into the green or yellow rows. No French unit may end a move in any hex adjacent to any green row or yellow row hexes. They could attack into such hexes but, if victorious, they then couldn't advance after combat into them. No German unit may ever end its move in a red row hex. Terrain doesn't exist normally in, or on the hexsides of, any colored row hexes; all of them are considered riverless clear terrain hexes. For more on the colored row hexes, see sections 3.0 and 9.0.

5.6 German Move/Fight or Fight/Move Phase Sequence

After the first game turn, the German player must declare, at the very start of each of his player turns, whether he will take his movement phase or his combat phase first during that turn. Other than during the first game turn, the choice is entirely and freely up to him. Those are his only two choices, and there's no inherent penalty or bonus involved in either phase sequence. The French player never has such a sequence choice.

6.0 Stacking

6.1 Stacking Defined

"Stacking" is the term used to describe the piling of more than one friendly unit in the same hex at the same time. The ability to stack units in this game is limited compared to that of many other designs. In general, both players may have only one unit per hex at any one time. The exceptions are explained below.

6.2 Stacking During Set up

Stacking is allowed during set up as given in section 3.0.

6.3 Free Stacking Units

The following units have no stacking value, and may be added to any friendly stack in accordance with the rest of the game's rules: British 51st (Motorized) Infantry Division, German 1st Mountain Infantry Division, all four of the French naval port garrisons, and all the markers pictured in rule 2.13.

6.4 Movement Stricture

Never move stacked units as stacks; always move units one at a time.

6.5 Stacking Enforcement

Stacking rules only apply at the end of every phase and at the end of every advance and retreat after combat (see 13.2 & 13.5). If any hexes are found to be over-stacked at those times, the opposing player may remove the minimum number of units of his choice necessary to bring each such hex back into compliance with the stacking rules.

6.6 Opposing Sides Stacking Prohibition

Opposing units never stack together, not even momentarily.

6.7 Stacking Irrelevancy

During your movement phases, any number of any types of your moving units may potentially enter and pass through any given hex.

7.0 Supply & Panzer Scares

7.1 Supply Defined

In general, in order for a unit to be able to move and fight at its full potential, it must be in supply. Supply for movement is determined at the moment a given unit begins to move, and that status lasts all during that move. Supply for combat is determined at the start of each individual battle for all the units of both sides involved in that battle.

7.2 Tracing Supply Lines

No counters are provided to represent the materiel consumed by the combat units. Instead, that's abstracted into the process of supply line tracing ("tracing supply"). A unit has supply ("is in supply") if it can trace a path of contiguous hexes of any length from its location to an appropriate supply source hex. None of those hexes may be enemy occupied, nor may the supply path ("supply line") cross a blocked hexside. Supply lines may be traced into and/or through hexes that are nominally enemy controlled, as long as those hexes are empty of actual enemy ground units at the time of that tracing.

7.3 Out Of Supply (OOS) Movement

If a unit is found to be without a complete supply line at the start of its move, the owning player should roll a die to determine the number of MP it has available to use during that movement phase. That's one through six MP for mechanized units, and one through four MP for non-mechanized units. If a roll for a non-mechanized unit comes up with a result greater than four, treat it as four. Also note, if there's more than one OOS unit in a given hex, only one roll is made for both (the same die roll applies to both units, regardless of their type, in that same hex).

7.4 Out Of Supply (OOS) Combat

If an attack contains one or more units found to be OOS at the start of that battle's resolution, shift that combat differential one column left, in addition to applying all other applicable differential column shifters (see section 13.0). If a defending force contains one or more units found to be OOS at the start of that battle's resolution, shift that combat differential one column right, in addition to applying all other applicable differential column shifters (see section 13.0). If both those shifts apply in the same battle, they're mutually canceling.

7.5 Indefinite OOS

No unit is ever reduced in step strength or fully eliminated simply for being OOS. Units of both sides may remain OOS indefinitely.

7.6 Willful OOS

Both players may move units into hexes in which they may or will become OOS.

7.7 German Supply Sources

For German units other than those of Panzergruppe Kleist and 4th Army, supply source hexes are all those hexes of the green row. For the units of PGK and 4th Army, supply source hexes are all those of the yellow row. PGK and 4th Army units are all marked with a "W" in their upper-right corners as a reminder they may only use the western map edge row as their supply source. The two different groupings of German units may not interchange their supply sources; however, it's alright if their various supply lines cross on the map.

7.8 French Supply Sources

Anglo-French units located in city hexes that have as yet never been under German control are in supply while in those hexes. Once a French city hex has been occupied by a German unit, that hex permanently loses its supply capacity. French units outside of supply-providing city hexes must trace their supply lines to any port hex presently occupied by a French naval garrison unit.

7.9 Panzer Scares

During each game turn after the first, there's a chance "conservative elements" within the German high command will become frightened over the possible destruction of forward elements of the mechanized combat arm and issue a "Halt!" order to its commander. To determine that, starting with Game Turn II's Phase I.E, and in each such phase thereafter during the game, the French player should roll a die. The first panzer scare occurs on a roll of one or two; subsequent scares occur only on rolls of one. When a triggering roll occurs, the French player should place the Panzer Scare marker atop any supplied German mechanized-class unit of his choice. The effect of the marker is to make that corps operate, in terms of movement and attacking—but not on defense—as if it were OOS during the next German Player Turn. There is no effect on the unit's ability to defend. Remove the marker during Phase II.H of the subsequent German Player Turn. There's no limit on the number of panzer scares that may occur over the course of a game, though no more than one corps will ever be effected per game turn.

Designer's Note: The die roll represents the decision of the willful panzer corps commanders to at least partially ignore higher command's orders by running a "reconnaissance in force."

8.0 German Replacements

8.1 Replacement Rate

The German player (only) has a limited ability to restore his reduced units on the map to full step-strength. This ability begins, at the rate of one unit per game turn, with Phase II.A of Game Turn 2.

8.2 Replacement Procedure

In every Phase II.A after Game Turn 1, the German player may place the Replacement counter atop the reduced friendly unit of his choice. Such units must be in supply, not in a mountain hex, and not adjacent to any enemy ground unit. The designated unit is immobile and may not attack during that German Player Turn (but can be attacked, in which case, it is attacked normally).

8.3 Replacement Completion

During Phase II.E the Germany player removes the marker and flips the replenished unit so its full-strength side again shows upward. The unit operates normally thereafter.

8.4 Unlimited Replacements

The same unit may potentially receive replacements any number of times during a game; however, no unit once fully eliminated and in the dead pile may be brought back into play via replacements (or any other method). Also note, each time a replenished unit loses a step, it would yield normal VP to the French player. There is no Anglo-French replacement capacity.

9.0 German Reinforcements

9.1 Reinforcements Defined

The eight German corps with higher-level organizational affiliations ("4," "18" or "K") printed on their counters to the left of their unit-type boxes are reinforcements. They don't begin the game on the map, but enter player later organized into three army-level groupings.

9.2 18th Army Entry

At the start of Phase II.F of Game Turn 2, the German player should openly roll a die to check for the entry of the two corps that make up 18th Army (which up until then has been off the map to the north, mopping up along the Belgian coast). Make a separate roll for each corps. If a roll is a one, the German player should immediately place the rolled-for corps (10th or 26th Infantry) in any hex of the green row; no stacking is allowed. If the die roll result is a two through six, the rolled-for corps remains off-map and out of play for at least one more game turn. In that case, during his next Phase II.F the German player should again make an 18th Army entry roll, this time getting the units on results of one or two. The triggering result increases by one number until it reaches one through five on Game Turn 6, where it remains for all subsequent game turns until the 18th is rolled into play. Once an 18th Army unit is in play it operates normally in all ways; they needn't be kept together, or attack together, etc. An 18th Army unit must move out of the red and green rows, and then stay out, at the first opportunity to do so.

9.3 4th Army Entry

At the start of Phase II.F of Game Turn 5, the German player should openly roll a die to check for the entry of the four corps that make up 4th Army (which has been arcing south off to the west of the map). Make a separate roll for each corps If a roll is a one, the German player should immediately place that rolled-for corps (1st, 2nd, 38th Infantry or 15th Panzer) in any hex of the yellow row; no stacking is allowed. If the die roll result is a two through six, the rolled-for corps remain off-map and out of play for at least one more game turn. In that case, during his next Phase II.F the German player should again make a 4th Army entry roll, this time getting rolled for units on results of one or two. The triggering result increases by one number until it reaches one through five on Game Turn 9, where it remains for all subsequent game turns until all of 4th Army is rolled into play.

9.4 Panzergruppe Kleist Entry

At the start of Phase II.F of Game Turn 5, the German player should openly roll a die to check for the entry of the three corps that make up Panzergruppe Kleist (which has been arcing south off to the west of the map). Make a separate roll for each corps. If the roll is a one, the German player should immediately place the rolled-for corps (14th Motorized or 16th or 41st Panzer) in any hex of the yellow row; no stacking is allowed. If the die roll result is a two through six, the rolled-for corps remains off-map and out of play for at least one more game turn. In that case, during his next Phase II.F the German player should again make Panzergruppe Kleist entry rolls, this time getting the units on results of one or two. The triggering result increases by one number until it reaches one through five on Game Turn 9, where it remains for all subsequent game turns until all of Panzergruppe Kleist is rolled into play.

9.5 West Edge Reinforcement Group

Unlike 18th Army, the units of Panzergruppe Kleist and 4th Army together constitute a separate organizational sub-grouping of German units even after they've entered play on the map. That is, their units may only trace supply (see section 7.0) to the yellow row rather than to the green row, and they may never attack in conjunction with units other than those belonging to their two armies. Fourth Army and Panzergruppe Kleist units may join in inter-organizational attacks with each other's units, but not with those from outside those two higher-level organizations. They may be chosen to receive replacements and air support normally.

Units in this reinforcement group need not necessarily move from the yellow row onto the map at their first opportunity. The German player decide, on a unit by unit and turn by turn basis to hold in place in the yellow row units that are otherwise eligible to enter. Such units may maneuver within the yellow row, and may even attack from it. Once such a unit has entered the regular map, it may not move or retreat back into the yellow row.

9.6 Reinforcement Lag

Notice that due to the structure of the German Player Turn, an arriving reinforcement unit won't actually be able to move or fight during the game turn of its placement on the map. Within the strictures given above, once on the map, German reinforcements function as normal German units of their types. There are no French reinforcements.

10.0 French Refugees

10.1 Refugee Determination

In every Phase II.G starting with that of Game Turn 1, the German player should roll a die and immediately place that number, from one to four, of French Refugee markers on map. (If a five or six is rolled, still only place four markers).

10.2 Placing Refugees

Refugee markers may be placed in any hexes on the map that don't then have one or more German units adjacent to them. No more than one marker may be placed per hex.

10.3 Refugee Effect

The effect of a Refugee marker is to increase the French in-hex MP cost there by one point. (River crossings aren't affected.) The entry into a marked hex by one or more Anglo-French units doesn't cause that marker to be removed.

10.4 Overrunning Refugees

Alternatively, the French player may choose, on a hex-by-hex basis, to ignore the extra MP cost for entering a Refugee hex. In such cases, immediately flip over the marker to show its "-1 VP" side and debit the French VP total by one point. The flipped marker serves as a reminder the debited point has been paid for that hex for that phase.

10.5 Removing Refugees

All Refugee markers deployed on the map, no matter what side is showing, are removed during Phase I.D of every game turn after the first.

10.6 Stacking Irrelevancy

Markers don't count for stacking, and they may never be eliminated in any way.

11.0 Movement & Evacuation

11.1 Movement Defined

During your movement phases, you may move as many or as few of your units as you desire and as circumstances permit. Units may be moved in any direction or combination of directions within the overall pattern of the hex-field overprinted across the map.

11.2 Movement Procedure

Units are moved one at a time, tracing a path of contiguous hexes across the hex grid. As each unit enters a hex, it pays one or more movement points (MP) from its movement factor (MF).

11.3 Strictures

Your units may generally be moved only during your own side's movement phases. The exception to that, advances and retreats after combat, aren't considered regular movement and therefore don't consume MP. A unit may never expend more MP during a given movement phase than it has available. A unit may expend all, some, or none of its movement points in any one movement phase, but unused movement points may not be accumulated from turn to turn or phase to phase, nor may they be transferred, loaned, or given from one unit to another. Once a unit has been moved and the player's hand taken from the piece, it may not be moved again during that phase unless the opposing player graciously permits it.

11.4 Minimum Movement Guarantee

All units (other than static units) may generally move a minimum of one hex per friendly movement phase by expending all their MF to do so at the start of their move, no matter the exact number of MP that would otherwise be required to make that move. Exceptions: units may never enter an enemy occupied hex, nor may they ever cross blocked hexsides.

11.5 Terrain Effects on Movement

A unit must expend one MP to enter a clear terrain hex. To enter certain other types of hexes, a unit must expend more than one movement point. When the TEC calls for a "+" movement point expenditure to cross a hexside water barrier, that cost is in addition to the terrain cost for entering the hex. For a hex to be considered clear, it must be all clear without any other terrain type in it. Note that cities nullify the river hexsides that would otherwise exist around their hexes (those rivers are assumed to be bridges leading into the cities). See the Terrain Effects Chart printed on the mapsheet for details.

11.6 Evacuation

Evacuation is a special form of Anglo-French movement, potentially conducted during Phase I.A of every French Player Turn, by which units of that side permanently leave the map, via port hexes, thereby garnering VP. During each such phase the French player simply removes one unit (step strength irrelevant) from any one, some, or all of the four port cities on the map, provided that no German unit has occupied or is adjacent to any such port. He then awards himself the appropriate VP (per step evacuated) as given in rule 4.3. The French player may choose to evacuate one or more of his naval port garrison units (which does earn VP); however, no further evacuations may take place from a port that doesn't have such a unit in it. Evacuated units may never be returned to the map in any way. Also see 12.4 and 13.19.

11.7 French Strategic (Railroad) Movement

This is a second special type of French movement. In general, starting with Game Turn 2 and extending through the last turn of play, it allows that player the potential to move any one friendly unit (including Br 51) from any one city hex to any other city hex on the map. The particulars are as follows. If the French player has decided he wants to make a rail move during his player turn (never on Game Turn 1), it must be the first move he carries out during his movement phase. He indicates any one friendly unit that's already located in a city hex (a maximum of one per turn). There may be no enemy units in any hex adjacent to that city, and the city itself may never yet have been under enemy control. He then rolls a die to check to see if the move will actually take place. The move succeeds on a roll of one through five. If the move fails, the selected unit must remain in place, and may not attack (though it defends normally), throughout that game turn. If the move succeeds, the unit may potentially by moved to any other friendly city on the map that doesn't have any enemy units adjacent to it. Note, though, the unit must have its movement route traced through the hex grid on the map, and that route may only enter clear and/or city hexes (crossing rivers is OK), and it may not go into any hexes adjacent to enemy units nor may it enter the green, red or yellow hex rows, nor may the destination city have previously been under enemy control. When the move is completed, the moved unit may not move farther that turn nor may it attack (it defends normally.)

12.0 Luftwaffe Aerial Attack & Anglo-French Naval Gun Support

12.1 8th Fliegerkorps

The Stuka counter in the German force mix represents 8th Fliegerkorps, which, for this campaign, had been given pretty much every operative dive bomber in the Luftwaffe inventory. It may be used in combat once per game turn at the discretion of the German player. It may be used during Phase I.C to give support to a German ground force defending against an Anglo-French attack; or it may be used during Phase II.B to attack a French occupied hex without any German ground unit involvement; or it may be used once during each German Combat Phase to add in its strength to support a German ground attack.

12.2 Unlimited Range

Within the strictures given in this section, there are no range limits on 8th Fliegerkorps; it may potentially operate anywhere across the map.

12.3 8th Fliegerkorps Invulnerability

The 8th has no stacking or step values by itself. It may never be given up to satisfy combat losses, and may never be reduced or eliminated in any way.

12.4 Air Strikes

When attacking by itself in Phase II.B, normal combat procedures are modified as follows: 1) combat results of AS, AE and DR are all simply considered to be "no effect"; 2) a BB result means the French defending force losses one step, total, with the German player generally picking the unit from which that step comes; and 3) the exception to that last is, French naval port garrison units may never be eliminated by an air-only attack. Also note that when attacking alone the 8th must still take into account all shifts due to in-hex terrain.

12.5 Air Support

To generate its combat value, on a combat-by-combat basis, use the following procedure. When used to aid a German ground defense, the German player rolls a die (1d) and that's the 8th's combat factor contribution. That's one to six combat factors, regardless of the strength of the German ground force being supported. To support a German ground attack, as well as when attacking alone, the procedure is the same; however, two dice (2d) are rolled in those situations. That's two to 12 combat factors, regardless of the strength of the German ground force being supported in combined attacks.

12.6 Support Coverage

The 8th may operate in support of both German main force and west edge reinforcement units.

12.7 Fleet Defenses

The 8th may not be used to attack the Anglo-French naval gunfire support markers. The sinkings of capital ships that may take place when those forces are brought close-in for combat support is accounted for in rule 4.3; and those German air operations are extracurricular to the 8th's operations; they don't use up the 8th's combat potential in any way.

12.8 Anglo-French Naval Gun Support Units

Anglo-French Naval Gun Support Units may each be used once during each game turn to support one ground defense or attack of that side. Both markers may not be used in the same battle. Other than that stricture, however, there are no nationality interoperability restrictions. To support an Anglo-French attack into a coastal hex, the French player rolls two dice (2d), and that's the marker's contribution to that attack (two to 12 factors) regardless of the strength of the supported ground force. To support an attack one hex inland (maximum range), roll just one die (1d), and that's the marker's contribution to that attack (one to six factors) regardless of the strength of the supported ground force. When supporting an Anglo-French coastal defense, roll just one 1d. When supporting an Anglo-French defense one-hex inland (maximum range), roll one die, halve that result and round down any remainder, for a support contribution of zero to three factors. The markers may never attack by themselves, nor may they be attacked (but see rule 4.3), nor may they ever be given up to satisfy combat loss requirements. They never come ashore; when using them place them in the all-sea hex nearest to the hex of the battle they're supporting.

13.0 Ground Combat

13.1 Attacking & Defending

Attacking is always voluntary; however, defending is always mandatory (there's no retreat before combat).

13.2 Advance After Combat

The victor in every battle may always occupy a vacated defended hex with one or more (legally stacked) involved attacking units. Supplied German mechanized-class units may advance a second hex, if desired by that player and neither hex is a mountain hex nor or any blocked hexsides crossed. Advances aren't mandatory, but the must be conducted before starting the resolution of another battle.

13.3 Target Hex

Multi-hex attacks are allowed within the strictures of rule 9.5; however, the object of any single attack may never be more than one hex. Defending units in the same hex may only be attacked as if they were one combined unit.

13.4 Opposing Sides Stacking Prohibition

Opposing units may ever simultaneously occupy the same hex.

13.5 Attacker/Defender Eliminated

A combat result of DE (Defender Eliminated) or AE (Attacker Eliminated) means all involved one-step units of the affected side are removed to the dead pile and all involved two-step units of the affected side are reduced (while remaining in place).

13.6 Defender Retreat

Retreats after combat (DR results) are always one hex; and their direction is always determined by the player owning the retreating force. They may potentially be made in any direction. Stacked units need not retreat together. Units may not over-stack at the end of a retreat, and may not retreat into a hex from which one or more of the attackers originated, nor may they retreat into a hex or across a hexside they couldn't normally move into or across. Units may not retreat out to sea. Units blocked from retreating for any reason remain in place and suffer a DE result.

13.7 Bloodbath

The combat result of BB (Bloodbath) means the attacking and defending force must both have one step eliminated from among them. The owning player chooses the step to sacrifice on both sides. If a BB leaves a defended hex empty, the attacker may advance after combat if he has any survivors among his involved force.

13.8 Attack Stalled

The combat result of AS (Attack Stalled) means nothing happens to either side's involved force.

13.9 Unitary Combat Factors

A single unit's full combat strength must always be used whenever it's involved in combat. No single attacking unit may have its combat factor split in order to be applied in more than attack.

13.10 Stacks Attacking & Defending

Units in the same hex need not all take part in the same attack simply because they're stacked together. If stacked units are adjacent to more than one enemy occupied hex, one or more of those units might attack into one hex while other units in the same stack attacked into another hex or simply not attack at all. Similarly, if there is more than one unit in a defending hex, that defending force may only be attacked as if it were one combined unit.

13.11 Attack Resolution

Attacks may be made in any order as long as the resolution of one attack is completed before that of the next is begun. The attacking player need not declare beforehand all the attacks he will make that phase.

13.12 Combat Resolution Procedure

To resolve an attack, the attacking player should total the combat factors of all his units involved in that combat. Then he subtracts from that total the combat factor strength of all the units in the defending force being attacked. That resulting number—either positive, zero, or negative—is the "combat differential." The attacking player then locates the column heading on the Combat Results Table (CRT) printed on the mapsheet that corresponds to the combat differential he just calculated. He then rolls a die and cross-indexes that result beneath the previously determined column heading and finds the "combat result." That result is applied immediately, before going on to start the resolution of another attack. When he's made the attacks he wants, he announces the end of that combat phase.

13.13 Concentric Attack Column Shift Bonus

In general, when you attack a defended hex through two diametrically opposite hexsides; or when you do so from three hexes with an uninvolved hex between each of your attack hexes, or when you do so from more than three hexes, you have achieved concentricity. Note, though, concentricity is never available against cities. That is, you may attack into cities from positions that would otherwise achieve concentricity, you simply don't get the rightward column shift bonus for doing so. The usual bonus for both sides when attacking with concentricity is to shift that battle's combat differential one hex rightward (in the attacker's favor). If, however, the German achieves concentricity and all of the units in that attack are supplied mechanized-class corps, he gets a two-column rightward shift.

13.14 French Surrender

Concentricity against any French unit that is within its own movement range (inclusive) of the northernmost mapedge hex is a four-column rightward shift, instead of the normal two-column rightward shift.

13.15 Terrain & Rivers in Combat

In-hex terrains have effects on combat that are usually expressed as column shifts to the initially calculated combat differential. Those effects are noted on the Terrain Effects Chart printed on the mapsheet. For instance, an attack with a differential of "+4" would instead be resolved using the CRT's "+1 or +2" column if the defending force was in a mountain hex (abbreviated as "2L" on the chart). The potential shift for defending behind a river is additive to all other in-hex terrain benefits. Note, however, that if just one involved attacking unit isn't attacking across a river hexside, this shift is then not available for that combat.

13.16 Defending in Cities

In general, when defending with a force in a city hex, to determine that hex's defensive benefit on a battle-by-battle basis, the owning player rolls a die and divides that result in half, rounding down all remainders. That result, zero through three, is then the number of leftward column shifts awarded to that defending force for that one battle (even when defending against an aircraft-only attack). Also note German panzer corps may simply never attack into city hexes, and when in such hexes themselves they defend there as if they were in a clear terrain hex.

13.17 Defending in Mountains

Panzer corps have their combat factor halved when attacking into mountain hexes (round down all remainders). Further, all mechanized-class units of both sides defend in mountain hexes as if they were clear terrain hexes. All other defenders get a two-left column shift.

13.18 Differential Limits

If the finally determined combat differential is higher (or lower) than the highest (or lowest) column heading on the CRT, resolve that attack using the highest (or lowest) column.

13.19 Lowering Combat Differentials

The attacking player may choose to lower his combat differential in any given battle by one or more columns. He must, though, announce that decision before rolling the resolution die.

13.20 Zero Combat Factor Units

Zero Combat Factor Units, other than French naval garrison units, may attack despite having that zero factor. Procedures are exactly the same as given above in 13.12. In general, French naval garrison units defend normally except they never survive a DR result; instead, they simply DE in place.