Great War at Sea: The Mediterranean Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• [2.0] COMPONENTS
• [3.0] SETUP
• [4.0] SEQUENCE OF PLAY
• [5.0] MOVEMENT
• [6.0] BASIC COMBAT
• [7.0] ADVANCED COMBAT
• [7.4] LAND
• [7.5] GUNNERY COMBAT
• [7.6] RANGE
• [7.7] LARGE-CALIBER PRIMARY GUNS
• [7.8] TORPEDO COMBAT
• [8.0] DAMAGE
• [8.6] SUBSTITUTING DAMAGE LOCATIONS
• [8.7] CRITICAL DAMAGE
• [8.8] PLUNGING FIRE
• [9.0] SHIP GROUP COUNTERS
• [10.0] MERCHANT SHIPPING
• [11.0] SPECIAL RULES
• Advanced Rules
• [12.0] FUEL AND RANGE
• [13.0] MINE WARFARE
• [14.0] AIRCRAFT
• [15.0] SUBMARINES
• [16.0] LEADERS
• [17.0] AIRSHIPS
• [18.0] MOTOR TORPEDO BOATS
• APPENDIX: REFERENCE TABLES

[2.0] COMPONENTS

[2.1] The Maps. The operational map is divided into hexagons ("hexes") used to fix the position of fleets; each hex represents a span of roughly 32 nautical miles [about 51.5 km; 1 nautical mile = about 1.609 m] from side to opposite side. This map is used to govern the movement of fleets. The tactical map is used to resolve combat.

[2.2] Charts and Tables. The game uses a number of charts and tables. The principal ones are:

• Gunnery Damage Table: used to determine the effects of a gunnery hit (6.1; 7.5).
• Torpedo Damage Table: used to determine the effects of a torpedo hit (7.8).
• Critical Damage Table: consulted whenever gunnery or torpedo damage produces a "Critical Damage" result.
• Minefield and Mine Damage Table: used to determine the effects of striking a mine (13.0).
• Weather Track: used to record the current weather.
• Fleet Composition Cards: used to display the ships making up each fleet.

[2.3] Counters. The square cardboard counters in this game represent individual ships, small ship groups, or fleets made up of multiple ships. Some counters represent aircraft or airships. See the counter and data display key. Capital-ship counters carry (from left to right) primary, secondary, and tertiary gunnery values; small-ship-group counters carry only a tertiary gunnery value. Aircraft and airship counters may carry endurance, air-to-air value, torpedo value, and bombing value.

[2.4] Ship Data Sheets. Each nation appearing in the game has a data sheet recording the (in-game) capabilities of its ships. Because this sheet is meant to be reused, photocopy it for your own use. Not every ship on the data sheet will be used in every scenario; players should circle the ships that appear in a given scenario, or cross out the ones that do not. See the sample data sheet on the last page.

[2.5] Fleet Composition Boxes. Players will often organize their ships into fleets. Fleet counters are used on the operational map. The ships making up each fleet are placed in that fleet's box on the fleet composition card.

[2.6] Log Sheet. Each player has a log sheet on which to record his fleets' movement and operations throughout the game. Because these are meant to be reused, photocopy them. In very long scenarios, or ones using many ships, a player may need to fill out more than one log sheet.

[3.0] SETUP

Begin by choosing a scenario to play from the scenario book. You may choose any of the battle scenarios. One player takes the role of the Allied commander and controls all Allied ships specified by the scenario; the other player takes the role of the Central Powers commander and controls all Central Powers ships specified by the scenario.

[3.1] The ship data sheets, log sheets, and fleet composition cards are kept out of the other player's sight, and a player may not examine his opponent's copies of these records. Ship counters are placed in the fleet composition box of the fleet to which they are assigned. Only fleet counters are placed on the operational map.

[3.2] Before beginning the game, both players decide whether to use the Basic Combat rules (6.0) or the more tactically detailed Advanced Combat rules (7.0). If using the Advanced Combat rules, lay out the tactical map so that it matches the diagram relating it to the operational map.

[3.3] Once the above preparations are complete, each player chooses his fleets' missions (5.2) and records their movement plans (5.1). Note: because missions can be cancelled, players should record missions in pencil and keep an eraser handy.

[4.0] SEQUENCE OF PLAY

Each game turn represents four actual hours and consists of several phases. Turns shown shaded on the log sheet are night turns; during them, it is harder for opposing fleets to make contact (i.e. for two fleets to meet and become engaged; ships do not physically collide) or to sight enemy ships in a naval battle. Both players act during each phase — that is, there is no such thing as an "Allied turn" or a "Central Powers turn." Play proceeds as follows:

[4.1] Weather Phase. The Central Powers player rolls one die for each weather zone (11.72), and if the weather has changed, records the change on the weather track.

[4.2] Orders Phase. Each player records, in accordance with each fleet's mission (5.2), the orders that fleet is to carry out [on the log sheet]. For example, in the Orders Phase of Turn 5, a fleet on Intercept or Raid mission must have orders written in for Turn 7. If using the Advanced rules, players must check their ships' remaining fuel (12.0) during this phase. Note that for many missions (5.0), the fleet's entire movement route must be planned out before the scenario begins.

[4.3] Fleet Movement Phase. Each player moves the counters representing his fleets [from the sea zone they currently occupy] into the sea zone called for by that turn's orders. Because movement has been plotted in advance, both sides move simultaneously.

[4.4] Contact Determination. If opposing fleets enter the same sea zone, or cross the same sea zone boundary, there is a chance the fleets will make contact (5.4).

[4.5] Tactical Phase. If contact occurs, the game proceeds to the tactical map (7.0) or to the Basic Combat procedure (6.0).

[4.6] Once all battles are resolved, the turn ends and the game proceeds to the next turn's Weather Phase.

[5.0] MOVEMENT

Movement on the operational map is conducted by fleet. A fleet counter may represent a group of ships, or in some cases only a single ship, but individual ship counters are never placed on the operational map.

[5.1] Movement Plans (Plotting). To reflect the delay between information about an enemy's position and a response to it, and the difficulty of directing and planning the movements of many ships across a vast ocean, orders to a fleet must be written on the log sheet. Each player fills in, for each turn on the log sheet, the name of the sea zone(s) each fleet is to enter that turn.

Some fast fleets can enter more than one sea zone in a single turn. Such fleets have a speed of "2" or "2+" printed on their fleet counter. A fleet made up only of ships with a speed of "2" or "2+" may enter one or two sea zones each turn. In such a case, first write in the name of the first sea zone entered, then a slash (/), then the name of the next sea zone entered. A fleet is never required to move; if its commanding player wishes, it may remain in the same sea zone. A slow ship (one whose speed of "1" on its counter is circled; shown on the ship data sheet as "1s") can move one sea zone per turn just like an ordinary speed-1 ship, but under the Advanced Tactical Sequence (7.31) it may move only during the "move all groups" segment, and under the Basic Combat rules (6.2) is treated as slower than a speed-1 ship.

Example: The Central Powers player plans to send his 1st Fleet at full speed from Danzig northeast toward Windau. The 1st Fleet is made up of the Rostock and the Frankfurt, both speed-2 ships. The Central Powers player writes "Q31/R32" as the movement plan for Turn 1, and "O32/N32" for Turn 2, and so on.

The Allied player plans to send his 4th Fleet from Dover to Harwich. Because the 4th Fleet is made up of two speed-1 ships, the Canada and the Superb, he writes "V8" as the movement plan for Turn 1, and "U7" for Turn 2, and so on.

Note that in this example the Central Powers player was not obligated to order two sea zones of movement for the 1st Fleet in Turn 1 — moving only one sea zone, or not moving at all, would have been an equally valid choice.

[5.2] Missions. At the start of each scenario, a player's ships are divided into several fleets, and each fleet is given a specific mission. Except where a fleet is made up of four or fewer ships, each fleet must be composed entirely of ships of one nationality. (German ships may be treated as belonging to any nationality for this rule. Canadian and Australian ships are treated as British.)

The mission chosen restricts what orders may be written for that fleet and how it may act toward other fleets. In addition, certain ship types are restricted in which missions they may be given.

Each mission follows these rules:

• Transport: A Transport fleet's entire movement plan must be recorded before the scenario begins. This plan may only be changed if the fleet's mission is changed to Abort. Only ships on Transport missions may carry and land (11.5) cargo. There is no restriction by ship type.

• Bombardment: A Bombardment fleet's entire movement plan must be recorded before the scenario begins. This plan may only be changed if the fleet's mission is changed to Abort. During the combat round in which a fleet on this mission fires on enemy ships for the first time in the scenario's first naval battle, each of its ships' firepower is halved (round down by gun type). Only warships and colliers/oilers may be given this mission. A fleet on this mission may bombard coastal targets (11.1).

• Escort: A fleet whose movement plan matches that of another fleet. An Escort fleet must move identically to the fleet it is escorting. This fleet's counter is placed in the escorted fleet's fleet box, and for purposes of Contact Determination (4.4) it is treated as part of that fleet. If the escorted fleet moves to the tactical map or into the Basic Combat procedure, the escorting fleet accompanies it. When it enters the tactical map, the escorting fleet is placed adjacent to the escorted fleet. Under the Advanced Tactical rules, an escorting fleet may separate from the fleet it escorts (in order to escort more effectively). In that case, the escorting fleet must rejoin the escorted fleet as soon as the battle ends, or its mission must be changed to Abort. An Escort fleet's movement plan should read "Escort" (or "escort") followed by the name of the fleet being escorted. Only warships and colliers/oilers may be given this mission.

• Intercept: A fleet given this mission may have its movement plan recorded only two turns in advance. Only warships and colliers/oilers may be given this mission.

• Abort: Unless a scenario specifically states otherwise, no fleet may begin the game on an Abort mission. During the Orders Phase, the commanding player may, at his discretion, change any fleet's mission to Abort. When this happens, the fleet's movement plan is rewritten (for the remainder of the scenario's turns) beginning two turns ahead. A fleet on Abort mission must have its movement fully plotted for the rest of the scenario, and this movement must take it to one of its home ports by the shortest route that does not cause it to run out of fuel. A fleet may not conduct a bombardment while on Abort mission. Note that a fleet may change its mission to Abort after a battle has been fought (see 7.37). In such cases, changes to that fleet's movement plan should be made as soon as the battle is resolved. Example: On Turn 10, the Central Powers player decides to send his 3rd Fleet, on Bombardment mission, home. He writes "Abort" in the 3rd Fleet's Turn 12 box [on the log sheet], and at the same time records the fleet's full movement plan for Turn 12 onward until it reaches its home port.

[5.21] Ship Types

Warships:

Capital ships:

• BB — Battleship (Dreadnought or later)
• B — Old-style battleship (pre-dreadnought)
• BC/CC — Battlecruiser
• BCV — Battlecruiser-carrier
• CV — Aircraft carrier
• CD — Coast defense ship
• CA — Armored cruiser
• CVS — Seaplane carrier
• AMC — Armed merchant cruiser

Light ships:

• CL — Light cruiser
• DL — Flotilla leader
• DD — Destroyer
• TB — Torpedo boat
• GB — Gunboat
• ML — Minelayer
• MS — Minesweeper

Ship types other than those above (including heavily armed Russian landing ships) are not warships. Colliers, oilers, and auxiliary minelayer groups are represented by transport counters, and for purposes of mission restrictions by ship type are treated as warships.

[5.22] If several of a player's fleets with the same mission occupy the same sea zone during an Orders Phase, they may be combined into a single fleet. Only one of the merged fleets' counters remains on the map; thereafter it moves according to the movement plan of the fleet counter that remains. If a fleet merges with a fleet on Abort mission, the mission type of the merged fleet does not matter (in this case the merged fleet follows the Abort fleet's movement plan). An Escort fleet is not considered merged with the fleet it is escorting.

[5.23] A fleet that has spent six consecutive turns in a friendly port may be given a new mission.

[5.24] Pursuit: A fleet on Intercept or Raid mission that has taken part in a battle may attempt to pursue the enemy fleet if the battle ends because the enemy fleet exits the tactical map, or because the distance between the two sides becomes too great to maintain visual contact (7.27) (if using the Basic Combat rules, pursuit is possible after any battle). Rewrite the two turns of movement plan following the battle on the log sheet as "Pursuit" (or "Pursuit"). Roll one die during the Orders Phase of each turn of pursuit. Add 2 to the result during day turns. In addition, add 1 to the result if every ship making up the pursuing fleet has a speed greater than that of the slowest ship in the fleet being pursued. If the modified die roll is 6 or higher, the pursuit succeeds, and the fleet moves together with the enemy fleet, making contact in the new sea zone. A fleet that fails to catch up must remain in that sea zone for one more turn, and must record a further two turns of movement plan there.

[5.25] Forming New Fleets: During the Orders Phase, either player may split a fleet on Raid or Intercept mission into two or more smaller fleets. Write "Divide" (or "Divide") in that turn's box on the log sheet, and if a fleet counter is available, place it in the sea zone on the operational map where the fleet being divided is located, and reassign the relevant ship counters on the fleet composition card to the fleet box of whichever new fleet they now belong to. A new fleet formed this way has the same mission as the original fleet.

If every ship in a fleet being divided has a speed of 2 or 2+, the fleet may move one sea zone and then divide. Record this on the log sheet (e.g., the sea zone entered, followed by "Divide" or "Divide").

[5.26] Other Restrictions: Unless a scenario specifies otherwise, both players may organize their ships into as many fleets as the number of fleet counters provided in the game allows, and may give any fleet any mission (except that, unless the scenario specifies otherwise, only one fleet per scenario may be given the Raid mission).

[5.3] Fleet Movement. During the Fleet Movement Phase, both players move their fleets on the operational map into the sea zones recorded on the log sheet. Because movement is considered to happen simultaneously, a player may move his fleets in any order he likes.

[5.4] Contact. When opposing fleets enter, or pass through, the same sea zone, contact may occur. If both fleets enter the same sea zone simultaneously, or if opposing fleets simultaneously enter sea zones occupied by the other side [i.e., cross paths along the same sea zone boundary], the Central Powers player rolls one die and checks the Search Table to determine whether contact occurs.

[5.41] If a fleet has already passed through a sea zone where contact occurs, it is returned to that sea zone.

[5.42] If a fleet could make contact in more than one sea zone, resolve contact first for the sea zone it entered first. If no contact occurs there, resolve contact for the next sea zone entered. If opposing fleets simultaneously enter sea zones occupied by each other, resolve contact for both sea zones (the Allied player chooses the order); if contact occurs in the first sea zone resolved, contact is not checked in the second sea zone.

Example: The Central Powers 1st Fleet has plotted two sea zones of movement, from M69 through L69 to K70. The Allied 2nd Fleet has also plotted two sea zones of movement, from M70 through L69 to K69. The Central Powers player must roll one die to determine contact in sea zone L69. Neither fleet currently occupies L69, but both fleets pass through it this turn.

[5.43] Weather Modifiers: Apply the following weather-based modifiers to the contact-determination die roll:

• Gale: −2
• Storm: −1
• Clear: +1

[5.44] Additional Modifiers: Before the Central Powers player rolls for contact, either player may declare that the following die roll modifiers apply. Players are never required to make this declaration, and may keep the relevant information secret, but to apply a modifier a player must declare it.

• Presence of a leader: +1
• Fleet of 20 or more ships: +1
• Fleet made up only of destroyers and/or torpedo boats: −1
• Fleet on Intercept mission: +2
• Fleet on Raid mission: +1 or −1 (commanding player's choice)
• Friendly airship present in the sea zone: +2

[5.45] Multiple Fleets: Before resolving any battles, resolve all possible contacts. As a result, several of the same player's fleets may end up taking part in the same battle.

[5.46] If contact occurs, resolve the battle using either the Basic Combat rules (6.0) or the Advanced Combat rules (7.0).

[5.47] Roving Fleets: If, as a result of combat (7.33), a fleet leaves a sea zone, it is not subject to any new contact determination that turn.

[6.0] BASIC COMBAT

As an introduction to this game system (The Great War at Sea), or to enjoy a shorter game, you may wish to use these Basic Combat rules. Once you have mastered them, you will probably want to move on to the deeper Advanced Tactical rules. [Translator's note: this game's combat system has two forms — these Basic Combat rules (6.0), which do not use the tactical map, and the Advanced Combat rules (7.0), which do use the tactical map, along with the Advanced Tactical rules for the detailed tactical maneuvering of fleets and ships on the tactical map that are used together with 7.0.]

[6.1] Gunnery Combat. Gunnery combat takes place over several rounds, at either long or short range. The first round of a battle is always fought at long range. All ships share the same range relationship — that is, a player may not deploy some of his ships at long range and others at short range in the same combat round.

Gunnery effects are applied simultaneously. First, the Central Powers player declares which of his ships will fire on which enemy ship. He is not required to fire on every enemy ship, and may have all his ships fire on a single enemy ship, but each ship may fire only once per round. Tertiary guns cannot be used at long range.

Once the Central Powers player has finished choosing targets, he resolves his gunnery. He rolls one die per point of primary firepower engaged in the attack; likewise, he rolls one die per point of secondary firepower and one die per point of tertiary firepower. A roll of 6 scores a hit (5 or 6 for ships whose name is printed in italics on the ship data sheet [meaning fragile/poorly armored]). For each hit scored, roll two dice and consult the Gunnery Damage Table to determine the damage. [Translator's note: the Allied player then repeats this gunnery procedure, and once both sides' damage has been determined, it is applied to both fleets' ships simultaneously.]

[6.2] Combat in the Second and Subsequent Rounds. After the first round of combat, either or both players may choose to close the range to short. In subsequent rounds, either side may attempt to open the range back to long. If both players wish to fight at short range, the range automatically becomes short. If neither player wishes to change the range, it remains as it was. If one player wishes to change the range and the other does not, the faster player decides the range. A player is considered faster if every ship in his fleet has a higher speed than every ship in the enemy fleet.

Players may not split a fleet during combat. Combining a fleet of speed 2 or 2+ ships with a fleet of speed-1 or speed-1s ships confers no advantage in determining the range relationship.

Example: The Allied France and Glasgow are engaged with the Central Powers Goeben and Schwarzenberg. The Allied player wishes to close the range; the Central Powers player does not. Combat continues at long range, because compared to Goeben's speed of 2 and Schwarzenberg's speed of 2+, the battleship France has a speed of only 1. Note that Glasgow's speed of 2 does not help the Allied side.

If both fleets have the same speed, both players roll one die each, and the player who rolls higher decides the range relationship for that round.

Either player may attempt to disengage from combat at the end of a combat round. Disengagement may only be attempted while both sides are at long range. The procedure for determining whether disengagement succeeds is the same as for changing the range relationship, except that instead of trying to change the range, the player is trying to withdraw all his ships from combat entirely.

A player with even a single unable-to-maneuver ship in his fleet may not attempt to change the range relationship or to disengage from combat.

[6.3] Combat at Short Range. Gunnery combat at short range is resolved exactly as at long range, except add 1 to the hit die roll [translator's note: if this modifier brings the result above 6, treat it as 6; likewise below].

[6.4] Night Combat. Long-range combat is not possible during night turns. If opposing fleets make contact at night, either or both players may attempt to close to short range. A ship firing in night combat subtracts 1 from its hit die roll [translator's note: because night combat is always fought at short range, this cancels out the +1 short-range modifier (6.3), so the net die roll modifier is 0]. There is no night modifier to torpedo attacks.

[6.5] Torpedo Combat. In a combat round fought at short range, ships may conduct torpedo attacks as well as gunnery attacks. Use the Torpedo Combat procedure (7.8) from the Advanced Combat rules.

[7.0] ADVANCED COMBAT

Under the Advanced Combat rules, battle is resolved on the tactical map after contact occurs.

[7.1] Sequence of the Battle Phase

During the Battle Phase, follow this sequence:

A. The Allied player rolls one die. On a result of 3 or less, the Central Powers player takes the initiative (tactical initiative). On a result of 4 or higher, the Allied player takes the initiative. This die roll may be modified by leaders (16.2) and by multinational fleets (11.6).

B. The player who did not gain the initiative deploys his ships in the center of the tactical map (7.21).

C. The player who gained the initiative deploys his ships along one edge of the tactical map (7.22).

D. Both players move and fight [with their ships] following the Impulse Sequence (7.31).

[7.2] Ship Deployment

No more than eight ships belonging to one side may be placed in a single hex of the tactical map.

[7.21] The player without the initiative places his ships in at least one of the seven shaded hexes in the center of the tactical map. No more than eight ships may be placed per hex. If that player has more than eight ships, the excess ships may be placed in hexes adjacent to a hex where his ships have already been placed. In doing so, ships may not be placed in a hex that is within the sighting distance in effect at that time (4 hexes by day, 2 by night) of the map edge from which the initiative player's ships will be entering. Ships must be placed as close as possible to the edge from which the initiative player's ships are entering.

[7.22] Next, the player with the initiative places his ships along the row of numbered hexes on the tactical map edge that corresponds to the direction, in the sea zone where contact occurred, from which his fleet entered (see the diagram on the operational map). If the initiative player did not move this turn, he may enter the tactical map from any edge of his choosing. If that player has more than eight ships, the excess ships may be placed in hexes adjacent to hexes where his ships have already been placed, so long as they are outside the sighting range of the enemy ships (4 hexes by day, 2 by night; modified by weather).

Example: The Central Powers player has the initiative. The Central Powers fleet entered sea zone F33, where it made contact with an Allied fleet. Because the Central Powers fleet entered from sea zone F32, it enters the tactical map from the edge along the left side of the map.

Optional Rule: By mutual agreement, players may use the following rule instead. The initiative player places his ships in the hex at maximum sighting distance from the enemy fleet. In this case as well, ships must be placed to reflect the direction from which the fleet entered that sea zone.

[7.23] All ships are placed face-down at first. For placement purposes, a ship-group counter counts as one ship.

[7.24] Ships belonging to the same fleet must be placed in the same hex, or in a contiguous group of adjacent hexes, with at least four ships placed in each hex used (unless the fleet has fewer than four ships, in which case this restriction does not apply, but all its ships must be placed in the same hex).

[7.25] Ships making up the same Raid-mission fleet must be placed in adjacent hexes, but up to eight ships may be placed in the same hex (thus a two-ship Raid fleet could be split, one ship to each of two adjacent hexes).

[7.26] Except when a fleet has four or fewer ships, only ships of the same nationality may be placed in the same hex. German ships may be treated as belonging to whichever friendly nationality is convenient. Canadian and Australian ships are treated as British.

Example: A fleet of seven Italian ships, one British ship, and one French ship is deployed [to the tactical map] for battle. The Allied player places the seven Italian ships in one hex, the British ship in the next hex, and the French ship in yet another hex.

[7.27] Sighting range is 4 hexes by day and 2 hexes by night. When measuring range, count the hex containing the enemy ship but not the hex containing your own ship. Enemy ships beyond maximum sighting range from every one of your ships are treated collectively as a "stack." Once an enemy ship approaches within maximum sighting range, its counter is revealed face-up.

[7.28] Chance Encounters. If, on a day turn, the pre-modifier die roll used for the Search Table was a 6, the initiative player may deploy his ships one hex closer to the center of the tactical map. If, on a night turn, the pre-modifier die roll on the Search Table was a 6, the initiative player may deploy his ships two hexes closer to the center of the tactical map. Both fleets may not occupy the same hex, but they may be placed in hexes adjacent to the enemy.

[7.29] If a player brings ships from more than one fleet into the same battle, he may not combine ships from different fleets into a single stack. After the naval battle, ships belonging to fleets with similar missions that have not exited the tactical map may exchange ships between fleets (this is the only time in the game that this is possible).

[7.3] Tactical Movement and Combat

All ships of the same class (capital ship, light ship, etc.) in the same hex form one group. As on the operational map, each group moves according to the speed of its slowest ship. Groups may not be "split," but so long as no more than eight ships remain in one hex, groups may be merged. A player may put ships of different types into the same group if he wishes, but is never required to do so.

[7.31] Movement and combat [of ships on the tactical map] follow the Impulse Sequence described below.

Impulse Sequence

1. Determine which player has the initiative.
2. The initiative player moves all his speed-2+ ship groups.
3. Both players conduct gunnery combat.
4. Both players conduct torpedo combat.
5. The non-initiative player moves all his speed-2+ ship groups.
6. The initiative player moves all his speed-2 and 2+ ship groups.
7. Both players conduct gunnery combat.
8. Both players conduct torpedo combat.
9. The non-initiative player moves all his speed-2 and 2+ ship groups.
10. The initiative player moves all his speed-1, 2, and 2+ ship groups (all groups except speed-1s).
11. Both players conduct gunnery combat.
12. Both players conduct torpedo combat.
13. The non-initiative player moves all his speed-1, 2, and 2+ ship groups (all groups except speed-1s).
14. The initiative player moves all his ship groups.
15. Both players conduct gunnery combat.
16. Both players conduct torpedo combat.
17. The non-initiative player moves all his ship groups.
18. The initiative player moves all his ship groups.
19. Both players conduct gunnery combat.
20. Both players conduct torpedo combat.

[7.32] A ship group that may move may move into an adjacent hex, so long as the eight-ships-per-hex limit is observed at the end of the movement step. Movement is never mandatory (a group may remain in its current hex). A player's ships may move into a hex occupied by enemy ships. However, no more than eight ships belonging to one side may ever occupy a hex (16 total between both sides). Note that ships may not enter land hexes (7.41).

[7.33] Exiting the Tactical Map. A ship group that exits the tactical map beyond the enemy's sighting range may re-enter the tactical map that same Tactical Phase. Such ship counters are returned to the fleet composition card, and their fleet counter is placed on the operational map in the sea zone into which they exited. If a player's ships exit the tactical map within the enemy's sighting range, [all his ships in the battle] move together, maintaining their relative positions, an appropriate number of hexes from the map edge to a usable [central] portion of the map. Note that ships may not enter land hexes (7.41).

Example: In sea zone N37, the Central Powers battleships Viribus Unitis and Tegetthoff, fighting the French navy, exit the map outside the enemy's sighting range through the top-left (northwest) corner of the tactical map. These ships are placed as a fleet counter in sea zone M37 (the sea zone to the northwest of the sea zone where the battle took place).

[7.34] Ships under tow, and ships towing them (11.2), may not move on the tactical map (though a towing ship may release its tow).

[7.35] Unable to Maneuver. A ship that becomes unable to maneuver during combat — that is, not merely slowed but rendered unable to move at all — may be dropped from the group with which it was moving (and so may be left behind as the group continues to move).

[7.36] End of the Tactical Phase. The Tactical Phase ends once all of one side's ships have either exited the tactical map beyond enemy sighting range or been sunk in battle. If, at the end of Step 20 of the Impulse Sequence [above], both sides still have ships on the tactical map within sighting range of each other, repeat the Impulse Sequence again beginning at Step 1 (determining the initiative).

[7.37] Orders. Once a battle ends, each player writes new orders (not new missions) for each of his fleets that took part. A fleet may continue its existing mission, or its mission may be changed to Abort, and the player may re-plan all its movement for the rest of the scenario. Note that a fleet that has exited the tactical map is in a different sea zone from the one recorded in its original movement plan.

[7.38] Extended Battles. All fleets taking part in a naval battle that runs into a second round (i.e., that returns to Step 1: determining the initiative, after having repeated the sequence) find that, on their next turn, the number of sea zones they can move is one fewer than what was already recorded. Adjust the log sheet to reflect this. The movement route may not be changed. All orders must be rewritten to reflect the time lost, but the route, destination, or mission may not be newly changed.

Example: The Central Powers 1st Fleet, made up solely of the Sterneck, engages the Allied Inflexible in sea zone U37 on Turn 2. The Sterneck eventually manages to sink the Inflexible, but the battle is not decided even after one full pass through the Impulse Sequence, and it takes until halfway through the second round before the British ship sinks to the bottom. The Sterneck had plotted two sea zones of movement for Turn 3, from V36 through W36, and likewise two sea zones for Turn 4, from X35 through Y35. [Because of the time lost in the naval battle,] the ship can now only move to W36 on Turn 3. The movement plan for Turn 4 must accordingly be corrected to X35 via W36, and so on.

[7.39] Once a naval battle ends, each player rolls one die for each of his fleets that took part in the battle. The result is the amount of fuel consumed by that battle, in addition to fuel consumed by movement under the recorded plan (the unit is 1/12 of a fuel box; e.g., a result of "3" means 3/12 of a fuel box is consumed).

[7.4] LAND

Many sea zones contain land, in the form of islands or coastlines.

[7.41] On the operational map, if a sea zone is entirely land, the corresponding tactical map edge is also treated as land in that battle. If an island exists within the sea zone where a battle occurs, the shaded hexes in the center of the tactical map are treated as land (the player without the initiative places his ships adjacent to the land hexes near the map edge from which the initiative player is entering; note that this means the two fleets begin the battle closer together than usual). Ships may not enter land hexes.

[7.42] If a ship moves into a hex adjacent to a land hex, it may run aground. Roll one die for each such ship. On a result of 6 or higher, the ship runs aground and can no longer move. If the land belongs to the ship's home nation (for example, a German ship off the German coast), subtract 1 from this die roll; if the ship is a capital ship, add 1 to the die roll.

[7.43] A grounded ship may attempt to refloat itself. During the Weather Phase, a player rolls one die for each of his grounded ships he wishes to refloat. On a result of 1, the ship successfully refloats and can move again. To determine the severity of damage from having run aground, the player rolls one more die for each refloated ship. Half the result (rounding up) is the number of hull boxes destroyed. If the ship has no armor protection at all, add 1 to this die roll.

[7.44] A player may deliberately run his own ship aground on the coast, moving it into a land hex. The player must simply announce this (no die roll check is required — captains of this era were very skilled at beaching their ships). A ship deliberately beached this way cannot be refloated. Any ship still beached at the end of the scenario is treated as sunk. If it was beached in enemy-controlled waters, its owner concedes double the victory points he would concede for sinking that ship; if beached in waters he controls himself, the opponent receives only 75% of the victory points he would receive for sinking it.

[7.5] GUNNERY COMBAT

[During gunnery combat in the Impulse Sequence,] a ship may attack an enemy ship within range (7.6) and within sighting range (7.27; at night, or under certain weather conditions, an enemy ship within gun range may not be visible — for this reason, on night turns, a primary gun may not fire on an enemy ship 3 hexes away). Gunnery is conducted simultaneously by both sides, and its results are applied simultaneously. First, the player with the initiative declares which of his ships will fire on which enemy target(s) [within range]. He is not required to fire on every enemy ship it is possible to fire on; all of one player's ships may fire on a single enemy ship if he wishes... but each ship may fire only once per round. Each ship may fire on only one target; a ship may not split its firepower among multiple targets.

Once the initiative player has finished choosing gunnery targets within range (7.6), each ship's attack is resolved. First, roll dice equal to [the firing ship's] primary firepower. Next, roll dice equal to its secondary firepower, then dice equal to its tertiary firepower.

A result of 6 or higher on a gunnery die scores one hit. The following modifiers apply to this die roll:

• +1 if the firing ship's name is printed in italics on the ship data sheet.
• +1 if firing at a target in the same hex or an adjacent hex.
• +1 if the target ship is unable to maneuver.
• +1 if the target ship is under tow or is towing another ship (11.2).

For each hit scored by gunnery, roll two dice once and consult the Gunnery Damage Table to determine the effect.

Example: The Central Powers Viribus Unitis and Prinz Eugen engage the Allied Courbet and Jean Bart. The Central Powers player gains the initiative, and when the two fleets are 3 hexes apart, decides that Viribus Unitis will fire on Courbet and Prinz Eugen will fire on Jean Bart. The Central Powers player rolls 8 dice for Viribus Unitis's primary firepower. The results are two 1s, one 2, two 3s, one 4, and two 6s. Viribus Unitis scores 2 hits [against Courbet].

Once the initiative player has finished his gunnery, the opposing player repeats the gunnery procedure. Because gunnery results from both sides are applied simultaneously, any damage caused by the initiative player's gunnery (8.0) does not reduce the non-initiative player's ships' capabilities until the following torpedo combat step.

Example: In the first round of the battle, Courbet suffers one point of primary-firepower damage from Viribus Unitis. This damage is recorded on the ship data sheet, but Courbet may still use its full 8 points of primary firepower if it fires during this same round. However, in the following round of gunnery combat, Courbet's usable primary firepower is reduced to 7.

[7.6] RANGE

• Primary firepower: Primary guns may fire at targets up to 3 hexes away (count the hex containing the target ship, but not the hex containing the firing ship). A primary-gun hit may damage the target ship no matter where it strikes [even through armor protection].
• Secondary firepower: Secondary guns may fire at targets up to 2 hexes away (count the hex containing the target ship, but not the hex containing the firing ship). A secondary-gun hit may damage the target ship anywhere except a location protected by heavy armor.
• Tertiary firepower: Tertiary guns may only fire at a target in an adjacent hex or the same hex. A tertiary-gun hit may only damage a location on the target ship with no armor protection.

[7.7] LARGE-CALIBER PRIMARY GUNS

Warships with 11 or more points of primary firepower (excluding French ships), as well as the British battlecruiser Furious, mount 16-inch guns (18-inch, in Furious's case) and may bombard a target at a range of 4 hexes on the tactical map. When firing at range 4, primary firepower is halved (round up).

[7.8] TORPEDO COMBAT

During the Torpedo Combat step, a ship with torpedo tubes may fire torpedoes at an enemy ship in the same hex or an adjacent hex. The Torpedo Combat step and the Gunnery Combat step are resolved separately, so a ship whose tubes are destroyed during gunnery combat may not fire torpedoes in the following torpedo step of that same round.

[7.81] Procedure: A ship conducting a torpedo attack rolls dice equal to its torpedo value (as with gunnery, all of one ship's torpedo fire in a round must be directed at the same target). Apply the modifiers below to each die, and score one hit for each die showing a result of 6 or higher.

• +1 if the target is a capital ship, or a transport ship whose designation begins with "F".
• +1 if the target is unable to maneuver.
• +1 if the target is under tow or is towing another ship (11.2).
• +1 if the target is in the same hex as the firing ship.
• −1 if the firing ship is a capital ship.
• −1 if firing from a fixed torpedo tube (one shown in a boxed frame on the ship data sheet); this means most battleships' torpedo attacks suffer a −2 die roll modifier [translator's note: −1 for being a capital ship, −1 for a fixed tube, for a total of −2].

All the above modifiers are cumulative.

[7.82] Torpedo Damage. For each torpedo hit, roll two dice once and consult the Torpedo Damage Table to determine the damage. Torpedo attacks penetrate any armor protection.

Example: The Central Powers destroyer Bespokoiny fires a torpedo at Goeben at a range of 1 hex. The Central Powers player rolls 3 dice, getting results of 6, 4, and 1. Because Goeben is undamaged in speed but is a capital ship, the Central Powers player adds 1 to each die. One torpedo hits, and its effect is determined on the Torpedo Damage Table. Rolling two dice, the total is 6, resulting in one hit to the hull. The Allied player marks off one of Goeben's hull boxes.

[7.83] A ship that has lost all its speed [i.e., reduced to speed 0] cannot fire torpedoes.

[7.84] Each ship may fire torpedoes only once per scenario unless it re-arms (12.7). A ship that has fired torpedoes marks off the torpedo-tube box on the ship data sheet. A ship with more than one torpedo value cannot "save" some of its torpedo value to use in a later turn.

[7.85] A ship whose torpedo tubes have been destroyed cannot fire torpedoes, even if it has more than one torpedo value remaining.

[8.0] DAMAGE

The ship data sheet shows boxes representing the individual locations on a ship that may be damaged by enemy attack [roughly square boxes]. Each time a location is damaged, mark off [the corresponding box], from left to right. Once all the boxes for a given location have been marked off, that location is considered destroyed, and any further damage to it is recorded as hull damage instead. A ship whose hull boxes are all marked off is sunk.

[8.1] Armor Protection. On the ship data sheet, boxes that have printed shading represent armor protection. There are two kinds of armor protection: heavy armor (boxes shaded gray, shown with cross-hatching) and light armor (boxes marked with diagonal lines). Boxes with neither shading nor diagonal lines have no armor protection.

[8.2] Armor Penetration. A primary-gun hit penetrates any kind of armor and causes damage. A secondary-gun hit penetrates light armor, but not heavy armor. A tertiary-gun hit can only damage a location with no armor protection. If a secondary- or tertiary-gun hit occurs against a location whose armor that gun type cannot penetrate, that hit is ignored [treated as though it bounced off the armor plating].

Example: Hamidieh fires her secondary guns at Tri Svitatelia, scoring one hit with a 6 on the to-hit roll. The Central Powers player rolls two dice for damage, getting a 5, and consults the Gunnery Damage Table, which shows one hull box of damage. Tri Svitatelia's hull is protected by heavy armor, so the secondary-gun shell bounces off this old battleship's thick plating, and the hit causes no damage.

[8.3] Additional Damage. If a primary-gun hit strikes a location with light or no armor, additional damage may occur. After determining the initial damage, roll one die for such a hit. On a result of 4 through 6, an additional box of damage occurs at the same location that was just hit.

[8.4] Torpedo Tubes. A fixed torpedo tube (one shown in a boxed frame on the ship data sheet) has the same armor protection as the ship's hull. A traversing torpedo tube (one shown with no frame around its torpedo value) has no armor protection. Note that a fixed tube is less accurate than a traversing tube (7.81).

[8.5] Unable to Maneuver. A ship that has lost all its speed cannot move except by being towed (11.2). A player may scuttle any of his own ships at any time. On the tactical map, a ship under tow (including the ship doing the towing) may only move during the segment in which the commanding player moves all his ships.

[8.51] A ship with more than half its hull boxes marked off has its speed reduced by one level (speed 2+ becomes 2, speed 2 becomes 1, speed 1 becomes 1s). In this case, a ship at speed 1s becomes unable to maneuver, and cannot move until towed (11.2).

[8.52] Flooding: A ship with 75% or more of its hull boxes damaged is in danger of flooding. Roll one die for each such ship at the end of the Fleet Movement Phase. A result of 6 causes one additional box of hull damage from flooding. A ship that moved two sea zones during that Fleet Movement Phase adds 1 to this flooding-check die roll. In addition, apply the following weather-based modifiers: Squall +1, Storm +2, Gale +3.

[8.6] SUBSTITUTING DAMAGE LOCATIONS

If a ship with no primary firepower to begin with takes damage to its primary-gun location, that damage is instead applied to its secondary guns. If that ship also has no secondary firepower, the damage is instead applied to its tertiary guns (in other words, if a hit against a ship that has only tertiary guns is determined to be primary-gun damage, the result is simply treated as tertiary-gun damage). However, once a ship's primary-gun boxes are all marked off, any further primary-gun damage it suffers is applied to the hull instead of the secondary guns. Once a ship's secondary-gun boxes are all marked off, further secondary-gun damage is applied to the hull (provided the attacking gun type is capable of penetrating the hull's armor); but once a ship's tertiary-gun boxes are all marked off, further tertiary-gun damage is simply ignored [without being redirected to another location].

[8.61] A ship that originally has primary or secondary firepower, but no tertiary firepower, ignores any damage that would be applied to tertiary guns. A ship with no gunnery armament at all that suffers tertiary-gun damage applies that damage to its hull instead. Any hit against a location a gunless ship does not have, other than tertiary guns, is simply ignored.

[8.62] A ship with no torpedo value that suffers a hit to its torpedo-tube location ignores that damage. If a ship with torpedo value suffers a hit to its torpedo-tube location, all of its torpedo value is destroyed, even if it has more than one torpedo value.

[8.7] CRITICAL DAMAGE

If a gunnery or torpedo hit is determined [during damage resolution] to be a critical hit, roll two dice and consult the Critical Damage Table. Because tertiary guns cannot cause critical damage, ignore this result if it occurs from a tertiary-gun hit. Unless the result specifically states otherwise, armor protection still applies even against a critical hit.

[8.8] PLUNGING FIRE

If a primary-gun attack is made at a range of 3 or 4 hexes on the tactical map and the Gunnery Damage Table produces a result marked with a "†" (one hull-box hit), an additional hull box of damage is applied. This additional damage does not occur to a ship whose hull-box group is shown enclosed in a heavy outline on the ship data sheet.

Note: Warships of this era were protected by thick armor on their sides, but their deck armor was thin. This was because few guns of the time had enough range to fire in a high, arcing trajectory that could rain shells down onto a ship's deck. Just before the First World War, when long-range gunnery became common, the Russian navy's ship designers were the first to recognize this weakness (from their experience in the Russo-Japanese War) and reinforce horizontal protection, followed by Britain and the United States. Most ships of the era remained more vulnerable at long range in this respect.

[9.0] SHIP GROUP COUNTERS

Some counters represent groups of identical ships. Warship group counters show the silhouettes of several ships; transport-ship group counters show the silhouette of a single ship.

[9.1] Each scenario specifies the classes and numbers of ships represented by group counters. Players may use as many group counters as the game's supply of that counter type allows to represent the ships in a given scenario.

[9.2] Ship Assignment. When a scenario includes ships represented by group counters, the commanding player decides, before the scenario begins, how many ships each group counter represents. One group counter can represent up to three warships or up to four merchant ships. The data shown on the ship data sheet for each group counter is for the full complement of 3 warships or 4 merchant ships. [Translator's note: if a group counter is used to represent fewer than its maximum number of ships,] cross out the unused portion of its data and record the number of ships actually included in that group counter at the start of the scenario. Once assigned, the composition of a ship-group counter may not be changed.

[9.3] Independent Ships. If a ship-group counter ends up representing only a single ship, treat it exactly as an ordinary single-ship counter.

[9.4] In battle, a ship-group counter is treated as a single counter for placement, and as a single ship for movement. The commanding player may, at his discretion, have each ship within a single group counter attack a different target. When attacked, each group counter is treated as a single target. If enemy gunnery or torpedo fire hits a group counter, the commanding player decides, at his discretion, which ship within the group takes the damage.

Example: The Allied player attacks the Central Powers cruiser Saida with a group counter representing three Beagle-class destroyers. The Allied attack strength is 3 points of light-caliber gunnery (1 per destroyer) and 3 points of torpedo value (1 per destroyer).

[9.5] All ships within one group counter move at the speed of the slowest ship in that group. Because of this, if even one ship in the group becomes unable to maneuver, the entire group cannot move unless that ship is sunk or towed. Such a ship may be scuttled at the commanding player's discretion at any time. An unable-to-maneuver ship may be towed (11.2) even by another ship within the same group counter.

[10.0] MERCHANT SHIPPING

Some scenarios call for one or both players to attack the enemy's merchant shipping. There are two types of merchant ships: one is the ordinary transport-ship counter that appears directly in the game (usually representing large troop transports), and the other is discovered through the Merchant Location Table (usually representing sailing ships or small tramp steamers).

[10.1] Transport Counters. Merchant ships (all represented by group counters; in some games in this series they are printed with the word "merchant" on their face) are treated like any other ship in the game — they can be spotted and attacked. Sinking a transport, or its successful voyage, usually earns a substantial number of victory points. Each merchant ship has one or two hull boxes and is never armored or armed.

[10.2] Merchant Location Table (MLT). Only fleets on Raid mission may use this table (hereafter abbreviated MLT). When recording orders, write "Search 1" or "Search 2" (or "Search1"/"Search2") on the log sheet. The number (1 or 2) corresponds to the number of movement points spent searching in that sea zone.

[10.21] A speed-1 ship conducting a merchant search must remain in the searched sea zone from the start of the turn and may not leave it that turn. A speed-2 ship may either move one sea zone and search either the sea zone it left or the sea zone it entered (but not both) using the "1" column of the MLT, or remain in one sea zone and search using the "2" column.

[10.22] Major sea routes and minor sea routes represent important shipping lanes and are printed on the operational map. In the Mediterranean Sea and the North Sea, only Allied merchant shipping can be found. The Baltic Sea has only Central Powers shipping lanes. The Black Sea has shipping lanes for both the Allies and the Central Powers. A sea zone through which a major sea route passes has a merchant traffic rating of 4 [for purposes of which column to use on the MLT]; a sea zone adjacent to one with a major sea route has a merchant traffic rating of 2. A sea zone through which a minor sea route passes has a rating of 3; a sea zone adjacent to a minor sea route has a rating of 1.

[10.23] A player searching in a sea zone with an enemy merchant traffic rating rolls one die once for each warship in his Raid fleet capable of gunnery or torpedo fire, and consults the MLT. Add 1 to the die roll during night turns.

[10.24] Cross-reference the modified die roll with the appropriate merchant traffic rating column on the MLT to determine the search result. The number shown is the number of merchant ships sunk, worth 1/2 victory point each. If even one merchant ship is sunk, the player must place his Raid fleet's counter on the operational map and reveal to the opposing player the number of ships sunk and the name of the sea zone, but is not required to reveal the type or name of the warship that conducted the raid.

[11.0] SPECIAL RULES

[11.1] Naval Bombardment. Some scenarios require one or both players to bombard a specific enemy coastal sea zone, or enemy coastal defense installations. To bombard a coastal target, the bombarding ships must remain in that sea zone for an entire turn without moving or fighting (write "Bombardment" or "shell" on the log sheet). The bombarding player must announce the name of the sea zone bombarded and the number of ships participating (ship types and names need not be disclosed).

[11.2] Towing and Repair

[11.21] Towing: A ship disabled in combat (having lost all speed), or rendered unable to maneuver by running out of fuel, may be towed by a friendly ship of equal or greater size. Battleships (including old-style battleships) and battlecruisers can tow any ship type. Armored cruisers can tow armored cruisers, light cruisers, and destroyers, but destroyers can only tow other destroyers. Flotilla leaders, gunboats, landing ships, minelayers, and minesweepers are treated as equivalent to destroyers for towing purposes. Seaplane carriers, merchant ships, and coast defense ships are treated as equivalent to armored cruisers. Aircraft carriers are treated as equivalent to battleships.

[11.22] Speed: A disabled ship and the ship towing it move at a rate of one sea zone per three turns. If they make contact with an enemy fleet and a naval battle begins, then in the first combat round of that battle, in which either side's disabled or towed ship would normally be able to fire, neither side's ships may fire gunnery.

[11.23] Combat: A ship under tow moves [on the tactical map] to the segment in which its commanding player moves all his ships. The towing ship must move to the same hex.

[11.24] Ship-Group Counters: If a ship belonging to a group counter becomes disabled, another ship in the same group counter may tow it, and the group moves at a rate of one sea zone per three turns. A disabled ship within a group counter may also be towed by a different counter. A non-disabled ship within a group counter that is being towed is nonetheless subject to the combat and movement restrictions of being under tow.

[11.25] A disabled ship and the ship towing it may form a new fleet, so long as a fleet counter is available. This fleet's mission becomes Abort.

[11.26] Releasing a Tow: A ship under tow may cease being towed during any movement segment of the Advanced Tactical Sequence, if it is capable of moving on its own without being towed. A disabled ship that releases its tow can no longer move at all, but the ship that had been towing it, once freed from that obligation, may move without restriction.

[11.27] Emergency Repair: A player may attempt to restore the speed of one of his own ships made unable to maneuver by combat damage (not by running out of fuel). At the end of each Advanced Tactical Impulse, and once, at the end of any turn not involved in combat, for ships on Abort mission, a player rolls one die for each of his unable-to-maneuver ships. On a result of 1, [the emergency repair succeeds and] that ship can now move at speed 1s. If the result is 5 or 6, the damage is judged too severe for emergency repair, and no further repair attempts may be made for that ship. A ship capable of movement may not attempt emergency repair (emergency repair cannot raise a ship's speed above 1s).

[11.3] Ports

A ship that enters a sea zone containing a friendly port may enter that port.

[11.31] A ship that has entered port may still be attacked by enemy ships. If a player bombarding a port wishes to fight a naval battle, no contact roll is required. The player whose ship is in port has no tactical initiative (7.21) and cannot move that ship during the resolution of combat (for this reason, a ship in port suffers the die-roll modifier that applies to a speed-0 target). Enemy ships may not enter the hex occupied by a ship in port, nor any hex adjacent to it. A ship in port cannot be attacked by torpedo (7.8).

[11.32] A ship that has entered port may return to the operational map on a later turn.

[11.33] Major Bases (Major Ports): Major naval bases have various defensive capabilities not directly represented in the game — coastal artillery, minefields, and small garrison forces. Submarines (15.0) and motor torpedo boats (18.0) may not be placed in a sea zone containing an enemy major base. A fleet may not enter a major base that it is not entitled to use (whether an enemy's or a neutral's).

[11.4] Night

Turns whose movement-plan boxes are shaded on the log sheet are night turns. At night, sighting range (7.27) is reduced, the likelihood of opposing fleets making contact is lower, and it is more difficult for aircraft to land aboard their carriers (14.52). There are also dusk turns (for example, Turns 4, 10, 16, 22, and so on). These turns are treated as night turns if the scenario's date is set in November, December, January, or February (or simply "Winter"); in all other scenarios, they are treated as day turns.

[11.5] Landing

Some scenarios require merchant ships and warships to be used as transports, to carry and land cargo. Unless a scenario states otherwise, all ships being used as transports begin the scenario already loaded with cargo. Loading or unloading cargo requires three consecutive turns (write "Load" or "Unload" on the log sheet). While loading or unloading, a ship may not move or take part in combat of any kind (including bombarding a coastal target). If the ship leaves the coastal sea zone, or becomes involved in combat, while loading or unloading, the landing operation fails and cannot be resumed. In that case, the victory points for the landing are forfeited.

[11.6] Multinational Fleets

When rolling the die to determine tactical initiative, if the Allied fleet taking part in the battle is made up of ships of more than one nationality, subtract 1 from the die roll for each nationality involved. If the Central Powers fleet taking part in the battle is made up of ships of more than one nationality, add 1 to the die roll for each nationality involved. German ships may be treated as belonging to any friendly nationality for purposes of this rule. Canadian and Australian ships are treated as British.

Example: The Allied player fights a naval battle with a fleet made up of French, British, Italian, and Russian ships, and rolls a 6 [for tactical initiative]. Because the fleet is multinational, 3 is subtracted from the result. Unless some other modifier applies (from a leader, or from the Central Powers fleet also being multinational), the Central Powers side gains the tactical initiative.

[11.7] Weather

Each scenario specifies the weather conditions in effect when it begins.

[11.71] During the Weather Phase, the Central Powers player rolls one die to determine whether the weather changes. On a result of 6, the weather rises one level. On a result of 1, the weather falls one level. In scenarios dated November through March, a result of 5 or 6 raises the weather one level.

[11.72] Some games in this series divide the operational map into multiple weather zones, each requiring its own weather die roll.

[11.73] Weather Conditions and Their Effects:

Level 6: Gale

• All aircraft and airships on the map are destroyed.
• Each player rolls one die for each of his destroyers and torpedo boats. A ship for which a 6 is rolled sinks.
• Destroyers and torpedo boats that did not sink [in the check above] have their speed reduced to 1.
• Destroyers and torpedo boats may not fire any gunnery at all.
• All other ships may not fire secondary or tertiary guns.
• No torpedo attacks may be made by any ship, including submarines.
• Aircraft (14.0) cannot take off, land, or spot enemy fleets.
• Sighting range on the tactical map is limited to 1 hex.
• Add 2 to all day-turn contact determination (5.4) die rolls.
• Add 3 to the flooding check (8.52) die roll.

Level 5: Storm

• Aircraft and airships cannot attack.
• Airships cannot spot enemy fleets (17.3) or assist contact determination (5.44).
• Subtract 3 from the aircraft takeoff/landing die roll (14.0).
• Airships, destroyers, and torpedo boats have their speed reduced to 1.
• Ships may not fire secondary or tertiary guns.
• No torpedo attacks may be made by any ship, including submarines.
• Sighting range on the tactical map during day turns is limited to 2 hexes.
• Add 2 to the flooding check (8.52) die roll.
• Add 1 to all day-turn contact determination (5.4) die rolls.

Level 4: Squall

• Aircraft and airships cannot attack.
• Airships cannot spot enemy fleets (17.3) or assist contact determination (5.44).
• Subtract 2 from the aircraft takeoff/landing die roll (14.0).
• Airships, destroyers, and torpedo boats have their speed reduced to 1.
• Ships may not fire secondary or tertiary guns.
• No torpedo attacks may be made by any ship, including submarines.
• Sighting range on the tactical map during day turns is limited to 2 hexes.
• Add 1 to the flooding check (8.52) die roll.
• Add 1 to all day-turn contact determination (5.4) die rolls.

Level 3: Fog

• Airships cannot attack, and may only spot enemy fleets in the same sea zone.
• Subtract 1 from the aircraft takeoff/landing die roll (14.0).
• Sighting range on the tactical map during day turns is limited to 2 hexes.

Level 2: Mist

• Sighting range on the tactical map during day turns is limited to 3 hexes.

Level 1: Clear

• No weather-based restrictions apply.

[11.74] Regional Variations

For scenarios using the Mediterranean operational map, weather falls one level on a die roll of 1, 2, or 3. If a 6 is rolled, roll the die again; only on a second roll of 4 through 6 does the weather rise one level.

For scenarios using the Pacific operational map, weather falls one level on a die roll of 1 or 2. If a 6 is rolled, roll the die again; on a second roll of 3 through 5 the weather rises one level, and on a second roll of 6 it rises two levels.

There are no additional modifiers for scenarios set between November and March on these operational maps [beyond those already given].

Advanced Rules

[12.0] FUEL AND RANGE

Each ship's data sheet shows its fuel capacity. During each turn's Orders Phase, both players must track and record their ships' fuel consumption.

[12.1] Fuel Consumption. Fuel consumption is tracked individually per ship on the ship data sheet. Mark off one fuel box for every 12 sea zones a ship moves. If a ship moves two sea zones in one turn, treat that as 3 sea zones' worth of fuel consumption per sea zone moved (so 6 sea zones' worth consumed that turn in total). If cumulative movement reaches or exceeds 12 sea zones and a fuel box is marked off, record any sea zones of movement beyond 12 in the margin next to that turn on the fleet's log sheet row; this carries over toward the next fuel box to be marked off.

Example: The Central Powers player sends the Austrian cruiser Novara, the sole ship of his 1st Fleet, on Raid mission into the Mediterranean. For the first five turns, the cruiser moves one sea zone per turn, but from Turn 6 through Turn 9 it moves two sea zones per turn. On Turn 7, the Central Powers player marks off one of Novara's fuel boxes and writes "5" next to Turn 7 on the 1st Fleet's row of the log sheet (that is, 1+1+1+1+1+6+6=17, and 17−12=5). On Turn 9, he again marks off one of Novara's fuel boxes and writes "5" [5+6+6=17] next to Turn 9.

[12.11] A ship that remains in the same sea zone at sea still consumes fuel as though it had moved one sea zone.

[12.12] A ship refueling from a collier or oiler, or in port, does not consume fuel.

[12.2] Running Out of Fuel. A ship with all its fuel boxes marked off becomes unable to maneuver. It cannot move, but may be towed (11.2). A ship following a movement plan recorded before the game began must have had enough fuel to carry out that movement as planned.

[12.3] Refueling

Players may restore marked-off fuel boxes to usable status for ships in a friendly port (one they are entitled to use), at a rate of 1 box per turn spent in port for coal-burning ships, or 3 boxes per turn for oil-burning ships. Write "Fuel" (or "Fuel") on the log sheet. Some scenarios restrict which ports offer refueling. There is no limit on how many ships may refuel in one port in the same turn.

Example: Novara, with only 1 fuel box remaining, enters Cattaro on Turn 10. On Turn 11, the Central Powers player erases the check mark on one of Novara's marked-off fuel boxes, restoring it to blank. On Turn 12, he restores another fuel box. On Turn 13, Novara has 3 fuel boxes available for use.

[12.4] A ship refueling (including from a collier or oiler) or rearming may not move or take part in any form of combat (including bombardment) during that turn. It cannot recover fuel or torpedoes if attacked by the enemy.

[12.5] Colliers

Coal-burning ships are refueled by colliers. If a collier is available, a player may, for each turn a ship spends in the same coastal sea zone as a collier, mark off one of the collier's fuel boxes and simultaneously restore one of that ship's marked-off fuel boxes. Write "Coal" (or "Coal") on the log sheet. A collier may not enter a sea zone containing an enemy port.

[12.51] A single collier can refuel only one ship at a time. If multiple colliers are present, they may each refuel one ship simultaneously in the same coastal sea zone. No ship may refuel from more than one collier in the same turn.

[12.52] A collier may refuel in a friendly port just like any other ship, at double the normal rate (2 fuel boxes per turn).

[12.53] Transport counters are used to represent colliers. Whether a collier is fast (speed 1) or slow (speed 1s) is specified by the scenario. Each transport counter represents a single collier; colliers are never group counters.

[12.54] In scenarios set in 1920 or later, U.S. colliers can refuel ships at three times the normal rate (3 fuel boxes per turn). U.S. colliers themselves can refuel in a friendly port at six times the normal rate (6 boxes per turn).

[12.6] Oilers

Oil-burning ships are refueled by oilers. If an oiler is available, a player may, for each turn a ship spends in the same coastal sea zone as an oiler, mark off three of the oiler's fuel boxes and simultaneously restore three of that ship's marked-off fuel boxes. Write "Oil" (or "oil") on the log sheet. An oiler may not enter a sea zone containing an enemy port.

[12.61] A single oiler can refuel only one ship at a time. If multiple oilers are present, they may each refuel one ship simultaneously in the same coastal sea zone. No ship may refuel from more than one oiler in the same turn.

[12.62] An oiler may refuel in a friendly port just like any other ship, at double the normal rate (6 fuel boxes per turn).

[12.63] A high-speed transport counter is used to represent an oiler.

[12.64] Oilers in Combat. If an oiler is hit by gunnery or torpedo fire during battle, its commanding player rolls one die. On a result of 6, the oiler explodes and sinks.

[12.7] Re-Arming

A ship that has expended its torpedoes (7.84) in battle may restore its torpedo value by spending three turns in a friendly port.

[13.0] MINE WARFARE

Minefields may be laid along the boundary between two sea zones. In some scenarios, minefields are already in place at the start of the game (see the scenario for details); in others, they are laid during the course of play.

[13.1] A minefield is recorded by writing down the names of the two sea zones on either side of the boundary where it lies. A player is not required to reveal the location of his minefields to his opponent.

Example: The Central Powers player lays a minefield northeast of Constantinople. He writes "O56/O57" in the Minefields column of his log sheet.

[13.2] Entering a Minefield

If an enemy fleet crosses a sea-zone boundary where a minefield has been laid, the player who laid the minefield reveals its presence to his opponent. The player moving the fleet halts its movement, and rolls two dice for each ship in that fleet, checking the result against the Minefield Table to determine whether it strikes a mine.

[13.21] For each mine strike, roll one die and consult the Minefield Damage Table to determine the damage to that ship.

[13.22] A minefield has no effect on the fleets of the player who laid it.

[13.23] A ship exiting the tactical map (7.33) across a sea-zone boundary where a minefield is laid must also check for minefield damage.

[13.24] Once mine-strike checks have been made for one-quarter (round up) of the ships in a fleet, the player moving that fleet may halt it in that sea zone and rewrite its movement plan (except when the fleet crossed that boundary as a result of exiting the tactical map, 7.33).

[13.3] Laying Minefields

Which ships are capable of laying minefields is specified by the scenario. Note that a ship's minelaying capacity can vary from scenario to scenario.

[13.31] To lay a minefield, a ship must belong to a fleet on the Minelaying mission and must remain in one sea zone for four consecutive turns without moving. Write "Mine" (or "Mine") on the log sheet for these turns. If the ship does not move and takes no part in any combat (including bombarding a coastal target) during this time, a minefield is recorded as having been laid on one of the six sea-zone boundaries surrounding that sea zone. A minefield does not become active (affecting enemy ships that cross it) until the turn after it is laid.

[13.32] A player may lay minefields on all boundaries of a sea zone.

[13.33] A minefield may be reinforced by laying an additional minefield on a boundary where one already exists.

[13.34] A minefield may not be laid more than three sea zones away (including sea zones containing land) from the nearest coastline; an "island" is defined as land existing entirely within a single sea zone, and all other land is treated as coastline.

[13.35] A player may delay the activation of a minefield he has laid. Record the game turn on which it is to become active (any turn on or after the turn it was laid) on the log sheet. An unactivated minefield has no effect on enemy ships.

[13.4] Minefields may also be laid on boundaries forming part of a sea zone that contains a major naval base.

[13.5] Combat Involving Minelayers

If a minelayer (or another ship acting as a minelayer) suffers a gunnery or torpedo hit during battle, its commanding player rolls one die. On a result of 6, the minelayer's mines detonate, sinking the ship.

[13.51] A player may jettison the mines aboard his own minelayer (or other ship acting as a minelayer). That ship's fleet immediately changes its mission to Abort, and can no longer lay minefields for the rest of the scenario, but it is no longer at risk of exploding in battle (it can, of course, still be sunk normally by combat damage). A ship may not jettison its mines in the middle of a battle.

[13.52] A warship is only treated as a "minelayer" for purposes of this rule if the scenario specifies it can lay mines and it is currently on the Minelaying mission. A dedicated minelayer (ship type ML) is always subject to this rule.

[13.6] Auxiliary Minelayers

Some scenarios call for transport counters to represent auxiliary minelayer groups. These are group counters representing several minelaying ships. An auxiliary minelayer has the same ship data as the transport counter it belongs to (and, like other minelayers, is at risk of exploding in combat).

[13.7] Minesweeping

Minesweepers (ships of type MS) may be used to remove minefields. Only minesweepers, or other ships specifically designated with a minesweeping capability by the scenario, may clear mines.

[13.71] To discover or attempt to clear a minefield, a minesweeper must belong to a fleet on the Minesweeping mission.

[13.72] A minefield must first be discovered before it can be cleared (a player's own minefields can always be discovered without a check; there is no need to discover your own minefield in order to sweep it). To discover an enemy minefield in a sea zone, a minesweeper must remain in that sea zone for one full turn. Write "Detect" (or "detect") on the log sheet for that turn. If the minesweeper does not move and takes no part in any form of combat that turn, the opposing player must reveal which boundaries of that sea zone contain minefields, and how many.

[13.73] Once a minefield has been discovered, the minesweeper may attempt to sweep it. A minesweeper must remain, for two full turns, in a sea zone bordering the boundary where the minefield lies. Write "Sweep" (or "sweep") on the log sheet for these turns. If the minesweeper does not move and takes no part in any form of combat during these turns, its commanding player rolls one die at the end of the second turn for each minesweeper attempting the sweep. On a result of 1, the minesweeper strikes a mine and is sunk. On a result of 2 or 3, the sweep has no effect [the mine clearance attempt fails]. On a result of 4, 5, or 6, one minefield on that boundary is removed (chosen by the sweeping player, if more than one is present).

[14.0] AIRCRAFT

Seaplane carriers (CVS) and aircraft carriers (CV) may launch aircraft to scout the enemy's position.

[14.1] Launching

[14.11] Launching a seaplane must be recorded on the log sheet (write "Launch" or "Launch" in the box for the turn the seaplane is launched).

[14.12] Roll one die for each aircraft counter launched. On a result of 1, an accident occurs during launch, and that counter is removed from play. Subtract 2 from this die roll when launching at night. Add 1 to this die roll when launching from an aircraft carrier (CV).

[14.13] On a successful launch, place the aircraft counter in the same sea zone (on the operational map) as its mother ship.

[14.14] A seaplane carrier cannot move during the turn it launches aircraft. An aircraft carrier may move during the same turn it launches aircraft.

[14.2] Flight

Aircraft movement takes place after all fleet movement is complete, and need not be recorded in advance; it is at the player's discretion. On the turn after launch, an aircraft may move up to 4 sea zones from the sea zone in which it was launched. In subsequent turns, it may move one sea zone or not move at all. Aircraft movement is never plotted in advance.

[14.3] Reconnaissance

If an aircraft enters a sea zone containing an enemy fleet, the enemy player must reveal the total number of ships in that fleet, and how many are capital ships versus light ships. The enemy player may, at his discretion, disclose more information than just the capital-ship/light-ship breakdown.

Example: A Russian seaplane enters the same sea zone as a Central Powers fleet made up of Goeben, Berk, and Peyk. The Central Powers player tells the Allied player that the fleet consists of 1 capital ship and 2 light ships.

[14.4] Aircraft may enter sea zones that are entirely land [i.e., an all-land "sea zone"] (but may not leave the operational map).

[14.5] Recovery

Three turns after launch, an aircraft must return to its mother ship. The mother ship must be within 4 sea zones of the aircraft (otherwise the aircraft is lost). A mother ship (of any type) may not move during the turn it recovers an aircraft.

[14.51] Recovering an aircraft must be recorded in the movement plan (write "Recover" or "Recover" in the mother ship's log sheet box for the turn the aircraft lands).

[14.52] A player who recovers an aircraft rolls one die. On a result of 1 or 2, the aircraft is damaged in landing and is removed from the scenario. Subtract 3 from this die roll for a night landing.

[14.53] An aircraft may launch again once four turns have passed [since it landed].

[14.6] Missions and Air Operations

A carrier may conduct air operations (launching and recovering its aircraft) only if the fleet it belongs to is on Raid, Intercept, or Bombardment mission.

[15.0] SUBMARINES

Some scenarios add submarines to one or both players' orders of battle.

[15.1] Before the game begins, a player records the position of each of his submarines on his log sheet. A submarine's position is written in the "Patrol Zone" column, and may be any sea zone on the operational map that is not a coastal hex within 2 hexes of an enemy port. Once a submarine's patrol zone is set, it cannot move for the remainder of the scenario.

[15.2] If an enemy fleet enters a submarine's patrol zone, the player controlling the submarine may attempt to make contact with it, but only during day turns. Roll one die for each friendly submarine in the patrol zone; contact succeeds on a result of 5 or 6. The enemy player must reveal to the submarine player the number of ships in the fleet and whether they are capital ships or light ships, but is not required to disclose ship types or names. The submarine player may choose to let the enemy fleet pass without attempting contact (and thereby keep his submarine's presence concealed).

[15.3] Submarine Torpedoes

Each submarine has a fixed torpedo tube with a torpedo value of 1.

[15.4] Submarine Attacks

A submarine that has made contact may conduct a torpedo attack. If more than one submarine is present in a sea zone, each submarine's attack is resolved individually. If the attacked fleet includes destroyers (DD), torpedo boats (TB), or minesweepers (MS), these ships attack the submarine first; roll one die for every three DD/TB/MS present. On a result of 5, the submarine is sunk before it can attack the fleet. On a result of 6, the submarine is sunk after attacking the fleet. Any other result has no effect.

If the submarine is not sunk before attacking, the submarine player [conducting the torpedo attack] chooses one ship at random from among the attacked fleet's counters [translator's note: for example, draw one counter blindly from those turned face down, or assign each an equal chance with a die roll]. The submarine player may choose whether to target a capital ship or a light ship this way, but may not select a specific ship type or an individual ship by name. For example, if a German submarine makes contact with a fleet made up of 2 dreadnoughts, 2 pre-dreadnoughts, and 2 gunboats, the Central Powers player may attack the capital ships, but must select at random among the 4 capital-ship counters (2 dreadnoughts and 2 pre-dreadnoughts).

Roll one die for each submarine conducting a torpedo attack. A result of 6 or higher scores one hit. Add 1 to this die roll under any of the following conditions: the target is a capital ship, the target is a large merchant ship (a transport ship whose designation begins with "F"), or the target is unable to maneuver. Damage is determined on the Torpedo Damage Table.

[15.5] Submarines may not attack enemy submarines.

[15.6] Ace Captains (Submarine Aces)

Some scenarios specify that a particular submarine is commanded by an exceptionally skilled and energetic captain. A submarine commanded by such an ace captain succeeds at contact on a roll of 4, 5, or 6, and adds 1 to its torpedo-attack hit die roll.

[15.7] Sinking Submarines

A sunk enemy submarine is worth 4 victory points each (see the scenario book).

[16.0] LEADERS

Some scenarios feature energetic and capable fleet commanders in the form of leaders.

[16.1] When a leader appears in a scenario, follow the scenario's instructions to record the leader's name after the name of one of your ships on the ship data sheet. This becomes that leader's flagship. A leader cannot change his flagship for the rest of the game, and if the flagship is sunk, the leader is also removed from the game (even if the leader himself survives personally, the loss of his staff, communications equipment, and the general confusion of the battle render him useless).

[16.2] When determining tactical initiative, if the Central Powers side has a leader present, subtract 1 from the die roll; if the Allied side has a leader present, add 1 to the die roll. Leaders have no other direct effect on combat.

[17.0] AIRSHIPS

Some scenarios feature airships on one or both sides. At the start of such a scenario, the player whose side includes airships places all his airship counters in an opaque container, then draws out, at random, the number of airship counters called for, and deploys them as instructed by the scenario.

[17.1] Each turn, an airship may move a number of sea zones equal to the number printed on its counter. Airship movement is plotted in the same way as for a fleet on Intercept mission.

[17.2] Airship counters may enter any sea zone, even one consisting entirely of land.

[17.3] Reconnaissance

If an airship enters a sea zone containing an enemy fleet, or a sea zone adjacent to one, the enemy player must reveal the total number of ships in the fleet, and how many are capital ships versus light ships. The enemy player may, at his discretion, disclose more detailed information, including ship class or type.

[17.4] Range

An airship must return to its base (as specified by the scenario) within 60 turns, or it is lost, having crashed. An airship cannot be resupplied during the period covered by the game [translator's note: meaning that once an airship returns to base and lands, it can take no further action for the rest of that scenario].

[18.0] MOTOR TORPEDO BOATS

Some scenarios feature motor torpedo boats (MTBs).

[18.1] Patrol Zone

Before the game begins, a player records the position of each of his MTBs on the log sheet. Simply write the boat's name in the "submarine" column and the sea zone where it is stationed in the "Patrol Zone" column. A patrol zone must be a coastal sea zone within 5 sea zones of a friendly port. Once an MTB's patrol zone is set, it cannot move to another sea zone for the rest of the scenario.

[18.2] Contact

If an enemy fleet enters an MTB's patrol zone, the player controlling the MTB rolls one die for each ship in that sea zone; a result of 3 through 6 means contact succeeds. If contact occurs, the enemy player must reveal the ship types and names of every ship in the fleet.

[18.3] MTB Torpedoes

Each MTB has a traversing torpedo tube with a torpedo value of 2.

[18.4] MTB Attacks

If contact occurs, the MTB player selects a target ship for each of his MTBs, then rolls one die for each attacking MTB to determine whether it achieves surprise. A result of 4, 5, or 6 means the MTB achieves surprise and may fire torpedoes at its target. On a result of 2 or 3, the target ship may fire back at the MTB with its full gunnery firepower before the MTB fires; a single hit of any gun type sinks the MTB. On a result of 1, every ship in the enemy fleet may fire its full gunnery firepower at that MTB. In this case, a result of 6 scores a hit (add 1 to the die roll if the firing ship's name is shown in italics on the ship data sheet). If the MTB survives the enemy's gunnery, it may still fire its torpedo at its target.

Example: Two Italian MTBs make contact with the Central Powers battleships Tegetthoff and Szent Istvan. Each MTB targets one of the two battleships. The Allied player rolls a 3 on the first MTB's surprise-attack roll, allowing Tegetthoff to fire first. The Central Powers player rolls 12 dice (Tegetthoff's gunnery firepower totals 8-3-1, or 12 dice), getting six 6s, two 5s, three 4s, and one 1. The MTB takes 6 hits and is blown to pieces. On the second MTB's surprise roll, the Allied player rolls a 6, achieving surprise against Szent Istvan. Rolling two dice for the torpedo hit, the Allied player gets a 5 and a 6. Because Szent Istvan is a capital ship, this counts as 2 hits. Damage resolution shows both hits as critical hits, for a total of 11 hull boxes of damage, and this dreadnought disappears beneath the waves.

[18.5] Italian MTBs add 1 to their torpedo hit die roll.

[18.6] MTBs can neither attack nor be attacked by enemy submarines, and cannot use the Merchant Location Table. MTBs may attack merchant ships.

APPENDIX: REFERENCE TABLES

The source document presents these as the back-cover reference tables of the English-language basic rules, reproduced here for completeness.

Minefield Damage Table (one die)

Die Roll	Damage
1–2	1 hull
3	2 hull
4	3 hull, speed −1
5	5 hull, unable to maneuver
6	Sunk

Minefield Table (two dice)

If the total of two dice is 11 or higher, the ship strikes a mine and takes damage.

Modifiers: +1 for each additional minefield beyond the first on that boundary (maximum +5); +2 if the moving ship's speed is 2 or higher.

Torpedo Damage Table (two dice)

Die Roll	Location
2	Critical Damage
3	2 hull
4	No damage
5–6	1 hull
7	2 hull
8	1 hull
9	1 primary
10	2 hull, speed −1
11	3 hull, unable to maneuver
12	Critical Damage

Gunnery Damage Table (two dice)

Die Roll	Location
2	Critical Damage
3	1 torpedo tube
4	1 secondary
5	1 hull
6	1 secondary
7	1 primary
8	1 tertiary
9	1 primary
10	1 hull †; add one more hull hit under Plunging Fire (8.8)
11	2 hull, speed −1
12	Critical Damage

Critical Damage Table (two dice)

A secondary-gun hit can only penetrate heavy armor on this table when the roll is an 8.

Die Roll	Critical Damage
2	6 hull, 3 primary, speed −1 *
3	3 primary
4	Leader killed
5	2 primary
6	2 hull
7	2 secondary
8	2 hull; a secondary-gun hit destroys one heavy-armor hull box
9	1 primary
10	1 hull, speed −1
11	3 hull
12	5 hull, 5 primary, unable to maneuver

* In scenarios set before 1917, a British battlecruiser (BC) suffers a magazine explosion and is sunk instead.