Malta Convoy: Operation Pedestal
Malta Convoy: Operation Pedestal Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Solo dice game.
WWII simulation of the Allied relief convoy to the British Island Stronghold of Malta, August 3rd, 1942.
Also known as Operation Pedestal.
Materials
Paper, pencil, 1-2 six sided dice, nobody to play with.
Convoy Composition
Record how many of each type of ship you have.
| Ship Type | Number of Ships | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cargo Ships | 3D6 | Merchant Men |
| Oil Tankers | 1D6 | |
| Aircraft Carriers | 1D3 | |
| Cruisers | 1D6 x 5 | Warship |
| Destroyers | 1D6 x 10 | Warship |
Length of Journey
The game will last 20 + 1D6 Turns.
Make a column of that many boxes on a piece of paper.
Number the boxes.
Friendly Waters
The convoy will not be attacked for the first 1D6 turns.
Covering Force Returns
When you are halfway through the trip roll 1D6 for each of your remaining Aircraft Carriers.
On a roll of 4-6 they return to their bases with 3 +1D6 warships each.
Contact
Every turn make one contact roll.
| 1D6 | Contact | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dumb Luck | -1 to this roll next turn |
| 2-3 | No Contact | Turn Ends |
| 4 | Reconnaissance Plane | +2 to this roll next turn |
| 5 | Surprise Contact | Force Size -1 |
| 6 | Contact | Force Size No Change |
| 7 | Sortie | Force Size +1 |
| 8 | Attack Force | Force Size +2 |
Enemy Force
If contact is made roll to see what type:
| 1D6 | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | U-boats | Force Size -1 |
| 2-3 | Italian Air Force | Attack Rolls -1 |
| 4-5 | German Air Force | Attack Rolls +1 |
| 6 | Combined Air Force | Force Size +1 |
Force Size
Roll 1D6. The result of this roll is the Force Size of the enemy force.
The Force Size is a minimum of 1 with modifications.
Interception
Make 3 Interception Rolls.
Make one additional roll for every Aircraft Carrier you have.
Make one less roll if all of your Cruisers are destroyed.
Make one less roll if all of your Destroyers are destroyed.
For every roll of 1 on 1D6 the size of the attacking enemy force is reduced by one.
Enemy Attacks
Roll a number of times equal to the enemy Force Size.
| 1D6 | Damage |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Miss |
| 3-4 | Ship Damaged |
| 5-6 | Ship Destroyed |
Targets
If a ship is damaged or destroyed make a Target roll to see which type:
| 1D6 | Type |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tanker |
| 2 | Cargo Ship |
| 3-4 | Aircraft Carrier |
| 5 | Cruiser |
| 6 | Destroyer |
If there are no Aircraft Carriers left treat the result as a Cargo Ship.
If you already have a damaged ship of a certain type and you get another "Ship Damaged" or "Ship Destroyed" result for that type there is a 1-3 in 1D6 chance that the damaged ship is hit again and sunk.
Options
You may take an option at the very beginning of your turn.
You cannot take another option if you are currently using one.
Decoy Option
Once during the trip you may send out a dummy convoy.
Target rolls +2 for 1D6 turns.
Get 1 less Intercept roll.
Split Option
Once during the trip you may split up the fleet (every ship for himself).
Force Size -1 for 1D6 turns.
Contact rolls are at +1.
Evade Option
Once during the trip you may take an evasive route.
Contact rolls at -2 for 1D6 turns.
Game length increases by 1D3 turns.
Screen Option
Once during the trip you may set up a screen of warships to face the enemy routes of advance.
Get two additional Intercept rolls for 1D6 turns.
Attack rolls are at +1.
Scoring
Start with 100 points.
Lose 2 points for every Cargo Ship lost.
Lose 1 point for every Cruiser lost.
Lose 3 points for every Tanker lost.
Lose 5 points for every Aircraft Carrier lost.
Gain 1 point for every Interception.
Lose 10 points if all of your Tankers are destroyed.
Lose 10 points if all of your Cargo Ships are destroyed.