Operation Cerberus: The Channel Dash Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Set Up
• Game Concept
• Game Play
  • 1. BAL Determination
  • 2. LAC Determination
  • 3. RAF Air Strength Determination
  • 4. Royal Navy Intervention
  • 5. Ship Movement and Mine Attacks
  • 6. Air Attacks
  • 7. Surface Naval Combat
• Victory Conditions
• Channel Dash Variant Rules
  • U-Boat Activity
  • Additional Fighter Command Support
  • Battleship Bismarck
  • Historical Set-Ups
  • Shore Batteries

Set Up

Place the British Alert Level (BAL) marker in Space 1 of the BAL track. Place the Vosper MTB unit in any area. Place the four German ships (two BC, CA, DD/E-Boat) in the "Operation Cerberus Start" box. Place the Luftwaffe Air Cover (LAC) marker in the "Effective" (level 2) box. All other air and naval units are set aside. Players need one six-sided die (D6) to play the game.

Game Concept

When a unit is "Damaged," it is flipped to its "Crippled" (red CF) side. If a Crippled ship is Damaged again, it is sunk and removed from play. If a Crippled air unit is Damaged again, it does not attack and is removed from play for the rest of the turn.

Game Play

Players repeat the 7-step sequence below until all German BC and CA ships exit Area 7 and enter the "Operation Cerberus End" box on the map or are sunk.

1. BAL Determination

Starting with turn 2, the British player rolls a D6 and adjusts the BAL according to the on-map table. No matter the result, the BAL may never be less than 1 or more than 6.

2. LAC Determination

Starting with turn 2, the German player rolls a D6 and adjusts the LAC according to the on-map table. Add 1 to the DR if the LAC if the last turn was "Weakened" (level 1) [sic]. No matter the result, the LAC may never be less than 1 or more than 3.

3. RAF Air Strength Determination

The British player places the Fighter Command and 4 Bomber units (light blue) in an opaque container (cup). Add Swordfish air units if indicated on the BAL track. The British player then rolls a D6 and draws the number of air units indicated on the on-map table. For each air unit received, roll another die and apply the result indicated on the on-map table.

The Fighter Command Support unit is not rolled for and is used to either "protect" one bomber or torpedo air unit (enters at full strength, attack with a favorable DR modifier), or placed with a Royal Navy unit (to provide an adverse DR modifier against any German air attacks).

4. Royal Navy Intervention

Once the BAL reaches 4 or higher, the British player can, at his option, deploy the ships indicated on the BAL into the Royal Navy Deployment Area.

Note: If already in play, or previously eliminated, the Vosper MTB can immediately relocate to the Royal Navy Deployment Zone.

5. Ship Movement and Mine Attacks

(German first, then British.) Undamaged German ships may move up to 2 sea areas (circles). Crippled ships may move 1 sea area.

When each BB, BC or CA ship unit enters a mined area, resolve a minefield attack. A D6 is rolled for each ship, modifiers applied to the roll, and result applied as indicated on the on-map table.

After the German ships move (and resolve any mine attacks), the British player moves his ships (if deployed) to any adjacent area, or off the map and out of play.

Mines never effect Royal Navy ships or the German DD/Escort.

6. Air Attacks

(German first, then British.) German Luftwaffe attacks can be carried out against one area with a Royal Navy unit in it. Exception: the Vosper MTB cannot be attacked by the Luftwaffe.

Flip the LAC marker to the Ju-88 side to indicate Luftwaffe attacks will take place. This increases the LAC level by 1 (even if already at 3) for purposes of resolving Luftwaffe attacks.

For each Royal Navy unit in the area roll a D6, adding 1 to the DR if a Fighter Command unit is also in the area. If the DR is ≤ the Luftwaffe attack's adjusted LAC, the Royal Navy ship is Damaged; otherwise there is no effect.

After all German air attacks are done, flip the Ju-88 marker over and put back on the LAC track.

Then the British player declares the target of all his attacking bomber units. All German ships have an Anti-Aircraft (AA) factor equal to the current LAC or 2, whichever is greater, or 1 if the ship is Crippled. For each attacking air unit the target ship rolls a D6, adding 1 to the DR if the air unit is stacked with the Fighter Command Support unit. If the DR < the AA factor then the air unit is Damaged; otherwise there is no effect.

Surviving British air units each roll a D6 and add the current LAC DR modifier (0, +1 or +2). Do not add the LAC modifier if the bomber or torpedo air unit is stacked with the Fighter Command Support unit. If the DR < the CF, the ship is Damaged; otherwise there is no effect.

7. Surface Naval Combat

This is considered simultaneous regardless of the order each ship's combat is resolved. Each player designates the target of all his ship's attacks before any are resolved.

Each combat is resolved by comparing the difference of the attacking and defending ships' CFs and either adding or subtracting the difference from the roll of a D6. If the DR is > the target's CF the ship is Damaged; otherwise there is no effect.

There is only one round of Surface Naval Combat each turn.

Victory Conditions

The German wins a decisive victory if the two BCs and CA (Crippled or not) have exited Area 7 into the end box, or a marginal victory if only two of the three ships make it.

The British player wins a marginal victory if he sinks any two of the BC or CA ships, or a decisive victory if all three are sunk.

Reduce the British level of victory for each British BB, CA, or DD sunk.

Any other result is a draw.

Channel Dash Variant Rules

Optional. These rules are printed on page 2 of the rules, after the base game.

The following rules are intended to provide a bit more historical detail to the game, as well as some additional "what ifs" to the history portrayed.

U-Boat Activity

The British rightly feared the Kriegsmarine would provide extensive U-boat support to the surface fleet's bold sortie through the English Channel. Should the Allied player intervene with Royal Navy units the German player rolls a die. If the DR is > than the LAC nothing happens. If the DR is < than the LAC the U-boat activity marker is immediately placed in the area with the Royal Navy unit(s).

If the DR was even the British player picks which Royal Navy unit will be the target of a U-boat attack, otherwise if the DR was odd the German player can pick the target. The German player rolls a D6 again. If the DR > than the LAC there is No Effect. If the DR < than the LAC the target ship is Crippled; if already Crippled the ship is sunk.

Remove the U-boat activity marker from the game once this process is concluded.

Additional Fighter Command Support

The British player can choose to add, or not to add, the second Fighter Command Support unit to the opaque container at the beginning of any turn the BAL is 3 or higher. Note, the British player is not required to add this unit to the draw pool and can elect to leave it out.

Battleship Bismarck

This variant assumes the German battleship survived its maiden voyage as well as the summer of 1941 campaign, and is part of Operation Cerberus. It is assumed that regardless, the ship is in less than full fighting trim after more than a year away from Germany and has been the target of extensive Allied air raids (hence its rather weak CF). The unit sets up at the beginning of the game in Brest.

Note: For an additional play balance and challenge for the German player, have the Bismarck begin the game in Crippled status. In exchange, the LAC is set at 3 (Strong) on Turn 1.

Historical Set-Ups

The British were caught by surprise with the German fleet's sortie through the English Channel. Not only was this route viewed as highly unlikely to be taken by the Germans, key British reconnaissance missions repeatedly missed or failed to report their sightings of the enemy fleet's movement. The following two set-ups replicate the actual history of Operation Cerberus, with the sacrifice of play balance.

1. Strict Historical Set-Up: All German ships set up in Area 3. LAC is at 2 and BAL at 1. Note: The British player has very little chance of winning this scenario.

2. Problematic Reconnaissance: This set-up posits at least one of the British air reconnaissance missions was more effective. The German player rolls the die to determine the Area where the German ships will start play:

Die Roll	Result
1	Units start at Brest
2-3	Units start in Area 1
4-5	Units start in Area 2
6	Units start in Area 3

Once the German fleet's at-start position is determined the British player rolls the die to determine the BAL. Add 1 to the DR is the German fleet starts in Area 3 [sic]:

Die Roll	BAL
1-2	1
3-4	2
5+	3

Shore Batteries

Any German ship in Area 4 can be subjected to attack by the Shore Batteries during Step 7. For each ship the German player rolls a die. Subtract 1 from the DR if the ship is Damaged; add 1 if the LAC is 3. If the DR is less than the BAL the ship is attacked. If the DR is equal to or greater than the BAL the German ship cannot be attacked.

The British player rolls a die for the ship to be attacked. Again, subtract 1 if the ship is Damaged, add 1 if the LAC is 3. If the DR is less than or equal to 1 the ship is Damaged; an already Damaged ship is sunk. Any other result has no effect.

German ships cannot attack the Shore Batteries.