11.

The scenario may be lengthened by agreement among the players, to extend to Winter 1944 (using the 1942 scenario Victory Conditions) or to Summer 1945 (using the Campaign Game Victory Conditions). 12. The following variants are inapplicable: Axis #5, #12, #18; Allied #1, #2, #3, #11, #12, #14, #16 and #17. (Axis variants #10 and #14 and Allied variant #7 are also void unless a duration longer than Winter 1942 has been agreed upon.)

THIRD REICH 1941

A NEW CAMPAIGN
By Larry Bucher Updated: COUNTER-MOVES 2006

I don't think many players will ask, `Why? What for? Who needs a 1941 scenario?" But in case someone should, let me put forth two reasons. First, what percentages of THIRD REICH games follow even a minimally historic course, defined as: France falls first and Russia is invaded in Spring or Summer 1941? It's a guess, but I'd venture to say well under half, whether due to poor play, historical strategies, or whatever. And it is a real rarity for the game situation in 1941 to reflect history in the Balkans and Africa at this point-rare enough that I have never seen or heard of such a game. Second, opening strategies and tactics for 1939 have been studied to exhaustion (although certainly not settled to perfection). The titanic collision between Russian and the Reich has, by contrast, received a good deal less attention. While I doubt that any hard-core THIRD REICH player would actually own up to being bored with the Western Front in 1939-40, there may well be a few who would prefer to spend a little more mental energy on other facets of the game. And although the 1942 scenario does allow Germany and Russia to tangle immediately, Barbarossa it is not. The German invasion of Russia can, however, start on the first turn of my 1941 scenario if desired; but the German player faces Hitler's much-debated decision: lambaste Russia without delay and let the Balkan flank dangle; or take a turn to chastise southern nuisances and let Stalin wait until summer, growing stronger? Or perhaps some sort of compromise - a bit of both? In this scenario, players at last have to face that burden of strategy. A couple of "designer's notes" for the readership to debate. At first glance, B26 would be a more logical hex for the Allies to control than

is AA27. But the Greek requirement to set up adjacent to Italian hexes could then have placed Greek units in AA28. This would have allowed too many barriers to a potential one-turn blitz on Athens, and hex AA27 is not unreasonable. Crete's special status, and the German ability to setup in Italian territory, are my effort to give Crete the importance it enjoyed in 1941, and to permit a repeat of the historical Para drop if desired by the Axis player. I believe that opening deployments for this scenario promise to be nearly as varied and as open to argument as those of the 1939 one. Only Russia has no problems to face that are peculiarly new. With Britain enjoying last-setup advantage, the Axis recipe would appear to be to pose as many different threats as possible. I've a few observations: Italy can have an invasion force threatening to sail. If the spare 2-5 is aboard, it can instead be sea transported to Tripoli to serve as an exploiter. German armor in Italian ports also would enjoy this potential. Italian fleets in once-comfy Taranto are not safe from air attack if Greece does not fall; Naples will be much more secure for the Duce's fleet. A potential trap exists for Italy (and Germany as well) in Albania-British armor, set up in AA27, can isolate the north and south hexes of Albania, and Britain has a cheap 2-5 armor to risk on such ventures. A German invasion force in Kiel can threaten Sealion but could instead divert to Konigsberg or invade the Baltic States. Air units in Graz and Trieste can pose a triple threat to Britain, Russia and Greece. Armor on the Hungarian border menaces both Russia and Belgrade. Armor in Bulgaria can be switched north against the Soviets or can provide the main punch for an attack on Greece. Remember that an Axis DoW on Yugoslavia will allow some Yugoslav units to be placed in Yugoslavia's southeast corner. And watch that 20-factor limit in inactive minor allies! Placement of the German airborne unit offers a variety of interesting options. On Rhodes (with an airbase counter, and a supply fleet inverted in Italy), its potential targets include Alexandria, Tobruk, Crete, Cyprus, Athens and its approaches, and even if the German gets carried away - Ankara and the Turkish Straits. From Brindisi, the paratroopers can reach Athens and its approaches, Malta, and Belgrade. Now for the drawback: if dropped anywhere it can't be SRed back from, it is not going to be available against Russia until Fall at the earliest. Britain's advantages in setting up last are off set somewhat by the stringent deployment limits I imposed. Despite foreknowledge of the Axis dispositions, there are likely to be a lot of threats to counter with too few units. Should Britain make Sealion inadvisable? Or make it just tempting enough that Germany might try and fail? Maybe the British

should put an extra unit or two in Greece? Abandon Cyrenacia or defend it? Fleets will probably be needed at Malta and Port Said for invasion defense. If five fleets stay at home to deter a German invasion of England, only one will be left for Gibraltar and SR capacity to Egypt/Greece is going to be minimal unless some fancy and successful base changing is done at the start of the Allied turn. And Churchill wanted the job ? I think that most THIRD REICH players, even those jaded by the 1939 scenario, will find much to the situation in 1941 to keep their attention. Many interesting, historical choices are posed, yet the few new rules are simple and straightforward. I will be most interested in hearing players' thoughts on the scenario, and on its strategy.

SPECIAL RULES for the 1941 THIRD REICH Scenario 1. Axis forces always move first on the first turn. 2. No 1941 YSS, except for British and German SW builds. 3. Vichy inactive. Place in European France/Corsica: five 2-3s, one 9factor fleet; in Tunisia-Algeria-Morocco: one 2-3; in Lebanon-Syria: one 2-3. Axis units may not be placed in the colonies during opening setup; Rule 49.3 governs thereafter. Activation / deactivation attempts may begin in Spring 1941. 4. Intervention and Alliance have already taken place in Greece. Greek units may be initially placed in AA27. At least three Greek 2-3s must set up adjacent to the Italian-controlled hexes of Albania. 5. Contrary to Rule 22.7, Greek ground forces may leave their country. They must stay in the Balkans (or Greek islands), however, and may go no further north than hex row X. 6. Crete is treated as an objective "hex". Unless the same player controls all three Cretan hexes, however, it counts for neither side. 7. Contrary to Rule 24.2, Crete does not pass to Axis control when Athens falls (all other Greek islands do). The hexes become uncontrolled unless/until physically occupied. 8. Contrary to Rule 3.36, German units may (with permission) initially be Set up in all Italian-controlled territory except Libya. 9. Italian units may not start the 1941 scenario in "lent" status. 10. The United States is handled in exactly the same manner as in the Campaign Game.