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SPI Northward Strike

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A two-player scenario of the German invasion of Norway. One player controls the German forces, the other the Norwegian and British forces. Use all rules except Part 1: Seasonal Turns and Part 3: Strategic Warfare.

Playing Time: 60 minutes
Start: April 1940
End: June 1940

Order of Battle

Germany: Anywhere in Germany or Denmark:
2 infantry (6-3)
1 armor (4-5)
2 paratroops (1-3)
6 STPs
2 ATPs
1 fighter-bomber (4-6/1) 1 bomber (6-12) HQ M
2 CLs 2 DDs
5 BBs (Gneisnau, Scharnhorst, Lutzow.
Scheer, Blucher)
1 tactical submarine
4 offensives on the OFF track 4 EPs in economic reserve.

Norway: Can be placed anywhere in
Norway after Germany declares war:
1 infantry (4-3)
3 infantry (2-3)
1 fighter-bomber (2-4/1)
1 DD

United Kingdom: Anywhere in the
United Kingdom:
2 infantry (3-4)
1 bomber (4-12) General Auchinleck
5 BBs (Warspite, Rodney, King George V,
Resolution, Revenge)
3 CAs (Cornwall, Exeter, Norfolk) Glorious with 1 naval air unit
1 tactical submarine
3 DDs
1 CL
3 STPs
2 offensives on the OFF track 2 EPs in economic reserve.

Setting Up

The German player sets up first. His units must be placed in Germany or Denmark.
The British/Norwegian player then sets up his British units in England.
The Norwegian units are placed on the board during the phase when Norway is invaded, in accordance with [39.0].

Special Rules

Skip the Strategic Warfare step of each turn.
Germany has initiative throughout the scenario.
If Glorious is sunk or damaged, the British player receives Ark Royal to replace it. Ark Royal is placed in Scapa Flow at the end of the turn in which Glorious was damaged.

Victory

The German player's objective is the conquest of Norway. Victory is determined according to this priority:

German Strategic Victory: Norway is conquered.

German Major Victory: Only one Norwegian city or resource hex remains uncaptured.

German Minor Victory: Two Norwegian city or resource hexes remain uncaptured.

Allied Minor Victory: There are supplied German units in Norway, but at least three city or resource hexes remain under Norwegian control.

Allied Major Victory: Germany controls no Norwegian city or resource hexes.

Allied Strategic Victory: The Allies win a major victory and fulfill the naval attrition victory condition described below.

Naval Attritition Victory: If the Germans lose all four of their BBs, or a total of six naval units (sunk, not just damaged), the victory condition drops one place on the hierarchy. For example, a German strategic victory at the cost of six naval units becomes a German major victory.

SPI - ETO: Scenario 5: Northward Strike

The attack on Norway was strategically important for Germany, both from a raw materials point of view and from a military point of view. For some time Britain had been threatening the invasion of Norway, hence Churchill's expeditions into the Norwegian Sea, and the strategic importance of Narvik to both countries. The other part of the story was the British Arctic Convoys to supply Murmansk, it is often forgotten how Britain played such an important part it the supply of materials to Russia. However, it was to be Germany on the offensive and the British Expeditionary Forces could do littel to help their Norwegian counterparts. It did however, help bring Churchill to the forefront of wartime politics and gave him the premiereship and leadership that Britain so deperately needed.

The game 'Northward Strike' is a simulation of the Axis invasion of Norway. Hiltler had already conquered most of Western Europe, including the low countries and Denmark, it was not therefore a huge step to dominate the entrance and access to the Baltic ports, and invade Norway across the Denmark Straights.

Game Description

German forces poised to invade Norway April 1940.

Norway has three infantry divisions, two in Oslo along with one fighter-bomber, and one division in Stavanger. Off-map to the north she has a destroyer based at Narvik, the source of German iron ore, and no other support. The German divisions are to attack from Denmark and Northern Germany. The taller stack in one of the the illustrations above consists of two German divisions and one HQ (M) unit, plus three transports - troop-carrying ships (6 STP's altogether)

German armoured tank divisions are also available for transport (see counter marked with strength-movement rating 4-5, turned to its depleted side - this was the time before the Mark V and Mark VI Tigers!)

German warships will first blockade Oslo Fjord and then supply covering fire to the invading German forces. A fighter-bomber group is also on standby in Northern Denmark, and two battle escort destroyers are on standby in Copenhagen. Of concern is the British Home Fleet, anchored at Scapa Flow, and well within range. The Home Fleet consists of five Battleships (Revenge, Resolution, King George V, Rodney and Warspite), along with one destroyer escort and one light cruiser. Another British naval battlegroup, a taskforce, is based in Western Scotland. Ostensibly, this was to be used to protect the shipping lanes off the Norwegian coast, but can be recalled to perform any new task. An escort carrier, the Glorious, with naval fighter air aboard is situated in the English Channel and also within range.

The German invasion begins; you can see the German warship Lutzow and another blocking the fjord in the illustrations above. The German transport ships (STP's) carrying the invasion force are well on the way to the target area. However, the British home fleet (see orange counter above) has intercepted the convoy and despite strong air cover from the German fighter-bomber squadron based in Denmark (the Germans have air superiority) the German convoy suffers heavy losses with half its fleet, along with troops, being lost.

This means that the German invasion is much weakened and will face fresh infantry battalions in Norway. The German army has much in reserve though (unlike the Norwegians) and as well as being able to call upon more troops, at the cost of depleted transportation in the next game turn, a group of airborne troops await to be flown in from Berlin at a moment's notice and better still, in the German offensive phase of the current game turn. Historically, of course, this was a victory for the Third Reich, though the British continued to antagonise the situation for the invaders by landing troops in western Norway.