OPERATION LION DE MER 2004

Version 1.20 - February 18th, 2005 01:40


Designer: Jean-Luc BETIN
I can be joined on the SZO TOAW  forum
www.strategyzoneonline.com/forums

TOAW-3 ver. 3.0.0.0

Date: April 1st, 2004
Location: Great Britain and northwestern France
Map scale: 10 km per hex
Time scale: one day turns
Unit scale: brigades
SCALE 10km/Hex
Time Scale: 1 day per turn
Length: 40 turns 

UNIT COLOURS

EUROPEAN UNITS
For each EU brigade there is a specific foreground color. The background color indicate the nationality of the unit. There is an exception for German-French brigade which is defined as blue foreground placed on a black background. And due to colour limitations, the Greeks and Portuguese will share the same yellow background.

- Blue background: French Army 

- Grey or Black backgrounds: German Army 

- White background : Belgian Army 

- Brown background : Dutch Army 

- Red background: Spanish Army 

- Pale blue/grey background Italian Army 

-Yellow on Yellow background Portuguese units 

- Green on Yellow background 
Greek rapid deployment force 



US / UK COALITION
At the difference of the European units, the foreground color choice is based on the division level. The colors for the USAF are specific too. 

 - Tan background : UK Army 

- Green background : US land units and USMC units (air and land). 

- Blue on Tan: UK Army 

- Pale blue on green background: All USAF air forces. 

ABSTRACT
This scenario depicts an hypothetical conflict between an US /UK coalition and some members of the European Union.

SITUATION BRIEFING
This scenario is the symmetrical of "The Second Battle for France 2004".

In the situation depicted here, the Eurocorps planners, headed by the German Heer Plänung Schule, arrived in February to the conclusion that the probable invasion of France by the Coalition, scheduled for June, would result in an European Union defeat. 
The Eurocorps HQ decided to convince the concerned European leaders to drive a Six-Day-like preventive war. The full direction of this action is left under the control of the German OKH and the Eurocorps HQ in Strasbourg. OKH decided that the first fight would take place in the early hours of the 1st of April. This would be a bad JOKE for the coalition. 

 


VP & VICTORY CONDITION
The scenario is based on a one day turn. As for the second battle for France scenario, the replacement of equipment is inexistent or set to a very low rate. Keep it in mind.

The UK supply is in this scenario set to 45, the European at 40. To reflect the fact that Great Britain is an island, each harbour took by the EU will lower the coalition supply level. The most important harbours are the ones located on the west coast. It is there that US units and supply will arrive. Their loss will be detrimental to the continuation of the conflict. By the same token, the capture of the major industrial cities of UK, (their names are in capital letters) will undermine the reinforcement rate and lower the moral of the House of Commons. Above a certain level of losses, the parliament will impose a cease fire. If it is the case, the European player gets an OV.

The European forces have not an overwhelming control over the air or the seas. The OKH has a set of air forces able to ensure air and sea control for 2 days only. You have to make all your airborne & sea landings during the two first turns. On turn 3 Sea and air transport level will be set to 0 or nearby. 
Airmobile movements are made with helicopters; their moving troops safely relies exclusively on your air superiority level. Given that, they can be made at any time of during the game.

There are 1000 VPs to conquer. The VPs are located in harbours and industrial cities.

The city of Manchester will assume the role of Capital as soon as London falls (very quickly). Its loss will generate a two turn shock. 

All the anchorage zone marked by and arrow "<--" offer EU player a supply point. 

After turn 2, all the European reinforcements will come from the Channel tunnel. If the Coalition player seizes it, the game is over and it is an OV for the Coalition.

SCENARIO EVENTS
- Capture of London will generate a flock of refugees. 

- Capture of London will lead to a cascade of events: many of them are surprises!

- Chance that the House of Commons impose cease fire

US /UK STRATEGY
-1-
The European attack is a complete surprise. The Coalition forces are not in a state of alert. Few UK and US forces are able to face the European invasion. Worst still, some US formations have not received their heavy weapons. Their units are not going to be available before a few days. You must hold the most important objectives and accept to sacrifice the others. This choice is up to you. 

-2-
Use all the rail transport capacity on turn one as EU interdiction will hamper it for the next five turns. It will begin to recover from turn 5 to 12.

-3-
Be patient, the Pentagon is having its computers run at top speed to shorten the delays in getting reinforcements to you.

-4-
Protect the north west of the UK. It is there that your victory will be built.

-5-
Similarly to the European player, your replacement rate is very low. You are in a better situation than your opponent as far as airplanes are concerned. Be cautious and remember that you are far from US plants. You must count on your own for heavy material replacement until some events that will give you more breathing room. Read the news! 

EUROPEAN PLAYER
-1-
The air interdiction level is very important to lower the Coalition supply level. 

-2-
Widespread airmobile troops wisely. They can make a screen to protect or secure your first landings area. Don't forget that you can drop or disembark on top of enemy units. It could be very costly but some sacrifice pays a lot, believe me. 

-3-
Define a plan for the sea landings. All the anchorage zones marked by an arrow "<--" offer the EU player a supply point. But remember that you will have no sea reinforcement after turn 2. And until you make a junction with units coming from the tunnel, these units will be on their own. 

-4-
Your only lifeline between the continent and Great Britain is the Channel Tunnel. There are no roads in there, only railways. So all your reinforcement units must embark on train before joining the front.

-5-
A speedy capture of London will open the cascading of many events with result of many surprises !

HOUSE RULES
No Coalition air assault on Europe

No airbase attack is allowed except the against the ones located in Great Britain itself. All islands, Norway and Europe air bases are safe places until you receive further notice delivered by the news. Please read the news carefully 

DESIGNER'S NOTES
1)Following Ben Turner's advice on www.tdg.nu, most of units at the company size in the OOB have been given a simple squad tag.

2) Research made by the author and discussion posted on web sites like www.warfarehq.com, www.tdg.nu lead him to consider all jeep-like vehicles as light armored trucks. For instance: 
- French Peugeot P4 
- German löwe & Iltis 
- UK Land Rover, 
- US most of Humvees 
but armored trucks are not wearing weapons they need to be added in the unit inventory. 

3) I have considered that this short campaign doesn't allow to push production to such a rate that big items like tanks could be replaced at a rate of 100 a day !! So I set the replacement rate very low, except for men. I decided too to create a pool of 10% of "on hand" units to reflect heavy material reserve issued from the latest orders made by both armies before engaging into war.

4) The Rail transport of the EU is abnormally low but it reflects the fact that all the EU traffic, pass through the Tunnel and it limits the traffic for forces and supply. The UK railroad network do not have this physical limitation, but it is not high due to the European interdiction flights. 

5) To model the arrival of the new Eurofighter in the European Air Forces, I gave some squadrons the Swedish Grippen.

  Scenario Outcome Text: 0
Victory briefing: European Army

The Eurocorps planner were right, The surprise attack has totaly destabilized the Coalition forces.
The UK is obliged to pass under the European Union Caudine Forks
The European Union with his newborne army has proven the world that a new great power is born.

  Scenario Outcome Text: 1
Victory briefing: The Coalition

Even his desesperate efforts of the European planners, the coalition has beaten the European army, the dream of Europe as a great power has vanished.
Under UK and free market suporters, the EU will be only a vast free trade market with no political influence.

  Scenario Outcome Text: 2
Draw (no victory) briefing

This is a draw, even if there is no military solution to the conflict between EU and the Coalition, the EU was abble to unite behind its army, and be seen as a powerfull partner in the XXIst Century.


