Previous Page End Next Page Customising WinSPWW2 A Word about OB Customising The WinSPWW2 OB editor is Mobhack, and it is provided with the release. Please see the help files for that utility for details of producing custom OB files.

Mobhack lives in the Mobhack sub directory of your game.

Just remember the following about custom OB files:

1) In a PBEM game the 2 OBs must remain identical throughout the life of the PBEM game, therefore do NOT change OB files if you are playing someone in PBEM at that time.
2) Changing OB data can result in strange things happening in scenario games as these save all the game data except for weapons data, to which a reference to originating OB number and weapon number in that OB is stored. Therefore if you load a custom OB, and the OB designer decided to overwrite the K98 rifle with say a 105mm artillery piece, then all your German infantry will now tend to have 105mm howitzers. The OB designer can use weapons from other OBs than the 2 you thought he had used, so there can be these effects if you change an OB file you never thought had any relevance. (Say the OB designer loaded up USSR, and then issued some German squads with PPSh-41 SMG's..). OOB file changes to units can also have strange effects on any existing scenario. Scenarios are therefore best designed using the official The Camo Workshop OOBS only.
3) Changing OB data mid game can have the same effects on your saved games as 2 above.

Basically, change the OB files at some point where all your games are finished. Check any scenarios for odd weapons appearing, if so, contact the OB or Scenario designer, not The Camo Workshop, unless these are The Camo Workshop products!.

You can now use the OOB manager in the GameOptions Programme to set up your game before starting a session that needs a particular OOB set - but it is up to you to remember to do this!.

Editable Player Files
A few enhancements have been made which will allow the player some flexibility in specific game areas.

CamoGame.ini

This file stores all the info you set on the GameOption screen that appears when you click on the start game Icon. It is not necessary nor recommended that this file be edited by hand

LdrXX.dat files
These live in the \data\NAMES directory of your game. Each XX relates to the OB number. They contain the unit leader names table for each Spob If deleted, a standard set is used, i.e. these tables override the defaults. The list of countries and their corresponding numbers can be found on the front page of the Mobhack editor.

If your name is Bloggs, you can now have unit leaders called Bloggs in the game.

They are straight text files delimited by a cr/lf as in Notepad. Leader name maximum character limit is 15, do not make these longer. Usually longer names will be truncated, but sometimes unpleasant side effects occur. So be careful with name length. Do not use a word processor to edit, use a proper text only editor like notepad, which will not fill the files with word processing format garbage extra characters!. If you live in a country which uses 'double byte' text, change to USA ASCII single byte. Do not use foreign characters like umlauts and cedillas. Be careful with punctuation marks like "&" as C may interpret these as string format characters.

You must not add a name to the end of the list. The program is set up to pick a name at random from a fixed number of names. Do not increase the number beyond what is already on the lists. If you wish to add your name to a particular country list you will need to overwrite an existing name. Do not delete a name either, as this will cause problems as well. There must be exactly 100 name 'lines' in the file, no more and no less.

RankXX.dat files
These live in the \data\RANKS directory of the game. The game uses the following series of ranks:
Private
Corporal
Lance Corporal
Sergeant
2nd Lt.,
1st Lt.
Captain
Major
Lt. Col.
Colonel
Brigadier General
But in an abbreviated format.
Again the XX relates to the mob number. If a RankXX.dat exists for a nation, then those names are used to replace the game defaults. There is no benefit from renaming a lower rank to a higher one. Limit is 8 characters per name.

NOTE: We have provided abbreviations of national ranks as best we can given the limitations of 8 characters. If you wish to go back to the original ranks used in the SP series, simply rename the file folder RANKS to XRANKS. The program will ignore these new lists and run off of the defaults written in the code. If at some point in the future you wish to use these new lists all you need do is remove the "X". As with the leaderXX files, there must be exactly eleven data lines or problems will occur. As with other text files, Do not use a word processor to edit. Do not use non USA ASCII characters such as Umlauts. Be careful with punctuation marks like "&" as C may interpret these as string format characters.

Other Text Files

In the data\text directory you will find encyclopaedia text files and the in game help files. These use the normal SP series format characters, see scenario editing section for the details. When making these, as with the Scenario introduction text, you will have to experiment with the text as it sometimes lays the text out quite oddly, practice makes perfect!.

etNNNIII.txt, the encyclopaedia text entries for each unit in OB NNN and unit slot number III. Note that the code is not very good at deciding the right side cut off for text on screens, so you will probably need to try several times until the right side cut-off is correct.

ftNNNIII.txt, the formation information text files that appear in the purchases screen, OB NNN and formation OB slot number III., NB leading zeros used to pad these items for both et and ft text file names. I.E. France is 006 for the NNN part of the file name, formation slot number 12 would be 012 for the III part.

HelpNNN.txt, the in game help screen files which come up in the game itself when the ? button or key is used. Help000.txt is the main help file, others cover other help sub topics by number.

Scenario Editor

The scenario editor is where you design scenarios for the end user to play. We will cover here the basics of scenario editing and design.

Important note to scenario designers, remember that any scenario you design should be with the human as player 1 (the one on the left in the picture below) and the AI (computer) player as player number 2 (on the right).

Basic scenario design process is to firstly design your map, this is the most important element of any scenario, and you should therefore make this element first, and above all, save it off separately from any other scenario work. Having the map saved off separately means that you can easily reuse this element for other scenarios using the same terrain, or simply to start over if the design was a wash out! Once happy with your map, then buy and deploy the required troops. Have an idea of what you want to do as well, research the scenario from historical documentation if it is a historically based one, rather than a 'what if'.

The main editor page is where you make some critical design decisions. Underneath it live the map editor, and the scenario deployment sub routines. As mentioned above, make your map first, and save it off somewhere safe well before you start dropping troops onto it to create a scenario.

One major point to consider at the outset is if you are designing a game where the player takes on the AI, or one where a human can play either side. In the former, the AI needs to be given consideration, and it will need to be given advantages of force size, or position, or more likely both. Or the game length can be reduced so the human must make a quick rush at it. Scenarios designed for the computer to play one side should not be played by the human as the other side, it will be a walk over for that player. Therefore, advise the player in your introductory text not to play the computer side. Scenarios designed for 2 humans to play will be usually very difficult for the AI to win, so again state up front that a scenario is designed for 2 humans to play each other head to head. A rare minority of scenarios can be playable by the AI as both sides, or give a human player a challenge if he plays the non-default set. In nearly all circumstances, the human player should be the player No 1 in a scenario, unless you are an experienced designer.

And we may as well take some time here to note some points about scenario purchase and design, your scenario will be reported to the end user as whatever mode it last was in (advance, say). this does not mean that you require to edit the scenario in that mode. For example you may want to set up a meeting engagement, but you need to entrench some units, or buy a pillbox. Fine, build the scenario as an assault, dig the defender in and buy pillboxes, then switch to a meeting engagement. Then buy the second player troops, or they may get the dug in status that you get as an assaulter in a regular battle! Changing the battle type in creative ways during the design can be a useful tool for the experienced designer. For example, to get rafts for a non assault battle. Or simply to get the user off on the wrong foot, dig the defenders in and tell the user it is a mere advance mission, he may not expect mines lying about then..

The date of the battle determines the 2 sides involved. Note that it is perfectly possible to use a different date, should whatever you want not be available at that point, enter the desired date and buy troops at that point in time, then reset the date to the scenario date later. Only the last date used during the design process is the one reported by the scenario, so you could try a what if of 1940 French versus Germans with 1945 equipment, Just whizz the date to 1940, buy the required French kit, whizz the date to 1945 and buy the German stuff. Mainly this is of use in special circumstances for a scenario, the introduction dates of equipment in the OB files tend towards 'general service' dates, if you have a historical scenario where say some pre-production Tigers were used this is how to get them (and also to surprise the human player who may not expect to meet tigers before the 'encyclopaedia date' <G!>).

The map editor is reached via the edit button, but before you hop off and start editing, select the map size from the button on the left. (You can come back later, and select a larger map size, and then add stuff to the South part, or a smaller map size to 'crop' it into a narrower strip in the North, but it is better to start off with the correct size first to save hassles). You can save off the map separately from the scenario inside the map editing subroutine. Note that selecting the date and the opponent pairing will determine the map used for random maps from the normal The Camo Workshop selection, this ignores the climate of the map (desert, summer or winter).

The climate buttons determine the basic map colour, desert gives yellow tiles and desert features (like soft sand), summer is the regular green background (toggled to 'jungle' if you select the palm trees inside the map editor), and winter gives white tiles and access to the winter extra tiles such as snow drifts. Note that the editor does not care about dates regarding winter, you can make a winter map in august, should you so desire.

***IMPORTANT NOTE WHEN EDITING MAPS***. The map generation code is a lot more complicated than in the past. There are now Arid, savannah, winter,fall an spring set ups in the code. When building a map it is VERY important now to set the likely opponents for this map before editing. If you are designing it for Western or Eastern Europe in April then set the date to April and pick two likely opponents and stick with those while you edit the map. If you change to Japan and USMC in June for another map then try to go back you will see some different terrain when you try to edit. This is all part of the random map code. The code knows what we've told it to place on map when Japan and USMC are the opponents and that IS NOT the terrain you want when you are building a map for Germany. Just remember to set the two opponents you expect to play on that map and you'll be OK

A BIG note to map designers is that the map will be one of these types only, Summer, Jungle, Winter or Desert, depending on what mode it was last edited in.

Why say this?, well some map designers go in and use say a green summer map, then come out to the main screen, flip to winter, and then go in and place a few white tiles for what they think will be a few patches of 'snow' on a green map for extra 'colour'. Nope, if they last edited the map in 'winter' mode, as far as the game is concerned the map is now entirely a winter map! The colour of the basic clear terrain tiles has no in-game effect, the season of the map is a global variable which affects the entire map. Only the special 'feature' tiles (such as snow drifts or soft sand) have inbuilt special effects. 'Clear' terrain tiles do not. Any tile that gives out 'clear' when you hover the mouse over it is a 'basic' terrain tile, of the type of terrain you last edited the map in, so if you say started with a summer map, exit and changed to desert and laid some 'yellow' clear tiles, then exited again, changed to winter and laid some 'white' clear tiles, this is now a winter map, and all the yellow, green and white 'clear' tiles will be basic snow (winter) terrain, because the last map edit mode was winter.

Select the visibility in hexes for the scenario with the visibility control.

Give the scenario location a name with the NAME button, this is NOT the scenario file name, it is the location name reported inside the game, like 'Sword Beach', 'St Lo', i.e. the geographical place name.

The save button here saves a scenario, a scenario is a map plus troops deployed. A scenario can be played, and a separately saved map can be used in battles.

The Load button by the maps loads a pre made map into the scenario.

The Random map button generates a random map using the The Camo Workshop map generation code, based on the 2 players involved and the date, but ignoring the climate, so a German vs French map generated as "Desert" would tend to look like a 'desert' France European map. If you want a desert map pick two nations with desert

The 2 main players are selected as for a normal battle. However unlike other battles, in the scenario editor, the map sides each use as home base is reported here, as this is very important stuff for scenario design. In scenarios we often need to be able to have the 2 sides fighting in a different direction. The side that you play from determines the retreat direction for routers, and where off map artillery comes from. If you just lay your troops as desired, but on opposite sides from the given, routers will run to the enemy and artillery will come from the wrong direction as well. Note that the directions are given in map terms, left and right, as there is no compass direction in any SP series game, Left side of the map can be North, South East or whatever you desire to call it. (Many players mistakenly think of the Right of the map as 'East' say, not so. Just a convenient convention which fits most cases. If you need North to be at the 'bottom' of your map, just design it that way, and note where North is in the scenario introductory text, you can even put the direction to North on the map with Map Text).

The Map Sides buttons are what allow you to exchange the default map sides, and it is a very, very good idea indeed to set the map sides before you buy a single unit of either side should you need to exchange sides. When you enter the editor for the first time the map buttons are 'free', press Swap to exchange sides. The map side buttons will then be put into 'locked' state and the Swap button will be hidden. You can unlock the Swap button if required. Also note that loading a scenario into the editor will take the map sides you set up while editing that scenario, and place map sides into locked state. Just so you do not make a mistake. If you like the map side setup, then press Lock to lock the sides in, should the map sides be in free status.

SCENARIO DESIGNERS PLEASE NOTE!! It is Highly recommended that once you have decided which 2 main sides to use that you follow this procedure when initially purchasing the troops.

- - Enter the purchase screen for Payer 1 and immediately exit. This creates the HQ for player 1.
- - Now enter the purchase screen for Player 2 and also immediately exit. This creates the HQ for player 2.

ONLY once BOTH HQs are in place should you buy the remaining forces for each player.

By doing this, you ensure that the first 2 HQ slots (which cannot be deleted) are at the very front of the (internal) formation list. Any subsequent deletions and re-insertions of troops can now be done in the assurance that any subordinate formations will not be inserted ahead of the HQs in the arrays, which causes a serious problem with command structure if this is allowed to occur.

The preferences button allows you to set preferences as you desire. For scenario design, points are of course unlimited, you just buy the 2 sides regardless of any notional points values (But, the points values of the various units will be counted as part of the scoring process at game end!, some scenario designers have in the past placed some 'destroyed' tanks etc. as 'scenic effects', a 'destroyed' Panther on the map will still be about 40 victory points to the opposite side!, if you do not want this, remember to adjust the points value for such a creation to 0 in the deployment subroutine!). The end user will be able to override your preferences, should these be important for your design then put a recommended set into your scenario introduction text. What is effected here is basic troop quality, if you want this to be other than the default, set as desired before buying your troops as this will save time editing later. You can go through them all and individually change morale and experience, but if the default for a nation is say 60 experience at this point in the war, and you know in advance that you want an elite bunch with say about 80 experience, set this up here and most of the troops bought subsequently will be nearer what you want on purchase.

The map editor subroutine of the scenario editor is where you create maps.

Generally, it is just a case of laying down tiles, but see above about the climate.

A couple of other game global variables require to be mentioned however that relate to water borne scenarios.

The first is the gBeach global variable, this one determines if it is a beach assault, and whether landing craft are auto bought for your troops. This requires to be set before you buy any troops, and it is determined by building a beach in the editor with the appropriate key. Simply drawing in a lot of 'lake' tiles will not suffice, you must use the map editor beach key to have a beach built, though after the game has put your beach down, feel free to edit whatever it placed on the map of course. If you set the gBeach variable then all the assaulting side's troops will have landing craft bought for them by the AI buy routine, and added to their formations. You can of course edit the AI bought craft later, should you so desire. The gBeach variable is also used by the game purchase routines to make naval artillery available for purchasing. It is quite possible, should you desire, to ignore the gBeach variable and just lay down water, however it is then up to you to buy trucks (say) and convert to landing craft manually, and to buy artillery and also convert these manually. Also see the '&' key below..

The Second Global water variable is the gWideRiver variable. This is used to indicate to the game that this is a river crossing assault, and that the assaulter's troops that qualify will be issued with rubber assault rafts. This is the only way to have squads issued with rafts and to be able to carry these, a separately bought raft will need a truck to move it, it cannot be placed on a squad. Once again, just laying a few lake hexes manually to create your own wide river will not do to tell the scenario it is this type. Use the 'convert all rivers to wide rivers' key. Now this key will convert all the rivers on the map to wide rivers, so it is not a brainy idea to use this at the end of map design, should there be a need for minor streams and so on. Do this at the start, lay a stream about where you want your wide river to be, then convert this stream to a wide river. Lay your normal streams later, and edit whatever the AI did to widen the initial river to suit your map. Should you need both sides to have rafts, after setting the wide river variable, buy side 1, with the battle dial set to assault for that side!, and their squads get rafts issued. Now, go back to the main screen, save the scenario!, and flick the battle dial to the other side, so it is the 'assaulting' player now and buy its required forces and they will have rafts as well, see the '^' key below.

Note that if you need jungle terrain, then edit a summer map, and first thing, toggle the palm trees icon to use palm trees, not European ones. Then jungle features arrive, paddy fields, high grass becomes tall jungle grass (or bamboo etc.).

There are 2 map design pages, use the '>' red button to toggle between pages. Some features will change depending on climate (such as winter snow drifts).

There are now 15 hill levels as opposed to the other SP series games, which had a mere 3 hill levels, but only 1 through 4 are there all the time on dedicated buttons, use the '+' Cycle Level key to cycle the max hill button, this starts at level 5, one press of '+' Cycle Level key and you get level 6 and so on, cycling back to level 5 after 15. This method saved a lot of extra terrain level buttons.

Map Editing Hot Keys

B | Create level 2 Hill in hex
C | Clear terrain in hex
D | Dirt (earthen) road
E | save the map (not scenario!) to disk
F | Wheat (taller) field, Winter, Winter Fields
G | High Grass Field, Winter, Winter High Grass
H | Level 1 Hill
I | Level 4 Hill
J | Toggle Palm trees, and paddy etc in Summer terrain = Jungle terrain
L | [Page 2] Make a beach on the Left or Right (and set gBeach variable)
N | Go to next editor buttons page
O | [Page 1] Orchard (low trees) [page 2] Convert streams to Wide Rivers (sets gWideRiver variable)
P | Top level hill (as set by cycle button)
Q | Exit
R | Rough
S | [Page 1] Stream. [Page 2] Bocage type hedgerow.
T | Level 3 hill
U | Swamp
V | Green (low) Field. [Winter, Snow Drifts]
W | [Page 1] Water (Lake) hex. [Page 2] Trench
X | Clear the map
Keypad | Scroll in the keypad direction, 8 is up, 2 is down 4 is left, 6 is right. Numlock must be OFF
= | Random map
+ and, | Zoom and Unzoom map
. | Toggle hex display on or off
# | Clear out all map text strings in one easy operation (do NOT 'remove' the text by 'blanking' the strings, use this key to properly zero the text on any map)
; | lock the current building type until you press another icon or button. Very useful in laying city grids!
\ | Toggle display of victory hexes on or off
m | Toggle the display of map text strings on or off
? | Access in game help
* | Use this to adjust the height of the hex. Experts only.
$ | Use this to set or reset the global beach variable 'gBeach' of the map for beach assault missions (triggers purchase of landing craft, use of naval off map artillery etc). Very useful for folk who made a large water map and forgot to make it using the normal 'convert 1 side of the map to beach' key! use this key after you have loaded the map into the editor, and before you purchase any troops at all, or difficulties can occur. This section of code will check to see that this is an assault mission, and will prompt you if it is not, you can elect to not follow this advice, but non-assault beach scenarios can have strange results. The game is intended only for assaults when the beach flag is on, remember!

Note that when you purchase the assault nation's troops you will be asked if you want to buy the landing craft for them, in some circumstances you may not want to do this (say for a batch of troops on an island, which the human player will ferry over as secondary waves, using the first wave's transport).

Note also that before the landing craft are bought, the code will now try to load up any swimming or flying transport craft with troops, before it buys the landing craft, so it will load up any separately bought amtracks, DUKW or Dakotas you have purchased, unlike the original SP series games!

^ | This works as for the global beach variable above, but applies to the global Wide River 'gWideRiver' map variable. In other words, use this to expressly set the wide river assault flag (infantry buy rafts), for example when you have a map where you want to put say a lot of small lakes, but do not want to use the 'convert all streams to wide rivers' flag for some reason. Again, the game will prompt you to make this an assault mission as this is the correct battle type for a river crossing. Also, use this key after you have loaded the map, but before you buy the troops, as usual.
! | This sets a start line for the human player 1 in user generated campaigns only. Player 1 gets to deploy up to this line, side depends on his base edge

Scenario troop deployment and editing

OK, you have made and saved off your map. This is where you buy your troops and deploy them for the battle.

Purchase is as for normal battles, but points are unlimited, as the troops on the table are what you decide

Deployment is basically similar to normal battle deployment with loads of extra features added on

Placement of troops is pretty much standard, it is the editing that differs

The first thing you will want to do is to place the victory hexes, it does not matter which of the 2 sides you are editing when you do this. Use the edit victory objectives button, and lay your victory hexes where you want them to be, and what nationality they will start as. The big decision here is what points value to make them, victory points are part of the score, and what you grant here is relevant. Low values will mean VP for destroying units is most of the end game score (approximately half the value of a destroyed unit is given as VP, remember, and abandoned units are counted killed to the side which has most score and/or holds all the objectives). High victory hex points will tend to skew the end score towards holding of victory hexes, especially where the overall points values of the 2 forces are on the low side, less so if this is a monster 12000 points a side scenario. If you do not require all 21 victory hexes, simply leave some at 0 value, and stack these with other scored victory hexes. Never leave a victory hex with zero value out in the open as it were, unless you are an expert. Recall that on initial entry, the victory hexes will have zero values!, the AI will not steer to victory hexes worth nil points that much, this is a common complaint from some new scenario designers 'I laid out the victory hexes but the AI would not advance on them it just sat still', please give the victory hexes a VP value greater than zero, bar the unused ones that you stacked with a scored one should you need less than 21 locations. Do not leave any victory hexes on the grey map edges as this causes the AI to have fits, ensure all are on the playing surface. Also, ensure that there is some way that the AI especially, and the human player less so, has of getting to these. A victory hex in a lake hex will only be reachable by swimming, ensure the AI has such units, and several ,as the first few may be killed. Better still, always place V hexes on terrain that any infantry or vehicle can reach. (Remember that even a stone bridge could be dropped, if a victory hex is on this it will probably now be in a lake hex, if it was crossing deep water, therefore now needing something which can swim to get at it, and if the AI has no swimmers it can have a case of fits!

PLEASE NOTE Ensure that you have deployed all 21 victory hexes on the scenario map, at 0 value and stacked under others if you need less than 21 objectives. In a delay or defence scenario, you should ensure that all the victory hexes are set to the delay or defend player's nationality. Experienced users can place neutral or attacker-held victory hexes ahead of the delaying or defending AI positions to trigger a counter-attack, but this is an advanced technique which will need fine tuning of your scenario, with the reaction turn variable for formations, to get right. We repeat - ALL 21 victory hexes MUST be on the scenario map, as these are used in AI decision making. Off map objectives may well result in AI troops exiting the map to try to take these !

We have added a new button to the victory hex placement window to clear the victory hexes down and/or set all of them to a common value. The first question will allow you to move all victory hexes to the 0,0 position, and the second allows you to allocate a value to all simultaneously.

The Victory hex placement 'shapes' your scenario, for both the layout of defenders, and the likely approaches of the attackers, especially moving AI troops. Get it right and you have the basis of a good scenario, get it wrong and you have started your design off on the wrong foot.

If this is an attack and defence game, then you probably want to lay the defence side out first. Then place the attackers where you want them, determined by the defence layout and your scenario requirements.

Note that in a scenario battle, the only pre registered artillery targets that the player will get are those you set up for him here, in the deployment phase. Be creative with these, if you place too many right on the other sides defended locales, you will give the defence away! Place them 'near enough' to adjust from, and blame that on faulty intelligence staff work <G>. Also, you may really need only 2 or 3 gold spots, place the others at misleading places on the map, again to mask the AI deployment. If you do not place any pre registered gold spots, all artillery calls for impromptu fires will be at full delay. This may be what you actually require in your scenario, if so, do not grant any pre registered targets.

Any pre game bombardment you plan will also fall as well, with nothing the player can do to alter this. A scenario starts at the beginning of turn 1, the turn 0 artillery plot (including pre registered targets) is up to you, the scenario designer. See the section on the bombardment screen for the new information, e.g. about timed missions and aircraft deployment.

The normal deployment hot keys are made available to you, with some additions we detail here.

D | Edit the current units data. Note that we have allowed access to the armour fields for all units, in case they need correcting. DO NOT add armour to unarmoured types, such as infantry or AT guns, as this will just cause odd things to happen in the game. An AT gun with a 1 front armour value does NOT have a gun shield, it will probably get shot up with AP, or other unpredictable results.
O | Toggle the objective hexes display on or off
R | Change the current unit to a different type. Generally speaking, if you need trucks, buy a truck unit, but in certain circumstances you may need to change a unit to something else. Buying a rifle company and then changing all the units to tanks is just plain silly :-), buy the correct formation type when you can. Also, changing type can cause problems sometimes, so you may need to check the unit over with the D key, and ensure things like armour are correct. In other words, this facility should not be abused.

Note, planes are artillery, and only planes can be changed to other planes, should you want a mixed flight, say as most end users expect the things to be in multiples of 2, a mixed flight of 2 different plane types can upset their count somewhat.. Be careful changing off map units to on map types, or vice versa, any on map unit of an off map formation will be a LONG way from its command unit, so will tend to be out of command control, and so not rally very well, amongst other things. Stick to changing off map gun types to other off map gun types and planes to other plane types, and you should be OK.

Z | Place and point objective hexes. (NB, objective hexes usually start with a value of 0, which the AI will naturally ignore. Many folk ask 'why does the AI not go for the objectives I placed in my scenario?', well, check that you remembered to assign them a positive value! :-> )
. | For a scenario this is how you enter the game (scenario) length in turns, IMPORTANT!, a scenario with a 0 length will end very abruptly!
# | Set reinforcement turn for this unit, at the current hex. Set reinforcement chance, this is a percentage chance of arrival per turn, NOT a one shot chance. Therefore a reinforcement with a 10 per cent chance which does not arrive on the due turn will test again on each subsequent turn after its due turn as and until it makes the chance roll or the game ends, whichever comes first.

Off map reinforcement units (air, artillery) will not arrive on map, but will be unavailable until they do arrive

(Exception, reinforcement batteries will fire Counter Battery fires, something the game scenario designers wanted to represent higher formation counter battery assets under Army etc control, not the player's to plot on map missions with, they belong to 'A General of Artillery', not to 'Lt Col Player!').

This facility could be useful to ensure, say, that the AI keeps its planes in reserve for a later phase of the game as a surprise strike (the human player may have decided that since he has seen no air activity for some time,that the AI has none..). Off map units includes gliders, if set as a reinforcement, their speed does not start to halve per turn until they are on the map.

Note that there are no restrictions to moving reinforcements about after setting them, but the thing if marked as a reinforcement will be removed from the game map at scenario start, and will use the location and facing it was in when you set it as a reinforcement.

Any non reinforcement units loaded as a passenger on a transport will automatically be given reinforcement status as passengers of that transport, so load your transport up and just set the carrier up as a reinforcement, no need to do each carried unit separately.

There are no restrictions as to arrival point, just do not use the grey hexes!, so your reinforcements could be paratroopers, or partisans appearing in the rear of the enemy. Or a massive flank march!

9 | Toggle selected unit's auxiliary status, aux, fix or none. Do NOT use with anything carrying a passenger!!
1 | "Select Human or Computer side" This button... ... allows scenario designers to pre-set Player 2 as the Human player if that is the desired side for the human to play OR preset the game to Human vs Human if the scenario was designed to be PBEM

The next and previous keys have a major difference here, in that they allow you to choose off map units (including passengers), as you just might want to be able to edit their characteristics. Note that as you can see passengers, you will see things like 'M10, passenger M10' which you don't normally see as you cannot select passengers, worry not, this is how SP points to its internal linked list of passengers, these M10s will likely be on a amphibious barge. Normally hidden from you as passengers are in normal games, unelectable. But, to be safe, it is best not to edit any unit that is a passenger as the game could possibly lose track, unload passenger units, edit them, then replace.

Auxiliary troops

These are introduced for user campaign scenarios mainly. Auxiliary troops are best seen as reinforcements given by you, the scenario designer to the player. Auxiliary troops will be added to the player's force, just like support troops, but they are additional to any support points allocated by you for this campaign node. They will appear on the list to be deployed as normal support troops if Aux status (placement hex is then irrelevant). Fixed auxiliary troops (status=fix) will remain in the hex and with the facing you design in the deployment phase, the user cannot move these troops in his deployment, they are useful for troops outside the normal deploy zone, or for critical units you do not want the player to mess with the deployment of, due to your scenario's design.

AUXILIARY TROOP NOTE [1] Auxilliary Troops cannot be used in the first battle of a User Campaign, rather only in the second or subsequent battles. [2] Fixed and auxiliary troops are NOT meant to be loaded with or as passengers! Please see the Q & A at the end for a work around for that desired loaded up truck convoy!

Notes on changing unit type and editing data

The D key and button, give you access to most of the statistics of units. You can add on a point of armour for some of your units, say to represent sandbags, layered on tracks, or logs, if desired. You can remove armour, say to have a unit without the anti bazooka side plates, or to represent a particular tank at a certain point which was known perhaps to have brittle armour. Whatever is required for your scenario. You can increase or decrease crew experience, moral, and play with the leadership values. You might want to increase the Range Finder and Fire Control values of some known elite unit, say Wittman's Tiger 1. Do not add armour to an infantry unit, gun or whatever, that is silly, but feel free to armour vehicles, say a truck with improvised plates. However, be aware that armouring some soft vehicles can cause unexpected results, so be prepared to test your changes as part of your scenario design process to ensure they work as intended.

A major field for the scenario designer to play with is the points cost. Recall that approximately half the cost of a destroyed unit is granted as part of the final score, so playing with this value can be most useful. For example, if the scenario is a convoy situation, you may want to make the convoy trucks worth 300 points or so, so that losing one will hurt the player's score. A particular pillbox may be the desired point of a commando raid to blow it up with satchel charges, if so, point it high so the destruction of the thing is the point, not any victory hex it is placed on, as a victory hex belong to whoever last walked into that hex. Then the commandos can destroy the thing and withdraw, without some enemy straggler flipping over the hex it is placed on after they depart.

Remember also that this editor when allocating ammo will allow sabot rounds even if there are none for weapon 1, no check is made. Only weapon 1 has HEAT or SABOT ammo (bar those with an internal 222 code, see Mobhack for details), and the smoke ammo is related to weapon 1. (Main weapon smoke ammo is editable for scenarios, but not in Mobhack, it is data generated inside the game, like the leader name and statistics, not from OB files).

Scenarios save most information, so that changed OOB formations and unit types tend not to cause too many problems since the original data is saved in the scenario. However, this is the original data, if all T34 are changed from say speed 21 to speed 18 in a new OOB version, the scenarios built with the old OOB will still have speed 21.

The main thing that can cause problems when OOB data is changed in a subsequent release, or by a user editing things inappropriately in Mobhack is weapons data changes, as weapon data is reloaded into a scenario from the appropriate OOB databases. A weapon change to remove say sabot from some gun can leave scenarios with units having a load of now completely useless sabot rounds. If an existing weapon OOB slot is overwritten with a completely new weapon then extremely weird things can happen to scenarios!. For example, changing the M16 rifle in the USA OOB to a new howitzer class will result in existing scenarios using USA troops having howitzers instead of rifles.

Scenario Waypoints

We allow up to 125 waypoints per formation HQ now, the old limit was a mere 10. This gives you as the scenario designer a much richer tool for crafting the AI force reaction. Set up patrol paths, flanking moves and so forth using this facility. Refer to the section on waypoints for more detail.

Making Your Scenario Introductory Text

No proper scenario is complete until you have made a text file which is the text that the user sees on selecting your scenario on the main game scenario page.

This file is a plain text file that you create in a text editor, such as notepad, not a word processor which stuffs a lot of extra nonsense into the data, a plain text only editor. It is called 'SpscnNNN.txt' and lives in the scen sub directory of the game. NNN is a 3 digit, leading zero number and is the same as the slot number you saved your scenario to, with 000 being the first slot and 999 the last.

It uses special characters to format. The code will wrap paragraphs, but is not very good at this, so it is best to manually place the CR/LF character yourself in text files. You will probably have to experiment a few times until the right hand side cut-offs appear exactly as you desire as the code is not very good at automatically wrapping the RHS of text strings correctly.

The '*' (asterix) character is used to indicate an end of line CR/LF pair.

The '_' (underscore) character is used to space titles etc, the underscores are not shown.

Generally, it is best to lay out your introductory text along the following lines:

________SCENARIO TITLE*
*
______nationality #1 *
________vs.*
______Nation #2 *
*
Date: February 24, 1941* [use the long style, with month spelt out, other nations do not use the same dd/mm/yy format as others, some use e.g. mm/dd/yy]
Location: Somewhere*
* Designed By : designer's name* [You would like the credit, no?]
*
Historical overview section, if required. [Lay out the background here, as it applies to both sides. Leave nation specific stuff to the national briefs below]
*
*
__nationality #1 MISSION STATEMENT*
[Lay out what is required for player 1 to play the scenario, intelligence briefing, what he is expected to do, any special conditions in this section]
*
* __nationality 2 MISSION STATEMENT (if required)*
[Normally, player 1 is the human player, and player 2 is the computer. This section is therefore only required if this scenario has been designed to be played either way, or as a human versus human scenario. If the computer side is not designed to be played by a human, say so here!]
*
__Special notes*
*
* place any special requirements or recommendation's here, e.g., that this scenario is not designed to be played with a human as player 1, or suggested reality settings. (Even if you laid these out above, repeat, for emphasis)

Naturally, feel free to do it your way, but the above is a useful template to start off with.

Note the underscores used to lay out headings, and the asterix used to end lines (=CR/LF).

Distributing Your Scenario

A scenario is simply another form of save game, it therefore consists of the 3 parts SpscnNNN.txt if you provided this (and you should do so, it is the only way to talk to the end user!), SpscnNNN.cmt and SpscnNNN.dat. Remember that NNN is the slot number you saved to. As with PBEM games, you can open the .cmt file to see the game title in notepad but do not edit this, should you forget which is which, and select 'sort by name' so all the appropriate files are shown together in Explorer. Read only!

Zip the 3 files up, add any text file you need to the zip (assume the end user will not read this, they hardly ever do, heck hardly any read game manuals like this one!, consider yourself a cut above the average end user for having actually opened the game guide <G!>). Send to a friend, or post at sites which have SP scenarios. Include your email address in the end section of the intro text file, assume as I say that nobody will read any readme.txt file you supply in the zip.

One point, if you use slot 19, and someone else has already used slot 19 in their installation, your scenario will overwrite the existing number 19. The end user should know that he should manually renumber the scenarios as desired, but most do not, even though it is in the manual.. But remind them of this in your 'never-ever-readme.txt' file. And be prepared for complaints from those who never read these things, and toast their existing scenario..

WinSPWW2 and WinSPMBT scenarios are not compatible with each other due to database differences. WinSPWW2 maps can be brought over to WinSPMBT however, and vice versa

Scenario Question & Answer Section

Q: In the User Campaign when I design a scenario using vehicles with passengers in fixed/aux status, I find those passengers standing around in various locations on the map during the Deploy phase.
A: This is a known problem with fixed/aux passengers. To avoid this when designing scenarios for the User Campaign, load the passengers, set the vehicle as fixed/aux and then set the vehicle as Reinforcement, turn 1. The vehicle with its passengers properly embarked will then arrive at the beginning of Turn 1. (Andy says, Fixed Auxiliaries were not designed for passengers, they are meant to be fully deployed troops! .

Q: What is the 'Fix Cmd Button' used for?

A: This is only to update scenarios built for versions prior to WinSPWW2 version 5, to input the correct command level details so 'P' for platoon etc appear on the roster list. Use if upgrading an old scenario, otherwise ignore. (It was really only introduced for the The Camo Workshop scenario design team and was going to go, but then we realised some of you may have scenarios built for old versions which need this small data massage!).

Installing Third Party Scenarios

Some folk seem to have problems with this process, and 'lose' existing scenarios. Each scenario set supplied should provide this basic information in its readme.txt file, but here is the process.

1) Get your scenario downloaded, these will usually be together in a zip file. If you do not know what a zip file is, you will likely need one go to www.winzip.com and download the utility, it is usable without registration, but nags you after a while. Learn how to use the utility.

2) Unzip the files to a scratch directory, not directly to the \scen sub directory of WinSPWW2! You do not want to unzip directly into the \scen directory as the supplied scenarios may overwrite your existing scenarios, if the designer has used the same slot numbers as somebody else. [That is why you 'lose' existing scenarios, if your old one was Scen003 and the new one from some other designer is also numbered Scen003]

3) Open up the scratch directory in Windows Explorer, and read any readme.txt file the scenario designer supplied. He should note in this how to change numbers but here is what you do:

3.1) Check the scenario files supplied against the ones already in your \scen files directory, if these use the same numbers, they will overwrite your existing files. If no clash, move them over using Windows explorer in the usual manner.

3.2) If any of the files use the same numbers, say you have a spscn019 set already, then you must manually edit the numbers used in the new scenarios to a disused number in the 000 to 999 range (with leading zeros). You may decide on slot number 42 say (and up, if it is a bundle of scenarios). Simply use the normal Windows file rename process, and change the numeric portion of the file name only entering 042 in the first (if a series) 042 in the second for each file in the set. So the set spscn019.txt (if provided), spscn019.dat and spscn019.cmt get renamed to spscn042.txt (if provided), spscn042.dat and spscn042.cmt. The supplied slot 19 scenario is now ready to be moved over into your \scen sub directory, where it will no longer overwrite the existing 019 set, and will be available in the game in the 43rd scenario slot (000 being the first index).

(If you do not know how to rename files, or use explorer, refer to your Microsoft Windows help files.)

Only use WinSPWW2 scenarios and campaigns- do not load SP1, SP2, SP3, WinSPWW2 or SPWaW scenarios or campaign data files into your WinSPWW2 \scen directory, the save files are not compatible between game versions, but attempting to load 'foreign' data files into the wrong SP version seems to be a very common error.

User Campaign Editor

The Camo Workshop user campaigns will utilise the first few slots on page, and advance downwards, so you may consider using higher campaign numbers for your own user campaigns.

In Steel panthers 3, you could link up to 12 scenarios in a strictly end to end linear succession to form a user campaign. In SP1 and SP2, there was no way at all to make a campaign of your own design.

As you may have gathered from looking at the above screen shot, the The Camo Workshop WinSPWW2 and WinSPMBT user campaigns allow a lot more flexibility than that! :-). We allow up to 999 scenario nodes in a user campaign, not 12.

Our campaigns are also not linear, the battle result is used to determine the next scenario node to play, hence our campaigns can be 'threaded'.

User campaign editing is not for the faint hearted, it is for experienced scenario designers only. The following is aimed at that target audience, and as a general guide, you will require to experiment to get your campaigns right, much more so than you would with scenario design.

This is a 'live menu' screen. Live menus have 'live text' whenever you put the mouse over the text, most of these text fields are in fact 'buttons'.

Campaign Name, click the campaign name field and enter a new one, default is 'A campaign with no name'.

National Flag, click the flag to change the player's nationality.

Save, Saves the campaign data

Exit, leaves without saving

VICTORY these fields are used to determine the campaign end result in victory points (VP) At the moment 3 VP for a decisive battle victory, 2 for a win, 1 for a draw. (SSI campaign default) [We may change these values if designers think say a 0 1 2 4 8 type sequence is better, in a later release]

ML LEVEL enter the VP score needed to be met to gain a marginal loss of the entire campaign (failure to meet this level is taken as a decisive loss of the campaign)

== LEVEL enter the VP to be met for a draw of the entire campaign

MV LEVEL enter the minimum VP score required to be met to win the campaign marginally

DV enter the VP level which if met or exceeded results in a decisive level of victory for the entire campaign.

As a rule of thumb, count along the 'straight path' through your campaign, and assign perhaps 2.5 to 2.8 points times the number of battles in a row, all at DV exit level to reach the campaign end. So if the quick path through your campaign was say 10 battles, then a VP level of maybe 25 to 28 (out of a possible 30 VP) would be a useful first approximation of the DV level needed to win the campaign decisively, and scale the rest from there, here at 1 point for a draw, perhaps 15 for that level, and the win, but not decisively about half way between the draw and the decisive level.

BPR DIV This stands for 'Build Points Remaining Divisor'. This field gives the designer the ability to reward a player who has a surplus of build points left over at campaign end with a bonus amount of VP. Only unspent Build Points left in the player's 'kitty' count to this total. A player who completes the campaign with unspent Buy Points may have had an easier or more successful run than someone who goes the same set route of battles, but has spent all his points as he went along, either in repairs or upgrades. This bonus therefore rewards the more prudent player (or perhaps the one who uses a smaller core force, and does not expand it much) or the one who completes more missions with less loss, and hence less repairs required. If this field is left at 0, excess Build Points are ignored, only the basic VP are used to determine campaign victory level. If, however this field is set to a positive number, then the amount of Build Points remaining will be divided by this number then the factor is added to the VP total for battles won. For example, entering 1000 here will add 1 VP per full 1000 remaining BP at end of campaign to the VP already gained for winning battles.

Scenario Nodes each node (battle location) has a set of fields:

The Number, At the left hand side, this denotes the node number, But it is also a LIVE FIELD. Pressing a node number field results in that number being entered as a selection, This number is then automatically pasted into any of the Exit fields you then left click on. This saves an awful lot of typing!, simply select node 123 by licking its number field, then fill all the EXIT fields which need 123 in them. A note is placed at the foot of the screen showing the value of the current selection, for your information. Click on this field to clear the selection. A live field is also provided at the foot of the page with 1000 as a value, select this to enter a selection value of 1000, the terminator node number. 1000 in an Exit field of a node is the signal to end the campaign.

Node 0 (the first one on the list) is the Start battle location for the campaign.

Scenario Name, to the right of the Number field. Press this and If the scenario is 'No Scenario' then the list of available scenarios is displayed.

1) The scenario name appears at that battle node number

2) The original scenario is copied as a template, then it is saved off as a campaign scenario file, with a note displayed confirming this. (See campaign files later). Therefore you can reuse the one scenario several times at different node locations, provided that the dates are correct!!

The end user does not require the scenario file to be installed in his scenario directory, you will distribute the scenario data files which contain your nodes scenario data.

IF there is a already scenario name, then pressing again clears the name. (But does not delete the node files generated, you may need to manually delete these if not overwritten with new game data)

Scenario Exit Branches, there are 5 of these for each scenario battle node. From left to right, DL, go to this battle node if the battle was a decisive loss for the player ML, go here if the player lost marginally ==, go to this location if the battle resulted in a draw MV, goto this location if the player has won a marginal victory DV, goto this location if the player won a decisive victory NB, remember that 1000 is the magic number for termination of the entire campaign at that exit point.

These numbers act differently depending on whether or not a selection is 'live' (see Number above). If a selection is live, then the value of the current selection is automatically entered on pressing the exit link field, but if there is no selection currently live, you will be asked to manually enter the number.

Build for Node 0, this will be the initial buy points for the entire campaign, as node 0 is the starting battle. For subsequent nodes, this field is the repair/upgrade points received at the start of that battle. Leaving this field at 0 results in whatever game defaults are in use being used as the basis of calculating the build points for the battle or campaign (if node 0). Entering a positive number results in this amount of points being granted to the user as a maximum, i.e. this is a 'cap' to the number of points granted (if the user has set preferences to a lower level, or his core is small for example, so the game generates a lower number, he will get less than this. If the game generates a larger number, this cap value will be used). Entering a negative number results in what I call a 'locked points' campaign. The user is given this amount of points (returned to him as a positive value!) and this overrides any user set preferences (so if the game decided on say 49 points, but you had entered,55 the player gets 55 whatever the game thinks). Thus a value of,1200 for node 0 gives the player 1200 start points to buy his core, and a value of,123 for battle node 1 will result in him being granted 123 buy points on starting that scenario to build or repair with. This method gives the designer the most control, and removes the problem of someone say selecting 3000 points at the outset of a campaign you designed to start with say 600 points and so destroying your careful balance of battles. (You should mention if a campaign is 'locked' on the introductory text screen for it to notify the end user of the fact.)

Support This field controls the amount of support points granted for each battle to purchase non-core units. Again, leave at 0 to use game defaults, a positive number for your 'recommended' level which the user preferences can override, and a negative value to use as a locked value, which the end user will not be able to override.

Flights This field is used to determine the number of flights made available to player 1 (The human), player 2 (the computer's) flights are whatever you put into his force in the scenario design. -1 uses the current game preferences setting (XXX or whatever the user has entered), 0 is no planes at all, positive numbers allows that number of air strikes.

Variable start lines in user campaigns, when designing the scenario, you can enter a start line which deviates from the normal 25 or 50 of the default battles, use the '%' key in the map editor to assign a start line for usage only in user campaign battles, and only for the human (player No 1). This allows the user campaign designer a latitude of freedom similar to a scenario set up.

Overall though, the best way to find out how the campaign system works is by making and experimenting with a few small test ones, even 2 battle ones. Only a foolish person would dive right in and try a 50 battle mega campaign as a starting point!

User Campaign Design

When using a scenario for a campaign, take care to note that the human player will ALWAYS be player number 1 (i.e. his flag is on the LEFT hand side when the scenario is in the editor).. This does not mean he plays on the left side remember! The player 1 forces for the scenario are REMOVED to be replaced with player bought forces. Player 2 forces will remain. Best to buy an HQ unit anyway for safety.

The name given to the scenario in the Scenario Editor, number of moves, and visibility etc. will all be used. ABOVE ALL, the scenario date will be used for the battle date!, do NOT use a 1939 scenario after a 1944 one, or you will warp back in time! Another date related item, certain nations will use different sides of the battlefield depending on opponent and date. If you use a scenario as a battle location where say the original designer has 'swapped sides' then you can end up with both sides having the same deployment side of the map! The key one that causes confusion is where a scenario was designed for one nation (say USA) as player #1, and you use a different nationality (say USSR) from the original scenario player #1 as the human player nation in the user campaign.

It is therefore best to test each scenario you intend to use in a 'test rig' campaign consisting of precisely 1 battle location, you can use this in succession, replacing the scenario with each of the set you plan to use. Load the scenario to test, save the test campaign and start it, you should quickly determine if it is one where the enemy is on the wrong map side at that date and time. You may need to redo the scenario.

You can reuse a scenario several times over, say if you place it on a different 'thread line' depending on earlier victory or loss situations in the scenario line of progression. If all the parameters stay the same, fine, just use it as it stands. However, you may need to adjust the battle date if the time line for the scenario differs in the new thread. Just load the scenario into the editor, change the date (you could change the name too!), and save in a scratch file, then use that scratch file in your user campaign.

It is not a very good idea to loop backwards in the campaign flow. This could create endless loops, and going back to battle 0 is not likely to be a good idea either. Probably the best idea is to lay down your 'decisive victory' main thread as the first sequence of battles, this will be the series of battles the end user plays should he win decisively in all battles to the campaign end. Use that as the backbone to your campaign design. Then, say, write a thread of battles from the marginal victory of battle 0, and lay this down after the main backbone thread. This thread may rejoin the main thread after a decisive victory, say.

You cannot easily enter (insert in between, rather) new nodes, so do not write a campaign 'on the fly' as you make it up, otherwise you will end up with a tangle of 'spaghetti code' which will be nigh on impossible to maintain. Plan your campaign, and write your battle flow as a proper flow chart on paper first. Also, there are 999 locations here, and most user campaigns will not use anywhere near that number, one idea would be to space your initial nodes apart say 3 or 4 lines, thus leaving space for last minute additions to be inserted later on, without as much grief. Any of you who ever programmed in one of those BASIC compilers which had no 'renumber' command in the editor will know why the default was to number lines with an interval of 10!

User Campaign Files

The campaign data is saved in the /scen directory in the format UCAMPNNN.DAT (User campaign 999 would therefore be Ucamp999.dat) Each battle file for each scenario is saved off in the form CNNNSXXX.DAT (Battle 1 for campaign 0 would therefore be C000s001.dat)

Note, once you have used the 'advance of the guards' scenario as a template in say node 123, the data will be saved off into a separate copy for the scenario, there is no need to supply 'advance of the guards' to the user (unless you really want to). You have distributed it to the user as CNNNSXXX.DAT. If you need to use a particular scenario at different places in your campaign, just place it at each node as required, provided all details (especially the DATE!) will be exactly the same. If, however you need variants of the scenario (even just slightly different dates to fit the campaign 'chain') either, create as many clones and edit them in the editor as required, then link into the campaign in 1 campaign edit session, or just use the one, link and save in the campaign editor once, save the campaign and exit, edit the scenario details as required, exit and save from scenario editor and re enter the campaign editor and link the altered version. That decision is up to you. Also recall, in your scenarios written for campaigns, there will be no need to buy any troops or place them for player 1, bar the HQ say as a placeholder, for these will all be removed from the map in any case.

User Campaign Text Files

You can write an introductory text file for the scenario, which is displayed on selecting the campaign on the main game selection screen. Use a text editor like notepad to generate a file and save it with a filename of the format UcampNNN.txt, and that text will display when the user selects your campaign on the game menu. Ucamp0001.txt would therefore display for campaign slot 1 (recall these are indexed from zero!).

Do not use a word processor, and ensure your text is USA ASCII compliant (no umlauts, stuff like that).

For each scenario you can write both introductory text and exit text files. All take the form UCCCLNNN.txt where:

CCC | is the campaign number (000 to 999)
L | is the ID letter for the message text file for each of the following game events:

i = the scenario introductory text message, played on entry to game
a, the text displayed at end game if the user loses bad ly
b, same, but user has merely lost
c, text displayed if the battle is a draw
d, congratulatory text on user winning the scenario
e, the text displayed if he won decisively

NNN | is the battle node number (000 to 998)

The introductory text file for a scenario is displayed at the entry to the scenario, it is scrolling text, and I have tried a 25K file. The exit texts can be used to taunt or congratulate the user on his progress, and give campaign progress info etc. All the text files are optional, but really should be prepared for a professional campaign. If the intro texts are not provided or not found, no adverse effect. If the exit texts are not found or provided, the default SSI exit texts are used (Scendd.txt etc. from the \scen directory).

Note, use the SSI text formatting characters, as with any scenario introductory text:

* | is used for a CR/LF pair (new line or empty line) and are not displayed
___ (underscores) | are used to align (e.g. centre) text and are not displayed

Distributing Your User Campaign

Bundle up: UcampNNN.dat, UcampNNN.txt (if used), all the generated CNNNSXXX.DAT scenario files, and any UCCCLNNN.txt files you created. Wrap these up in a ZIP file, and instruct the user to extract to his \Campaigns directory.

Better yet, use some form of self extracting executable file installer, we have found that simple things like ZIP files, even PDF document files, confuse many less computer literate end users. Also, a decent install program will at least put the readme files in front of your end users eyes at least once, should you have readme files. Assume the end user will not read the readme files in any case, 90% will not, from our experience. Go to www.clickteam.com for a shareware install maker (which we used for this game ).

Note, if the end user has a campaign NNN installed already. In this case Your campaign will have to overwrite the existing one (you cannot simply rename the campaign files to a different slot number as with scenarios - the internal data files refer to the campaign ID (slot) number). In this case the user will have to extract whichever campaign NNN he wants to play from his ZIP archive.

WinSPWW2 Unit Classes

Unit Class Names & Numbers, any special abilities

UnitClass 0=Fort | Stationary - can have turret if correct icons provided now
UnitClass 1=Infantry | Base infantry type, cloned by many others
UnitClass 2=Inf-AT | Base infantry AT weapon type
UnitClass 3=Cavalry | Infantry type, on horses
UnitClass 4=Machine Gun | Base MMG/HMG (tripod) type
UnitClass 5=Mortar | Fires indirect
UnitClass 6=AT Gun | Base AT gun type
UnitClass 7=Infantry Gun | Fires indirect
UnitClass 8=Flak | Fires at aircraft
UnitClass 9=Howitzer | Fires indirect
UnitClass 10=Off Map Artillery | offmap, fires indirect
UnitClass 11=Armoured Car | All terrain wheeled (default) armoured vehicle
UnitClass 12=Light Tank | Tank Clone
UnitClass 13=Medium Tank | Tracked AFV, basic armoured vehicle type
UnitClass 14=Heavy Tank | Tank Clone
UnitClass 15=Close Support Tank | Tank Clone, may have smoke shells in non command units
UnitClass 16=Infantry Support Gun | Now for direct fire type Infantry Gun only - use UnitClass 154 Infantry Howitzer for indirect IG firers
UnitClass 17=Flame Tank | Tank Clone
UnitClass 18=Assault Gun | Tank Clone
UnitClass 19=Tank Destroyer | Tank Clone
UnitClass 20=Engineer | Infantry clone, clears mines and Dragons Teeth
UnitClass 21=SP Artillery | Fires Indirect
UnitClass 22=SP Flak | Fires AAA
UnitClass 23=APC (Wheel) | Protects carried troops
UnitClass 24=APC (Halftrack) | Protects carried troops
UnitClass 25=APC (Track) | Protects carried troops
UnitClass 26=Utility Vehicle | soft skin
UnitClass 27=Medium Truck | soft skin
UnitClass 28=Heavy Truck | soft skin
UnitClass 29=Infantry AAMG | Fires AAA
UnitClass 30=Prototype Tank | Tank Clone. For all the "what if" tanks
UnitClass 31=Off Map Rocket Arty | Fires Indirect
UnitClass 32=Scout Vehicle | Armoured car type
UnitClass 33=Light Ambhibian | Swims (if OB designer remembered)
UnitClass 34=Heavy Ambhibian | Swims (if OB designer remembered), bought in beach assaults in some armies
UnitClass 35=Amphibian Tank | Swims (if OB designer remembered)
UnitClass 36=Mine Clearing Tank | Clears mines and DT
UnitClass 37=Engineer Tank | Clone of 36, Clears mines and DT
UnitClass 38=SP Mortar | Fires Indirect
UnitClass 39=SP Gun | Tank Clone
UnitClass 40=Heavy Infantry | Infantry clone
UnitClass 41=Landing Barge | Can be carried by barge carrier, default buy for beach assault transport
UnitClass 42=Assault Boat | Given 1 per rifle squad in river assault (only squads given a raft by the AI buy routines can carry a raft)
UnitClass 43=LCS | Barge type, fires Indirect
UnitClass 44=Aircraft | Strike plane type
UnitClass 45=Sniper | Size 0 gives extra hide and extra difficult to hit abilities. Extra inbuilt accuracy.
UnitClass 46=LCG | Barge type, fires direct
UnitClass 47=Glider | Was old SP2 transport helicopter. Speed halved per turn after arrival.
UnitClass 48=Barge Carrier | Comes loaded with one AI selected barge.
UnitClass 49=Motorcycle | Infantry type.
UnitClass 50 =Air OP Aircraft | Air type - was attack helicopter in SP2
UnitClass 51=Light Infantry | Infantry clone
UnitClass 52 =AT(Wheeled) | Wheeled vehicle AT type
UnitClass 53 = helicopter | Helicopter
UnitClass 54=Crew | special infantry type generated from destroyed tank, gun, or bunker.
UnitClass 55=HQ | Special infantry type used for A0, better artillery spotter than other 0 unit types
UnitClass 56=Ammo Carrier | Replenishes ammunition expended. Both supplier and customer must be halted and in range for the supply unit (see below). AMMO CARRIER This can be anything including a normal ammo truck (even if armoured), 40 ammo supply points per move. Range 1 hex.

AMMO CANISTER, crew is 1 and speed must be 0, usually transportable, supplies small ammo only (to WH size 3), low supply points per move (20 ammo points) (Originally the ammo box icon for this was done only for a particular WinSPWW2 scenario using German paras (who only dropped armed with pistols), but left in for specialised scenario usage). Range 1 hex.

AMMO DUMP, 6 or more men, speed must be 0, loadcost>49, an ammo dump supplies at lower rate (~1/2 rate) at 2 hexes range, full rate at 1 or less, has more supply per move (60 ammo points)

NB, ammo units no longer supply points to an infinite number of 'customers' as in previous SP games, they supply one customer until it is topped off, then move on to the next. The order will be in unit list order (units further up the roster will be supplied first). You cannot cluster an entire company round 1 ammo truck and have all load equally any more.

Ammo resupply is based on the Warhead size of the weapon, WH 1 rifle ammo gets more rounds resupplied than a size 10 missile for example.

When destroyed, ammo units may generate secondary explosions in their own and nearby hexes. These are effectively 1000lb bomb bursts.

UnitClass 57=FO Vehicle | Vehicle which acts as artillery observer
UnitClass 58=Scout | Infantry clone
UnitClass 59=Gun Tank | Tank Clone - was called 'command tank'
UnitClass 60=Cargo Plane | Air type which carries troops, drops paratroopers
UnitClass 61=Transport Aircraft | Air type which carries and drops paratroops
UnitClass 62=Bomber | Carpet bomber type
UnitClass 63=Art Observer | Infantry type with special artillery spotting and quick calling facility.
UnitClass 64=Medium Infantry | Infantry clone
UnitClass 65=LMG Section | Infantry clone
UnitClass 66=SMG Section | Infantry clone
UnitClass 67=Rifle Section | Infantry clone
UnitClass 68=Rifle Squad | Infantry clone
UnitClass 69=Mechanised Infantry | Infantry clone
UnitClass 70=Heavy Mech Infantry | Infantry clone
UnitClass 71=Medium Mech Infantry | Infantry clone
UnitClass 72=Light Mech Infantry | Infantry clone
UnitClass 73=Mech Support Squad | Infantry clone
UnitClass 74=Mech SMG Squad | Infantry clone
UnitClass 75=Irregulars | Infantry clone. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 76=Partisans | Infantry clone
UnitClass 77=Partisan Support | Infantry clone
UnitClass 78=Partisan Band | Infantry clone
UnitClass 79=Native Troops | Infantry clone. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 80=Partisan Scouts | Infantry clone
UnitClass 81=Mech Scouts | Infantry clone
UnitClass 82=Patrol | Infantry clone
UnitClass 83=Commandos | Infantry clone, less problems with impassable terrain crossing. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 84=Commando Support | Commando clone. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 85=Light Commando | Commando clone. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 86=Medium Commandos | Commando clone. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 87=Heavy Commandos | Commando clone. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 88=Commando Scouts | Commando clone. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 89=Guards Infantry | Infantry clone
UnitClass 90=Guards SMG Squad | Infantry clone
UnitClass 91=Light Guards Squad | Infantry clone
UnitClass 92=Medium Guards Squad | Infantry clone
UnitClass 93=Heavy Guards Squad | Infantry clone
UnitClass 94=Guards Scouts | Infantry clone
UnitClass 95=Guards Support Squad | Infantry clone
UnitClass 96=Paratroops | Infantry clone, will be able to jump out of planes with less casualties on landing than non-paratroopers
UnitClass 97=Paratroop Support | Paratroop clone. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 98=Para light Infantry | Paratroop clone. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 99=Para Medium Infantry | Paratroop clone. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 100=Para SMG Squad | Paratroop clone. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 101=Paratroop Scouts | Paratroop clone. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 102=Cruiser Tank | Tank Clone
UnitClass 103=Heavy Cruiser | Tank Clone (not a warship - what UK called Grants, 6 pdr Crusaders..)
UnitClass 104=CS Cruiser Tank | Close Support Tank clone.
UnitClass 105=Infantry Tank | Tank Clone
UnitClass 106=CS Infantry Tank | Close Support Tank clone.
UnitClass 107=Super Heavy Tank | Tank Clone
UnitClass 108=Heavy Armoured Car | Armoured car clone
UnitClass 109=Wagon | Truck type Clone
UnitClass 110=Marines | Infantry clone
UnitClass 111=Rangers | Commando clone. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 112=Marine Light Infantry | Infantry clone
UnitClass 113=Marine Support Squad | Infantry clone
UnitClass 114=Ranger Support Squad | Commando clone
UnitClass 115=Waffen SS Squad | Infantry clone
UnitClass 116=SS SMG Squad | Infantry clone
UnitClass 117=Legionnaires | Infantry clone. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 118=Legion SMG Squad | Infantry clone. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 119=Legion Support Wpns | Infantry clone
UnitClass 120=Lend-Lease Tank | Tank Clone
UnitClass 121=Tankette | Tank Clone
UnitClass 122=Support Tankette | Tank Clone
UnitClass 123=Cruiser Gun Tank | Tank Clone
UnitClass 124=Light Infantry Tank | Tank Clone
UnitClass 125=Gun APC (HalfTrack) | APC clone, protects passengers.
UnitClass 126=Gun APC (Wheeled) | Clone of 125, default move class is AT_Wheel
UnitClass 127=Gun APC (Tracked) | Clone of 125, default move class is Tracked. (125-127 report name as same in game)
UnitClass 128=Light SPAA Vehicle | Clone of 22
UnitClass 129=Tiger Plt CS Tank | Close Support Tank clone.
UnitClass 130=SP Infantry Gun | IG on SP chassis - same shorter min range cf SPA (21)
UnitClass 131=Cavalry Tank | Tank Clone
UnitClass 132=Light Cavalry Tank | Tank Clone
UnitClass 133=Light SP Mortar | Clone of 38.
UnitClass 134=DD Tank | Sherman DD only, uses different graphic in water, cannot fire in water, easy to sink by puncturing the canvas DD screen
UnitClass 135=Snorkel Tank | Uses snort icon in water, cannot fire when so, difficult to hit snort.
UnitClass 136=Improvised APC | APC clone, protects passengers.
UnitClass 137=SP Rocket Launcher | SP rocket launcher
UnitClass 138=Heavy Transporter | Truck Clone
UnitClass 139=Self Propelled Gun | Tank Clone
UnitClass 140=Pioneers | Engineer clone
UnitClass 141=Para Engineers | Paratroop clone, engineer abilities. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 142=Para Inf-AT | Inf-AT Clone, Paratrooper abilities. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 143=Para Sniper | Sniper Clone, Paratrooper abilities.
UnitClass 144=Para MG | MG Clone, Paratrooper abilities.
UnitClass 145=Commando Engineers | Commando clone, engineer abilities. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 146=Commando Inf-AT | Inf-AT Clone, Commando abilities. Hand To Hand combat bonus.
UnitClass 147=Commando Sniper | Sniper Clone, Commando abilities.
UnitClass 148=Lancers | Cavalry Clone, extra hand to hand bonus at range 0 over other cavalry, wagons
UnitClass 149=Cavalry Mounts | Cavalry Clone
UnitClass 150=Cavalry Scouts | Cavalry Clone
UnitClass 151=Rocket Launcher | On map artillery, fires rockets.
UnitClass 152=Heavy Mortar | Mortar Clone.
UnitClass 153=Light Mortar | Mortar Clone, minimum range halved.
UnitClass 154=Infantry Howitzer | On map artillery, min range halved, use for indirect capable IG and mountain guns.
UnitClass 155=Heavy Artillery | Off Map Artillery clone.
UnitClass 156=Light Artillery | Off Map Artillery clone.
UnitClass 157=Light AT Gun | AT Gun clone.
UnitClass 158=Heavy AT Gun | AT Gun clone.
UnitClass 159=Captured Tank | Tank Clone
UnitClass 160=Reserve Infantry | Infantry clone
UnitClass 161=Reserve Sup't Squad | Infantry clone
UnitClass 162=Ski Troops | Infantry clone, snow terrain abilities.
UnitClass 163=Heavy Ski Troops | Ski Troops clone.
UnitClass 164=Ski Sniper | Sniper Clone, Ski abilities
UnitClass 165=Ski Inf-AT | Inf-AT Clone, Ski abilities
UnitClass 166=Ski Pioneers | Ski Troops clone, engineer abilities
UnitClass 167=Snow Vehicle | Truck type Clone, snow terrain abilities.
UnitClass 168=Ski Scouts | Ski Troops clone
UnitClass 169=Ski SMG Squad | Ski Troops clone
UnitClass170=Guards Engineers | Engineer Clone
UnitClass171=Marine Engineers | Engineer Clone
UnitClass172=Bicycle Squad | Replaces old usage of Motorcycle class for bicyclists
UnitClass173=Para Mortar Team | Paratrooper direct fire light/medium mortar class
UnitClass174=Waffen SS Engineers | Engineer Clone
UnitClass175=Airborne Lt Tank | Special light tank, for hamilcar glider landing
UnitClass176=Ghurkas | Infantry class with good hand to hand (Kukri) skills
UnitClass177=Ghurka Hvy Section | For Platoon HQ etc in Ghurka formations
UnitClass178=Police | Infantry Clone
UnitClass179=Hvy Bicycle Squad | Clone of bicyclists
UnitClass180=Artillery Prime Mover | Special type for heavy artillery prime transport
UnitClass181=AA Truck | as SPAA, but on soft truck
UnitClass182=Pack Animals | Implemented now in V5 - a cavalry (horse based) transport unit
UnitClass183=Light Truck | Same as light truck above, but assumed to be 4WD (mc=ATW)
UnitClass184=Airborne Field Howitzer | Special Artillery piece, for airborne unit usage
UnitClass185=Waffen SS Hvy Infantry | Infantry Clone
UnitClass186=Waffen SS Rifle Squad | Infantry Clone
UnitClass187=Motorcycle(Light Inf) | motorcycle clone
UnitClass188=Motorcycle(Heavy Inf) | motorcycle clone
UnitClass189=Militia | Infantry Clone
UnitClass190=Light Militia | Infantry Clone
UnitClass191=Heavy Militia | Infantry Clone
UnitClass192=Militia Support | Infantry Clone
UnitClass193= MG Unit | MMG/HMG (tripod) Clone (Extra MG classes were required for e.g. individual MG units, or because some OB's had so many variations of MG numbers)
UnitClass194=MG Section | MMG/HMG (tripod) Clone
UnitClass195=Engineer Support Squad | Engineer Clone
UnitClass196=Pack Howitzer | Howitzer clone
UnitClass197=Rivercraft | LCG clone
UnitClass198=Torpedo Boat | LCG clone
UnitClass199=Patrol Boat | LCG clone
UnitClass200=Mortar | Mortar clone
UnitClass201=Mortar | Mortar clone
UnitClass202=Mortar | Mortar clone
UnitClass203=Mtn Infantry Sqd | Ranger Clone
UnitClass204=Mtn Lt Infantry Sqd | Ranger Clone
UnitClass205=Mtn Hvy Infantry Sqd | Ranger Clone
UnitClass206=Mtn Support Squad | Ranger Clone
UnitClass207=Mtn Pioneer Squad | Ranger Clone plus Engineer Clone
UnitClass208=Mtn Scout | Ranger Clone plus Scout Clone
UnitClass209=Mtn Sniper | Ranger Clone plus Sniper Clone
UnitClass210=Mtn Forward Observer | Ranger Clone plus Forward Observer Clone
UnitClass211=Medium Cavalry | Cavalry Clone
UnitClass212=Para Forward Observer | Paratooper Clone plus Forward Observer Clone
UnitClass213=Marine Heavy Infantry | Infantry Clone
UnitClass214=Marine Scout | Scout Clone
UnitClass215=Marine Sniper | Sniper Clone
UnitClass216=Marine Forward Observer | Forward Observer Clone
UnitClass217=Marine Anti-Tank | Infantry Anti-Tank Clone
UnitClass218=Dismounted Cavalry | Infantry Clone
UnitClass219=Ranger Pioneer | Ranger Clone plus Engineer Clone
UnitClass220=Colonial Infantry | Infantry Clone
UnitClass221=Colonial Light Infantry | Infantry Clone
UnitClass222=Colonial Heavy Infantry | Infantry Clone
UnitClass223=Colonial Support Infantry | Infantry Clone
UnitClass224=Colonial Field Gun | Fires Indirect
UnitClass225=Colonial Scout | Scout Clone
UnitClass226=Marksman | Sniper Clone v2.0
UnitClass227=Colonial Cavalry | Cavalry Clone
UnitClass228=Colonial Cavalry Scout | Cavalry Scout Clone
UnitClass229=Colonial Lt Cavalry | Cavalry Clone
UnitClass230=Colonial Armoured Car | Armoured Car Clone
UnitClass231=Colonial Tank | Tank Clone
UnitClass232=Armoured Truck | Armoured Car Clone
UnitClass233=Machine Gun Section | Machine Gun Clone v2.0
UnitClass234=Partisan Squad | Infantry Clone
UnitClass235=Partisan Pioneer | Engineer Clone
UnitClass236=Militia Scout | Scout Clone
UnitClass237=Field Gun | Fires Indirect
UnitClass238=Anti-Tank Gun | Anti-Tank Gun Clone
UnitClass239=Light Ski Infantry | Ski Infantry Clone
UnitClass240=Light Armoured Car | Armoured Car Clone
UnitClass241=Machine Gun Team | Machine Gun Clone
UnitClass242=Mortar(Sub Type D) | Mortar Clone
UnitClass243=Ground Attack | Fighter Bomber Clone
UnitClass244=Reserved | Reserved for future use
UnitClass245=Ranger Lt Inf Squad | Ranger Clone
UnitClass246=Ranger Hvy Inf Squad | Ranger Clone
UnitClass247=Ranger Scout | Ranger Clone plus Scout Clone
UnitClass248=Ranger Sniper | Ranger Clone plus Sniper Clone
UnitClass249=Ranger Forward Observer | Ranger Clone plus Forward Observer Clone
UnitClass250=Mountain Pioneer Support | Ranger Clone plus Engineer Clone
UnitClass251=Native Scouts | Native Troops Clone plus Scout Clone
UnitClass252=APC | APC Clone
UnitClass253=Tank | Tank Clone
UnitClass254=Bunker | Fortifications Clone
UnitClass255=Heavy Glider | Glider Clone

Non technical types might ask why so many classes are just clones (copies) of base classes, well, it is mainly of use in designing formations. The multitude of new classes allows the OB designer to write far more realistic OB files. Note also that any 'elite' or 'poor quality' comes from the formation that is used to hold the units, not the class, a Guards squad has no inherent elite nature, this comes from the 2 fields shown in the formation purchase screen. OB designers, note that anything marked as unused or not yet implemented should not be used for custom OB files!.

Map Generator screen

The map generator can be accessed from two places. If you are editing a map in the main game EDITOR press the " , " ( comma ) key shortcut and this message will appear at the bottom of your screen. If you enter 500 the screen shown above will appear. The second place this can be accessed is from the VIEW MAP SCREEN by pressing this button.

The random Map generator lets you utilise all the various random map generation vaiables to experiment with creating your own randomised maps. The map Generator takes its basic settings from the Scenario Map Editor, such as type of map (Winter, Summer etc) and type of trees (Jungle or normal), as well as whether or not to use paddy fields.

As well, the Map Generator will pick up whatever batloc ( Battle Location ) map variables of either :

a] the default maps for the two opponents you have set in the editor based on month and year or

b] the terrain values of the batloc number you enter using the "," comma key When you enter 500 and the Map Generator appears you will see most of the numbers we use to generate a random map. Some of the numbers we use in the code can be modified by you in the editor.

The seasons are one example. Those can be adjusted in the editor before going into the Generator. If you enter map ID 119 as Summer in June it will pick up all the appropriate terrain features for a summer map in June. If you tried that same batloc number with the controls set to Winter in June you'll get a winter style map and the terrain tiles will be carried into the Generator so it is very important you familiarize yourself with all the new terrain features in the editor before doing too much with the Generator. Terrain can change quite a lot now from month to month even with the same "season" selected. Try starting in January with the "season" set to Summer then try it through every month of the year with Batloc 119. Now try the same batloc 119 with the season set to Winter and see how the maps change as you select successive months. Once you familiarize yourself with these changes understanding why the generator does what it does will be easier.

NOTE#1 - On returning to the editor, some random map variables will be overwritten, so if you used , for example, SP Camo Map ID 44, went in here and then exited - use the comma key and 44 to ensure that the correct vars for 44 are reloaded if you want to continue using that ID for random maps in that editor session.

NOTE#2 - There are many variables set into the code so that maps are not always generated the same over and over. An example of this are streams. Just becasue you enter a high number of streams in the Map Generator does NOT mean you will always get even one and if you enter a really high number what you will get will be a lot of swamps as streams and swamps are linked in the code

KEYS

Help - Brings you to the in game Help screen (? Key). You can find all the information about the Map Generator here as well under the "Map Generator" button

Zoom in/Out - Zoom map in or out (+ or - Keys).

Save Map - Save your map to a disk file (Hot key = s).

Generate Key - create a new Random Map using the current variables (Hot key is g).

Quit Key - Return to the Scenario Map Editor (Hot key q).

Hot Key "." - Toggles hex display on or off.

VARIABLES

- Urbanisation

This controls both the road network AND the buildings made on the map

0 - No roads or buildings (possible small village).

1 - Single earth road, some buidings.

2 - Several earth roads, more buildings.

3 - One paved left-Right road, and secondary Earth roads.

4 - Produces more villages especially at road crossings.

5 - Produces a town placed on the Left-Right Paved Road. A town is a few small city grids.

6 -8 City.

9 - City starts to use more Government type Buildings.

This control is handly if you have an autogenerated map that you like but you don't like the way the roads or towns are set down. All you need to do is select the batloc you like in the editor using the , ( comma ) key then hit the , ( comma ) key once again but this time select the editor using 500. The map variables that created the map you like will all be in place. All you need to do to remove the road and town net from that map by setting "Urbanisation" to zero and when you regenerate that map the roads will be removed. Press the black up arrow button and you will be returned to the editor and you can add whatever road/town net you prefer by hand.

NOTE! - it is NOT recommended to try numbers > 20 or so, unless you fancy a VERY long coffee break if you have a slow computer .

- Hill Density

This variable determines the basic number of hills built. 0 means dead flat. Very large numbers can cause a long delay with a slow computer but can also create interesting maps as the hills try to merge into one another

- Streams/Marsh

This number determines how wet the map is. It controls number of streams, marshland, and lakes. As this number increases, these will do so too. NOTE: The controls here affect map swamps and lakes that are attached to streams. The other Marsh and Lake controls affect stand alone lakes and Marshes

- Max Hill Height

Determines the maximum Hill Height on the map. 0 will be rather flat, max is 15.

- Hill Base Size

This number (Which cannot be <1) determines the basic base size of the hills made. 1 produces very sharply rising hills, larger numbers produce broader flatter hills. Very large numbers can cause delays with slow computers.

- Tree Level

Controls the forestation level of the map. Produces both forests and tree-lines. 0 Means no forestation, larger numbers produce more forest.

- Orchard Level

Controls the number of orchards produced. 0 is no orchards.

- Grass Level

This controls how many grassy parts are laid on the map. Large numbers will tend to produce more grassy fields, if fields are not 0, We recommend you experiment with this control and the fields controls as they are linked

- Rough Level

This number controls how much rough terrain is laid on the map, both on flat areas and also on higher hills (>level 2 or 3).

- Field Level

This controls the number of fields which will be built. Fields can be grass, paddy, tilled, large patches of soft sand etc, Depending on map type. A high grass level number coupled to a high field level number will tend to produce more grass fields than planted. Entering 0 means a low field count, not none. NOTE - Note that SP Camo location ID 240 (used for e.g. Falklands and WW1 Western Front maps) will NEVER generate fields!. It is a special flattish map for such special wastelands which the field making code returns from without action.

- Mud Level

This variable controls the building of mud patches and strips of mud on the map. Generally, only small numbers need be used here unless you want a very difficult map. - Note that when the "Mud" number is increased for desert maps you will get increasingly larger patches of "earth" appearing. Those earth patches are treated as clear terrain

- River Trees
- River Marsh
- River Mud
- River Rough

These control the building of edging trees, rough, mud or marsh alongside rivers. Generally, only very small numbers will be needed here, 1 is approximately a 1% chance of say a river being planted in a riverside hex NOTE -River Rough also controls whether or not WADIS are built INSTEAD OF Streams. If River Rough is >100 AND the Wide River and Beach variables are NOT set (as we do not want any giant wadis or landing barges stuck on rocks :-)!! - 101 will give a 1% chance of a wadi being built instead of a river (if present) by the Wadi routine. If the Wadi routine is called, all rivers are converted to rough, and edged with rough as well, to produce a dried-out riverbed.

- Road Code

This is a road-building modifier flag. It is usually set to 0 for no effect.

0 - No effect.*

1 - Bocage edge roads, IF on lower hill heights.

2 - Edge Paved roads with trees only.

3 - As 2, but rough terrain is placed under the trees as well.

4 - As 2, but does Earth roads as well.

5 - As 3, But includes Earth roads as well.

255 - A special override, which ensures that action 0 is done, overriding internal map generator codes.

- Terrain Mod Code

0 - No modifications

1 - Bocage edging round fields

2 - Paddy Bunds (Banked Edges) around paddy fields

3 - Edge all fields with trees

4 - All fields are earth banked edges, with trees

5 - Paved roads raised on embankments, sometimes earth roads as well, Occasional edging of fields with trees (primarily for Holland Maps)

6 - Used for Sicily, Italy, Europe. Ocasionally apply edged fields to the map.

7 - WW1 or Stalingrad type shell-damaged map. Add many shell holes, blow all bridges etc.

- Lakes Mod Code

Zero is no lakes. A higher number gives bigger lakes

- Marsh Mod Code

Zero is no marshes. A higher number gives bigger marshes

- Arid Mod Code

This changes the base terrain to earth. One is Arid. Zero is no Arid. The effect can vary depending on the two opponents choosen. This control is NOT available when "Winter" is selected

- Savannah Mod Code

This changes the base terrain to yellow/brown grass. One is Savannah. Zero is no Savannah. The effect can vary depending on the two opponents choosen. This control is NOT available when "Winter" is selected

- Season for WinSPww2 . This allows you to change any map to Desert(0) or Summer(1) or Winter(2) terrain.

Note that "Savannah" and "Arid" cannot both be on at the same time

Mastering the Map generator requires some practice but once mastered the Map Generator can help map or scenario designers can save a great deal of time when building maps and/or scenarios. It's also quite handy for the casual player in that it allows you to customize your game maps quite quicky and easily.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a unit in a hex containing smoke gain a bonus to its ability to remain unspotted?

Smoke in the target hex is counted for spotting and will help a little bit in providing cover. Movement, firing and size would be more relevant factors.

When using the higher resolutions the mini map is too small to see individual units clearly. Can this be made bigger ?

No. The mini map must fit a space common to all screen resolutions and a bigger mini map will not fit the space available at the lower resolutions. However The mini maps real function is primarily a way to get around the map quickly. The dots that represent units on both sides are there to indicate where your units are and where known units are. It is NOT there to give you an overview of your units. That's what zoom out with ID tags ON is for.

I've installed the game and all the patches but I cannot save a PBEM game. Is this a bug ?
No. It's Microsoft's way of making "advancements". Vista and Win7 changed the way files are saved to anything in the Program files folder and that's where the game was put when we started working with Shrapnel games. Everything worked OK until Vista was released and even with that some versions of Vista didn't have a problem being in the program files folder.
If you have this problem the only solution is to re-install the game into your main drive ( usually C: ) and then when the game tries to save a DAT file Windows won't transport it someplace the game cannot find

How do I slow the game scroll speed?

See GameOptions Programme

What is a Commando, What is a <insert Unit>

See the Unit classes list of classes and special abilities etc.

Why do generated battles and campaigns play unbalanced when I use a very small force?
The AI has a minimum troop purchase that, due to built in variables, is anywhere from 150 to 250 points. That is the least amount the AI will buy. If you have a 200 point core in a campaign and are given a Human advance or assault the odds will end up being around 1:1 rather than the 2.5:1 they should be simply because the AI will not take less than it's minimum force, even if you have a minute core and omit to use the given support points. The AI requires a basic minimum to cover the defence (or it may end up holding the line with an HQ and a sniper!), and it needs a certain minimum to create a credible attacking force. We recommend that you play a campaign with a minimum of 450 to 500 points for your core. This allows the AI a fair number of troops and will provide you with a better game. You CAN play with less than a 300 to350 point core but you MUST take the support points offered in a Human advance or assault or the AI will end up with a higher proportion of troops than they should have. 350 points should be the absolute minimum size for all campaign and generated battle games. Anything less WILL give you very challenging games in advance/assault, especially in MBT where vehicle cost is much heavier than in WinSPWW2. A WW2 Sherman would tend to cost 74 or so points. A M1A2 SEP Abrams is over 480 in MBT!.

What are those " ** "'s I see when I hit an AFV?

When a tank is hit and a penetration occurs it does not always cause an outright "kill". Occasionally, depending on the shell size/armour thickness ratio and the survivability rating of that vehicle, you may notice hit messages ending in ***. These are not new, they have always been in SP2 but it was not widely known that this indicates that damage is occurring to a vehicle. We have reworked the code to give more of these damage results under certain conditions. If you see these when your tank is hit you are taking critical damage and/or lost crewmen which affects the number of shots available and overall vehicle/crew performance. Damaging hits can also remove weapons, immobilise the vehicle and so forth (note that unlike the original SP series games, bringing up the information screen for an enemy AFV will not show you that, for example, the main gun has been destroyed for that vehicle!).

In PBEM, I never see my opponent's artillery on the playback, just new craters.

Unless BOTH of you have 'fast artillery' set to OFF then no history of the artillery barrages is saved in the PBEM file. Play PBEM with fast arty off, both of you, to see the shots and messages in the replay. And ensure you have animation turned on as well, or you will not see direct fire shots either. Additionally, any pre game bombardment in a PBEM (artillery plotted to drop in turn 0), only one side will be able to see the replay, because the game replay code is only set up to replay the one player's last turn, not "both players' last turns, saving a bit of turn 0 through your opponent's turn 1 and then adding that bit on at the front of the next replay". It is therefore best not to use any pre game (turn 0 arrival) artillery in a PBEM game, unless you are willing to sacrifice player 2 playback. Agree this as part of the pre game discussion with your PBEM opponent.

My aircraft seem useless, and cannot hit things with guns/rockets.

If you see the message "attacking hex" then your plane has not been able to establish LOS to the target hex. This is usually due to smoke and dust in the area, but sometimes it is because the target is tucked away behind a ridge for example. Try to target aircraft, especially if relying on direct fire weapons like rockets, onto targets well out in clear air, and preferably out in the open, on a flat plain as opposed to in a town, wood, or valley. Do not target artillery bombardments and planes on the same target area, this is a major failing of the AI. If you must hit a target in smoke, flames etc., Then try to use planes with bombs, napalm, or PTAB bomblets as these are area fire weapons. Still not as good as a clear attack, but better than random cannon strafing. Remember, very big bombs will kill infantry in the adjacent hexes as well (~1000lbs and more).

You will know if you got a good shot since the message will be 'attacking T-34' or similar and a percentage to hit is usually displayed on the yellow bar at the top of the screen.

Note that MBT aircraft, unlike WinSPWW2 planes, may have night vision sights, including Thermal Imagers, which may mitigate the smoke and poor visibility problems of WW2 aircraft that relied on the unaided eyeball Mk1.

To try out aircraft tactics it is best to set up a test game. Set up with both sides human player for everything, and give the side you are testing planes the advance, especially if you decide to let the AI run the targets, then it wont move! Go to the Preferences Menu and set up the air strikes item to at least one to ensure you can buy air. Then when setting up enter no passwords, and for the delaying (target) side, buy the sort of targets you want to test against. Set the target side up in interesting arrays, and its often best to set these up as preplanned bombardment targets ('gold spots') for the advancer to save time waiting for strikes to arrive. Now play the game; try out various plane types as desired on target types and arrays as desired. Because you are playing left hand vs. right hand, you can inspect the damage from the target's viewpoint. This method is also useful for testing out AA tactics and units as well. Or pretty much anything for that matter, before jumping off to a bulletin board, try a few experimental tests of your own. Many folk just do not seem to realise that they can in fact play both sides, so as to try things out.

I bought a 90mm AA (AT) gun formation with trucks but they cannot pick them up.

Some AT gun formations were provided with integral trucks, but the picker will let you choose any legitimate AT gun, howitzer or whatever. In this case there is usually a separate 'Heavy AT Gun/T' formation with 7.5 ton heavy trucks or similar. What can be picked up is a vexed question in SP. Look for the '*' after some guns, read the manual.

But the best way to see what fits what is to set up a test game, buy one of about every type of transport and load item, and try it out in the set up phase of the game, then quit before playing. This is especially true of some things like say USA mech. Infantry. You should be able to fit most combinations in to the vehicles some way but do not buy 76mm AT guns for example. If offered mortars, you should stick to the correct 60mm sections, as 4.2 inch mortars are both ahistorical, and likely will not fit, or not leave room for that final bazooka team.

There is no real easy way to screen out inappropriate choices (though the new classes for V3.0 will help), learn by experimentation, do not plunge into a game and then find out what lifts what when it is really embarrassing.

I cannot spend all my points and / or buy any more support troops in a campaign game.

There is a limit to the number of units you can buy in total, this has been increased to 500 units per side in version 3.0, over about 130 before. In addition, there is a limit to the total number of formations (platoons formations, and a 1 man sniper formation is a platoon!, not companies). Also, in a beach assault you are limited to about 400 units, as the game needs space for the automatically bought landing craft, and in a river crossing assault, we have left about 90 free units to provide assault raft unit space for deployed infantry assault boats and deployed barges off barge carriers as these need to be created on deployment. In a campaign core, you can have 200 units now.

Once you reach either limit, you cannot buy any more units, even if you have a lot of surplus points. The formation limit means that it is best to buy in reasonable sized platoons of 4 or 5, not sections of 1 or 2. However, avoid things like the 10 tank Soviet 'Company in a Platoon' since when things start going bad for this unit, the leader is unlikely to be able to rally that many subordinates.

There is an 8cm-mortar platoon and a 12cm mortar platoon, what is the difference?

Usually, just the number of mortars (but with the new expanded mortar classes, the OB designer may have utilised these so the heavy mortars are in their own units, now). For example, 6 tubes in a German WW2 8cm platoon and 4 12cm tubes in that platoon, one off each in the battalion support company. Also, the designer may have provided formations using mortar section units (several mortars firing off the same baseplate) as well as individual mortars per unit type mortars.

The 'All Formation' key produces unusual results when I try to move a platoon.

This button has never really worked since SP1. Do not bother with it. Its only use is when setting an entire formation's range with the 'Y' key. Select 'all', select any unit of the formation set the range, and all the formation uses the range setting. It saves a few extra clicks. Then remember to turn the all mode off before moving anything or you will get a rude surprise. That's the only practical use for the ALL key in SP. By all means try the all formation key a few times for fun in a scratch game, the results are often interesting, but not what you desired even on flat ground. Note that the button was removed, and only the 'A' hot key remains.

I think artillery/infantry is too powerful/too weak

See the section on 'The Preferences Screen'. Experiment with the values till it suits your idea of 'reality'.

How do I call a quick repeat artillery mission?

Once the artillery unit has completed its mission it tends to keep its last x,y target location, unless it was manually cancelled, or was an aircraft. Go to the bombardment screen, and press the ID button for the unit. Do NOT click on the map, or you are calling a brand new mission in! press the HE icon (or smoke if that was what was wanted), and the symbol will appear at the last x,y location. Adjust if required, but the time will be much less than a new fire mission from scratch. This is how to do a 'creeping barrage', plot and fire, letting the battery finish, then call a repeat using this technique, and adjusting the line of fires forwards a bit.

How do I fire counter battery fires on enemy off map batteries?

You (the player) do not, your gunners will attempt to locate off map batteries themselves, and allocate any units in range to CB fires.

For a battery to fire CB missions, it needs to be idle (not plotted to fire missions), it needs its crew quality to be good (better than 60 or so, and the higher the better), have HE ammo to hand, and to have equal or better range than the enemy battery in order to be able to reach the target. It also has to pass a chance roll. Off map artillery units range is shown as a number usually in the 200 series or more, 209 is longer range than say 205. Range information is found in the encyclopaedia entry for that battery.

How do I recrew my vehicle/Gun etc. ?

Once the crew has stopped running away, walk them or transport them back to the same hex as the gun or vehicle they abandoned, and leave them there for a while. Provided their morale is good enough, and the item to be crewed is not too badly damaged, they will mount up. NB, the original crew for the abandoned unit is the only one which can recrew it.

How do I get things into the same hex as one containing another unit

Whether friendly, enemy or wrecks, select the unit to be moved, then hold the SHIFT key and click into the target hex containing other units. (Enemy units in the target hex may object to this!). Barges will allow you to load from the hex alongside, otherwise units would have had to drive into deep water!.

How do I get an enemy squad to surrender?

Enter the same hex as the retreating or routed squad, and blaze away, when approximately 2/3 of the crew is gone it will tend to surrender, depending on nationality and morale, though occasionally a squad will run away even from such a pinning attack.

Alternatively, provided you are shooting the unit up, and it cannot find a hex to retreat to, it may surrender, i.e. Typically it is surrounded by your units which have shots left AND are in good morale, an enemy squad may run into a hex containing a retreating unit of yours, or just may panic and enter an enemy held hex regardless. Note that rivers for example, can block retreat paths, as can minefields.

How do I turn a unit in place?

Select the unit, then RIGHT click into a hex which is clear of wrecks, friendly or enemy units in the desired direction then the unit turns, and the unit LOS in that direction is shown by dark and light hexes. Use the clear dark function to remove the dark hexes. Some units like pillboxes cannot turn (other than when being placed in deployment) and barges and other watercraft need to be moved to turn, they cannot turn in place.

What is the LOS from this unit?

Please refer to the question 'how do I turn a unit in place?' above.

How do I destroy a bridge?

Use typically an engineer unit with satchel charges, anti tank mines (can represent hollow charge demolition munitions) or a Churchill or centurion AVRE with demolition gun fitted (165mm), and area fire onto the bridge hex. (Z key). It may take several attempts, especially for stone bridges. Very large artillery can destroy bridges, as can aircraft using large bombs if they drop these onto the bridge hex (bridges are valid aircraft target hexes, give a plane a bridge target hex and it will tend to attack that in preference to any bystanders). Generally, crater causing artillery (about 120mm up) is needed to drop wooden bridges, and 8 inch or greater artillery to have a chance on stone bridges.

When a bridge collapses, all units on that section are destroyed by falling into the river, and this can be very satisfying when you catch a massive traffic jam of the opposition's units on a rickety wood bridge with some 122mm...

How do I deploy a barge or raft?

When beside the water, with some MP left, attempt to 'drive' the barge carrier into the water, or 'walk' the infantry squad into it (if it is carrying a raft!). A barge carrier will appear in the water or the squad will transform into a raft carrying itself and armed with the squad's primary infantry weapon. To unload, 'drive' the barge or boat onto the river bank or beach side. If in -1 depth water, barges can now unload into the water if desired.

What sort of forces and maps will the computer player pick?

The AI pick list code is adaptive, and randomised in places. This gives a far richer AI force structure than in SP2 and SP3 where it got to the point that you could pretty much predict the AI force, given the points allocated.

WinSPWW2 AI pick will be affected by some or all of the following: Battle type (Different if assaulting than defending), points available, the battle date, the particular opponent (e.g. Russian AI pick vs. a NATO country will differ in structure from playing against Mujadeen), air strikes available, AI Tank Heavy switch setting, and sometimes the battle map (may de-emphasise long range ATGW in a city fight and buy more leg infantry and mortars, and less tanks perhaps).

The best way to look at what the AI buys is to experiment with test game setups.

Select your points, air points if desired and the date and players and also battle type just like a normal battle generator battle with the following exceptions.

1) Set Computer as the player in both cases

2) Select computer buys forces for both sides

3) Set both sides to human deploy

Now hit continue. Select human deploy or computer deploy for side 1, and examine what was bought. [If you want to look at AI deployments - use auto deploy, repeat several times to see several alternate deployments]

Now exit this side's deployment and examine the second force as above.

Finally - in the second force, choose exit game, or you will get to watch an AI plays AI game!. If this happens - hit the space bar and the game will allow you to break in at the next end phase.

Repeat the process of examining AI picks at various dates and force levels as desired. When you have done this a large number of times for any opponent pairing, you should have a good idea of what to expect.

Also each battle will select a new map and these can be examined as well, as for many nation pairings we no longer limit you to but one battle location as with the old SP2 and SP3 games. Some of the possible maps can be quite rare as well, so you may need to run quite a few test games before seeing these.

I've noticed that sometimes after my artillery bombardment my planned hex has moved away into another one. Why is this?

This happens mainly if you do not have a clear LOS from the spotting unit to the target hex. Unspotted artillery is not nearly as accurate as it would be if the spotting unit has clear LOS to the target hex and can drift considerably from turn to turn. It also takes longer to move the target hex marker back on target when artillery is not spotted.. That change is noted at 10) HERE

How do I reload ammo?

See the write-up of UnitClass 56=Ammo Carrier in WinSPWW2 Unit Classes.

Also, read through the tutorial scenario notes as use of these is taught there.

I bought a bomber/transport/Spotter plane and cannot see it on the artillery plot?

Click on the bombardment button and when the next screen appears look for the button under "Switch to:". Click on that to cycle through the choices offered That buttons cycles between "Bombard", "Airborne" and "Spotters".

How many more points does the other player or AI get in the different battle types ?

When battle points are set to XXX for player 2 the following applies to both the AI and another Human player and applies to all battle types in the game
If Player 1 is the defender and Player 2 the Attacker Player 2 will get 2.5 times Player 1's points so if you as Player 1 have 1000 points to defend with Player 2 , the attacker, would get around 2500 points
If Player 1 is delaying and Player 2 is advancing Player 2 will get 2 times Player 1's points so if you as Player 1 have 1000 points to delay with Player 2 , who is advancing, would get around 2000 points
A meeting engagement gives the same number of points to both players
If Player 1 is advancing and Player 2 is delaying Player 2 gets 50% of Player 1's points so if you as Player 1 have 1000 points to advance with Player 2 , who is delaying, would get around 500 points
If Player 1 is attacking and Player 2 is defending Player 2 gets roughly 40% of Player 1's points so if you as Player 1 have 1000 points to assault with then Player 2 , who is defending, would get around 400 points
How do I delete a saved game ?
There is no automatic way to delete a save game either in the regular save game folder or the PBEM folder. The simplest solution is to overwrite the old save game with a new one. This will clear all the old info out but if you do want to clean out the entire folder or just specific save games you first need to find your game files using My Computer. If you have installed the game in the default directory those files will be found in the Program files folder under "Shrapnel Games" and "The Camo Workshop". Select either WinSPWW2 or WinSPMBT for the "PBEM Games" folder or the "Saved Games" folder.
Click on those folders and in the case of PBEM Games you will see two files for each slot like this:
SpEml004.cmt
SpEml004.dat
for regular save games those two files will look something like this
SpSv002.cmt
SpSv002.dat
In the case of PBEM Games 004 represents data for slot 4 and in the case of the regular saved games these two files represent the data for slot 2. Deleting those files will permanently remove them from the games save game folder. The DAT file contains all the save game data and the CMT file contains the save slot title so you need to delete both files.

"WHY HAS THE GAME BEEN PROGRAMMED WITH ALL KNOWING "BORG" AI ARTILLERY"
The original arty code for the SP games by SSI had some inbuilt advantages for the AI for its artillery routines.
1) When plotted arty was about to fall, the code would "teleport" the stonk to somewhere more useful, i.e. somewhere near a detected unit of yours. No matter where it had plotted it on the map.
2) Pre-game barrages were based on an "average" of your unit's actual positions, so most would fall somewhere useful to the AI.It was AFAIR an average of your actual deployment plot - so if you went for an "all South" deployment - a good deal of the AI arty automatically would fall down there.
ALL of that, I removed as soon as we got hold of the source code or as soon as we determined there was another AI inbuilt advantage. (Like the free troops the AI selected forces would be given on picking a random force).
So - the original code as delivered by SSI did have what the OP might have called "borg" artillery routines, but we did not in any way reinstate it - we removed it.
Our pre-game arty plots are based on an average of the entire deployment zone , with emphasis on roads (if the human is going to advance, it is where he tends to stack units), the front of the deployment area, and just in front of the deployment area (if advancing). Sometimes it will stonk up the rear of the deployment area in hopes of getting your arty park. But it is all random guessing, it no longer has intel about the human player's pre-game positioning.
In-game arty plotting now is affected by "AI Interest" - as described in the release history, as well as on units actually spotted. If you fire (or pop smoke, make dust trails, etc) from a position, the AI will test for "interest" and the more you fire from an area, the more likely it is to be interested (especially if it currently has free batteries to assign). That allows it to drop presents on the human player who does the "hill dance" - popping up from behind a ridge to snap shoot, but always ending out of LOS at end turn. Some fire events will be more interesting to the AI than others (ATGM and MRL are rather interesting forex) The AI will still use the old routines for plotting unassigned arty (Usually nearby to enemy or neutral V-Hexes) as well from time to time.
(NB - nearby an objective does not necessarily mean within 2-3 hexes. It can be a click or so short, long, sideways or whatever. It's a bell curve distribution. Then add the normal scatter for fall of unobserved shot. But don't be surprised if some arty lands "telepathically" on the platoon of tanks you had 750 metres north of a particular objective cluster and which you know have not yet revealed themselves. The target was not the platoon - it was the V-Hex cluster)
And as well - do not be surprised if your tank coy trundles up to a ridge and gets an "instant" barrage. Remember that arty takes time to arrive, and in this case the player calling "foul" has usually forgotten that 2-3 moves before, his recce bumbled over that hill in full view of the AI. The AI target was therefore the recce, and so if you are going to take a position - remember to allow for time of fall of any plotted AI presents, if you are going to move lead elements over that hill. Or better yet - do not telegraph it at all, and move the scout cars round the side of the to-be-defended hill !.
So - some of these stonks will be self-called by your activities, and some are just random guesswork.
But there are no more teleported stonks, and no more plotting with foreknowledge of your general location. Nor have there been, since 1999/2000 or so.

Historical Design Notes

General Points

WinSPWW2 has both the month of introduction added as well as the Out of Service month. This is a major improvement over Steel Panthers 2, which only caused things to go in and out of service by the year. (To be fair, the month of introduction is far less critical in a Modern era game but it is essential for World War Two due to the rapid and important improvements made to armour and weapons throughout the course of the war.) Note that this applies to formations as well now, unlike earlier versions.

You will sometimes find duplicates of things - for example a Stug may be there twice, once as say an assault gun and once as a tank type. This is usually to let the player use that vehicle in 2 different formation types - e.g. in a regular Stug company, or as a replacement for tanks in a panzer company. Sometimes it is just mainly for the AI's benefit. This is because the SP formation type is based on unit class - there is no 'MBT or Stug' way of doing them other than duplicating unit types, or formations.

"This machine gun/mortar has 2/3 MGS or mortars". We reduced the hordes of little singleton MG and mortar units and combined these to form MG or mortar sections, not individual weapons, for most armies. Count the number of crewmen - it'll be 8-10 odds like a rifle squad. This cuts down the unit count. In addition the combined units are much more effective, and so expensive points wise. The Machine guns are either Medium MGS or Heavy water cooled MGS mounted on tripods or wheeled mounts. The LMGs are integrated into the normal infantry squads.

The horse and cart is available in some armies as a medium truck, or a heavy truck. It is mainly of use as a cheap gun shifter - do not try to take infantry into combat on them! ( Note: the code has been set up to provide a default "horse and wagon" sound F/X for any "truck" class with a speed set to 6 or less)

Some formations have plus (+) and (-) added to them. Those with a + usually in military speak means reinforced; those with a - then something is detached. In general this is the case, but I also use + to note for example batteries with extra ammo load outs. A rifle co (+) may have support weapons added from the battalion support co, or trucks, a (++) when seen often has the weapons with light trucks, or even more weapons than usual. Or an infantry company might be designated light or with a (-) this usually has the heavy weapons deleted. Best way to find out is to look, and compare with other units.

Snipers- The sniper, if used correctly by a thinking player is quite a pain to other human players . The chief thing to remember is to place them where there is cover to which they can retire (break LOS), and to break contact (LOS) when spotted or after a couple of shots - if located they do not last long, so plenty of scoot with your shoot. Then sneak up to (move slowly) another hiding position and engage. Better to sneak into a new fire position on one move, but not to fire until next move when stationary, so less detectable.

SMG range is only 150 yards - 3 hexes, which is an extreme maximum range for the ammunition they used, but it was decided that from a gaming perspective 3 hexes was better than 2. They are deadly at close quarters, but any SMG armed troops trying to fight rifle armed will pay a heavy price if the rifles can engage at over 150 yards - which is most places really. I tend to avoid SMG troops in campaign 'core' forces and only buy them as support if it is say, a city bash. But they can be useful as tank riders, so long as not then caught standing out in the open by someone with even an M1 carbine at range.

WW2 tripod mounted MGS now reach out a long way. The key to their use is to engage enemy infantry from long range - beyond rifle range. Or place them a few hexes behind the rifle line, and fire in support of the fire fights overhead of your grunts. They can be very nasty indeed if you place them carefully say behind a hill or building, and then engage from the flank while being protected by the obstacle. If the enemy has no tank force to engage the MGS with direct HE (so early British tanks can be ignored till close) open up with MMG at 20 hexes or so on any soft stuff you see. We hope to give MMGs some form of linear area fire effect into more than just the target hex later on, but this is still just an idea.

By the way - when setting up pillboxes and bunkers, you can actually turn them by right clicking (many people seem to forget this). Thus you can then set up nests of mutually supporting bunkers with crossfire. Or you can set one up behind blocking terrain to fire flank shots at passers by as with MGS above. This adjustment is available in the Deployment Phase only - but if your opponent is not aware of this little feature, it can be quite upsetting sometimes.

In WinSPWW2 AT guns are MUCH more dangerous than in SP1 (or SP3)- there they commonly fired 1 shot, were instantly detected and destroyed by moving tanks. NOT SO NOW! In WW2 the AT gun was a chief tank killer. The Germans in the Desert would often flaunt some panzer at over-keen British armoured cavalry units, who would then chase them, while the Germans retired through an AT gun ambush position. Exit British cruisers. Antitank guns in WinSPWW2 are for the most part set to size ZERO to better reflect that these things were easy to conceal and difficult to detect in battle, especially from a tank.

Unlike other SP series games, off map artillery is purchasable in all games. The AI will now buy off map artillery in non-assault missions, so you will need to think about counter battery. In general your guns must have the same, or better range than the opponent, and you get more counter battery fires if you leave the battery 'idle' than if you keep firing it. Also, better-experienced gunners fire more often and to better effect. BUT - the better-experienced batteries are the ones that you can plot with lower delays on map. So it is a case of swings and roundabouts - you will have to make the decision.

WinSPWW2 artillery is not cheap and deliberately so. It is quite effective now, and in any case unless the battle was an assault, then most armies would use about 1 battery per battalion in combat - so buying an entire artillery brigade of 9 batteries in a meeting engagement is now more prohibitive. If you have a force of 3-4 companies or so, budget for one battery if you want historicity. (For those of you who are new to military stuff - a battalion is a group of usually 3 to 4 companies)

Some of these off map 'batteries' come with 1 unit, some with 2. Why? Many armies used a 4-gun battery such as Germany. Others used 6 as a basis, so these nations come with 2 by 3 gun platoons to a battery. The British used an 8 gun organisation, so 2 troops (= platoon in UK artillery orgspeak, and cavalry as well. USA 'troops' are company-sized units) of 4 guns in a battery, though sometimes they used 6 for some heavies, and sometimes 4 gun extra heavy batteries.

Country Descriptions

Slovak Republic OOB001

April 1939 - October 1943

This OOB covers the Slovakian army from it's inception in 1939 to October 1943 when it fought it's last real battles

On September 29, 1938 the Munich Agreement was signed by Germany, Italy, France, and Britain. The Czechoslovak government capitulated September 30 and agreed to abide by the agreement. On March 14, 1939, Slovakia declared its independence, calling itself the Slovak Republic.

Slovakia was the only Axis-Allied Nation to take part in the campaign against Poland. The German OHW requested the assitance of Slovakia for the German invasion of Poland in September of 1939. Although the Slovakian military was only six months old, two combat groups were created for the campaign in Poland. The first group was a brigade sized formation that consisted of six infantry battalions, two artillery battalions, and a company of combat engineers. The second group was a mobile formation that consisted of two battalions of combined cavalry and motorcycle recon troops along with nine motorized artillery batteries. The two combat groups saw fighting in the region of southern Poland.

Slovakia sent the Slovakian Expeditionary Army Group forward against the Russians four days after the Germans invaded Russia but the Slovak forces fell behind the massive German sweep across the Soviet Union mainly because of a general lack of mobile forces able to transport the 45,000 stong Slovak Army Group along side the German advance. As a result of the inability of the Slovak Army Group to keep up with the German advance, a mobile unit was created in July 1941 that would be capable of doing so. This was done by forming all the mototized units of the former Slovak Army Group into a single formation termed the Slovak Mobile Command, otherwise known as Brigade Pilfousek. This force consisted of a Motorized Infantry battalion, a tank battalion consisting of two tank companies, two Anti-Tank companies, a Weapons company, motorcycle company and a Motorized Engineer platoon

The Slovakian army underwent further re-organization in the months after the Invasion of Russia. At the begining of August, 1941, the Slovak Army Group was pulled out of the lines to form two new units that would be better suited to the actions they would be taking part in. The best units of the former Slovak Army Group were now organized into two new divisions, the 1st Slovak (Mobile) Infantry Division (aka "Slovak Fast Division") and the 2nd Slovak (Security) Infantry Division. By the middle of September, 1941, the 1st Slovak (Mobile) Division was back at the front, this time near Kiev. After the fall of Kiev the Slovak Mobile Division was transfered to the reserves of Army Group South. In October the Mobile Division was a part of the 1.Panzer-Armee fighting on the eastern side of Dnieper River near the region of Golubowka and Pereshchino and later was involved in fighting around Maripol and Taganrog. During the winter of 1941-42 it held positions on the Mius River. In 1942 the Mobile Division took part in the German advance into the Caucasus Region where it played a vital role in the assault and capture of the vital Soviet city of Rostov.

After Stalingrad in the Winter of 1942/1943 the 1st Slovak (Mobile) Infantry Division was pulled back from the Caucasus region the Mobile Division was nearly encircled and trapped near Saratowskaya, but managed to escape. Remaining elements of the Mobile Division were airlifted out of the Kuban, but were forced to leave behind all their heavy equipment and weapons. The remaining units of Mobile Division was used to help cover the retreat of over the Sivash and Perkop land bridges. Finally, in the area around Melitopol, the Mobile Division was caught by a massive Soviet suprise attack that broke through the German lines and the Mobile Division was routed and over 2000 men were taken captive by the Soviets. Routed and destroyed, the Mobile Division was then pulled from the lines. Soon after, on November 1st, 1943, as a result of continued problems with desertion in the unit, the 2nd Slovak (Security) Infantry Division was disarmed and transfered to Ravenna, Italy to act as a construction brigade.

This ends the time period covered by the game. The last major combat action of the Slovak forces was the battle for Melitopol in the Ukraine in October 1943 and that is where we have ended this OOB. A new Mobile Division was created in the early part of 1944 but it was only a shadow of the former unit. The new formation was dubbed the "Tartarko Combat Group" , but it only had 12 officers, 13 NCOs, and 775 men and was sent to the region of the Crimea for defensive operations while the remainder of the Mobile Division was used in security operations behind the lines of Army Group South. in June of 1944, the Division was pulled from the lines a final time and disarmed. The remaining troops were formed into a construction brigade as a result of its continued unreliability in combat.

Poland OOB002

1930 to 1946

The expanded dates assume the expatriate Poles stay on the Allied side in a hypothetical WW3 with the USSR. The ex-patriot Poles were some of the best soldiers in the war.

The German-Polish campaign was not quite the walkover many believe it to be. It is worth remembering that no other country was invaded on two fronts by both Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.

This MOB is focused on 1939, then the Polish remnants in France (assume most armour, aircraft, etc. there is French support units), then as a British ally for the rest of the war.

In 1938 or so, Poland had a dispute with Czechoslovakia and annexed some territory (Cieszyn) peacefully - but a nice "what-if" for a battle or two. There was quite a lot of early-war armour, and innovative designs - they had good engineers, but a limited industrial base, and not enough money.

The Polish forces are now faithfully represented in no less than four different guises - Polish Army of the 1930s, the Polish forces present during the French campaign in 1940, various Partisan factions, and the British-equipped forces that won lasting fame during the campaigns in Italy and North-western Europe.

For WinSPWW2 -- The order of battle has been expanded and refined further with many new units and unit Icons added. Also WinSPWW2 introduces 19 men squads specifically for the Polish Army of the 1930s, and new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Manchukuo OOB003

After the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, Japan declared the area independent from China on February 18, 1932 as the Great Manchu State ( Manchukuo ).The Japanese installed Puyi, the last Chinese emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, as chief executive in 1932, and in 1934 he became emperor of Manchukuo with the reign name of "Kang De" . The area was rich natural resources and developend a strong industrial base.

Prior to World War II, the Japanese colonized Manchukuo and used it as a base from which to invade China. In the summer of 1939 a border dispute between Manchukuo and Mongolia resulted in the Battle of Halhin Gol, when a combined Soviet/Mongolian force defeated the Japanese Kantogun and allied Manchukuoan troops. ( see scenario #74 "Xalxyn Gol 5/39" )However there had been a number of miscellaneous border conflicts in this region with the Soviets from prior to 1939 and they continued through to 1945.

On August 8, 1945 the Soviet Union declared war on Japan in accordance with the agreement at the Yalta Conference, and invaded Manchukuo from outer Manchuria in an operation called " August Storm ". During Soviet offensive the Army of Manchukuo, theoretically a two hundred thousand man force, well armed and trained along Japanese lines, performed poorly and whole units surrendered to the Soviets without firing a single bullet; there were even cases of armed riots and mutinies against Japanese forces. By this point in the war only the fanatics wanted to keep fighting and everyone else just wanted to go home.

About 30 Japanese Type 92 heavy armoured cars were in service as well as a number of improvised models built on Japanese truck chassis. Tracked armoured vehicles used by the Manchukuo Army included Renault NC27 light tanks, British made Carden-Lloyd MK VI tankettes and possibly a handful of Renault FT-17 light tanks left over from the Army of Marshal Chang Hsueh-liang who controlled the province of Manchuria until thrown out by the Japanese in 1931. The Manchukuoan Army received little in the way of new tanks from the Japanese until the last few years of its existence. In 1943 the Japanese Army "loaned" the Manchukuo Army 10 obsolete Type 94 tankettes which were used to form an Armoured Company.

From 1945 to 1948, Manchuria served as a base area for the People's Liberation Army in the Chinese Civil War against the Kuomintang. With Soviet encouragement, the Chinese Communists used Manchuria as a staging ground until the end of the civil war in 1949. Many Manchukuo army and Japanese Kantogun personels served with the communist troops during the Chinese Civil War against the Nationalist forces.

Italian Social Republic ( Republica Sociale Italiana, RSI) OOB004

October 1943 - May 1945

After September 1943 the Germans began taking control of Italy and its army in the areas they controled. The Germans disarmed many of the Italian troops, executed some, and transported 615,000 to German labor camps. The Fascist element that was loyal to Mussolini remained loyal to the Germans and the new puppet Italian government.

The armed forces of the Italian Social Republic were raised on 28 October 1943. Many joined because they were loyal to Mussolini and the Fascist cause but in reality, most of those who joined did so to avoid the German labor camps.

The RSI armed forces were made up of a number of different parts. They were:

The National Republican Army or Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano (ENR) were made up of 4 divisions and smaller autonomous units that were organized from the Italians that had been interned by the Germans when Italy surrendered. This includes the ‘Monterosa’ Alpine, ‘Italia’ Bersaglieri, ‘San Marco’ Marine and ‘Littorio’ Infantry Divisions.

Then there was the Republican National Guard or Guardia Nazionale Republicana (GNR) which was formed as a new Fascist militia to replace the Black Shirt MSVN and were recruited from troops who remained loyal to Mussolini. These units were the primary anti-partisan security force. Later, a new organization had to be formed to support the GNR, called the "Black Brigades" or Brigate Nerre.

As well there was the "X-MAS" which was an entirely autonomous unit of the RSI forces raised by the commander of a pre-Armistice Italian Navy special attack unit, the 10th Anti-submarine Motorboat Flotilla (10 Flottiglia Motoscafo Anti-Sommergibile).

The Italian Waffen-SS was called by different names as it grew from a brigade to a full division by the end of the war, it was officially named the 29 Waffen-Grenadier der SS (Italienische Nr: 1). On Sept 24, 1943 Himmler authorized the recruitment of Italian ex-fascists into the Waffen-SS and began recruiting for an Italian Volunteer Legion among the 800,000 disarmed and 250,000 interned members of the former Italian army. In November 1943 the Italienische Frewilligen Legion was established after more than 15,000 Italians volunteered to join the Waffen-SS. The unit first engaged in anti-partisan operations in Febuary 1944 and on March 17 1944 elements of the unit were sent to Anzio and first entered the fighting there. Of the SS but not actually part of the SS until the summer of 1944 after the unit had distinguished itself during the hard fighting at the Anzio Beachhead it then aquired full status as a Waffen-SS unit.

There were also a large number of small autonomous units were raised that only existed briefly and they include the Ispettorato Speciale Polizia Antipartigiana (ISPA) an Anti-partisan police unit. The "White Flame" or Fiamme Bianche which was a Boys of Fascists Youth movement. The Sardegna Volunteers Battalion which was a 500-man unit that operated near Yugoslavian border. The "Alpine Rifles" or Moschettieri delle Alpi which was composed of Ex-Alpini soldiers in the Aosta region. The" Appenine Hunters" or Cacciatori degli Appennini which was a major anti-partisan unit with 3 regiments, reportedly a strength approaching 1,000 men and finally a female Volunteer Corps or Forces Auxillary Services

Japan OOB005

1930 to 1946

The expanded dates are to allow for an invasion of the home islands, and for it to take rather longer than the Allies would have thought. Assume the A-bomb was a 'fizzle' in that case. .

This was an infantry and horse drawn army. It really was only a threat to the Western Allies in 41 or so offensively. This was chiefly because the British empire forces had been drawn off to fight Nazi Germany, and the US Army at that time was a few garrisons in the Philippines and not much else even in the continental USA. And the white man of the time tended to think themselves incredibly superior over little yellow men who wore glasses. The Zero fighters and the Long Lance torpedo came as a rude shock, as did the tenacity of the Japanese soldier. Their brutality should not, for they had been demonstrating this in Korea and China for some considerable time already. The determination and bravery of the Japanese soldier combined with his beliefs that dying on the field of battle for his Emperor was considered an honour and being captured alive was a great dishonour was a bitter surprise to Allied troops. The tenacious fighting of the Japanese troops until death caused difficulties and delay to the Allied operations despite the considerable numerical and technical advantage they enjoyed in the last years of the WWII.

Japanese infantry was probably the best trained force on the world. The special night, and close combat training were generally received by every soldier and from 1941 the jungle training was also started. In other armies only special forces received such training. The army and the naval SNLF gained considerable experience in the several China conflicts.
The Imperial Guards were an elite force. They fought in Malaya and later on in China. Some sub units were stationed on Betio, too. Japan had a Paratroop Division and later they begun to organise Airborne troops. The Paratroops first saw action at Palembang in Sumatra.

Japanese tanks are simply hopeless against anybody other than the Chinese. We have allowed a few later types, but these were almost hand made, and if any were produced, not more than 50 or so. But a home islands assault would have met a few of these I suppose.

Japanese antitank weaponry is also limited. The long 47mm gun can kill Shermans from the flank, but the best weapon against tanks is infantry assault. This can be by 'special attack' (i.e. suicide) Tokkou, in which case lunge mines or satchel charges would be used. The Japanese also used glass gas grenades against tanks - a choking tear gas, or cyanide gas. Use of these would cause a crew bailout and these would then be dispatched. But these were rare. The 70mm infantry gun has a HEAT round later on, but is not much of a Sherman stopper, but Allied Grants and Stuarts were destroyed by such weapons. In 1944 the Japanese developed a 70mm rocket launcher which had good range and accuracy, but the penetrating power was lower than a Bazooka. About 3000 were built but they were reserved for the defence of the Japanese islands. Also they experimented with recoilless rifles but those were never produced.

The 75mm Type 90 Field Gun was pressed into ATG role in 1943, before then it has no AP ammo. It served well against even the Sherman tanks. Later the modified version, the Type 3 tank gun was built in the Chi-Nu. Beware, the Type 90 is not an ATG! It has the size of a howitzer!

The 50mm grenade dischargers, erroneously termed the 'Knee mortar' by some, broke the thigh of anyone so stupid as to try firing it that way! It also proved quite effective in AT work. There is a myth that Japan did not use mines. They certainly did, but did not have vast quantities, and concentrated on AT mines. But they preferred to use engineering obstacles such as tank traps. AT mines therefore tended to be placed manually on tanks by special attack squads.

Japanese planes early on were a rude surprise to the Allies, but this lead did not last long. However they still produced outstanding designs such as the Ki.45 Toryu with a 37mm and 20mm cannon in some variants, and the N1K2 Shiden-Kai with 4 20mm cannon. In late 1945 the first Japanese jet appeared, the Nakajima Kikka. Only prototypes did exist but by a hypothetical US invasion they would have been produced in limited numbers.

Japanese artillery was rare, but their mortars were always there and well handled. The 150mm Type 97 Heavy Mortar was built in limited numbers about 110 of them were built. The 32cm Spigot was a huge bomb launcher with a short barrel. They were employed at Hong-Kong and on the Philippines presumably against fortifications.

The bicycle units were raised in Indonesia and Indochina, where they utilised the fair road network of the colonial countries.

Japanese Ski units were stationed in Hokkaido and Manchuria. Combat records are unknown.

The rocket launcher is mainly for scenarios. These could be launched from tubes or simply off their sides on a ramp, but in some cases caused problems for the USMC.

The Japanese made great use of snipers; hence there is a sniper unit that is a team of 2 as opposed to the standard single man.

The Armoured Boat and the Gunboat are used in China to patrol the rivers. They have limited carry capacity to lift small groups of infantry. The Gunboat and the Armed Daihatsu were used to escort transports on the river. There were several types of Daihatsu. This one represents the variant used for amphibious landings.

The Ch-13 class Patrol Boat is a submarine hunter and escort vessel. It was also used for shore patrol and short range bombardments.

OB rewritten by Zoltán "Kazan" Zajonskovsky for version 4.0. with special thanks to Akira Takizawa (Taki).

V5--Pre-WWII has been expanded and WWII formations modified. The Indian National Army included for the Battle of India Campaign.

V6 -- Post-WWII hypothetical formations refined, more infantry options made available.

V7 -- Fabulous new tank icons bring the Japanese armoured corps alive. The new icons appear in green, camo, desert pink, desert tan and dark olive-drab paint schemes historically matched to terrain and time period. New units included the Naval Chi-Ha medium tank sporting the (very) short 120mm naval gun. Armoured units have been expanded and refined according to new information. More bunker options. More sniper types, more captured equipment, more planes with a larger variety of loadouts, more Home Island choices for the hypothetical invasion of the home islands, more defensive choices for the Pacific Island battles. More formation choices for infantry, tanks and artillery, with expanded weapon variety.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

France and Free France OOB006

1930 to 1946

This OOB originally focused on the 1940 campaign (but has been extensively rewritten in later versions; see also the Army of Liberation notes below for V 4.0 additions). Later it was designed as a sort-of Allied force, after Tunisia the Free French & repatriated Vichy followed US Army organisation

The 1940 French tanks look good on paper, but suffered from many poor design qualities. Chiefly a lack of radios and the use of single man turrets where the commander was also loader and gunner. So these tanks have low radio percentages, low ROF, and poor FC and RF. Still quite tough for the era though. The Somua was good enough for the Germans to keep on and use against the Allies in Normandy, and some were supplied to Italy.

Those with the 37mm L21 gun will have a hard time killing a Pz II unless they come within 400 yards or so - this Puteaux gun was developed in WW1 really to throw HE as infantry support. So H-35s will actually do rather well if they act together with leg grunts and concentrate on killing German infantry, smacking MG nests etc. The 37L21 uses 'sabot' AP ammo but only to give a short range AP round in SPWW2 game terms - panzer2 frontally at maybe 2-3 hexes, (100-150 metres) if lucky!.

The French 47mm long tank/AT gun is something German armour of the period will have to treat with respect. Do not get into tank duels at long range with anything armed with this gun. Unfortunately for France, they decided vast numbers of the smaller 25mm gun were a better investment than 47mms.

Mechanised infantry units are provided, but in reality these were very rare. The old WWI Renault models 17 and 18 may not have seen combat in 1940, but over 1600 of these were in deep reserve.

France really was not in a good state for the fight in terms of national morale, especially so after the outflanking of the Maginot Line, it is best to have their Troop Quality low, 65 or so if you are using 75 or 80 for Germany (1940 national characteristics reflect this). However some units were significantly better than average, so you may prefer to play against elites, such as De Gaulle's 4e DCR, or the excellent Colonial troops such as the Chasseurs Afriques.

V4 includes significant changes to the French Army of Liberation units and formations. They are now more comprehensive and accurate in terms of detail and use of French names.

What is not widely known is how effective the late-war French units were. The Army of Liberation was essentially composed of French colonial troops and was later reinforced with partisans who had been drafted into regular service. This force, known as the French First Army, fought with an élan second to none and conducted several campaigns against the Germans worthy of the name 'Blitzkrieg'. By the end of the war, the French had overrun the Black Forest and a fair portion of Bavaria -- lending the French First Army its motto: "Rhin et Danube".

The fascinating variety of late war French troops is present in V4, including Goumiers, Legionnaires, 'Choc' commandos, Alpine troops, and the poorly equipped metropolitain program troops of late 1944 and 1945.

In terms of organisation and equipment, the French AL units are very similar to US units of the same period, although there are small variations and some unique organisations like the Goums.

Combined arms teams can be easily purchased by buying "Cie Renforcee" formations. These are infantry companies bolstered with armour, engineer, artillery, and reconnaissance assets.

Unlike the French Army of 1940, the French AL did not suffer from significant morale or leadership problems. Many of the formations reflect the superior experience and morale of the colonial and elite units.

OB rewritten by Claus Bonnesen and Bill Wilson for version 4.0.

V5--Major revisions, new statistics for many weapons, many new/modified units, new airborne formations, new tanks, most formations revised, Pre-war & Free French & Post-war plus Colonial Forces have been expanded. The 1940 equipment has been significantly revised and new units such as armoured cars, antiaircraft machine guns, and late war antiaircraft trucks have been added. The discerning player will note the presence of captured Japanese tanks in French post-war equipment, as well as the heavy ARL-44 tank.

V6 -- Generally more variety and historical accuracy for the 1940 campaign, as well as the Free French & Vichy forces.

For WinSPWW2. All Vichy forces have been removed and given their own OOB and WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Great Britain OOB007

1930 to 1946

This OB is mainly British Empire forces in the Western theatre. Therefore it subsumes some Imperial contingents - for example the South Africans, Australians in the Desert, and Indian Army forces seconded to the Desert. After all, in the first half of the war, while most of the native British soldiery were defending the home islands from a possible German invasion, the British Army in North Africa was 60%-80% colonial (depending on the time frame).

British rifle platoons had 1 AT weapon in platoon HQ, and a 2 inch mortar which is ignored since it was used to fire flares and smoke rounds, not HE. Neither are really modelled in SP. 2 inch HE was only ever brought forwards from reserve in places like Italy where WWI like trench systems were very close together - then it was used as a nuisance device in day to day trench tedium. Its only 'sights' were a white line painted down the tube. There was no LMG at platoon HQ, but in fact units usually scrounged extra LMG either from rear Supply Company's allocation, or from captures. The German MG42 was quite popular, there are photos of a carrier platoon in Tunisia where all 3 visible had both a 42 in the 'redoubt' and some Bren guns carried loose in the back. So British leg platoons are 1 'heavy' squad and 3 others. A Humans-only Platoon HQ Section is provided for those who like a 2-inch mortar as a 'grenade launcher'.

Mechanised units could carry an AT weapon per squad. (Note that in the UK 'Squad' is a drill parade term for an ad hoc collection of soldiers, the tactical formation is a 'section') So here they are all heavy infantry. Other than the carrier recce platoon in some infantry battalions, mech. infantry was rather uncommon until Normandy. Even if moved to the battlefield on lorries or APCs, British infantry fought on foot.

For some strange reason the UK branched off to have 2 tank types, infantry tanks to fight alongside the foot infantry and cruisers which acted independently and would have no need of infantry support. Most tank squadrons (companies) had 2 CS tanks in the HQ troop (platoon), with a 3.7-in. howitzer then the 3-in, howitzer, and finally a 3.7-in. (95mm) once more. Some regiments concentrated the CS tanks and used them like a direct fire artillery battery. These CS howitzers reach out to a respectable range now, as opposed to SP1 where they were a point blank weapon. So they can trouble 88mm guns, but if your opponent has sense he will remove the CS tanks as priority items.

The Valentine squadron is for those Valentines with 3 crew, not 4. British tank squadrons often adjusted the tank quantity to fit the personnel strength, not the other way around. So Grant squadrons would often drop one troop to provide the extra bodies for this tank type. Later on, it was common practice to add a long gun tank to a troop, making a 4-tank troop. Some units reduced their troop count and others did not. And of course some others preferred a separate Firefly troop. British Lt. Colonels had rather a lot of leeway as to how they ran their battalions. Despite the 'command tank' label, platoon commanders very quickly learned that the 17pdr armed tanks were the German's 'kill me quick' targets, so it was usually the troop sergeant who got this duty. That is why the tank is number 4 as well, so your opponent cannot single out your commanders for the chop first. (Old 'command tank' class is now relabelled as 'gun tank').

Armoured car units used a 3-vehicle troop in the beginning of the war, and then tended to use a 4-vehicle high/low mix of a scout car section of 2 and armoured car section of 2. However both types overlapped considerably, and seem to have been a question of the commander or his Brigadiers choice. Some squadrons added a 'heavy' section of 2 with a heavier gun - more for the HE than AT purposes, such as later 75mm armed AEC models, sometimes half-tracks were used instead for the fire support element.

Rifle companies usually had a 2-tube section from the battalion mortar platoon assigned and sometimes some MGS from the battalion support Weapons Company as well. Therefore there are several variant rifle companies available for you to play with.

AT guns were at one point removed from infantry battalions to be totally under RA control in centralised brigade AT batteries. Naturally the infantry objected somewhat to this and the experiment did not last long. The infantry got their 4 to 6 AT guns per battalion back, and the RA AT batteries stayed as well. These latter were the 17 pdr and SP-AT users, infantry battalions usually keeping the 6 pdr, even till the 1950s.

Artillery batteries are 8 guns, in 2 by 4 gun troops, but heavies are in a 4-gun battery with 2 by 2 gun troops. Off map Div. Arty is the entire Brigade allocation of guns, a 25pdr regiment with an added medium battery from Division. Unfortunately the picker usually makes a hash of this. (The new artillery sub classes help here!).

The carrier platoon is more of a reconnaissance and cavalry unit than a mechanised infantry unit, one such per battalion. Some early war light tank battalions had a carrier platoons attached or even one per squadron. As with the rest of the British army there was no centrally-commanded 'doctrine', so some battalion commanders would just use the carriers as 'tin jeeps' to bring up hot rations and mail, and for the RSM etc. to run about in.

The Heavy Cruiser squadron is for Grants and 6 pdr Crusaders really, these were designated as such just at the end of the usage of the Infantry Tank/Cruiser designations was becoming obsolete.

Although Priests are provided, in fact by 45, and certainly post war the Sexton was the prime SPG, the 25pdr was a standard Army calibre, whereas the USA 105mm was a 'special item'.

The Matilda 40 squadron is for that period, in France. The number of Matilda 2s available was not great at that point. Most Matilda 1's were lost in France and the ones that were not were relegated to training so they were not used in the desert in 40. And once they had disappeared, Matilda 2 was just called 'Matilda'. The Matilda 1* is the support version, some had a 0.5 inch mg instead of the rifle calibre

Centurion Mk1 arrived in Germany just too late to take part in WW2. It is there for the "what-if" 1946 UK vs. Germany, or the "what-if" WW3 vs. USSR. Centurion represents British tank thought from end war to the present day, firepower and protection is emphasised over speed.

This army's strength lies in its infantry and the Royal Artillery. Its tanks are not great, except in parts. The key to using this army is to using all the support arms to get your infantry close with the enemy. British infantry wants to get to close quarters and kill with the bayonet, not engage in pointless firefights.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Vichy France OOB008

July 1940 - April 1943

Vichy France was established after France surrendered to Germany in 1940 and took its name from the government's capital in Vichy, southeast of Paris. Vichy France was officially neutral in the war but it was essentially a Nazi puppet state

The state initially consisted of an unoccupied zone in Southern France and some French colonies. However Germany invaded the zone under Vichy control on November 11, 1942, in operation "Case Anton" after Admiral François Darlan signed an armistice with the Allies and took power in North Africa just after the "Torch" landings . However, even though Darlan was now technically on the side of the Allies he maintained the repressive Vichy system in North Africa including the maintenance of concentration camps in southern Algeria. After Darlan's assasination on December 24, 1942 he was replaced by General Henri Giraud who maintained the Vichy regime until the unification of French fighting forces and territories by the "Comité français de Libération nationale", and the taking of power by de Gaulle, who re-established democracy.

The OOB in the game ends when de Gaulle moved his headquarters to Algiers in May 1943 to become the joint head and then sole chairman of the Committee of National Liberation. From that point on, in game terms "Free France" represents all French forces. However, "Vichy" France lingered on as the "offical" France until Oct 23, 1944 when the US, Britain and the Soviet Union formally recognized de Gaulle as the provisional government of France but aside from the "Milice française" (French Militia) which was a Nazi lead anti partisan paramilitary force created in 1943 there was no real "Vichy" military past May 1943.

However there were a number of land based conflicts that Vichy forces fought. In June 1941 a revolt in Iraq had to be put down by British forces and Luftwaffe aircraft used the French colony of Syria as a staging area to attempt to intervened in the fighting in Iraq. This highlighted Syria as a threat to British interests in the middle east and as a result the Australian 7th Division with British, Indian and Free French forces in support participated in an Allied invasion of Syria and Lebanon which resulted in the capture of Damascus on June 17 1941. Free French and British forces advancing into Lebanon and Syria from Palestine encounter strong resistance from Vichy forces at Litani on the 9th and 10th, at Kiswa on the 12th, at El Kuneitrah and Izra 15 th and 16th.

One other major operation against Vichy French territory took place using British and South African forces on Madagascar. It was feared that Japanese forces might use Madagascar as a base and thus cripple British trade and communications in the Indian Ocean. As a result, Madagascar was invaded 1942 and fell relatively quickly. ( see scenario #38 "The Rainbow Island" )

In November 1940 the Free French fought Vichy forces in Gabon at the Battle of Libreville. French General Marie Pierre Koenig's forces encountered heavy Vichy resistance during march on the city. Koenig’s Free French legionaires broke Vichy resistance at the aerodrome and Vichy forces surrendered

In January 1941. Thai forces with secret backing of the Japanese attack French troops in Cambodia . Fighting continued until May 9, 1941 when the Franco-Thai Peace Convention is signed after "mediation" by Japan. Thailand regained 54,000 sq. km of territory on the west bank of the Mekong ceded to Laos in 1904 and the Cambodian province of Battambang.

Vichy resistance to the "Torch" landings in French North Africa resulted in 556 Americans killed and 837 wounded as well as 300 British and 700 Free French soldiers killed between November 8 1942 when the landings began and November 11 1942 when fighting between Vichy and Allied troops ends

Polish Communist LWP OOB009

May 1942 - 1946

During 1943 the Russians and Polish communists created another Polish Army in the USSR with a majority of Russian commanders and specialists.

The first unit to see combat was the 1st Tadeusz Kosciuszko Infantry Division and the 1st tank regiment of Gen. Z. Berling. These units first fought at Lenino on 12-13 October 1943. In July 1944, in the liberated part of Poland, the new alternative communist government was formed and this Russian backed Polish Army was named Ludowe Wojsko Polskie (LWP or Polish People's Army ) and the next units were recruited and mobilized in Poland.

In 1944-1945 the LWP consisted of 1st Army ( 1.AWP= 1. Armia Wojska Polskiego) assigned to the 1st Belarussian Front which fought at the Vistula bridgeheads 9-14 August 1944. On 14 September 1944 the 1.AWP units captured the right-bank Warsaw and some infantry units managed to cross Vistula to join the fighting on the west bank but they shared the fate of the insurgents, who surrendered on 2 October 1944. It wasn't until January 1945 that the 1.AWP took the remains of Warsaw. The 1.AWP also fought at Kolobrzeg (Kolberg), Gdansk (Danzig), the Oder crossings and finally, in April and May 1945 it fought in Battle for Berlin . The 2nd Army - 2.AWP (2. Armia Wojska Polskiego) was assigned to the 1st Ukrainian Front fighting at Wroclaw (Breslau) and Poznan (Posen) and also in Berlin as well and also took part in some of the liberation of Czechoslovakia.

The game OOB starts in May 1942 and represents Partisan forces up to July 1943 when the main "LWP" forces become available as well.

Soviet Union OOB011

1930 to 1946

The expanded dates are for the hypothetical Allies vs. the USSR World War 3 scenario, or to invade the Japanese Northern islands.

Some of the companies are actually a platoon in game terms and all lumped in one formation. This is historically more realistic, and reflects the poor command and control of Soviet formations. There are also battalions provided which in SP terms are actually companies. These formations are also fragile for morale purposes, just one commander to try to rally himself and nine subordinates. Good formations for USSR 1941 then!

The T-34/76a model is defined as a heavy tank as it was only available in limited numbers in 40-41. Vast fleets of BT and T-26 were the chief tank forces then. Briefly! The Allied lend lease tanks are often classified as light tanks, these were usually deployed in quiet sectors as the Soviets did not think much of them. The only one they actually liked and asked for more of was the Vickers Valentine. The Lee/Grant earned the sobriquet 'the coffin for seven comrades'. Shermans were reasonably popular for exploitation usage - for their mechanical reliability, not their firepower.

Soviet light tanks (T-60 and T-70 for example) were not really much used for reconnaissance. They were mainly used for infantry close support in quiet sectors, freeing up the better tanks for elsewhere. When used alongside heavier stuff, they accompanied the SU-76 or KV series tanks in support of the infantry line. This is why their speed is not great, they were an auxiliary tank, which could be turned out in reasonable numbers by lesser engineering works (they used truck engines), not a speedy recce design. They usually only had 2 crewmen as well, so ROF is not great.

Early tank companies used the 7-tank organisation, later they were 10 tanks, but both coexisted. Also early on there were some independent tank platoons of heavies or T-34s added to units since the Soviets had read the wrong lessons from the Spanish Civil War, and broke their tanks up in penny packets rather than concentrating them in armoured formations.

The Soviet army is a mass army. Artillery is the Red God of War and has been since the days of the Tzars. Start with your artillery plan, and work from there. This army is one of the few that is not greatly troubled by German tank superiority, in fact at certain points this one has the superior armour This is the army that caused the German need for all these super tanks in any case! In addition, your medium tanks are noticeably faster than the opposition. Use this facility to make wide encirclements, or to shift your thrust rapidly from one point to another. Also recall that any Soviet tank is not fully dressed without its tank riders, so take SMG squads and use these in very close conjunction with the tanks, never more than a hex or 2 away if at all.

In the assault, by the end of the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet 'norms' for a breakthrough assault by an Army would be 200-300 guns, rocket launchers or mortars per kilometre of front. A kilometre is 20 hexes in SP. Tank and SPG density would be 70 to 85 per kilometre, and a rifle division's assault sector would be 1.2 to 2.5 kilometres. An Army level assault would be of this density across a 16 to 25 km frontage, and several armies of the Front would attack simultaneously on axes about 20 to 40 km apart.

Always buy hordes of riflemen, they are cheap and cheerful. Recall Stalin's dictum 'Quantity has a quality all of its own'. Where you would use a company in other armies, use a battalion. Advance this mob, with a few KV or other heavies in support behind a creeping barrage. Keep the barrage up continuously, just adjust the guns forward 2 or 3 hexes per shift (select the gun on the barrage dialogue, and hit the HE icon, it targets its last adjustment at low delay so there is not a long wait. Then use the Adjust Fire button to shift 2 or 3 hexes if required. This is how to do a 'creeping barrage' in SP without the lengthy delays. Think of it as a preplanned fire program). Be prepared to keep close behind your barrage, and accept some friendly fires. (The British term for this is 'leaning on the barrage' and like the Soviets, they were prepared to lose a few for the advantages gained arriving quickly on the position while the enemy is still naturalised by the bombardment).

This main force of infantry, heavy tanks and the accompanying barrage is your 'Hammer'. At the same time, use the fast tanks (BT or T-34) to outflank if you can and as deep as you can. This is the 'Sickle' of Soviet tactics. Once in the rear, the Sickle can become the anvil for the hammer, or itself drive forwards as the Hammer, the main force becoming the new Anvil. Either way, the idea is to get the enemy between a rock and a hard place. Part or all of the outflanking Sickle (and you can also double envelop if the German keeps his force too tightly concentrated. This is wonderful as it also helps with the artillery pounding!) once in the rear can break off and act as an Operational Manoeuvre Group. The task of this detachment is to sweep up the rear area soft targets, headquarters, supply, and above all artillery. Naturally, the entire Sickle force could perform this function before shifting its axis back into the rear of the enemy fighting positions.

The problem for the Soviets was that in the real world, it was difficult to synchronise their forces to this extent. Execution was often therefore less than the ideal. But SP has no real Command and Control rules (yet), so you as a human player are in pretty much total control.

V5--More ATG/Infantry/Howitzer guns (famous "Rat's Tail" added), expanded artillery, pre-WWII expanded, expanded horse formations (artillery, Cossacks). Also the naming scheme changed from the 'German' (e.g. T34/76a) to the Soviet Mode (e.g. T-34/76 M1940).

V6 -- Expanded the Partisan unit variety, expanded the armour available and tweaked availability dates, expanded the variety of infantry, including the Worker's Militia and the Penal Battalions. More tank destroyers and tank-hunter formations.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

US Army OOB012

1930-1946

Mech. infantry 1942 organisation - only take the 37mm AT gun here; the 3-inch won't fit with the rest of the troops (the new light AT gun class should help here). The 1943 organisation separated the AT guns, but again 37mm were common, and at most use 57mm. These units have a lot of firepower, but dismount strength is low, best used for the delay mission. They are also very good for shoot and scoot mobile defence or as exploitation troops. This was their historic role, they are not meant for, and USA doctrine did not see them as, assault troops. The M2 60mm MMC is the correct fire support half-track, not the 81mm (now in its own class to ensure that only this one is used). The M2 60mm MMC has a limited lift capacity. It represents firing the mortar from the vehicle, common practice, and hence no dismounted mortar is provided. As a SP-Mortar it can fire indirect. The M3-MG half-track has extra crew to service the additional MGS, so does not have quite as much lift as the regular half-track so this one and the mortar half-track usually carry the smaller teams.

The USA had a strange idea at this time, the UK was not alone here, they called it the tank destroyer doctrine. Basically, tanks were seen as infantry support and for use in exploitation of a breakthrough with the mechanised infantry. Their job was not to take on enemy tanks, and special formations of tank destroyers were provided to perform this task. This would have been fine if the Germans had played by the same rules, but funnily enough they did not wait around for the tank destroyers to turn up, and their tanks did not ignore the American tanks either. The TD doctrine was way ahead of its time really but it needed anti tank helos to properly implement the concept, though the Hellcat is getting towards what a TD should really be. Use the nippy Hellcat to work the flanks of German armour, try not to get into a head to head slugfest! The M10 really had few advantages, not much speed or armour wise, and once the 76mm gun was available on regular tanks, little point in it. The M36 with its 90mm gun is however a very good SP AT gun, but too slow for the proper TD concept of mobility. TD units had a large scouting element of armoured cars, the TDs were not supposed to take on the enemy armour during the breakthrough, but to engage them in ambush tactics once the enemy tanks had burst through the lines. AT guns were also parts of the TD units, but received low priority, mobile AT capability was seen as more use.

The drawback to the TD concept was that the main battle tank was not seen as needing much anti tank capability, hence the moderate 75mm on the Shermans. It took a lot of pressure from the troops at the front end to convince the supply end to produce 76mm gunned tanks. And they had to fight to get a decent heavy as well. The Pershing arriving just in time, but would have been rather useful 6 months or a year earlier, which it could have been if the production side had not had such power. The Jumbo Sherman was some help, but again it was an initiative of the front line troops over the production moguls. There was a limited 76mm gun field modification of this, maybe 20 to 30 total produced in field workshops. Please do not take fleets of this one. It's only made available to human players. A couple or three Pershings were field modified with extra bolt on armour cut from destroyed panthers but not provided here. Too few to justify, we will leave these for scenario designers to manufacture in the editor if required.

American artillery was about the best in the world. In fact the series had been designed in the early 20s, but severe financial budget shortages meant that the new 105mm, 155mm, and 8 inchers were only put into production in the nick of time. But the same basic pieces are still in service today, a tribute to the Westervelt Board, set up in 1918. Before 1940, the US Artillery Park was almost entirely old ex-French and British WW1 stock. The 1940 models are available a bit too early, but in game terms a Schneider 155 is similar to a modern 155, however in a later release I may revisit the pre war guns.

The other strength of the US Army was in its air support. Use your air and artillery assets to counter the German armour superiority. Use the mobile troops to sweep up the mess left after they have done their job! If you do not have air support, drop artillery and smoke on the German heavy tanks, and either take them with infantry assault or bazookas, or sneak round the side with something 76mm armed and hit the weaker armour Panthers can be taken through the side by the short 75mm if lucky. But without the air, you will have to use skilful manoeuvre to deal with German tanks; you will not do well in a head to head. Try to tempt them into close country or towns and deal with them at close quarters with combined arms, tanks and infantry together, engineers with flame-throwers and so forth. Try to remove the accompanying German infantry to make this task easier. Light tanks like the Stuart may not look very good with only a 37mm gun even in 1945, but in actual fact these are very useful to support the infantry. They deal with German scout cars and half-tracks rather well, and skilfully used can duel with the lighter German SP-guns like the Marders. They can kill a Panther with a close range up the kilt shot - but only try it if you are feeling very lucky..

Notes for Version 4.0:

There have been many detail changes to the US Army OOB. The most obvious is the use of machine gun sections with two versus three machine guns in them. This change was done to more accurately represent machine gun distribution in US infantry and heavy weapons companies. For players wanting three MGs in a section, the 50/30-cal combo unit is still available.

A similar change was done to 60mm mortars for reasons of transport within certain formations and ease of formation purchase. The 60mm mortars are now represented as single tubes with the appropriate quantity included in the various formations.

Formations have been restructured to more accurately reflect assigned vehicles and equipment. Some more combined arms formations (company teams) have been added with a varying mix of equipment. Entire troops of mechanised cavalry may now be purchased.

There are more varieties of M4 medium tanks available. Check out their statistics prior to purchase as they are not all the same! Some will be more economical to purchase but will be made of weaker armour. The new sub classes of AT guns should help keep the 'wrong' ones (like 76mm) out of mech inf and similar formations!.

US Army OB author for V 4.0 : Bill Wilson

V5 --Pre-WWII redone & expanded, all war years expanded, post-war expanded, many new units & formations of all description. US forces of the 1930s now have greater detail, including early half-tracks. Late-war recoilless rifles have been added, as well as self-propelled artillery pieces like the M40 HMC and T66 truck-mounted rockets. Armored infantry units now come in two guises - mounted (with MGs on the half-tracks), or dismounted (without half-tracks and machine-guns being carried on the ground). This idea was contributed by a gentleman who served as a MG non-commissioned officer in an armored infantry battalion of the US 8th Armored Division. US engineering assets now include bulldozers.

V6 -- Continued to tweak availability dates and provide more varied kit for all war periods.

V7 -- Expanded and refined the pre-war selections in armour and artillery, as well as infantry and cavalry. Tweaked the late-war kit, and also the post-war weaponry. More variety in infantry and aircraft -- lots of new loadouts for planes.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

USMC OOB013

1930-1946

The best infantry the Americans had, and naturally enough these guys were in the Navy!

Unlike the US Army who in this period saw the rifleman as the lowest of the low (and assigned the lowest draft categories to rifle units, enlisted and officer), the USMC turned that idea on its head completely. Everybody in the Corps was first and foremost a rifleman, whether he was a gunner, a pilot or a bottle washer. As many Japanese who got into the rear area of USMC units found, attacking the caterers and clerks was not the winning proposition it might have been when fighting against other organisations! The Marines are, were, and always have been right up at the top of the list when it comes to fighting prowess, up there with the Ghurkas, Highlanders, Legionnaires et al. Their personnel guys were better aware of keeping up unit cohesion as well, so replacements would often return to their units after an absence due to injury or whatever. So they had a form of the rest of the world's 'regimental' system whereby you 'belonged' to some particular outfit, unlike the US Army where you were more of a commodity.

Morale and troop quality can be set quite high, but unfortunately your opponent is the Japanese in the main, and they should be high quality as well. Because they were part of the Navy, you get lots of carrier air support to play with, plus naval gunfire support and amphibious vehicles. There is a very pretty Devastator in the pre-war rig to play with! Some later squads have a flame-thrower or bazooka.

Fighting against the Japanese, anti armour is not high on the priority list; bazookas were mainly bunker busters. The 37mm gun has been redone with canister as a 'weapon slot' - this was a prime use for this weapon as close infantry support. There is no canister ammo in SP, so it has to be a separate 'weapon'. There are one man flame-thrower teams available as the 'Inf.-AT' class for those who want one.

Armour is scarce in an USMC force so your main strength is your riflemen. Historical TO&E for a Marine Division was one battalion of tanks throughout the War. This proportion would likely have grown if there had been fighting through the Japanese home islands. Some later tanks are provided for this scenario, but really you should stick to a few amphibs, flame-throwing tanks and the basic Stuarts and Sherman..

Remember that the USMC knew the value of the bomb and bayonet. They were more likely to go for the close assault than the US Army infantry who preferred to shoot the enemy off the objective if they could. USMC infantry doctrine is very similar to British. Fire is used to facilitate manoeuvre, and the point of manoeuvre is to get your men up close and personal to the enemy. This tends to settle the argument quickly, rather than wasting time in a pointless firefight.

V5--Some formations revised, some new units (recoilless rifles, pack howitzers). One very significant change is the addition of the late-war USMC rifle companies with organic MG platoon - very heavy firepower to meet entrenched and determined Japanese defenders. USMC flame-throwing tanks are now more accurately depicted, including the famous 'corkscrew and blowtorch' M4 POA-CWS-105-H5 which mounted a 105mm howitzer and a coaxial flame-thrower with a fuel capacity of no less than 290 gallons. USMC LVTs are now represented in more varieties, including a flame-throwing variant.

V6 -- More variety in infantry selction, including the Marine Paratroopers. More variety in weaponry, the Reising SMG and the Johnson LMG added, for example. Fire team units formations and formations added. The pre-war units rounded out a bit.

V7 -- Much more variety in troop selection, much more pre-war kit, obsolete kit and infantry selections for the early battles. This includes the 37mm infantry gun, 20mm anti-tank gun, the 1.1inch AA gun, the Mk.I (Boyes) anti-tank rifle, and the F3F-2 Littlecat biplane -- just to name a few. Small unit Fire Support formations enhanced. Raider & Paratrooper formations enhanced, and airborne pack howitzers added.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Chinese Communists OOB014

1930-1946

When Sun Yat Sen declared the Republic of China on October 10, 1911, China embarked on 40 years of internal struggle and civil war. Warlords quickly took over sections of the country and ruled them as individual fiefdoms. In 1926, Chiang Kai Shek took control of the Kuomintang Party and the Army and he began a campaign to overthrow them. He was allied with the Communist Chinese until the conquest of Shanghai. By October 1928, the Communists and the Kuomintang were engaged in open warfare. From 1930 to 1934 the Kuomintang tried repeatedly to encircle Mao Zedong and his communists, driving them 6,000 miles to the Yenan Province but he failed to destroy them.

With China embroiled in internal strife, Japan decided to advance on Manchuria in 1931. They easily conquered the province, installed Chinese Emperor Pu-Yi and renamed it Manchukuo. Chiang was caught between the communists and the Japanese, but focused on trying defeating his Chinese political rivals. In 1936 he was subjected to an abortive coup, which the Communists extricated him from in exchange for promises to fight the Japanese.

The Japanese attacked China on July 7, 1937 and Japanese troops and warships poured into China, attempting to occupy the five Western provinces and create another state like Manchukuo. They occupied Peking and Shanghai and in December 1937 they took Nanjing, the Kuomintang capital. Crowded with refugees, the Nationalists abandoned Nanjing to its fate at the hands of the Japanese. Over a period of six weeks, hundreds of thousands of Chinese were killed, women were raped, and the city sacked in what became known as the “Rape of Nanjing.”

So, by 1939, as war started in Europe, China had been fighting a forgotten war for eight years. There had been more than 2 Million Chinese casualties as well as widespread disease and famine. The Japanese declared China conquered, but the reality was that neither side could gain an upper hand. Chiang distrusted the Communists, and sent his army against them as often as he attacked the Japanese.

The Chinese Communists drew up a program to fight the enemy on all fronts and prepare for a protracted war against the Japanese. This policy paved the way for anti-Japanese forces to penetrated deep behind enemy lines to mobilize the peasants and to launch guerrilla warfare. Anti-Japanese base areas and anti-Japanese governments were set up behind enemy lines. Armed forces and civilians in the base areas gradually became the main forces in fighting the Japanese.

However, the war turned into a stalemate and the armed forces and civilians behind enemy lines were engaged in a arduous struggle against the Japanese. This continued until 1945 when the Allied campaign against the Japanese culminated in the dropping of the Atomic bomb on the Japanese home islands and the Russia invasion of Manchuria broke the Japanese will to fight. It was Manchuria with captured Japanese equipment and an intact industrial base that allowed the Chinese communists to continue their fight against the Chinese Nationalist force and eventfully win the civil war.

Australia and New Zealand OOB015

1930-1946

This OB is mainly focussed on the Australian part of that pairing, the Kiwis being subsumed. Also focussed on the war with Japan, it is probably best to use the UK OB as a basis for desert fighting (or as allies providing the tanks).

AC1 Sentinel is a home produced tank with around 60 built, 50mm armour basis, 40mph, but governed to about 30mph. This was relegated to training roles, but one each of a 17 pdr and a twin 25 pdr version were made as prototypes. They are available to the human player only as a 'what-if'. They were put into production, as the UK could not guarantee tank supply. However in actuality the massive production facilities of the USA proved sufficient to cover their needs, mainly the Stuart and Grant models. It shows what a small country could produce, even with a limited industrial base.

Although there is armoured infantry, armoured cars etc., most of the fighting in New Guinea etc was an infantry affair, supported by Matildas in the main, along with Stuarts. Some Grants and a few Shermans become available later on. The Matilda Frog was a conversion using a flame-thrower instead of the 2 pdr.

You will also find the ANZAC A-20 has "Para-Frags" which were dropped from low flying aircraft and have much the same effect as the German SD-2 HE bomblets.

V5 -- New armour, air & naval units. New armour formations separately representative of Australia and New Zealand. Formation Information files to help choose correct armour for each Theatre of Operations, and also specific for Australia and New Zealand in those Theatres. Expanded Pacific Theatre formations. Expanded infantry formations. Citizen Military Force's formations added. Islander formations added. Independent Companies formation added..

V6 -- Australian Pacific forces enhanced and expanded. Availability dates tweaked thanks to Dallas Gavin.

For V7 -- Expanded New Zealand selections, including the New Zealand Home Front for hypothetical invasions of the New Zealand islands. Tweaked the Aussie CMF and the North African forces.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Germany OOB016

1930 to 1946

The extra year is there to allow a what if the war lasted a bit longer phase, and so some of the more likely fancy projected kit that might have appeared, like the Panther II.

Early on the real tanks should be PzKw I and II's. Panzer III and IV numbers were very limited early on - you should fight France with many Skoda tanks and Panzer IIs as was the case in reality.

Germany was almost as entirely unprepared for WW2 as the allies; the German army and navy were working to a 1943 or 44 kick off. The annexing of Czechoslovakia meant they took over one of Europe's chief armament industries and coincidentally they nearly doubled their tank strength, taking the first Pz38(t) right off the end of the production line. Not to mention that the severe and chronic artillery shortage was somewhat alleviated.

The invasion of Poland got the German armed forces into a war footing before they were actually ready for the game. Germany never had enough to go around, so this army has to be one of the most kleptomaniac ones ever seen. It was always, in other than the key SS and Panzer divisions, an amazing polyglot mix of kit.

As with the kaleidoscope collection of weaponry, there were any number of TOE charts for German units, most of which were in reality pure central command wish lists. Darned few started off on the official footing - many had more - but well under strength was more the rule, especially for units at the front. There are 2 panzer companies - a 17 tank and a 14. Both organisations were in use by both the Heer and the Waffen SS. A HQ of 2 and 3 4 or 5 tank platoons.

Half-tracks - the heavy half-tracks with weapons are subclassed so only the one per platoon with 37mm or 28mm gun can be selected. The light half-track carries only a half squad, so is in the utility vehicle section- carry scouts or HQ units in these only.

There are SdKfz 251 half-tracks with box mounted rockets - one has flame rockets. (NOTE: These 251 Ht's with rockets have a MINIMUM and MAXIMUM range. If you find that they cannot be targeted you will have to move them until they can be fired. The acceptable indirect band is quite narrow.)

The Sturmtiger is SP-artillery, so it can fire indirect if desired, but slowly. They are better fired over open sights at close ranges.

The later 15cm sIG has a HEAT round - towed or tracked mounts. The 15cm gun is one of your best grunt-removers, and the USSR AI quite likes grunts (hint!).

Tanks with the NbW92 have multiple smoke dischargers. It could throw a HE grenade shower as well.

The Panther Uhu (Eagle Owl) has night fighting gear - in reality a receptor for IR light from a searchlight on a separate half-track, but beyond the SP game mechanics. Some later what-if tanks have IR as well, but the Uhu was pretty much the only real combat use of night aided vision.

Some later German planes have SD-2HE and SD-4AT bomblets. The SD-2 were 2kg anti-personal bombs and the SD-4 were 4kg hollow charge Antitank bombs carried in boxes mounted under the wing and dropped a hundred or so at a time. In SPWW2 the SD-2 have been set up to provide a high HE kill against infantry with very little effect on armour The SD-4 has high HE penetration values against armour but very low HE kill so these will have little or no effect on infantry. Make sure you drop the correct bombs on the correct target. Remember: SD-2 HE for infantry, SD-4AT for tanks. The best uses for these is to wait until your opponent has bunched up then bring in the bomblet-carrying plane.

The amphibian tanks are added really for fun, for Sealion. In reality, they ran on the bottom on their tracks with an air float above. SP thinks they can swim and so fire, but then it does this for the DD tank as well. However, these could be a nasty surprise on a map with a lake or large river.

Early PzKw IV's are classed as close support tanks, same as Stugs. The Pz IV was the close support tank to Pz III and really only became the main battle tank when the PzKw III turret ring was too small for long 75mm cannon.

The 3-gun light flak section is really for battalion 20mm AA guns. The 2 gun section and 4 gun battery organisation is for medium flak - 37mm, and Vierlings.

German SPA has low ammo loads so if used you should consider ammunition carriers as well.

There is a what-if ATGM from June 1945 on. It is the only ATGM in the game

OB rewritten by Claus Bonnesen and Helge Bertram for version 4.0 .

V5-- Pre-WW2 and Late War have been expanded. Recoilless rifles have been added. Panzergrenadier formations have been revised. Luftwaffe ground troops, bicycle troops, police units & more have been added. More armour has been added, and existing armour modified to be a better historical representation. More air units added, more diverse defensive units added, and more commonly used captured equipment added

V6 - OB refined and several new units added. Formations revised, picklist tweaked.

V7 -- lots of new units, new weapons, new formations and new loadouts for planes. Proper Mountain troops and seperate ski troops are now available. Expanded choices for the reserve, security, police, SS, Volksgrenadier, Volksturm and Ost units are available. More variety in anti-tank weaponry. Much more variety in captured kit. More precision in formation organization. A near-complete set of vehicles in all their various colourful glory -- early war grey, late-war camo, desert tan and desert camo, winter white and winter camo. The vehicles will appear in the correct paint job in the correct time period. Special attention was given to the armoured vehicles. Soft-skinned trucks and such received some variety in paint, but not as much -- desert tan and winter white along with the standard German grey.

NOTE: the German flags in the 1930 - 1935 era of WinSPww2 reflect historical useage. The Weimar republic used the same flag design as Germany does now. When the Nazi's took power they did not immendiately change the German flag to the Nazi party Hakenkreuzfahne but instead adopted the Black, White and Red Imperial banner that had been used between 1871 and 1918 AND the swastika flag as as co-national flags. In game terms from January 1930 until after the March 1933 elections the familiar Black, Red and Gold German flag appears in the game. In April 1933 the flag changes to the old imperial banner and then in September 1935 the swastika flag appears as the national flag.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors. A slightly expanded. selection of units.

India OOB018

1930-1946

This covers the British Imperial forces from Palestine through India to Hong Kong. Its mainly for Slim's 'Forgotten Army', who actually inflicted more casualties to the Japanese than the entire USMC Pacific Island hopping campaign. XIV Army to be precise.

Soldiers of this army could have been British, (mainly) Indian, Chinese, Burmese, East or West African, Ghurka, Karen, Naga or Kachin, to name a few. Basically a British Army variant, it was poor off for equipment, mostly receiving obsolescent stuff. Most mediums would be Lee/Grants, and by 1945, a few Shermans. A battalion or so of Churchills was shipped out just too late for the war against Japan.

V5 --New air, infantry and armour units. Many new pre-war, post-war and early war units.

V6 -- New artillery and cavalry units, tweaked availability dates

V7 -- No more generic weaponry -- Mills Bombs, Hawkins Mines, etc. A slightly expanded. selection of units.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Bulgaria OOB019

1930-1946

This small nation is there for completeness. Post war it is there as a Soviet Ally for the WW3 "what-if". Mainly involved in the Balkans, this army is likely mainly to interest scenario designers.

About the only claim to fame for this nation in WW2 is that it managed the feat of being jointly at war with both the Allies and the Axis, if only for a short while!

V5 --completely redone, expanded to include 1930-1949, new armour, new infantry, new artillery, new planes.

V6 -- Special thanks to Dimitar Boykov for his contributions to enhance the date availability of units, formation organization and variety of units. Partisan forces added, and pre-war forces made more accurate.

For V7 Enhanced the Partisan forces, and fleshed out the late-war forces as well as the pre-war & post-war forces.

Yugoslavia OOB020

1930-1946

This OB covers the Yugoslav nation, and then the various partisan factions of the area.

Yugoslavia entered the war in the spring of 1941 when it was invaded by German, Italian and Bulgarian forces. Hitler wanted to bail out Mussolini against Greece, and Yugoslavia, resistant to the use of its soil for German offensive operations against Greece, stood in the way. The Yugoslav army was defeated in 20 days, with light losses for the Axis. Thereafter, it was partitioned, and an armed resistance struggle continued until liberation by the Russians in 1944.

The Yugoslav army had a handful of purchased French tanks, including the FT-17, and the more modern R-35, which was a match for the German Pz II still in use at the time. After occupation had started, they relied mostly on captured Italian and German equipment. The use of German Armoured cars and Italian tankettes was truly rare, as vehicles were not suitable for a partisan campaign. After the war, Yugoslavia received considerable quantities of Soviet and some western equipment.

Updated for 4.0 by Boris Ajdukovic.

V5--Completely redone and expanded through all years 1930-1946, Royal/Communists/Cetniks/Ustase units and formations included, new tanks, infantry & planes.

V6 -- More variety added: Stuart funnies, Royal Army kit, all factions finetuned.

V7 -- Finetuned the selection and variety.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Nationalist China OOB021

1930-1946

Although the nationalist flag is used, this OOB also covers the Chinese Warlords ( The Communists have been given their own OOB).The expanded date range is set up to accommodate this hypothetical. The AI pick will default to Nationalist forces, so you will have to pick for the AI if you want the AI to have Warlord forces.

Early on, the Chinese warlords had a lot of equipment from German sources, and around 1937 weapons from the USSR. Later on, the Nationalist Chinese were supplied with Western gear. All used captured or abandoned Japanese hardware when available.

V5 -- China was completely redone and expanded through all years from 1930-1949, Communist/Warlord/KMT units and formations for all years, many new units, expanded artillery, armour, infantry and air, militia formations for all three factions.

V6 -- Exp[anded and enhanced the variety of obsolete kit available, as well as the new kit made available from Lend-Lease Flying the Hump from Burma into China.

V7 -- More pre-WWII variety for KMT, Communists and Warlords for their own struggles against each other and against the Japanese. KMT Commandos included.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors. Communist China split off into it's own OOB

Belgium OOB027

1930-1946

The Belgian OB is primarily there to cover the battles of 1940, but has been expanded to cover the entire 1930 - 1946 period.

1930-1940 - Belgian Army:
Primarily an infantry army, the Belgians had by the late 1930s motorised their cavalry and parts of the heavy Corps artillery. The infantry divisions still relied primarily on horse and foot. The Chasseur Ardennais divisions relied on bicycle transport but their artillery were partly motorised

In the 1930s, the Belgian Army still operated the French FT-17 light tanks acquired shortly after World War I, but by 1935 they had been turned over to the Gendarmerie and were phased out of service from 1938. They have been retained in the Belgian OB until 6/40 as "Obsolete Tanks" on the assumption that some remained in storage until then. The replacement for the FT-17 was the French ACG-1, but only 12 were acquired in 1937/38. Instead, the Belgian Army relied on light tanks and tank-destroyers based on various Carden-Lloyd designs.
The T.15 was a light tank with a fully rotating turret mounting a Hotchkiss 13.2mm machine-gun and used for reconaissance in the Cavalry and Ardennais divisions.
The T.13B2 was a tank-destroyer with a semi-rotating turret facing to the rear. The T.13B3 had a fully rotating turret and thus had all the characteristics of a light tank. Both vehicles were armed with a Belgian 47mm gun.

For motor transport, the Belgian Army relied on locally produced trucks with Ford and GMC as the primary suppliers. Sidecar Motorcycles came from the Belgian companies of FN, Gillet and Sarolea. FN also produced a vehicle unique to the Belgian Army, the FN Tricar, a 3-wheel utility vehicle found in many different versions, including an antiaircraft version. Another unique vehicle was an armoured 1-ton Ford truck with 4-wheel drive courtesy of Marmon-Herrington.
In the mid 1930s, Belgium also acquired a number of small tracked "Utility Tractors" from Britain. These were among other things, used to tow the 47mm AT-guns.

In the artillery, the Belgian Army also relied heavily on domestic production, among which were a wheeled 76mm mortar and a 47mm anti-tank gun.

1940-1941 - Belgian Forces in Congo:
After the defeat in Europe, Force Publique of the Belgian Congo raised 3 battalions to fight against the Italians in Ethiopia and Sudan. These forces were not lavishly equipped and relied primarily on horse and foot for transport. We have retained some medium artillery, motor vehicles and light tanks for the Belgian Army of this period to give the player more options, but these items are probably not historical for the Belgian Forces in Congo.

The Belgian Forces were employed against the Italians and accepted the surrender of Italian forces in Gallo Sidano in July 1941. Other contingents served in Nigeria and Palestine.

1942-1945 - Belgian Forces operating from Britain:
Soon after the defeat in 1940, a small Belgian force was raised in Britain. Over the years, it grew to brigade strength and landed in Normandy in August 1944. Using British equipment, they had no armour, except some armoured cars, so we have included some British armour formations in the Belgian OB for this period.

Note also the Belgian Special forces in the form of Commando (Cdo) units representing the Belgian troop of 10th Inter-Allied Commando that fought in Italy in 1943, in Yugoslavia in 1944 and later in Western Europe. These units also represent the Belgian Parachute company of the British SAS that was dropped in Europe in 1944 making sabotage actions and doing reconaissance for the invading allied forces during their drive through Northern France and Belgium.
As the allied forces approached Belgium, units of the Armee Secreté (AS) assisted and later formed the core of the so-called Fusilier units, locally raised militia that did guard duties in Belgium after the liberation but also became involved in the fighting, most notably in the Ardennes in the winter 1944/45. The Fusilier units served with all the allied forces in Belgium including Canadian, British and US.

1946 - Belgian Army:
Post-war Belgium units primarily armed with British equipment.

Version 4.0 rewrite by Claus Bonnesen, with special thanks to Bill Wilson and Bernard Bloock for data provided on Belgian forces.

V5-- Expanded colonial/Post-Occupation forces.

V6 -- Tweaked availability dates and added variety to infantry, et al.

V7 -- Finetuned the selections, revisited the Armour selections throughout all years and tweaked availability dates and unit ratings.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Netherlands OOB028

1930-1946

This descripition Rewritten for the V5 revamp of the OOB.

Dutch armour at home consisted of 12 Landsverk (Swedish) L-180 and 12 L-181, called M36 and M38. The 12 M36 formed the 1e Eskadron Panserwagens, the M38s the 2e. 12 DAF PT3 armoured cars, termed M39 were just entering service. They may have been ready or captured part fitted out. They would likely have formed the 3e Eskadron. There were about 2 FT-17 and perhaps 5 Carden-Loyd Mk IV tankettes available - there is a special formation for these '2 FT-17/5 CL Max' - to remind you not to fleet buy the things. It is doubtful if these antiques were actually runners by that time, in any case. The tankettes were called Poema, Jaguar, Panter, Luipaard and Lynx, for the trivia mongers out there, their unit was called the 'Yellow Riders'. Dutch escapees fought with the British in both European and SE Asia, though her main contribution was in naval units of excellent quality.

In v5 the Netherlands has been redone to include the Netherlands East Indies forces (KNIL) from 1930 through 1949. The Home forces have also been further detailed through the entire period covered by SPWW2. Necessarily there are "gaps" in the Netherlands OOB when there are not many new units available. This is to reflect the actual events of World War II. Nevertheless, a Long Campaign with the Netherlands forces is possible. The Player just has to remain cognisant that is definitely a "What-If" situation where the premise is: what if you controlled a Netherlands Division\Battalion\Regiment that did not capitulate, and continued to fight aggressively throughout the War?

The Home forces were defeated in 5/40, and were involved mainly in air and naval operations from then until 6/44. New Home forces will become available slowly during this period, just as they were actually formed, organised and outfitted in Great Britain during the War. You, as Player, have them available as soon as they are organised even though many did not see action for quite some time, and some equipment that was assigned ended up being reassigned out before any historical combat took place.

The Netherlands East Indies forces (KNIL) capitulated in 3/42, though scattered colonial forces resisted throughout the war. These forces, like in the Home front, were mainly air and naval units. However, the KNIL did have some land-based units ready to fight throughout the War years -- Reserves, Militia and Volunteers for the most part. The KNIL also always had a small reserve force in the other Dutch colonial possessions. These other colonial reserves were small, and had outdated equipment, but they were there and are available to the Player in the form of machine gun, artillery and similar units. Even though certain units are always available throughout the War years, if playing a Netherlands Long Campaign the Player must be aware of, and plan for, the lack of diverse reinforcements available for much of the War. This will mean that sometimes minimising losses will be more important than winning. Luckily for the player the Dutch Marines are always available on both fronts. There were not unlimited amounts of Marines, but they did man the many Dutch vessels that kept supplies moving to all the Allied land troops in all Theatres.

Both the Home forces and the KNIL are continued to 1949. The Home forces are there for possible WWIII What-If scenarios, and the KNIL forces are there for Indonesian War scenarios.

V6 -- Expanded variety and finetuned availability dates, especially for KNIL and post-War.

V7 -- Finetuned pre-War kit, KNIL kit and infantry selection.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Norway OOB029

1930-1946

This small nation was invaded in 1940. This OB covers the Norwegian army of that period, together with the Allied expeditionary force of French and British troops sent to aid them (disastrously). The latter included some Polish forces, but whether as part of the French or British contingents are unknown. It then covers the resistance to the Nazi occupation. The French sent two independent tank companies to the fighting. A special unit is allowed for the British - this is mainly for scenarios - HMS Warspite. The British Gladiators whom operated off a frozen lake are also included. Fleet Air Arm Skuas etc are not, as they were used primarily for anti shipping missions. The Hurricanes are not included either as they fought air-air only in this campaign.

Version 4.0. OB rewritten by Tony Engelsen and John Turesson with additional help from Arne Bowit, and a special thanks to Roger Mårtenson and his site at http://hem.fyristorg.com/robertm/norge

Following the end of the Norwegian campaign, the government-in-exile set up a training camp in Scotland with the purpose of building a force that would be ready for a future liberation of Norway. Called "Den Norske Brigaden i Skottland", it would eventually consist of 3 mountain infantry companies, one artillery battalion and one reconnaissance squadron. Other units included a parachute company, an SOE company and a troop with the 10th "Inter-Allied" Commando.

The resistance movement "Milorg" was formed in occupied Norway in order to conduct sabotage, gather intelligence and to operate behind enemy lines as partisans in case of an allied invasion. In 1945 it totalled 40000 men armed with weapons hidden away in 1940 or supplied by the British through parachute drops. A trawler has been included to simulate the SOE organised "Shetland Bus" which were used to ferry agents and saboteurs into the country.

The post-war army was organised with help from the British and used a lot of equipment supplied by them. However because of troubles during armament purchase negotiations, a large portion of the equipment left behind by the Germans which had not been destroyed by the allied disarmament committee was pressed into service as well, some of which were used for several decades.

Swedish weapons originating from the police units, pre-war Norwegian types and ex-German booty material from various nations were also put into use. Some vehicle types were supplied by the US army, which in the early `50s stepped in as the major supplier of arms and equipment. This gave the army of the late `40s and early `50s a very motley appearance which is represented through the very varied equipment available for purchase in the game.

V5 -- revised & expanded units and formations

V6 -- greatly expanded the occupation years with both partisan units and Free Norwegian units based elsewhere. From 1940 until the end of WWII, seven thousand Norwegian men and women served in The Norwegian Brigade in Scotland.
In addition to the Norwegian Brigade there was also the "Norwegian Company Iceland," the "The Jan Mayen Garrison," the "Norwegian Detachment No. 1 - South Georgia," and the "The Svalbard Garrison." All of those Free Norwegian Units can be simulated with the new units and formations added to this version.

V7 -- Finetuned the selection through all years.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Canada OOB030

1930-1946

More than one million Canadians served in uniform during WW2 out of a population of only 11.5 million. Canadian troops were sent to France in 1940 and were landed but quickly withdrawn once the true nature of the unfolding debacle was realized, following the tragedies of Hong Kong (December 1941) and Dieppe (August 1942), Canada’s army distinguished itself in Sicily (July-August 1943), Italy (September 1943 to February 1945), and the invasion and campaign in Normandy (June 6 - August 22, 1944), and throughout the campaign to liberate northwest Europe until victory in May 1945. The RCAF also operated the Canada-based British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which trained over 131,000 Commonwealth and Allied aircrew to carry the war into Germany and German-held territory.

This is a British OOB variant, with its own little peculiarities. The Ram tank was a Canadian design, based upon the US Lee/Grant. However the Canadians did away with the clumsy sponson of this tank and went for a turret. This design helped with the genesis of the M4 Sherman - a cross-fertilisation of ideas between the design teams. Ram production took longer to get going, and so the Shermans overtook the design. Few Ram gun tanks saw service beyond training but Ram AOP tanks were used in Normandy and beyond. However the greatest use for this tank was that the chassis was used as an APC ( the Kangaroo ), and also the basis for the Sexton SP 25 pounder, which was produced in some numbers. The Ram Badger was a flame-thrower version of the Ram Kangaroo. The Canadian wasp carrier flame variant typically carried an extra crewman over the British version, and usually a 2-inch mortar.

V5 -- revised & expanded units and formations

V6 -- expanded the pre-War and post-War selection, and enhanced the Wartime selection and variety.

V7 -- finetuned availability dates and special forces units. Added the Pathfinders for Normandy. Expanded the pre-War selection a little.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Greece OOB031

1930-1946

This small nation fought the Italians off so well that the Germans had to invade the Balkans to pull their allies fingers out of the fire. The resulting campaign diverted many German divisions from Barbarossa, and resulted in the destruction of the paratroops in a Pyrrhic victory in Crete. More importantly, it delayed the planned kick-off of Barbarossa. The Greek diversion just may have cost Germany the entire war, as they did not quite reach Moscow in '41 due to the early onset of an exceptionally harsh winter.

British allies (Valentines and Matildas) are provided for the German invasion. A lot of captured Italian kit is there as well, from the previous successes. The OB is then a resistance force till post war, when it can act as a Western Ally, likely against Yugoslavia, Bulgaria etc - in the hypothetical WW3 vs. the USSR.

V5 -- Greece, completely redone, Pre/Post War expanded, all war years expanded, revised infantry formations, desert forces, The Sacred Squadron has been added, 3 partisan groups & a post-war guerilla group added, marine forces expanded, naval units added, more of everything. Greece is now fully capable of being played in a long campaign in a historical aspect. The Greek desert forces are fully represented for those wishing to game the Greeks at El Alamein or other North African battles. The Greek partisan groups are also highlighted throughout the years from the fall of Greece through to the installation of the Royalist government, and then the government and guerilla forces through to the end of the Greek Civil War in 1949

V6 -- Finetuned availability dates throughout all years, added variety throughout all years.

V7 -- Finetuned availability dates, re-did the mountain troops to be regular mountain troops instead of ski troops.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Republican Spain OOB032

1930-39

For all the attention paid to WWII, both in history and in wargames, proportionally little has been given to the civil war in Spain. Far from being a "local conflict", the Spanish Civil War could easily be called the opening salvo of WWII. Fuelled by the conflicting ideologies of Fascism and Communism, it brought volunteers from over forty nations to fight for their respective beliefs. France, Germany, Italy and the USSR all committed substantial troops, arms or material. The war became a testing-ground for new weapons and tactics that would be replayed in only a few short years. Over 700,000 combatants and civilians would lose their lives in the bitter struggle.

Many varied units are reflected in the kit. Infantry ranges from militia and special police units who were the early defenders of the Republic, to the EPR (Popular Army) and the international volunteers. Weapons will reflect modern antitank and infantry guns, and turn-of-the century trench mortars and machine guns. Aircraft include the R-Z "Natasha" biplane bomber and the Soviet-made I-15 "Chatos". The Republican forces will be mainly an infantry affair. Tanks and aircraft were always in short supply; ammunition for artillery pieces was very scarce. This is all reflected in increased unit cost, decreased unit sizes and low ammunition load outs. Combat on the offence or defence will be bloody and bludgeoning. It should provide you some distinct contrast to the mechanisation and manoeuvre tactics found in the other SP series games.

V5 ---completely redone, Pre-SCW years included, many new units, all new formation design, International & Militia & EPR & Guardia Asaltos & Guardia Civil & Cavalry & Carabinero & Mountain & Marine & Engineer & Gudari & Catalan formations, many new planes and artillery. Help is gratefully acknowledged from Jordi Zamarreño, Benito Vera, Jaime Miguel and all the guys and gals at the Spanish Civil War mail list -- this is for you all to enjoy.

V6 -- Finetuned availability dates and added variety.

V7 -- More finetuning of availability dates and variety of units and formations.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Nationalist Spain OOB033

1936-1946

This OB becomes available in July 1936, with the beginning of the mutiny of Spanish troops, which led to the Spanish Civil War. It also includes lot of Italian and some German kit, and some captured from the Republicans.

From October 1941 through October 1943 the Division Azul (Blue Division, aka the 250th Infantry Division) Spanish forces fighting in the USSR on the German side are represented, as well as homeland forces. Spanish volunteers formed a whole German Infantry Division and an aircraft squadron -- both represented in the OOB. It was finally retreated back to Spain when it became obvious that the Axis countries would lose the war. Many Spanish volunteers continued to fight within other German units, however.

The Spanish Nationalist Forces consisted mostly of infantry. The Blue Division was an infantry division, so the only available armour are the assault guns, tank destroyers and armoured cars that were assigned to them.

The Trubia was a domestically produced Spanish tankette, which was intended as a replacement of the FT-17 tanks bought from France after WW1. A few were used on both sides during the early phase of the Civil War. The Verdeja was a project to domestically develop a tank, using many parts of the T-26 tanks used by the Republicans. The reason was the inferiority of the tanks delivered by the Germans and Italians in comparison to the Soviet built tanks on the Republican side. Only a few prototypes of the Verdeja were built, although trials showed its superiority over the T-26 and BT-5.

The Camion Blindado is an armoured truck. Such vehicles were used on both sides during the Civil War, equipped with MGS and mortars and with firing ports for the transported riflemen.

The Regulares Marroqui (also known as Fuerzas Regulares Indígenas; Moroccan Regulars) were the best units available to the Spanish Nationalists during the Civil War. These units also represent the infantry of the Spanish Foreign Legion (Tercio de Extranjeros), which were elite units as well. The other infantry squads represent the units of the regular army, the Guardia Civil (a paramilitary police force) and the Guardia Asaltos (paramilitary police storm troops; most fought for the Republicans), as well as the Carlist Requétes and the Falangists. The equipment of the squads differs a lot.

Also available are Italian squads of the Corpo di Truppe Volontairie.

V5 -- completely redone, Post-SCW years expanded, all new formation design, CTV & Militia & Regulares & Legion & Guardia Asaltos & Guardia Civil & Carabinero & Mountain & Cavalry & Engineer & Requetes & Falangista & FET y JONS & Division Azul formations, many new planes and artillery. Help is gratefully acknowledged from Jordi Zamarreño, Benito Vera, Jaime Miguel and all the guys and gals at the Spanish Civil War mail list -- this is for you all to enjoy.

V6 -- Fine tuned availability dates and variety of weaponry. Fine tuned unit selection for Division Azul.

V7 -- Tweaked the selection and variety of units and formations.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Italy OOB034

1930-1946

The Italians have been completely redone (V4) to cover the country for the entire two decades. In the early thirties we have the forces gradually becoming more diverse as the Italians geared up for their colonial expansion in the mid-thirties. Italy was on the move much earlier than the other countries. The Italians had begun their military expansion even before the 1930's began, and this new OOB displays this. Italy also incorporated many modern methods of warfare earlier than other countries, and their composition in the early-to-mid 1930's shows this. However, fighting in Spain and East Africa expended their meagre resources before WWII even began, and they fell far behind in the arms race as they struggled to patch together their depleted armed forces. When World War II was in full swing, they were still recovering from their previous expenditures of men and equipment.

The Italian military during WWII was always hobbled by the lack of equipment, ammo and men. While they had a wide variety of equipment overall, most times and places found them with woefully small quantities of essential armaments. Very often they faced tank assaults with little else besides rifles and raw courage, with all proper anti-tank weapons somewhere other than where they needed to be. Even when they did have the proper weapons, they were beset by lack of ammo or other supplies (like water), or lack of leadership. Too often leaders who spoke the truth about the military situation were replaced by political appointees who had no idea of military strategy. The lack of good leadership played a crucial role in the many defeats Italy suffered.

The Italian tanks were a product of a 1930's strategy: the use of small, quick tankettes to exploit holes in the enemy line and harass the rear elements. The L Series of tanks were designed to fight infantry that had little anti-tank capability, they were never meant to fight other tanks. Unfortunately, they were very often called upon to do just that -- to predictable results. The M Series suffered from lack of resources, lack of time and too much corruption in the government and economic sectors. By the time they fielded an adequate M Series tank, the momentum of the war was all on the Allied side. The lack of resources kept their only P Series (heavy tank) tank construction continually delayed until it no longer mattered. The P26/40 was three years behind schedule, and Italy was a divided country by the time it fired its first shot.

Without a reliable tank to use, the Italian forces turned to their Semovente (self-propelled) series, and used every conceivable self-propelled vehicle in every possible role. Semoventes as tanks, tank destroyers, self-propelled artillery, assault guns -- any role they could possibly fill, they did. It was much the same for every other piece of military, and civilian, machinery as well.

Throughout the war years of 1939-1943 the incredible mix of old, new and cobbled together equipment is well represented in the game. A Human Player will have the opportunity to pick from a vast assortment of equipment and formations. These diverse units and formations adequately encompass the breadth of Italian military diversity, and will give the player an opportunity to experience the rise of the Italian Empire as well as its demise. However, the AI Player is necessarily restricted to a generic representation of the general forces at large. There are many unit types represented that were very rare, and widespread use of these would seriously skew the historical basis of the game. So the AI is restricted from using such items.

Italian forces are covered in-depth for the Colonial Period (Libya & Somalia), the East African Campaign (in its entirety), Spanish Civil War, the North African Campaign, the Balkan Campaign, the Eastern Front, and the Italian Campaign itself. Attention was also paid to other campaigns the Italians participated in, such as The Battle of Britain, France (1940 & 1944) Central Africa, the Middle East and the Far East. The Black Shirts (CCNN, Camice Nere, GGFF, Giovanni Fascisti, Brigata Nere) are here as well, their presence almost as ubiquitous as it was in actuality.

Post-surrender (1943-1945) forces are included also. The OOB has had the RSI (Republica Sociale Italiana) split off into their own OOB so the units included after the armistice in September 1943 include the co-belligerant forces that fought for the allies and against the Germans for the period approx September 1943 - March 1944 mostly with Italian weapons. Then, until September 1944 it became known as "Corpo italiano di liberazione" (C.I.L) and British equipment starts to become more prevalent. From September 1944 until the end of 1945 the Italian army was know as "Gruppi di combattimento" In December of 1943, the liberated Italian army was fighting alongside their new allies against the Germans. Monte Lungo, Monte Cassino and the liberation of Rome were some of the many battles in which the Italians participated. Italian partisans also managed to sidetrack over 200,000 Germans due to their resistance. In the beginning of 1944, the 185th Nembo Autonomous Parachute Unit was employed on the Gustav line and was involved in heavy fighting against seasoned German Units. Some of the heavier engagements were at Mainarde, Monte Marrone and Monte San Michele.

It should be noted that immediately after the surrender was a time of chaos. Many Italians just wanted to end the fighting, but the war raged all around them with Italians fighting the Axis, Italians fighting the Allies, and Italians fighting Italians. All through 1944 and until the war ended in Spring of 1945, Italians fought on both sides of some of the most fierce fighting the war would see. From Monte Cassino to the streets of Rome, Genoa and Florence, Italian soldiers fought and died for both sides. The war did not end for Italy when she surrendered.

Post 1945 is included for WWIII scenarios with the Italians as an Allied country. Some few German weapons are included into the 1946-49 period, but are there only to represent that the military would have used whatever equipment was still functional.

Italy suffered most from a lack of resources and a lack of military generalship. The Italian forces, as Rommel (and many others) said, were continually asked to perform tasks they were not equipped to do. The outcomes were inevitable, and in most cases do not reflect badly on the individual soldier. You will find that is true in the game as well. The Italian equipment during 1941-43 is not up to the tasks at hand. It will take good strategy and excellent tactics to win -- things the Italian commanders of the day rarely had in adequate supply.

Version 4.0 Italian OB author : Edward R. Mortimer, with special thanks to Umberto Comella.

V5 -- expanded Colonial formations, expanded pre-WWII formations, expanded desert units and formations. Help is gratefully acknowledged from Umberto Comella, Arturo F.Lorioli, John Moher, Alessandro Bonanni and all the guys at the Italianisti mail list.

V6 -- Finetuned availability dates and rarity factors.

V7 -- Continued finetuning availability dates and rarity factors. Expanded variety of units and tweaked formoation composition.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors. RSI units split and placed into their own OOB

Finland OOB035

1930-1946

This small country in Scandinavia fought no less than three wars between 1939 and 1944.

In the Winter War 1939/40 the Finns successfully defended their independence against the vastly superior Soviet army.

From 1941 till 1944 they fought their own Continuation War against the USSR, but without being really allied with Germany.

After signing the armistice treaty with Russia, they had to fight once more, that time the Lapland War against the German troops in northern Finland.

The Finnish armour troops were mostly equipped with captured Soviet kit, and later in the Continuation War they also received German tanks and assault guns. However, the available tanks are usually only mediocre, and very expensive.

The infantry however is excellent, and later in the war they get quite well equipped.

The most numerous tanks in Finnish service was the T-26, many of them were captured from the Russians during the Winter War and the first phase of the Continuation War. The models marked with a (+) are former OT-130 and OT-133 flame tanks which had their flame-throwers removed and were instead equipped with a DT bow MG. The T-26e is an up-gunned Vickers 6 ton tank.

All T-26 tanks were removed from service in July 1944, but had to be put back into service as the Germans ceased to deliver AFVs to Finns. They were badly outdated at this time, but no better equipment was available.

The BT-42 is a Finnish modification of captured Soviet BT-5 and BT-7 tanks; the 45mm gun was replaced with 4.5-inch field gun. It was a very unsuccessful design. The T-34/76a (Model 1940) tanks in Finnish service were not equipped with the 76.2mm L-11 tank gun like their Russian counterparts, but with the slightly stronger 76.2mm F-34 gun.

In 1942, Finland bought six Swedish Landsverk Anti II AA-tanks. These vehicles were basically a 40mm Bofors AA-gun mounted in an open-topped turret on a m/36 tank hull. They were used quite successfully to repulse air attacks against the Finnish armour units.

The Panzer IV and StuG III in Finnish service differed a bit from the tanks used in German service, e.g. the StuGs had their sideskirts removed and instead had additional armour plates at the front hull and logs at the sides of the superstructure.

V4. Special thanks to Sami Korhonen and Henry Koskinen

V5-- expanded and revised artillery. Special thanks to Henry Koskinen and Sami Korhonen.

V5.5 -- Special thanks to Jarkko Vihavainen for fine tuning aid.

V6 -- More finetuning of availability dates pre-War, Winter War, Continuation War and post-War

V7 -- Continued finetuning of units, dates and rarity factors. Standardized artillery ammunition loadouts.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Sweden OOB036

1930-1946

Sweden managed to keep out of the Second World War through appeasement and good luck. Iron ore and ball bearings were exported to Germany until 1944. One reason Germany did not attack Sweden was that in case of attack, the iron ore mines would probably have been demolished. The miners political views where leftist and in military terms, a mining company is one big demolition unit.

The Swedish arms industry in 1938 had some world class designs. The strv m/38 was the world's first operational tank with torsion bar suspension, welded armour and advanced optics as well there was the Bofors 40 and 75 mm AA guns. This was largely due to German involvement. Germans owned the Swedish tank manufacturer Landsverk and Krupp was a minority shareholder in Bofors.

For example, Krupp designed 88mm AA guns where built by Bofors for the Dutch navy in 1922. As German rearmament increased, the use of Sweden as a proxy diminished. And when the War started the last Germans left and Sweden was on her own regarding "intellectual capital" and raw materials.

The budding aircraft industry had similar problems with American engineers and know-how, the lack of modern Aircraft-engines hampered the Airforce for most of the war. To convert workshops producing small batches of arms into volume industries took half of the war and to convert civilian industry to arms manufacturing took the same time. However, by the time quantity production started, the arms themselves were obsolete. The notable exception was machine guns and mortars where Ericsson telecom and Atlas (drilling equipment) quickly managed to transfer their production.

Basically there were three major organisational changes of the army during the period: 1937, 1941 and 1943. The 1937 org. was ordered in 1925 to be completed in '37 and the 1940 org ordered in 1937. In reality the 1937 org. was not completed until 1940 when some regiments had already started to convert to the 1941 org.

In 1940 the plan for 1941 was decided and implementation started immediate. The army was expanded by 100 % in number of divisions, this was achieved by cutting down the number of men in each squad from 12 to 10 and deleting a rifle company in each battalion plus training approximate 40 000 conscripts that had not been trained during the thirties. While 1941 expansion was implemented a new organisation was planned for the army, the 43 org. calling for more modern weapons to increase units firepower. Different organisations existed in parallel. In the game a large number of formations availability overlaps. I have added the year of implementation as a suffix to the formation name i.e. "Rifle Plt 41" and "Rifle Plt 43"

Thanks to Richard Areskough, Tomas Roth, Torleif Olsson, Stig Fransson, Ingolfur Bjorgvinsson and not the least Leif Höglund. Whose photos and knowledge of Swedish fortifications was very helpful :http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Bunker/6013/english.htm

V7 -- Finetuning of units and formations.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Czechoslovakia OOB037

1930-1946

This nation was formed after WW1 and the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

This area had been the main armaments production of the Empire - the Skoda works in particular. Skoda armaments appear all over Europe - artillery (the Italian 100mm and 149mm are license built Skodas) and tanks in particular. Between the wars Skoda cars were highly regarded, not the butt of jokes they are here in the UK. Czechoslovakian armour designs appear in lots of other armies, chiefly of course, in the German. The Bren gun is based on a Czechoslovakian design and the name is an amalgamation of Brno and Enfield. It is still regarded as one of the best light machine guns ever produced. The BESA was based on a Czechoslovakian design as well, its early problems being due to poor training, not the inherent design.

The take-over of this country was a shabby affair. The Munich agreement gave Hitler the part of the country that had all the major fortresses, so that when he decided to take the rest it was merely a formality. Germany then gained one of Europe's main armaments manufactures, and sufficient modern tanks to equip 2 or 3 panzer divisions. They took over large artillery park and a good small arms supply as well. They also gained some major truck manufacturers - Germany was always chronically short of trucks during the war.

Recall, before you try this one as a German player in 38, that only a very few Pz IV and Pz III tanks were actually around then. Perhaps 100-150 Pz III and 20-40 Pz IV, the bulk of the tank fleet would be Pz II and Pz I. You don't get the 35(t) and 38(t) - these are on the other side! Forget the JPz I as well - that potent little 47mm gun is the Czechoslovakian PUV vz 36.

The LT34 is an early Skoda design the Germans do not seem to have taken up on the capture of the country - perhaps they used it as a training tank or gun tractor? The LT35 is the 35(t) and the LT 38 is naturally the 38(t). The Germans actually took the first production LT38s off the end of the assembly line. The ST39 was a projected design, and seems to be based on the design work done for the Hungarian Turan, this tank would have had the potent 47mm tank gun. There were a few clapped out FT-17s, and some light tankettes. The Tancic 34 is a 'Bren' type light carrier - an APC unit representing 2 of these has been provided; though any real mechanised infantry units would be unlikely.

If fighting against a German AI opponent with this army you will have to ignore its buying of Czechoslovakian tanks. Just imagine that they have had to turn captured ones round like both sides used the T-26 in the Spanish Civil War.

The Czech OB now reflects the historical dissolution of the Czech Republic in March 1939. After 3/39, the OOB ends and does not start up again until January 1942 when partisan forces start to become available

From 11/43 on, Czech units and formations are those of the Czech forces fighting with the Soviet Union and those of the post-war Czech government. Naturally, these units and formations are equipped and organised like their Soviet sponsors. The post-war units include certain German aircraft and armoured vehicle types that were still produced in the immediate post-war period.

The heaviest Czech fortresses are only available for the period 1/30 to 3/39. These are assumed to have been dismantled by the Germans upon their occupation of the remnant of Czechoslovakia. Regular bunkers and pillboxes are available after 3/39.

Version 4.0 - OB rewritten by Bill Wilson and extended to cover 1949.

V5 -- expanded and revised Pre, During & Post War units and formations

V6 -- Finetuning of availability dates and selection of units.

V7 -- Armour availability, ratings and formations finetuned. More variety added to unit selection.

WinSPWW2. Slovak forces removed and given their own OOB and new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Hungary OOB038

1930-1946

This OB was rebuilt for version 4.0 by Zoltán Zajonskovsky (Kazan).

Hungary regained it's long lasted freedom from Austria after the WWI. The freedom became bitter as the peace treaties in Versailles decided to divide up the former Austrian Empire. In reality they divided up Hungary only to form allied countries against the communist Soviet Union. After a communist take-over in 1919 the government decided to resist the unjust punishment by force. After a desperate fight the Red Army was defeated. The Treaty was signed in the palace of Trianon and sealed the fate of Hungary for the 20th century.

Hungary had hardly recovered from the loss of more than two-third of the country the second war approached. The economic crisis was added to the poor financial situation. The rearmament proceeded in secrecy like in Germany but the monetary and industrial problems could not provide enough resources. The foreign companies took advantage of the desperate Hungarian needs and raised the prices. Also the purchases were also political due to the approach to Italy and Germany. Many misjudged purchases occurred especially with the poor quality Italian planes. In 1937 the rearmament proceeded unconcealed, and several national designs were started. Hungary purchased Swiss (Solothurn), Swedish (Madsen, Landswerk) and Czech weapons and licence agreements along with the revival of the local military production.

The German politics used the lost territories as a bait to lure Hungary into an alliance. The two Vienna Treaties were given back territories from Slovakia and Rumania. This led to an even stronger hostility with Rumania. Further territories were taken back from Serbia with the German attack on Yugoslavia. The prime minister committed a suicide after Great Britain has recalled it's ambassador from Hungary. The country hopelessly drifted toward the Axis side. The Government was extorted with the territories to send troops against the Soviet Union and to declare war on the Allies. However the High Command and the Governor sent only minimal troops to the front and many officers did not believe in the German efforts. Hence the Hungarian war effort was only a show for Germany. The troops sent to the front were highly trained and had the best equipment thus reducing the losses for a doubtful cause. The production and purchase of new equipment went slowly and the troops received German equipment to equip the 2nd Army in 1942. The 2nd Army was destroyed by the Soviet counter attack in January 1943. The German forces left the Hungarians alone and fled in panic. The loss of over 100000 men was a disaster. The year 1943 was spent with refilling the losses and the few troops on the front served as occupation forces. The local residents were mostly friendly with the Hungarians as they were not cruel and despising with them. In 1944 the Government started negotiations with the Allies and the Soviets for a possible breaking of alliance with Germany. However the Front reached the country, and the Rumanians changed sides and attacked Hungary and the German forces. The Hungarian peace attempt was revealed and Germany occupied Hungary. The Nazis, the Arrowcross took over the command. With the loss of Budapest after a battle as brutal as the siege of Stalingrad the war ended for Hungary. The new government declared war on Germany and many officers surrendered to the Soviets to save their men. However, still many troops fought on the German side to avoid being captured by the Soviets and planned to surrender to the western powers.

The Royal Hungarian Army (Magyar Kiralyi Honvedseg) was a well-trained and well-led infantry force, yet it lacked modern equipment. At the onset of Operation Barbarossa, the Hungarians fielded only 100 light L3/33 tankettes and 38M Toldi. The elite "Rapid Corps", a mechanised cavalry division had such a shortage of trucks, that horse and wagon transport was needed to move men and material on the advance. This lack of modern weaponry would plague the Hungarians throughout the War. The German equipment received were mainly obsolete or used. Most of them were in poor condition. These "presents" were mainly given on the front to recover losses. However, the troops managed to show the best performance out of their poor equipment and fought bravely against the overwhelming odds

With a mixed bunch of guns the artillery showed good performance, although their mobility was degraded by the shortage of prime movers.

The armoured vehicles that Hungary produced were licence built and modified ones. The unit encyclopaedia texts detail each vehicle.

The OB includes Mountain troops, Paratroops and even Marines. These were the Royal River Forces or the River Guard. Also their ships are included. The River Guard was a division, but the actual number of troops were about 2000, a size of a brigade. Hungary had six large patrol boats, all but one (which was underwent reconstruction) are represented. It can be represented with the Sopron if needed. A K.u.K. Monitor is also included as a what if and for Yugoslavian or Rumanian use. There are description texts on each ship with details.

The troops designated with SZU are fought on the Soviet side against the Germans

The SS troops were either the Hungarian SS troops or the Waffen SS troops temporarily under Hungarian control.

The Nyilas(ok) are the Nazi Arrowcross units which were rather a police force from irregulars.

V5.5-- revised and expanded Pre-war units and formations

V6 -- finetuning of weapon ratings, unit selection and formation design.

V7 -- tweaked armour availability dates and variety of units.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Romania OOB039

1930-1946

The Romanian Army of the late 1930's had become a military mess. The soldiers were poorly trained and equipped. Their commanding officers, which mainly came from upper-class families, flaunted their social status, further effecting morale. In September 1939, the Romanian government asked German military advisors to restructure the Army. Within two months, Romania became an Axis ally and by June 1941, the Romanian Army had become an effective fighting force. In time, Romania would field the largest of the Axis-Minor armies.

This was mainly an infantry army, and chronically short of artillery, AT guns, and armour. Almost all the Romanian armour came from Germany or war-booty. This shortage is reflected in overall higher armour costs. The late-war T34 addition reflects Soviet allotments once the Romanians declared war on Germany in late-1944.

A few new aircraft variants have been added, and include the Romanian produced I.A.R. series, Hs 129,and the Bloch MB 152.

V5-- greatly expanded, revised and upgraded through all years from 1930-1946, many new units and formations of all description.

V6 - continued the expansion of the OOB, adding and finetuning units, weapons and formations.

V7 - Finetuning of units and formations, addition of true mountain troops.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Thailand OOB041

1930-1946

This is a quick synopsis of the important events in Thai history between 1930-1946 that pertain to the SPWW2 game, and some notes on Thai units. Thailand involvement in WWII is not a hot topic in the West, so this background primer on Thai military history may make playing the Thai forces more enjoyable, because it will make their role in the region clearer.

The 1930's
Siam was the only country in the region that was not conquered by the European colonial powers. It managed that by having a strong and progressive military. Siam designed it's military around a combination of French & British models in the 1920's, but migrated completely to the Japanese model by the mid-1930's. Irts amaments in the 1930's were mostly British, with some French and an increasing percentage of Japanese arms as the years progressed. The Thai Air Force and Tank Corps were among the first and finest of such formations in Asia. In fact, the Royal Thai Air Force separated from the Army very early on, and was a distinct entity by WWII. The Royal Thai Air Force has always been a source of pride for their military. The Thai ground forces were highly trained and disciplined. The Thai command staff was well educated in military strategy.

There was, however, a divisive distrust between the Army and the Navy which led to both arms of the service preparing to fight each other. As a result, the Army acquired amphibious tanks specifically to use against the Thai Navy should it revolt. On the other hand, the Navy kept the Thai Marines completely divorced from any Army influence. Co-operation between the two was not unusual when there was a common enemy, but otherwise they were at odds.

By the 1930s many Siamese, especially in the military and commercial classes, were growing discontented with royal rule. This was due in part to The Great Depression, and uncertainty in the political circles which manifested as sackings of officials. In June 1932, during the reign of King Prajadhipok, a small group of Siamese military and political leaders organised a successful revolt against the government, until then an absolute monarchy. The insurgents, led by Pridi Phanomyong and Colonel Phibun Songgram, proclaimed a constitutional monarchy on June 27. Royalist opposition was finally overcome in October 1933. It was at this time that the King's Own Infantry became only a Ceremonial Guards Unit, and not an active combat unit. It remains in the game as a formation simply for the "What-If" defence of Bangkok -- which is the only reason the King's Own Infantry would have seen action after the end of 1932 (this is not the case for the other King's Own units, all of which remained the elite of their respective combat units).

Though most Siamese accepted the new constitution, they were less than happy with Pridi's economic reform proposals. In March 1935, King Prajadhipok abdicated in favour of his nephew, Prince Ananda Mahidol; Phibun became effective dictator, moving towards alliance with militarist Japan. He saw the survival of Siamese independence in the face of colonial encroachments of Britain, France and the Netherlands resting in mutual co-operation with the other major Asian power -- Japan. Siam invalidated all of its treaties with foreign nations in November 1936. Under the provisions of new treaties negotiated in the following year, the government obtained complete autonomy over its internal and external affairs. In 1938 Phibun changed the country's official name from Siam to Thailand.

World War II
With Japanese encouragement and support, Phibun's government made demands on France, beginning in 1940, for the return of the territory ceded in and after 1893. The dispute erupted into The Franco-Thai War of 1940-1941, and was settled, with Japanese mediation, in May 1941. By the terms of the settlement, Thailand received about 54,000 sq. km (21,000 sq. mi) of territory, including part of western Cambodia and all of Laos west of the Mekong River. However, Japan used its position of power to wrest land and concessions from the French in Indochina, and force the Thais to accept much less than they had wanted. As a result, Phibun distrusted Japan, but was unable to secure US, British or French help.

In the course of the 18 months prior to Pearl Harbour and the Invasion of Thailand, the relative strengths of the opponents, and their designs for Thailand, had been made abundantly clear to Phibul and the Thai government. Political missions to Britain and the USA failed completely -- neither Western power consented to aid Thailand in any way to resist Japan, instead pinning their hopes on Thailand alone engaging Japan in a war that would keep the Japanese occupied until the Allies had dealt with Germany. Realising his country was being used as a pawn and fodder, Phibul engaged the Japanese in dialogue designed to save his country from being devastated.

On December 8, 1941 (7 December across the dateline in the United States), a few hours after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, Phibul ordered his armed forces to cease all resistance against the Japanese. The order came after several bloody skirmishes with Japanese troops, skirmishes that cost the Japanese many hundreds of soldiers at the loss of several dozen Thai police and military personnel.

A few hours after the Japanese invaded from the sea, the British LtCol H. D. Moorhead (16 Punjab and 5/14 Punjab) -- belatedly executing Operation Matador -- crossed into Thailand from Malaya at 3 PM on the same day and was resisted by "Siamese armed constabulary" forces and regular troops for the next few days until the column withdrew.

Thailand bowed to the inevitable, salvaging what it could, and concluded an agreement by which it maintained its sovereignty at the cost of unrestricted Japanese movement and access to facilities.

On 21 December, with the Prince of Wales and Repulse sunk and the Japanese army advancing on Singapore, a formal treaty was signed in Bangkok at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. In exchange for territorial concessions in Burma and Malaya, Thai troops accompanied Japanese forces into the Shan States, and on 25 January 1942 Thailand declared war on the United States and Britain. From this point Japan became Thailand's major arms supplier.

On 10 May 1942 the Thai "Phayap" (Northern) Army (MajGen Seri Roengrit (2nd, 3rd, and 4th Divisions, total of approx. 35,000 men) "launched an offensive" into Burma. The Thai would have moved earlier, but the Japanese did not need their assistance and did not want to complicate their own plans. MajGen Roengrit engaged the withdrawing Chinese 93rd Army, and on 26 May captured Kengtung near the Sino-Burmese border.

Phibun's pro-Japanese government, however, was overthrown in July 1944, after economic crisis and attacks by resistance groups loyal to Pridi; Pridi took over, and under his leadership considerable sympathy for the Allied cause began to develop among the Thai people. But changing sides took time, especially with the Japanese garrisoned throughout Thailand. Thailand sent military expeditions into Burma during 1944 & 1945 on behalf of the Japanese.

Thailand concluded a treaty with Great Britain and India in January 1946, renouncing, among other things, its claims to Malayan territory obtained during the war. Diplomatic relations with the United States were resumed in the same month. In November 1946 Thailand reached an agreement with France providing for the return to France of the territory obtained in 1941. Thailand was admitted to the UN on December 15, 1946, becoming the 55th member. Meanwhile, on June 9, 1946, King Ananda Mahidol had died under mysterious circumstances. Pridi was falsely accused of regicide and driven into exile. A regency was appointed to rule during the minority of his brother and successor, King Rama IX.

Domestic Instability
On November 9, 1947, a military junta led by Phibun seized control of the government. Except for a brief interlude early in 1948, Phibun thereafter retained control of the government until 1957. His regime, essentially a dictatorship, based its foreign policy on maintaining close relations with the United States and Britain. King Rama IX assumed the throne on May 5, 1950. After the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, Thailand assigned approximately 4,000 men to the UN forces.

Notes on Thailand's Forces in SPWW2
Thailand needed a strong military to resist the European colonial powers, and they were strong enough militarily (and wily enough politically) to deter any open aggression against them. In fact, all during WWII the Allies refused to invade Thailand for fear of mobilising the Thai military. Even though Thailand sat directly astride some of the most important strategic land in the region, the Allies never directed an offensive against the Thai borders. Japan's use of Thailand as a transportation route seriously hampered all Allied efforts in the China-Burma theatre. Japan's fear of a strong Thailand demanding equal representation kept led Japan to keep Thailand simmering throughout the war as a "garrison country." Japan never fully trusted Thailand, and did not authorise the use of the Thai military until it was too late.

Thailand's military was mobilised as an efficient force throughout the 1930's. They had a strong Air Force that was founded during World War I, and they embraced the new tank warfare doctrines very early in the 1930's. In fact, they were the first country to design and deploy an AA-Tank. Because of their strong Air Force, they saw a need for a strong air defence, and invested in many AA weapons.

Because they were not engaged in any major expenditures of military assets during the period of 1930-1949, they retained much of their old equipment throughout the entire period. As an example, they still had WWI biplanes in service as recon planes as late as the mid-1950's.

As the Japanese feared a strong Thailand, the Thai military was not allowed to modernise while under Japan's control. After WWII it took some time before the Thais were allowed to freely buy arms from the Western Powers (instead buying arms from China). Therefore, throughout the 1940's Thailand's military, which was so advanced for the 1930's, was saddled by obsolete equipment. As the years progress through the 1940's, Thailand, though their equipment remains stable and as numerous as it ever was, becomes relatively weaker when compared to the active participants of the War -- all of whom were engaged in a serious arms race. Some Japanese tanks and tankettes are included in this OOB, but they should not be purchased in large quantities -- one company maximum for any engagement. I have not found what the exact numbers of Japanese armour available to the Thais was, but it was probably around 100 total.

The Thais acquitted themselves very well in the Franco-Thai War, both on the ground and in the air. They were surprised on the water and dealt a severe blow in the Sea Battle of Koh Chang, but otherwise they had many more successes than setbacks -- losing no ground while gaining territory all along the front. When Japan invaded, Thai military and police forces fought back fiercely until the official call from the Thai government came down to stop fighting and allow the Japanese forces to traverse the country. The surrender was a political one, and not effected because of a military defeat. In fact, of all the places Japan invaded in December of 1941, only at Prachuap Khiri Khan in Thailand were they stopped. From 1942 through 1945 Japan sporadically sent Thai forces into Burma and to the Chinese border to engage British, Indian, US & Chinese forces. The Thais performed well in several engagements against all opponents, realising their objectives in every instance.

The Thai army in 1941 comprised 44 battalions (each known as a "khong phan") of infantry, 13 groups of artillery, 9 squadrons of cavalry and an equal number of motorcycle troops, six battalions of engineers, three companies of tanks, one AA regiment equipped with 40mm weapons and a group of three AA companies armed with Bofors 75's. The armoured force included 20 medium Armstrong 6-tonners, 35 light Ford tanks, a dozen or so Vickers tanks of various models, 12 Vickers armoured cars and sundry other armoured cars, tractors and other vehicles.

Other Thai equipment, supplied by a variety of nations, was similarly aged. When mobilised the army amounted to some 50,000 troops organised into six military regions containing five infantry divisions. The air force had about 500 combat pilots flying a variety of aircraft from around the world, but from 1942 onwards they had more aircraft from Japan than from other countries.

For WinSPWW2 new database checking utilities were used to find and correct OOB errors

Red, Blue, Green

These are blank OOBs for designers to create their own armies. See the User Nations section Below.

RED Is now a BALKANS partisan OOB. The OOB is populated with representative units so that it is usable from the start. It picks mainly infantry with rare use of tank units later on. It could be used, for example to write a special OOB for one of the Yugoslavian partisan bands, or as a Communist opponent to Greek nationalists, or just used as a generic partisan opponent when such is required (RSI vs Italian Communist partisans perhaps).

BLUE Is now a "Middle European" Fantasy OOB. It is intended for end users to overwrite with their own data. It is populated with a set of make-believe units in order to be usable from the start.

GREEN Is also a "Middle European" Fantasy OOB. It is populated with slightly different start units from BLUE.

BLUE and GREEN could be used, for example, as "Draka" OOBS, or the pair could be used for a fantasy "What if" as opponents, with your favourite tanks and your opponents favourite stuff sourced from various source OOBS, or for OOBS that are identical for "Military Chess". It is up to the end user to decide what to do with these. They may also be useful for say, a South American pairing in the 30's perhaps.

National availability dates listing:

1 Slovak Republic 9/1939-10/1943 | 21 Nationalist China 1/1930 12/1946
2 Poland 1/1930 12/1946 | 27 Belgium 1/1930 12/1946
3 Manchukuo 3/1932 - 10/1945 | 28 Netherlands 1/1930 12/1946
4 Italian Social Republic 10/1943 - 5/1945 | 29 Norway 1/1930 12/1946
5 Japan 1/1930 12/1946 | 30 Canada 1/1930 12/1946
6 France 1/1930 12/1946 | 31 Greece 1/1930 12/1946
7 Great Britain 1/1930 12/1946 | 32 Spanish Republic 1/1930 5/1939
8 Vichy France 6/1940 - 4/1943 | 33 Spain 7/1936 12/1946
9 Poland (LWP) 5/1942 12/1946 | 34 Italy 1/1930 12/1946
11 Russia 1/1930 12/1946 | 35 Finland 1/1930 12/1946
12 USA 1/1930 12/1946 | 36 Sweden 1/1930 12/1946
13 USMC 1/1930 12/1946 | 37 Czechoslovakia 1/1930 3/1939 & 1/1942-12/1946
14 Chinese Communists 1/1930 12/1946 | 38 Hungary 1/1930 12/1946
15 Australia/New Zealand 1/1930 12/1946 | 39 Romania 1/1930 12/1946
16 Germany 1/1930 12/1946 | 40 Green
18 India 1/1930 12/1946 | 41 Thailand 1/1930 12/1946
19 Bulgaria 1/1930 12/1946 | 42 Blue
20 Yugoslavia 1/1930 12/1946 | 43 Red

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