A realistic portrayal of the Norwegian campaign includes a number of facets that were not needed in the original PQ-17 design. The German invasion and the Allied landings in response are obvious instances, and there are a number of others worth mentioning. In this installment I’ll describe major additions and changes that apply in the Operational scenarios, leaving description of the Campaign scenario and its unique rules for another time.

Scandinavian Neutrality 

Unlike in PQ-17, where all locations are belligerent or occupied, all the Scandinavian countries are Neutral as the campaign begins. Before either side invades, rules allow or restrict the movement of both sides’ naval units into the coastal hexes of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Operation WILFRED is an exceptional case whereby the Allies can mine one or two hex sides in the Norwegian Inner Leads, rendering naval movement across them hazardous until they are cleared.

The sparse settlement and communications of Norway and the Danish dependencies, plus the relative scarcity of occupying forces, mean these territories never become Axis friendly for reconnaissance purposes.

Due to their psychological and economic importance, the Norwegian crown, government leadership, and gold reserves are abstracted into a single marker. As long as they remain in Norway the Allies benefit, but failure to evacuate resulting in capture by the Germans yields Axis Victory Points.

Troop Transport 

In a campaign hinging upon the conveyance of troops from Britain and Germany to Norway (and vice-versa for the Allies), the simple movement and arrival of vanilla “loaded” merchant ships in PQ-17 does not suffice. Instead, N40 includes generic troop units, roughly battalion-sized (and differentiated by nationality and quality for campaign purposes). Called Troop Points (TPs), these must embark upon, move with, and debark from specific ships, and their fate is tied to that of their transport ships until they land successfully. A number of large British, French, and Polish passenger liners converted into transports (APs) are in the game as unique, named ships, though warships, Armed Merchant Cruisers (AMCs), and the trusty generic merchant vessels (MVs) also serve in this role.

On several occasions, the Allies were forced to evacuate their expeditionary forces under duress, and the rules allow for more hurried embarkation (at the cost of forfeiture of future use of these TPs).

Bastions 

Denied the use of all major ports by the success of the initial Axis invasion, the Allies were forced to land their forces at smaller ports. In N40 these are called Bastions, and their limited facilities restrict the unloading of TPs and supplies. The Germans planned similar operations, and although none were executed historically, the game does give the Axis player this option.

Air Bases 

Air support proved crucial in this campaign, as both sides struggled to shield the ports they had seized from enemy air strikes and sought to assist their ground forces directly. No less than three Royal Navy carriers are present, attacking and defending with their air wings while also transporting RAF fighters to airfields in northern Norway. If based ashore, their carrier aircraft gain range benefits. 

The long distances involved and the paucity of airfields in Norway in 1940 led both sides to improvise what are called Advanced Air Bases in the game to get their short-ranged fighters and light bombers into action.

Invasions 

Not surprisingly, this expansion requires extensive rules to incorporate the nuances of mounting attacks on neutral/potentially hostile and enemy-held ports. As mentioned last time, surprise plays a major role, with combat against meticulously-researched coastal defenses including gun batteries, torpedoes, and mines figuring prominently. Special rules reflect the length of Oslofjord and its layered fortifications. And not just the Germans face these defenses, as they planned to and succeeded in putting captured Norwegian defenses back into use to protect their lodgments. Rather than go into detail here, interested readers should check out the example of play of such an attack posted by Developer Andrew Brazier on BoardGameGeek here.

Shore Bombardment 

The Allies hoped to use their naval superiority to directly affect the campaign by bombarding German troops and airfields in Norway. They had some success beyond the reach of the Luftwaffe, particularly at Narvik, but when directed to do so in southern Norway (by a Random Event in the game), heavy cruiser HMS Suffolk had to be run aground after shelling Stavanger to prevent her from sinking. The Kriegsmarine is also afforded this opportunity – good luck to Axis players trying to take advantage of it!

Logistics 

Both sides must supply their troops once they’re ashore, and do so by reaching ports with generically Loaded MVs. Once there, these supplies must be unloaded, but enemy Medium Bombers can interdict ports to temporarily prevent this.

Less Modern Equipment 

Both sides to some extent had less effective weapons and sensors in 1940 than they had by 1942. Some significant changes reflect this:

• Radar: Totally lacking radar, the Allies use the Axis Reconnaissance deck.
• AA: Both sides have reduced anti-aircraft defense at airfields in Norway and none at all on merchant ships.
• ASW: Since neither side had aerial depth charges and the Germans lacked sonar, ASW attacks by these forces are less likely to succeed.
• Torpedoes: Because of their infamous defects in this campaign, German torpedo attacks suffer.

Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs)

The Germans deployed two under-strength Schnellboot Flotillas with their tenders to Kristiansand and Bergen to protect these captured ports. Historically they saw little action, and the same is likely to be true in N40. But their inclusion has allowed us to test and refine the rules for these unique units, which will play a greater role in the Mediterranean and Solomons campaigns.

In the next installment I’ll address the Campaign scenario and the changes from the PQ-17 campaign rules that make it work.

---

Previous article: Norway 1940: Our Chief Weapon is Surprise