Sample file Sample file OPERATION ICARUS The German Invasion of Iceland TABLE OF CONTENTS Standard rules 1. Introduction 2. Game Components and Scale 3. Sequence of Play 4. Supply 5. Spotting 6. Air and Land Movement 7. Land Unit Stacking 8. Strike Operations 9. Land Combat 10. Naval Warfare Optional rules 11. Special Operations 12. Blown Bridge Repair 13. Coordinated Air Strikes 14. Random Events 15. Naval Warfare Simplification Sample file 16. How to win and games end 17. Historical Comments and Reflections Credits: Designer: Bruce A. Costello Developer: Jay Ward Game Artist: Ilya Kudriashov Cover Artist: Thomas Bowles Historical Naval Resource: Cdr Lance McMillan, USN (Retired) Editor: Beck Snyder Playtesters: David Lamb, Frank Bosnich, Robert Granville, JT McNally, David Teeter VASSAL Module Creator: Vance Strickland 2 OPERATION ICARUS STANDARD RULES 2.0 GAME COMPONENTS AND SCALE 2.1 Components: This game includes these rules, one map, one two-sided Player Aid Card 1.0 INTRODUCTION with charts and tables, and three scenario sheets.It also includes 160 playing pieces called Operation Icarus is a simulation covering a 'counters'. hypothetical German campaign to occupy Iceland in World War II. The counters represent naval, air and land units: Iceland, a bleak, sparsely populated island of about 200,000 people, sat astride the • northernmost maritime route between North Naval Units: Warships, Transports and America and Great Britain. From Icelandic Submarines. • bases, the Germans would have had a good Air Units: Combat, Transport and shot at seriously disrupting maritime Reconnaissance aircraft. commerce along the North Atlantic. That • Land Units: Infantry, Airborne, having been said, the Germans would have Commando, Marine, Artillery, Panzer been going against a far more powerful naval and Trucks. force than their own, and would have had to rely heavily on stealth and luck to pull off such The values on the front of the counters an invasion. represent the full strength of the unit. Some larger or stronger units have values printed on The conventional side of the equation was both sides, the values on their reverse showing comprised of the German 163rd Infantry a reduced strength after suffering combat Division, supported by some light armor, a few losses. Counters with values on only one side extra guns, a few Luftwaffe reconnaissance are called “one step” units, those with values on aircraft with the range to make it, plus both sides are “two step” units. whatever bases they or their infiltrators might have been able to secure. Submarines are printed on both sides, the front Sample showingfile they are hidden (submerged) and Opposing them were the British, licking their cannot be Spotted and the back that they are wounds from Norway but still the most attacking and can be spotted. powerful Naval force in the Atlantic. They would have put up a desperate fight rather Information counters are also included to show than allow their sea lanes to be horrendously the status of a unit (e.g. out of supply) or impacted. For a number of reasons the two key damage effects from strike attacks against objectives likely to be chosen by both sides facilities (ports, airbases and bridges) (e.g. were Reykjavik and Akureyri, hence the bridge blown). emphasis on these areas in the game. 2.2 Game Scale: Game turns represent a day Notes: Rules sections 11.0 to 15.0 are listed as and hexes are approximately 5 kilometers "Optional." Play them only if all players agree across. Units represent companies of a hundred to use them. You may pick and choose which soldiers or so up to a battalion of around 7-800 sections to employ and do not have to use soldiers. Also represented are individual every Optional Rule. Further, you have my warships, groups of transport ships and aircraft permission (as if you need it) to experiment squadrons. with rules etc. 2.3 The Map: The map contains three distinct Weather is subsumed under Spotting (5.0), and sections, a sea section covering Northern also concerns Naval Operations. (See also Europe and Iceland, divided into sea areas, and 10.2.2 Spotting Naval Units or Stacks). two land sections covering Iceland, divided into Tiny Battle Publishing 3 hexes. Areas are used to move naval and air Victory is determined. units on the sea section of the map. On the sea section of the map, naval units may occupy 3.1 Special Operations Phase: Both players, either a sea area or a port. Air units may may conduct one Special Operation (11.0 occupy a land area or a sea area. Hexes are optional rule). used to move units on the land map. There are two 'between areas’ tracks to represent 3.2 Random Event Phase: Phasing player movement in the vast wilderness between consults the Scenario Random Events table on northern and southern Iceland land sections. the scenario sheets. FIRST PLAYER PHASE 3.3 Supply and Disruption Removal Phase: Phasing player checks the supply status of all friendly Land units, marks those deemed out of supply and removes any out of supply markers from units that have now been supplied. Any Disrupted units that are in supply become Undisrupted (4.0). 3.4 Air, Naval and Strike Operations: 3.4.1 Naval Movement: Phasing player may move Naval units (10.2). Naval units may move to one adjacent sea zone per turn. If in a port, they Southern Iceland Land Map Section may move into the immediately adjacent sea zone. Submarines are set up before the game starts and always remain in the same sea area. 2.4 Abbreviations: Sample 3.4.2file Strategic Reconnaissance Phase: Both * Arty = Artillery players may use Reconnaissance (Recon) * Can = Canada Aircraft or Aircraft Carriers to attempt to spot * Cam Highld = Cameron Highlanders in-range enemy ships/groups at sea (not * Cdo = Commandos submarines) you intend to attack by air or naval * Co = Company combat operations. * HQ = Headquarters * Fusiliers = Les Fusiliers Canadiennes 3.4.3 Naval Combat Phase: Both players may * N. = North undertake air attacks on spotted Naval units. * Prov = Provisional Naval combat can be fought at the discretion * Pz = Panzer of either player if both sides have naval units in * Recon = Reconnaissance the same sea area. The Phase ends when all * Roy Regt = Royal Regiment of Canada Naval combat is completed. * VP = Victory Points 3.4.4 Land Target Strikes: Phasing player may 3.0 SEQUENCE OF PLAY now execute Strikes on spotted Land targets. Non-phasing player may attempt air intercepts Turns are conducted in the sequence below, and air defence. Static targets which have been starting with 3.1. Each major part of the play successfully hit have Damaged, Bridge Blown, sequence is referred to as a "Phase". After the or Port Blown markers placed on them and last Phase in the sequence play proceeds to the airbases have Airbase Damaged markers placed next turn. If it is Turn 10, the game ends and on them. 4 OPERATION ICARUS 3.5 Land Operations Phase: • Some random events depend on a line of supply being drawn to a friendly supply 3.5.1 Reinforcements: Phasing player places any source to fly in air units . reinforcements in their scheduled arrival area • If units are out of supply at the end of or hex. the game in Scenario One this impacts on victory points scored. 3.5.2 Move OR Fight: The phasing player decides whether to: 4.1 Effects of Being Out of Supply: A Disrupted unit that is out of supply may not be • Move: Phasing player moves eligible Undisrupted (See 9.5 for effects of Disruption). units (6.2 and 6.3) and may conduct Mobile Overrun (6.3.3); OR, A unit must be in supply to • Fight: Phasing player may not Move but have a Disrupted marker may select adjacent enemy units to removed and thus regain its attack. ability to attack. This is an important rule. Units out of 3.5.3 Bridge repair: Phasing player attempts to supply do not suffer adverse repair Blown Bridges (12.0). effects other than being unable to become Undisrupted. This means 3.5.4 Artillery recovery: Phasing player turns that a force that is out of supply will become fired artillery units to their front side. unusable in offensive operations as Disruption mounts and also becomes more vulnerable to 3.5.5 Blitz Phase: Phasing player may use their destruction in enemy counter-attacks. Blitz marker to conduct either an additional Artillery units that are out of supply may not Move OR an additional Fight phase as per step undertake strike operations (8.5). 3.5.2. This option is available only once per game. Place the marker aside after use. 4.2 Supply Sources: Supply sources are ports, Landing Beaches or airbases. In all cases, friendly units must occupy or have been the SECOND PLAYER PHASE Sample lastfile to have passed through these hexes. Repeat steps 3.3 through 3.5. Ports can’t be used as supply sources if they are mined by the enemy or have been blown by enemy strike action or commandos. An TURN END PHASE airbase can only be used as a supply source if it is occupied by a friendly air transport unit (only 3.6 Administration: Remove spotted markers the Germans have an air transport unit). A and move turn marker on one space. At end of damaged airbase can’t be used as a supply Turn 10, check scenario victory conditions. source. 4.3 Tracing lines of supply: In order to be in 4.0 SUPPLY supply, a unit must be able to trace an uninterrupted line of supply to a supply source.