Unternehmen Zerberus 1942

Ah yes, another pocket game! This time it is the naval operation of die Kriegsmarine "Unternehmen Zerberus" (Operation Cerberus). This operation involved the German Scharnhorst class Battleships (Scharnhorst and Gneisenau) (actually, battle cruisers), the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, and escorts.

How and why did it come about: In late 1941, Adolf Hitler ordered the Oberkommando der Marine (OKM German Navy high-command), to plan an operation to return these 3 ships to German bases, to counter a possible British invasion of Norway. A meeting was held in Paris on 1 January 1942, for the final planning of the operation. The short route up the English Channel was preferred to a detour around the British Isles, to benefit from surprise and from air cover by the Luftwaffe and on 12 January 1942, Hitler gave orders for the operation to be conducted.

Use the force Winston, use the force:  The British had and used many tools to learn about this operation. With the use of the Engima machine they were able to decrypt secret German radio messages, with the use of the RAF Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU) to fly reconnaissance, and with the use of agents in France run by the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) to keep watch on these ships and report any damage caused by British bombers.

Operation Fuller, a joint Royal Navy and RAF contingency plan, was devised to counter a possible sortie by the German ships against Atlantic convoys, a return to German ports by circumnavigating the British Isles or a dash up the English Channel. The concentration of British ships in southern waters was inhibited by a need to keep ships at Scapa Flow in Scotland, in case of a sortie by the German battleship Tirpitz from Norway. The RAF had been required to detach squadrons from Bomber and Coastal commands for overseas service and also kept torpedo-bombers in Scotland, again, to be ready for Tirpitz. This did constrained their ability to assemble large numbers of aircraft against a dash up the Channel, as did the winter weather which reduced visibility and unpredictably shut-down airfields with snow.

One ship, two ship, three ship, hot damn:  On 11 February 1942, the Kriegsmarine ships left the port of Brest, France at 021:14 hrs and escaped detection for more than twelve hours, approaching the Strait of Dover without discovery. The Luftwaffe conducted Unternehmen Donnerkeil (Operation Thunderbolt) to provide air cover and as the ships neared Dover, the British belatedly began operations against the German ships. The RAF, the Fleet Air Arm, Navy and coastal artillery operations were costly failures.  

So, why were the British surprised?:  By 13 February, the ships had reached German ports, Winston Churchill ordered an inquiry into the debacle and "The Times" denounced the British fiasco. Some of the blame for this debacle can be blamed on several items - such as the ships leaving the French port on a moonless night, and the time of year and winter weather which all lead to reduced visibility. The RAF also had to contend  with  winter weather which did shut-down airfields.

Aftermath:  As the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau enter the North Sea, both hit mines and were damaged with the Scharnhorst being put out of action for a year. On 23 February, the Prinz Eugen was torpedoed off Norway, repaired, and spent the rest of the war in the Baltic. Gneisenau went into a dry dock and was bombed on the night of Feb 26/27, 1942 never to sail again, and the Scharnhorst was sunk at the Battle of the North Cape on Dec 26, 1943.

The Kriegsmarine judged the operation to have been a tactical success and a strategic failure, by exchanging a real threat to Atlantic convoys by German surface ships for a hypothetical threat to Norway.

Also this "Channel Dash" marks the 2nd (and hopefully the last) time in English history that an enemy naval force successfully navigated the English Channel (the first was in 1588 the Spanish Armada.).

The Game:   Operation Cerberus: The Channel Dash is pocket game #12, ©LPS, Inc 2011-2018. Designed by Paul Rohrbaugh with graphics by Dave Friedrichs.

 

The game is comprised of the game map, the rules and counters. Before cutting out the counters, take the game to a print shop and have the 4x6 game blown up to 11"x17", both sides. This will give you a decent size game map, easier reading rules, and 9/8" size counters, keeping the original 4x6 pocket game if ever needed for counters, rules or a new game board. (yes, as long as you have the game, you can do this.). 4"x6" needs to be blown up 251% to have the map fit 11"x17" and give you counters a little larger than 1" (makes it easier to hold and move).

Parts of the Game:  The game map is comprised of various charts and 9 movement areas (a German beginning square (Port of Brest), German ending square ( Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbüttel home ports), 7 movement areas (sea areas) and 1 British naval deployment circle that can attack sea areas #5, #6, and #7. Movement sea areas #1, #4, #6 and #7 are mined, representing the areas the British had air-dropped mines.

Both the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau hit these mines as they enter the North Sea.

There are seventeen counters comprising of three German ships and one counter representing various escorts, six various British aircraft, three British naval ships, one Vosper MTB, and three various markers. All counters have a flip side showing damage for the ships and aircraft. Players will also need one six sided die.

Setup:  For counters setup in the beginning of the game, you will need to use the British Alert Level (BAL) marker in space 1 of the BAL Track, the British Vosper MTB unit is placed in any area, the four German ships in the "starter box" (Port of Brest), and the Luftwaffe Air Cover (LAC) marker is placed on level 2 "effective" box.

Game Play:  Game play consists of seven steps that are repeated until the three capital German ships exit area #7 and enters the "end" box (German home ports) or sunk.  The steps are:

1. Step 1, BAL Determination (British). 
2. Step 2, LAC Determination (German). 
   
3. Step 3, RAF Air Strength Determination (British). 
4. Step 4, Royal Navy Intervention (British).
5. Step 5, Ship Movement (German 1st, British 2nd) and Mine Attacks (German only).  
6. Step 6, Air Attacks (German 1st, British 2nd).
7. Step 7, Surface Naval Combat (simultaneous fire)

Once all 7 steps are finished, another game turn begins.

Victory Conditions: 
Decisive Victory:
1) German wins by exiting all three Capital ships into the German ending square (home port).
2) British wins by sinking all three German Capital ships.

Marginal Victory
1) German wins by exiting two Capital ships into the home port.
2) British wins by sinking two German Capital ships.

Three items  need to be mention - 

1. Undamaged German ships can move up to 2 sea areas, but be warned - if a German ship encounters a mined sea area, then a die is rolled for the mine field attack and +1 is added to the mine field attack. If a ship hits a mine, then it has to stop in the mine area and is crippled (flipped over). Cripple ships can only move 1 sea area after that. 
2. If the German ships were moving together and move 2 sea areas, after the roll for the mine field attack,  if any German ship was cripple, the German player can stop all ships in that sea area (i.e. they do not have to move 2 spaces). 
3. Naval combat happens simultaneous. All ships have to announce their target before any combat is resolved.  Even if a ship is crippled or sunk, it still can fire at what it's CF was before it was hit. There is 1 round of combat per turn.

Time for the ratings:

1. Complexity of the game =  LOW.
2. Solitaire = HIGH (very little work is needed)
3. Enjoyment Level = VERY HIGH (the only thing missing is a pint of bitters and fish & chips! )
4. Nail biting = 9 fingers worth, starting on the 10th but it was saved. 
5. Historical Level =  High. The German ships are correct as is the British. :)
6. Length of typical full game = 15 mins to 1/2 hour.
7. This does make for very interesting play.  So, far out of 15 games, the Germans won 11 and the Brits 4.


8. Out of the 11 German wins, 7 were marginal and 4 Decisive.  Just the luck of the draw, as it always is, in game and real life.
   

Note: There was some kind of update in ATO #37, giving variant rules and die cut counters. Click here to download this variant.

Errata:
#12 Operation Cerberus (pocket game)

6. Air Attacks - clarification:
Note that use of the Bomber Ju-88 side of the marker always increases the current LAC by +1, even if it is already at 3. After resolving an air attack on British naval unit(s) flip the Bomber Ju-88 marker back over to its normal front side (the one that reads Luftwaffe Air Cover).

6. Air Attacks - discrepancy:
There is a difference between the postcard rules and the deluxe game rules with regards to re-solving Air Attacks as follows: The postcard rule states that hits are achieved with a DR < to the attacking unit’s CF and is correct.  The deluxe rules state it must simply be < the attacking unit’s CF, and that is incorrect. (correct is "less than or equal to").  Mea culpa, I had it wrong since this review has been up. 

Thanks for reading!
-ab out

 

Also I need to add, this blog is considered to be a living blog. Changes will be made to it as needed to clarify, correct errors or update with new information.  And I apologize, but this review may contain references to graphics that are no longer on this blog. Long story, but it was Google who removed them.