'Strange Defeat': Additional Options
By William Sariego
July 2006

In a popular cliché, imitation is the highest form of flattery. I can attest that this is certainly true enough. I was happy when told a new designer would be using my Defiant Russia system for a game on the 1940 campaign. Mike Perryman's Strange Defeat is a most welcome addition to the Avalanche Press line, and I am honored to help support Strange Defeat with web content — in this case a small variant article with some additional options for play.

The Sword of the Army

The French had a lot of tanks, some quite good. What she didn't have was a solid doctrine to go with them, as most were designed for infantry support. France could have had a doctrine had Colonel Charles De Gaulle's ideas been taken seriously by the army and the government in the decade prior to the war. The problem was De Gaulle himself. Truly a brilliant man, he is easily one of the towering figures of the last century. A common problem with Great Men of History is often their absolute self-confidence (read “arrogance”) which has little time for those whom fail to comprehend their brilliance. Insulting one’s superiors is hardly the way to get your point across.

Strange Defeat comes well-equipped with its own optional rules. Prepared France 12.1 already exists to give the best-case scenario for the Third Republic to defeat Nazi Germany. This new variant assumes newly-promoted General De Gaulle had gotten his point across just enough to emphasize the importance of armor in the coming campaign, but that doctrine is still moribund. The effects of “The Sword of the Army” is that both the 4th DCR and the DLM begin the game full strength and France get one armored replacement point on June I as long as Paris is Allied-controlled (the Renault Works).

Northern Lights

The Norwegian campaign is an oft-neglected area of study in World War II games. It has a direct bearing here, as it ran from April through June, tallying with the time frame of Strange Defeat. The majority of the naval commitment around Norway was British, though the French were present with some light squadrons. Ground forces of the Third Republic in Norway were represented by the 1st Light Division, which was organized into two chasseur alpin demi-brigades (the 5th and 27th) and the 13th L.E. demi-brigade. The 5th landed at Namsos on April 30th. The 27th landed on April 27th and the 13th L.E. on April 28th, both at Narvik. The units gave a good account of themselves during the campaign and would begin withdrawning from early to mid-June.

The variant adds the elite 1st Light infantry division as a reinforcement on June III. It must arrive in a French-controlled port. If no such port exists place it in the English holding box (it does not enter play) but do not count it as destroyed or evacuated. Look with pride on the first Free French unit!

The Sunny South

The “hand that held the dagger” will thrust it into its neighbor’s back on June 10th (June II in game terms), as Italy declares war on France. Italian Army Group West would attack along the Riviera coast and in the Alps beginning on June 20th. On June III the Allied player rolls a die to determine the affects, if any, of the Italian offensive in the Alps.

1. Major Italian Victory. Germany scores 2 PP
2. Minor Italian Victory. Germany scores 1 PP
3. Italian Moral Victory. No Effect
4. French Moral Victory. No Effect (Historical outcome)
5. Minor French Victory. Allies Score 1 PP
6. Major Allied Victory. Allies score 2 PP

An Italian victory of any sort has no direct bearing on the physical play of Strange Defeat, other than the PP award. Even if the Italians did well, they lacked the motorized ability to move far enough north to be represented.

Likewise General Weygand would not send troops south to put out a fire in the guest house while the mansion was itself ablaze. The actual French victory could have brought intervention further north if the high command had more initiative than defeatism at that point. A Minor French Victory grants an Air Support point on June IV. A Major French Victory, in addition to giving the air support grants one French infantry replacement on June IV.

Pride of the Empire

While the army proved a disappointment in the 1940 campaign, the Navy did not. Indeed, the French fleet gave a proud account of itself during the entirety of the war in vary tragic circumstances. This would be true of the ships of the Third Republic, Vichy, and Fighting France. During the 1940 campaign the navy would assist the British at Dunkirk (a fact often overlooked) and provide gunfire support all along the coast, be it from fast destroyers or old battlewagons like Courbet.

The French Fleet enters as a reinforcement on May III. Place it in any French-controlled port. It moves once per turn, in either the Allied movement or the German combat phase! It can support an Allied attack or defense in any coastal hex. If moved during the German combat phase place it atop the Allied stack being attacked; which must contain a French ground unit.

The German player can assign up to two air units per turn to bomb the fleet, hitting on a six. Roll during the combat phase. One hit reduces the fleet and a second eliminates it. The fleet is worth 2 PP to the Germans if it is destroyed. It cannot be taken as a step loss but must retreat from the hex if Allied defenders retreat or are eliminated. The French player can withdraw the fleet from the map during any Allied Organizational Phase to avoid elimination. There is no PP penalty for doing so.

The Cross of Lorraine

On June 17th, De Gaulle, who had been promoted to Under Secretary of Defense on June 6th, made his escape to England. Clearly seeing winds of defeatism blowing and an armistice looming, he at least did not want to admit defeat. As both a minister and recently-promoted general, he held both military and civilian authority as a beacon of resistance. On June 18th, his message of encouragement to the French people, and defiance of Germany, was broadcast on the BBC.

On June III if De Gaulle is still in play, the Allies can evacuate him to England. Roll a die. On a six his plane is shot down. On any other result place his counter in England and award the Allied player 1 PP.

Conclusion

Strange Defeat is an interesting little game. Play is fast and furious and it has great solitaire value. Winning with Allies is difficult, players may find it all to easy to feel the same despair as their historical counterparts. In a future piece I will examine the defense of France in the game.

Until then I leave you with some fitting words, spoken by De Gaulle to the students of St. Cyr in 1921:

Remember this lesson. History does not teach fatalism. There are moments when the will of a handful of free men breaks through determinism and opens up new roads.

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