F40 -FRANCE 1940

1. TITLE: France 1940
2. PUBLISHER: The Avalon Hill Game Company (TAHGC)
3. SCOPE: (World War II) German Blitzkrieg in the West.
4. TAHGC CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
5. GAME BOX DESCRIPTION: France, 1940 recreates the military situation of May 1940. It shows why, and how, the Germany swept away the combined armies of France, Britain, Belgium, and Holland in just three weeks. This was the first major campaign in history in which tanks, aircraft, and parachute infantry combine as the decisive factor on the Battlefield.
6. YEAR PUBLISHED (EDITIONS): 1972. Only one published edition. Discontinued before the end of TAHGC life span (1998)
7. CREDITS
   • Game Design: James F. Dunnigan
   • Graphics, Equipment & Package Design: Redmond A. Simonsen
   • Rules Composition and Supplemental Design: John Young and Redmond A. Simonsen
   • Game Testing and Debugging: Robert Champer
   • Research and Historical Background: Albert A. Nofi
   • Note: The prototype of France 1940, titled BATTLE FOR FRANCE, was originally published in issue No. 27 of Strategy & Tactics Magazine, copyright 1971, Simulations Publications, Inc., New York, N. Y. and is used with permission
   • Typesetting: Colonial Composition
   • Printing: Monarch Services
8. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2
9. WGA COMPLEXITY SCALE (1-10): 4
10. TYPICAL PLAYING TIME (HOURS): 2-3?
11. MAP SCALE:
12. UNIT SCALE: Corps, Divisions, Brigades
13. TIME SCALE PER TURN: Two days per turn
14. NUMBER OF GAME TURNS: 10
15. ARTICLE LISTING: Click here
16. GAME INVENTORY: ### unit counters; 22" x 24" mounted mapboard; multiple playing aids and charts, 1 die; rulebook.
17. WBC & AVALONCON HISTORY: Never made it as an Avaloncon event.
18. PBEM TOOLS:
• No Java application VASSAL module at this time; however one is 60% complete including a professional quality map. Project has been on the back burner due to limited discretionary time and lack of interest by others.
19. PBEM OPPORTUNITES: Contact Wargame Academy if interested. A Boardgamer Player Association PBEM tournament can be organized by WGA pending suitable interest once a VASSAL F40 module is completed.
20. WARGAME ACADEMY COMMENTS: This is a relatively simple and elegant game suited for boardgame novices. Its popularity suffered front the accurate situation that the Allies cannot defeat the Germans and are playing a defensive role in a lop-sided contest. However as a wargame, the Allies can 'defeat' the Germans by denying them a historical or more expensive victory. This type of psychological victory does not appeal to all.Per the game description, France 1940 is an accurate study of how the Germans overwhelmed the Allies with a combination of slow moving infantry, air-power, fast-moving and hard-hitting Panzer divisions, and airborne infantry units. The forte of the game are the fifteen alternate 'What If' orders of battle in addition to the historical ones. These alternates reflect such things as the Allies adopting a more 'German' attitude towards air power and/or motorized units as well as possible French decision no to build the Maginot Line or to re-arm earlier. I actually like the game, however I have not been psychologically damaged by playing countless hours in 1941 campaigns as the Soviet player. Note; given the names on the credits, this game was likely designed & developed by SPI and published by TAHGC.
21. WARGAME ACADEMY GAME TOOLS: One punched game for play.