SCOPE: (World War II) German Blitzkrieg in the West.
TAHGC CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
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.
YEAR PUBLISHED (EDITIONS): 1972. Only one published edition.
Discontinued in 1978 before the end of TAHGC life span (1998).
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
GAME INVENTORY: ### unit counters; 22" x 24"
mounted mapboard; multiple playing aids and charts, 1 die; rulebook.
WBC & AVALONCON HISTORY: Never made it as an Avaloncon
event.
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.
PBEM OPPORTUNITES: A VASSAL module is near completion as
of 100904; will be posted as soon as I regain access onto the new VASSAL page.
Contact Wargame Academy if interested
in playing. A Boardgamer Player Association PBEM tournament can be organized
by WGA pending suitable interest once a VASSAL F40 module is completed. At
present there no active ratings in AREA. Winner of the first rated game is
the champion until unseated.
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.
FROM TAHGC Index and Company History 1952-1980: This game
was first published in S&T magazine and later sold to AH with very minor
changes. There was little or no input by AH personnel. FRANCE 1940 was a superlative
simulation which, by definition, made it a lousy game. It was designed in
such a way as to guarantee German victory time after time. It soon fell out
of favor with the players.
WARGAME ACADEMY GAME TOOLS: One punched game for play.
