Rule 24. STRATEGIC WARFARE

24. STRATEGIC WARFARE 24.1 OVERVIEW
24.2 SW FORCE POOLS
24.3 STARTING LEVELS
24.4 SW UNIT CONSTRUCTION
24.5 SW UNIT DEPLOYMENT
24.6 SW COMBAT RESOLUTION

24.1 OVERVIEW:
24.11 SW UNITS: Strategic bombers, interceptors, submarines, ASW and transports are considered strategic warfare units. The number of SW units which may be employed is determined by each major power's SW unit force pool (24.2). The starting levels (24.3) of each major power may be increased in the course of the game.
24.12 USE OF SW UNITS: SW units are constructed in the unit construction phase (24.4), and SW is resolved during the combat phase (24.6). This process is repeated each player turn.
24.13 SW EFFECTS: SW may affect enemy BRP and shipping levels and may have other effects, depending on the target selected (24.6).
24.14 For specific applications of the strategic warfare rules, see rules 25 (submarine warfare) and 26 (strategic bombing).

24.2 SW FORCE POOLS:
24.21 FORCE POOL EXPANSION BY PRODUCTION: All SW unit force pools may be expanded by the expenditure of RPs for production (42). SW unit force pool expansion is permitted in the first full year of war and thereafter, subject to the following restrictions:
A. Strategic bombers may not be produced by a major power which has not achieved at least one "10+" result for strategic bombers. At the start of the game, only Britain and the U.S. meet this requirement. The Western Allies may produce strategic bombers exclusively for European use beginning in the first year following the outbreak of war; and the U.S. may produce strategic bombers exclusively for Pacific use beginning in 1944 (42.22B).

In classic A World at War, SW units may not be produced until 1940.

B. Western Allied RPs may not be assigned to ASW and transport production until the 1941 YSS.
C. Western Allied and Japanese RPs may not be assigned to submarine production until the 1942 YSS, regardless of when war breaks out between Japan and the Western Allies.
D. Japanese RPs may not be assigned to ASW production until the 1943 YSS, regardless of when war breaks out between Japan and the Western Allies.
24.22 TIMING: SW unit force pool increases from production come into play either at the end of the research phase (interceptors, strategic bombers) or the unit construction phase (submarines, ASW, transports) in which the RPs assigned to their production are activated, although the actual construction of the new SW units, including the construction of newly produced interceptors and strategic bombers (27.91), may be constrained by spending, construction and shipbuilding limits.
24.23 WESTERN ALLIED SW FORCE POOLS:
24.231 WESTERN ALLIED FORCE POOLS DISTINCT: Britain and the U.S. have separate force pools for strategic bombers, interceptors and submarines. Western Allied strategic bomber, interceptor and submarine force pool additions from production are attributed to Britain, the U.S., or some to each.
24.232 WESTERN ALLIED STRATEGIC BOMBER FORCE POOLS: The Western Allies have three distinct strategic bomber force pools:
A. BRITAIN: British strategic bombers may only be used in the European theater. Britain begins the game with one strategic bomber factor in its force pool.
B. U.S. (EUROPEAN): American European strategic bombers may only be used in the European theater. The U.S. begins the game with one strategic bomber factor in its European bomber force pool.
C. U.S. (PACIFIC): American Pacific strategic bombers may only be used in the Pacific theater. There are no American Pacific strategic bombers in existence at the start of the game.
D. STRATEGIC BOMBER PRODUCTION: Western Allied European strategic bomber force pool additions must be allocated so that the British and American European strategic bomber force pools remain at equal strength, with any odd factor going to either major power at the Western Allied player's discretion. American Pacific strategic bombers are produced independently of Western Allied European strategic bombers. RPs may not be allocated to the production of American Pacific strategic bombers until the 1944 YSS.
24.233 WESTERN ALLIED ASW AND TRANSPORT FORCE POOLS COMBINED: The Western Allies have single, combined force pools for both ASW and transports. Western Allied ASW and transport force pool additions from production are attributed to the Western Allies as a whole.
24.234 FRANCE: France may not build SW units.

24.3 STARTING LEVELS:
24.31 STARTING LEVELS: The starting SW unit force pools for each major power are set out below:
A. GERMANY: Submarines: one built, one allowable build.
B. ITALY: Submarines: one built, one allowable build.
C. JAPAN: Submarines: one built, one allowable build; transports: 20.
D. BRITAIN: Submarines: one built, one allowable build; ASW: one built, one allowable build; strategic bombers: one built; Western Allied transports: 35 built, five allowable builds.
E. UNITED STATES: Submarines: one built, one allowable build; ASW: one built, one allowable build; strategic bombers: one built.
F. FRANCE: None.
G. RUSSIA: None.
H. CHINA: None.

24.4 SW UNIT CONSTRUCTION:
24.41 GENERAL: Construction of the following SW units is allowed:
A. GERMANY: Submarines and interceptors; with research: advanced submarines and strategic bombers.
B. ITALY: Submarines.
C. JAPAN: Submarines, ASW, interceptors and transports; with research: strategic bombers.
D. BRITAIN: Submarines, ASW, strategic bombers, interceptors and transports.
E. UNITED STATES: Submarines, ASW, strategic bombers, interceptors and transports.
F. FRANCE: None.
G. RUSSIA: Interceptors; with research: strategic bombers.
H. CHINA: None.
24.42 ROCKETS: Rockets require a successful research result before they may be built.
24.43 SW CONSTRUCTION COSTS: Submarines, ASW, strategic bombers, interceptors and transports cost three BRPs per factor. Submarines, ASW and transports require one shipbuilding point (27.721A) but do not use up shipyard capacity (27.74).
24.44 MECHANICS: See 27.9.

24.5 SW UNIT DEPLOYMENT:
24.51 DEPLOYMENT OF STRATEGIC WARFARE FORCES: The rules for deploying specific types of SW units are set out in rules 25 (submarines) and 26 (strategic bombing).
24.52 TRANSFERS OF UNITS BETWEEN SW BOXES: Both SW units (submarines, ASW, transports, strategic bombers and interceptors) and naval units may be transferred between SW boxes during the redeployment phase, subject only to the normal restrictions applying to the operation of the units in question in the SW boxes. Units transferred between SW boxes are not inverted and may be used in their new SW box in the next player turn, regardless of their use in the SW box from which they were redeployed. All three SW boxes are connected and transfers between them are not subject to any delay and may not be intercepted (EXCEPTION: German submarines may enter and leave the Indian Ocean SW box only from or to a Mediterranean port through the Suez canal - 25.13A).
24.53 AMERICAN STRATEGIC BOMBERS: One American strategic bomber begins the game in the Atlantic U.S. box. American strategic bombers may not be used until deployed to an SW box.
24.54 AMERICAN-BUILT ASW Western Allied ASW listed as American starting forces or allowable builds and produced Western Allied ASW constructed in an American shipyard must abide by USAT or USJT tension restrictions (25.32) for a theater in which the U.S. is not at war.

24.6 SW COMBAT RESOLUTION:
24.61 SW COMBAT:
24.611 GENERAL: SW combat is resolved during the combat phase of the side employing offensive SW units (submarines, bombers, flying bombs and rockets) against its opponent. Prior to the resolution of SW combat, the moving player may employ raiders and assign eligible AAF to bombing.
24.612 SUBMARINE WARFARE: Submarine warfare SW combat involves submarines and ASW. See 25. Special rules apply to the resolution of SW combat involving advanced submarines (25.73).
24.613 STRATEGIC BOMBING: Strategic bombing involves air combat between any defending air factors and an equal number of attacking air factors, after which SW combat is resolved between the bombers which reach their target and the bombing target. See 26.
24.62 SW COMBAT TABLE: SW combat is resolved using the SW Combat Table.
24.621 NUMBER OF SW FACTORS: If more than 30 SW factors engage in SW combat, the result is determined by applying the SW combat dice roll to the "30" row and whatever other row is required to equal the total number of SW factors engaged and combining the effects.
24.622 MODIFIERS: A positive net modifier for SW combat for one side results in an equal negative net modifier for the other side. These modifiers may also affect the number of transports sunk by submarines and the effect of strategic bombers on their targets.

The convention used for SW combat modifiers is that positive modifiers (“+”) favor the attacker, negative modifiers (“-”) favor the defender, and some modifiers, such as codebreaking or Air Nationality DRMs (“+/-”), can favor one side or the other. Once all modifiers are determined, the net modifier is calculated and applied. There are no SW combat modifiers which apply only to one side and not the other - a net +1 modifier for one side means there is a corresponding -1 modifier for the other side.

Strategic Warfare Combat Table - 24.62
SW Fac	Dice Roll
SW Fac	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12+
1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/1	0/1	0/2	1/1
2	0	0	0	0	0/1	0/1	0/1	0/2	0/2	1/1	1/2
3	0	0	0/1	0/1	0/2	0/2	0/2	1/1	1/1	1/2	1/3
4	0	0/1	0/2	0/2	1/1	1/1	1/1	1/2	1/2	1/3	1/4
5	0/1	0/2	1/1	1/1	1/2	1/2	1/2	1/3	1/3	1/4	1/5
6	0/2	1/1	1/2	1/2	1/3	1/3	1/3	1/4	1/4	1/5	1/6
7	1/1	1/2	1/3	1/3	1/4	1/4	1/4	1/5	1/5	1/6	2/5
8	1/2	1/3	1/4	1/4	1/5	1/5	1/5	1/6	1/6	2/5	2/6
9	1/3	1/4	1/5	1/5	1/6	1/6	1/6	2/5	2/5	2/6	2/7
10	1/4	1/5	1/6	1/6	2/5	2/5	2/5	2/6	2/6	2/7	2/8
DR	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12+
11	1/5	1/6	2/5	2/5	2/6	2/6	2/6	2/7	2/7	2/8	3/7
12	1/6	2/5	2/6	2/6	2/7	2/7	2/7	2/8	2/8	3/7	3/8
13	2/5	2/6	2/7	2/7	2/8	2/8	2/8	3/7	3/7	3/8	3/9
14	2/6	2/7	2/8	2/8	3/7	3/7	3/7	3/8	3/8	3/9	4/8
15	2/7	2/8	3/7	3/7	3/8	3/8	3/8	3/9	3/9	4/8	4/9
16	2/8	3/7	3/8	3/8	3/9	3/9	3/9	4/8	4/8	4/9	4/10
17	3/7	3/8	3/9	3/9	4/8	4/8	4/8	4/9	4/9	4/10	5/9
18	3/8	3/9	4/8	4/8	4/9	4/9	4/9	4/10	4/10	5/9	5/10
19	3/9	4/8	4/9	4/9	4/10	4/10	4/10	5/9	5/9	5/10	5/11
20	4/8	4/9	4/10	4/10	5/9	5/9	5/9	5/10	5/10	5/11	6/10
DR	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12+
21	4/9	4/10	5/9	5/9	5/10	5/10	5/10	5/11	5/11	6/10	6/11
22	4/10	5/9	5/10	5/10	5/11	5/11	5/11	6/10	6/10	6/11	6/12
23	5/9	5/10	5/11	5/11	6/10	6/10	6/10	6/11	6/11	6/12	7/11
24	5/10	5/11	6/10	6/10	6/11	6/11	6/11	6/12	6/12	7/11	7/12
25	5/11	6/10	6/11	6/11	6/12	6/12	6/12	7/11	7/11	7/12	7/13
26	6/10	6/11	6/12	6/12	7/11	7/11	7/11	7/12	7/12	7/13	8/12
27	6/11	6/12	7/11	7/11	7/12	7/12	7/12	7/13	7/13	8/12	8/13
28	6/12	7/11	7/12	7/12	7/13	7/13	7/13	8/12	8/12	8/13	8/14
29	7/11	7/12	7/13	7/13	8/12	8/12	8/12	8/13	8/13	8/14	9/13
30	7/12	7/13	8/12	8/12	8/13	8/13	8/13	8/14	8/14	9/13	9/14
If more than 30 SW factors engage in SW combat, the result is determined by applying the SW combat dice roll to the “30” row and whatever other row is required to equal the total number of SW factors engaged and combining the effects.

24.63 SW COMBAT RESULTS: Subject to 24.66, which sets an upper limit on transport losses, SW combat losses are determined as follows:
24.631 SUBMARINES:
A. ATTACKER'S RESULT:

The number before the “/” is the number of enemy transports which are eliminated in SW combat. If no transports are available to take such losses, ASW, then CVEs, are eliminated instead. Otherwise ASW and CVEs are never lost in SW combat - rule 24.64 applies only to transports, not ASW and CVEs.
The number after the “/” in the attacker's SW combat result is the number of defending transports which are damaged. If the number after the "/" exceeds the number of transports in the SW box, excess damage is ignored. Damaged transports leave their SW box once SW combat is resolved, unless subsequently eliminated (24.64), and return to port or a mapboard box (25.31), where they are repaired at no BRP cost, remaining inverted for the remainder of the enemy player turn and the owning major power's next player turn. Such transports may not carry out any function until the player turn after they are redeployed back to an SW box.

B. DEFENDER'S RESULT:

The number before the “/” is the number of enemy submarines which are eliminated in SW combat before reaching the defender’s convoys.
The number after the “/” is the number of submarine which fail to reach the defender’s convoys and which therefore do not inflict additional losses on the defender (24.64B).

24.632 BOMBERS:
A. ATTACKER'S RESULT:

The defender loses three BRPs from the bombing target for each number before the “/”.
The defender loses one BRP from the bombing target for each number after the “/”.

B. DEFENDER'S RESULT:

The number before the “/” is the number of enemy bombers which are eliminated in SW combat before reaching their bombing target.
The number after the “/” is the number of enemy bomber factors which fail to reach their bombing target and which therefore do not inflict additional losses on the defender (24.65B).

24.64 SUBMARINE WARFARE - ADDITIONAL LOSSES: In addition to the losses from the submarine SW combat result, before damaged transports return to port:
A. FAVORABLE SUBMARINE SW MODIFIERS: One additional transport is sunk for each net SW combat modifier favoring the attacker.

Transport losses from the attacker’s favorable SW combat modifier may not exceed the number of submarines operating in the SW box.
These additional transport losses are unaffected by the defender’s SW combat result – subject to the above limit, each plus modifier for the submarines always sinks one additional transport.

B. SUBMARINES REACHING THE CONVOYS: One additional transport is sunk for each submarine factor unaffected by the defender’s SW combat result.

Transport losses from submarines unaffected by the defender’s SW combat result are reduced by one transport for each net SW combat modifier favoring the defender.

C. If submarines inflict additional transport losses, undamaged transports are sunk first, then damaged transports returning to port.
24.65 BOMBING - ADDITIONAL LOSSES: In addition to the losses from the bomber SW combat result:
A. FAVORABLE BOMBER SW MODIFIERS: Three additional BRPs are eliminated for each net SW combat modifier favoring the attacker.

BRP losses from the attacker’s favorable SW combat modifier may not exceed three times the number of bombers attacking the target, as determined after air combat with any defending air units is resolved.
These additional BRP losses are unaffected by the defender’s SW combat result - subject to the above limit, each plus modifier for bombers always eliminates three additional BRPs.

B. BOMBERS REACHING THE TARGET: Three additional BRPs are eliminated for each bomber factor unaffected by the defender’s SW combat result.

BRP losses from bombers unaffected by the defender’s SW combat result are reduced by three BRPs for each net SW combat modifier favoring the defender.

24.66 MAXIMUM TRANSPORT LOSSES: The maximum number of transports that may be lost to raiders and submarine warfare in a single turn is limited to half (round up) of the number of transports that started that turn in the relevant SW box. Excess losses are treated as damaged.
EXAMPLE: The Western Allies start Spring 1941 with 11 transports in the Atlantic SW box. They can lose no more than six transports to raiders and submarine warfare, with any excess losses adding to the number of transports damaged by the German SW Combat dice roll.
24.67 DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES: If different nationalities have SW units engaged in combat, SW combat effects are assigned in accordance with rules 19.6 and 20.57.
24.68 MODIFIED RESULTS OF LESS THAN “2”: A dice roll of less than two is treated as a two.
EXAMPLES: Six German submarines are opposed by seven Western Allied ASW in the SW box. The Western Allies enjoy a net -1 SW combat modifier. A German SW combat dice roll of “8”, reduced to “7”, yields a “1/3” result, which sinks one transport and damages three transports. A Western Allied SW combat dice roll of “4”, increased to “5”, yields a “1/3” result, which sinks one submarine factor and forces three submarine factors to abort. Two submarine factors reach the convoy, one of which is offset by the -1 SW combat modifier, so one additional transport is sunk, for an overall result of one submarine factor and two transports sunk, with another three transports damaged. If the submarines had a +1 SW combat modifier, rather than a -1 SW combat modifier, the German SW combat result would be “1/4”, the Western Allied SW combat result would be “1/2”, three submarines would reach the convoy and sink another three transports, and the +1 SW combat modifier would sink another transport, for an overall loss of one submarine factor and five transports sunk and four transports damaged.

SW Combat Modifiers Table
*Submarine warfare*
General:
+/-#	Naval Nationality DRM (22.552A)
+/-#	air range research levels
+#	attacker torpedo research level
-#	defender ASW research level
Atlantic:
-1	for every 6 CVEs in the Atlantic SW box (round down): 0-5: 0; 6-11: -1; 12-17: -2; 18-23: -3; 24+: -4
+2	Axis control Brest, Lorient, St. Nazaire or La Rochelle
+1	Axis control La Coruna, Vigo, Lisbon, Cadiz, or Gibraltar
+1	Germany and the U.S. are at war
+#	Germany and the U.S. are at war: first turn: +2; second turn: +1 (25.66)
+1	a diplomatic result for Ireland of "7" or more
+/-1	Ultra codebreaking advantage
Indian Ocean:
-1	for every 3 CVEs in the Indian Ocean SW box (round down): 0-2: 0; 3-5: -1; 6-8: -2; 9-11: -3; 12+: -4
+1	Japan controls Colombo (Japanese submarines only)
+/-1	Ultra codebreaking advantage (German submarines only)
+/-1	Magic codebreaking advantage (Japanese submarines only)
Pacific:
-1	for every 3 CVEs in the Pacific SW box (round down): 0-2: 0; 3-5: -1; 6-8: -2; 9-11: -3; 12+: -4
+1	Japan controls Townsville, Noumea, Suva or any port in the Hawaiian Islands (Japanese submarines only)
+2	Allies control Manila (American submarines only)
+/-1	Magic codebreaking advantage
*Strategic bombing*
Strategic bomber forces v. defending air units (air combat):
+/-#	relative Air Nationality DRMs
+/-1	for each jet engaged
-#	defender's radar research level
Strategic bomber v. bombing targets:
+1	American Pacific strategic bombers
+1	for each attacker strategic bomber research result
-1	for each defender air defense research result
Bombing targets use the SW Combat Table row equal to the defensive strength of the target, which is the total of the following:
1	each flak factor, airbase counter, objective or anchor symbol
2	each city or port
1	each fortification level (+1 for each fortification; +2 for a fortress; beach defenses have no effect on air defense levels)
“+” modifiers favor the attacker and “-” modifiers favor the defender. The net modifier for both SW combat dice rolls is always the same, except one is positive and one is negative.