Schnellboote (wargame)

Schnellboote, subtitled "Tactical Small Craft Warfare, 1941–1945," is a board wargame published by Simulations Canada in 1984 that simulates various naval engagements involving small craft such as PT boats and E boats. It was the third in a series of three interlocking naval wargames.

Description

Schnellboote is a two-person wargame in which one player controls one or more small craft and the other controls opposing forces. It is played on a large (22" x 28") featureless hex grid map where each hex represents 100 yards (91 metres), and each turn represents 90 seconds of game time.

Movement of both players is simultaneous, with each player preplotting their movement for the turn, and then revealing them at the same time. The turn then takes the following sequence, all done simultaneously for both players:

Search

Gunfire

Ship Movement

Aircraft Movement and Bombing

Torpedo launching and movement (Torpedo movement is logged secretly until the torpedo is placed on the map when it is one hex from its target. Before it is revealed, the targeted ship has a chance to spot the incoming torpedo and take evasive action if possible.)

Publication history

Steven Newberg created a series of three naval wargames that used the same rules system: IJN (1978), which contained the basic rules for movement and combat; Torpedo! (1979), which added rules for submarines and anti-submarine searches; and Schnellboote, which added rules for torpedo boats and other small craft. All three were published by Simulations Canada. Combining the three games, players could design scenarios for any naval engagement in any theatre of World War II. Newberg later wrote, "Scenarios tended to be fast and vicious, with either lots of casualties if the range got short, or a scattered confusion when closing did not happen.