Operation Westindien simulates the devastating effects of the German U-boats in the Caribbean from Feb. 16 to March 16. While Operation Paukenschlag (an upcoming ATO game) began along the US East Coast at the same time (equally devastating), a handful of U-boats, Group Neuland, were ordered to deploy in the Caribbean.

Unknown to most today, in 1942, the oil refineries at Aruba, Curacao, and Trinidad were vital in refining the oil arriving from Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela. Canada heavily relied on this oil, the US and England, also needed this oil for aviation fuel. For the Germans, it was a missed opportunity to really devastate the Allied oil and fuel production, which would have long lasting impact on the war.

Game Details:

System: Double Blind to capture the true flavor of submarine warfare (can be played solitaire), point to point movement

Counters: 280 Map: One 11x17 inch depicting the Caribbean area south of Cuba

Unique rules cover: Aircraft ASW radar, U-boat surface and sub-surface strengths and speeds, U-boat fuel limitations, Torpedo and U-boat surface attacks, Lake tankers, Cargo ships, B-18, A-20 bombers, Destroyers, ASW Ships, Landing saboteurs, Port Capacity.

Unlike every submarine game made, this game forces both players to complete different objectives. For the German, it is to sink cargo and oil tankers in demanding quantities and or destroy oil refineries, depending on orders. The German must find and sink tankers with oil cargo moving to refineries. For the Allied player, they must move their oil and cargo ships across the map. Oil tankers must land at a refinery, unload the oil, refine it, reload it and then move the tanker off the map with the oil through U-boat infested water. Cargo ships with non-oil material must also cross the map. Of course, their other objective is to use their bombers and meager ASW force to sink U-boats!

Available in both DTP and Print-n-Play

This is a perfect campanion game to the upcoming Issue #22 Operation Drumbeat by the same designer in ATO Magazine. Although the systems are totally different, both offer unique ways to make a submarine game interesting--which is the challenge for a game designer.

In this game, the designer creates a lot of tension using a double blind point to point system. Tested by real Naval submariners, it shows the problems each side had in 1942. This is not just a sink the ships game but one where each side must accomplish objectives. For instance, the Allies must not only get the oil from their sources to refineries, but then refine it (hopefully, free of U-boat Shelling) and then have a tanker to carry across the U-boat infested waters to the mainland! No U-boat game ever has dealt with this before. The game can be played solitaire.