Gallipoli - 1915 : Churchill's Greatest Gamble

Gallipoli 1915: Churchill's Greatest Gamble realistically covers the first three days of the campaign, a time of wild maneuver, of decisive attacks parried by the timely arrival of reinforcements, and the onset of trench warfare. Speed – but not reckless haste – is the key to success.

The map covers the entire peninsula from north of Anzac Cove to Cape Helles, based on the 1922 British Ordnance Survey. Players can choose to land at the historical beaches, or create their own plans.

The game system emphasizes command and control. Players command by Brigade and Regiment. To be successful, a player must plan for the eventual exhaustion of their troops, rotating them out of line to rest and recover stragglers. The result is an accurate modeling of the tempo of these battles.

Infantry combat is ranged rifle and MG fire, culminating in close assault. Artillery is powerful but ultimately limited. Shrapnel from the standard field guns is deadly against troops in the open, but only the rare howitzers firing high-angle HE can deal with trenches.

COMPONENTS

    6 Counter sheets
    Two 34" x 22" maps
    Rifle & Spade Series Rule book
    Game booklet with historical commentary and bibliography
    Scenario booklet
    Two 8-page player aid booklets
    Five ten-sided dice

TIME SCALE     Each turn = 2 hours per day; 4 hours per night
MAP SCALE     400m per hex
UNIT SCALE     Half-battalions, batteries, platoons
COMPLEXITY    Medium
SOLITAIRE SUITABILITY Medium to High