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 At
dusk on 21 May 1941, the German battleship Bismarck, along with the heavy
cruiser Prinz Eugen, slipped from it's base in Bergen, Norway with the
orders to clear the Atlantic of Allied shipping. And so begins one of the
most dramatic chapters in naval history as the British cry was heard, "Sink
the Bismarck".
First
published in 1962, the 1978 version was a thoroughly updated revision.
It is organized into three games of increasing difficulty: The basic game
concentrates on the British attempt to locate, track, and sink the Bismarck;
The intermediate game allows optional rules to add more realism; The advanced
game is a miniatures oriented approach to tactical naval combat.
 The
1978 version allowed a wide variety of factors to be added to suit an individual's
taste: weather, refueling, submarines, destroyers, more convoys, air combat,
repairs and breakdowns, along with gun size, number of guns, armor strength
and fire control. Medium to hard complexity depending on game played. Expect
to spend from two hours and up depending on game.
There
was also made available a Variant Mapsheet for, I believe, the 1978 version
of "Bismarck". In 1980, Avalon Hill released "North
Atlantic Convoy Raider", a computer game based on the Bismarck. Although
there is no direct connection between the board and computer game, they
both carry the same basic theme.
 Game
components include (1962) : Battle board, Search board, 8 large Ship Counters,
24 small Ship Counters, Die, Screen, Time / Hit Record pad, 4 Zone cards,
2 cardboard Counter Trays, Historical Commentary sheet & Rules booklet.
Game
components include (1978) : Battle board, 2 Search boards, 285 Counters
(includes 1 blank), 6 Player Aid cards, 2 Range Finders, 2 Battle Maneuver
Gauges, Hit Record pad, 2 Dice & 36-page Rules booklet.
Two
players. Ages 12 & up. Avalon Hill from 1962 / 1978.
Additional
info: There were articles on this game in "The General" magazine:
 Vol.
1 # 5 and # 6
Vol.
2 # 1
Vol.
3 # 4
Vol.
4 # 2 and # 3
Vol.
5 # 6
Vol.
8 # 4 (PMB)
Vol.
10 # 1 Expansion Kit
Vol.
16 # 2
Vol.
18 # 1
Vol.
19 # 6 Variant rules
An
important note regarding Avalon Hill games
- It was not unusual for Avalon Hill to re-publish most of their games
with 2nd, 3rd or more Editions. Sometimes the game components changed,
sometimes they didn't. If your game components do not correspond exactly
with what is listed, do not despair. You may just have to do a little more
checking to insure its completeness.
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