1.2 SSW Step
Just after naval movement (WIF 11.4) and before the naval combat step (WIF 11.5) there is a new phase of the turn called the SSW Step. During this step, subs are used to attack convoys and their escorts. SSW is resolved in the following order:

Initiation
Naval Air Interception
Search
Combat Type Choice
Combat

1.2.1 Initiation
The sub player initiates SSW combat in any sea zone in which his side has one or more subs in the seabox. He activates each sea zone one at a time in the order of his choosing and determines the results in that sea zone before deciding whether to initiate SSW in another zone. Initiating SSW combat does not require that a sub be flipped to activate the combat. A sub may only participate in SSW combat if its owner has taken a Land Impulse, a Combined Impulse, an Air Impulse, or a Naval Impulse and if it is face up. During this step, the sub player announces which of his subs will participate in SSW combat in the sea zone and which will not. The owner may choose to have all, some, or none of his subs participate in SSW in that sea zone.

1.2.2 Naval Air Interception
Naval air interception is conducted as in WIF 11.5.3, except that only the convoy player's side may conduct naval air interception, and it may only be conducted into the Convoy Section (see 1.1.6 above).

1.2.3 Search
Both sides roll search rolls. The sub player subtracts the highest section number in which he has a participating sub. The convoy player subtracts 1 from his search roll if he has a NAV or a carrier plane with a range of 4-6 in the Convoy Section. The convoy player subtracts 2 if he has a carrier plane with a range of 7+ in the Convoy Section. The sub player subtracts 1 from his search roll if he has a NAV or carrier plane with a range of 4-6 in a section of the seabox that would normally be included in the search die roll. The sub player subtracts 2 if he has a carrier plane with a range of 7+ in a section of the seabox that would normally be included in the search die roll. These modifiers for NAV or carrier planes are not cumulative and do not apply in Storm or Blizzard.

In any weather except Storm or Blizzard, the convoy player adds 1 to his result if he has 2-10 CP in the Convoy Section, adds 2 if he has 11-20 CP, and adds an additional 1 for each 10 CP (or part of 10) he has over 20 CP in the Convoy Section. The convoy player does not add to his result if he only has a single CP in the Convoy Section.

The sub player adds 1 to his result if the weather is Rain or Snow, and adds 2 to his result if the weather is Storm or Blizzard.

The final results are determined, and the lower result is subtracted from the higher result. The remainder is the amount of surprise points available to the side that generated the lower result. Surprise points can be spent as per WIF 11.5.6, except that the type of combat chosen can only be either SSW combat or naval air combat.

Example: Germany has 2 subs in the 3 section and a sub in the 4 section. It also has a Condor in the 4 section. The CW has 12 convoy points in the convoy section along with a NAV. The weather is rain.

The German player announces SSW in the sea zone and that all of his subs will participate. Search dice are rolled. The German player rolls a 4 and the CW player rolls a 5.

The CW player has a modified search result of 6 (5 - 1 for NAV + 2 for convoy points). The German player has a modified search roll of 0 (4 - 4 for the section number + 1 for rain - 1 for the condor).

The German player, therefore, gains 6 surprise points.

1.2.4 Combat Type Choice
Both sides will fight the same type of combat. You make the choice according to this priority:

  • You can choose the combat type (naval air or SSW only) if you spend 4 surprise points
  • The convoy player can choose to make it a naval air combat if he has an aircraft unit or undamaged CV with a carrier plane in the Convoy Section and the weather in the sea area is neither Storm nor Blizzard
  • If it is not a naval air combat, it must be a SSW combat

1.2.5 Combat
1.2.5.1 SSW Combat
SSW combat is made up of a single combat round. SSW combat may only include the subs of the sub player and units in the Convoy Section of the convoy player. No other units may be included in SSW combat, including CPs in the zero section of the seabox.

There are no multiple combat rounds in SSW. SSW combat is conducted exactly like sub combat. However, ASW units may not conduct pre-combat ASW fire. The combat factors of the subs are totalled and, using the Sub & ASW line of the Naval Combat Chart, is indexed against the number of CP (with 2 CP [and any remainders] counting as 1 ship). The resulting combat effects are then inflicted upon the opposing side's CP. Simultaneously, the convoy player determines his ASW value (doubling, as per the rules, the ASW factors surrounded by a dark red circle) and consults the same chart, indexing against the number of enemy subs participating in the SSW attack and inflicts the results on the subs. In all cases, unless surprise points are spent, the choice of loss rests with the owner.

A sub player may only spend surprise points to target enemy ships in the Convoy Section during SSW if the targeted ship is an ASW unit. It costs 3 surprise points to target such a naval unit.

The combat value of each attacking sub is reduced by the shore bombardment modifer of the section they are in. This modifier is adjusted for weather as per standard WiF. Treat Blizzard and Storm the same as Rain and Snow respectively to determine the adjustment to the shore bombardment modifier. The adjusted combat factors of a given sub can never be lower than one (exception: see 1.8 below regarding US torpedos). Subs in the 0 section of the sea box automatically have an attack value of 1. Subs in the 4 section of the sea box always have their full value no matter what the weather.

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