We've had discussions concerning various what if start options for the Allies including a couple that have been posted on the forum. I'd thought that I would collect them all in one place so if you are interested; you don't have to search all over for them. Now, none of these have received anything like the level of play testing that the original campaign rules did. So, just a warning.
These are all what ifs. Some concern ships that were actually built (mostly the French) and most concern ships that were never built (mostly Dutch). I suppose that they all boil down to either convincing the Dutch legislature to spend a great deal more money during the 30s on the naval defense of the DEI or, convincing Churchill that killing Vichy French needlessly was not the greatest idea since the advent of war. Neither of those concepts was successfully put forward when it would have counted.
The French ship logs are in the rules; you will have to use Forbin to cover the other two L'Adroit class DDs. The Dutch options are mostly in this forum except for the PB and I'll see about getting them posted.
Defending the Malay Barrier
Additional Allied OOB Options & Japanese Responses
Game Turn 0
If the Allies opt for the GT-0 Force Z sortie start option, they may also elect to split Force Z and transfer HMS Repulse and HMAS Vampire to Darwin that GT. Deduct Repulse and Vampire from the Force Z sortie and they instead freely transfer to Darwin where they become available on GT-1. However, this allows both Japanese capital ship responses in that the Japanese get the Fuso class (Fuso & Yamashiro) added to the WAF OOB on GT-0 and Kongo and Haruna are added to the EAF OOB on GT 1.
Game Turn 2
The Dutch have additional Capital Ship OOB options in addition to those provided in 3.13.; the Dutch may select any one option and the ships are added to their OOB at Batavia on GT-2. As per 3.13 these additional options trigger a Japanese response by adding Kongo and Haruna (if not already added) to the EAF OOB on GT-2.
They are:
1. The Mackensen class BCs; HrMs De Zeven Provincien, Amsterdam or Rotterdam. Select any 2
2. The Dutch Pocket Battleships Harrlem, Delft and Maastricht. These three ships operate as a division.
Force X
This presupposes that Mers El Khebir never happened and additional Free French naval forces became available to the Allies much earlier as a result. Force X arrives at Darwin on GT-2 and replaces the ANZAC Squadron. HMAS Perth and Hobart also join Force X at this point. Perth and Hobart are a division under Commodore Collins (RAN).
Force X: VAdm Godroy
Cruiser Division 2 Destroyer Division
MFS CA Suffren (Suffren class) MFS DD Basque (L’Adroit class)
MFS CA Duquesne (Duquesne class) MFS DD Forbin (L’Adroit class)
MFS CA Tourville (Duquesne class) MFS DD Fortune (L’Adroit class)
MFS CL Duguay-Trouin (Duguay-Trouin)
In addition, there are additional Free French reinforcements on GT-3,
MFS CL Lamotte-Picquet (Duguay-Trouin class)
MFS DD Le Terrible (La Fantasque class)
And on GT-4
MFS CL Emile Bertin (Emile Bertin class)
French Capital Ship Options
The Allies may elect to take a French Capital ship option on GT-2 in place of a Dutch Capital ship option. If they do, then they must also select the Force X option and the resulting capital ship joins Force X at Darwin on GT-2. This option triggers (if not already triggered) the addition of Kongo and Haruna to the EAF OOB on GT-2.
The French take either (not both) MFS BB Lorraine or MFS BC Strasbourg
