Avalanche: The Salerno Landings

Avalanche: The Salerno Landings is a board wargame published by Game Designers' Workshop in 1976 that simulates the nine-day battle for the beachhead at Salerno in September 1943 known as Operation Avalanche.

Historical background

Following the Allied invasion of Italy from Sicily in 1943, German defenders were successfully delaying the Allied 8th Army from advancing north. In an attempt to outflank the German defenders, General Mark Clark's Fifth Army landed at Salerno, about 20 miles south of Naples, on September 9. "Operation Avalanche", as it was called, pitted the Allies trying to break out of the beachhead against the German defenders, who had to hold the Allies on the beach until reinforcements could arrive.[1]

Gameplay

Avalanche: The Salerno Landings is a tactical, company-level simulation of Operation Avalanche.[2] The game was designed by Frank Chadwick, with graphical design by Rich Banner. It is designed for two players (or two teams), one taking the Allied side trying to successfully break out of the Salerno beachhead, and the other playing the German defenders who are trying to either throw the Allies back into the sea, or inflict maximum casualties on the Allies. The game is scaled to 8 hours per game turn. The map is scaled to 1300 yards per hex.[1] The Allies are victorious if a given number of units can successfully break out of the beachhead area, or if the Allies can survive until their reinforcements arrive on September 17. The Germans win if they can destroy the Allies before September 17 while preventing units from breaking out of the beachhead.

In addition to the main historical simulation, the rules also include four optional "what if" scenarios using different orders of battles, different reinforcement arrivals and improved German supply capability.[1]

The game components include:

  • Two 22” x 28” hexagonal grid Map Sheets (with Turn Record Chart and Terrain Key incorporated)
  • 960 ½” cardboard Counters (includes armor, armored infantry, motorized infantry, paratroops, glider troops, commandos, infantry, artillery, antiaircraft, antitank, engineers, naval, and information markers)
  • 5½”x 8½” 20-page rulebook
  • two 8½” x 11” Allied charts and two 8½” x 11” German charts
  • 5½” x 8½” sheet of Errata (dated July 20, 1976)
  • 6-sided die
  • “Zip-Lock” Bag (1st edition) or box (all subsequent printings) to hold components

Reception

At the 1977 Origins Awards, Avalanche was the 1976 winner of the Charles S. Roberts Award for "Best Graphics and Physical Systems."[3]

Reviews
  • Fire & Movement #6
  • Grenadier #8
  • Moves #30 (Dec/Jan 1977)
  • Panzerfaust and Campaign #76 (Nov/Dec 1976)
  • Campaign #79 (May–June 1977)

References
  1. "GDW, Avalanche (1976)". Maps and Counters. 2009-04-17. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
  2. "Avalanche: The Salerno Landings". BoardGameGeek. Retrieved Mar 27, 2020.
  3. 1976 Origins Awards Winners Archived 2012-12-16 at the Wayback Machine
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