Salerno 43 - War Games

Salerno ‘43: The Allied Invasion of Italy, September 1943 is a regiment/brigade-level game on the Allied invasion of mainland Italy in September 1943. Two British and two American divisions land in the Bay of Salerno defended by the full strength 16th Panzer Division, which is soon reinforced by five other German mechanized divisions. For 8 days the survival of the beachhead is in doubt, and emergency measures are taken to reinforce the beachhead with the 82nd Airborne Division. With their counter-attack stopped and the British Eighth Army approaching from the south, the Germans withdraw their left flank to avoid being trapped. However, their right flank stubbornly holds back the British from pushing north to Naples.

Salerno ’43 uses the exact same map, unit, and time scales as Normandy ’44, providing an excellent way to compare these two invasions. Salerno ’43 uses a modified Normandy '44 game system. With a smaller size, the game is easier to learn and play than its predecessor.

Salerno ’43 includes two scenarios: an 8-turn Invasion Scenario and a 24-turn Campaign Game. In the Campaign Game, the Allies must exit the north map edge by the end of September 1943. The Germans must delay the Allies to give time for the construction of the Gustav Line further north. The 8-turn scenario can be finished in an afternoon.

Game Scale:
Game Turn: 1 day
Hex: 2.3 miles / 3.8 kilometers
Units: Battalion to Brigade (mostly Regiments)

Game Inventory:
One 22x25.5" full color map
One dual-side printed countersheet of 192 9/16" counters (includes 6 blank counters)
One 32-page rulebook
Two 4 page Player Aid Charts
Two Set-up Charts
One 6-sided die

Solitaire Playability: Medium
Complexity Level: Medium
Players: 2 or more
Playing Time: 2 to 6 hours