in WAS who's side are the French on ?...

[Major Adler]

considering they could go either way...and the fact that they really did not engage in any naval combat as a force during the war...why even bother with them...you could have given us an Italian SM-79 patrol bomber and the Brit KGV BB + Malaya BB...

and why I am at it...why the hell did you pick the only Italian heavy crusier that had one ship in it's class...and a Italian light crusier that had 2 ships in it's class...when there were so many other fleet friendly logical choices...

like I said long ago AH...you should have gotten a naval historian envolved in this project...

[Modern Major-General]

Considering the French ships are listed between Australia and UK, they would be Allies.

[Legbiter]

considering they could go either way...and the fact that they really did not engage in any naval combat as a force during the war...why even bother with them...you could have given us an Italian SM-79 patrol bomber and the Brit KGV BB + Malaya BB...

and why I am at it...why the hell did you pick the only Italian heavy crusier that had one ship in it's class...and a Italian light crusier that had 2 ships in it's class...when there were so many other fleet friendly logical choices...

like I said long ago AH...you should have gotten a naval historian envolved in this project...

Perhaps they did! The major French naval action of WW2 took place at Casablanca, 8-11 November 1942, against the Americans. There's an account of it in Rick Atkinson's An Army at Dawn, Little and Brown, London [2003]. Although the Americans won that battle it was tactically very interesting and not as one-sided as might be thought.

The French also fought with the Allies, both before the Fall of France, and after the invasion of Vichy France. For example, the Destroyer Terrible which is one of the French units to be issued in the first release, and its sister ships, took part in a number of interesting naval actions in the Mediterranean from late 1942-45. Earlier [in 1940], Latecoere 298 French torpedo bombers based at Calais attacked advancing Panzers, contributing to the delay which allowed the British to escape from Dunkirk.

However, although I'm very happy to see Franch naval units in the game I too would have liked an SM79. Personally I think the small-boat actions especially in the Med, Channel, Baltic and North Sea are likely to be the most fun to recreate. For this reason I think a British submarine would have been nice, as would Soviet submarines and MTBs. And how wonderful it would be if German E-boats in all their various forms could come into the game! The chap who later married my father's sister served on one, though after the war he claimed this involved nothing more than playing cards in Hamburg. :)

[horacus]

It's interesting to see French units prior to Soviet Units, but after all, the Soviet Union wasn't a great naval force, but, Germany wasn't also a sostrong naval force, Italy haad more ships at that time.

[Surfer_Sam]

What ever they are, I'm get 10 of them!

[FSSF]

Wasn't most of the french fleet sunk after the fall of France?

[Colonel_Coo]

Wasn't most of the french fleet sunk after the fall of France?

Scuttled is the proper term

[Lynx7725]

Wasn't most of the french fleet sunk after the fall of France?
No, it wasn't. It took the Brit fleet to sink it, and even then some parts of it got away.

[Major Adler]

what a waste of three slots in the set...

viva la Vichy!...

[Lannes]

After the Home fleet La Royale (french fleet) is the second best fleet in Europe during the early war (1939-1940)

[Legbiter]

what a waste of three slots in the set...

viva la Vichy!...

Richelieu is another interesting choice of ship. I hadn't realised until I looked it up just now that her sister ship was the Jean Bart, which took part in the afore-mentioned battle of Casablanca. Eventually Jean Bart was sunk by the USS Massachussets. Richelieu herself took part in the battle of Dakar when the British and Free French attempted, unsuccessfully, to capture that port and its ships. Later she joined the Allies/Free French and after refitting in America served with distinction in the British Far East fleet [I do not have a source for this, but I vaguely remember reading that the former Vichy French Navy proved difficult to integrate with the Free French, which I believe is why Richelieu ended up fighting the Japanese].

I personally find a ship which can be an early-war antagonist for the Germans [Graf Spee was hunted by a joint Anglo-French force, though I do not know of any historical evidence that this included either of the Richelieu class ships], a mid-war antagonist for the allies AND a late-war antagonist for the Japanese to be quite the reverse of a waste of a slot! Good research, and good work, by Wizards!

[Major Adler]

I do not see where any of the 3 French ships in the set or others in their classes answered the Free Frech call in 1940...so I will not be using any of them to augment my Brit fleet...

[Legbiter]

I do not see where any of the 3 French ships in the set or others in their classes answered the Free Frech call in 1940...so I will not be using any of them to augment my Brit fleet...

And between 1940 and 1942 you'ld be perfectly justified in your decision. But from 1939-40 you'ld be wrong, and from 1942-45 you'ld be wrong, since ALL of the French ships in the initial issue fought on the allied side in each of those windows. Even better [at least in game terms], at least two of them [Richelieu and Terrible] fought AGAINST the allies during the 40-42 epoch. Value for money or what???

[Autarch]

in WAS who's side are the French on ?...

Whoever WASN'T shooting at them at the time.

[FSSF]

Scuttled is the proper term

'Scuttled' is the more precise wording.
Thank you. My english vocabulary is incomplete.:o

[mdescalzo]

"...who's side are the French on ?"

One of the truly great questions.

[horacus]

It's obious that the French ships will be allies, they are between Australia and the UK, so their Allies. But, you can use them as Axis forces if it's convinient.

[Diamondback]

in WAS who's side are the French on ?...

You mean, other than their own?

[kaz]

id think the french would be on the axis side n let mi point out y the british fleet blew the s*** out ov there fleet while it was at dock

[DeathsHead420]

Both side can use em But watch out they carry a White Flag

[Joisey]

Richelieu served with the British Home Fleet after her refit at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1943.

[Bigblue2]

It's obious that the French ships will be allies, they are between Australia and the UK, so their Allies. But, you can use them as Axis forces if it's convinient.

I don't have any French ships. What color is the band under the name? The color would determine if it was playable as an ally or axis unit in a tournament.
:D

[oddfellow]

Its in the Rulebook that French can be used for either side.

[unc_samurai]

I for one am looking forward to a few more units so we can take advantage of ahistorical battles. I did some research on the rainbow war plans the U.S. Navy put together between the world wars. Some of the contingencies are logical (Plan Orange against the Japanese, Plan Black against the Germans) but some are so far-fetched they're awesome to imagine.

War Plans Red and Crimson dealt with a naval conflict with Great Britain, and were maintained and updated well into the 1930's. A number of scenarios involve the invasion of Canada. I want some more early-war dreadnoughts and a Lexington to simulate the U.S. Atlantic Fleet trying to fend off the relief column from Home Waters.

[TomJag3]

The British attacked the French Fleet stationed at Mers al Kebir after France surrendered, to prevent the Axis from using them. They sank a number of French warships that were moored in the harbor, including the battlecruisers Dunkerque and Strassbourg. French ships serving with the Brits at Alexandria were interred upon France's surrender.

When America invaded Morocco, the Jean Bart (sister ship of Richelieu) fought the Massachusetts. At the time, the Jean Bart was still being built and only had one turret. It was tied up in the harbor during this battle, so was an easy target for the Massachusetts. It took a couple of 16" gun hits but was not sunk. The Americans thought it was silenced and later were very surprised when it opened fire on the USS Augusta. This brought more attacks from the carrier, Ranger. It took some hits from 500 lb bombs. The ship was surrendered to the Free French but was not completed till the end of the war.

An uncompleted Richelieu escaped the Fall of France and made its way to Africa. There, this Vichy ship was worked on. The British were afraid it might fall into Axis hands, so they attacked using torpedo bombers from the carrier, Hermes. She was hit by a torpedo but was made sea worthy in time to fight the British battleship, Barham. Both ships hit each other but did little damage. The British retreated and the Richelieu went back to harbor. She went to New York to be refitted and joined the British fleet in 1943. In early 1945, she was ordered into action against a Japanese heavy cruiser, but it was sunk by air before being engaged.

[fifleche]

Don't forget the Norway battles. France was there too, mind you.