Steel Wolves VASSAL Module


Performance Note:

You may get an out auf memory error when first loading the module. Don't worry!
  1. Using the menu bar click on "File" (PC) or "Steel Wolves" (Mac), then select "Preferences".
  2. Set your JVM Initial Heap size to min. 512 and JVM Maximum Heap Size to min. 1024.
  3. Click OK.
  4. Shut down VASSAL.
  5. Reload the module and you should be ok.
There are lots of pieces in the game and a lot of programming in the module which drives up performance requieremts.

I cannot guarantee the module run on a computer with less than 2 GB of memory.


Starting a new Game:

If you start a new game, you must choose between the Standard or the German Fleet Boat Extension.
If you choose the standard game, the game is set up for the full historical campaign with using the political rules.

If your scenario start later then War Periode 1, move the WP marker on the map. The Target Force Pool and other things then will be modified automatically.

Optional Builds, Foreign Builds and Advanced Builds:

On the Reinforcement calender I have added 3 menues to make the changes for the use of optional, foreign and advanced builds.
The choosen options will be displayed in the reinforcement calender window.
Some selected options make other unavailable.

If you use the German Fleet Boats extension the Optional builds are unavailable. Foreign and advanced build can be used.

Generate War Mix

Open the At Start Target Force Pool (Button red ensign).

There are 5 buttons to create the war mix for each periode.

On the top of the window are menu buttons to add targets for each periode or barbarossa. The Barbarossa-Button modifies the war mix, too.

Each stack can be modified by drag targets on it or click on the right mouse button to select a specific target.
Targets which enter through an event are on a stack in the right button corner. Double click on it an you can select each target.
The War Period 4 stack is divided into 2 stacks. In the right one are targets which enters through envents in War Period 3. So you can select them easily.

Targets from the reinforcement calander can be send to the start stack by right click and selecting "Send to Target Force Pool".

The created war mix is behind the Button with the white ensign.

Through war events the war mix can be changed. The most changes are in the war mix creation included.
The easiest way to make the changes is:
1. Reseed the current war mix
2. Add new targets to the Target Force pool
3. Create war mix for the current period

Following changes are not applied, they must be done manuelly:
- WP 3 - Roll 0: 78 Panamanian Tankers
- WP 3 - Roll 7: Risky Attacks
- WP 5 - Roll 1: Baltic Operations (M4t instead of ML Marti)

Combat

To send a u-boat to a combat display select the choosen display by open the right-mouse-button menu.

Open the choosen display.

To draw the correct target, choose on the convoy-displays (not the loner-display) the cup on the top of the window. Click on the field and a window will open where you can choose the correct cup.

Select the straggle-level by clicking on it. A marker will appear.

To draw targets or TDCs click on the Target- or TDC-symbols. If you wouldn't click for each target you can use the menu "Place Targets".

If Liner or U-Boats encounterd, you must draw manually from the cups and drag them on the display.

With the "Return TDCs"-Button you can remove the TDCs for a second round.

After combat has finished, click on End-Combat. All targets and TDCs will removed and the u-boats are send back to the operation zones.

U-Boats

With the right-button-menu you can do different things with the u-boats like setting status, send to bases ...

If the u-boat is send to a base, it will be rotate and the status markers are removed.

Political rules

There are all modifications included if you will use the political rules: The Buttons can be triggert only in the War Periods explained in the political rules. If one of the french is activated the other french can't.
These buttons trigger modifications for the war mix.

If a modification is activatd, later it can't be undone.

For further information see The Political Rules.

German Fleet Boat extension

The German Fleet Boat extension is fully included and can select if a new game is started.
If it is choosen all game setup changes are made automatically.

The Political Rule for the Italian Cagni class is included, too. It can be found on then German Foreign Base display.