Operation Greif (game)

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Cover of the 2nd edition (1981) Operation Greif game 1981.png
Cover of the 2nd edition (1981)

Operation Greif is a variant for Avalon Hill's 1965 wargame Battle of the Bulge self-published by Don Lowry in 1970. It is a game recreation of the World War II Operation Greif.

Contents

Historical background

During the World War II Battle of the Bulge, Operation Greif (German for Griffin) was a special false flag operation commanded by Waffen-SS commando Otto Skorzeny where German soldiers, wearing captured British and U.S. Army uniforms, attempted to capture bridges over the Meuse River and cause confusion in the Allied rear echelons. [1]

Description

Operation Greif is a two-person variant for the 1965 edition of Battle of the Bulge, later updated to conform to the 1981 edition. Only new counters and rules are provided; the original map board from Battle of the Bulge is required for play.

Components

The game consists of [2]

Publication history

In 1965, Avalon Hill published Battle of the Bulge, a wargame that simulated the German surprise offensive of December 1944–January 1945. In 1970, game editor Don Lowry designed a variant for the game based on Operation Greif and sold it through his mail order business. [2] Lowry also sold a number of copies to the International Federation of Wargamers (IFW). The IFW subsequently distributed the copies to members via its newsmagazine The International Wargamer. [2]

In 1981, with permission of Lowry, game designer Chester Hendrix published a revised second edition. [2] The same year, Avalon Hill published a new and much revised edition of Battle of the Bulge. Several years later, Hendrix published a third edition of Operation Greif that was updated to the new Bulge rules. [2]

Reviews

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References

  1. Bergström, Christer (2014). The Ardennes: Hitler's Winter Offensive 1944–1945. Havertown: Casemate Publishers.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Scoleri, Joe (July 2004). "Operation Greif". Simulacrum. No. 21. p. 42.