For three years, Britain and Italy struggled for control of the Mediterranean Basin. While the Italian Navy tried to keep the sea lanes open from north to south, the British fought to do the same on the east-west route. Air, surface and submarine battles were inevitable.
The Italians had courage, nearby bases and a tremendous shortage of fuel. The British had courage, more ships and aircraft and the secret to the German code machine. Eventually these factors won out and Italy changed sides, joining the Allies to help overthrow the Nazi regime.
Bomb Alley takes the Second World War at Sea series to this important theater. While not as physically large as Leyte Gulf, the game is the most ambitious in the series in design terms, with fifty scenarios. There are 280 “long” playing pieces, depicting the major fleet units of both sides: battleships, aircraft carriers, cruisers and fleet destroyers. There are also 560 square playing pieces, half the size of the ship pieces, mostly depicting aircraft but also smaller warships and markers.
Italy receives all her ships and aircraft of 1940 through 1942: from the mighty battleship Vittorio Veneto to the aircraft carrier Aquila on down to the destroyer Freccia. The famous Italian aircraft are here: the SM.79 Sparviero torpedo bomber, the nearly worthless Cr.42 biplane fighter and the excellent Mc.202 fighter plane |
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