Depths of Courage 9: Operation Source – The X-Craft Attack on the Battleship Tirpitz, September 1943

“It seems very discreditable that the Italians should show themselves so much better at attacking ships in harbor than we do.” –Winston Churchill.

Operation Source is a solitaire game on the British X class mini-sub attacks against the German capital ships in Kåfjord, Norway on September 23, 1943. The main target of the raid was the powerful German battleship Tirpitz. Two other German warships were also anchored not far away; the battle-cruiser Scharnhorst and pocket-battleship (heavy cruiser) Lutzow.

The active player takes on the role of the commanders of the British X class mini-submarines. You must endeavor to overcome the German defenses and night-time visibility to inflict as much damage as possible before being killed, captured or escaping, and then escaping. Can you do as well or better?

Each copy of Operation Source is composed of the following:

• One 11 by 17 inch map • One Sheet of 28 double-sided, un-mounted counters • This set of rules

To play the game the player will also need a standard deck of playing cards, one six sided (1D6) and one ten sided (1D10) set of dice.

-description from designer