Operation
Unthinkable

The plan set 1 July 1945 as the day hostilities open. Torgau is where the two armies met in April and shook hands. Hold the west bank while the bridge is blown. One bridge crosses the river, and a tank shoved off it does not come back.

To impose upon Russia the will of the United States and British Empire. Operation Unthinkable, Report by the Joint Planning Staff, 22 May 1945

• 01 Forecasted intent

  Every Soviet attack is aimed a turn before it fires, and the squares it will hit are marked in red.

• 02 Turn sequence

  Hover a square, or move the cursor onto it, to see the unit there and where shells will land. Enter or a click places it. Undo walks back the last move. E ends the turn. That is when the Soviet attacks land.

• 03 Kinetic displacement

  A shot is aimed at a direction, not at a square. Shove the gun and the shell lands somewhere else.

• 04 Terrain

  Shove a tank into the river and it is gone. Shove one into a town and the town comes down.

• 05 Political will

  Every roof that falls costs political will. At zero the Cabinet calls the operation off.

• 06 Hold

  Hold the sector for the planned number of turns and it counts as held.

• 07 Keyboard

  Arrows move the highlight or the board cursor. Enter confirms. Esc goes back or cancels aim. E ends the turn. U or Z undoes a move. F aims. 1 2 3 pick a unit.