NORMANDY CAMPAIGN NORTHERN FRANCE, 1944

SOVIET
UNION
GREAT
BRITAIN
GERMANY

FRANCE Cherbourg
ITALY A

Carentan

St Lô
Coutances

Gouesnou
Brest St. Malo Brecey
Crozon
Avranches
Mortain

B R I T T A N Y

Rennes

Lorient

0 20 40
Km
20 40
M
St. Nazaire
Nantes
 G R E A T
LONDON
52MI/84kM B R I T A I N Dunkirk
Calias

Boulogne

L
E
N
A N Mons

C H
S H
L I
E N G

Dieppe
AMERICAN ARMY
MOVEMENT
BRITISH ARMY
MOVEMENT
Le Harve
Vierville-sur-Mer

Rouen Beauvais
Caen Elbeuf
Villers Bocage

Falaise BERLIN
Mantes 501MI/806kM

Argentan Evreux

Dreux PARIS

Mayenne N O R M A N D Y
Chartres ROME
Le Mans 610MI/982kM

Orléans

F R A N C E
 Written by: Andrew Haught, Mike Haught
Editors: Peter Simunovich, John-Paul Brisigotti
Graphic Design: Victor Pesch
Project Management: Chris Townley
Assistant Writing: Phil Yates, Mike Major, Luke Parsonage, Proof Readers: David Adlam, Austin Cheverton,
Nigel Slater, Wayne Turner Alexander Costantino, Tom Culpepper,
Assistant Graphic Design: Morgan Cannon, Casey Davies Alan Graham, Mark Goddard, Michał Jóźwiak,
Michael McSwiney, Gavin van Rossum
Miniatures Design: Evan Allen, Tim Adcock, Will Jayne,
Aleš Potočnik, Charles Woods Playtest Groups: Atlantic Canadian Testers (Ryan Sullivan),
Battleground Club Rostov-on-Don (Alexander Ilyn),
Miniatures Painting: Aaron Te Hira-Mathie, Evan Allen,
Dads Army (Gavin van Rossum),
James Brown, Jeremy Painter
Flames Of War Regina Rifles (Lance Mathew),
Cover and Internal Art: Vincent Wai Russians (Aleksandr Shchekochikhin),
Web Support: Luke Glover, Alexander Nebesky 290 Bunker (Carl Bellatti)

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published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

© Copyright Battlefront Miniatures Ltd., 2019. ISBN: 978-1-98-855810-3

 CONTENTS
D-Day: American . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
American Special Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Operation Overlord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Know Your Tanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Know Your Infantry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
D-Day: American Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
D Minus One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Parachute Rifle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Parachute Rifle Company HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parachute Rifle Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parachute 81mm Mortar Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parachute 75mm Artillery Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Airborne 57mm Anti-tank Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Airborne Jeep Recon Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Glider Rifle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Glider Rifle Company HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Glider Rifle Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Glider 75mm Artillery Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Hit the Beach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Ranger Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Ranger Company HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Ranger Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Ranger Mortar Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Assault Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Assault Company HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Assault Boat Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Support Boat Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Rifle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Rifle Company HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rifle Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mortar Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
M1917 Machine-Gun Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
57mm Anti-tank Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
105mm Cannon Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Veteran Assault Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Veteran Assault Company HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Veteran Assault Boat Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Veteran Support Boat Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Veteran Rifle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Veteran Rifle Company HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Veteran Rifle Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Veteran Mortar Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Veteran M1917 Machine-Gun Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Veteran 57mm Anti-tank Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Veteran 105mm Cannon Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Breakout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
M4 Sherman Tank Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
M4 Sherman Tank Company HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
M4 Sherman Tank Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
M4 Sherman (76mm) Tank Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
M4 Sherman (105mm) Assault Gun Platoon . . . . . . . . . . 59
M5 Stuart Tank Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
M5 Stuart Tank Company HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
M5 Stuart Tank Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Armored Rifle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Armored Rifle Company HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Armored Rifle Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
M3 Half-track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Armored M1917 Machine-gun Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Armored 57mm Anti-tank Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Armored M4 81mm Mortar Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
M8 Scott Assault Gun Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
19 Veteran M4 Sherman Tank Company . . . . . . . . . . . 69
19 Veteran M4 Sherman Tank Company HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
20 Veteran M4 Sherman Tank Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
20 Veteran M4 Sherman (76mm) Tank Platoon . . . . . . . . . . 71
21 Veteran M4 Sherman (105mm) Assault Gun Platoon . . . . 71
21
Veteran M5 Stuart Tank Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Veteran M5 Stuart Tank Company HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Veteran M5 Stuart Tank Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Veteran Armored Rifle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Veteran Armored Rifle Company HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Veteran M3 Half-track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Veteran Armored Rifle Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Veteran Armored M1917 Machine-gun Platoon . . . . . . . . 76
Veteran Armored 57mm Anti-tank Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Veteran Armored M4 81mm Mortar Platoon . . . . . . . . . . 77
Veteran M8 Scott Assault Gun Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
M10 Tank Destroyer Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
M10 Tank Destroyer Company HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
M10 3-inchTank Destroyer Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
M20 Security Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
43 Support Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
43 M8 Greyhound Cavalry Recon Patrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
44 3-inch Tank Destroyer Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
44 105mm Field Artillery Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
45 M7 Priest Artillery Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
45 M12 155mm Artillery Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
L4 Grasshopper OP Observation Post . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
M4 Sherman OP Observation Post . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
M15 & M16 AAA Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
P-47 Thunderbolt Fighter Flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
D-Day: American Example Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
52
52 Painting Americans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
52
53 Basing Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
53 Missions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
53 Shot in the Dark Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Airborne Assault Mission Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Help is On the Way Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
FUBAR Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Amphibious Assault Mission Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Catalogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
1
 D-DAY: AMERICAN
After many months of fighting in the Mediterranean, the
largest invasion force ever assembled is finally ready to
storm the German-occupied shores of France. The target is
Normandy. Five beaches have been chosen for the amphibious
assault, codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword.
The first phase of the invasion is a massive airborne operation
to disrupt German reserves and secure critical objectives.
The elite 82nd ‘All American’ and 101st ‘Screaming Eagles’
Airborne Divisions are targeting the areas just behind the US
beaches, Utah and Omaha.
The second phase is the amphibious assault. Two assault
divisions are assigned to each US beach. A third objective is
Pointe-du-Hoc, where a German 155mm battery is stationed.
This poses a direct threat to the invasion fleet and needs to be
eliminated by a detachment of Rangers.
With the beaches secure, more infantry divisions will be
landed to expand the beachhead. Once ashore, the tanks of
the armoured divisions will smash through what’s left of the
German defences and charge inland towards Paris.
D-DAY: AMERICAN
With an invasion army this large, there are a variety of forces
to lead into combat, ranging from elite airborne units to hard-
hitting armoured task forces and everything in-between.
Parachute and glider troops arrive from the air and are expected
to fight the war on their own until relieved by seaborne forces.
Their formations are large and self-contained with their own
infantry, artillery, and reconnaissance. Tanks will support the
paratroopers as soon as they arrive by sea. If you’re up for the
challenge of holding against the odds with the fiercest US
troops available, then volunteer for the Airborne!
2
The assault and Ranger formations have the most difficult
task of storming Hitler’s so-called ‘Atlantic Wall’. They will
face concrete bunkers with machine-guns and anti-tank guns,
minefields, and other difficult fortifications. The formation’s
units are small to fit into landing craft, but each boat section
is an army unto itself with machine-guns, mortar, bazookas,
flame-thrower, and extra explosives to clear the way. If you
thrive on living at the spearpoint of the greatest army ever
assembled, then the assault companies are the place to be.
Once a breach has been made, it’ll be up to the rifle
companies to kick the door down. These rifle companies
are the best equipped troops in the world, with plenty of
artillery, machine-guns, and tanks to back them up. They rely
on fire and manoeuvre to overcome the enemy and crushing
counterattacks. The ‘doughboys’ infantry are indispensable to
victory, so if you want to be where the important jobs are,
then this is the detail for you.
With the way now open, it will be up to the armoured task
forces to plunge deep into the enemy territory to inflict
fatal wounds to the German armies in France. These task
forces focus on speed and bold charges to flank the enemy
and exploit their weaknesses using Sherman medium tanks,
armoured infantry, and specialist tank-destroyer formations.
If you are a hard-charging commander who is fine with grit
in your face and grease stains on your hands, then join the
armoured divisions!
Normandy will not be an easy fight, with its fortified beaches,
thick hedgerows, and well defended cities. But no other force
has been given as good a chance as the US Army and its allies.
It’s gotta be done, so let’s hit the beach!
 AMERICAN SPECIAL RULES
The following special rules are characteristic of D-Day: American forces,
reflecting their own style of equipment, tactics, and approach to battle.
TANKS
COMPONENT
Component Teams rule use the ratings of their parent Unit.
Jeeps were used extensively in the US Army, an essential tool for
many different units in the field.
STABILISER
Weapons with Stabiliser suffer a +1 penalty to hit if the Tank
Moved in the Movement Step.
The main gun mounts of US tanks are fitted with gyrostabilisers,
which keep the gun level while the tank is moving. This clever
mechanism lets the gunner fire faster and more accurately, but
shooting on the move is nevertheless still difficult.
TANK DESTROYERS
SEEK, STRIKE, AND DESTROY
A Unit with Seek, Strike, and Destroy may attempt a Shoot
and Scoot Movement Order after succeeding in a Blitz Move
Movement Order earlier in the same turn.
Tank Destroyer doctrine calls for ambushing enemy tanks from
concealed positions, hitting them hard and fast with devastating
effect, then retreating to safety before the enemy can retaliate.
INFANTRY
AIRBORNE
This Formation may make an Airborne Assault in missions
that use the Airborne Assault rules (page 96).
Airborne units were specially trained, equipped, and organised to
conduct airborne operations.
FLAME-THROWER
Infantry, Gun, and Unarmoured Tank Teams re-roll
successful Saves when hit by a Flame-thrower and the Unit is
automatically Pinned Down. Armoured Tank Teams use their
Top armour for Armour Saves when hit by a Flame-thrower.
Flame-throwers may shoot in Defensive Fire. However, while
a Unit that is Hit by a Flame-thrower is Pinned Down, this
does not automatically stop the assault. The defender still
needs to score five (or eight) hits as normal to stop the assault
as normal.
Flame-throwers spew a stream of burning fuel, making them
terrifying and lethal weapons.
MG TRANSPORT
M1917 HMG or M1919 LMG teams may fire while
Mounted as a Passenger in an M3 half-track, using the
Optional Passenger MG weapons line.
Machine-gunners mount their weapons on their half-track’s
armoured sides and blaze away as it carries them forward.
PIONEERS
Pioneer Teams cross Minefields safely on a roll of 3+.
Assault engineers are trained in attacking through and clearing
the minefields protecting their target.
RANGERS LEAD THE WAY
If Teams in this Unit that start their Movement Step adjacent
to a cliff or mountain side (or similar terrain feature) pass a
Skill Test, they may cross the terrain at Terrain Dash speed.
The Rangers accept no obstacle in their way. They’ve trained
overcome the cliffs of Point-du-Hoc to secure their objectives.
UNIT TRANSPORT
The Unit Leader of the Transport Attachment must end the
Movement Step within 6”/15cm of the Unit Leader of its
Passenger Unit while on table. If it cannot do this, then the
D-DAY: AMERICAN
Transport Attachment must be Sent to the Rear.
Half-tracks are a part of the platoon in every way. The troops
live out of their transports and guard them against enemy attack.
ARTILLERY
AIR OBSERVER POST
An Air Observation Post is an Aircraft that arrives on a roll of
3+ (rather than the usual 4+).
An Air Observation Post is unarmed, but can act as an
Observer Spotting for an Artillery Bombardment with an
Aiming Point within 12”/30cm of the Aircraft. The opposing
player may shoot at the Aircraft immediately before it rolls to
Range In as though the aircraft was Shooting.
L4 Grasshopper aerial observation posts spot targets from the air.
GIGANTIC
Teams from this Unit cannot be placed from Ambush within
16”/40cm of any enemy Team.
The M12 is a huge artillery piece, unsuited for hasty deployment.
OBSERVER
The Unit Leader of a Unit with Observer can spot for any
friendly Artillery Unit.
The US Army has plentiful radios, allowing every infantry officer
to request and direct quick and accurate artillery fire.
TIME ON TARGET
If an Artillery Unit with Time on Target ranges in on the first
attempt, any Infantry or Gun Teams hit by the Bombardment
must re-roll successful Saves.
US artillery has developed sophisticated fire-control techniques,
and are able to quickly calculate trajectories and flight times for
each shell with tremendous accuracy. With every shell landing at
the same time without warning, the enemy has no time to react.
3
 OPERATION OVERLORD
In the early morning darkness of 6 June 1944, the largest
armada of ships the world has ever seen heaves to off the
Normandy coastline. Aboard, thousands of Allied soldiers
wait in readiness for their date with destiny. Months of plan-
ning, training and preparation are now behind them. On this
day they will undertake the greatest amphibious assault in
history, and on their success or failure hangs the fate of the
liberation of Europe from the jackboot of Nazi domination.
D-Day is finally here!
OPERATION OVERLORD
In November 1943, following months of negotiations,
the British and American Governments finally agreed to a
full-scale invasion of German-occupied France—Operation
Overlord—provisionally scheduled for May 1944. In
December, US General Dwight D Eisenhower was appoint-
ed Supreme Commander of Supreme Headquarters Allied
Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) charged with planning
the invasion. Under his command General Sir Bernard
Montgomery’s 21 Army Group consisted of the US First
Army under General Omar Bradley and the British Second
Army under Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey. The vast
forces involved meant that not all could be landed at once, so
spearheads would have to land on the invasion beaches and
push inland clearing the way for others to follow.
TARGET NORMANDY
The Allies chose Normandy for the landings, rather than the
shortest route across the English Channel from Dover to the
Pas de Calais. Hitler himself suspected that Normandy would
be the site of any invasion but, unusually, allowed himself
to be persuaded otherwise by his generals. To reinforce this
conviction, the Allies launched a major deception plan,
Operation Fortitude, using double agents, fake signal trans-
missions, news stories, broadcasts and dummy encampments.
The deception centred on creating the illusion of a First US
Army Group, FUSAG, supposedly comprising 30 divisions
stationed in south-east England under the command of
General George S Patton. The Germans were completely
taken in. Even after the Normandy landings had taken place,
Hitler refused to allow reinforcements to be transferred from
the Pas de Calais region, believing that the landings were
merely a diversionary attack.

FRANCE

British 6th
Airborne Division

MA NDY
Caen N OR
Bayeux

Orne River

Gold
Sword Juno
7 Canadian 47 RM Commando
Infantry 69 Infantry
185 Brigade Brigade
9 Infantry Infantry 4 SS Brigade 9 Canadian 231 Infantry
Infantry Brigade
1 SS 8 Infantry Brigade Brigade
Brigade 151 Infantry 56 Infantry
Brigade Brigade
8 Canadian Brigade Brigade 8 Armour
27 Armoured Infantry Brigade
2 Canadian
EN Brigade Brigade
Armoured
GL Brigade 49th (West Ri
ISH 7th Armoured Division

CHA Division
N N EL 3rd
51st (Highland)
Division
Division 3rd Canadian
Division

British 1 Corps British Second Army

Crocker Dempsey

4
 THE ATLANTIC WALL
While the Allies laid their plans and marshalled their forces
the defenders of Hitler’s Atlantikwall, the coastal forti-
fications of North Western Europe, were not idle. Since
1942, Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt had been
Oberbefelshaber (OB) West, commanding all German Forces in
France, Holland and Belgium. This included Army Group B,
which controlled Seventh Army, defending Brittany and
Normandy, and Fifteenth Army in the Pas de Calais region.
In November 1943, command of Army Group B was given to
Generalfeldmarschall Rommel, the famed ‘Desert Fox’, with
orders to ready the neglected coastal defences for the long
expected invasion. Rommel added strong points and took
steps to deny fields to airborne invaders. Well sited anti-tank
obstacles and extensive minefields were constructed to hinder
the invaders. However, weaknesses remained. The defences
along this part of the coast had to mostly rely on obsolescent
weapons and there was a notable lack of depth in defence
once the initial coastal ‘crust’ was broken.
THE DEFENSIVE PLAN
The German defensive plan involved infantry formations
holding the defensive line along the coast, with an armoured
reserve held further inland. The bulk of the infantry forces
manning the fixed defences were static divisions, comprising
two infantry regiments of variable quality supported by three
attached Ost (East) battalions made up of former Soviet sol-
diers. The all-important armoured divisions, critical to the
success of any counterattack in the event of an invasion, were
nominally part of Panzer Group West, directly controlled
by OB West. However, Rommel did manage to get three
armoured divisions placed under his direct control.
This confusing German command structure, and the need
to obtain the authority of Hitler himself to move key for-
mations, was to significantly hamper the German ability to
react swiftly when required. On the day of the invasion, von
Runstedt’s efforts to move I SS-Panzerkorps (1st SS-Panzer
Corps) closer to the invasion beaches had to await Hitler’s
approval. This was not given until 1600 hours. Even then,
Allied air attacks significantly delayed the movement of
most reserve formations. In the months preceding D-Day,
the Allied air forces had smashed the French railway system,
reducing its capacity to move troops to the front. The
Germans were forced to commit the few remaining Luftwaffe
aircraft to its defence against overwhelming odds, flying over
800 sorties per day.
D-DAY
As D-Day approached, the weather in the English Channel
worsened forcing General Eisenhower to postpone the land-
ings by 24 hours. Finally, after consulting the meteorologists
Eisenhower made the fateful decision. The weather was not
perfect, but it would have to do—the invasion was on.
The poor weather had lulled the defenders into a false sense
of security. As the invasion got under way many of the senior
German commanders were absent from their posts, attending
wargames in Rennes or on leave in Brussels and elsewhere.

Coutances GULF
OF
St. Lô ST.
M AL
US 82nd & 101st
Airborne Divisions
O
Carentan
Ste-Mère-Église

Pointe-du-Hoc Utah
COTENTIN PENINSULA
Omaha Cherbourg
22nd Infantry
Ranger
Regiment
16th Infantry Brigade
8th Infantry 12th Infantry
Regiment 116 Infantry
th
Regiment Regiment
Regiment
18 Infantry
th

Regiment 115th Infantry 90th Infantry

Regiment 4th Infantry Division
red Division
e st
1 Infantry 9th Infantry
50th
Division Division
(Northumbrian) 29th Infantry US VII Corps
Division
iding) 2 Armoured Division
nd
Collins
n Division
2nd Infantry
Division

US V Corps
Gerow 21st Army Group
British 30 Corps Montgomery
Bucknall

US First Army
Bradley

5
 AIRBORNE INVASION
In the early hours of D-Day, paratroopers of three airborne
divisions—the US 82nd ‘All American’ and 101st ‘Screaming
Eagles’ Airborne Divisions, and the ‘Red Devils’ of the British
6th Airborne Division—dropped into Normandy to secure
the flanks of the seaborne landings. The more fortunate
landed near their drop zones, but many were dispersed as a
result of low cloud and anti-aircraft fire.
In the Cotentin Peninsula, on the western flank of the inva-
sion beaches, the US airborne divisions secured key areas
inland of Utah Beach. On the eastern flank, the British para-
troopers struck at targets between the Orne and Dives rivers.
Vital bridges over the Orne and Caen Canal were seized by an
audacious glider assault at the outset of the operation.
Although not always successful, the parachute and glider
landings proved crucial in confusing and delaying the
German defenders, securing inland routes from the invasion
beaches and capturing key bridges and crossroads.
At 0520 hours, nearly two thousand Allied medium and
heavy bombers hammered the German coastal defences. This
OPERATION OVERLORD
Supported by Sherman DD amphibious tanks (28 of the
32 launched made it ashore) the infantry quickly over-
whelmed 919. Grenadierregiment of 709. Infanteriedivision.
The 4th Infantry Division secured its objectives at a cost of
200 casualties—far fewer than anticipated. As the rest of the
US VII Corps poured ashore, the Division linked up with
paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division who had seized
the exits from the flooded plain further inland.
OMAHA BEACH
In contrast with Utah, the going at Omaha Beach was much
tougher for the assaulting American troops. Bad weather
meant that tides were running higher, swamping landing craft
and pushing them onto submerged obstacles. Preparatory fire
had missed most of the beach defences, sited on a high bluff
overlooking the beach and losses to enemy fire were heavy,
with most of the combat engineers and supporting Sherman
DD tanks lost before they reached the shoreline.
To further complicate matters, the assaulting troops of
16th RCT, from the veteran 1st ‘Big Red One’ Infantry

Division, and 116th RCT, from the inexperienced 29th ‘Blue

airborne onslaught was followed by a massive naval bom-
and Grey’ Infantry Division, found themselves facing not
bardment from seven battleships, 18 cruisers, 43 destroyers,
only the anticipated 726th Infantry Regiment from the
plus gunboats and monitors. A follow-up raid by another
716th Infantry Divisions, but also the 914th and 916th Infantry
thousand American bombers wrought yet more destruction.
Regiments of the 352nd Infantry Division, who had occupied
the beach defences undetected by Allied intelligence. The
SEABORNE LANDINGS assault forces were pinned down on the beach until mid-af-
Under cover of darkness thousands of landing craft ternoon, suffering heavy casualties. By nightfall they had
approached the Normandy coastline. The Allied amphibious advanced no more than 2,000 yards inland.
force would come ashore at five beaches, running from west
A few miles to the west, near the Vire River estuary dividing
to east they were codenamed: Utah and Omaha—the landing
Omaha and Utah, the 2nd Ranger Battalion carried out a
beaches of the US First Army—and Gold, Juno and Sword—
daring assault from the sea directly up the cliffs at Pointe du
the landing beaches for the British and Canadian troops of
Hoc. The mission was intended to knock out a German coastal
the British Second Army.
battery that threatened the invasion beaches. However, after
a successful but costly assault, the rangers discovered that the
UTAH BEACH
guns had already been removed by the Germans.
Utah Beach, at the base of the Cotentin Peninsula, was wide
and flat, and behind the beach was a marshy plain that had
GOLD BEACH
been deliberately flooded by the defenders. The Americans
At 0725 hours the first troops from the British Second Army
elected to land an hour earlier than the British, using the
began landing. At Gold Beach, 69 and 231 Brigade Groups
lower tide to overcome the problems of submerged beach
of 50th (Northumberland) Division led the assault with sup-
obstacles designed to destroy landing craft. At 0630 hours,
port from commandos, artillery and specialist armour—the
under cover of a bombardment from rocket-firing landing
mine-clearing, flame-throwing and engineering ‘funnies’
craft, 8th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) of 4th ‘Ivy’
allocated to the British beaches. The invaders made good
Infantry Division led the beach assault. A navigation error
progress against the defenders from 736th Infantry Regiment
put the troops ashore two thousand yards south of the
of the 716th Infantry Division. By early afternoon, all of
projected landing site. Fortuitously, however, the German
50th Division was ashore, with elements of 7th Armoured
defences were even weaker in this sector of the beach.
Division landing behind them later in the day.

6

JUNO BEACH
Immediately to the east of 50 Division, it was the task of the
th
7 and 8 Brigade Groups of 3rd Canadian Division to storm
ashore at Juno Beach. The Canadians were supported by the
commandos of 4 Special Service Brigade. Mindful of the
debacle at Dieppe in 1942 which had cost so many Canadian
lives, the Canadians anticipated heavy casualties. In the event,
their objectives were taken with comparatively light casualties
after hard fighting against elements of 736. Grenadierregiment
of 716. Infanteriedivision.
By mid after­ noon the entire 3rd Canadian Division was
ashore, quickly linking up with 50th Division.
SWORD BEACH
At the easternmost beach of the invasion, Sword Beach,
8 Brigade Group of British 3rd Division led the assault,
supported by the commandos of 1 Special Service Brigade.
The landings suffered from high tides caused by the bad
weather and also tough resistance from German troops of
the 736th Infantry Regiment of the 716th Infantry Division.
The British troops fought their way through the beach
defences and began to exploit inland. On the German side,
716th Infantry Division was practically obliterated, reduced
to an effective strength of only two battalions.
3rd Division had been allocated very ambitious objectives,
including the capture of the city of Caen, a crucial road and
rail junction some ten miles inland. The division duly cleared
OPERATION OVERLORD
the invasion beach and linked up with the paratroopers of
the 6th Airborne Division, having advanced some 6 miles
inland—one of the furthest advances on D-Day.
The unexpected arrival of 21st Panzer Division stopped
3rd Div­
ision’s advance and threw them on the defensive.
A strong defence by the British and Canadian divisions
prevented 21st Panzer Division from exploiting its success,
despite reaching the sea between Juno and Sword Beaches.
However, its attack had frustrated the initial drive on Caen.
Their failure to capture Caen was to have far reaching conse-
quences for the Allies.
NIGHTFALL, 6 JUNE
By nightfall on 6 June the Allies were ashore, but in some
places their beachhead was no deeper than 2000 yards.
Certain vital D-Day objectives—most notably Caen—had
not been captured. Yet enough men and materiel had been
brought ashore that the local German forces could not hope
to push them back into the sea. Still, the task that lay before
the Allied forces was considerable. They must link up their
beachheads, capture Cherbourg (the only major port in the
region) to guarantee resupply, and push inland to Caen and
St. Lô, before breaking through the difficult bocage hedge-
rowed countryside of Normandy and into the more open
terrain beyond.
7
 KNOW YOUR TANKS
US tank formations in Normandy were comprised of two major groups—the inexperienced, green tankers fresh from training,
and the battle-hardened veteran tankers. The fresh troops were stubborn and would fight on even when they had taken consider-
able losses. To represent this trait, the green tankers have the Blood ‘N Guts bonus, which grants them a better Last Stand rating.
The veteran tankers have learned to be less reckless and more careful, using terrain and tactics to keep themselves alive and
fighting. They gain the Yankee Ingenuity bonus that gives them a better Tactics rating.

M5 STUART
The M5 is the second major version of the Stuart light tank. The new Crew (4): Commander/loader, gunner,
model has a bit more armour protection as well as an larger turret. The driver, hull MG gunner
extra weight was handled by a new twin Cadillac engine that kept the Weight: 16.5 tonnes
light tank moving quickly. Length: 4.62m (15’ 2")
Width: 2.39m (7' 10")
Height: 2.33m (7' 8")
Weapons: 37mm Gun M6
3x .30-cal Browning MG
Armour: 25-51mm
Speed: 58 km/h (36 mph)
KNOW YOUR TANKS

Engine: Twin Cadillac V8,

220 kW (296 hp)

M4 SHERMAN
The M4 Medium Tank, aka the Sherman, is the most iconic and common Crew (5): Commander, gunner, loader,
American tank of WWII, with a total of more than 44,000 produced. By driver, hull MG gunner
1944 the tank was showing its age, but this didn't stop the tankers from Weight: 30 tonnes
adding modifications and upgrades to help them fight on. Length: 5.84m (19’ 2")
Width: 2.62m (8’ 7")
Height: 2.74m (9' 0")
Weapons: 75mm Gun M3
.50-cal M2 Browning MG
2x .30-cal Browning MG
Armour: 30-76mm
Speed: 35 km/h (22 mph)
Engine: Continental R975,
300kW (400 hp)

M4 76mm SHERMAN
The M4 76mm Sherman was the next step in Sherman evolution, with a Crew (5): Commander, gunner, loader,
more powerful gun and extra armour protection. These arrived just in driver, hull MG gunner
time for the breakout operations in Normandy, and gave the Americans a Weight: 33 tonnes
way to take down German Panther and Tiger tanks from the front. Length: 7.57m (25' 0")
Width: 2.62m (8’ 7")
Height: 2.74m (9' 0")
Weapons: 76mm Gun M1
.50-cal M2 Browning MG
2x .30-cal Browning MG
Armour: 30-108mm
Speed: 35 km/h (22 mph)
Engine: Continental R975,
300kW (400 hp)

8
 M10 TANK DESTROYER
The M10 tank destroyer, officially known as the M10 3-inch Gun Motor Crew (5): Commander, gunner, loader,
Carriage (GMC), mounts a 3-inch gun, originally designed for anti- driver, assistant driver
aircraft use, on a modified M4 Sherman hull. It epitomises US tank Weight: 29 tonnes
destroyer design—similar to a tank, but with less all-round armour Length: 6.83m (22’ 5")
protection and an open-topped turret. Width: 3.05m (10’ 0")
Height: 2.89m (9' 6")
Weapons: 3-inch Gun M7
.50-cal M2 Browning MG
Armour: 10-60mm
Speed: 40 km/h (25 mph)
Engine: GM 6046, 280 kW (375 hp)

M7 PRIEST

KNOW YOUR TANKS

Mounting a 105mm howitzer in an armoured body based on the M3 Lee Crew (5): Commander, gunner,
tank chassis, the M7 Howitzer Motor Carriage, nicknamed the Priest, is 2 loaders, driver
the US Army’s most numerous self-propelled artillery piece, with over Weight: 23 tonnes
4000 built by the end of the war. Length: 6.02m (19’ 9")
Width: 2.87m (9’ 5")
Height: 2.54m (8' 4")
Weapons: 105mm Howitzer M2A1
.50-cal M2 Browning MG
Armour: 12-62mm
Speed: 39 km/h (24 mph)
Engine: Continental R975,
254 kW (340 hp)

M12 155mm
About 100 155mm M12 self-propelled guns were made, with Crew (6): Commander, driver,
a handful of these being shipped to Normandy in gun crew (4)
time for the Operation Cobra breakout. These Weight: 29 tonnes
powerful guns could bombard at great Length: 6.73m (22’ 1")
distances or be rolled up to crack Width: 2.67m (8’ 9")
open German bunkers at point- Height: 2.69m (8’ 10")
blank range. Weapons: 155mm Gun M1918
Armour: 16-25mm
Speed: 38 km/h (24 mph)
Engine: Continental R975,
263 kW (353 hp)

9
 KNOW YOUR INFANTRY
The Normandy Invasion tested even the hardest US troops as they assaulted the beaches and fought their way across the French
countryside. The greener troops would push forward even after taking on heavy losses. To represent this in the game, they gain
the Blood ‘N Guts bonus that grants them an improved Rally rating.
The experienced troops became more tactical in their movements. These battle-hardened troops have the Yankee Ingenuity
bonus that grants them a better Tactics rating. This makes these troops more flexible, allowing them to perform Movement
Orders quickly and effectively.

PARACHUTE RIFLE COMPANY

To the man, each soldiers of the parachute regiments is a highly trained and capable volunteer. They have
undergone the most rigorous training available to earn their jump wings. A Parachute Rifle Company has the best
troops in the US Army. They have excellent motivation, making them very reliable, and their superior training
gives them flexibility in the field to ensure victory.
KNOW YOUR INFANTRY

MOTIVATION

FEARLESS 3+
SKILL

VETERAN 3+
IS HIT ON

CAREFUL 4+

GLIDER RIFLE COMPANY

Unlike the paratroopers, the glider troops are not volunteers. They are regular infantry units that were
transferred to the airborne to become the divisional glider infantry regiment. Nevertheless, the troops are keen to
prove themselves. The formation is small to fit into a small number of Waco gliders, so it's not as well armed as the
regular infantry. Still, they can rely on numbers and their airborne comrades to make up for these shortfalls.

MOTIVATION

CONFIDENT 4+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+
SKILL

TRAINED 4+
IS HIT ON

AGGRESSIVE 3+

RANGER COMPANY
The Rangers are the US Army's equivalent to the elite British Commandos. Their job is to tackle specific targets
that threaten the larger operations, such as artillery shore batteries. Trained by British commando veterans,
these eager troops are just as lethal and bold as their British counterparts. Typically deployed as a full or
half battalion, their companies are small, but they rely on each other to accomplish their mission.

MOTIVATION

FEARLESS 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 2+
SKILL

VETERAN 3+
2+
Deadly
Assault
IS HIT ON

AGGRESSIVE 3+

10
 ASSAULT COMPANY & VETERAN ASSAULT COMPANY
The Allies know that they will have to face bunkers and fortifications from the German 'Atlantic Wall'. To deal
with this problem, the US assault divisions have reorganized some of their large rifle platoons into 'Boat Teams'.
Each is an army in itself, capable of fighting on its own should it be separated from the rest of the company.

FRESH VETERAN
MOTIVATION MOTIVATION

CONFIDENT 4+ CONFIDENT 4+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+ SKILL

SKILL Assault companies come in two varieties. Fresh, untested troops from the TRAINED 4+
TRAINED 4+ 29th Infantry Division are rough around the edges, but quite keen to take the fight Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+
IS HIT ON to the enemy. Veteran soldiers of the 1st Infantry know how to survive, so they'll IS HIT ON

AGGRESSIVE 3+ take fewer risks on the beach. CAREFUL 4+

KNOW YOUR INFANTRY

RIFLE COMPANY & VETERAN RIFLE COMPANY
The bulk of US Army infantry in Normandy are from the rifle companies of the infantry divisions. These are
large formations, backed up by a tremendous amount of firepower support. American artillery, tanks, and
reconnaissance are never in short supply for the American 'doughboys'. American tactics focus on fire and
manoeuvre to get the job done.

FRESH VETERAN
MOTIVATION MOTIVATION

CONFIDENT 4+ CONFIDENT 4+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+ SKILL

SKILL
TRAINED 4+
TRAINED 4+ Rifle companies also come in two varieties. While there are some veterans of Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+
IS HIT ON the fighting in North Africa and Sicily, the bulk of US forces in Normandy were IS HIT ON

AGGRESSIVE 3+ untested units. CAREFUL 4+

ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY & VETERAN ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY

Armoured rifle companies accompany the tanks of the armoured divisions. Mounted up in M3 Half-tracks, these
troops are highly mobile and well armed. Each platoon is a combined arms unit, with its own artillery, anti-tank,
and machine-guns. The 'armored doughs' are well supported by the division's tanks and tank-destroyers, making
them an unstoppable force in the field.

FRESH VETERAN
MOTIVATION MOTIVATION

CONFIDENT 4+ CONFIDENT 4+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+ SKILL

SKILL The armored infantry of the 2nd Armoured Division have seen some combat and TRAINED 4+
TRAINED 4+ know how to fight, preferring careful tactics to aggressive assaults. The fresh Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+
IS HIT ON units from the other divisions tend to be the opposite, favouring hard charges IS HIT ON

AGGRESSIVE 3+ over meticulous slow attacks. CAREFUL 4+

11
 D-DAY: AMERICAN FORCE
Your Force must contain at least one Formation,
and may contain as many Formations as you like.

D MINUS 1 D-DAY FORMATIONS

FORMATIONS

SPECIAL FORCES FRESH INFANTRY VETERAN INFANTRY

FORMATION FORMATIONS FORMATIONS

PARACHUTE RIFLE RANGER ASSAULT VETERAN

COMPANY COMPANY COMPANY ASSAULT COMPANY
LU125 LU134 LU137 LU143
18

32

36

48
D-DAY: AMERICAN FORCE

GLIDER RIFLE RIFLE VETERAN

COMPANY COMPANY RIFLE COMPANY
LU131 LU140 LU146
23

42

51
US SUPPORT UNITS
You may field one Support Unit from each box.

RECONNAISSANCE RECONNAISSANCE RECONNAISSANCE ANTI-AIRCRAFT

M8 GREYHOUND M8 GREYHOUND M15 & M16 3-INCH TOWED TANK

CAVALRY RECON PATROL CAVALRY RECON PATROL AAA PLATOON DESTROYER PLATOON
LU174 LU174 LU179 LU175
82

82

87

83

ARTILLERY ARTILLERY OBSERVER RECONNAISSANCE

M7 PRIEST M7 PRIEST M4 SHERMAN OP P-47 THUNDERBOLT

ARTILLERY BATTERY ARTILLERY BATTERY OBSERVATION POST FIGHTER FLIGHT
LU121 LU121 LU122 LU180
86
84

84

87

105mm FIELD 105mm FIELD L4 GRASSHOPPER OP

ARTILLERY BATTERY ARTILLERY BATTERY OBSERVATION POST
LU120 LU120 LU178
84

84

86

ARTILLERY
FORMATION SUPPORT ALLIED SUPPORT WILDCARD

You may field compulsory
Combat Units (with
a black box) from
M12 155mm US Formations as
ARTILLERY BATTERY
LU177 Support Units.
85
?
You may field one compulsory
Unit from a British Formation
as Support and one British
Formation as an Allied
Formation.

105mm FIELD
ARTILLERY BATTERY
LU120
84

12
 BREAKOUT FORMATIONS

FRESH ARMORED VETERAN ARMORED TANK DESTROYER

FORMATIONS FORMATIONS FORMATIONS

M4 SHERMAN M4 SHERMAN VETERAN M10 TANK DESTROYER

TANK COMPANY TANK COMPANY COMPANY
LU152 LU159 LU172
54

69

79

D-DAY: AMERICAN FORCE

M5 STUART M5 STUART VETERAN
TANK COMPANY TANK COMPANY
LU155 LU163
60

72

ARMOURED RIFLE VETERAN ARMOURED

COMPANY RIFLE COMPANY
LU156 LU165
63

74

13
 D MINUS ONE
82ND 'ALL AMERICANS' AIRBORNE DIVISION
D MINUS ONE
By the time of the Normandy landings,
the 82nd Airborne Division was a battle-
hardened outfit with many veterans in
its ranks. The ‘All American’ Division, as
it was known, had earnt a reputation for
hard fighting in the Sicily, Salerno, and
Anzio landings in the Mediterranean.
On D-Day Major General Matthew
Ridgeway's 82nd, along with the
101st Airborne Division, was to land in a
broad wedge inland from Utah Beach at
the base of the Cotentin Peninsula. The
airborne divisions were to seize and hold
vital causeways, road junctions, and river bridges, preventing
German reinforcements from rushing to the invasion beaches
and facilitating the movement inland of the American
amphibious force. Specifically, the 82nd was to seal off the
Cotentin from the south, destroy the bridges over the Douve,
hold its banks to protect VII Corps, occupy both banks of the
Merderet River, and take and hold Ste. Mère-Eglise.
An aerial armada of 378 C47 Skytrain aircraft carrying the
division’s 6,418 paratroopers roared across the channel in
the early hours of 6 June. Further C47’s towing Waco gliders
lifted the men of the 325th and crucial supplies toward four
landing sites.
Dense fog and heavy anti-aircraft fire led to widespread
dispersion of the parachute drops, as the young inexperienced
pilots struggled to maintain speed, formation, and direction.
Many paratroopers found themselves many miles from their
specified drop zones (DZs) and faced with the daunting task of
forming up in the dark and reaching their assigned objectives.
The 505th had the furthest to go, tasked with seizing the
critical road junction in the town of Ste. Mère-Eglise. The
505th’s 3rd Battalion under Lieutenant-Colonel Krause landed
relatively intact on its correct drop zone, just outside the town.
14
After a short, sharp fight, a large US
flag was fluttering over the town square
by daybreak.
German armoured vehicles and
paratroopers of the 6th Parachute Regiment
counterattacked at 0930 hours, pitching
US paratroopers against their opposite
numbers for the first time. Krause’s
men held off repeated assaults, Krause
himself being wounded twice in the
process, and the key objective remained in
American hands.
The 507th, in particular, was badly
dispersed. The men landed largely in marshy ground west
of the Merderet and were unable to assist in the fight. The
remnants fought on in small pockets, ambushing and harassing
the defenders to great effect.
The 508th, nicknamed the ‘Red Devils’, fared slightly better.
Their task was to secure the left flank of the 82nd’s landings,
including the bridges over the Douve river. Only 124 troopers
hit their drop zone, while others landed in the 101st’s area.
Eventually, the 508th was able to gather several hundred men
and capture the approaches to Chef-du-Pont, hampering
German efforts to reach Ste. Mère-Eglise.
Reinforcements, packed into Horsa and Waco gliders landed
in the afternoon and evening of D-Day and in the days that
followed, the 82nd was supported by ground troops moving up
from the invasion beaches. The division fought on until 11 July
when the battle-weary 82nd was relieved and sent back to the
UK. The division’s losses in Normandy amounted to 46 percent
killed, missing, or evacuated wounded. In his post-battle report
General Ridgeway summarised the hard-fought campaign with
taciturn eloquence: ‘...33 days of action without relief, without
replacements. Every mission accomplished. No ground gained
was ever relinquished.’
 101ST 'SCREAMING EAGLES' AIRBORNE DIVISION
The 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment
was formed at Camp Toccoa, Georgia
on 15 November 1942. The regiment
could trace its lineage back to the
29th Infantry Regiment from which a
volunteer parachute test platoon was
created on 26 June 1940. Eventually,
these parachute-trained volunteers would
form the US Army's first regular all-
parachute battalion, the 501st Parachute
Infantry Battalion. The regiment’s initial
group of officers were hand-picked by
its first commander, Colonel Howard
R. Johnson.
Known by his fellow officers as ‘Skeets’, but by the men as
‘Jumpy Johnson’ or ‘Jumping Johnson’, he insured physical
conditioning, for himself and everyone in his regiment, by
leading calisthenics, running, and all other physical activities.
He set a running record up Currahee Mountain (which stood
over Camp Toccoa) and challenged anyone in the regiment
to beat his time.
The regiment completed its parachute jump training at
NORMANDY
The 101st's division's training was
oriented towards Operation Overlord,
the Allied plan for the combined
amphibious, and airborne landings in
Normandy, France. As June approached
regimental commanders and staff were
briefed on the part the regiment would
play in Operation Overlord. With
D-Day just days away (initially 5 June,
then moved to 6 June due to weather)
the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment
along with the rest of the division, was
moved to secure marshalling camps. All personnel finally
learned their mission through extensive briefings.
The 501st took off at 2245 hours, 5 June 1944, flew across the
English Channel, and parachuted into Normandy, five hours
before the seaborne landing. The 501st drop zones were north
and east of Carentan. Two battalions were to seize key canal
locks at La Barquette and destroy bridges over the Douve
River, while the third battalion acted as the reserve.
In the predawn hours of D-Day a combination of low clouds,

Fort Benning, Georgia in March 1943 before moving to
Camp Mackall, North Carolina to taking part in extensive
manoeuvres until the end of the year. In January 1944 the
regiment was shipped to the United Kingdom where it came
under the command of the 101st Airborne Division.
D MINUS ONE
and German anti-aircraft fire caused the break-up of the troop
transport aircraft formations causing sporadic jump patterns
and scattered drops. The efforts of the 501st in Normandy
came at high cost, losing 898 men killed, wounded, missing,
or captured in Normandy. They received a presidential
citation for their actions.

501ST PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT

101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION, VII CORPS, NORMANDY, JUNE 1944
Colonel Howard R. 'Jumpy' Johnson

1ST BATTALION

2ND BATTALION

3RD BATTALION

BATTALION HQ

G 'GEORGE' COMPANY BATTALION HQ WEAPONS

(1, 2, 3 Platoons) (Mortar, MG & Anti-tank Platoons)

H 'HOW' COMPANY
(1, 2, 3 Platoons)

I 'ITEM' COMPANY
(1, 2, 3 Platoons) 4x 81mm mortars
MORTAR PLATOON

COMPANY HQ

1 PLATOON
8x M1919 LMGs
MG PLATOON
2 PLATOON
3 PLATOON

3x BARs 9x M1 Bazookas
3x M1919 LMGs
ANTI-TANK PLATOON
1x 60mm mortars
MG and Anti-tank Platoon weapons are
allocated out to Parachute Rifle Platoons.

15
 AMERICAN DROP ZONES
NORMANDY, FRANCE, JUNE 1944

Montebourg
To Cherbourg

Colomby

F R A N C E

M
ER IV
R
D ER
ER
ET
AMERICAN DROP ZONES

4M
iles
T
O
La Fière

St. Sauveur-le Vicomte

N

Chef-du-Pont
Pont l’Abbé
US 82ND AIRBORNE UNITS
MORE THAN 6400 MEN

Drop Zone N: 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment

N (PIR) and 15 sticks of miscellaneous troops
DO
Drop Zone O: 505th PIR, division HQ, and six RI UVE
O sticks of miscellaneous troops VE
R

T Drop Zone T: 507th PIR

US 101ST AIRBORNE UNITS

MORE THAN 6600 MEN 100

A Drop Zone A: 502nd PIR, 377th Parachute Field

Artillery Battalion

Drop Zone C: 3rd Battalion, 501st PIR. 1st and

C 2nd Battalions, 506th PIR, division HQ
Drop Zone D: 1st and 2nd Battalions, 501st PIR,
D 3rd Battalion, 506th PIR, 326th Airborne Engineer Baupte
12 Miles
4 Miles

Battalion
St. Jores

La-Haye-du-Puits

16
 KEY
Planned Allied Drop Zones

Actual Allied Drop Zones: One Stick,

or plane load of approximately 15 men

German gun batteries and bunkers

German German
Armoured units Artillery units

Ravenaville Built up areas Bridges

I/1261 0 1 2 3 4
Km
1 2

UT pro
M

(
AH po
be sed
ac )
I/919

AMERICAN DROP ZONES

St. Martin-de-Varreville
A
795

Ste. Mère-Eglise

I/191

C
Ste. Marie-du-Mont

Vierville

14 sticks
D
III/1058
26 sticks
St. Côme-du-Mont

III/6 II/914 Isigny

Carentan

To Coutances

17
 PARACHUTE RIFLE COMPANY INFANTRY FORMATION

You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box.
You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.
HEADQUARTERS

PARACHUTE RIFLE
COMPANY HQ
LU108

19
INFANTRY INFANTRY INFANTRY
PARACHUTE RIFLE COMPANY

PARACHUTE PARACHUTE PARACHUTE

RIFLE PLATOON RIFLE PLATOON RIFLE PLATOON
LU126

19
LU126 LU126
19

19
ARTILLERY ARTILLERY ANTI-TANK RECONNAISSANCE

PARACHUTE PARACHUTE AIRBORNE AIRBORNE

81mm MORTAR 75mm ARTILLERY 57mm ANTI-TANK JEEP RECON PATROL
PLATOON BATTERY PLATOON LU130

21
LU127 LU128 LU129
20

20

21

You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

kneeling for a moment, trying to clear his nose and

get his bearings. More tracers ripped by – horizontal
this time, just above his head. He ducked and pulled
his rifle out, snapping off the safety and firing
through the plug over the muzzle in the direction
of the MG. Other members of the 82nd joined in laying
down fire. In moments, the shooting died down.

“All right,” a clear voice. “I know it’s a mess but

get it together and get organized! Help your
buddies if they need it and see if anyone’s hurt.”

A chorus of “Yes sir’s” responded.

It took around 20 minutes for the troopers of the

Like the 4th of July, PFC Bennet thought – only louder!
All around him the sky was lit with fire. The
reaching tracers of German machine guns and the
airbursts of flak lit the low hanging clouds. Looking
down, Bennet cursed. The drop zone was nowhere to
be seen. Patchy moonlight showed thick rushes and
heavy grass coming up fast below his feet and he
instinctively clamped his legs together, knees bent.
He hit, spraying water everywhere, his feet
punching into the soft mud of the bottom and
sticking. The chute started to collapse and he
fought as it pulled him over. His head went under
and he got a noseful of silt.
Someone grabbed his webbing and pulled him up to his
knees, helping him unbuckle the harness. He stayed
18
508th to gather at the western edge of the field,
in around company strength. The night echoed
with weapons fire and artillery in the distance,
but nearby it was quiet. The men gathered around
Colonel Lindquist, as he spread a map against the
tree. He spoke quickly and quietly. “We can’t be sure
of the DZ and there damn sure wasn’t supposed to
be a swamp here. Even so,” he gestured west in the
darkness at a low mound barely visible through
the trees. “That looks like the rail line. I make us
near La Fiere, probably just north. We’ll follow
that down, along the Mederet to our objective
here.” He tapped his finger on the map. “The only
bridge in the area that armor can use. We’ll pick up
anyone else we can along the way. There are krauts
everywhere so keep your eyes open. Move out!”
 PARACHUTE RIFLE RIFLE
COMPANY
COMPANYHQ
PARACHUTE
HQ
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY FORMATION • AIRBORNE • IS HIT ON

FEARLESS 3+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE

2x Thompson SMG team 3 POINTS VETERAN 3+

Infantry
3+
All company commanders take pride in their
units, but parachute company commanders take
that even further. They expect more from their TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
men and in return the officers are willing to give 8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO
everything for the company. RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
WEAPON HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

Thompson SMG team 4”/10CM 3 3 1 6 Pinned ROF 1

PARACHUTE RIFLERIFLE
PLATOON
PARACHUTE
PLATOON

PARACHUTE RIFLE COMPANY

MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • OBSERVER • IS HIT ON

FEARLESS 3+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE

7x M1919 and M1 Garand rifle team VETERAN 3+

1x 60mm mortar Infantry
3+
1x M1 Bazooka team 14 POINTS

5x M1919 and M1 Garand rifle team

1x 60mm mortar TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

1x M1 Bazooka team 11 POINTS 8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO

WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES

HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
OPTIONS M1919 & M1 Garand
rifle team 16”/40CM 2 1 2 6
• A dd a second M1 Bazooka team for 60mm mortar 32”/80CM ARTILLERY 1 4+ Assault 4+, Heavy Weapon
+1 point. M1 Bazooka team 8”/20CM 1 1 10 5+ Assault 4+, Slow Firing
• Add up to two M1919 LMG teams for OPTIONAL
16”/40CM 5 2 2 6 Assault 4+, Heavy Weapon
M1919 LMG
+1 point per team.
The Unit Leader is one of the M1919 and M1
Garand rifle teams, and is mounted on a small base
(see page 91).

PARACHUTE RIFLE COMPANY: Features

ELITE: The paratroopers are all volunteers, unlike many
other US infantry. The training is harsh and thorough, and
those who pass the rigorous schedule will earn their wings
and become a part of an elite fighting force.
FEARLESS: Recruits have joined the ranks of the
paratroopers knowing full well that this job involves
jumping out of an aircraft and into enemy territory. Once
you've done that, there's not much else that will spook you!
SKILLED: Paratrooper training involves mastering
battlefield tactics and close-combat techniques. Each
soldier is expected to act with initiative and cunning,
because in a parachute drop, all bets are off and you'll need
to be ready to adapt.
AIRBORNE: Paratrooper training, organisation, and
equipment are all designed for one thing: airborne assault.

19
 PARACHUTE
81mm MORTAR PLATOON
81MM
PARACHUTE
MORTAR PLATOON
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • HEAVY WEAPON • IS HIT ON

FEARLESS 3+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE
4x 81mm mortar 8 POINTS VETERAN 3+
2x 81mm mortar 4 POINTS Heavy Weapon
Assault 4+ Infantry
3+

As the battle develops, you’ll want access to more

and more fire support to take your objectives. TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
Always the first to respond are the M1 81mm 4”/10CM 4”/10CM 6”/15CM 8”/20CM AUTO
mortars of the battalion’s mortar platoon. Quick ROF ANTI- FIRE-
WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES
to deploy, mobile and accurate, it’s likely these
81mm mortar 40”/100CM ARTILLERY 1 4+ Smoke Bombardment
men will have fired their whole mission before
the big boys on the beach will have gotten the
sand out of their radios.
PARACHUTE RIFLE COMPANY

PARACHUTE
75mm ARTILLERY
75MMBATTERY
PARACHUTE
ARTILLERY BATTERY
MOTIVATION • GUN UNIT • TIME ON TARGET • IS HIT ON

FEARLESS 3+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL
12 POINTS
SAVE
4x 75mm pack howitzer VETERAN 3+
2x 75mm pack howitzer 6 POINTS Gun
Assault 4+ Gun
4+

Vital to the survival of the airborne division is the

air-transportable parachute field artillery battery
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
equipped with the M1A1 75mm pack howitzer. 4”/10CM 4”/10CM 6”/15CM 8”/20CM 3+
Each gun can be broken down into nine WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
parachute loads. These are all tied together Forward Firing,
75mm pack howitzer 64”/160CM ARTILLERY 2 4+ Smoke Bombardment
and dropped as a single aircraft load. If all goes
or Direct Fire 20”/50CM 2 1 6 3+ Forward Firing, Smoke
well, they’ll still be all together on landing. The
bundles can be quickly located by the crew and
assembled so as to go into action in support of
the parachute infantry regiments immediately.

75mm PACK HOWITZER: Features

ARTILLERY: The M1A1 75mm pack howitzer fires a 6.24kg
(13.75lb) high-explosive shell to a range of 8.82km (5.5
miles), bringing destruction to anywhere within range on
the battlefield.
MANOEUVRABLE: The M1A1 75mm pack howitzer is
built to be lightweight and portable, to go most places
the infantry goes. Its crew can manhandle it across rough
ground if necessary, or break it up into smaller loads for
longer journeys.

20
 AIRBORNE
57mm ANTI-TANK
57MM PLATOON
AIRBORNE
ANTI-TANK PLATOON

PARACHUTE RIFLE COMPANY

MOTIVATION • GUN UNIT • GUN SHIELD • IS HIT ON

FEARLESS 3+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL
10 POINTS
SAVE
4x 57mm gun VETERAN 3+
2x 57mm gun 5 POINTS Gun
Assault 4+ Gun
3+

The divisional anti-tank battalion has heavier

British airborne 57mm (6 pdr) guns landed in
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
British Horsa gliders—an excellent example of 2”/5CM 2”/5CM 4”/10CM 6”/15CM 5+
inter-allied cooperation! The heavier guns give
ROF ANTI- FIRE-
the division real punch when the panzers start WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES

rolling. 57mm gun 28”/70CM 2 1 10 4+ Forward Firing, No HE

AIRBORNE
JEEP RECON JEEP
PATROL AIRBORNE
RECON PATROL
MOTIVATION • UNARMOURED TANK UNIT • SCOUT • SPEARHEAD • IS HIT ON

FEARLESS 3+ CAREFUL 4+
Scout
Last Stand 4+ SAVE

4x Jeep (.50 cal MG) 4 POINTS SKILL

4+
2x Jeep (.50 cal MG) 2 POINTS VETERAN 3+ Tank

The divisional reconnaissance group has

two glider-landed reconnaissance platoons. TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
Equipped with machine-gun-armed jeeps, they 12”/30CM 12”/30CM 20”/50CM 48”/120CM 4+
are ideal for scouting for enemy counterattacks WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
or as part of a mobile reserve.
Jeep (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA

21
 327TH GLIDER INFANTRY REGIMENT
The 327th Infantry Regiment was formed weren’t elite enough to be airborne
as part of the new 82nd Infantry Division soldiers. Despite the harassment, the
on 17 September 1917 at Fort Gordon, men completed glider training.
Georgia. The regiment was one of many Landing in a glider wasn’t easy and some
raised for the American Expeditionary of the landings resulted in serious injuries
Force sent to France during World War I. when the glider snagged trees or fence
posts, tearing up the men inside. Still,
WORLD WAR II it allowed a platoon of troops to deploy
The 82nd Infantry Division was together without having to assemble
reactivated in March 1942, along before conducting their mission.
with its 327th Regiment. The unit was The men of the 327th were soon trained
originally organized as an infantry up and off to England where they
regiment, however in the summer of prepared for their first operation.
1942, the 82nd Infantry Divison was selected to become an
airborne division. NORMANDY, 6 JUNE 1944
During the final days of basic training, the men were told by When the Allied commanders decided to drop both the
their commander, Major General Omar N. Bradley, that the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions simultaneously into
GLIDER RIFLE COMPANY

division was to be split to form a second airborne division,
the 101st Airborne Division. Bradley also announced that the
327th was to be trained as a glider infantry regiment.
The men were not sure about flying in gliders. Most of them
had never even flown in a plane, let alone crash landing into
combat in one! On 15 August 1942 the unit became known
as the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment and reassigned to the
newly formed 101st ‘Screaming Eagles’ Airborne Division.
The regiment had previously consisted of two battalions,
but following this reorganization, the 401st Glider Infantry
Regiment was deactivated and transferred its first battalion
to the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment as its third battalion.
In the fall of 1942, the 327th headed to Ft. Bragg, North
Carolina to began training with the CG-4a Waco glider. While
training they met the paratroopers they would be working
with for the first time, and it wasn’t the best first impression.
Fights would break out between them, as the paratroopers
thought they were the better troops and that the glider boys
Normandy, the number of available aircraft to tow the gliders
was greatly reduced. Therefore the 327th Glider Infantry
Regiment was not fully committed to battle until the day
after the invasion.
When the regiment was assembled they marched to Carentan
to cut off the fleeing Germans. The regiment reached
Carentan on 9 June. At 2200 hours on the following day, the
327th attacked a bridge over the Canal de Vire-et-Taute and
advanced through a wooded area, where they became pinned
under heavy fire.
The regiment received reinforcements from the 29th Infantry
Division helping to breakthrough the German lines and
capture the high ground.
Although casualties were high, they accomplished the mission
and the regiment was removed to England on 13 July to
prepare for its next mission.

327TH GLIDER INFANTRY REGIMENT

101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION, VII CORPS, NORMANDY, JUNE 1944
Colonel George S. Wear (relieved 9 June 1944), Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph H. Harper

1ST BATTALION
REGIMENTAL
ANTI-TANK COMPANY
2ND BATTALION

3RD BATTALION (FORMERLY 401ST GLIDER INFANTRY REGIMENT) 8x 57mm anti-tank guns
BATTALION HQ

E 'EASY' COMPANY H 'HOW' WEAPONS

(1, 2 & Weapons Platoons) COMPANY
(Mortar & MG Platoons)
F 'FOX' COMPANY
(1, 2 & Weapons Platoons)

G 'GEORGE' COMPANY
(1, 2 & Weapons Platoons)
6x 81mm mortars
MORTAR PLATOON

COMPANY HQ

1 PLATOON 4x M1917 heavy machine-guns

2 PLATOON MG PLATOON

2x M1917 HMGs
2x 60mm mortars
1x M1 Bazooka WEAPONS
1x M1919 LMG PLATOON

22
 GLIDER RIFLE COMPANY INFANTRY FORMATION

You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box.
You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.
HEADQUARTERS

GLIDER RIFLE
COMPANY HQ
LU131

24
INFANTRY INFANTRY

GLIDER GLIDER
RIFLE PLATOON RIFLE PLATOON

GLIDER RIFLE COMPANY

LU132 LU132
24

24
ARTILLERY INFANTRY ANTI-TANK ARTILLERY

MORTAR M1917 MACHINE-GUN 57mm ANTI-TANK GLIDER

PLATOON PLATOON GUN PLATOON 75mm ARTILLERY
LU118 LU117 LU141 BATTERY
44

44

45
LU133

25
105mm CANNON
PLATOON
LU142

45
You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

The 325th Glider Regiment, landed in the

101st Airborne landing zone. Drake jogged along with
the rest of his squad as more gliders landed around
them. Kearney had them set up in a stout stone-
walled house at the edge of the village while he
went looking for their Lieutenant.

"Caught those Heinies by surprise this time! We'll be

in Fra-" Machine-gun fire sprayed their building,
while an HE round detonated nearby.

"Panzers! Panzers!" The warning cry shouted from all

"Brace! Brace!" yelled the pilot just as the whistling
and rushing of wind was replaced by a shuddering,
crashing impact. The glider began to slew sideways,
and even worse, Goldstein vomited. The moment that
the glider stopped moving, they became frantic to
get out, hacking open the fuselage with small axes. .
directions. "Bazookas up! Man the windows!" Goldstein
already had the long tube over his shoulder, while
Drake dug a round out of his ready satchel and
fed it into the backend, connecting the round. He
slapped Goldstein on the helmet then blocked his
ears, crouched over. A German StuG rotated its hull
towards them, the barrel draped in camouflage
netting. Goldstein fired, the rocket propelled
warhead hitting the treads. The tracklinks broke
apart and the tank clattered to a stop. Hatches
sprang open, and black clad crew tumbled down as a
hail of bullets converged on them.

"Form up! Form up! For We're moving!" Sergeant Drake glanced at the stricken tank and smiled. "You
Kearney bellowed, shoving troopers Forwrd. keep that up, you can eat whatever you want."

23
 GLIDER RIFLE COMPANY GLIDER
RIFLE COMPANY HQHQ
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY FORMATION • AIRBORNE • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+ SAVE

2x Thompson SMG team 2 POINTS

TRAINED
SKILL

4+ Infantry
3+
The US Army does not consider a glider rifle
company to be any different from any other rifle
company, aside from the need to cut down on TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
numbers to fit in gliders. They are uniformed, 8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO
equipped, and paid as normal riflemen, despite RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
WEAPON HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
requiring them to land and fight behind enemy
Thompson SMG team 4”/10CM 3 3 1 6 Pinned ROF 1
lines.

GLIDER RIFLE PLATOONGLIDER

RIFLE PLATOON
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • OBSERVER • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
GLIDER RIFLE COMPANY

Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+ SAVE

0x M1 Garand rifle team

1
1x M1 Bazooka team TRAINED
SKILL

4+ Infantry
3+
1x M1919 LMG team
1x 60mm mortar team 10 POINTS

7x M1 Garand rifle team TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

1x M1 Bazooka team 8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO

1x M1919 LMG team WEAPON RANGE ROF
HALTED MOVING
ANTI- FIRE-
TANK POWER NOTES
1x 60mm mortar team 8 POINTS M1 Garand rifle team 16”/40CM 1 1 2 6
M1 Bazooka team 8”/20CM 1 1 10 5+ Assault 5+, Slow Firing
OPTIONS
M1919 LMG team 16”/40CM 5 2 2 6 Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon
• A dd a second M1 Bazooka team for
+1 point. 60mm mortar 32”/80CM ARTILLERY 1 4+ Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon

• Add a second 60mm mortar team for

+1 point.
The Unit Leader is one of the M1 Garand rifle teams,
and is mounted on a small base (see page 91).
The glider rifle platoon is basically the same as its standard ‘leg infantry’
cousins. The only difference is that there are only two rifle platoons in
each company so that the battalion can be transported easier by gliders.

GLIDER RIFLE COMPANY: Features

VOLUN-TOLD: Yesterday your infantry regiment was a
regular unit. Today you've found out that you are now going
into battle in flimsy glider aircraft. Congratulations soldier,
you're in the airborne now!
EARN YOUR BOOTS: Glider troops have the same
uniform, equipment, and training as the regular infantry.
After Normandy, the battalions have been given
paratrooper boots as replacement footwear. With them
cames a sense that the glider men can step up and earn
those paratrooper boots properly by holding fast in combat.
AN ARMY IN A GLIDER: The Glider Infantry Company
only has two platoons, rather than three so they can fit the
formation into fewer Waco gliders. To make up for this loss,
each platoon was given a 60mm mortar and an M1919
LMG, making each platoon a small, self-supporting force.
AIRBORNE: Glider Rifle training, organisation, and
equipment are all designed for one thing: airborne assault.

24
 GLIDER RIFLE COMPANY
GLIDER
75mm ARTILLERY
75MMBATTERY
GLIDER
ARTILLERY BATTERY
MOTIVATION • GUN UNIT • TIME ON TARGET • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+
12 POINTS
SAVE
6x 75mm gun
4x 75mm gun 8 POINTS VETERAN
SKILL

3+ Gun
4+
4+
Gun
2x 75mm gun 4 POINTS Assault

Unlike the parachute field artillery battalion that TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

falls from the sky in several pieces, needing to be 4”/10CM 4”/10CM 6”/15CM 8”/20CM 3+
located and assembled, the glider field artillery WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
battalions arrive as whole units manned with 75mm pack howitzer 64”/160CM ARTILLERY 2 4+ Forward Firing,
Smoke Bombardment
veteran artillery crew, complete with their own or Direct Fire 20”/50CM 2 1 6 3+ Forward Firing, Smoke
transport.
Another difference is that with only two
battalions to support, the glider field artillery
battalion has just two six-gun batteries instead
of three four-gun batteries.

25
 HIT THE BEACH
H-HOUR 0630 HRS, D-DAY, 6TH JUNE 1944

By the beginning of June 1944 the beaches of the tranquil
French coast of Normandy had been transformed by the
occupying German Army into something not nearly so pic-
turesque. A dozen bunker complexes dotted the high bluffs
overlooking the five kilometre-long crescent of sand between
Vierville-sur-Mer and Colleville-sur-Mer, littered with obsta-
cles designed to punch holes in any landing craft willing to
brave them. At each end, forbidding cliffs lined the water’s
edge, making an assault there impossible. Four gullies, ‘draws’
to the Americans landing there, sliced through the forbidding
bluffs. These were the only way off the beach for vehicles,
and the most heavily fortified points. The most important of
the draws were the two to the east called D1 and D3 by the
Allies, as both had roads winding up inland from the beach.
The beach the Allies codenamed Omaha had become the
outer wall of Hitler’s Festung Europa, Fortress Europe, and
the English Channel its moat.
SURPRISES
Across this countryside wind and rain came in a dark grey
mass that blotted out the sun. Weather reports from the
HIT THE BEACH
THE ALLIED PLAN
Aboard the Allied fleet, two American divisions boarded
their landing craft. The 1st ‘Big Red One’ Infantry Division,
also nicknamed the ‘Fighting First’, was a veteran of several
amphibious landings and campaigns in North Africa and
Sicily. Its men were tested and ready for battle. They were
to land to the east on beaches codenamed Easy Red and Fox
Green to secure the E1 and E3 draws north of Colleville.
The other Allied division at Omaha was the green 29th ‘Blue
and Gray’ Infantry Division made up of part-time soldiers
from the National Guard, now turned professional. Filled
with men who had previously been friends and neighbours,
the unit was well trained, eager and ready for the task at
hand—despite being new to combat. The ‘29ers’ had been
assigned Dog Green, Dog White, Dog Red and Easy Green
beaches. Their mission was to secure the D1 and D3 draws at
Vierville and Mont les Moulins.
The Germans had long suspected that the Allies would land
at high tide and had built their beach obstacles with this in
mind. Instead, the Allied plan for Omaha Beach called for a

landing at low tide at around 0630hrs. This would enable the

German meteorologists predicted much the same for the rest
assault troops to sweep ashore in the early morning while spe-
of the week. With the stormy weather and the lack of Allied
cially trained and equipped combat engineers blasted away
activity many of the Axis commanders were away from their
the beach obstacles to allow the follow up waves to land as the
posts, confident that the expected invasion was still far off.
tide rose. Specially constructed Sherman Duplex Drive (DD)
The defenders were thus shocked to see the Allied fleet off the
tanks, ‘Donald Ducks’ to their crews, with a canvas screen
coast in the early morning hours of 6 June.
around the tank and propellers so that they could swim to
For the Allies the day would begin with an equally nasty the beach, were to land just ahead of the first wave of assault
surprise. Allied intelligence services expected the defenders of troops to give them armoured support until tank landing
Omaha Beach to be a single second-rate battalion. Their maps craft could reach the beach.
put the well-trained and equipped 352. Infanteriedivision
(352nd Infantry Division) at St. Lô far to the rear. Unknown THE PLAN UNRAVELS
to the Allies, the division had moved forward, taking over the
Like every plan, the attack began to unravel even before the
beach defences at Omaha months earlier. What they already
first troops landed. Bombers, naval gunfire, and rockets all
expected to be a hard fight had become even harder.

THE ALLIED PLAN, 6TH JUNE 1944

BRITAIN
BELGIUM
GERMANY

PROVISIONAL 29TH 1ST

RANGER INFANTRY INFANTRY NORMANDY
GROUP DIVISION DIVISION
ENGLISH CHANNEL

Le Havre
F RAN C E
UT
AH

Pointe- O ITALY
du-Hoc MA
H A
Vierville GOLD JU
NO SW
Carentan 352. OR SPAIN
D
Bayeux
Ouistreham
352.
INFANTERIEDIVISION

716.
INFANTERIEDIVISION Caen

St. Lô
Villers-Bocage 0 20 40 60
Km
10 20 30
NORMANDY M

26

screamed over the men in the boats leaving some of them
to wonder if there would be anything left for them to fight.
Yet, the bombs, shells and rockets caused remarkably little
damage to the defenders. When the troops hit the beach they
found the defences were intact and fully manned.
The tanks that were to rumble ashore ahead of the infantry
ran into their own problems. For the 741st Tank Battalion
supporting Big Red One, it was a disaster. Commanders made
the call to launch the tanks to swim ashore in the heavy seas.
Some plunged like stones to the sea bottom upon launching.
Others floundered closer to the shore. Of the 32 Sherman
DD tanks allocated to Big Red One, only five made it to the
beach. The commander of the 743rd Tank Battalion in support
of the 29ers, made the opposite call. Instead of launching the
tanks in the heavy seas, he sent their landing craft straight to
the beach. As a result, the 29ers had full tank support on their
beaches with all 32 tanks making it ashore, albeit well behind
the infantry they were to protect.
The infantry had even bigger problems than their lack of
tanks. The fast current and billowing smoke from brush fires
made navigation difficult for the landing craft. Some units,
such as Big Red One’s Fox Company of the 16th Infantry
Regiment, hit the beach in the correct spot. Others like the
29ers’ Easy Company, 116th Infantry Regiment missed their
beaches completely, ending up on the same section of beach
as Fox Company, kilometres from their assigned area.
The bloodiest introduction to France was that of Able
Company, 116th Infantry Regiment, in the Dog Green sector.
The company literally ceased to exist in a few minutes of
heavy fire. Yet for other units there would be mixed bless-
ings. Brush fires on the bluffs overlooking the beach blinded
the defenders in places. George Company, 116th Infantry
Regiment, landed in good order, suffering few casualties in
reaching the seawall that ran the length of the beach.
HIT THE BEACH
No matter where they landed, the dazed and confused troops
faced an uphill battle. A long line of dead and dying com-
rades marked their path up the beach. Everywhere platoon
and company commanders were missing or dead. Reaching
the cover of the seawall, the assaulting troops froze under the
unexpected weight of fire.
LEADERSHIP
What had started as a plan with well-defined regiments and
divisions soon disintegrated into fights by small teams of
men. The American formations coming ashore were hopeless-
ly muddled and disorganised. For the Germans, the average
strongpoint garrison was just 30 men, cut off and fighting
alone. The side with their leaders at the front would be the
one that prevailed.
It was into this quagmire of death and destruction that men
like Brigadier General Cota, Deputy Commander of the
29th Infantry Division, walked like the heroes of antiquity.
General Cota made his way to the beach to ascertain what
was happening ashore. Gathering about him a group of
men from the 116th Infantry Regiment and the 5th Ranger
Battalion, he formed his own ad-hoc platoon. Soon his men
began to slowly make their way inland through gaps in the
wire by going up the bluffs rather than the well-defended
draws. Cota’s men finally reached the top of the bluffs behind
Hamel-au-Prêtre at approximately 0900hrs.
To the east, the men of the veteran 1st Infantry Division
infiltrated the high ground as well. Part of Easy Company,
16th Infantry Regiment led by Lieutenant John Spalding
managed to head straight inland without pause. With small
groups of men the troops now attacked the enemy reinforce-
ments, effectively cutting off the defenders on the beach.
Elsewhere on the beach, the carnage continued as broken and
drifting landing craft rolled in the surf. Several US Navy
27
 destroyers sailed in perilously close to the beach, some as close
as 800 yards, to pound German defences with direct fire. Ship
captains simply watched to see where the surviving infantry
and tanks were firing and then added the weight of their
guns against those same locations. Huge chunks of ground
vanished under their fire. The battle­ship USS Texas used its
14-inch guns to batter D1 draw, smashing the defences apart.
Dazed and confused under repeated impacts from the large
shells, the defender’s fire started to slacken.
The grim battle reports reaching the invasion fleet almost led
General Bradley to halt the landings and divert the follow up
traffic to Utah Beach. Yet by mid-day, while the rising tide ran
red with blood, the battle at the water’s edge was mostly over.
Small groups of soldiers worked their way inland. Survivors
of the ranger units who landed in Charlie Sector made good
use of their training, assaulting the defences along the bluffs.
Where they took ground, they held it. The anticipated coun-
terattacks never materialised in any sort of strength.
FIRMLY ASHORE
With American troops now behind the beach defences, the
strongpoints began to fall. Cut off and with no communi-
cations with their higher headquarters the German troops
slowly succumbed, slipping away, or surrendering to the
assaulting infantry.
One by one, the draws changed hands and the way was
cleared for men and vehicles to move off the beach. While the
penetration at Omaha did not reach as far as other landings,
the veterans of Big Red One and the green 29ers had taken
the beach in the face of formidable opposition, holding the
high ground up to a mile inland by day’s end.
An optimistic General Gerhardt commanding the
29th Infantry Division summarized the lessons of D-Day
in his after battle report as follows: ’No reports of disaster
should be allowed. THEY ARE NEVER TRUE’. Omaha
Beach was now open for business.

C Company, A Company, G Company, F Company, E Company,

2nd Ranger Battalion 116th Regiment (A 116) 116th Regiment (G 116) 116th Regiment (F 116) 116th Regiment (E 116)

PLANNED FIRST ASSAULT

WAVE INFANTRY
CHARLIE DOG GREEN DOG WHITE DOG RED EASY GREEN
FIRST ASSAULT WAVE
ACTUAL LANDINGS
C 2Rn A 116

F 116 G 116

D1 Draw II
2 & 5Rn

Pointe-du-Hoc WN72 (2nd Wave)

III
116
WN71
Hamel-au-Prêtre
D3 Draw
I
C 116

II I
2Rn(-) 11 726 WN68
WN70
WN66
II Vierville-sur-Mer I
Mont les
5Rn 10 726 Moulins I
5 91

Chateau de Vaumicel
II
III 1

III
116(-)

St. Laur
sur-M
WN67
II

Louvieres

II
0 1 2
Km 352 pioneer I
1 Vacqueville
M ... I
1352 Anti-tank 6 916

28
 OMAHA BEACHHEAD, 6TH JUNE 1944
Landing craft approach. Barbed Wire Panzerstellung
Gun in casemate MG Tobruk
First gaps in beach obstacles.
Mortar Tobruk Field/AT gun
Allied penetrations by noon.
Obstacles (hedgehogs, stakes, ramps etc.)
Allied movement to the end of the day. German reserves movement.
Positions at the end of the day. Main resistance at the end of the day.

AMERICAN UNITS GERMAN UNITS

III II I III II I
116 II 116 A 116 915 III 915 5 915
116 Infantry Regiment
th
2 Battalion
nd
Able Company 915. Grenadierregiment 3 Battalion
rd
5 Company
th

E Company, F Company, J Company, L Company,

16th Regiment (E 16) 16th Regiment (F 16) 16th Regiment (J 16) 16th Regiment (L 16)

EASY RED FOX GREEN

E(-) 16

E(-) 116
E 16 J 16
E 116 E 116
L 16
F(-) 16 F 16

(Intermingled)
III (4 gaps in obstacles) III
115 III 26
(2nd Wave) 18 (2nd Wave)
(2nd Wave)
E1 Draw F1 Draw
II E3 Draw
II
III 116 III III 16
16
WN65 Part
WN64

16 WN60
WN62 WN61
I Le Grand Hameau
I
8 916 II
3 726
I 26 II
116 III 16
Cabourg

rent- WN63
Mer
II
II Colleville Sur Mer
III 115
115

II
II 26
II
III 26 II II
II I 18 II 16 II
115 II
II 915
III 18

II
I 16
II
II
18
29
 RANGERS LEAD THE WAY
The successes of the British commando
units made an impression on the US
Army, which began to form its own
commando force called Rangers. These
troops would be trained in the same way
as their British counterparts to conduct
dangerous missions in difficult terrain.
The first Rangers were formed in early
1942 and soon more battalions were raised
to deal with the anticipated invasion of
France. The 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions
were formed in April and September
1943 and embarked on the legendary
Ranger training program to get them
ready for Operation Overlord, the invasion of France.
POINTE DU HOC
The invasion planners had the perfect target for the new
2nd Ranger Battalion: destroy the coastal gun battery at Pointe
du Hoc. The fortification, part of Germany’s Atlantic Wall
RANGER COMPANY
defenses, contained six casemates, which reportedly housed
six 155mm guns that could fire onto US troops at both Utah
and Omaha beaches. The Rangers were tasked to eliminate
this threat.
Before the invasion, the US 9th Air Force launched a massive
bombing raid on the objective and in the early hours of
D-Day, the battleship USS Texas brought its 14-inch guns
to bear on the defences, its huge shells carving up the French
countryside into a lunar landscape of bomb craters and
upturned earth.
Then, Dog, Easy, and Fox Companies, under the command of
Lieutenant Colonel James Earl Rudder, landed at the foot of
the imposing cliffs at Pointe du Hoc and scaled them despite
intense enemy fire. They battled overwhelming odds and
fought their way through to the coastal gun emplacements.
However, much to their surprise, the guns had been removed
from their original positions.
The resourceful Rangers quickly assembled search parties and
the battery was located and destroyed. At almost the same
time a large explosion rocked the ground and a tremendous
fireball filled the sky. A team of Rangers had discovered the
ammunition dump and finished it off.
2nd RANGER BATTALION
FIRST ARMY, NORMANDY, JUNE 1944
Colonel James Earl Rudder
Omaha Beach
A, B, and C Companies landed on Omaha Beach with the
1st and 29th Infantry as a part of Task Force O.
ABLE COMPANY
BAKER COMPANY
CHARLIE COMPANY
1ST PLATOON 2ND PLATOON
2x BARs 2x BARs
1x 60mm mortar 1x 60mm mortar
1x M1 Bazooka 1x M1 Bazooka
30
The Rangers, isolated from the rest of
the Allied forces in Normandy, settled
in to defend their ground. German
reinforcements from the 914th Infantry
Regiment descended on the Rangers.
Over and over the ever-thinning ranks of
Rangers fought them off.
When further enemy reinforcements
arrived, the Rangers withdrew behind the
captured German fortifications to make
a final stand. After two days of relentless
assaults, the 29th Infantry Division broke
through from Omaha Beach and relieved
the besieged Rangers at Point du Hoc.
OMAHA BEACH
Elsewhere, Able, Baker and Charlie Companies of 2nd Ranger
Battalion and the 5th Ranger Battalion landed with the
29th Infantry Division at Omaha beach.
Pinned down by the horrendous fire coming from the bluffs
above the seawall, the Rangers waited with the rest of the
survivors of the 116th Infantry Regiment. Their wait would
not be long.
Walking up the beach with a purpose, General Cota surveyed
the soldiers huddled against the sea wall and, still standing,
addressed them as hot lead flew all around. Lieutenant
Colonel Max Schneider of the 5th Rangers stood up to receive
his orders. General Cota asked which unit this was. On being
told 5th Rangers, he said, ‘Well then Rangers, lead the way’.
With General Cota’s words still in their heads the Rangers
scrambled over the seawall and through the wire obstacles to
scale the bluffs. They led the way into the French countryside
and all the way to the town of Vierville, helping to take the
draw that would allow vehicular traffic to begin to flow into
France from the beaches. This effort would save Omaha
Beach, and allow the Allies to begin the buildup that would
make Operation Overlord successful.
Individual courage, guts and determination allowed the
Rangers to accomplish the task at hand, a testament to their
training. To this day the motto of the Rangers remains the
famous words of General Cota, ‘Rangers, lead the way.’
Pointe-du-Hoc
D, E, and F Companies assaulted the cliffs of Point-du-Hoc to
eliminate a German 155mm battery located there.
DOG COMPANY
EASY COMPANY
FOX COMPANY
1ST PLATOON 2ND PLATOON
2x BARs 2x BARs
1x 60mm mortar 1x 60mm mortar
1x M1 Bazooka 1x M1 Bazooka
 POINTE DU HOC
Pointe du Hoc provided the German gunners with an easily
defended vantage point with which to engage any Allied fleet,
CO

making it a prime target on D-Day.

TE

UT 155mm battery range

LCA (Landing Craft, Assault) Roster
NT

AH

LCA668 D Company LCA861 E Company LCA883 F Company

IN

OM LCA858 D Company LCA862 E Company LCA884 F Company

Pointe AH
A
du Hoc
Battery Vierville LCA722 E Company LCA888 E Company LCA887 F Company
Carentan LCA860 D Company, became swamped and sunk before landing.
NORMANDY Bayeux

SAULT L ANDINGS
D AS EC
NE om
KEY AN pan
PL y

722
155mm gun emplacement

861
LC
y

A
an

FC

862
LC
Shelter
mp

LC
om

888
LC
A 66
Barbed wire 8 pan

A
Co

LC
LC
A 61 y

883
85 8
D

Minefields 8 LC
A

884
LC

LC
A 86

A
Trench

887
0

LC

RANGER COMPANY
A
2
86

LC
MG bunker

A
LC

888
2cm FlaK bunker

722
A
LC

668
AC

858
Ranger movement T

LC

A
UA

LC

A
L

LC
LA

887
German movement ND

A
ING

LC

84
S

8
LCA

3 8
LCA8
A group of Rangers is
captured by German forces
while attempting to silence
the anti-aircraft position.

The anti-aircraft bunker is

the main source of German
resistance within the Pointe-
du-Hoc battery.

Attack by survivors of German

726th Grenadier Regiment nearly
penetrates ranger positions The sparse
(approx. 1600hrs). minefields were
mainly destroyed
during the massive
bombardment.

0 100 200 300

Meters Rangers set out down the road
300 600 900
Feet to set up a perimeter and find
the missing guns.

To Grandcamp

The missing guns were German platoons from

found behind a tree
Highw
line a short distance
further south.
1st Battalion, 914th Regiment
counterattack from the South after
a y (D5
14) dark and push the Rangers back to
To Vierville
the Pointe du Hoc battery area.

31
 RANGER COMPANY INFANTRY FORMATION

You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box.
You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.
HEADQUARTERS

RANGER
COMPANY HQ
LU134

33
INFANTRY INFANTRY ARTILLERY

RANGER RANGER RANGER

PLATOON PLATOON 81mm MORTAR
LU135 LU135 PLATOON
33

33
LU136

33
You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.
RANGER COMPANY

One of the DUKW's exploded from a direct hit by a increasing, and mortar rounds were now starting to
German mortar round. The waddling vehicle sank impact around the battery site. A sudden ferocious
instantly, while its companions continued towards exchange of fire to the South indicated that the
the shore. They had practised this whole assault serious fighting had started. "Let’s go - keep the
so often, it should have gone off like clockwork - enemy away while someone locates the guns. Same
instead they were behind schedule, losing men fast mission, different tactics."
and hadn't even begun to scale the looming cliffs of
Grazing fire from an enemy machine gun bowled
Pointe du Hoc. Some of the ladders borrowed from the
over two Rangers, forcing everyone to dive for
Fire Brigade had been lost on the way in, and the
cover. A ragged line of advancing German grenadiers
surviving ladders weren't tall enough to get all the
appeared, and finally given a target to vent their
way up. Sergeant Gravemoor thought that all things
anger on, the Rangers responded with a blistering
considered, it was all going pretty well - he wasn't
barrage. The advance melted away leaving scattered
dead and he was nearly at the top of the cliff face.
feld grey clad bodies in its wake,
One last heave and he crawled over the edge. A
Sharp, familiar explosions sounded somewhere in the
quick scan showed no enemy nearby, so he hauled
distance - the sound thermite charges make as they
up a heavier rope line and secured it. The rest
destroy artillery pieces. "Looks like they found the
of his squad assembled as more Rangers made it
guns. Must have gone for a walk. Alright, dig in. Now
to the top. The lack of response from the Germans
we hold for relief from the boys down on the beaches.
was an indication that the plan had gone further
They should be mighty grateful that those guns
awry. "No guns! The damned guns are gone!" Further
aren't lobbing shells on their heads." There should
shouts backed that crazy statement up. Gravemoor
have been more Rangers coming up the cliffs by now,
led his men to the nearest concrete pit and sure
but no sign of them so far. Grimly, Gravemoor started
enough - empty.
entrenching - there would be more Germans soon. The
"SNAFU. As usual" someone muttered. Captain Bronte Rangers would just have to gut it out, and make the
was directing teams to spread out and locate the enemy pay to move them.
suddenly agile guns. German fire was gradually

32
 RANGER COMPANY HQ
RANGER COMPANY HQ
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY FORMATION • IS HIT ON
• RANGERS LEAD THE WAY •
FEARLESS 3+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 2+ SAVE

1x Thompson SMG team 1 POINT

VETERAN
SKILL

3+ Infantry
3+
2+
Deadly
The Rangers are well motivated, tough volun- Assault
teers. After a rigorous training program they are
fit and ready for battle, afraid of nothing. TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

Ranger battalions lead the way on the bloody 8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO
shores of Omaha Beach and up the steep cliffs WEAPON RANGE ROF
HALTED MOVING
ANTI- FIRE-
TANK POWER NOTES
at Pointe-du-Hoc. Thompson SMG team 4”/10CM 3 3 1 6 Pinned ROF 1

RANGER COMPANY: Features

ASSAULT TROOPS: The Rangers are specialist commando
and assault troops. They are cross trained in the use of
every conceivable weapon they could encounter on the
battlefield, so they can operate mortars, machine-guns,
and more. This gives them the flexibility they need to
accomplish the wide variety of missions assigned to them.
RANGERS LEAD THE WAY: Ranger training is physically
intense, including scaling cliffs to achieve the element of
surprise. This skill will be essential at Point-du-Hoc where
they must scale the cliffs and eliminate the German battery
situated above.

RANGER COMPANY
RANGER PLATOON
RANGER PLATOON
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • OBSERVER • IS HIT ON
• RANGERS LEAD THE WAY •
FEARLESS 3+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 2+ SAVE

7x M1 Garand rifle team

1x 60mm mortar 10 POINTS VETERAN
SKILL

3+ Infantry
3+
2+
Deadly
Assault
OPTIONS
• Replace up to two M1 Garand rifle
teams with Bazooka teams at no cost. TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO

• Replace 60mm mortar team with an
RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
M1 Garand rifle team at no cost. WEAPON HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

M1 Garand rifle team 16”/40CM 1 1 2 6

The Unit Leader is one of the M1 Garand rifle teams,
60mm mortar 32”/80CM ARTILLERY 1 4+ Assault 3+, Heavy Weapon
and is mounted on a small base (see page 91). OPTIONAL
M1 Bazooka team 8”/20CM 1 1 10 5+ Assault 3+, Slow Firing

RANGER
MORTAR PLATOON RANGER
81MM MORTAR PLATOON
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • HEAVY WEAPON • IS HIT ON
• RANGERS LEAD THE WAY •
FEARLESS 3+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 2+ SAVE
4x 81mm mortar 6 POINTS
2x 81mm mortar 3 POINTS VETERAN
SKILL

3+ Infantry
3+
4+
Heavy Weapon
Assault
Each Ranger battalion has six M1 81mm mor-
tars in its headquarters arsenal. When needed, TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
one of the battalion’s companies would operate 4”/10CM 4”/10CM 6”/15CM 8”/20CM AUTO
the mortars in support of the operation. ROF ANTI- FIRE-
WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES

81mm mortar 40”/100CM ARTILLERY 1 4+ Smoke bombardment

33
 29, LET'S GO
The 29th Infantry Division started out Training began in earnest on the moors
as a National Guard division from the of England to prepare the division for its
states of Maryland and Virginia, states critical role in the D-Day invasion. As a
that had fought against one another in part of this training the 116th Infantry
the American Civil War. This is where it Regiment was picked to lead the assault
derived its distinctive name and patch, into Fortress Europe. Immediately the
blue for the ‘Yankees’ of Maryland, grey infantry of the regiment commenced
for the ‘Rebels’ of Virginia. training in explosives and demolition to
The heritage of the division could be prepare them for their new mission tasks.
traced by its three infantry regiments as This was a time of great pride for the
well. The ‘Dandy 5th’ or 175th Infantry division. Having been selected to lead
Regiment traced its roots to the the way, time would tell all too soon if it
Revolutionary War where it served in the was up to the task on 6 June 1944.
Continental Army and was said to have
saved Washington’s Army at the battle of Long Island. D-DAY
The 116th Infantry Regiment traced its lineage to the At H-Hour on 6 June 1944, the 116th Regimental Combat
Revolutionary War as well. But the regiment’s real claim to Team led the way onto Omaha Beach. Their landing craft
fame came from the Civil War while serving in ‘Stonewall’ came under fire before they even hit the beach, many hitting
Jackson’s Brigade at the Battle of Manassas. This Civil War underwater obstacles and mines. German machine-guns
swept the beaches. Mortar fire and anti-tank guns were zeroed
ASSAULT COMPANY

legacy had earned them the title of ‘Stonewallers’, a name

they carried into the Second World War.
Finally, there was the 115th Infantry Regiment coming from
the western part of Maryland. A lineage again going back to
the Revolutionary War, but one fractured during the Civil
War as both the Confederate and Union Armies raised their
own 115th Regiment. Brother would fight against brother as
both regiments came from the same area.
On 11 October 1942 the division arrived in Britain to begin
preparations for entering the war. At the time no one was cer-
tain where they would head to next, but as each battle came
and went, the morale of the division plummeted­—the men
asking when and where the division would finally get to fight.
Then in July of 1943 a new commander arrived, Major
General Charles H Gerhardt. His style of leadership empha-
sized total knowledge of all your subordinate’s warfighter
skills. So, starting with his senior officers, he held a board of
inquiry. There he grilled the regimental commanders on basic
infantry tasks. When it was over the officers knew who was
boss, and what the boss expected.
in on the beach causing more mayhem.
The regiment’s assault momentarily stalled. General Cota,
the division’s assistant commander yelled, ‘Hell, men, we’re
getting killed here on the beach. We might as well go a little
farther in and get killed there!’ The men got up and pushed
in, reducing German strongpoints along the way.
When the 111th Field Artillery Battalion landed with only
one of its 105mm guns, its commander reorganised his
troops saying, ‘To hell with our artillery mission, we’ve got to
be infantrymen now!’
General Gerhardt was ashore directing the landing from
1300 hrs, and set up his CP in a rock quarry. With that, the
division settled in for their first night in France.
The following day the division lost no time resuming the
offensive capturing Vierville-sur-Mer and St Laurent. As
the 116th closed in on Grandchamps, they were halted by
intense machine-gun fire. When artillery could not silence
the Germans, Technical Sergeant Frank Peregory moved in
alone to knock them out.

116TH REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM

29 INFANTRY DIVISION, V CORPS, FIRST ARMY, NORMANDY, 6 JUNE 1944
TH

Colonel Charles DW Canham

116TH INFANTRY 121ST ENGINEER COMBAT 111TH FIELD ARTILLERY

REGIMENT BATTALION BATTALION

12x M1917 HMGs 12x 105mm howitzers

45x BARs 9x 57mm anti-tank guns
6+x M1919 LMGs 18x M1 Bazookas
ANTI-TANK COMPANY
9x 60mm mortars B & C COMPANIES
15x M1 Bazookas 743RD TANK BATTALION
8x M1917 HMGs
6x 81mm mortars 112TH ENGINEER COMBAT
3x 57mm anti-tank guns BATTALION
1ST BATTALION 6x 105mm Cannons
2ND BATTALION CANNON COMPANY 53x M4 Sherman tanks
3RD BATTALION 18x M1917 LMGs
27x M1 Bazookas

34
As the sergeant worked his way up one flank, he stumbled into
a German patrol of eleven men . He killed eight with hand
grenades forcing the remaining three to surrender. Peregory
continued his mission to take out the machine-gun post and
caught them totally off guard. The sergeant captured 32 more
troops, including the crews of the machine-guns holding up
the 116th Regiment. He would be awarded the Congressional
Medal of Honor posthumously, after being killed in action
six days later.
Omaha Beach extracted the most terrible casualties from the
Blue and Greys, but the lessons learned there would remain at
the heart of the division, making them a tough unit.
ST. LÔ
Once the beaches were secure the 29th pressed inland into
Normandy, through the bloody hedgerows and on to St. Lô.
Fighting in the hedgerows was pure hell as the doughboys
of the 29th fought from hedge to hedge, rarely knowing for
certain whether friend or foe occupied the adjacent field.
Slowly the division made its way to St. Lô, reaching the out-
skirts of the city on 17 June. However, the 29th had out paced
its support and found itself surrounded on three sides by the
Germans. They dug in atop a hill overlooking St. Lô and
awaited the rest of the American forces to catch up. During
the next three weeks the division endured intense barrages
from German artillery, prompting the troops to nickname
the high ground as ‘Purple Heart Hill’. The division also saw
off four major German counterattacks to push them off the
hill, but they held on.
On 11 July the division was moving again. The 116th raced
ahead and cut the St Lo-Bayeux road, while the rest of the
division positioned itself to take St. Lô.
General Cota, commanding Task Force C, headed straight
into St. Lô on 18 July and captured the city after fierce house-
to-house fighting.
BREAKOUT
On 26 July, following the success of Operation Cobra, the
division teamed up with the 30th Infantry Division and the
ASSAULT COMPANY
2nd ‘Hell on Wheels’ Armoured Division and seized the towns
of Percy, Tessy-sur-Vire, St. Germain de Tallevande, Vire, and
Villbaudon in quick order.
Later that month, the Germans launched counterattacks to
cut off the American advance into the Cherbourg peninsula.
The 116th Panzergrenadier Division hit the 29th at Percy and
Villebaudon. The Blue and Greys threw back each enemy
attack, inflicting heavy casualties. The Germans were now
forced to give up any chance of halting the 29th and its fellow
Allied divisions in Normandy.
The division was finally pulled out of the line after 63 days
in combat on 15 August. The division received badly needed
supplies and replacements while it waited for its next assign-
ment which would be just around the corner.
35
 ASSAULT COMPANY INFANTRY FORMATION

You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box.
You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.

HEADQUARTERS

ASSAULT
COMPANY HQ
LU137

37
INFANTRY INFANTRY WEAPONS WEAPONS

ASSAULT BOAT ASSAULT BOAT SUPPORT BOAT SUPPORT BOAT

SECTION SECTION SECTION SECTION
LU138 LU138 LU139 LU139
38

38

39

39
M1917 MACHINE-GUN MORTAR
PLATOON PLATOON
ASSAULT COMPANY

LU117 LU118

44

44
INFANTRY INFANTRY

WEAPONS WEAPONS

ASSAULT BOAT ASSAULT BOAT

SECTION SECTION
LU138 LU138
38

38

SUPPORT BOAT SUPPORT BOAT

SECTION SECTION
LU139 LU139
39

39
INFANTRY INFANTRY 57mm ANTI-TANK 57mm ANTI-TANK
PLATOON PLATOON
LU141 LU141
45

45
ARTILLERY
ASSAULT BOAT ASSAULT BOAT
SECTION SECTION
LU138 LU138
38

38

105mm CANNON
PLATOON
LU142
45

You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

36
 ASSAULT COMPANY HQ
ASSAULT COMPANY HQ
MOTIVATION
CONFIDENT 4+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally
2x Thompson SMG team 2 POINTS
TRAINED
SKILL
The men of the 116th Infantry Regiment of the
29th Infantry Division are specially trained and
organised for the Normandy invasion. TACTICAL
Due to the limited load capacity of the landing 8”/20CM
craft, every man is critical and the company's WEAPON
heavy weapons were distributed across several Thompson SMG team
craft to minimise losses.
ASSAULT COMPANY: Features
LANDING CRAFT OPERATIONS: Assault companies are
organized to fit in the limited space available in a small
landing craft. The platoons are reduced in size, but given
additional firepower, such as bazookas, 60mm mortars,
light machine-guns, and flame-throwers. By spreading
out the company's weapons, the risk of losing them all is
greatly reduced, but it also means that each landing craft
party can operate independently if they are separated from
the rest of the company.
A wave of spray came up from the bow . Airlies peered
over the gunwale tracking the salvo from the barges
behind them. “Krauts won’t like that.” He paused,
“The hell?” Airlies turned to yell forward. “Captain,
they’re way short! Gotta be a thousand yards from
the beach. We’re sailin’ right into it!”
“Button it, Airlies. If the Navy can’t hit a damn
beach, they ain’t gonna hit us.” Capitan Stone yelled
as the Assault boat smashed through the waves.
Bucking and pitching. Then all hell broke loose.
Bunkers spat fire. The boat’s bow rang like a fire
alarm as machine-gun rounds raked it. More bullets
• INFANTRY FORMATION • IS HIT ON
AGGRESSIVE 3+
3+ SAVE
4+ Infantry
3+
TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO
RANGE ROF
HALTED MOVING
ANTI- FIRE-
TANK POWER NOTES
4”/10CM 3 3 1 6 Pinned ROF 1
PIONEER EQUIPMENT: The assault companies are
expected to breach Hitler's Atlantic Wall, and to do this
they have been issued pioneer equipment, such as wire
cutters, bangalore torpedoes, and other demolitions, to
quickly neutralise enemy fortifications.
ASSAULT COMPANY
OBSERVER: Naval shore parties are embedded into
the assault companies to help coordinate gunfire from
off-shore batteries. This, combined with excellent American
radio equipment, means that your assault force will have
ready access to artillery support.
ripped over the heads of the men like angry bees.
“Down!”, Captain Stone yelled, “down and get ready!”
The naval rating rammed the boat through the waves.
As the beach approached, a couple of men unlatched
the inner doors of the assault boat, but stayed
behind them as MG rounds tore through the dropgate.
Mortar rounds sent geysers of spray into the sky
on either side of the LCA, but it finally steadied,
grinding onto the unseen beach. “Go!” the captain
shouted. “Go, go go!”
They struggled through the assault doors and down
the ramp, pitching into neck deep water. Equipment
weighed them down. Bullets stitched lines across
the sea like an insane sewing machine. Two men
disappeared beneath the waves – hit or drowning. The
men of the 29th struggled forward. The water provided
some cover, metal obstacles provided more. The men in
front of Whiteman were hit and went down, thrashing,
staining the water red. The PFC landed atop one of
them, was grabbed by the dying man and went under.
Airlies struggled into the shallows crouching behind
an iron obstacle. The Captain Stone floated next to
him face down, hit by a sniper. Airlies waved to the
men, less than half the platoon was visible. “Stay in
the surf,” he shouted. “The tide’s coming in, so move
up with it. When we get close enough, we head there!”
He pointed at a seawall halfway up the beach. It
couldn’t have been more than a hundred yards, but
to Whitey it looked like it was on the moon. The men
of the 29th Infantry Division gritted their teeth and
moved forward, baptised in blood and fire.
37
 ASSAULT BOAT SECTION
ASSAULT BOAT SECTION
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • OBSERVER • PIONEERS • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+ SAVE
5x M1 Garand rifle team
2x M1 Bazooka team TRAINED
SKILL

4+ Infantry
3+
1x 60mm mortar
1x Flame-thrower team 9 POINTS
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

OPTIONS 8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO

• R
eplace one Bazooka team with an WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
M1919 LMG at no cost. M1 Garand rifle team 16”/40CM 1 1 2 6
The Unit Leader is one of the M1 Garand rifle teams, M1919 LMG team 16”/40CM 5 2 2 6 Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon
and is mounted on a small base (see page 91). Flame-thrower team 6”/15CM 2 2 2 AUTO Assault 5+, Flame-thrower,
Heavy Weapon, Pinned ROF 1
M1 Bazooka team 8”/20CM 1 1 10 5+ Assault 5+, Slow Firing
Rifle platoons have also been reorganized into 60mm mortar 32”/80CM ARTILLERY 1 4+ Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon
boat sections, small units designed to each fit into
a single landing craft. Each section is specially
trained to operate independently and given a
wide variety of weapons so that they are ready
and able to tackle any threat put in front of them.
ASSAULT COMPANY

LCVP BOAT SECTION LOADING PLAN

Boat Team Leader (officer)
Rifle Team
M1 Garand, 1 coloured smoke grenade,
1 & 2 2 frag grenades, wire cutters.
1 2
M1 Garand, 1 smoke grenade, 2 frag grenades,
3 M7 grenade launcher, 10 rifle smoke grenades. 3 4 5
M1 Garand, 1 coloured smoke grenade,
4 & 5 2 frag grenades, 2 Bangalore Torpedoes. 1 2 3
1 4 2
Wire Cutting Team
M1 Garand, 1 smoke grenade, 2 Bangalore Torpedoes,
1 - 4 2 wire cutters, 2 large searchnose wire cutters. 3 1 4
3 2 4
BAR Team
BAR gunner: BAR, BAR belt (13 magazines), 1 3 1
1 & 3 BAR spare parts kit.
2 4 2
Assistant gunner: M1 Garand, BAR belt (13
2 & 4 magazines), Ammunition bag (32 M1 Garand clips).
1 2 3
60mm Mortar Team 4 5
Observer: sight, cleaning staff, binoculars, compass,
1 flashlight, 12 mortar rounds, M1 carbine.
2 Gunner: M2 60mm mortar, .45 pistol, 5 mortar rounds.
3 Assistant gunner: 12 mortar rounds.
4 Ammo carrier: 12 mortar rounds, M1 carbine.

Bazooka Team
Rocketeer: M1A1 bazooka, M1 carbine,
1 & 3 8 round rocket bag.
2 & 4 Loader: M1 Garand, 12 round rocket bag.

Flame-thrower Team
1 Operator: Flame-thrower, .45 pistol.
Assistant: 5 gallon fuel refill, nitrogen tank, wrenches,
2 M1 Garand, 4 smoke grenades, 6 frag grenades.

Demolition Team
M1 Garand, 50’ primacord, at least 4 detonators,
6 blocks of ½lb TNT, 7 pack charges, 3 pole charges,
1 - 5 demolition kit with crimpers, knife, tape and cord,
2 fuse lighters, 1 smoke grenade, 2 frag grenades.

Assistant Boat Team Leader (NCO)

38
 SUPPORT BOAT SECTION
SUPPORT BOAT SECTION
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • OBSERVER • PIONEERS • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+ SAVE

4x M1 Garand rifle team

1x 81mm mortar TRAINED
SKILL

4+ Infantry
3+
1x M1917 HMG 5 POINTS

The Unit Leader is one of the M1 Garand rifle teams,

and is mounted on a small base (see page 91). TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO

Just as the riflemen in the rifle and weapons WEAPON RANGE ROF
HALTED MOVING
ANTI- FIRE-
TANK POWER NOTES

platoons have been reorganised to fit efficiently M1 Garand rifle team 16”/40CM 1 1 2 6
into their assault boats, so too is the battalion’s M1917 HMG team 24”/60CM 6 2 2 6 Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon
weapons company. The company is split into five 81mm mortar 40”/100CM ARTILLERY 1 4+ Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon,
Smoke bombardment
boats called Support Sections, which in turn were
parcelled out to the assault companies.

ASSAULT COMPANY
LCVP SUPPORT BOAT SECTION LOADING PLAN
Boat Team Leader (officer)
Rifle Team
M1 Garand, 1 smoke grenade, 2 frag grenades, wire
1 2 1 - 3 cutters. 1 frag grenade, M7 grenade launcher, 3 rifle
smoke grenades, 12 AT rifle grenades.
3 4 5 M1 Garand, 2 smoke grenades, 5 frag grenades,
4 & 5 M1938 wirecutter.
1 1 2
Wire Cutting Team
2 3 4 M1 Garand, 1 smoke grenade, 2 Bangalore Torpedoes,
1 - 4 2 wirecutters, 2 large searchnose wire cutters.
3 4 1
5 6 2 HMG Team
1 Tripod, pistol.
3 4 5 2 M1917A1 HMG, carbine.
6 7 8 3 Water chest, ammo box, spare parts kit, carbine.

1 2 3 4 & 5 2 ammo boxes, carbine.

6 2 ammo boxes, carbine, binoculars.
4 5
81mm Mortar Team
Observer: sight, binoculars, compass, flashlight,
1 5 mortar rounds, M1 carbine, sound powered phone.
2 Gunner: bipod, M1 carbine, sound powered phone.
Assistant gunner: mortar tube with aiming stakes
3 inside, M1 carbine.
4 Baseplate, M1 carbine.
M1 carbine, 7 mortar rounds, 400 yards of
5 communication wire.
6 - 8 M1 Garand, 7 mortar rounds.

Demolition Team
M1 Garand, 50’ primacord, at least 4 detonators,
6 blocks of ½lb TNT, 7 pack charges, 3 pole charges,
1 - 5 demolition kit with crimpers, knife, tape and cord,
2 fuse lighters, 1 smoke grenade, 2 frag grenades.

Assistant Boat Team Leader (NCO)

39
 THE 29TH IN BRITTANY
On 15 August, the 29th Infantry Division
was pulled off the line after 63 days in
action. For them the battle of Normandy
was over, but soon the fight to liberate
Brittany from the Germans would begin.
The collapse of the German army in
Normandy had forced many of the
defenders west into Brittany where
German troops held out in critical towns.
However, by mid-August, most of these
had been captured and the 29th Infantry
Division, part of the US VIII Corps, was
tasked with capturing the major port city
of Brest. In their way were over 20,000 determined German
paratroopers and grenadiers, well protected in bunkers and
backed by several massive naval guns—the Battle for Brittany
had begun.
The rapid advance of VIII Corps reached Brest in late August
and the 29th Infantry Division took up the far right flank,
next to the 8th and 2nd Infantry Divisions. 2nd and 5th Ranger
Battalions were attached to the division and formed Task
RIFLE COMPANY
Force Sugar to deal with the German strongpoints to the rear,
freeing up the rest of the division to focus on the city itself.
HILL 103
As the 29th Infantry Division closed in on the city they moved
to capture the high ground known as Hill 103. This position
had a commanding view of the city and its defences and as
such considered essential for the coming siege.
The hill was defended by German paratroopers from
the 2nd Parachute Regiment supported with several anti-
aircraft guns. They were dug in deep with a myriad of wire
entanglements and machine-gun bunkers.
The 175th Regiment led the way, blowing up the wire with
pole charges and storming up the eastern edge of the hill,
pushing the Germans back. Then the German paratroopers
counterattacked and regained some ground but failed to push
the Americans off the hill. For the next few days troops from
both sides fought from foxhole to foxhole.
The stalemate was finally broken when the 3rd Battalion of
the 115th arrived equipped with flame-throwers, extra pole
charges and special demolition training. They demolished the
enemy positions, and forced the Germans to withdraw.
40
FORTS KERANROUX AND
MONTBAREY
After Hill 103, the 29th Infantry Division
destroyed strongpoint after strongpoint
until they hit two mutually-supporting
forts called Keranroux and Montbarey.
These were placed directly in the path
of the 29th Infantry Division’s push to
Brest and had to be dealt with in order
to continue.
The first target was Fort Keranroux. The
division’s 86th Chemical Mortar Battalion
put down a heavy smoke bombardment
and the 175th Regiment charged the fort, taking it in 15 minutes.
The rest of the division mopped up the immediate area and
then set its sights on Montbarey.
Montbarey was surrounded by a series of bunkers and a thick
belt of barbed wire. Grenadiers and non-combatant ‘volunteers’
manned the outer defences while the veteran paratroopers
manned the fort itself.
When the 115th Regiment attacked the 3rd Battalion led the way
armed with their special training and extra pioneer equipment.
They quickly overcame four of the major pillboxes, opening the
way for an assault on the fort itself. However, the battalion was
halted by intense fire from the German defenders.
The 116th Regiment relieved the 115th and brought with them
a squadron of British flame-throwing Crocodile tanks from the
141st Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps. The British sent the
squadron to demonstrate the usefulness of such tanks to reduce
enemy fortifications. They immediately set to work flaming the
German positions in the fort and impressing American brass.
The Germans had no anti-tank weapons and were helpless
against the onslaught. The only thing that saved them was
the discovery of a pile of old gas masks in the basement of the
fort, which helped them survive the smoke and fumes.
Still, the flame attack allowed the 116th to get up to the fort
and knock the door barricade in with a 105mm cannon.
The British Crocodiles and some tank destroyers plastered
the building with flame and high-explosive shells. Still the
Germans resisted all attempts to storm the fort.
Finally, engineers packed 2000 pounds (1000kg) of TNT
into a tunnel beneath the fortress and blew out the entire
northern face of the fort. Realising that they could not resist,
the German paratroopers finally ran up a white flag and
surrendered the charred and broken fort.
 29TH INFANTRY DIVISION IN BRITTANY, 1944
0 1 2 3 4
Km
1 2
M

29th Infantry 8th Infantry

Division Division
Sector Sector

Task Force 2nd Infantry

Sugar Division
Sector
BREST Kerognat
Task Forces Strongpoint
A&B 29th Infantry 8th Infantry
Division 8 Sept Division
Sector Sector

stu
Aug
- 31
ne
t li
Hill 103 Fron

BREST
29 Aug - 3 Sept

Fort City Wall

Keranroux
KEY Fort
Montbarey 12 Sept
16 Sept
115th Infantry Regt

RIFLE COMPANY
r
116th Infantry Regt be ber
em 7 Septem
tl ine - 1
p t Fron
Se
175th Infantry Regt
3
-1

Submarine
Pens
ne
t li

18 Sept
5th Ranger Bat
n
Fro

Fort Fort
Toulbroch Fort du
de Mengant Fort du Portzic
141st Royal Tank Regt 3 Sept 5 Sept Dellec
18 Sept
5 Sept

BREST finally developed a method that worked by pouring thickened

With the forts captured, the 29 was free to tighten its grip
th
on the city. The 116th and 175th closed in on the city, while the
115th and 5th Rangers forced their way through strongpoints
to reach their objective, the submarine pens.
At 1900 hrs on 16 September, the 175th Regiment scaled the
old city walls and became the first American troops to enter
the city. The troops switched to street fighting as they went
house to house clearing the defenders out.
The 115th, 116th and the 2nd Rangers cleared the far right flank
with the assistance of tank destroyers. The 115th broke through
to the submarine pens and encountered a major defensive
network of pill boxes connected by tunnels which were in
turn connected to the heavily fortified pens themselves.
The 115th brought up M12 self-propelled 155mm guns to
blast the bunkers at point blank range, but even they were
not tough enough to crack the bunker line. The Rangers
gasoline down ventilation shafts and igniting it. The effect
was demoralising on the Germans who soon gave up and the
submarine pens were captured.
The city’s defences began to crumble on 18 September and
soon Germans were surrendering en masse. The 29th Division
was pulled off the line and for the first time since D-Day it
was allowed a well-earned rest.
The 29th Infantry Division and its attached Task Force Sugar
had captured 27 major strongpoints and taken over 13,000
prisoners of war, while suffering 2646 casualties.
During the battles of Normandy and Brest the division earned
an excellent reputation for being able to take heavily fortified
lines. Their special assault training was critical in Brittany,
and was soon called upon once again to attack the German’s
mighty Siegfried Line.

41
 RIFLE COMPANY
INFANTRY FORMATION

You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box.
You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.

HEADQUARTERS

RIFLE
COMPANY HQ
LU140

43
INFANTRY INFANTRY INFANTRY

RIFLE RIFLE RIFLE

PLATOON PLATOON PLATOON
LU116 LU116 LU116
43

43

43
ARTILLERY ARTILLERY ARTILLERY
RIFLE COMPANY

MORTAR MORTAR 105mm CANNON

PLATOON PLATOON PLATOON
LU118 LU118 LU142
44

44

44
M4 SHERMAN (105mm)
ASSAULT GUN PLATOON
LU154

59
WEAPONS ANTI-TANK ANTI-TANK

M1917 MACHINE-GUN 57mm ANTI-TANK 57mm ANTI-TANK

PLATOON PLATOON PLATOON
LU117 LU141 LU141
44

45

45

You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

42
 RIFLE COMPANY HQ
RIFLE COMPANY HQ
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY FORMATION • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+ SAVE

2x Thompson SMG team 2 POINTS

TRAINED
SKILL

4+ Infantry
3+
While the assault companies of the Blue &
Gray's 116th Infantry Regiment tackled Omaha
Beach, the 115th and 175th Infantry Regiments TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
stand ready to take over the attack. Though new 8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO
to battle, they are nevertheless determined to RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
WEAPON HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
kick the Germans out of France.
Thompson SMG team 4”/10CM 3 3 1 6 Pinned ROF 1

RIFLE PLATOON
RIFLE PLATOON
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • OBSERVER • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+ SAVE

0x M1 Garand rifle team

1
1x M1 Bazooka team 8 POINTS TRAINED
SKILL

4+ Infantry
3+
7x M1 Garand rifle team

RIFLE COMPANY
1x M1 Bazooka team 6 POINTS
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
OPTIONS 8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO
• A
dd one M1 Bazooka team for ROF ANTI- FIRE-
WEAPON RANGE TANK POWER NOTES
+1 point. HALTED MOVING

M1 Garand rifle team 16”/40CM 1 1 2 6

• Add up to two M1919 LMG for
M1 Bazooka team 8”/20CM 1 1 10 5+ Assault 5+, Slow Firing
+1 point per team. OPTIONAL
M1919 LMG 16”/40CM 5 2 2 6 Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon
• Add one M1917 HMG for +2 point. OPTIONAL
M1917 HMG 24”/60CM 6 2 2 6 Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon
The Unit Leader is one of the M1 Garand rifle teams,
and is mounted on a small base (see page 91).

RIFLE COMPANY: Weapons & Features

THOMPSON SMG: The 'Tommy Gun' gained notoriety
during the prohibition years as a gangster's submachine-
gun of choice due to their reliability and high rate of fire.
Twenty years later they are issued to infantry officers and
NCOs, to give them a powerful weapon that they can use in
close quarters combat.
M1 GARAND: The .30-calibre semi-automatic M1 Garand
is the most modern rifle of any army in the world. Accurate
and reliable, it can empty an eight-round clip as fast as the
trigger can be pulled. One team out of every three-team
squad also carries a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) to
bolster their short-range firepower.
M1919 LMG: The M1919 is a lightened development of the
M1917 HMG. Its air-cooled design, with a simple perforated
guard sleeve around the barrel, is intended for short,
controlled bursts of fire. Prolonged firing can cause the
barrel to overheat.
M1 BAZOOKA: Firing a 60mm shaped-charge HEAT rocket,
the bazooka is one of the first anti-tank rocket launchers.
OBSERVER: Remember, your Rifle Platoon's Unit
Leader can radio your artillery units and spot for their
bombardments.
THE ‘TRUSCOTT TROT’: Long-distance speed marches
are a major feature of US infantry training, and the hard
practice has paid off. The riflemen can cover ground across
country faster than any other infantry.

43
 MORTAR PLATOON
MORTAR PLATOON
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • HEAVY WEAPON • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+ SAVE

6x 81mm mortar 6 POINTS

TRAINED
SKILL

4+
3+
4x 81mm mortar 4 POINTS Infantry

5+
Heavy Weapon
2x 81mm mortar 2 POINTS Assault

3x 60mm mortar 2 POINTS TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

4”/10CM 4”/10CM 6”/15CM 8”/20CM AUTO

American mortars provide quick and accurate WEAPON RANGE ROF
HALTED MOVING
ANTI- FIRE-
TANK POWER NOTES
fire for your infantry. Remember that each 81mm mortar 40”/100CM ARTILLERY 1 4+ Smoke bombardment
platoon leader and the company commander are 60mm mortar 32”/80CM ARTILLERY 1 4+
trained to call for fire using some of the finest
communications gear available. This gives you
greater flexibility when calling for fire than any
other nation’s army.

MORTAR: Features
ARTILLERY: When the howitzers of the field artillery are
plotting fire missions or otherwise occupied, it is useful
for the infantry to have their own indirect-fire weapon.
RIFLE COMPANY
PORTABLE: A mortar tube and baseplate are light enough
for the crew to carry on their shoulders, letting these
versatile weapons go wherever they are needed.

Mortars can be just as good as the bigger guns at digging

infantry out of cover.

M1917 MACHINE-GUN PLATOON

M1917 MACHINE-GUN PLATOON
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • HEAVY WEAPON • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+ SAVE

4x M1917 HMG 3 POINTS

TRAINED
SKILL

4+ Infantry
3+
5+
Heavy Weapon
The tried-and-true M1917 heavy machine- Assault
gun was an ideal defensive weapon. Put your
machine-guns just behind the forward line TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
of your own troops where they can sweep the 8”/20CM 8”/20CM 12”/30CM 12”/30CM AUTO
ground in front of your position and stop the ROF ANTI- FIRE-
WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES
enemy infantry.
M1917 HMG 24”/60CM 6 2 2 6
In the attack use these guns on a flank, advancing
into cover within range of enemy infantry, and
opening up to keep the enemy’s heads down while
your own infantry assaults to clear the objective.

44
 57mm ANTI-TANK
57MMPLATOON
ANTI-TANK PLATOON
MOTIVATION • GUN UNIT • GUN SHIELD • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+ SAVE

3x 57mm gun 5 POINTS

TRAINED
SKILL

4+
3+
2x 57mm gun 3 POINTS Gun

5+
Gun
Assault

Enemy tanks are always a problem but US rifle

companies have excellent anti-tank guns and TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

bazookas to keep the tanks at bay. Your 57mm 2”/5CM 2”/5CM 4”/10CM 6”/15CM 5+
guns are for point defence of vulnerable areas. WEAPON RANGE ROF
HALTED MOVING
ANTI- FIRE-
TANK POWER NOTES

Dig them in behind terrain so the enemy can’t 57mm gun 28”/70CM 2 1 10 4+ Forward Firing, No HE
see them and wait for the enemy to drive into
your kill zone.

57mm ANTI-TANK GUN: Features

GUN SHIELD: The gun's bulletproof shield is designed to ARMOUR PENETRATION: The M1 57mm gun's high-
give its crew some protection from frontal attack. Even so, velocity solid armour-piercing rounds can punch through
it is best to remain concealed, then open fire against the the armour of all but the heaviest German panzers.
flanks of enemy tanks at point-blank range.

RIFLE COMPANY
105mm CANNON PLATOON
105MM CANNON PLATOON
MOTIVATION • GUN UNIT • LARGE GUN • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+ SAVE

6x 105mm light howitzer 12 POINTS SKILL

4+
TRAINED 4+ Gun
4x 105mm light howitzer 8 POINTS
5+
Gun
Assault
2x 105mm light howitzer 4 POINTS

TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

The M3 105mm howitzer offers good punch in 2”/5CM 2”/5CM 4”/10CM 6”/15CM 5+
a light-weight package. While its bombardment ROF ANTI- FIRE-
WEAPON RANGE NOTES
range is not as good as the M2A1 field howitzer, HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
Forward Firing,
it makes up for that with superior mobility and 105mm light howitzer 56”/140CM ARTILLERY 3 3+ Smoke Bombardment
1 1 7 2+ Brutal, Forward Firing, Slow Firing,
its ability to be transported by glider. or Direct Fire 20”/50CM Smoke

105mm PACK HOWITZER: Features

ARTILLERY: The 105mm pack howitzer fires a 15kg
(33lb) high-explosive shell to a range of 7.5km (4.5 miles),
bringing destruction to anywhere within range on the
battlefield.
EMERGENCY ANTI-TANK: Pack howitzers are made
to fire artillery bombardments. However, if enemy tanks
manage to advance far enough to threaten the battery
at close range, the pack howitzers can also defend
themselves, firing over open sights.
BRUTAL: A single direct hit from one of the 105mm
high-explosive shells is generally enough to annihilate an
unprotected target. Infantry and guns hit by Direct Fire
must re-roll their saves.
FORWARD FIRING: The guns are not designed to rotate
quickly to follow fast-moving targets, and can only fire at
units to their front.

45
 BIG RED ONE
By the time of Normandy the ‘Fighting The Germans came out of the hills
First’ Infantry Division, also known as around Gela in force. Some thirty
the ‘Big Red One’, already had a storied tanks and truckloads of grenadiers
past of excellence in combat. Having attempted to push between the landings.
made landings in Algeria and Sicily the The 16th Infantry Regiment’s cannon
division warranted a certain bravado for company, with support from the naval
future operations. ships offshore, blasted the Axis troops
Under Major General Terry Allen, the and sent them fleeing.
unit took part in Operation Torch, Attacking at night towards the Ponte
the invasion of North Africa. On Oliva Airport north of Gela, the division
8 November 1942 the division landed caught the German garrison by surprise.
near Oran as a part of the Central Task However, the division weathered the
Force. After the landing the division continuous counterattacks for days
was split up and parcelled out to British divisions in Tunisia. afterwards before advancing once more.
Finally, in mid-February the division was reunited. Shortly
VETERAN ASSAULT COMPANY

As the Allied troops moved forward so did the 1st Infantry

thereafter Rommel launched his attack at Kasserine and the
division became involved in the desperate fighting. The men
of the 'Big Red One' would become hardened veterans by the
time the North African fighting was over.
While the men thought of home, the generals planned the
next operation. General Patton specifically requested the
1st Infantry Division for Operation Husky, the invasion of
Sicily. On 10 July 1943 the division embarked again on
the LCVP landing craft that would take them once more
onto the beaches of another land. Storming ashore at Gela
the 1st Infantry Division brushed aside the token Italian
resistance. The next day, however, would find them toe to toe
with a far more formidable foe.
Division. Its final Sicilian battle would be at a small town
called Troina in the mountainous central region. After
suffering heavy losses the division finally launched another of
its famous night attacks on 3 August. Against four defending
German divisions the attack very nearly succeeded. Having
delayed the division for a week, the enemy slipped from the
town to retreat across the straits and onto the Italian mainland.
With the end of the battle so too came the end of a legacy, as
Allen was relieved and a new commander appointed. Major
General Clarence R Huebner commanded the division as it
trained for and then executed its D-Day duties on that fateful
day of 6 June 1944.

1ST INFANTRY DIVISION

V CORPS, FIRST ARMY, NORMANDY, JUNE 1944
Major-General Clarence R Huebner

16TH INFANTRY REGIMENT

5TH FIELD ARTILLERY
BATTALION
18TH INFANTRY REGIMENT
7TH FIELD ARTILLERY
BATTALION
26TH INFANTRY REGIMENT
32ND FIELD ARTILLERY
BATTALION
REGIMENT HQ
33RD FIELD ARTILLERY
BATTALION
1ST BATTALION
(Able, Baker, Charlie & Dog Companies)

2ND BATTALION 12x 105mm howitzers

(Easy, Fox, George & How Companies)

3RD BATTALION
(Item, King, Love & Mike Companies) 741ST TANK BATTALION

9x 57mm anti-tank guns

ANTI-TANK COMPANY
53x M4 Sherman tanks
3x 57mm anti-tank guns
17x M5 Stuart light tanks
HQ COMPANY 6x M4 Sherman (105mm) tanks

I COMPANY
6x 105mm cannon 635TH TANK DESTROYER
K COMPANY BATTALION
CANNON COMPANY
L COMPANY 8x M1917 HMGs
6x 81mm mortars
M (WEAPONS)
COMPANY 36x M5 3-inch anti-tank guns
15x BARs
2x M1919 LMGs
3x 60mm Mortars
5x M1 Bazookas

46
D-DAY
General Omar Bradly personally requested the veteran
1st Infantry Division to hit Omaha Beach. Bradley’s request
was granted, which probably prevented a catastrophe on
the beaches.
The 16th Infantry Regiment was selected to lead the way,
having an excellent combat record from the amphibious
landings in Sicily the year before. Assault companies were
assembled and loaded into their landing craft.
At 0545 hours, 6 June 1944, the warships of the US Navy
and British Royal Navy commenced their preliminary
bombardment. The landing craft headed in toward Omaha
Beach only to be mixed up on the way in and deliver their
troops in a semi-jumbled up mess on the beach.
Many troops were delivered straight into the strongest
defences on Omaha Beach. With no time to waste, the
veteran troops stormed ashore.
The German bunkers opened up on the troops, however as
casualties mounted, the determined troops only became more
resolved and their efforts to silence the enemy guns doubled.
The enemy fortifications proved strong, but the Americans
took their time, reducing each bunker, one at a time.
By 0730 hrs the first penetrations were made through Hitler’s
Atlantic Wall, and slowly the German beach fortifications
were flanked.
The division took the first hit on the beachhead, but quickly
rebounded. Once the beaches were secure, the 'Big Red One'
took less then a week to outpace the other D-Day divisions,
carving a twenty mile swath in the German defences and
creating the ‘Big Red One Bulge’ in the German lines.
Suddenly, the 1st Infantry Division was halted in the bocage
VETERAN ASSAULT COMPANY
country, small fields outlined by tall and formidable hedgerows.
The terrain heavily favoured the defending Germans. Bradley
wrote, ‘Across the neck of Normandy peninsula, the hedgerows
formed a natural line of defence more formidable than any
even Rommel could have contrived’. Enemy machine-guns
and anti-tank guns were easily concealed and caused all sorts of
trouble to the advancing American division.
The ‘Big Red One’ now found itself in a dangerous position
surrounded on three sides by the 5th Parachute Regiment
of the 3rd Paratrooper Division, the 40th Panzergrenadier
Regiment, and the 38th Panzerpioneer Battalion of the
2nd Panzer Division. Rather than pull back, the Americans
dug in until the other beachheads caught up and they awaited
the German attack
German artillery began firing and much to the surprise of the
‘Big Red One’, the shells contained leaflets instead of high
explosives. The propaganda tried to convince the veteran
unit that the situation was hopeless and they should give up.
The troops promptly ignored the leaflets and continued to
wait for the attack they were sure would come. It never did,
and they were soon relieved by the 5th Infantry Division and
shifted west to participate in the breakout operations there.
As the premier US infantry division, the ‘Big Red One’
shrugged off the heavy casualties of D-Day, leading the
way out of Normandy and across the French and Belgium
countryside to the German city of Aachen. In less than three
months after landing in Normandy, they were knocking on
Hitler’s front door.
47
 VETERAN ASSAULT COMPANY INFANTRY FORMATION

You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box.
You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.

HEADQUARTERS

VETERAN
ASSAULT
COMPANY HQ
LU143

49
INFANTRY INFANTRY WEAPONS WEAPONS
VETERAN ASSAULT COMPANY

VETERAN VETERAN VETERAN VETERAN

ASSAULT BOAT ASSAULT BOAT SUPPORT BOAT SUPPORT BOAT
SECTION SECTION SECTION SECTION
LU144 LU144 LU145 LU145
49

49

49

49
VETERAN VETERAN
M1917 MACHINE-GUN MORTAR
PLATOON PLATOON
INFANTRY INFANTRY LU148 LU149

53

52
WEAPONS WEAPONS
VETERAN VETERAN
ASSAULT BOAT ASSAULT BOAT
SECTION SECTION
LU144 LU144
49

49

VETERAN VETERAN
SUPPORT BOAT SUPPORT BOAT
SECTION SECTION
INFANTRY INFANTRY LU145 LU145
49

49
VETERAN VETERAN
57mm ANTI-TANK 57mm ANTI-TANK
PLATOON PLATOON
LU150 LU150
53

53
VETERAN VETERAN
ASSAULT BOAT ASSAULT BOAT ARTILLERY
SECTION SECTION
LU144 LU144
49

49

VETERAN
105mm CANNON
PLATOON
LU151
53

You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

48
 VETERAN
ASSAULT COMPANY HQ
VETERAN
ASSAULT COMPANY HQ
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY FORMATION • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE

2x Thompson SMG team 2 POINTS TRAINED 4+

Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+ Infantry
3+
The men of the 16th Infantry Regiment, of the
1st Infantry Division, were assigned to Omaha
Beach. The experience of the 'Big Red One' TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
desert veterans will be the deciding factor on the 8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO
beach. RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
WEAPON HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

Thompson SMG team 4”/10CM 3 3 1 6 Pinned ROF 1

VETERAN

VETERAN ASSAULT COMPANY

ASSAULT BOAT SECTION
ASSAULT
VETERAN
BOAT SECTION
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • OBSERVER • PIONEERS • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE
5x M1 Garand rifle team TRAINED 4+
2x M1 Bazooka team Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+ Infantry
3+
1x 60mm mortar
1x Flame-thrower team 12 POINTS
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

OPTIONS 8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO

• R
eplace one Bazooka team with an WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
M1919 LMG at no cost. M1 Garand rifle team 16”/40CM 1 1 2 6
The Unit Leader is one of the M1 Garand rifle teams, M1919 LMG team 16”/40CM 5 2 2 6 Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon
and is mounted on a small base (see page 91). Flame-thrower team 6”/15CM 2 2 2 AUTO Assault 5+, Flame-thrower,
Heavy Weapon, Pinned ROF 1
M1 Bazooka team 8”/20CM 1 1 10 5+ Assault 5+, Slow Firing
With a mortar, a flame-throwers, Bazookas, 60mm mortar 32”/80CM ARTILLERY 1 4+ Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon
and explosives these men are ready to take on
the most stubborn defences. Use your pioneer
equipment to get through quickly and assault the
enemy position.

VETERAN
SUPPORT BOAT SECTION
SUPPORT
VETERAN
BOAT SECTION
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • OBSERVER • PIONEERS • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE

4x M1 Garand rifle team TRAINED 4+

1x 81mm mortar Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+ Infantry
3+
1x M1917 HMG 6 POINTS

The Unit Leader is one of the M1 Garand rifle teams,

and is mounted on a small base (see page 91). TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO

Each support boat has one of the weapons com- WEAPON RANGE ROF
HALTED MOVING
ANTI- FIRE-
TANK POWER NOTES

pany’s mortars and machine-guns along with M1 Garand rifle team 16”/40CM 1 1 2 6
ammunition and extra riflemen. This configura- M1917 HMG team 24”/60CM 6 2 2 6 Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon
tion helps guarantee that heavy weapons are dis- 81mm mortar 40”/100CM ARTILLERY 1 4+ Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon,
Smoke bombardment
tributed well and don't risk all of them together
in a single boat, should the worst happen.

49
 FIGHTING FIRST BREAKS OUT
The division was pulled from the line the divisional headquarters, as they
on 14 July to prepare for the Cobra attempted to cross. However, the
breakout. The 1st Division was then Americans pressed on. The ‘Big Red One’
assigned to VII Corps. They stood by and a task force from the 3rd Armoured
as the US 9th Division smashed open a Division captured the town of Brécey
hole in the German lines. Then the ‘Big on 1 August.
Red One’ exploited through the gap and With Brécey secure, they turned toward
headed for its objectives. Mortain, encountering stiff resistance
By 27 July, the 1st had taken the town as they slowly closed in. The Germans
of Marigny and was heading west fought hard, knowing that to fail there
toward Coutances. During the battle for would doom their army to be captured
Coutances, the division was paired with in the Falaise Pocket. Harrassed by
Combat Command A (CCA) from the German artillery by day and bombers
3rd Armoured Division. At this French town, the division by night, the 1st Division was shifted away from Mortain
suffered more casualties fighting house to house than they towards Mayenne.
had since Omaha Beach. Mortain finally fell to the US 30th Division, and the ‘Big Red
VETERAN RIFLE COMPANY

On 28 July, the division finally met up with the US
4th Armoured Division coming from the north. Once the
two forces met up they joined the rest of Patton’s Third Army
to cut off the Brittany Peninsula. The ‘Big Red One’ and
CCA covered Patton’s left flank as his army made a sweeping
manoeuvre to head east.
On 31 July the 1st Division ran into the enemy guarding the
Sienne River. Under the cover of darkness, they attempted
to cross the river. Suddenly, a flight of German Ju-88
bombers hammered the crossing sites with anti-personnel
bombs. Nearly every unit in the division was hit, including
One’ turned north back toward Normandy near Argentan.
Meanwhile, the British were attempting to close the Falaise
Pocket from the north, and on 19 August the two armies
finally met, capturing more than 70,000 Germans.
Through August and September the 1st Division maintained
its position to the left of Third Army as it raced across France
and into Belgium. They reached Mons on 2 September after
capturing thousands of retreating Germans. On 11  September
the division found itself to the right of the 30th Infantry along
the Meuse River. Next stop: Germany.

1ST INFANTRY DIVISION, OPERATION COBRA

Marigny
St. Gilles

Front line
Canisy
- 27 Ju
ly

COUTANCES 0 1 2 3 4
Km
1 2 3
M

KEY
1st Infantry Division
RONCEY POCKET 2rd Armored Division

3rd Armored Division

4rd Armored Division

Hyenville
Roncey 6rd Armored Division

Elements of
2. SS-Panzerdivision &
30 July 17. SS-Panzerdivision

Villebaudon

St. Denis-le-Gast
Lengronne

50
 VETERAN RIFLE COMPANY INFANTRY FORMATION

You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box.
You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.

HEADQUARTERS

VETERAN
RIFLE
COMPANY HQ
LU146

52
INFANTRY INFANTRY INFANTRY

VETERAN RIFLE COMPANY

VETERAN VETERAN VETERAN
RIFLE RIFLE RIFLE
PLATOON PLATOON PLATOON
LU147 LU147 LU147
52

52

52
ARTILLERY ARTILLERY ARTILLERY

VETERAN VETERAN VETERAN

MORTAR MORTAR 105mm CANNON
PLATOON PLATOON PLATOON
LU149 LU149 LU151
52

52

53
VETERAN
M4 SHERMAN (105mm)
ASSAULT GUN PLATOON
LU162

WEAPONS ANTI-TANK ANTI-TANK 71

VETERAN VETERAN VETERAN

M1917 MACHINE-GUN 57mm ANTI-TANK 57mm ANTI-TANK
PLATOON PLATOON PLATOON
LU148 LU150 LU150
53

53

53

You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

Captain Miller watched the enemy Panzer burst into
flames. He called back “Tell those machine guns to
get into position fast. Jerry’s not going to stop at
one tank.”
As if to emphasise the point, enemy mortar fire
began falling down. The German fire was extremely
accurate, and it wasn’t long until the screams of
‘Medic’ could be heard.
Miller watched his support teams move into position,
the machine-guns were taking up good positions at
both ends of the open town square.
The appearance of another enemy tank had Miller
concerned. He yelled at his radio operator. “Get
the big guns on the line, and tell them I need a
short-intensity barrage.” He watched the enemy
continue their assault, as his men fought and died.
He wanted nothing more than to grab a rifle and join
the attack.
Suddenly he heard the artillery fire behind the
lines. Then the whistle as the shells sailed overhead,
before smashing into the German assault. Men and
rubble were pulverised indiscriminately. There was
an explosion as the Panzer took a direct hit, the
flames from the wreck illuminating the dust kicked
up from the barrage with an eerie orange glow.
“Send the runners, get the platoons forward to press
the advantage while we’ve got it”
As the dust began to clear the remaining machine-gun
squad fired into the German positions, while the two
remaining rifle platoons pushed out of their buildings
and towards the disorientated enemy. The fight was
short and bloody, but Miller could see the Germans were
pulling back. He sighed heavily, then grabbed his rifle
from the wall where it had been leaning.
“I’m going to check on the platoons. Send my thanks
to the artillery boys.”
51
 VETERAN
RIFLE COMPANY HQ
VETERAN
RIFLE COMPANY HQ
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY FORMATION • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE

2x Thompson SMG team 2 POINTS TRAINED 4+

Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+ Infantry
3+
While the 16th Infantry Regiment has been
reorganized into assault companies, the Big Red
One's 18th and 26th Infantry Regiments are TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
organised normally. Their mission is to secure 8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO
the beaches and lead the breakout inland. RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
WEAPON HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
US rifle platoons are well armed and supplied, Thompson SMG team 4”/10CM 3 3 1 6 Pinned ROF 1
with a lot of machine-guns and bazookas to help
them tackle all comers through superior firepower.

VETERAN
RIFLE PLATOON VETERAN
VETERAN RIFLE COMPANY

RIFLE PLATOON
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • OBSERVER • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE

0x M1 Garand rifle team

1 TRAINED 4+
1x M1 Bazooka team 11 POINTS Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+ Infantry
3+
7x M1 Garand rifle team
1x M1 Bazooka team 8 POINTS
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
OPTIONS 8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO
• A
dd one M1 Bazooka team for ROF ANTI- FIRE-
WEAPON RANGE TANK POWER NOTES
+1 point. HALTED MOVING

M1 Garand rifle team 16”/40CM 1 1 2 6

• Add up to two M1919 LMG for
M1 Bazooka team 8”/20CM 1 1 10 5+ Assault 5+, Slow Firing
+1 point per team. OPTIONAL
M1919 LMG 16”/40CM 5 2 2 6 Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon
• Add one M1917 HMG for +2 point. OPTIONAL
M1917 HMG 24”/60CM 6 2 2 6 Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon
The Unit Leader is one of the M1 Garand rifle teams,
and is mounted on a small base (see page 91).

VETERAN
MORTAR PLATOONVETERAN
MORTAR PLATOON
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • HEAVY WEAPON • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE

6x 81mm mortar 9 POINTS TRAINED 4+

Heavy Weapon
5+ 3+
4x 81mm mortar 6 POINTS Assault Infantry
Yankee Ingenuity
3+
2x 81mm mortar 3 POINTS Tactics

3x 60mm mortar 3 POINTS TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

4”/10CM 4”/10CM 6”/15CM 8”/20CM AUTO

The battalion’s 81mm and the company's own WEAPON RANGE ROF
HALTED MOVING
ANTI- FIRE-
TANK POWER NOTES
60mm mortars are excellent tools to knock out 81mm mortar 40”/100CM ARTILLERY 1 4+ Smoke bombardment
improvised bunkers and dug in troops with their 60mm mortar 32”/80CM ARTILLERY 1 4+
high-explosive rounds.

52
 VETERAN
M1917 MACHINE-GUN PLATOON
VETERAN
M1917 MACHINE-GUN PLATOON
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • HEAVY WEAPON • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE

4x M1917 HMG 4 POINTS TRAINED 4+

Heavy Weapon
Assault 5+ Infantry
3+
Machine-guns are critical to any defensive line,
Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+
capable of keeping even the most determined
enemy at bay. They are also excellent support TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
weapons in the attack to help keep the enemy 8”/20CM 8”/20CM 12”/30CM 12”/30CM AUTO
pinned down as your troops assault. ROF ANTI- FIRE-
WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES

M1917 HMG 24”/60CM 6 2 2 6

VETERAN
57mm ANTI-TANK
57MM PLATOON
VETERAN
ANTI-TANK PLATOON

VETERAN RIFLE COMPANY

MOTIVATION • GUN UNIT • GUN SHIELD • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE

3x 57mm gun 6 POINTS TRAINED 4+

Gun
5+ 3+
2x 57mm gun 4 POINTS Assault Gun
Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+

Place your M1 57mm anti-tank guns with your

infantry and give them a good view of the bat- TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

tlefield. They will keep the tanks busy while your 2”/5CM 2”/5CM 4”/10CM 6”/15CM 5+
infantry get the job done. WEAPON RANGE ROF
HALTED MOVING
ANTI- FIRE-
TANK POWER NOTES

57mm gun 28”/70CM 2 1 10 4+ Forward Firing, No HE

VETERAN
105mm CANNON PLATOON
105MM
VETERAN
CANNON PLATOON
MOTIVATION • GUN UNIT • LARGE GUN • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE

15 POINTS TRAINED 4+
6x 105mm light howitzer Gun
Assault 5+ Gun
4+
4x 105mm light howitzer 10 POINTS Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+
2x 105mm light howitzer 5 POINTS

TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

The 105mm pack howitzers give rifle battalions 2”/5CM 2”/5CM 4”/10CM 6”/15CM 5+
their own ready artillery component. These ROF ANTI- FIRE-
WEAPON RANGE NOTES
gunners have trained and endured combat HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
Forward Firing,
alongside their comrades in the infantry 105mm light howitzer 56”/140CM ARTILLERY 3 3+ Smoke Bombardment
1 1 7 2+ Brutal, Forward Firing, Slow Firing,
regiments, so cooperation is high. or Direct Fire 20”/50CM Smoke

53
 BREAKOUT
24TH JULY - 4TH AUGUST 1944
Since the initial landings on D-Day, American forces in
the west of Normandy had been fighting their way through
hellish bocage hedgerow country. Each small bocage-lined
field was another battle, to be taken against fierce German
opposition, before moving on to the next for more of the
same. Wheeled and half-tracked vehicles were forced into the
narrow country lanes, where they were vulnerable to ambush,
and tanks ran the risk of exposing their vulnerable belly
armour every time they attempted to cross the horrendous
stone-reinforced hedgerows.
The more this went on the more time the Germans had to
organise themselves, even in spite of the best efforts of the
Allied air forces who made German troop movements during
the day all but impossible.
The Allies were desperate to utilise their advantage in mobile
warfare. The bocage country, and the creeping stalemate it
had caused, voided many of their advantages in numbers,
tactical air power, mechanised infantry, and logistics. They
needed to break out of the bocage country and into the open
ground beyond to the south where these advantages could be
brought to bear. Operation Cobra was the plan that would at
long last open a decisive gap.
BREAKOUT
General Bradley, commanding the US First Army, worked
out a strategy using aerial saturation bombing over a limited
area to destroy defences. The resulting breach would then
be exploited by the infantry divisions of the US 7th Corps.
The US 8th and 9th Corps would then carry out diversionary
attacks to prevent the Germans moving reinforcements to
the breach. After some debate at his headquarters, Bradley
amended his initial phase three objective from merely seizing
the Cotentin peninsula and cutting off the Germans there, to
heading further south and potentially heading for Brittany
and the Atlantic ports. The target area he chose for the start
of Operation Cobra lay between the villages of La Chapelle-
Enjuger and Hébécrevon, a few kilometres north of the main
road between Saint-Lô and Coutances.
LAUNCHING OPERATION COBRA
Initial plans called for the operation to begin on 18 July, how-
ever due to poor weather the start was delayed until 24 July.
On that day visibility for aircraft still proved poor so the start
was delayed again until the next day. Unfortunately some
bomber squadrons weren’t called back and made their runs
on the target areas. Poor visibility, smoke drift, and the close
proximity of the assault troops to the target area lead to many
of the bombs falling on the US troops.
54
The following day the attack went ahead, but unfortunately
some bombers were off target once again and further casual-
ties were inflicted on the assault troops. However, for three
hours, 1500 B-17 and B-24 heavy bombers pummelled the
target zone, supported by medium and fighter bombers.
The Germans had suffered badly during the aerial bombard-
ment. The Panzer Lehr Division was reduced to a third of its
fighting strength and other units in the target area had fared
little better.
The initial movement of the attacking US infantry was cau-
tious, over a month of bocage fighting had left them weary,
but as they broke through the weak German opposition
the advance sped up. Fierce fighting continued throughout
25 July, as efforts were made to open up a passage for the
armoured vehicles.
For the operation the tanks had been fitted with Cullin Prong
hedgerow cutters. These had been highly secret until the open-
ing of Operation Cobra and now the new devices allowed the
tanks to rip their way through the bocage with ease.
On 26 July VII Corps advanced six miles (10km), taking
Saint-Gilles, then Canisy, after crossing the Coutances-Saint-
Lô road. Gaps started to appear in the German front line
and the defence finally collapsed the next day. The first day’s
advance made 4000 yards and on 26 July they made a further
8000 yards.
THE BREAKOUT
On 26 July, the breakthrough armoured divisions were
released and were soon sweeping south and westwards.
Marigny, Lessay and Périers were taken that day.
General Wood’s 4th Armoured Division liberated Coutances,
a major road junction beyond the German lines, on 28 July.
Entire German units were encircled in places like the Roncey
Pocket, while other units simply collapsed and surrendered
under the pressure of the advancing armoured divisions. The
fighting since 6 June had been hard on the German forces and
the concentrated assault on their lines was simply too much
for many of these shaken and demoralized German troops.
Thousands were captured, disarmed and, more often than
not, left where they were, as there was no time or spare troops
to escort them to the rear. The German 8th Corps command-
er, Von Choltitz, attempted to establish new lines of defence,
but these lines were quickly overrun before sufficient troops
could be positioned to meet the offensive. Nothing seemed
able to stop the American drive.
 OPERATION COBRA: THE BREAKOUT
BRITAIN 0 20 40
BELGIUM Km
GERMANY 20 40
M
US 12 Army Group
th

BRADLEY

British 21st Army Group

MONTGOMERY
F RAN C E Cherbourg
First Army
ITALY HODGES Second Army
DEMPSEY First Army
Carentan
CRERAR
XII Bayeux Caen
SPAIN XX St. Lô XXX XII
II
Coutances V VIII
Third Army XIX Army Group B
PATTON Falaise KLUGE
XV Vire Panzer
7 Aug. St. Malo Avranches VII 7th Army Group Argentan
HAUSSER West
Brest VIII Mortain EBERBACH

VII XV
US Corps
VIII 3 Aug. Alençon
British and Mayenne
XV
Canadian Corps
Loudeac
German Army XX 8 Aug.
Rennes XX
1st August Le Mans
Allied Gains
Lorient
3rd August
Vannes FRANCE XII

BREAKOUT
Allied Gains
13th August
Allied Gains
Angers
Operation Cobra 13 Aug.
St. Nazaire
Breakout Movement
Nantes

On 30 July, the American 6th Armoured Division crossed
the Bréhal River and passed Granville without stopping. The
4th Armoured Division, still leading the advance, captured
Avranches the same evening, cutting off the Cotentin penin-
sula. The next day the division succeeded in securing a vital
bridgehead over the Sélune at the Pontaubault Bridge. The
Americans had arrived in Brittany.
Meanwhile in eastern Normandy, the British and Canadians
launched Operation Bluecoat, pinning down potential
German reinforcements and not allowing them to be moved
to face the Americans in the west. In less than a week US
First Army troops had broken through German lines and
penetrated sixty kilometres and taken 18,000 prisoners. The
stalemate had come to an end and the war of attrition of the
bocage had suddenly and dramatically been replaced by a war
of manoeuvre.
The success of the operation was so great that on 4 August
Montgomery, overall Allied ground commander, ordered a
major change to the follow up operation plan. Most of the
newly formed US Third Army, commanded by Patton, was
sent east rather than into Brittany. General Courtney Hodges’
First Army also attacked east. Bradley now commanded the
newly activated 12th Army Group in overall command of
both American armies. In the British and Canadian sectors
the Commonwealth forces continued to push east and south.
The encirclement of the German forces in Normandy had
begun and would ultimately climax at Falaise. By 25 August
all four Allied armies were on the Seine and the Campaign for
Normandy had been won.

55
 'SPEARHEAD ' STRIKES
The 3rd Armoured Division was activated
on 15 April 1941 as a heavy armoured
division with over 200 medium tanks
and 100 light tanks (instead of the
normal 160-odd medium tanks and
50 light tanks of a regular armoured divi-
sion). Organizationally, US armoured
divisions could be used as a single unit
or broken up into two or three sections
called combat commands to give the
divisional commander flexibility in the
field. A combat command's structure
varied depending on the mission.
The 3rd Armoured landed in Normandy on 24 June, and
M4 SHERMAN TANK COMPANY
was preceded by one of the heaviest
tactical bombing attacks ever seen. The
damage caused allowed the 'Spearhead'
Division to shatter elite German units
and lead the advance.
Combat Command B (CCB) pushed on
to Marigny then advanced rapidly to the
west toward Coutances. CCA meanwhile
had seized Mortain and was relieved by
the infantry on 5 August. CCB then
withdrew to the west of Mortain for rest
and maintenance after 12 days of contin-
uous combat.
Early on 7 August the Germans launched a major counter­

by 29 June, elements of Combat Command A (CCA) were
engaging the enemy. Their action near Villiers-Fossard was
as part of VII Corps of the First Army. CCA suffered heavy
losses in the fighting but achieved its objectives. This early
success combined with many small battles fought up to
Operation Cobra and now in Cobra itself earned the division
its nickname ‘Spearhead’.
Operation Cobra was launched on 25 July to end the hedge-
row hell which had plagued the Allied advance. The breakout
offensive through Mortain with elements of four armoured
divisions aimed at Avranches. The American defending infan-
try was driven from Mortain with heavy losses. CCB went
back into the fray to block German attacks toward the coast.
Two-thirds of CCB was committed to the defence along with
the 119th Regimental Combat Team of the 30th Division.
The order was given that positions would be held at all costs.
During four days of fierce fighting heavy losses were suffered
by both sides, but the Germans were stopped and forced to
withdraw on 12 August.

2 'Heavy' Armoured Division

ARMOURED REGIMENT
3
ARMOURED REGIMENT
Rest of the Armoured
Division's Units
TANK BATTALION Total tanks in the
TANK BATTALION Tank Battalions: 2 3 4 5 6
TANK BATTALION
ARMOURED INFANTRY
1ST BATTALION
204x M4 Sherman tanks
2ND BATTALION
30x M4 Sherman (105mm) tanks
2x MEDIUM TANK COMPANY 3RD BATTALION
34x M4 Sherman tanks
5x M4 Sherman (105mm) tanks

102x M5 Stuart tanks

1x LIGHT TANK COMPANY

17x M5 Stuart tanks ARMOURED ARTILLERY
1ST BATTALION
2ND BATTALION
3RD BATTALION

4 'Light' Armoured Division

TANK BATTALION Total tanks in the
5
TANK BATTALION Tank Battalions:
6 TANK BATTALION
RECONNAISSANCE

BATTALION
159x M4 Sherman tanks
18x M4 Sherman (105mm) tanks
3x MEDIUM TANK COMPANY
53x M4 Sherman tanks
6x M4 Sherman (105mm) tanks

51x M5 Stuart tanks

1x LIGHT TANK COMPANY

17x M5 Stuart tanks

56
 M4 SHERMAN TANK COMPANY TANK FORMATION

You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box.
You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.
HEADQUARTERS

M4 SHERMAN
TANK COMPANY HQ
LU152

58
ARMOUR ARMOUR ARMOUR

M4 SHERMAN TANK COMPANY

M4 SHERMAN M4 SHERMAN M4 SHERMAN
TANK PLATOON TANK PLATOON TANK PLATOON
LU101

58
LU101 LU101
58

58
M4 SHERMAN (76mm) M5 STUART
TANK PLATOON TANK PLATOON
LU153 LU103
59

61

ARTILLERY ARTILLERY

M4 81mm ARMOURED M4 SHERMAN (105mm)

MORTAR PLATOON ASSAULT GUN PLATOON
LU113 LU154
67

59
You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

A foot slogger yelled that there was an enemy tank

The tankers of the 66th Armoured Regiment had landed
shortly after D-Day, and had been grinding through
the interminable hedgerows ever since.
"Driver halt". Braddocks Sherman rocked to a stop, the
barrel of its hull MG panning side to side. Braddock
dismounted and met up with his counterpart from
the infantry. Braddock had just begun to unfold his
map when the cry of "Panzers!" could be heard. He
scrambled back up the hull and dropped down into the
turret hatch, grabbing the ear-phones to clamp over
his ears. "Up to the corner - fast!" Switching to the
platoon net, he directed Felder and Lee commanding
his other tanks to cover the infantry against the
enemy assault. The experienced tankers positioned
hull down, waiting for the enemy.
advancing down the lane. Braddock rotated his turret
to face the flank. "We're going to race through the
intersection. Shorty, take the shot as we pass. Glover,
get some speed up and take us through." Engine
thundering at high speed the Sherman sped past, the
75mm gun firing as they did. Braddock saw the enemy
tank firing as well before they passed out of sight. A
column of black smoke and and bright flame shot into
the air above the hedgerow. MG fire stuttered from
the flank, as the enemy assault engaged. "Move up to
the wreck - lets see if we can surprise them."
Small groups of enemy infantry were advancing
towards them, using the trees and hedges lining the
lane as cover. Braddock unlocked his .50 cal machine
gun and began firing short bursts, the turret
co-axial joining in moments later. As bodies began to
fall, the enemy infantry scrambled back. A bolder
grenadier unslung a Panzerfaust and knelt down to
take a shot. Two streams of tracer fire converged
on him, flinging the body back, as the Panzerfaust
clattered to the ground. "Not today! Not this time!"
Braddock shouted, as the shell casings rattled
down the hatch causing Shorty to start cursing in
colorful and inventive ways.

57
 M4 SHERMAN TANK COMPANY
M4 SHERMANHQ TANK COMPANY HQ
MOTIVATION • TANK FORMATION • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Last Stand 3+ ARMOUR

2x M4 Sherman (75mm) 7 POINTS SKILL FRONT 6

TRAINED 4+ SIDE &
REAR 4
A good tank commander relies on speed and TOP 1
numbers to accomplish their objective. Success
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
on the battlefield comes with the dependability
10”/25CM 12”/30CM 18”/45CM 20”/50CM 3+
of your Sherman tanks.
WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
Orchestrate your tanks, armoured infantry, HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

artillery, and tank destroyers in a combined arms M4 Sherman (75mm) 28”/70CM 2 2 10 3+ Smoke, Stabiliser

approach and you will gain success over any foe. M4 Sherman (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA

Fight alone and you can expect to suffer unnec- M4 Sherman (MGs) 16”/40CM 2 2 2 6

essarily high casualties.

M4 SHERMAN TANK COMPANY

M4 SHERMAN TANK: Features

MASS-PRODUCED: Thanks to the exceptional work of BLOOD 'N GUTS: General George S Patton is known to be
Rosie and her fellow riveters, over 20,000 M4 medium a hard driving commander. This earned him the nickname,
tanks have been produced so far. While it was a formidable 'Old Blood 'n Guts', but most under his command are quick
tank in 1943, the M4 Sherman is beginning to show its age to clarify that its 'Our Blood, His Guts'.
a year later. That said, its 75mm gun is still potent and the
As we look forward to our battles in France, we will use our
tank's armour is thick enough to keep the crews safe from
grit and superior numbers to swamp the enemy, tying them
most medium tanks.
down in the front with smoke while rushing their flanks
STABILIZER: Our tanks come equipped with a and knocking them out in their vulnerable side armour.
gyrostabilizer that allows us to fire on the move. We can
keep up a high rate of fire while we maneuver, which will
help us get in close and attack the enemy's flank.

M4 SHERMAN TANK M4
PLATOON
SHERMAN TANK PLATOON
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood n’ Guts
Last Stand 3+ ARMOUR

5x M4 Sherman (75mm) 18 POINTS SKILL FRONT 6

TRAINED 4+
4x M4 Sherman (75mm) 14 POINTS SIDE &
REAR 4
3x M4 Sherman (75mm) 10 POINTS TOP 1
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
The Germans may have superior tanks, but 10”/25CM 12”/30CM 18”/45CM 20”/50CM 3+
there is strength in numbers and bold charges. ROF ANTI- FIRE-
WEAPON RANGE NOTES
Use smoke screens put down by your battalion’s HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

M4 Sherman (75mm) 28”/70CM 2 2 10 3+ Smoke, Stabiliser

mortars or your own 75mm tank guns to mask
M4 Sherman (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA
your troop’s movement. Then, gang up on the
M4 Sherman (MGs) 16”/40CM 2 2 2 6
target with as many tanks as possible and pound
the enemy’s side armour with a volley of fire.

58
 M4 SHERMAN (76mm)M4
TANK PLATOON
SHERMAN (76MM) TANK PLATOON
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Protected Ammo
Remount 3+ ARMOUR

3+ 7
Blood ‘n Guts
Last Stand FRONT
5x M4 Sherman (76mm) 23 POINTS
4x M4 Sherman (76mm) 18 POINTS TRAINED
SKILL

4+
SIDE
& REAR 4
3x M4 Sherman (76mm) 13 POINTS TOP 1
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

Each company has received a platoon of five of 10”/25CM 12”/30CM 18”/45CM 20”/50CM 3+
these powerful new tanks, just in time for the WEAPON RANGE ROF
HALTED MOVING
ANTI- FIRE-
TANK POWER NOTES
breakout operation. You will still need to be M4 Sherman (76mm) 36”/90CM 2 2 12 3+ No HE, Stabiliser
clever when you face the German Panther tank. M4 Sherman (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA
Tie the enemy down from the front with these M4 Sherman (MGs) 16”/40CM 2 2 2 6
new tanks and sweep around and hit them in the
flanks with the older 75mm-armed Shermans.

M4 SHERMAN TANK COMPANY

M4 SHERMAN 76mm TANK: Features
76mm GUN: When the German Panther hit the battlefield
in 1943, our engineers back home designed a new turret
for the Sherman mounting a more powerful 76mm gun.
This weapon has increased firepower against enemy tanks,
giving our tank formations a way to crack the front armour
of Germany's heavier tanks.
NO HE: The downside of the 76mm gun is that it has a bad
HE round, so keeping older 75mm tanks around will be a
good idea for tackling infantry and gun targets.
THICKER ARMOUR: While redesigning the turret, the
tank engineers have added more armour protection for our
crews as well.
AMMO STOWAGE: One of the biggest battlefield problems
with the M4 has been its ammo storage bins which tend to
catch fire and explode if the tank has been hit. Better bins
have been added to give you peace of mind that the ammo
won't brew up if the tank takes a hit.

M4 SHERMAN (105mm) ASSAULT GUN

M4 SHERMAN PLATOON
(105MM)
ASSAULT GUN PLATOON
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Last Stand 3+ ARMOUR

3+ 7
Protected Ammo
6x M4 Sherman (105mm) 21 POINTS Remount FRONT

4x M4 Sherman (105mm) 14 POINTS

TRAINED
SKILL

4+
SIDE &
REAR 4
2x M4 Sherman (105mm) 7 POINTS TOP 1
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
The M4 Sherman (105mm) assault gun com- 10”/25CM 12”/30CM 18”/45CM 20”/50CM 3+
bines the indirect firepower of a mortar, the first ROF
WEAPON RANGE ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
shot kill of a big gun, and the armour of a tank. HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

These armoured 105mm guns have the ability M4 Sherman (105mm) 48”/120CM ARTILLERY 3 3+ Smoke Bombardment

to either pin down enemy troops and stubborn or Direct Fire 24”/60CM 1 1 9 2+ Brutal, Slow Firing, Smoke

anti-tank gun nests with a bombardment or M4 Sherman (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA

destroy them with deadly direct fire. M4 Sherman (MGs) 16”/40CM 2 2 2 6

M4 SHERMAN 105mm ASSAULT GUN: Features

105mm GUN: Early battles have demonstrated that M4 IMPROVEMENTS: Like with the new 76mm Shermans,
sometimes a 75mm gun just isn't enough firepower to get the M4 105mm has a new turret so the crew have more
the job done. New M4 tanks, armed with105mm howitzers, room to operate the bulky howitzer inside. The tank also
are arriving at the front to fill this need. These assault has better armour to give the crew better protection.
guns can be used to tackle obstacles in the way of the
tanks, or grouped together into a battery to fire artillery
bombardments.

59
 M5 STUART TANK COMPANY TANK FORMATION

You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box.
You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.
HEADQUARTERS

M5 STUART TANK
COMPANY HQ
LU155

61
ARMOUR ARMOUR ARMOUR
M5 STUART TANK COMPANY

M5 STUART M5 STUART M5 STUART

TANK PLATOON TANK PLATOON TANK PLATOON
LU103

61
LU103 LU103
61

61
M4 SHERMAN
TANK PLATOON
LU101

58
ARTILLERY ARTILLERY

M4 81mm ARMOURED M8 SCOTT ASSAULT

MORTAR PLATOON GUN PLATOON
LU113 LU158
67

67

M4 SHERMAN (105mm)
ASSAULT GUN PLATOON
LU154
59

You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

A column of oily black smoke, bending with the wind,
marked where Sedlers tank had brewed up. There was
at least one enemy self propelled gun hiding nearby,
and it had already made its mark upon Lindharts
platoon. He was down to four tanks already, with a
cunning and deadly enemy waiting to pick off yet
more of his units. The last message from Sedler had
been a shouted "Stug! Stug!! Backu-". The crew might
yet be ok, but the German tank would have to be
dealt with first.
The shutters on a window facing him slowly opened.
His gunner rotated the turret to face it, as an
elderly man leaned out and pointed down towards
the village square. He made a gun with his fingers
and mimed shooting. Lindhart nodded, then switched
to the platoon net and spoke into his mic. "Locals
indicate enemy is near the centre, Wilcox, go left,
Barnes go right. Taylor - with me, Move." The Stuarts
moved off.
When the flanking tanks had left his sight, he began
his own advance. Scanning ahead carefully, looking
for any indication that the enemy was present, and
counting on the locals to keep helping out. A door
opened and a frightened child looked up at him
before slamming the door shut again.
Barnes radioed in. "Found Sedler. Two wounded.
Sending them back. No enemy seen."
Lindhart had his driver dash to the next house.
A high velocity cracking sound accompanied an
explosion of bricks and cement from the corner of
the house. "Panzer! North side of the square!" His
driver reversed away from the road as another round
smashed into the house. Taylor has already sprinted
down a parallel lane, and the distinctive roar of
the Cadillac engines indicated that the others were
closing in. "Follow Taylor! Go go go!"
The Stuart leaned heavily as it rounded the corner,
just in time to see Wilcox, crouched low in the turret
hatch, cross the square at high speed. The German
Stug IV, was reversing while rotating as it tried to
catch the Stuart in its gun sights. 37mm gun shots
bounced off the thick armour as his tanks fired at
the enemy. "Get behind him Stan! Its our best chance!"
Lindhart instructed his driver. His tank slewed
around what had to be the villager church and found
the enemy Stug reversing back at him. He barely had
time to shout "Fire!" before the 37mm gun recoiled
and then rapidly fired three more times. The Stug
had halted after angling into the church courtyard
wall. Wisps of smoke came from open hatches.

60
 M5 STUART TANK COMPANY
M5 STUARTHQ TANK COMPANY HQ
MOTIVATION • TANK FORMATION • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Last Stand 3+ ARMOUR

2x M5 Stuart (37mm) 4 POINTS SKILL FRONT 4

TRAINED 4+ SIDE &
REAR 3
Some commanders use the speed of the Stuart to TOP 1
charge the enemy, acting as a distraction while
the medium tanks follow up firing on the move. TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

12”/30CM 14”/35CM 24”/60CM 28”/70CM 3+

Others send the light tanks sweeping around the
WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
main enemy effort in a flanking manoeuvre to HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

draw the enemy’s forces away as he scurries to M5 Stuart (37mm) 24”/60CM 2 2 7 4+ Stabiliser

protect now vulnerable artillery, transport, and M5 Stuart (MGs) 16”/40CM 5 5 2 6 Self-defence AA

anti-aircraft positions.

M5 STUART TANK PLATOON

M5 STUART

M5 STUART TANK COMPANY

TANK PLATOON
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Last Stand 3+ ARMOUR

5x M5 Stuart (37mm) 10 POINTS SKILL FRONT 4

TRAINED 4+
4x M5 Stuart (37mm) 8 POINTS
SIDE &
REAR 3
3x M5 Stuart (37mm) 6 POINTS TOP 1
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
The M5A1 light tank is the latest model of the 12”/30CM 14”/35CM 24”/60CM 28”/70CM 3+
'General Stuart', as named by the British. Its WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
armour has been slightly upgraded to guard
M5 Stuart (37mm) 24”/60CM 2 2 7 4+ Stabiliser
against small arms fire, but this hasn't slowed the
M5 Stuart (MGs) 16”/40CM 5 5 2 6 Self-defence AA
speedy little tank. It's ideal for probing enemy
lines and reporting weaknesses.

M5 STUART LIGHT TANK: Features

LIGHT & FAST: The Stuart tank is half the weight of an
M4 Sherman, giving it an impressive 36mph (58km/h) road
speed, compared to the M4 Sherman's 24mph (39km/h).
This speed boost will keep the crews charging hard and
fast, avoiding enemy fire along the way.
FIGHT CLEVER: Don't try and punch above your weight
with these tanks. Instead, fight dirty. Find a weakness in the
enemy line, like unsupported infantry and exploit it, snatch
thinly held objectives, and bowl over vulnerable gun teams.

61
 SUPER SIXTH IN BRITTANY
The 6th 'Super Sixth' Armoured Division Meanwhile, outside the city the German
was formed on 15 February 1942 and 266th Infantry Division, unaware of the
arrived in England two years later on 6th’s position directly in between them
11 February 1944. The 6th then landed and their safe haven, stumbled into the
on Utah Beach in Normandy on 19 July American lines. They launched an unor-
1944 and immediately took to the offen- ganised and unsuccessful attack to try
sive in the Cotentin Peninsula in support and breakthrough into Brest.
of the Normandy campaign. On 9 August General Ramke, com-
In early August they moved west to lead mander of German forces in Brest,
the Brittany campaign along side the assembled an assault force consisting
4th Armoured Division. The Germans of two paratrooper companies and two
had no tank formations to oppose the platoons fully equipped with Panzerfaust
US armoured divisions, which enjoyed a anti-tank launchers. Supported by artil-
swift advance to the port cities of Lorient, Brest and Saint lery and naval AA batteries, Ramke personally led the charge.
Nazaire. The Germans were forced to fall back to Brest where The assault pushed out a ways before it was halted and turned
ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY

they could take up better defences.
The 'Super Sixth' advanced through the middle of the penn-
insula, while the 4th took the southern route. Their advance
was so swift that they arrived outside Brest before the retreat-
ing Germans.
Combat Command A (CCA), of the 6th Armoured Division
had the job of containing the Germans inside Brest, earning
them the nickname, ‘The Brassiere Boys’. CCA consisted
of the 50th Armoured Infantry Battalion, the 68th Tank
Battalion (two companies), the 603rd Tank Destroyer
Battalion, 86th Cavalry Recon Squadron (A & E Troops),
the 777th Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion (A Company),
and 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment detached from the
8th Infantry Division.
The 'Brassiere Boys' were tasked with convincing the Germans
that the city was surrounded by a much larger force. Several
clashes, including a cunning German raid to free some POWs
from the French resistance, broke out along the front but the
'Brassiere Boys' succeeded in keeping Brest contained.
back by the 'Brassiere Boys'. Without the aid of Ramke’s par-
atroopers, the 266th Infantry Division was cut to pieces by the
6th Armoured Division.
The ‘Super Sixth’ could not enter the city, due to the German
defences, but instead continued to screen the city prevent-
ing any German reinforcements. Soon the 8th, 2nd, and
29th Infantry Divisions arrived and established a perimeter
around Brest, freeing the 6th Armoured Division to head
south to Lorient. In early September the division was released
to head east and made the first link-up with American and
French troops which had invaded southern France in August.
The division reached the German border on 6 December, and
took part in the Battle of the Bulge later that month where it
was heavily engaged in Bastonge.
The division pressed on into Germany, breaching the Siegfried
Line and went on to help liberate the notorious German con-
centration camp at Buchenwald.

4TH AND 6TH ARMORED DIVISIONS IN BRITTANY, 1944

6 August: 0 10 20 30 40 31 July:
6th Armored Division Km Avaranches taken by
Arrives on the 10 20 30 40 4 Armored Division
th
outskits of Brest M
Avranches

Lesneven Saint-Malo
Morlaix
3 August:
6th Armored Division
Moves out from
Landerneau Avranches
4 August:
Brest In a night march,
6 Armored Division
th
9 August: takes Loudéac
The Brassiere Boys Loudéac and Pontivy
destroy the German
266th Division
Rennes
BRITAIN
BELGIUM
GERMANY Pontivy
3 August:
Rennes taken by
8 Infantry Division
th

and 4th Armored

Division
KEY
15 August: 4th Armored Division
Lorient surrounded
BRITTANY Lorient by the 4th Armored
F RAN C E Division 6th Armored Division

ITALY Task Force A

62
 ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY INFANTRY FORMATION

You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box.
You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.

HEADQUARTERS

ARMOURED RIFLE
COMPANY HQ
LU156

64
INFANTRY INFANTRY INFANTRY

ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY

ARMOURED ARMOURED ARMOURED
RIFLE PLATOON RIFLE PLATOON RIFLE PLATOON
LU109

65
LU109 LU109
65

65
WEAPONS ANTI-TANK ARTILLERY ARTILLERY

ARMOURED ARMOURED M8 SCOTT ASSAULT ARMOURED

M1917 MACHINE-GUN 57mm ANTI-TANK GUN PLATOON M4 81mm MORTAR
PLATOON PLATOON LU158 PLATOON
LU110 LU157 67 LU113
66

66

67
You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

THE BRASSIERE BOYS

6TH ARMOURED DIVISION - BREST - AUGUST 1944
TASK FORCE

BATTALION HQ A & B COMPANIES A TROOP

3x M4 81mm mortar
half-tracks
3x M3 Scott 75mm HMC
4x M1917 HMGs
34x M4 Sherman tanks 3x M8 armoured cars
A COMPANY 6x Jeeps

B COMPANY 68TH TANK BATTALION E TROOP

C COMPANY

A, B, & C COMPANIES

6x M8 Scott 75mm HMC tanks

15x Bazookas
6x M1919 LMGs
3x 60mm mortars 36x M10 GMCs
3x 57mm anti-tank guns 86TH CAVALRY SQUADRON
24x M20 scout Cars
18x Jeeps
50TH ARMOURED A, B, C, & D COMPANIES
INFANTRY BATTALION RECON COMPANY

A COMPANY 45x BARs

6+x M1919 LMGs
2x M20 scout Cars 9x 60mm mortars
6x M8 armoured Cars 15x Bazookas
12x Jeeps 8x M1917 HMGs
6x 81mm mortars
8x M15(37mm) 3x 57mm anti-tank guns
8x M16 (Quad .50 cal)
603RD TANK
DESTROYER BATTALION
1ST BATTALION,
777TH ANTI-AIRCRAFT 28TH INFANTRY REGIMENT
BATTERY

63
 ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY
ARMOURED HQ HQ
RIFLE COMPANY
MOTIVATION
CONFIDENT 4+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally
2x Thompson SMG team
1x M3 Half-track TRAINED
SKILL
(.50 cal MG) (LU112) 3 POINTS
2x Thompson SMG team
1x Jeep (MG) (LU107) 3 POINTS TACTICAL
8”/20CM
For many 'Armoured doughs', Normandy will WEAPON
be their first real fight. The enemy is dug in and Thompson SMG team
expecting them, but the armoured infantry is
lavishly equipped with machine-guns, bazookas,
half-tracks, and tanks—more than enough fire-
power to defeat the enemy.
ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY
Harry Carruthers struggled, forcing himself through
the thicket and into the field. The whole thing was
backwards, he thought. In Minnesota, the roads were
higher than the fields, but here he was climbing up
out of the roadway onto ground that was so high he
was looking down at the top of a tank behind him.
Unlike the eastern prairies, France’s fields had been
here for a thousand years.
The GIs started through the chest high grain,
weapons at the ready. Harry kept his bazooka pointed
downward. Behind, a ‘dozer tank ground up the slope
hitting the thick vegetation. It was a millennial
wall and even the thirty ton vehicle had trouble
getting through. The infantry paused and crouched.
Few of the men of the 36th had seen action, but they’d
spent years in England learning their craft. The
dozer finally made a hole and pulled onto the field,
their platoon of tanks following.
Across the field, the thicket was in rougher shape.
The artillery had pounded it, leaving thin spots
and gaps. The point men made their way through onto
the sunken road, carefully looked around and moved
across, disappearing into the field beyond. The rest
of the platoon followed, down into the tunnel-
like roadway.
64
• INFANTRY FORMATION • HQ TRANSPORT • IS HIT ON
AGGRESSIVE 3+
3+ SAVE
4+ Infantry
3+
TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO
RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
4”/10CM 3 3 1 6 Pinned ROF 1
Without warning bullets started zipping by – down
the length of the road! Men fell as the tearing sound
of Hitler’s buzzsaw filled the defile. While some
panicked, the rest held to their training, dropping
to the ground and returning fire with their weapons.
One of the Shermans swivelled its turret, the co-ax
MG spitting as at it came into line. The 75mm gun
roared sending an HE shell toward the crossroads,
but the fire didn’t slacken.
The MG fire ceased and Carruthers’ insides turned
to water as he saw a huge Panther clank around
the corner into the road. Its MGs opened up, keeping
most of the infantry pinned – even as the main
gun barked and the Sherman dozer in the middle
of the road detonated, the turret flying through
the air like a child’s toy. The tank nearest the
Panther had stopped firing, a glowing edged hole
in its side armor showing where the shot had passed
clean through before destroying the second tank
in the road.
Cursing, Harry dived into the grain of the field
above. Crouched low, he readied the bazooka,
dropping to a crawl and waiting in the brush as the
tank advanced. He edged the snout of the weapon
through the thicket, taking aim at the red numbers
painted on the side of the turret. Burt Grimm
slapped his helmet, letting him know he was loaded
and he squeezed the trigger.
The whoosh of his rocket disappeared into a larger
explosion as the shaped charge punched through the
side of the panzer’s turret. The bang sounded hollow
as it blew the hatches of the vehicle open. A stunned
crewman tried to get out of the driver’s hatch but
was shredded by gunfire. “Take that you bastards!”
the private yelled.
 ARMOURED RIFLE PLATOON
ARMOURED RIFLE PLATOON
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • OBSERVER • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+ SAVE

6x M1 Garand rifle team

TRAINED
SKILL

4+
3+
5x M1 Bazooka team Infantry

2x M1919 LMG
1x 60mm mortar
2x M3 Half-track TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
(.50 cal MG) (LU112) 8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO
3x M3 Half-track ROF ANTI- FIRE-
(.30 cal MG) (LU112) 15 POINTS WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES

M1 Garand rifle team 16”/40CM 1 1 2 6

4x M1 Garand rifle team M1919 LMG team 16”/40CM 5 2 2 6 Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon

4x M1 Bazooka team M1 Bazooka team 8”/20CM 1 1 10 5+ Assault 5+, Slow Firing

2x M1919 LMG 60mm mortar 32”/80CM ARTILLERY 1 4+ Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon

1x 60mm mortar

ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY

2x M3 Half-track Each armoured rifle platoon is an army unto itself. It supports its infantry
(.50 cal MG) (LU112) with heavy weapons such as the excellent 60mm mortar and the M1919
2x M3 Half-track light machine-gun. These will guarantee that your troops will not only
(.30 cal MG) (LU112) 12 POINTS make it to their objective, but also hold it against enemy counterattacks.
As your infantry secure the ground, send in the tanks to deal with enemy
The Unit Leader is one of the M1 Garand rifle teams,
and is mounted on a small base (see page 91). tanks and dug-in machine-guns. The enemy cannot repel such a well
co-ordinated assault!

ARMOURED RIFLE PLATOON: Features

WEAPONS TEAMS: The Bazooka, LMG and mortar crews SLOW FIRING: The M1 Bazooka is effective, but slow to
are smaller teams and not as well equipped as the riflemen load and operate when moving or pinned down.
for hand-to-hand combat, so they are not as deadly in
ARTILLERY: The M2 60mm mortar is a smooth-bore
assaults. Although the M1919 LMG and 60mm mortar are
muzzle-loading weapon which throws a 1.4kg (3lb)
light enough for their crews to carry them when they must,
high-explosive bomb in an arcing trajectory, down onto the
they are too cumbersome to carry into the chaos of a close
heads of the enemy. Unlike most other infantry weapons, it
assault. They can fight back if they are assaulted, but they
cannot conduct direct fire. Although it is classified as a light
cannot Charge into Contact.
mortar, it has a superior range and rate of fire compared to
MG TRANSPORT: M1917 HMG or M1919 LMG teams may the light mortars of most other countries.
fire while Mounted as a Passenger in an M3 Half-track,
OBSERVER: Your Armoured Rifle Platoon's Unit Leader can
using the Optional Passenger MG weapons line.
spot for your artillery units' bombardments.

M3 HALF-TRACK
M3 HALF-TRACK TRANSPORT
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • PASSENGERS 3 • IS HIT ON
     • TRACTOR •             • UNIT TRANSPORT •
RELUCTANT 5+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Transport
Counterattack 6 ARMOUR

Transport Attachment to: SKILL FRONT 1

TRAINED 4+
Armoured Rifle Company HQ (LU156), Transport
6
SIDE &
REAR 0
or Armoured Rifle Platoon (LU109), Assault

or Armoured M1917 TOP 0

Machine-gun Platoon (LU110),
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
or Armoured 57mm 10”/25CM 10”/25CM 18”/45CM 32”/80CM 4+
Anti-tank Platoon (LU157)
WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

The M3 half-track is the essential US armoured M3 (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA

transport, which has been in service since North M3 (.30 cal MG) 16”/40CM 3 3 2 6 Self-defence AA
OPTIONAL
Africa. These half-tracks come with their own Passenger MG 16”/40CM 1 1 2 6 MG Transport

firepower, but in classic American style, they

have plenty of hard points to mount even more
machine-guns when needed.

65
 ARMOURED
M1917 MACHINE-GUN PLATOON
ARMOURED
M1917 MACHINE-GUN PLATOON
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • HEAVY WEAPON • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+ SAVE

4x M1917 HMG
2x M3 Half-track TRAINED
SKILL

4+ Infantry
3+
(.50 cal MG) (LU112) 4 POINTS Heavy Weapon
Assault 5+

4x M1917 HMG 3 POINTS

TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

8”/20CM 8”/20CM 12”/30CM 12”/30CM AUTO

Whether supporting dismounted rifle teams
ROF ANTI- FIRE-
or holding a defensive position, M1917 heavy WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES

machine-guns, mounted on the side of half- M1917 HMG 24”/60CM 6 2 2 6

tracks or deployed in good cover, will dampen
the spirits of all but the most fanatical Germans.
ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY

ARMOURED
57mm ANTI-TANK
57MM PLATOON
ARMOURED
ANTI-TANK PLATOON
MOTIVATION • GUN UNIT • GUN SHIELD • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
Blood ‘n Guts
Rally 3+ SAVE

3x 57mm gun
3x M3 Half-track TRAINED
SKILL

4+ Gun
3+
(.50 cal MG) (LU112) 7 POINTS Gun
Assault 5+

2x 57mm gun
2x M3 Half-track TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
(.50 cal MG) (LU112) 5 POINTS 2”/5CM 2”/5CM 4”/10CM 6”/15CM 5+

WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES

3x 57mm gun 4 POINTS HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

57mm gun 28”/70CM 2 1 10 4+ Forward Firing, No HE

2x 57mm gun 3 POINTS

Whether holding ground or covering the backs of

the advancing infantry, anti-tank guns were per-
fect to defend against armoured counterattacks.

66
 ARMOURED
M4 81mm MORTAR
81MMPLATOON
ARMOURED
MORTAR PLATOON
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
SP Gun
Counterattack 6 ARMOUR

3+ 1
Blood ‘n Guts
3x M4 (81mm mortar) 2 POINTS Last Stand FRONT

TRAINED
SKILL

4+
SIDE &
REAR 0
Mortars provide an edge for your combined arms SP Gun
Assault 6 TOP 0
operations by quickly punching holes in the
enemy's defence. Use them to pin down enemy TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

10”/25CM 10”/25CM 16”/40CM 32”/80CM 4+

troops or to lay smoke on enemy anti-tank guns
for your tanks. They can aid an infantry assault WEAPON RANGE ROF
HALTED MOVING
ANTI- FIRE-
TANK POWER NOTES

with both mortar and machine-gun fire. M4 (81mm mortar) 40”/100CM ARTILLERY 1 4+ Rear Firing, Smoke Bombardment

M4 (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA

ARMOURED ARTILLERY: Features

ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY

MORTARS: With the 81mm mortar mounted in the rear of
the vehicle, it must be turned away from the target to let
the crew fire the weapon. With their indirect fire capability,
mortars are highly useful in rugged terrain. Firing from
behind cover, they can smoke or destroy anti-tank guns.
If you need to bombard infantry in the open or suppress
dug-in infantry and guns before charging in to assault,
mortars are a good option.
ASSAULT GUNS: Assault guns were developed to give
close support when attacking fortified positions or dug-in
infantry. They feature a large-calibre, low-velocity gun,
firing high-explosive shells. Their armoured chassis lets
them drive right up to tough targets and blast them point-
blank. If you aren't sure which armoured artillery platoon is
the best option to support your army, consider taking both!

M8 SCOTT ASSAULT GUN

M8PLATOON
SCOTT ASSAULT GUN PLATOON
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
SP Gun
Counterattack 6 ARMOUR

3+ 3
Blood ‘n Guts
3x M8 Scott (75mm) 5 POINTS Last Stand FRONT

2x M8 Scott (75mm) 3 POINTS

TRAINED
SKILL

4+
SIDE &
REAR 3
SP Gun
Assault 6 TOP 0
The M8 Scott HMC assault gun complements
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
your mortars, either by performing direct fire
12”/30CM 14”/35CM 24”/60CM 28”/70CM 3+
from its 75mm gun to knock out machine-gun
ROF ANTI- FIRE-
nests, or by joining the mortars in keeping the WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES

enemy’s head down while the riflemen close. M8 Scott (75mm) 64”/160CM ARTILLERY 2 4+ Smoke Bombardment

or Direct Fire 20”/50CM 2 1 6 3+ Smoke

M8 Scott (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA

67
 HELL ON WHEELS
The 2nd Armoured Division was raised during the Sicily campaign before being
on 15 July 1940 under the command of pulled back to England to prepare for the
Major General Charles L. Scott. Later invasion of France. While there, the divi-
that year Scott was promoted and com- sion received some new Shermans armed
mand of the division fell to one Brigadier with the more powerful 76mm gun.
General George S Patton. The division The division landed in Normandy on
trained hard, prompting Patton to boast 9 June 1944 and went straight into
that the 2nd Armoured Division would be battle under the command of Major
‘Hell on Wheels’ when it met the enemy. General Edward H. Brooks. Along with
The nick name stuck.
VETERAN M4 SHERMAN TANK COMPANY

the 3rd ‘Spearhead’ Armoured Division,

The division first saw action in North Africa ‘Hell On Wheels’ led the American
during Operation Torch in late 1942. From assault during Operation Cobra on
there, the men of the division fought hard 25 July 1944 exploiting far behind the
German lines.

OPERATION COBRA NORMANDY, FRANCE, 25TH JULY 1944

BRITAIN
BELGIUM
Lessay Tribehou GERMANY

NORMANDY
Périers 2. SS-Panzer-division

6th Armored Division F RAN C E

(Combat Command A)
ITALY
NAME ENOUGH

4 Armored Division
th

(Combat Command B)

17. SS-Panzer­
Pont-Hébert
grenadierdivision
CA
St. Saveur-Lendelin
RPE
TB
OM
BIN
G
353. Infanterie­
2. SS-Panzer-division division St. Lô
(Elements)
Marigny St. Gilles

3rd Armored Division

(Combat Command B)
Canisy
17. SS-Panzer­
grenadierdivision
(Elements)
Coutances 352. Infanterie­division
(Remnants)

2nd Armored Division

(Combat Command B)
3 Armored Division
rd
2nd Armored Division
(Combat Command A) (Combat Command A)
RONCEY POCKET
Hyenville
Roncey
352. Infanterie­division
Panzer Lehr (Remnants)
(Remnants)

Villebaudon

St. Denis-le-Gast

Lengronne
30 July
Cérences
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Percy Km
Gavray
1 2 3 4 5
M

68
 VETERAN M4 SHERMAN TANK COMPANY TANK FORMATION

You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box.
You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.
HEADQUARTERS

VETERAN M4 SHERMAN TANK COMPANY

VETERAN
M4 SHERMAN
TANK COMPANY HQ
LU159

70
ARMOUR ARMOUR ARMOUR

VETERAN VETERAN VETERAN

M4 SHERMAN M4 SHERMAN M4 SHERMAN
TANK PLATOON TANK PLATOON TANK PLATOON
LU160 LU160 LU160
70

70

70
VETERAN VETERAN
M4 SHERMAN (76mm) M5 STUART
TANK PLATOON TANK PLATOON
LU161 LU164
71

73

ARTILLERY ARTILLERY

VETERAN VETERAN
M4 81mm ARMOURED M4 SHERMAN (105mm)
MORTAR PLATOON ASSAULT GUN PLATOON
LU171 LU162
77

71
You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

After the division had smashed the Germans in Normandy,
they pursued the retreating enemy through Belgium.
However, their rapid advance came to a halt when they hit
the Siegfried Line and the Roer dams. Here they fought a
determined enemy, which bogged down the Allies.
During the Battle of the Bulge, the division joined the Allied
northern counterattack, hitting the Fifth Panzer Army at
Dinant. The division halted and then destroyed the German
spearheads of the 2nd and 9th Panzer Divisions.
In 1945 the division fought into Germany, teaming up
once again with the 3rd Armoured Division as they trapped
German Army Group B in the Ruhr pocket in March.
During World War II, ‘Hell On Wheels’ soldiers received
9369 awards for distinguished service and bravery, including
two Medals of Honor, twenty-three Distinguished Service
Crosses, 2302 Silver Stars, and nearly 6000 Purple Hearts.
The division had fought for 238 days in combat, suffering
7,348 casualties, including 1,160 killed in action.

69
 VETERAN
M4 SHERMAN TANK COMPANY
M4 SHERMANHQ VETERAN TANK COMPANY HQ
MOTIVATION • TANK FORMATION • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL ARMOUR

TRAINED 4+
2x M4 Sherman (75mm) 9 POINTS FRONT 6
3+
Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics SIDE &
REAR 4
The tankers of the 2nd Armoured Division have TOP 1
seen action in North Africa. They've learned
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
lessons to help them avoid enemy fire and also
10”/25CM 12”/30CM 18”/45CM 20”/50CM 3+
designed new tactics to overcome challenges on
VETERAN M4 SHERMAN TANK COMPANY

ROF ANTI- FIRE-

the battlefield. WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES

M4 Sherman (75mm) 28”/70CM 2 2 10 3+ Smoke, Stabiliser

M4 Sherman (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA

M4 Sherman (MGs) 16”/40CM 2 2 2 6

VETERAN
M4 SHERMAN TANK M4
PLATOON
SHERMAN VETERAN TANK PLATOON
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL ARMOUR

TRAINED 4+
5x M4 Sherman (75mm) 21 POINTS FRONT 6
3+
Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics
4x M4 Sherman (75mm) 17 POINTS SIDE &
REAR 4
3x M4 Sherman (75mm) 13 POINTS TOP 1
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
The M4 Sherman continues to serve as the US 10”/25CM 12”/30CM 18”/45CM 20”/50CM 3+
Army's main battle tank. Its speed, adequate ROF ANTI- FIRE-
WEAPON RANGE NOTES
armour, and powerful 75mm gun combine to make HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

M4 Sherman (75mm) 28”/70CM 2 2 10 3+ Smoke, Stabiliser

for an excellent tank, especially while commanded
M4 Sherman (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA
by the cunning crews from 'Hell on Wheels.'
M4 Sherman (MGs) 16”/40CM 2 2 2 6

70
 VETERAN M4 SHERMAN TANK COMPANY
VETERAN
M4 SHERMAN (76mm)M4
TANK PLATOON
SHERMAN (76MM) VETERAN TANK PLATOON
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
Protected Ammo
Remount 3+ ARMOUR

5x M4 Sherman (76mm) 28 POINTS

SKILL FRONT 7
TRAINED 4+
4x M4 Sherman (76mm) 22 POINTS Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+
SIDE &
REAR 4
3x M4 Sherman (76mm) 16 POINTS TOP 1
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

New M4A1 76mm Shermans have arrived 10”/25CM 12”/30CM 18”/45CM 20”/50CM 3+
in small numbers to give the division a more WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
powerful anti-tank gun. These guns are able M4 Sherman (76mm) 36”/90CM 2 2 12 3+ No HE, Stabiliser
to crack open a German Panther's thick front M4 Sherman (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA
armour, which is a game changer for 'Hell on M4 Sherman (MGs) 16”/40CM 2 2 2 6
Wheels' tankers.

VETERAN
M4 SHERMAN
M4 SHERMAN (105mm) ASSAULT GUN (105MM)
PLATOON VETERAN ASSAULT GUN PLATOON
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
Protected Ammo
Remount 3+ ARMOUR

6x M4 Sherman (105mm) 27 POINTS SKILL FRONT 7

TRAINED 4+
4x M4 Sherman (105mm) 18 POINTS Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+
SIDE &
REAR 4
2x M4 Sherman (105mm) 9 POINTS TOP 1
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
The 105mm-armed Sherman is yet another new 10”/25CM 12”/30CM 18”/45CM 20”/50CM 3+
weapon available to the veteran tankers of the RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
WEAPON HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
2nd Armoured. These tanks have a much larger
M4 Sherman (105mm) 48”/120CM ARTILLERY 3 3+ Smoke Bombardment
gun, designed to knock out enemy nests and to
or Direct Fire 24”/60CM 1 1 9 2+ Brutal, Slow Firing, Smoke
also lay down artillery bombardments.
M4 Sherman (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA

M4 Sherman (MGs) 16”/40CM 2 2 2 6

71
 VETERAN M5 STUART TANK COMPANY TANK FORMATION

You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box.
You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.
HEADQUARTERS

VETERAN
M5 STUART
VETERAN M5 STUART TANK COMPANY

TANK COMPANY HQ
LU163

73
ARMOUR ARMOUR ARMOUR

VETERAN VETERAN VETERAN

M5 STUART M5 STUART M5 STUART
TANK PLATOON TANK PLATOON TANK PLATOON
LU164 LU164 LU164
73

73

73
VETERAN
M4 SHERMAN
TANK PLATOON
ARTILLERY ARTILLERY LU160

70
VETERAN VETERAN
M4 81mm ARMOURED M8 SCOTT ASSAULT
MORTAR PLATOON GUN PLATOON
LU171 LU170
77

77

VETERAN
M4 SHERMAN (105mm)
ASSAULT GUN PLATOON
LU162
71

You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

72
 VETERAN M5 STUART TANK COMPANY
VETERAN
M5 STUART TANK COMPANY
M5 STUARTHQ VETERAN TANK COMPANY HQ
MOTIVATION • TANK FORMATION • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL ARMOUR

TRAINED 4+
2x M5 Stuart (37mm) 5 POINTS FRONT 4
3+
Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics SIDE &
REAR 3
Veteran commanders use their Stuart light tank TOP 1
companies either as a flanking attack force or
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
a mobile reserve. In both cases, they seek out
12”/30CM 14”/35CM 24”/60CM 28”/70CM 3+
places in the enemy's front line that they can
ROF ANTI- FIRE-
exploit using the Stuart's superb speed and WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES

manoeuvrability. M5 Stuart (37mm) 24”/60CM 2 2 7 4+ Stabiliser

M5 Stuart (MGs) 16”/40CM 5 5 2 6 Self-defence AA

VETERAN
M5 STUART TANK PLATOON
M5 STUART VETERAN TANK PLATOON
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL ARMOUR

TRAINED 4+
5x M5 Stuart (37mm) 13 POINTS FRONT 4
3+
Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics
4x M5 Stuart (37mm) 10 POINTS
SIDE &
REAR 3
3x M5 Stuart (37mm) 7 POINTS TOP 1
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
Although the M5A1 Stuart light tank still per- 12”/30CM 14”/35CM 24”/60CM 28”/70CM 3+
forms the traditional cavalry role against infan- WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
try quite well, its function has evolved since the
M5 Stuart (37mm) 24”/60CM 2 2 7 4+ Stabiliser
landings in North Africa two years ago. While
M5 Stuart (MGs) 16”/40CM 5 5 2 6 Self-defence AA
retaining its ability to scout on the flanks and
move rapidly to exploit breakthroughs, it has
developed its own support role based upon
manoeuvrability and speed.

73
 VETERAN ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY INFANTRY FORMATION

You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box.
You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.

HEADQUARTERS

VETERAN
VETERAN ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY

ARMOURED RIFLE
COMPANY HQ
LU165

75
INFANTRY INFANTRY INFANTRY

VETERAN VETERAN VETERAN

ARMOURED ARMOURED ARMOURED
RIFLE PLATOON RIFLE PLATOON RIFLE PLATOON
LU167 LU167 LU167
76

76

76
WEAPONS ANTI-TANK ARTILLERY ARTILLERY

VETERAN ARMOURED VETERAN ARMOURED VETERAN VETERAN ARMOURED

M1917 MACHINE-GUN 57mm ANTI-TANK M8 SCOTT ASSAULT M4 81mm MORTAR
PLATOON PLATOON GUN PLATOON PLATOON
LU168 LU169 LU170 LU171
77
76

77

77
You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

Distant rifle cracks and the sharp booms of mortar
fire were now easily heard over the roar of the half-
track's engines. The sergeant yelled. “Remember what we
learned in England! Y’all stay mounted. Ya swamp rats
only de-bus when I tell ya!” Boudreau’s Cajun accent
cut through the noise. He was the only Louisiana ‘swamp
rat’ in the platoon – but they’d earned the name and
were proud of it.
At the front of the ‘box’ the .50 started thumping
heavily, Keogh laying rounds into Kraut positions
ahead of them. The sergeant used the MG cupola for
cover as he risked a quick look. “Rico!” he yelled at the
driver. “Twenty more yards and hold by da ditch.”
“You got it, Sarge!”
Huge clods of dirt flew over their heads, some falling
into the box. “Kraut tank right!” Keogh yelled.
“Perkins, get da ‘zooka prepped. Ready up!” The troops
set for the rush that would take them out of the rear
door. “GO!” Boudreau called it even before the ‘track
had completely halted. The men leapt out, sliding
into what turned out to be a shallow brook. A pair of
GI’s were crouched in the trickle, holding a pressure
bandage on a wounded fellow.
“Hello, 2nd Armoured,” one of them called, “we’re sure
as hell glad to see you boys!”
74
Across the field a pair of Shermans fired their 75s,
drowning out some of the replies. “Ya boys Airborne?”
Boudreau asked. In response, one of them tapped the
‘screaming eagle’ patch on his shoulder. The sarge
grinned. “Well, it would be a crying shame to let you
have all da fun.” He turned to his men, deploying
at the edge of the defile and starting to return
fire. Above them, Keogh continued ripping rounds
down range.
Taking another look, Boudreau directed his section,
spreading them out and keeping Perkins and his loader
close. He pointed to them. “Y’all take da ‘zooka up the
stream. Looks like ya might be able to line up a side
shot on that there assault gun. Now ‘git!”
He went back to the paratroops. “Anything else we
need to know, son?”
“We’re pretty sure they got an AT gun dug into that
next hedge, Sarge.”
Boudreau to the side, taking a long look through
thick brush. There was movement, and what might
be the flash of a shell casing in the shadows. He
grinned to himself. Definitely close enough.
“All right ya swamp rats. Smoke on my mark! Time to
kick the Krauts outta France once and for all!”
 VETERAN
ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY
ARMOURED
VETERAN
HQ HQ
RIFLE COMPANY
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY FORMATION • HQ TRANSPORT • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE

2x Thompson SMG team TRAINED 4+

1x M3 Half-track
Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+ Infantry
3+
(.50 cal MG) (LU166) 3 POINTS
2x Thompson SMG team
1x Jeep (MG) (LU107) 3 POINTS TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO

The veterans of the 41st Armoured Infantry ROF ANTI- FIRE-

VETERAN ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY

WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES
Regiment know how to fight. They have been Thompson SMG team 4”/10CM 3 3 1 6 Pinned ROF 1
training hard, getting ready for another crack at
the Germans.

CAMOUFLAGE UNIFORMS
The 41st Armoured Infantry Regiment and 17th Armoured
Engineer Battalion of the 2nd Armoured Division and the
infantry of the 30th Infantry Division were all issued new
camouflage uniforms prior to D-Day. These uniforms are
more famous for their use by the US Marine Corps in the
Pacific Theatre and were undergoing their first trials
in Europe.
While the uniform generally worked well, it had one major
drawback­—other American troops had learned to assume
that anyone wearing camouflage was a German soldier.
Unfortunately, this led to a lot of ‘friendly fire’ casualties.
Most troops stopped wearing the camouflage uniform soon
after the Falaise Pocket was destroyed.

VETERAN
M3 HALF-TRACK
M3 HALF-TRACK VETERAN TRANSPORT
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • PASSENGERS 3 • IS HIT ON
•TRACTOR • UNIT TRANSPORT •
RELUCTANT 5+ CAREFUL 4+
Transport
Counterattack 6 ARMOUR

Transport Attachment to: SKILL FRONT 1

TRAINED 4+
Veteran Armoured Rifle Company HQ (LU165), Transport
6
SIDE &
REAR 0
or Veteran Armoured Rifle Platoon (LU167), Assault

or Veteran Armoured M1917

Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+ TOP 0
Machine-gun Platoon (LU166),
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
or Veteran Armoured 57mm 10”/25CM 10”/25CM 18”/45CM 32”/80CM 4+
Anti-tank Platoon (LU169)
WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

M3 (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA

M3 (.30 cal MG) 16”/40CM 3 3 2 6 Self-defence AA

OPTIONAL
Passenger MG 16”/40CM 1 1 2 6 MG Transport

75
VETERAN ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY

VETERAN
ARMOURED RIFLE PLATOON
ARMOURED
VETERAN
RIFLE PLATOON
MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • OBSERVER • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE

6x M1 Garand rifle team TRAINED 4+

Yankee Ingenuity
3+
3+
5x M1 Bazooka team Tactics Infantry

2x M1919 LMG
1x 60mm mortar
2x M3 Half-track TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
(.50 cal MG) (LU166) 8”/20CM 8”/20CM 14”/35CM 14”/35CM AUTO
3x M3 Half-track ROF ANTI- FIRE-
(.30 cal MG) (LU166) 19 POINTS WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES

M1 Garand rifle team 16”/40CM 1 1 2 6

4x M1 Garand rifle team M1919 LMG team 16”/40CM 5 2 2 6 Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon

4x M1 Bazooka team M1 Bazooka team 8”/20CM 1 1 10 5+ Assault 5+, Slow Firing

2x M1919 LMG 60mm mortar 32”/80CM ARTILLERY 1 4+ Assault 5+, Heavy Weapon

1x 60mm mortar
2x M3 Half-track Every armoured rifle platoon is a small mobile army unto itself. It has its
(.50 cal MG) (LU166) own artillery, anti-tank weapons, machine-guns, infantry, and half-tracks.
2x M3 Half-track They can get just about anywhere on the battlefield quickly and be ready
(.30 cal MG) (LU166) 15 POINTS to assault or hold ground. The experienced soldiers of the 2nd Armoured
Division have had plenty of time to try out and use new tactics, making
The Unit Leader is one of the M1 Garand rifle teams, them even more deadly.
and is mounted on a small base (see page 91).

VETERAN ARMOURED
M1917 MACHINE-GUN PLATOON
M1917 MACHINE-GUN PLATOON
VETERAN ARMOURED

MOTIVATION • INFANTRY UNIT • HEAVY WEAPON • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE

TRAINED 4+
4x M1917 HMG
2x M3 Half-track
Heavy Weapon
Assault 5+ Infantry
3+
(.50 cal MG) (LU166) 5 POINTS Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+

4x M1917 HMG 4 POINTS

TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

8”/20CM 8”/20CM 12”/30CM 12”/30CM AUTO

Machine-guns form the core of your defense,
ROF ANTI- FIRE-
capable of holding an entire flank against enemy WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES

infantry. They have their own transport, allowing M1917 HMG 24”/60CM 6 2 2 6
them to keep up with the armoured assault and
provide fire on the move by mounting their
machine guns on the half-tracks.

76
 VETERAN ARMOURED
57mm ANTI-TANK
57MM PLATOON
VETERAN ARMOURED
ANTI-TANK PLATOON

VETERAN ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY

MOTIVATION • GUN UNIT • GUN SHIELD • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE

3x 57mm gun TRAINED 4+

3x M3 Half-track Gun
Assault 5+ Gun
3+
(.50 cal MG) (LU166) 9 POINTS Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+

2x 57mm gun
2x M3 Half-track TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
(.50 cal MG) (LU166) 6 POINTS 2”/5CM 2”/5CM 4”/10CM 6”/15CM 5+

WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES

3x 57mm gun 4 POINTS HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

57mm gun 28”/70CM 2 1 10 4+ Forward Firing, No HE

2x 57mm gun 3 POINTS

VETERAN ARMOURED
M4 81mm MORTAR
81MMPLATOON
MORTAR PLATOON
VETERAN ARMOURED

MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SP Gun
Counterattack 6 ARMOUR

3x M4 (81mm mortar) 3 POINTS SKILL FRONT 1

TRAINED 4+
SP Gun
Assault 6
SIDE &
REAR 0
Armoured mortars are ideal for supporting your Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+ TOP 0
troops. They can keep up with your half-tracks
and don't need to dismount to fire an artillery TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

10”/25CM 10”/25CM 16”/40CM 32”/80CM 4+

bombardment. Keeping your veterans well
supported with artillery is key to success. WEAPON RANGE ROF
HALTED MOVING
ANTI- FIRE-
TANK POWER NOTES

M4 (81mm mortar) 40”/100CM ARTILLERY 1 4+ Rear Firing, Smoke Bombardment

M4 (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA

VETERAN
M8PLATOON
M8 SCOTT ASSAULT GUN SCOTT VETERAN ASSAULT GUN PLATOON
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SP Gun
Counterattack 6 ARMOUR

3x M8 Scott (75mm) 6 POINTS SKILL FRONT 3

TRAINED 4+
2x M8 Scott (75mm) 4 POINTS SP Gun
Assault 6
SIDE &
REAR 3
Yankee Ingenuity
Tactics 3+ TOP 0
The able gunners of the 2nd Armoured Division's
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
assault guns have traded in their half-track-
12”/30CM 14”/35CM 24”/60CM 28”/70CM 3+
mounted guns for the new M8 Scott, which
ROF ANTI- FIRE-
combines the winning speed of a Stuart light WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES

tank with the firepower of an artillery battery. M8 Scott (75mm) 64”/160CM ARTILLERY 2 4+ Smoke Bombardment

Your troops can rely on artillery whenever and or Direct Fire 20”/50CM 2 1 6 3+ Smoke

wherever it's needed. M8 Scott (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA

77
 644TH TANK DESTROYER BATTALION
The 644th Tank Destroyer Battalion mobile firepower they needed to hit the
arrived in Normandy on 10 July enemy hard and fast. They were a lethal
1944 equipped with M10 tank destroyers. combination for the many German
During the month of July the battalion stongpoints on the peninsula.
was attached to the 8th Infantry Division
and followed that unit into Brittany. WITH THE INFANTRY
During the Brittany campaign the infan- Following their service with Task Force
try did not have much tank support, Sugar, A Company was attached to the
but what they did have was lots of tank 29th Infantry Division. The rest of the
destroyers. The 644th took up the slack battalion was attached to the 8th Infantry
admirably, and was used extensively to Division in the centre sector, replacing
help reduce enemy strong points and that division’s Sherman tank companies,
blast enemy-held buildings in Brest. The which were, in turn, lent to the 2nd and
M10 TANK DESTROYER COMPANY

644th would find themselves attached to just about every task
force in Brittany, offering its help wherever they were needed.
TASK FORCE S
While the US infantry divisions tightened the noose around
Brest, Task Force S (or ‘Sugar’), a small Ranger task force,
was dispatched to reduce the outlying German strongpoints
outside the port city. Many of these strongpoints had
well-protected nests for guns as well as trenches and other
earthen fortifications. To help tackle these, A Company of the
644th supported Task Force S, during the operations to clear
the Le Conquet Peninsula. The concentration of firepower
in this small task force was staggering, with tank destroyers,
medium tanks, light tanks, self-propelled artillery, and plenty
of towed artillery.
The reduction of major German fortifications required a bit
of finesse. However, where straight firepower failed, such as at
the imposing Graf Spee Battery, guile and boldness succeed-
ed. The tank destroyers of A Company gave the Rangers the
29th Infantry Divisions.
The company went into action as improvised assault guns,
working closely with the infantry they were supporting. The
open topped tank destroyers were vulnerable to small arms
fire and falling debris, so they kept back, letting the infantry
clear the way ahead of them.
LESSONS LEARNED
The 644th gained a lot of experience fighting in the Brittany
campaign. Chief among them was adding close infantry
support to their doctrine—something the creators of Seek,
Strike, and Destroy explicitly forbade. However, in Brittany,
there were not enough tanks to go around three infantry
divisions, but they had plenty of tank destroyers, so the field
commanders had to be flexible.
This prepared them well for the fights they were heading
toward, such as the tough battles in the Hürtgen Forest and
decisive battle of the Twin Villages in December 1944 during
the German Ardennes offensive.

TANK DESTROYER BATTALION

NORMANDY - JUNE 1944
BATTALION HQ

COMPANY HQ COMPANY HQ
2x M20 scout cars & 3x Jeeps 2x M20 scout cars & 3x Jeeps
COMPANY HQ COMPANY HQ

1ST PLATOON 2ND PLATOON

1ST PLATOON 2ND PLATOON 2x M8 armoured cars 2x M8 armoured cars
4x M10 GMCs 4x M10 GMCs
2x M20 scout cars 2x M20 scout cars 4x Jeeps 4x Jeeps
1x Jeep 1x Jeep

3RD PLATOON
2x M8 armoured cars
3RD PLATOON 4x Jeeps
4x M10 GMCs RECONNAISSANCE COMPANY
2x M20 scout cars 6x M8 armoured cars, 12x Jeeps
1x Jeep

A COMPANY
12x M10 GMC tank destroyers

B COMPANY
12x M10 GMC tank destroyers

C COMPANY

78
12x M10 GMC tank destroyers
 M10 TANK DESTROYER COMPANY ANTI-TANK FORMATION

You must field the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box.
You may also field one Combat Unit from each grey box.
HEADQUARTERS

M10 TANK DESTROYER

COMPANY HQ
LU172

80

M10 TANK DESTROYER COMPANY

ANTI-TANK ANTI-TANK ANTI-TANK

M10 TANK DESTROYER M10 TANK DESTROYER M10 TANK DESTROYER

PLATOON PLATOON PLATOON
LU105 LU105 LU105
80

80

80
RECONNAISSANCE RECONNAISSANCE RECONNAISSANCE

M20 SECURITY M20 SECURITY M20 SECURITY

SECTION SECTION SECTION
LU173 LU173 LU173
81

81

81
You may field a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

A clattering and squealing of tracks accompanied

The German recon motorcycles had passed by moments
ago, failing to detect Sergeant Adler and the rest of his
squad, concealed in the vineyards and behind the ancient
walls marking the edge of the fields. Soon, the real
targets would appear - enemy panzers. The M10's under
Evans' command would now deploy forward, hunting for
optimal ambush positions.
The first M10 appeared, knocking over a section of
old stone wall before crawling into position next to
a dilapidated cottage. Another M10 used a rotting
haystack as cover, plunging its barrel through the
pile. Two more assumed position further back down
the lane - they would take care of the lead tanks
that would be allowed to pass through the first
ambush position. Adler moved off to cover the rear -
just in case there needed to be a rapid exit.
by the rumble of heavy engines announced the
arrival of the German tanks. The first one to round
the distant bend and accelerate down the lane was
a Mk V - a Panther, one of the most heavily armed
and armoured vehicles in the German panoply of
Panzers. The tank commander stood in the turret
scanning around, confident enough in the preceding
recon to not be buttoned up inside the turret. Four
more Panthers followed the first one, and then a
collection of armoured half tracks trailed behind.
The lead tank passed through the first ambush
position, the rest of its platoon following behind.
The first shot slammed into the side of its hull as
it reached the end of the killing zone. The stricken
tank careered off the road into the deep gutter and
stopped, as hatches were flung open to allow the
crew to escape. The rest of the M10's opened fire and
another Panther burst into flames from its engine
compartment. A third rattled to a halt, wisps of
smoke curling out of the open turret hatch where
the commander slumped. Return fire finally struck
one of the M10 ripping off its turret. Captain Evans
issued the withdraw order - they had made their
kills and there was no need to hang around. The
M10's reversed and vanished, leaving the wreckage
of another enemy platoon behind.

79
 M10 TANK DESTROYERM20
COMPANY
SCOUT CAR HQ M10 TANK DESTROYER COMPANY HQ
MOTIVATION • TANK FORMATION • SCOUT • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
Scout
Counterattack 6 ARMOUR

2x M20 Scout Car 2 POINTS SKILL FRONT 2

TRAINED 4+
Scout
Assault 5+
SIDE &
REAR 1
The command structure of a tank destroyer bat- TOP 0
talion is ideally set up for providing the core for
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
mobile task forces. Its powerful radios are needed
10”/25CM 10”/25CM 16”/40CM 40”/100CM 4+
to communicate with spread out tank-destroyer
ROF ANTI- FIRE-
platoons as well as supporting infantry or tanks. WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES

M20 (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA

M10 TANK DESTROYER COMPANY

M10 3-inch TANK DESTROYER PLATOON

M10 TANK DESTROYER PLATOON
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • SEEK, STRIKE, AND DESTROY • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SP Gun
Counterattack 6 ARMOUR

4x M10 (3-inch) 16 POINTS SKILL FRONT 5

TRAINED 4+
2x M10 (3-inch) 8 POINTS SP Gun
Assault 5+
SIDE &
REAR 2
TOP 0
The M10 was first used in North Africa where
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
the 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion wreaked
10”/25CM 14”/35CM 18”/45CM 20”/50CM 3+
havoc on German tank formations there. Now,
ROF ANTI- FIRE-
that same battalion is heading to Normandy WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES

to once again seek, strike, and destroy German M10 (3-inch) 36”/90CM 2 1 12 3+ No HE

tanks all the way into Germany itself. M10 (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA

M10 3-inch GUN MOTOR CARRIAGE: Features

ARMOUR PENETRATION: The 3-inch gun mounted in the
M10 is a formidable anti-tank weapon. The gun is so large
a heavy counterweight is needed to balance the turret.
Its 6.8kg (15lb) high-velocity solid shot can tear through
the armour of any tank in existence, even the infamous
Tiger. However, it lacks high-explosive shells, making it less
dangerous to infantry and other soft targets.
FRONTAL PROTECTION: The M10 has impressive
armoured protection from the front, better than many
tanks. Some commanders actually disapprove of this,
fearing that it will encourage overconfident crews to treat
their vehicle as a tank—which it certainly is not. Its modest
side and top protection make it much more vulnerable to
both bombardment and assault.

80
 M10 TANK DESTROYER COMPANY
M20 SECURITY SECTION
M20
SECURITY SECTION
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • OBSERVER • SCOUT • IS HIT ON
2x M20 Scout Car CONFIDENT 4+ • SPEARHEAD •
CAREFUL 4+
1x Jeep (.50 cal MG) (LU107) 3 POINTS Scout
Counterattack 6 ARMOUR

5+ 2
Scout
Last Stand FRONT
The M20 utility scout car is the workhorse of the
Tank Destroyer security sections. These units are TRAINED
SKILL

4+
SIDE &
REAR 1
tasked with protecting the tank destroyers from Scout
Assault 5+ TOP 0
lesser threats, such as infantry and to scout and TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
locate potential ambush points. They are fast 10”/25CM 10”/25CM 16”/40CM 40”/100CM 4+
and relatively well-armed with plenty of .50 cal ROF ANTI- FIRE-
WEAPON RANGE TANK POWER NOTES
machine-guns that will keep infantry and light HALTED MOVING

M20 (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA

tanks at bay long enough for the tank destroyers
to arrive and clean up.
JEEP
M20 SECURITY SECTION: MOTIVATION • UNARMOURED TANK • COMPONENT • IS HIT ON

AS PER UNIT AS PER UNIT

Features SKILL SAVE
SCOUT: The first role of the M20 Security AS PER UNIT
Section was to be the eyes and ears of Unarmoured Tank
4+
the tank destroyer battalion, scouting
out possible ambush points and securing
the flanks.
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
SPEARHEAD: After scouting ahead, the
12”/30CM 12”/30CM 20”/50CM 48”/120CM 4+
second role of the Security Section was to
seek out clear paths for the tank destroyers, WEAPON RANGE ROF
HALTED MOVING
ANTI- FIRE-
TANK POWER NOTES

and to secure their ambush locations while Jeep (.50cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA
the tank destroyers moved in and set up.

81
 SUPPORT UNITS
M8 GREYHOUND CAVALRY RECON PATROL
M8CAVALRY
GREYHOUND
RECON PATROL
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • OBSERVER • SCOUT • IS HIT ON
2x M8 Greyhound (37mm) CONFIDENT 4+ • SPEARHEAD •
CAREFUL 4+
1x Jeep (MG) (LU107) Scout
Counterattack 6 ARMOUR
1x Jeep (60mm) (LU107) 5 POINTS 5+ 2
Scout
Last Stand FRONT
1x M8 Greyhound (37mm) SKILL SIDE &
1
VETERAN 3+ REAR
1x Jeep (MG) (LU107)
1x Jeep (60mm) (LU107) 3 POINTS
Scout
Assault 4+ TOP 0
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

Cavalry patrols operate over large areas of 10”/25CM 10”/25CM 16”/40CM 40”/100CM 4+
ground, constantly reporting on German posi- WEAPON RANGE ROF
HALTED MOVING
ANTI- FIRE-
TANK POWER NOTES
tions, testing and securing bridges, and making M8 (37mm) 24”/60CM 2 1 7 4+ Overworked
contact with local resistance groups. The infor- M8 ( .50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA
mation collected by these patrols is transmitted
using the cavalry’s powerful radios to help guide
the tanks, 'Armored Doughs', and infantry into JEEP
the best positions for attack. MOTIVATION • UNARMOURED TANK • COMPONENT • IS HIT ON
SUPPORT UNITS

Most cavalry patrols have a single M8 Greyhound AS PER UNIT AS PER UNIT
armoured car backed by a pair of jeeps. While SKILL SAVE

AS PER UNIT
the jeeps scout out targets, the M8 Greyhound
Unarmoured Tank
4+
covers them. A jeep can rely on its speed to get
in, have a look, and make it back safely.
The 2nd and 3rd Heavy Armored Divisions had
an additional M8 Greyhound in each patrol for TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

12”/30CM 12”/30CM 20”/50CM 48”/120CM 4+

extra firepower.
WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

Jeep (MG) 16”/40CM 3 3 2 6 Self-defence AA

Jeep (60mm mortar) 32”/80CM ARTILLERY 1 4+

CAVALRY RECON PATROL: Features

SCOUT: Cavalry patrols are meant to be searching out the
enemy and reporting back, not engaging them, so they keep
their distance and avoid close combat where possible.
SPEARHEAD: The Greyhounds and jeeps look out ahead,
checking for routes and crossings that can be used to put
the main force in a good position ahead of the battle.
JEEPS: The patrol has a pair of jeeps to extend the unit's
eyes and ears. One of the jeeps carried a .30cal machine-
gun, while the other carried a 60mm mortar aboard that
could be rapidly dismounted and fired to cover the patrol's
retreat or knock out a small target.

82
 3-inch TANK DESTROYER PLATOON
3-INCH TANK DESTROYER PLATOON
MOTIVATION • GUN UNIT • GUN SHIELD • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
SKILL SAVE

4x 3-inch gun 12 POINTS TRAINED 4+

2x 3-inch gun 6 POINTS
Gun
Assault 5+ Gun
4+

SUPPORT UNITS
The M5 3in gun is the same gun found in the
M10 self-propelled gun. It is able to penetrate TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
most German tanks from the front, making - 2”/5CM 4”/10CM 4”/10CM 6
them an essential component to any defensive ROF ANTI- FIRE-
WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES
line backed by infantry. The platoon has excel-
3-inch gun 36”/90CM 2 1 12 3+ Forward Firing, No HE
lent ambushing potential as well.

3-INCH TANK DESTROYER: Features

M5 3-INCH GUN: The M5 is the same gun used by the M10,
but is mounted on a heavy gun chassis with a gunshield.
Like the M10, this weapon has considerable power and can
knock out all but the heaviest German tanks.
AMBUSH: As members of the tank-destroyer arm, the
towed crews are also steeped in Seek, Strike, and Destroy
doctrine. While they lack the manoeuvrability of the M10
or M18, they still use that same TD cunning to place and
conceal their large guns in lethal ambushes.

83
 105mm FIELD ARTILLERY BATTERY
105MM FIELD ARTILLERY BATTERY
MOTIVATION • GUN UNIT • GUN SHIELD • LARGE GUN • IS HIT ON
• TIME ON TARGET •
CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
SKILL SAVE
4x 105mm howitzer 10 POINTS VETERAN 3+
2x 105mm howitzer 5 POINTS Large Gun
Assault 5+ Gun
4+

The M2A1 howitzer has proven itself time and

again throughout North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
now in Normandy. The field artillery batteries - 2”/5CM 4”/10CM 4”/10CM 6
are well-trained to deliver massed firepower with
WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
devastating results. HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
Forward Firing, Smoke
105mm howitzer 72”/180CM ARTILLERY 3 3+ Bombardment
Their accurate barrages keep the enemy pinned Brutal, Forward Firing, Slow Firing,
or Direct Fire 24”/60CM 1 1 9 2+ Smoke
down and soften them up for the assaulting
infantry. Use them to prepare the way for your
assault or to break up enemy attacks before they
hit your line. Your riflemen should be able to
mop up whatever is left!

M7 PRIEST ARTILLERYM7
BATTERY
PRIEST ARTILLERY BATTERY
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • TIME ON TARGET • IS HIT ON
SUPPORT UNITS

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
SP Gun
Counterattack 6 ARMOUR

6x M7 Priest (105mm) 16 POINTS

SKILL FRONT 3
VETERAN 3+
3x M7 Priest (105mm) 8 POINTS SP Gun
Assault 6
SIDE &
REAR 1
TOP 0
D-Day planners have committed M7 Priest bat-
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
teries to support the invading infantry coming 10”/25CM 12”/30CM 18”/45CM 20”/50CM 3+
ashore. In a pinch they could be used as assault
ROF ANTI- FIRE-
guns by firing directly at bunkers blocking the WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES

Forward Firing, Smoke

beach exits. M7 Priest (105mm) 72”/180CM ARTILLERY 3 3+ Bombardment
1 1 9 2+ Brutal, Forward Firing, Slow Firing,
or Direct Fire 24”/60CM
Interestingly, the motorised 4th Infantry Division Smoke
M7 Priest (.50 cal MG) 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA
use a large number of M7 Priests instead of many
of their usual towed guns.

ARMOURED ARTILLERY: Features

OPEN TOP: Self-propelled guns are armoured to keep the
crews safe from shrapnel and small arms fire, but generally
they like to keep their distance and avoid close combat
where possible.
BRUTAL: The M7's 105mm howitzer and the M12's
155mm gun are powerful guns on the battlefield. If they hit
a target, there's little hope for the enemy of survival.
SLOW-FIRING: These weapons are designed for artillery
missions, but sometimes they need to be moved up close
to destroy difficult targets over open sights. For the crew
of an M7, this is a difficult task to do on the move. For the
M12, the crew needs to stop and dismount to load and
fire the gun.

84
 M12 155mm ARTILLERY BATTERY
M12 155MM ARTILLERY BATTERY
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • GIGANTIC • TIME ON TARGET • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
SP Gun
Counterattack 6 ARMOUR

4x M12 (155mm) 12 POINTS SKILL FRONT 0

VETERAN 3+
2x M12 (155mm) 6 POINTS SP Gun
Assault 6
SIDE &
REAR 0
The 174th, 258th and 987th Field Artillery
TOP 0
Battalions’ M12 155mm Gun Motor Carriages TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

are rare beasts as only 100 of the vehicles have 10”/25CM 12”/30CM 18”/45CM 20”/50CM 3+

been built. WEAPON RANGE ROF

HALTED MOVING
ANTI- FIRE-
TANK POWER NOTES

The long 155mm guns have great range and M12 (155mm) 96”/240CM ARTILLERY 3 2+ Forward Firing

firepower. Even heavy battle tanks are not safe or Direct Fire 24”/60CM 1 - 15 AUTO Brutal, Forward Firing

from their heavy shells. These big guns have a

secondary role as bunker busters when German
fortifications slow down the advance.

country lanes, hedgerows and tree lines hemming in

the edges. Brittany was better than Normandy, but
was still a challenge.

Guides led them eventually to a grove of trees South

"We're just wasting time - time we haven't got.
You're going to have to get in closer." Lieutenant
Anderson watched the clouds of dust marking the
latest attempt to break open the enemy bunker fade
away in the mild wind. Colonel Linklater was making
his displeasure known very forcefully. Dropping
barrages of high explosive on the dense concrete
walls of the German fortification had achieved
nothing - now they were going to close in and shoot
straight at the enemy. The enemy, of course, might
choose to shoot back.
"Yes Sir. We'll get right on it." Linklater departed,
while Anderson called over Sergeant Morris, the
leader of his security detachment. "Sorry Bill,
but we have to get in close. Find a way forward
that doesn't get the guns shot up." The huge M12
155mm howitzers were ungainly beasts - the barrel
went on forever, and the whole gun carriage could
be very reluctant to navigate rough terrain. The
crew prepared the guns to travel, locking down the
barrels, and raising the recoil spades. The two gun
carriages began to slowly move down the narrow
SUPPORT UNITS
of the target. Sporadic machine gun fire could be
heard from over the slight rise.as the 29th Infantry
Division kept the enemy focused towards them. "When
you come around that corner, you'll see it. All those
barrages have stripped away the cover - its real
clear. You'll be under MG fire straight away, but it
looks like there isn't anything bigger." Anderson
nodded his thanks and instructed the Security to
stick with them and do what they could to keep the
Germans occupied. He made sure the crews had an AP
round loaded and more to hand."OK, lets go."
The drivers revved up, then the guns waddled
forward. The bunker occupants didn't react instantly,
stunned at the appearance of such enormous cannons..
The MG fire began to pepper the slight armour, and
the accompanying infantry fired back. The lead M12
rocked to a halt, then twitched side to side as the
gunner lined up. The huddled crew covered their ears
as the gunner pulled the lanyard and the entire
gun cradle slammed back, the sound of the shell
impacting covered by the firing. Lieutenant Anderson
peered down range at the impact point as the boiling
dust and smoke blew away. A crater marked the impact
point. "Same spot - hit it again!" he yelled towards
the other M12. Moments later another bloom of debris,
this time accompanied by a plume of dust from the
apertures of the bunker. Several enemy appeared
from the rear of the bunker, staggering and weaving
with blood trails from their burst ear drums.

85
 L4 GRASSHOPPER OP OBSERVATION
L4 GRASSHOPPER OPPOST OBSERVATION POST
MOTIVATION • AIRCRAFT UNIT • IS HIT ON
• AIR OBSERVATION POST • OBSERVER •
FEARLESS 3+ AIRCRAFT 5+
SKILL SAVE

VETERAN 3+
SUPPORT UNITS

1x L4 Grasshopper OP 2 POINTS
Aircraft
3+
You must field:
• a Parachute 75mm Artillery Battery (LU128),
• a Glider 75mm Artillery Battery (LU133), or
• an 105mm Field Artillery Battery (LU120) or TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
• an M7 Priest Armored Artillery Battery (LU121) or UNLIMITED AUTO
• an M12 155mm Armoured Artillery Battery (LU177)
before you can field an L4 Grasshopper OP. Each artillery battalion has a pair of Air Observation Post L4 Grasshopper
aircraft. These planes report enemy troop locations and call in artillery strikes,
making them the bane of German troops across Normandy and Brittany.

L4 GRASSHOPPER: Features
OBSERVER: With the German air force largely defeated,
the artillery battalions are starting to use light aircraft
armed with excellent long-range radios to range in
bombardments.
AOP: The AOP is a reliable asset, always present in the
skies when it's called upon, rain or shine, day or night. The
pilot and observer take great risks, loitering over their
target as they call in the artillery!

M4 SHERMAN OP OBSERVATION POST

M4 SHERMAN OP OBSERVATION POST
MOTIVATION • INDEPENDENT TANK UNIT • IS HIT ON
• OBSERVER • SCOUT •
CONFIDENT 4+ CAREFUL 4+
Scout
Last Stand 5+ ARMOUR

5+ 6
Observer
Counterattack FRONT
1x M4 Sherman OP (75mm) 3 POINTS
TRAINED
SKILL

4+
SIDE &
REAR 4
You must field:
• a Parachute 75mm Artillery Battery (LU128),
Observer
Ranging 3+ TOP 1
• a Glider 75mm Artillery Battery (LU133), or TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
• an 105mm Field Artillery Battery (LU120) or 10”/25CM 12”/30CM 18”/45CM 20”/50CM 3+
• an M7 Priest Armored Artillery Battery (LU121) or
• an M12 155mm Armoured Artillery Battery (LU177) WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

before you can field an M4 Sherman OP (75mm). M4 Sherman OP (75mm) 28”/70CM 1 1 10 3+

M4 Sherman OP 20”/50CM 3 2 4 5+ Self-defence AA
(.50 cal MG)
Mounted in the protection of a M4 Sherman M4 Sherman OP (MGs) 16”/40CM 2 2 2 6
tank, the artillery observer is well protected from
enemy small arms and artillery fire. This allows
him to concentrate on the job of directing his
own artillery's bombardments.

86
 M15 & M16 AAA PLATOON
M15 & M16 AAA PLATOON
MOTIVATION • TANK UNIT • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AGGRESSIVE 3+
SP Gun
Counterattack 6 ARMOUR

SKILL FRONT 1
2x M15 (37mm & .50 cal) TRAINED 4+
2x M16 (Quad .50 cal) 4 POINTS SP Gun
Assault 6
SIDE &
REAR 0
1x M15 (37mm & .50 cal) TOP 0
1x M16 (Quad .50 cal) 2 POINTS TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

10”/25CM 10”/25CM 16”/40CM 32”/80CM 3+

When enemy air is on the prowl, use the WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
HALTED MOVING TANK POWER
'Triple  A' platoon to guard your valuable guns M15 (37mm) 20”/50CM 4 2 5 4+ Dedicated AA, Slow Firing
and positions. Even when aircraft is not a threat, M16 (Quad .50 cal) 20”/50CM 5 3 4 5+ Dedicated AA
the anti-aircraft artillery can saturate enemy
strongpoints and pin down the enemy with a
tremendous amount of fire.

P-47 THUNDERBOLT FIGHTER FLIGHT

P-47 THUNDERBOLT FIGHTER FLIGHT
MOTIVATION • AIRCRAFT UNIT • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ AIRCRAFT 5+
SKILL SAVE

SUPPORT UNITS
TRAINED 4+
2x P-47 Thunderbolt 9 POINTS Aircraft
3+

Having swept the Luftwaffe, the German Air

Force, from the skies, the Allied air forces have
TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
exposed the German Army to our fighter bomb- UNLIMITED AUTO
ers. P-47 Thunderbolts destroy targets using
ROF ANTI- FIRE-
500lb bombs, a battery of eight .50 cal machine- WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES

guns, or 5-inch high-velocity anti-tank rockets. .50 cal MGs 8”/20CM - 4 5 5+

500 lb bombs 6”/15CM ARTILLERY 3 2+ Bomb
HVAR rockets 12”/30CM ARTILLERY 5 4+ Rockets

P-47 THUNDERBOLT: Features

FLYING ARSENAL: The P-47's rugged airframe can carry
a tremendous amount of weight. In addition to its battery
of eight .50 cal machine-guns, it can carry up to 2500 lb
(1134 kg) of bombs, rockets, or a combination thereof, all
at the same time.
BOMBS: Your pilots have a choice of weapons. For tough
armoured targets, or for multiple enemies unwise enough
to cluster together, use the P-47's two 500 lb (227 kg)
bombs under the wings.
GUNS: Accurately dropping bombs on a moving target
while flying 400km/h (250mph) is no easy feat. For a more
reliable kill, the pilot can instead strafe individual lightly
armoured targets with his eight wing-mounted .50-calibre
machine-guns.
ROCKETS: After some unsuccessful experiments, the US
Army Air Force is using new 5-inch high-velocity anti-tank
rockets, known by the air crews as 'Holy Moses' rockets.
Use these to devastate enemy armour caught in the open.

87
 D-DAY: AMERICAN EXAMPLE FORCE
Flames Of War is typically played using forces of 100 points. A great starting point is one of the Starter Force boxes.
The D-Day: American Starter Force ‘Combat Command’ contains the basis of an M4 Sherman Tank Company, or a Veteran M4
Sherman Tank Company.
In this example we’ve chosen to build a Veteran M4 Sherman Tank Company and the contents of the Starter Force box gives us
74 points. To bring it up to 100 points we’ve added a Veteran M4 Sherman Platoon with 4x M4 Sherman (75mm) to the formation,
an M8 Greyhound Cavalry Recon Patrol from support, and Lucky, a 1 point Command Card.
These three box sets offer a great starting point for any American army, with a great mix of tanks, infantry, and support. The Sherman
tanks will form the core of the list, putting down fire and threatening your opponent’s defences. The M10 tanks are your tank hunters,
used to hunt down heavy tanks. The Stuarts make a perfect screening unit, they are fast and have just enough anti-tank to threaten
other light tanks and armoured transports while having enough machine gun fire to keep infantry in their foxholes.
Tanks are great at pushing the attack, but when it comes to defending an objective or holding a recently cleared objective, infantry are
D-DAY: AMERICAN EXAMPLE FORCE

key. The Armoured Rifle Platoon is an army unto itself, and once dug in on an objective it becomes one hard nut to crack.
For support you have a Cavalry Recon Patrol, a great recon unit that will give the force some forward momentum at the start of the
game, then shifting into a support role helping the Stuarts to keep enemy infantry units pinned down. The Priests are infantry and
gun team killers and if zeroed in on an objective at the start of the game will wreak havoc on enemy forces defending that objective.

H
F

D E

88
A C D E F H VETERAN M4 SHERMAN TANK COMPANY
TANK FORMATION

I A VETERAN
M4 SHERMAN TANK COMPANY HQ PAGE
2x M4 Sherman (75mm) 9 POINTS 70
B VETERAN
M4 SHERMAN TANK PLATOON PAGE
4x M4 Sherman (75mm) 17 POINTS 70
C VETERAN
M4 SHERMAN (76mm) TANK PLATOON PAGE
3x M4 Sherman (76mm) 16 POINTS 71
D VETERAN

D-DAY: AMERICAN EXAMPLE FORCE

M5 STUART TANK PLATOON
B G PAGE
3x M5 Stuart (37mm) 7 POINTS 73
E VETERAN
ARMOURED RIFLE PLATOON PAGE
Full Strength 19 POINTS 76
F M10 3-inch TANK DESTROYER PLATOON
PAGE
4x M10 (3-inch) 18 POINTS 80
G M8 GREYHOUND CAVALRY RECON PATROL
2x M8 Greyhound (37mm) PAGE
1x Jeep (MG) (LU107)
1x Jeep (60mm) (LU107) 5 POINTS
82
H M7 PRIEST ARTILLERY BATTERY PAGE
3x M7 Priest (105mm) 8 POINTS 84
I COMMAND CARDS
Lucky 1 POINT

Total 100 POINTS

B
G

89
 PAINTING AMERICANS
VEHICLES
Vehicle Base Wooden Tool Base
887 984
OLIVE DRAB FLAT BROWN

Vehicle Highlight Wooden Tool Highlight

879 875
GREEN BROWN BEIGE BROWN

Dust Metal Tools

819 863
IRAQI SAND OILY STEEL

INFANTRY
PAINTING AMERICANS

Helmets Flesh Base Flesh Highlight Rifle Wood Highlight

887 875 955 875
OLIVE DRAB BEIGE BROWN FLAT FLESH BEIGE BROWN
Rifle Wood Base
984
FLAT BROWN
Webbing Rifle Metal
886 863
GREEN GREY OILY STEEL

1942-44 NORMANDY
INFANTRY AIRBORNE

Jackets Jackets & Pants

988 887
KHAKI OLIVE DRAB
Pants
LATE 1944-45
873 INFANTRY &
US FIELD DRAB AIRBORNE

Jackets & Pants

893
USA DARK GREEN

Vallejo offers a range of paints designed with Flames Of War

miniatures in mind. The colours reccommended above are
taken from the American Armour & Infantry Paint Set, and
the Utility Paint Set. To see the full World War II range visit Colours Of War is a comprehensive
your local Vallejo stockist. 136-page book for painting World
War II and World War III miniatures.
It contains easy to follow step by step
guides for any level of painter, as well
as techniques, camouflage patterns &
markings, weathering, & inspirational
photos. For more information visit:
www.FlamesOfWar.com/ColoursOfWar

90
 BASING GUIDE
All Flames Of War infantry and guns
are supplied with appropriate bases. Flame-Thrower
Assemble your infantry teams by Figure
gluing the figures into the holes on a
base of the right size. Super glue works
well for this.
There are usually several figures with
each type of weapon, so you can
create variety in your teams. It doesn’t Commanders and Unit Leaders M1 Bazooka and Flame-thrower
matter which mix of figures you put Infantry Company HQ teams and Base Bazooka teams and Flame-thrower
in each team, as long as the mix of Infantry Platoon Unit Leader teams are teams on a small base with a rifleman.
weapons is right. Visit the product based on a small base facing the long The team faces the long edge.
spotlight on the Flames Of War website: edge. Teams combine an officer with an
www.FlamesOfWar.com for a more NCO and a runner.
detailed guide.

BAR Figure

M1 Garand team
Base M1 Garand teams on a medium base facing the long edge.
Teams combine either an NCO and three riflemen armed with M1
Garand rifles, or four riflemen. For the Assault Boat Sections, Glider
Rifle Platoon, and Rifle Platoon, one out of every three teams should
replace a rifleman with a gunner armed with a BAR.
BASING GUIDE
M1919 and M1 Garand rifle team
Base the M1919 and M1 Garand rifle teams of a Parachute
Rifle Platoon on a medium base facing the long edge. M1919
and M1 Garand rifle teams from a Parachute Rifle Platoon have
am M1919 light machine-gunner on every second base. The
remaining figures are NCOs or riflemen.

60mm &
81mm Mortar

M1917 HMG M1919 LMG 3-inch Gun

Base these weapon teams on a medium base facing the long edge. Base these 3-inch guns on a large base facing the short edge. Each
These teams have the gunner and his weapon along with two gun has a gunner along with an NCO and two ammunition
assistant gunners or loaders. loaders.

57mm Gun 75mm Pack Howitzer 105mm Howitzer 105mm Light Howitzer
Base the 57mm gun and 75mm Pack Howitzer on a medium Base the 105mm howitzer and 105mm light howitzer on a large
base facing the short edge. Each gun has a gunner along with an base facing the short edge. Each gun has a gunner along with an
NCO and two loaders. NCO and three ammunition loaders.

91
 FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE TERRAIN
While the beaches and the bocage hedgerow country get a lot of attention, the bulk of French battlefields during
the Normandy campaign were fought in the open countryside. The region was populated by a lot of small
villages, linked together by roads and walking tracks. Settlements were usually situated near
important river crossings and other strategic points, putting them in harm's way when
the war came near.

WALLS
Walls are Difficult Terrain, requiring care to avoid
getting stuck while crossing.
Walls can be Short or Tall terrain, Concealing
teams behind them. Stone and concrete walls provide
Bulletproof Cover for teams behind them.
D-DAY BATTLES

GENTLE HILLS
Gentle hills are Terrain, but
don’t present any risk of
tanks getting stuck.

To make this table we used the WOODS AND ORCHARDS

Neoprene mat below as well as
Battlefield In A Box terrain.
DOUBLE SIDED GRASSLAND
AND DESERT GAMING MAT (BB951)
72"/183cm x 48"/120cm
Woods and orchards are Difficult Terrain. Tanks
need to exercise care to avoid getting stuck.
Both are Tall terrain and provide Concealment
to teams within or behind them.

OPEN SPACES
Most battlefields are Cross-country apart
from specific terrain features.
Stationary infantry are Concealed in
the open (and other Flat terrain), but tanks,
guns, and moving infantry are in full view.

Available from
www.FlamesOfWar.com

92
 PLOUGHED FIELDS CROP FIELDS
Ploughed Fields are Terrain as they Standing crops are Terrain. Tanks moving through them need to slow down to
are difficult to move across at speed. avoid hidden obstacles and potential infantry ambushes.
Standing crops are Short terrain, Concealing teams in and behind them.

FENCES AND HEDGES

Fences are Terrain, limiting the speed at which they can be crossed. Hedges
are Difficult Terrain, requiring care when crossing to avoid getting stuck.
Fences and Hedges are Short terrain, Concealing teams behind them.

BUILDINGS

D-DAY BATTLES
Buildings are Terrain that is Impassable to tanks
and guns. Infantry can enter and exit them
through openings like doors and windows.
Buildings are Tall terrain. You cannot see
past a building, although teams half-hidden
by or in a building are Concealed. Buildings
give troops inside Bullet­proof Cover.

ROADS
Roads allow troops to move much
faster than they would cross-country
if they are going to the right place.

RIVERS AND FORDS

Shallow rivers are Difficult Terrain. They slow tanks down
and possibly causing them to halt as they seek a better
crossing point.
Deep rivers are Impassable to tanks, and require a 4+
Cross Check for infantry to cross. Teams cannot start the
game or end their movement in a river or lake. Fords
across deep rivers are Difficult Terrain.
River crossings are often the site of battles as rivers are
significant obstacles. Think about why the battle is being
fought here. Is the river a defence line? Has the attacker
already taken a bridgehead across the river, and this is
a counterattack to eliminate the bridgehead? Place the
river and crossings accordingly. It’s a good idea to have at
least three fords or bridges unless you are planning to have
infantry make an assault crossing.
Like all water features, rivers are Flat terrain and do not
provide Concealment.

93
 D-DAY BATTLES
The D-Day landings and the rest of the Normandy Campaign featured a wide variety of battles, many of which can easily
be recreated using the missions in the rulebook. Some aspects of the campaign were more unusual, such as the airborne and
amphibious assaults in the French country in western Normandy. This section allows you to recreate these battles.

Shot in the Dark recreates the para- Help's On Its Way recreates the FUBAR recreates the fighting on
chute landings behind the beaches designed ranger assault on the battery at Pointe Omaha Beach where the assaults were
to slow down the German reserves and du Hoc, protecting the landings from disorganised and quickly ran into
help the troops off the beaches. artillery fire. trouble.

LINKED CAMPAIGN
You can play these battles as a linked campaign, with each
battle's outcome affecting the next.
The Americans are the attacking player in each game.
1. Play Shot in the Dark first to reflect the parachute
landings behind the beaches.
2. Play Help's On Its Way next as the rangers assault the
coast defence battery.
D-DAY BATTLES
4. Play No Retreat (see page 110 of the rulebook) next as
the Americans fight their way off the beaches.
• If the Americans won a Stunning or Major Victory in
the FUBAR mission, they race forward off the beach and
may deploy up to 12"/30cm from the table centre line
instead of 16"/40cm.
• If the Germans won a Stunning or Major Victory in the
FUBAR mission, they have more time to prepare, once
per game they may re-roll any one of their Reserve dice.

3. Play FUBAR next as the landings come ashore.
• If the Americans won a Stunning or Major Victory
in either the Shot in the Dark or Help's On Its Way
missions, the German reserves are tied down, so the
Germans don't start rolling for Reserves until turn two
(instead of turn one). If they won both missions, the
Germans don't start rolling for Reserves until turn three.
• If the Germans won a Stunning or Major Victory in the
Shot in the Dark mission, their reserves arrive quickly, so
they may re-roll their first Reserves roll.
• If the Germans won a Stunning or Major Victory in
the Help's On Its Way mission, their artillery engages
the Allied naval task force, so there is no Preliminary
Bombardment.
5. Play Breakthrough (see page 110 of the rulebook) last
as the Americans break out of Normandy.
• If the Americans won a Stunning or Major Victory in
the No Retreat mission, their advance is moving faster
than the Germans can respond, so they start rolling for
Reserves on turn two (instead of turn three).
• If the Germans won a Stunning or Major Victory in the
No Retreat mission, they have more time to prepare, so
may move one of the Objectives placed by the Attacker
up to 4"/10cm at the start of the game.
The outcome of the Breakthrough mission decides the
ultimate outcome of the entire campaign.

SHOT IN HELP'S ON FUBAR NO RETREAT BREAKTHROUGH

THE DARK ITS WAY
Pg 102 Pg 110 (Rulebook) Pg 110 (Rulebook)
Pg 95 Pg 100

94
 SHOT IN THE DARK
Players roll to see where their Reserves will arrive

On 2, Drop or On 3, Drop or
12”/30cm Landing Zone must Landing Zone must
be in this quarter be in this quarter

12”/30cm

Defender places two

objectives in this area at
least 32"/80cm apart

On a 5 or 6, Drop or
Landing Zone may
be in any quarter

12”/30cm

D-DAY BATTLES
On 1, Drop or On 4, Drop or
Landing Zone must Landing Zone must 12”/30cm
be in this quarter be in this quarter

As you leap out of your transport aircraft into the black
night, flak explosions light up the sky all around. In the
fleeting light you catch some familiar landmarks, but you've
got the sinking feeling you've been dropped too early. Still,
you have a mission to do: seize a critical point to prevent
enemy reinforcements from getting to the beaches. You've
trained for this!
SPECIAL RULES
• Airborne Assault (Attacker)
• Billeted Scattered Delayed Reserves (Defender)
• Deep Scattered Delayed Reserves (Attacker)
• Meeting Engagement (Defender)
• Night (Both Players)
3. The Attacking player selects up to 60% of their force to
deploy on the table and holds the rest in Deep Scattered
Delayed Reserves.
4. The Attacking player places all of their Drop Zone and
Landing Zone markers in random table quarters using the
Airborne Assault rules.
5. They then place their deployed Airborne Units on the table
using the Parachute or Glider Deployment rules.
6. Defending Infantry and Gun teams are in Foxholes at the
start of the game. Attacking Units are neither in Foxholes
nor Gone to Ground.
7. All Units on the table are Pinned Down or Bailed Out.
8. The entire game is played with the Night rules in effect.

SETTING UP WHO GOES FIRST

1. The Defender places two Objectives anywhere on the
table at least 32"/80cm apart and at least 12”/30cm from
all table edges.
DEPLOYMENT
1. The Defending Player selects up to 60% of their force to
deploy (which may not include any Formation HQ Units,
and only one Battle Tank Unit as per Deep Reserves) and
holds the rest in Billeted Scattered Delayed Reserves. They
will dice to see where each Unit will arrive.
2. The Defender then places their deployed Units within
12"/30cm of either Objective.
The Defender has the first turn.
WINNING THE GAME
• The Attacker wins if they end their turn on or after the sixth
turn Holding an Objective.
• The Defender wins if they end a turn on or after the sixth
turn with no Attacking Tank, Infantry, or Gun teams within
8”/20cm of the Objectives.
BILLETED RESERVES
In a mission with Billeted Reserves, the Deep Reserves rules
apply. In addition, the you may not place any Formation HQ
Units on table at the start of the game.

95
 AIRBORNE ASSAULTS
Airborne landings are always confused and messy, especially so when conducted at night like those on D-Day. Troops are
wildly scattered across the battlefield and neither side knows what's really going on!

AIRBORNE UNITS AIRBORNE RESERVES

Airborne Formations are marked as such at the top of
their Formation HQ Unit Card. All Units in an Airborne
Formation are Airborne Units.
To determine how they land, Airborne Units are classified
into Parachute Units (whose name will start with Parachute)
and Glider Units (all others).
In an Airborne Assault mission, the Attacker may only deploy
Airborne Units on table. All other units must be in Reserve.
SCATTERED LANDINGS
Before deploying Airborne Units, divide the Attacker's
Deployment Area into quarters numbered from 1 to 4. This
will determine which area each Drop Zone or Landing Zone
marker may be placed in.

PARACHUTE DEPLOYMENT
A Parachute Unit deploys using the Airborne Assault rules
as follows: PARACHUTE DRIFT TABLE
1. Roll a die to determine the quarter in which their Drop DICE RESULT DISTANCE
Zone marker can be placed. On a roll of 5 or 6, the player
may choose any quarter to place the marker in. or 4"/10cm
D-DAY BATTLES

2. Place the Drop Zone marker in the rolled quarter in any

orientation.
3. Roll to determine Unit’s direction of Drift and place the
Unit Leader against the appropriate face of the Drop
Zone marker.
4. Roll again to see how far the Unit Drifts using the
Parachute Drift Table.
5. Move the Unit Leader the indicated distance in the direc-
tion of Drift.
6. Deploy the rest of the Unit so that it is In Command and
remove the Drop Zone marker.
7. The Unit does not start the game Dug In or Gone to Ground.
or 8"/20cm
or 12"/30cm
ROUGH LANDINGS
If a Parachute Unit Leader ends their Drift in Difficult or
Impassable Terrain or within 2"/5cm of an enemy team, they
continue to Drift a further 4"/10cm.
• If the Unit Leader is still in Difficult Terrain, all Teams in
the Unit must immediately roll a Save or be Destroyed.
• If the Unit Leader is still in Impassable Terrain or within
2"/5cm of an enemy Team, the Unit is Destroyed.
• Otherwise, they deploy the rest of the Unit as normal at
their new location.

PARACHUTE DEPLOYMENT
2. Roll for direction of drift.
Place Unit Leader against Drop
Zone marker to show direction.
NE
ZO
O P ift :
DR Dr
"/1
0cm 3. Roll for distance drifted
o r 2: 4 0cm
1 : 8 "/2
4 cm
3 or 12"/30
r 6 :
5 o

4"/10cm
1. Place Drop Zone marker.
4. Move Unit Leader by drift distance.

5. Deploy Unit around Unit Leader.

96
 GLIDER DEPLOYMENT
A Glider Unit deploys using the Airborne Assault rules
as follows: GLIDER SKID TABLE
1. Roll a die to determine the quarter in which their Landing DICE RESULT DISTANCE
Zone marker can be placed. On a roll of 5 or 6, the player
may choose any quarter to place the marker in. Crash!
2. Place the Landing Zone marker in the rolled quarter point-
ing in any direction. or 8"/20cm
3. Place the Unit leader behind the marker.
or 12"/30cm
4. Roll to see how far the glider Skids using the Glider
Skid Table.
16"/40cm
5. Move the Unit Leader the indicated distance in the direc-
tion shown by the Landing Zone marker.
6. Deploy the rest of the Unit so that it is In Command and ROUGH LANDINGS
remove the Landing Zone marker. If a Glider Unit Leader Skids into Difficult Terrain, then the
7. The Unit does not start the game Dug In or Gone to Ground. Unit Leader stops in contact with the Difficult Terrain and
the glider Crashes.
CRASH! If a Glider Unit Leader Skids into Impassable Terrain, then
If a result of 1 is rolled for the landing, the glider Crashes and the Unit is Destroyed.
the Unit Leader is not moved.
If a Glider Unit Leader ends their Skid within 2"/5cm of
When a glider Crashes, all Teams in the Unit must immedi- an enemy team, they continue to Skid a further 4"/10cm.
ately roll a Save or be Destroyed. Infantry and Gun teams use

D-DAY BATTLES
If the Unit Leader is still within 2"/5cm of an enemy Team,
their normal Save. Tank teams have a 4+ Save to survive the the Unit is Destroyed. Otherwise, they deploy the rest of the
crash. The Unit is Pinned Down and its Tanks are Bailed Out. Unit as normal at their new location.

GLIDER DEPLOYMENT
2. Place Unit Leader behind Landing Zone marker.
LA
ZO DIN
N
NE G

Cra
sh!

8"/
20c
m

12"
/30

1. Place Landing Zone marker.

cm

16"

3. Roll for distance skidded.

/40
cm

8"/20cm

4. Move Unit Leader by skid distance.

5. Deploy Unit around Unit Leader.

LANDING OFF THE TABLE

If the distance rolled results in the Unit Leader Drifting or Skidding off the table, then the Unit goes into Reserve in addition
to the normal Reserves.

97
 BEACH ASSAULT TERRAIN
Amphibious landings are incredibly tricky to pull off, even without an enemy shooting at you. Once ashore, the
beach was a death trap, exposed to fire from virtually every defending machine-gun, anti-tank gun, or
artillery piece. Once troops reach it, the sea wall offers some protection and tends to get a bit
crowded with assaulting infantry as they take refuge. From there it took tremendous
courage to leave that cover and charge inland into the hinterland to capture
the assault's objectives.

BEACH EXITS
The landing zones were, naturally enough, chosen for their
accessible exits. There is little point in landing somewhere
where you need to be a commando to get off the beach!
The beach should have one or two exits through the Sea
Wall Zone that does not require a Cross Test to use.

SE
AW
AL
L
SURF ZONE
D-DAY BATTLES

The surf zone covers the last few metres of sea up to the X IT
HE
AC
point where the landing craft hit the beach. It should be
roughly 4-6"/10-15cm deep, again just enough space for BE
BE
the landing craft as they beach to discharge their cargo.

A
Like the sea zone, the surf is Impassable to all teams except
Amphibious vehicles to which it is Difficult Short Terrain.
CH
ZO
SU

N
RF

E
ZO
SE

N
A

E
ZO
N
E

SEA ZONE
The sea zone is where the troops aboard their landing craft
line up for their run in to the beach. It should be roughly
4-6"/10-15cm deep, just big enough for the landing craft to
fit comfortably.
The sea zone is Impassable to all teams.

BEACH TERRAIN CHART

TERRAIN DASH SPEED CROSS TEST HEIGHT BULLETPROOF
COVER

Sea Zone Impassable - Flat No

Surf Zone Impassable except to Amphibious Yes Flat No
Beach Zone Terrain Dash Yes Flat No
Sea Wall Terrain Dash +3 to Score Needed Flat Yes*
Beach Exits Terrain Dash No Flat No
* Bulletproof cover to infantry in the Beach Zone adjacent to the Sea Wall.

98
 HINTERLAND ZONE
Once off the beach, the countryside quickly assumes the normal rural Normandy
character. Generally the coastal areas are open, with large fields, hedges, and just a
few houses and woods.

HIN
TER
L AN
DZ
ON
E

D-DAY BATTLES
To make this table we used the
Neoprene mats below as well as
Battlefield In A Box terrain.
SEA WALL
D-DAY BEACH LANDING MAT (FW403A)
Above the high water mark there is usually some form of
bank or sea wall with shingle washed up against it. This 16"/40cm x 48"/120cm
bank poses a serious obstacle for guns and vehicles trying to
get off the beach. Any Cross test that Tank or Gun Teams
take to get across add +3 to the score needed, making the
Cross Here movement order vital, even for the best tanks.
The Sea Wall also gives Bulletproof Cover to infantry
sheltering against the seaward side. DOUBLE SIDED GRASSLAND
AND DESERT GAMING MAT (BB951)
72"/183cm x 48"/120cm
BEACH ZONE
The beach zone starts from the shallow water at the
landing craft ramp and goes up to the spring high-tide
mark where the dunes or sea wall begins.
The beach will be roughly 8-10"/20-25cm deep. Soft sand
and loose pebbles make beaches Difficult Terrain and hard
to drive across. Tanks and guns need to pass a Cross test to
travel over it.

Available from
www.FlamesOfWar.com

99
 HELP'S ON ITS WAY
In the din of battle the radio crackles Attacker's Reserves arrive
from either corner
with the message that there's been a
breakout on the next beach. They'll Defender's Reserves arrive
16”/40cm from this table edge 16”/40cm
be sending reinforcements, but we can
speed things up if we can just get up an
12”/30cm
over this damned sea wall…
16”/40cm 16”/40cm
Hinterland Zone
SPECIAL RULES
• Amphibious Assault (Attacker)
• Deep Delayed Fortified Reserves
(Defender)
• Driven from the Skies (Defender)
• Fortified Defence (Defender)
• Overwhelming Force (Attacker)
Both Players place an
• Preliminary Bombardment 8”/20cm objective in this area 8”/20cm
(Attacker)
• Relief Reserves (Attacker)
• The Longest Day (Both Players)

SETTING UP
1. Starting with the Defender, both
D-DAY BATTLES

players place an Objective at

Defender places their Units
least 20"/50cm from the sea wall,
in the Hinterland Zone
8"/20cm of the table side edges, and
12"/30cm from the rear of the table.
Place the relief
2. The Defending player selects
Objective here 20”/50cm
eight points of Fortifications, one
Minefield, and one Barbed Wire 24”/60cm
Entanglement for each 25 points in
the Attacker's force.
3. The Defender now places their
selected Fortifications, Minefields, Sea Wall
and Barbed Wire Entanglements in
the Hinterland Zone. 24”/60cm
Beach Zone
Fortifications must be placed at
least 2"/5cm apart, at least 2"/5cm
from Objectives, and may not be Surf Zone
placed to block a beach exit, road,
railway line, bridge or ford, nor in Sea Zone Attacker places their loaded Landing Craft here
water. All of the Fortifications must
be placed within 12"/30cm of a
5. The Attacker selects their First Wave from the troops making
central point.
the Amphibious Assault, leaving the rest of the Amphibious
DEPLOYMENT Assault troops in Floating Reserve.
1. The Defender selects up to 40% of their force to deploy 6. The Attacker places their Landing Craft in the Sea Zone.
and holds the rest in Deep Delayed Reserves. Reserves 7. The Attacker then resolves the Preliminary Bombardment.
arrive from their short edge at the rear of the table. 8. All Defending Infantry and Gun Units begin the game
2. The Defender then places their deployed Units anywhere Pinned Down and in Foxholes.
in the Hinterland Zone.
3. The Attacking player selects up to 60% of their force to WHO GOES FIRST
make the Amphibious Assault. The remainder are held as The Attacker has the first turn.
Relief Reserves. These Reserves arrive within 16”/40cm of
either table corner at the rear of the table. WINNING THE GAME
4. The Defender places Ranged In markers for all of their The game ends at the end of the twelfth turn, or sooner if:
deployed Artillery Units. • the Attacker ends their turn Holding both Objectives.
Consult the FUBAR Victory Points Table to see the outcome
of the assault.

100
 HELP'S ON ITS WAY FORCES
ATTACKER DEFENDER
FORCE AMPHIBIOUS LANDING RELIEF FORCE ON-TABLE FORTIFICATIONS* RESERVES
POINTS FORCE CRAFT FORCE POINTS
48 Fortification Points*
150 90 4 60 75 30 + 6 Minefields 45
+ 6 Barbed Wire
40 Fortification Points*
125 75 3 50 62 25 + 5 Minefields 37
+ 5 Barbed Wire
32 Fortification Points*
100 60 3 40 50 20 + 4 Minefields 30
+ 4 Barbed Wire
24 Fortification Points*
75 45 2 30 37 15 + 3 Minefields 22
+ 3 Barbed Wire
* Halve the Fortification Points if playing the Pointe du Hoc variant.

HELP'S ON ITS WAY SPECIAL RULES

The Help's On Its Way mission uses the same special rules as POINTE DU HOC VARIANT
the FUBAR mission on page 103 with the following additions. The US Rangers were tasked with a mission similar to Help's

RELIEF RESERVES (attacker)
The Attacking player may only conduct their Amphibious
Assault with up to 60% of the agreed points total. The
remainder of their force is placed in the Relief Reserves.
All Tank Units that are not Amphibious and all Gun Units
must be placed in the Relief Reserves.
The Attacker calculates the number of Landing Craft based
on the size of their Amphibious Assault force, rather than
their total force.
The Attacker starts rolling for Relief Reserves on Turn 6, or
in any turn before then that they start the turn Holding the
Relief Objective.
As an example, if they held the Relief Objective on turn
three, they would roll one die, if they lost it on turn four,
but held it again on turn five, they would roll two dice
on that turn. They would then roll three dice on turn six,
whether or not they held the objective.
Units placed in Relief Reserve do not use the Overwhelming
Force rule when they are Destroyed.
D-DAY BATTLES
On Its Way at Pointe du Hoc. There they were confronted
not with a sea wall, but rather 10-storey high cliffs that they
had to climb to knock out the German coastal-defence gun
battery above. Not expecting such an audacious attack, the
German defences were lighter there than elsewhere.
To reflect this make the following changes to the mission.
Treat the Sea Wall as an Impassable Cliff and the Beach
Exit as a tenuous ascent up requisitioned fire ladders and
dangling ropes that Infantry teams can cross as Difficult
Terrain if they start their movement adjacent to the Beach
Exit, but is Impassable to Gun and Tank teams.
In addition, the Defending player only has four points of
Fortifications (rather than 8 points) for each 25 points in
the Attacking player's force.

101
 FUBAR
The colonel storms up to the squad, Defender's Reserves arrive here or from either corner
bullets glancing off the sea wall.
FUBAR, he thinks, Fouled Up Beyond
All Recognition. Undeterred, the fear-
less leader yells at the men to follow
him as he clambers over the wall… 16”/40cm 16”/40cm

SPECIAL RULES
• Amphibious Assault (Attacker)
• Deep Immediate Fortified Reserves
(Defender)
• Driven from the Skies (Defender)
• Fortified Defence (Defender) Hinterland Zone
• Overwhelming Force (Attacker)
Defender places their Units
• Preliminary Bombardment in the Hinterland Zone
(Attacker)
• The Longest Day (Both Players)

SETTING UP
1. The Attacking player places two
Objectives on the beach table half,
D-DAY BATTLES

at least 12"/30cm from the Sea Attacker places two

Wall and at least 8"/20cm from the objectives in this area
8”/20cm 8”/20cm
table edges.
2. The Defending player selects
eight points of Fortifications, one
Minefield, and one Barbed Wire
Entanglement for each 25 points in 12”/30cm
the Attacker's force.
3. The Defender now places their
selected Fortifications, Minefields,
Sea Wall
and Barbed Wire Entanglements in
the Hinterland Zone. Fort­ifications
Beach Zone
must be placed at least 2"/5cm apart,
at least 2"/5cm from Objectives, and
may not be placed to block a beach Surf Zone
exit, road, railway line, or ford,
nor in water.
Sea Zone
All of the Fortifications (excluding
Mines and Barbed Wire) must be
placed within 12"/30cm of a central point. 6. Empty Landing Craft then attempt to Return for More
troops from the Floating Reserve.
DEPLOYMENT 7. The Attacker resolves the Preliminary Bombardment.
1. The Defender selects up to 40% of their force to deploy 8. All Attacking Infantry and Gun Units begin the game
and holds the rest in Deep Immediate Reserve. Reserves Pinned Down.
arrive from their short edge at the rear of the table or up 9. All Defending Infantry and Gun Teams start the game
to 16"/40cm from either corner of the rear edge. in Foxholes.
2. They then place their deployed Units anywhere in the
Hinterland Zone. WHO GOES FIRST
3. The Defender places Ranged In markers for all of their The Defender has the first turn.
deployed Artillery Units.
WINNING THE GAME
4. The Attacker selects their First Wave and immediately
Hits the Beach, following the Hitting the Beach rules The game ends at the end of the twelfth turn, or sooner if:
on page 104. • the Attacker ends their turn Holding both Objectives.
5. Units in a Landing Craft, that make it on the shore, imme- Consult the FUBAR Victory Points Table to see the outcome
diately move to Disembark from their Landing Craft. of the assault.

102
 FUBAR FORCES
ATTACKER DEFENDER

FORCE POINTS LANDING CRAFT FORCE POINTS ON-TABLE FORTIFICATIONS RESERVES

48 Fortification Points*
150 6 75 30 + 6 Minefields 45
+ 6 Barbed Wire
40 Fortification Points*
125 5 62 25 + 5 Minefields 37
+ 5 Barbed Wire
32 Fortification Points*
100 4 50 20 + 4 Minefields 30
+ 4 Barbed Wire
24 Fortification Points*
75 3 37 15 + 3 Minefields 22
+ 3 Barbed Wire

FUBAR SPECIAL RULES

DRIVEN FROM THE SKIES (defender) When an Attacking Infantry Unit is Destroyed, the player
The Defending player must roll a 6 (rather than the usual 4+) returns it to the Floating Reserve to represent a fresh Unit
to receive Ground-attack Aircraft. landing in its place. Any Transport Attachment that they

FORTIFIED DEFENCE (defender)
The Defender's force has 50% of the points total of the
Attacker's force. For example if the Attacker has 100 points,
the Defender will have 50 points.
The Defender's force has an additional 8 points of
Fortifications, a Minefield, and a Barbed Wire Entanglement
for each 25 points in the Attacker's force. The Fortifications
and their rules are shown on page 107.
FORTIFIED RESERVES (defender)
In a mission with Fortified Reserves, the player may only
have 40% of their force on table at the start of the game
(rather than the usual 60%).
OVERWHELMING FORCE (attacker)
The Attacker's entire Force operates as a single Formation
(which may include multiple Formation HQ Units).
D-DAY BATTLES
have returns to the Floating Reserve with them.
The Attacker may voluntarily Destroy Infantry Units at
the beginning of their Starting Step and return them to the
Floating Reserve.
Tank and Gun Units (other than Transport Attachments)
are a limited resource and are therefore not replaced
when lost.
THE LONGEST DAY (both players)
Formations are always considered to be In Good Spirits for
Formation Last Stand, so fight until every Unit is Destroyed.
Units still take Unit Last Stand tests as normal.
VICTORY POINTS
Instead of the usual victory points table, use the following
FUBAR Victory Points table below when determining the
result of your beach assault games.

FUBAR VICTORY POINTS TABLE

ATTACKER'S DEFENDER'S
OUTCOME RESULT VICTORY POINTS VICTORY POINTS
Attacker holds both Objectives Stunning
by the end of Turn 9 Attacker's Victory 8 1

Attacker holds both Objectives Major

by the end of Turn 12 Attacker's Victory 7 2

Attacker only holds one Objective Minor

at the end of Turn 12 Attacker's Victory 6 3

Attacker holds no Objectives but has teams in Minor

the Defender's table half at the end of Turn 12 Defender's Victory 3 6

Attacker holds no Objectives but has teams in Major

the Hinterland Zone at the end of Turn 12 Defender's Victory 2 7

Attacker holds no Objectives and has no teams Stunning

in the Hinterland Zone at the end of Turn 12 Defender's Victory 1 8

103
 AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULTS
The D-Day landings are among the most famous amphib-
ious assaults in history. This section provides rules and
missions for recreating these landings.
Amphibious landings require a little more work than
most scenarios. One of the trickiest parts of managing an
amphibious assault is making sure that the right troops
land at the right place at the right time. Don’t worry if you
don’t succeed with this — real generals didn't always get it
right either!
WHO ATTACKS?
The players should agree who will be the attacker before
choosing their forces.
DETERMINE CURRENT DIRECTION
Before the game, roll a die to determine the direction of the
current using the Current Direction Table.
CURRENT DIRECTION TABLE
DICE RESULT DIRECTION
D-DAY BATTLES
DECIDE THE FIRST WAVE
Before the game begins, the Attacking player selects one Unit
to land in each Landing Craft.
Formation HQ Units may either land in the same Landing
Craft as any Unit that could be from the same Formation,
or in a separate Landing Craft of its own. So, for example, a
Ranger Company HQ may land with any Ranger Platoon,
but it may not land with a M4 Sherman Tank Platoon.
Any Transport Attachments that a Unit has either land in
a separate Landing Craft alongside the Unit, or are left out
of the game.
Aircraft and Naval Gunfire do not need Landing Craft and
are always in the First Wave.
FLOATING RESERVES
All Units not in the First Wave remain aboard their ships as
the Floating Reserve until Landing Craft from the First Wave
become available to take them ashore. The Attacking player
does not need to roll to bring their Floating Reserve on to the
table, they are always ready.

to Flow to the Left

PLACE THE FIRST WAVE
Place all of the Landing Craft carrying Units from the First
to Flow to the Right
Wave in the Sea Zone opposite the place where they intend
to come ashore (keep in mind that they will drift with
CALCULATE NUMBER OF LANDING CRAFT the current).
The Attacking player has one Landing Craft for each 25 points
of the agreed points total.

HITTING THE BEACH

Beach Zone

CURRENT
Surf Zone
Sea Zone

Since another landing craft is already

there, it drifts down current until it
finds a clear space.

On a roll of 5 or 6 the landing craft

12"/30cm 4"/10cm
is delayed and does not land

104
 DISEMBARKING

The beach zone is

Difficult Terrain

Teams disembark in
the Movement Step

Teams that fail thier

cross check remain on the
Landing Craft until the
next Movement Step.

Delayed landing craft will

attempt to land again next turn

D-DAY BATTLES
Landing craft can move
anywhere in the sea zone
ready to land again

HITTING THE BEACH DISEMBARKING

At the start of the Movement Step, roll a die for each Landing Once their Landing Craft has reached the Surf Zone, passen-
Craft to see how far it drifts off course during the run in
using the Landing Craft Drift Table:
LANDING CRAFT DRIFT TABLE
DICE RESULT DISTANCE
4"/10cm down current
8"/20cm down current
12"/30cm down current
16"/40cm down current
Landing craft fails to
or find its way to shore and
remains in the Sea Zone to
try again next turn
Landing Craft that drift are placed in the Surf Zone the
specified distance down current. If another Landing Craft
already occupies that place, the Landing Craft drifts further
down current to the first available space in the Surf Zone. If
it drifts off the table, it returns to the Sea Zone and attempts
to land again next turn.
gers and vehicles disembark from their Landing Craft during
the same Movement Step. They begin their movement from
the Landing Craft's ramp at the edge of the Surf Zone.
If a Tank or Gun fails its Cross test to move through the
Beach Zone, it remains on the Landing Craft until the next
Movement Step.
Teams that remain in their Landing Craft cannot Move,
Shoot, or Assault.
RETURNING FOR MORE
At the end of the Movement Step, roll a die for each empty
Landing Craft in the Surf Zone.
• On a result of 4+ the Landing Craft re-floats and returns
to the Sea Zone. Select a Unit in Floating Reserve to load
in the Landing Craft and place it in the Sea Zone ready to
Hit the Beach next turn.
• On any other roll, the Landing Craft is stuck fast on the
beach, and must try to return to sea again next turn.

105
 RETURNING FOR MORE
On a roll of 1 to 3 the
landing craft is stuck and
cannot return to sea this turn
D-DAY BATTLES
AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLES
Amphibious vehicles may elect to swim ashore, leaving their
Landing Craft in the Sea Zone ready to pick up another
Unit from the Floating Reserve next turn.
If they do this, roll a die for each vehicle to see how far it
drifts off course during the run in using the Amphibious
Drift Table:
AMPHIBIOUS DRIFT TABLE
DICE RESULT DISTANCE
4"/10cm down current
8"/20cm down current
12"/30cm down current
Vehicle is swamped
and destroyed
Amphibious vehicle fails to
or find its way to shore and
remains in the Sea Zone to
try again next turn
106
On a roll of 4 or more
an empty landing craft
returns to sea to reload
Empty landing craft at
sea load another Unit
Like a Landing Craft, an Amphibious vehicle that drifts is
placed in the Surf Zone at the appropriate place. They can
either Move on to the Beach Zone or remain in the Surf
Zone (but will need to take a Cross test each Movement
Step whether they Move or not).
Amphibious vehicles expect to be scattered when they reach
the shore, so are always In Command while they and their
Unit Leader remain in the Beach Zone.
PRELIMINARY BOMBARDMENT
At the start of the game, the Attacking player rolls a die for
each Defending Team (except any Formation Commanders
and Fortifications) deployed on the table, including Teams
that are held in Ambush.
On a result of 4+ the Team is hit by a weapon with an Anti-
tank rating of 5 and Firepower of auto, and the Defender
must roll a Save for that Team. Armoured Tank Teams are
hit on their Top Armour.
 OBSTACLES RULES
MINEFIELDS
The rules for Minefields are on page 112 of the rulebook.
BARBED WIRE ENTANGLEMENTS
The location of a Barbed Wire Entanglement is shown by a
Wire marker.
An Infantry team moving within 2"/5cm of a Wire marker
must pass a Skill test (or test to Cross a Minefield if better) or
immediately stop moving.
Barbed Wire Entanglements are Difficult Terrain for all Tank
teams moving within 2"/5cm of a Wire marker.
An Infantry Unit Leader that is not Pinned Down may issue a
Wire Gapping Order as a Movement order instead of Moving
in the Movement Step. If it does so, any Infantry team within
6"/15cm of the Unit Leader may immediately remove a Wire
marker within 2"/5cm (having successfully moved into the
Barbed Wire Entanglement in the previous turn) instead of
Moving. The team is counted as Moving, but does not Move,
and cannot Move further, Shoot, or Assault.
Barbed wire entanglements are designed to slow down infantry
as they search for breaks made by the artillery or cut their way
through. Even tanks need to be careful to avoid getting the wire
wrapped in their tracks and being immobilised until the crew cut
their vehicle free.
FORTIFICATIONS RULES
BUNKER
Bunkers are Gun teams with the following rules.
A Bunker can only be Shot at or Assaulted from within its
Field of Fire. It cannot be hit by an Artillery Bombardment.
A Bunker is always Concealed and in Bulletproof Cover.
Teams Shooting or Assaulting a Bunker must re-roll success-
ful Firepower tests to Destroy it.
Turret Bunkers with Armour ratings rather than a Save rating
are treated as Tank teams when hit by Shooting or in Assaults.
Bunkers cannot be Assaulted by Tank teams nor can they
Charge into Contact.
Each Bunker team is a separate Unit, even when taken as part
of the same selection.
The thick concrete walls of bunkers are impenetrable, leaving the
firing slit as their only weak spot.
NESTS
Nests are Gun teams with the following rules.
A Nest is always Concealed and in Bulletproof Cover.
Teams Shooting or Assaulting a Nest must re-roll successful
D-DAY BATTLES
Firepower tests to Destroy it.
Nests cannot be Assaulted by tanks nor can they Charge
into Contact.
Each Nest team is a separate Unit, even when taken as part of
the same selection.
Gun nests are hard to spot and even harder to knock out unless
hit with the biggest available guns.
DEFILADE WALLS
Any Anti-tank Bunker may have an attached Defilade Wall.
A Defilade Wall is an Impassable Tall Wall, that cannot be
moved, seen, or shot through.
Some fortifications use thick concrete walls to limit their field of
fire, thereby limiting the directions from which the enemy can
shoot them in turn.
107
 This section allows you to recreate a fortified 'resistance nest' of the sort
found along the Normandy coast as part of Hitler's Atlantic Wall.

FORTIFICATIONS AND OBSTACLES

You may field one selection from each grey box.

FORTIFICATIONS FORTIFICATIONS FORTIFICATIONS FORTIFICATIONS

GUN NEST MORTAR MACHINE-GUN

LM002
TOBRUK PITS ANTI-TANK TOBRUK PITS
BUNKER
8

9
LM004 LM003
10

10

10
8
LM001
FRENCH TURRET FRENCH TURRET

10
BUNKER BUNKER

9
LM005 LM005

10

10
GUN NEST
FORTIFICATIONS LM002

8
10
FORTIFICATIONS

GUN NEST
LM002
8
10

ANTI-TANK MACHINE-GUN
BUNKER TOBRUK PITS
8
D-DAY BATTLES

LM001

9
LM003
10

10
ANTI-TANK BUNKER
ANTI-TANK BUNKER
MOTIVATION • GUN UNIT • BUNKER • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ BUNKER 2+
SKILL SAVE

GREEN 5+
Bunker
6 Bunker
2+
1x 8.8cm Bunker 12 POINTS Assault

1x 5cm Bunker 8 POINTS

TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

Large concrete bunkers mounting heavy anti- - - - - -
tank weapons were the centrepiece of many ROF ANTI- FIRE-
WEAPON RANGE HALTED MOVING TANK POWER NOTES
resistance nests. Carefully placed defilade walls
8.8cm bunker
Bunker 48”/120CM 2 2 17 3+ Forward Firing
prevented the enemy from shooting at the
5cm Bunker 28”/70CM 2 1 8 4+ Forward Firing
bunker unless in its killing zone.

GUN NEST GUN NEST

MOTIVATION • GUN UNIT • NEST • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ NEST 3+
SKILL SAVE

GREEN 5+
1x 5cm Anti-tank Nest 8 POINTS Nest
Assault 6 Nest
3+
1x 2cm AA Nest 4 POINTS

Lighter guns were still in open positions, waiting

TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
for their turn to get concrete bunkers when the - - - - -
invasion occurred. Despite this, they were still
WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
very dangerous and difficult to knock out. HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

5cm Anti-tank Nest 28”/70CM 2 1 9 4+ Forward Firing

2cm AA Nest 20”/50CM 3 2 5 5+ Dedicated AA

108
 MACHINE-GUNMACHINE-GUN
TOBRUK PITSTOBRUK PITS
MOTIVATION • GUN UNIT • BUNKER • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ TOBRUK 3+
4x Machine-gun SKILL SAVE

8 POINTS GREEN 5+
Tobruk Pit Tobruk Pit
Assault 6 Bunker
3+
3x Machine-gun
Tobruk Pit 6 POINTS
2x Machine-gun
Tobruk Pit 4 POINTS TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
1x Machine-gun - - - - -
Tobruk Pit 2 POINTS
WEAPON RANGE ANTI- FIRE- NOTES
HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

Machine-gun 16”/40CM 4 2 2 6
Tobruk pits, devised during the Siege of Tobruk
in Africa, were simple concrete bunkers with a
hole in the top to allow a machine-gunner to
pop out and fire from relative safety.

MORTAR TOBRUK PITS

MORTAR TOBRUK PITS
MOTIVATION • GUN UNIT • BUNKER • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ TOBRUK 3+
SKILL SAVE

4 POINTS GREEN 5+
2x Mortar Tobruk Pit 3+

D-DAY BATTLES
6
Tobruk Pit
Bunker
Assault
1x Mortar Tobruk Pit 2 POINTS

Some Tobruk pits mounted mortars rather than

machine-guns to shell areas that couldn't easily TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS

- - - - -
be covered by direct-fire weapons. These turned
defiles and sea walls into death traps. WEAPON RANGE ROF
HALTED MOVING
ANTI- FIRE-
TANK POWER NOTES

Mortar 32”/80CM ARTILLERY 1 4+

FRENCH TURRET BUNKER

FRENCH TURRET BUNKER
MOTIVATION • GUN UNIT • BUNKER • IS HIT ON

CONFIDENT 4+ TURRET 3+
SKILL ARMOUR

1x French Turret (4.7cm) 2 POINTS GREEN 5+ FRONT 4

6
Turret Bunker
Assault

Old French tank turrets mounted on concrete

SIDE &
REAR 4
bunkers provided dual-purpose anti-tank and TOP 2
anti-infantry defences that needed a tank or a TACTICAL TERRAIN DASH CROSS COUNTRY DASH ROAD DASH CROSS
lucky bazooka shot to knock out. - - - - -

WEAPON RANGE ROF ANTI- FIRE- NOTES

HALTED MOVING TANK POWER

French Turret (4.7cm) 24”/60CM 2 2 6 4+

French Turret (MG) 16”/40CM 3 3 2 6

109
 D-DAY: BEACH ASSAULT MISSION TERRAIN PACK
If you do not have suitable miniatures, you can Landing Craft
Gun Nests
Tobruk Pits

photocopy these pages, stick them to a sheet of

cardboard and cut out the markers.

5CM GUN
MACHINE-GUN
MACHINE-GUN

These pages can also be downloaded from

www.FlamesOfWar.com

2CM AA GUN
MACHINE-GUN
MACHINE-GUN

We also offer the D-Day: Beach Assault Mission Anti-tank Bunkers

Barbed Wire Tokens

Terrain pack which comes with cardboard terrain and DROP ZONE
Drift:
1 or 2: 4"/10cm

a 16"/40cm x 48"/120cm beach mat for you to use in

3 or 4: 8"/20cm
16"/40cm
16"/40cm 5 or 6: 12"/30cm

5CM BUNKER
Field Of Fire
Field Of Fire
8.8CM BUNKER
12"/30cm

your D-Day battles.

12"/30cm Drop Zone Markers

Minefield Tokens
8"/20cm
8"/20cm

DROP ZONE

Available from
Drift:
Crash!
Crash! 1 or 2: 4"/10cm
3 or 4: 8"/20cm
LANDING
ZONE LANDING 5 or 6: 12"/30cm

Defilade ZONE
Walls
Landing Zone Markers

www.FlamesOfWar.com FW262A1 © 2019 Battlefront

Miniatures Ltd.
FW262A2 © 2019 Battlefront
Miniatures Ltd.

AIRBORNE ASSAULT MARKERS

Drop Zone Marker

Landing Zone Marker

LANDING
D-DAY BATTLES

ZONE
16"/40cm

12"/30cm

8"/20cm
DROP ZONE

Crash!
Drift:
1 or 2: 4"/10cm
3 or 4: 8"/20cm
5 or 6: 12"/30cm

AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT MARKERS

Landing Craft

© 2019 Battlefront Miniatures Ltd. Permission is granted to photocopy for game use.

110
 FORTIFICATION MARKERS
5cm Bunker
MG Tobruk Pits Mortar Tobruk Pits

D-DAY BATTLES
5cm Anti-tank Nest 2cm AA Nest

Turret Bunker

8.8cm Bunker

Minefields Barbed Wire

Defilade
Wall

© 2019 Battlefront Miniatures Ltd. Permission is granted to photocopy for game use.

111
 D-DAY: AMERICAN CATALOGUE
USAB10
American
Combat Command
The American Combat Command
army deal is the best starting point for
any American army.
Expand your force by adding other
units from the American range shown
over the following pages. Each Flames
Of War unit box contains a complete
unit and their Unit Cards.
AMERICAN COMBAT COMMAND
CONTAINS:
2x M4 Sherman (75mm) Tanks
D-DAY: AMERICAN CATALOGUE

3x M4 Sherman (76mm) or
M4 Sherman (75mm) Tanks
3x M5 Stuart (37mm) Tanks
1x Armoured Rifle Platoon
5x M3 Half-tracks
4x M10 (3-inch) Tank Destroyers
3x M7 Priest (105mm) SP Guns
1x Complete A5 Rulebook
1x US “Start Here” Booklet
2x Decal Sheets
15x Unit Cards

FW262U FW262C US941

D-Day Unit Cards D-Day Command Cards Decal Set
CONTAINS: 42x Unit Cards CONTAINS: 40x Command Cards CONTAINS: 4x US Decal Sheets

US906 US908 US904

American Dice 101st Airborne Dice 82nd Airborne Dice
CONTAINS: 20x Dice CONTAINS: 20x Dice CONTAINS: 20x Dice

US907 US909 US905

American Tokens 101st Airborne Tokens 82nd Airborne Tokens
CONTAINS: 20x Tokens and 2x Objectives CONTAINS: 20x Tokens and 2x Objectives CONTAINS: 20x Tokens and 2x Objectives

Armored 1st Infantry 29th Infantry Rangers 327th Glider Tank

Divisions Division Division Infantry Regiment Destroyers
SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR DIRECT ONLY TOKEN SETS
EACH SET CONTAINS: 20x Tokens and 2x Objectives

112
UBX69

Contains: )
6mm
n (7
5x M4 Sherman (75mm) or erma
M4 Sherman (76mm) Tanks 4 Sh )
1x Tank Commander Sprue
M
5 mm
n (7
1x Decal Sheet rma
She

D-DAY: AMERICAN CATALOGUE

8x Unit Cards M 4

M4 SHERMAN TANK PLATOON

UBX70

Contains: m)
t( 75m
5x M5 Stuart Tanks or Scot
M8 Scott (75mm) M8
Assault Guns a rt
1x Decal Sheet Stu
M5
7x Unit Cards

M5 STUART TANK PLATOON

UBX71

Contains:
2x M4 Sherman (105mm)
Assault Guns
1x Decal Sheet
2x Unit Cards

M4 SHERMAN (105mm) PLATOON

113
 UBX72

Contains:
4x M10 (3-inch)
Tank Destroyers
1x Decal Sheet
D-DAY: AMERICAN CATALOGUE

2x Unit Cards

M10 TANK DESTROYER PLATOON

UBX79

m)
nd (37m
hou
Grey
M8
Contains:
2x M8 Greyhound (37mm) or
M20 Scout Cars )
MG
2x Jeeps p(
5x Unit Cards
Jee

RECON PATROL • SECURITY SECTION

UBX80

Contains:
4x 3-inch Gun Teams
1x Unit Card

3-inch TANK DESTROYER PLATOON

114
UBX74 UBX78

Thom
pson S
MG te
ams

ftr ack
Hal
M3 G)
p (M
Jee
Contains:
Contains:
2x Thompson SMG Teams
3x M4 (81mm mortar)
1x M3 Halftrack Self-propelled
2x Jeeps Mortar Carriers

D-DAY: AMERICAN CATALOGUE

6x Unit Cards 2x Unit Cards

ARMOURED RIFLE COMPANY HQ ARMOURED 81mm MORTAR PLATOON

UBX75
s
a team
azook
M1 B

ck
alftra
M3 H

Contains:
5x M3 Halftracks
5x Halftrack Crew Sprues G
9 LM
14x Infantry Teams M191 team
s
ifle
1x Decal Sheet nd r
Gara
4x Unit Cards M1

ARMOURED RIFLE PLATOON

UBX76

Contains:
4x M3 Halftracks
4x Halftrack Crew Sprues
1x Decal Sheet
2x Unit Cards

M3 HALFTRACK TRANSPORTS

115
 UBX64 M1 G
arand
rifle
team
s 60m
mm
or tar

M1 B
azoo s
ka te
ams team
Contains: 19 LMG
M19
2x Thompson SMG Teams Thom
pson
14x M1919 and M1 Garand Rifle Teams SMG
2x 60mm Mortar team
s
4x M1 Bazooka Teams
4x M1919 LMG Teams
D-DAY: AMERICAN CATALOGUE

4x Unit Cards

PARACHUTE RIFLE COMPANY

US792
60m
mm
s or tar
team M1 B
MG azoo
19 L ka te
M19 ams

M1 G
Contains: arand
rifle
1x Thompson SMG Team team
s
7x M1919 and M1 Garand Rifle Teams
1x 60mm Mortar
2x M1 Bazooka Teams
2x M1919 LMG Teams
3x Unit Cards

PARACHUTE RIFLE PLATOON

UBX65

Contains:
4x Jeep (.50cal MG)
1x Unit Card

AIRBORNE JEEP RECON PATROL

116
US794

Contains:
4x 81mm Mortar Teams

D-DAY: AMERICAN CATALOGUE

1x Unit Card

PARACHUTE MORTAR PLATOON

UBX66

Contains:
4x Parachute or Glider
75mm Pack Howitzer Teams
2x Unit Cards

PARACHUTE 75mm ARTILLERY BATTERY

UBX67

Contains:
4x 57mm Gun Teams
1x Unit Card

AIRBORNE 57mm ANTI-TANK PLATOON

117
 UBX68 s
team
d rifle
aran
M1 G
60m
mm
or tar

M1
Bazo
o ka t
Contains: am e
2x Formation Command
Thompson SMG Teams M19
2x Unit Leader M1 Garand Rifle Teams Th 19
omp LM
18x M1 Garand Rifle Teams G
son
D-DAY: AMERICAN CATALOGUE

4x 60mm Mortar Teams

SMG
team
4x M1 Bazooka Teams s
4x M1919 LMG Teams
13x Unit Cards

RIFLE COMPANY

UBX81

Contains:
3x 57mm Gun Teams
4x Unit Cards

57mm ANTI-TANK PLATOON

UBX82

Contains:
6x 105mm Gun Teams
1x Unit Card

105mm CANNON PLATOON

118
UBX86
M1 G
arand
60m rifle t
mm eams
or tar

M19
17 H
MG
MG
19 L
M19
Flam
e -thr
owe
r te am
s
a team
Contains: zook
2x Formation Command 2x 60mm Mortar Teams M 1 Ba
Thompson SMG Teams 2x Flame-thrower Teams s
team

D-DAY: AMERICAN CATALOGUE

3x Unit Leader 2x M1919 LMG Teams MG
M1 Garand Rifle Teams s on S
1x 81mm Mortar Team Th omp
11x M1 Garand Rifle Teams
1x M1917 HMG Team
4x M1 Bazooka Teams
9x Unit Cards

ASSAULT COMPANY

US804

Contains:
6x 81mm Mortar Teams
1x Unit Card

81mm MORTAR PLATOON

US805

Contains Plastic:
4x M1917 HMG Teams
4x Unit Card

M1917 MACHINE-GUN PLATOON

119
 UBX73

Contains:
3x M7 Priest (105mm) Self-propelled Guns
1x Decal Sheet
D-DAY: AMERICAN CATALOGUE

1x Unit Card

M7 PRIEST ARTILLERY BATTERY

UBX84

Contains:
4x M12 (155mm)
Self-propelled Guns
1x Unit Card

M12 155mm ARTILLERY BATTERY

UBX77

Contains:
4x 105mm Howitzers
1x Unit Cards

105mm FIELD ARTILLERY BATTERY

120
US951

Contains:
1x L4 Grasshopper OP

D-DAY: AMERICAN CATALOGUE

1x Unit Card

L4 GRASSHOPPER OBSERVATION POST

UBX83

l)
Contains: .5 0 ca
2x M15 (37mm & .50 cal) m&
(37m cal
)
Self-propelled AAA Gun M15 0
2x M16 (Quad .50 cal) a d .5
Self-propelled AAA Gun 6 (Qu
1x Unit Card M1

SELF PROPELLED AAA PLATOON

UBX85
Contains:
2x P-47 Thunderbolt Aircraft
1x Decal Sheet
2x Flight Stands
4x Rare Earth Magnets
1x Unit Cards

P-47 THUNDERBOLT FLIGHT

121
 FINLAND

NORWAY

SWEDEN
North Sea

DENMARK Baltic Sea

IRELAND

GREAT
THE Warsaw
BRITAIN NETHERLANDS Berlin
The Hague Od
e
POL A
London r

BELGIUM GERMANY stu

la
Vi

Rhi
Dieppe Brussels

ne
Atlantic Prague
Ocean
SLOVAKIA
Paris
HU
Sei
e n

Vienna
Loire Budapest

FR ANCE SWITZERLAND

Po Belgra

YUGOSLAVIA

ITALY
CORSICA
Rome
ALBA
SPAIN

SARDINIA

SICILY
GIBRALTAR
Tunis
Algiers
Oman
MALTA Medite
MOROCCO
ALGERIA Kasserine
Pass

FRENCH
MOROCCO
TUNISIA Tripoli

0 500 1000 1500

Km LIBYA
500 1000
M

38
 Leningrad

KE Y
Germany and
Occupied Territories
Moscow SOVIET UNION
Rzhev Allied Countries

Neutral Countries

Volg
a
Do
Kursk n
Minsk Smolensk
Voronezh Stalingrad
Dn
iepe

AND
r

Kiev
Rostov Caspian
Sea

CAUCASUS OIL
FIELDS

Odessa
UNGARY

Black Sea
ROMANIA
Bucharest

ade Danube

BULGARIA IRAN

TURKEY
ANIA

GREECE SYRIA IRAQ

Athens

CYPRUS

CRETE
rranean sea

PALESTINE
TRANS-
JORDAN
SAUDI
Gazala ARABIA
Tobruk Alexandria

Halfaya Pass El Alamein

EGYPT
Alam
el Halfa

El Agheila

39
 THE BATTLE FOR NORMANDY
Reaching the bunker, General Cota, yelled “FIRE!” The men of the 116th rose as one and sprayed
fire at the Germans. Sappers with satchel charges moved forward as Cota added his own carbine
fire to the rest. A terrific concussion from the detonated charges threw giant chunks of concrete
through the air. Most of the men had dropped for cover, but one unit was keeping up coordinated
fire. Cota yelled at the soldiers, “Which unit is this?”
“Fifth Rangers, sir!”
Cota pointed at the new breach in the German defences, “Well, God damn it then! - Rangers, lead
the way!” and so they did – magnificently. Rushing the breach, they threw grenades, cut wire
and continued pouring out fire from their Garands. A surviving DD Sherman had spotted the
breach and followed through, blasting away at cannon positions along the heights to suppress
the incoming fire. Destroyers off-shore followed suit, following the tank’s example. As the men
of the 116th swept into the fortified trench lines, Cota knew this was going to make history.
Hitler’s impervious Atlantic Wall was broken.

It started with an Airborne assault, hitting vital INSIDE YOU WILL FIND:
defences behind the enemy lines. It was followed by • Background on the US Army during the events
a full scale amphibious invasion on the beaches of of D-Day and the break out that followed.
Normandy. Operation Overlord was in full swing, • Instructions on how to build a Parachute
with about 160,000 men crossing the English Channel Rifle Company, Glider Rifle Company, Ranger
to land on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day
Company, Assault Company, Rifle Company,
alone. The German defensive positions proved to be
Veteran Assault Company, Veteran Rifle
a tough nut to crack. The day would be hard fought,
Company, M4 Sherman Tank Company, M5
ending with the Allies securing a tenuous foothold on
the beachheads, but it was enough to withstand the Stuart Tank Company, Armored Rifle Company,
following German Counter-attacks and eventually Veteran M4 Sherman Tank Company, Veteran
break out of Normandy. The war for Europe was now M5 Stuart Tank Company, Veteran Armored Rifle
being fought in earnest, as the allies raced to liberate Company, and M10 Tank Destroyer Company.
France and bring the war to Hitler’s front door. • A Painting and Basing guide.
• Three new D-Day themed Missions.
A copy of the Flames Of War rulebook is necessary to use the contents of this book.
DESIGNED IN NEW ZEALAND ISBN 9781988558103
PRINTED IN EUROPE
Product Code FW262
© Copyright Battlefront Miniatures Limited, 2019.
All rights reserved.

WWW. FLAMESOFWAR.COM