Poterie Ridge
July 4th, 1944—while folks back home were waving flags and lighting fireworks, the boys of the 82nd Airborne were earning every damn star on that flag with blood and grit in the fields of Normandy.
The 325th Glider Infantry and 508th Parachute Infantry, fresh off taking Hill 131, were ordered to grab La Poterie Ridge and Hill 95—the last line before Mont Castre, the Germans’ last high ground in that sector. The order came, and they didn’t hesitate. On Independence Day, they moved—through the open, under artillery cover.
But then the guns stopped. Too soon. Our boys were still in the open. The Krauts opened up with machine guns and mortars, and all hell broke loose. Those fields became a slaughterhouse—but those troopers kept pushing, kept fighting, and by nightfall, they took that ridge.
They paid for every inch of it with guts and lives. That was the last fight the 82nd Airborne saw in Normandy. By July 11, they were pulled back, replaced by the 8th Infantry, and sent back to England to get ready for the next jump.
You’re in command now. The lines are drawn. The men are ready. What comes next? That’s up to you. Just remember: fortune favors the bold—and so do the history books.
~~ General Howitzer
7 VP’s
Card Balance:
Allies – 6
Axis – 5
Complexity:
3
Conditions:
Countryside
Context:
Historical
Location:
France
Year:
1944
Theater:
Western
Campaign:
The Invasion of Normandy
Codename:
Summary:
Objectives:
7 VP’s, plus two temporary medals for the Allies
Battlefield:
The battlefield is covered with many forest and hedgerow hexes.
Troops:
Allies – 10 Infantry, 1 Artillery
Axis – 9 Infantry, equipped with machine guns and mortars
Allied Strategy:
1.
Axis Strategy
1.
Battle Reports
Author:
Originally played at Chattanooga Open, 2023; and The Finest Hour Open, Chicago 2025.
Link:
