Wardin

by GeneralHowitzer | Dec 10, 2024 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Winter, Winter Wars

Wardin

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December 19th, 1944:

At Wardin, in the frozen hell of December ’44, the Germans came on hard, hunting roads and junctions like wolves looking for a gap in the line. They wanted Bastogne, and Wardin was one of the doors they had to kick in to get there.

The men of the 28th Infantry Division didn’t run. They fought. Outgunned and pressed by armor, they traded ground for time—yard by bloody yard—smashing the enemy’s schedule and making him pay for every step forward. Wardin fell, but the Germans lost something far more valuable: momentum. That stand helped slow the drive on Bastogne and proved once again that determined American soldiers, fighting smart and stubborn, could wreck even the best-laid German plans. That’s how you beat an enemy—make him bleed for every mile.

~~ General Howitzer

VP’s: 7

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 5

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Winter

Location:

Belgium

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Battle of the Bulge

German Name:

Unternehmen Wacht Am Rhein

Summary:

This is a fun and exciting scenario as the Americans attempt to hold off a German onslaught of tanks and infantry in the Battle of the Bulge.

Objectives:

Seven Medals. There are also four Temporary Objective Medals for the Germans to reach, and a Temporary Majority Objective for the five hexes of Wardin.

Battlefield:

Winter conditions, with roads, rivers, and ridges cutting through the battlefield with the town of Wardin dominating one section.

Troops:

Allies – 7 Infantry including 2 Engineers, 6 Armor including a Tank Destroyer, 1 Artillery

Axis – 7 Infantry, 6 Armor including 2 Half-Tracks, 1 Artillery

Special Rules:

1. Winter Combat rules – two hex armor movement

2. Reduced Visibility rules – only hit with Grenades unless in Close Assault

3. Tank Destroyer (2,2,2,2), and hits Armor on Stars

4. Half-Tracks – move 0-2 and attack (2,2)

5. The river is frozen, but impassable.

6. Winter Combat Cards – play the Winter Combat cards in addition to regular Combat cards, two per player

7. Allied mines

Overall Strategy:

1. The Winter Weather rules and Limited Visibility rules totally change the strategy for this battle. Any units which are not in Close Assault can only hit when they roll a Grenade. That means the the distance power of Armor and Artillery is really limited, as they too, can only hit on grenades. In fact, Artillery is quite useless in this scenario unless they are right next to you. So all planning goes into how to mass your troops for multiple Close Assault attacks at once during a single turn.

2. The name of the scenario is Wardin, and for good reason. The five-hex town dominates the right half of the battlefield. And the battle to control the majority of its hexes becomes a focal point for those forces.

Allied Strategy:

1. Defend the four Temporary Medal Objectives.

2. Defend the town of Wardin from take-over by the Germans.

3. The enemy Tank Destroyers are glass cannons which can be quickly eliminated because they are also hit when Stars are rolled. (They also hit when they roll Stars.)

4. The Half-Tracks only roll two-dice each time, so use them in conjunction with your forces. They should not go out to battle alone.

Axis Strategy:

1. Overall objective is for you to breakthrough on both fronts, through the minefield and the town of Wardin to the Objective Medals near the battlefield edge. If you can keep both of these objectives in mind you can put more pressure on the enemy as they will have to both defend their own forces from getting destroyed, but also defend the Medal Objectives on the edges of the battlefield.

2. The two Axis Engineers can be either used to clear the minefield on your left flank, or even better, they are best used to clear the town of Wardin, because they can attack the forces within the town hexes with full power since Engineers can ignore battle terrain restrictions. Don’t be distracted by the minefield; get them over to Wardin!

3. You can obtain two goals with one Armor unit if you move it onto the Temporary Medal Objective just past the town of Wardin. From that vantage point you will both get the medal as long as you stay on the hex and still be within range to attack the Allied forces with the town of Wardin.

4. You have many forces stuck on the back row behind the row of forest hexes. You need to move them out of either side, and also just directly through the forest so that you can get into the battle in the center section.

Author: Days of Wonder

URL

Pointe du Hoc – Offensive (near) Perfection!

by GeneralHowitzer | Dec 6, 2024 | 1944, Beach, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Smackdown

Offense - 99% - Defense - Zero

This is something that has never happened to me before. I played a scenario ( Pointe du Hoc), and the enemy only hit me once the entire game. I scored all four medals and lost only one infantry figure.

Here is the final scene:

As you can see, here is the final action, and a Barrage card that I had been saving for just the right moment. I reasoned that before I engage the troops against a well-defended enemy in the bunker, I should hit them once and hopefully reduce their strength. But the dice roll was pretty lucky – to say the least! (In reading the Dice Percentages section (https://generalhowitzer.com/strategy-dice-percentages/ ) the odds are only 7% of rolling a complete wipeout of four infantry who have retreat available to them.)

And that ended the first round of the engagement. Never happened before. And of course, if it is ever going to happen it will be on a short scenario like this with only 4 medals.

What I did to prepare for this engagement is assemble all of my troops under the ridge on the left half of the board. I did not breach the ridge until I was safely away from the Artillery on the right, and I had a perfect set of cards (Assault, Infantry Assault, Move Out!, and then section cards for just left and center).

Then I was good to go, and things paid off for me, plus a good dose of luck.

Q: What do you think? Has something like this happened to you?

Kalamata Waterfront

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 22, 2024 | 1944, Memoir 44, New Flight Plan Exp Pack, Scenario

FROM BORGO A MAZZANO TO BARGA

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 16, 2024 | 1944, Armor, Countryside, Infantry, Location: Italy, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Western

FROM BORGO A MAZZANO TO BARGA (BrEF)

After victories in the Massarosa, Camaiore and Monte Prana, the Brazilian troops were directed towards the village of Borgo a Mozzano. Aware in advance of the location and capabilities of the Germans in this stretch of the Gothic Line, the US command ordered the Brazilians to follow a course parallel to the Serchio River. While US troops proceeded on the opposite side of the river. By entering the Serchio River valley the FEB could avoid the expected German defences of the Gothic Line. It was discovered however that much of the line in that area had already been abandoned by the Axis, who had retreated about 9 miles to the north.

Further on, crossing the river, the FEB came across a factory of ammunition and aeronautical materials in Fornaci, which the Germans abandoned intact (but tried to recover in a counterattack.) The FEB then headed north to liberate Gallicano and Barga. In the process of doing this they clashed with the battle hardened veterans of the 148th German Division.

5 VP’s

Card Balance:
Allies – 5
Axis – 4

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

Italy

Date:

Sept. – Oct. 1944

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Brazilian Expeditionary Force

Code Name

Context:

Historical

Summary:

Objectives:

5 VP’s

Battlefield:

Battlefield has a road and a river cutting across each other in an x-shape, with a couple of bridges.

Troops:

Allies – 9 Infantry, 1 Armor

Axis – 8 Infantry

Allied Strategy

Axis Strategy:

This scenario is something a little different. It’s an Axis tactical withdrawal across a bridge and then a regroup in a factory. A well deployed Behind Enemy Lines Card for the Axis can deliver a crushing blow on the Smoking Snakes on the Axis right flank. This can then be followed up with a dash across the bridge. [ Marcus Wallis ]

Battle Reports:

Author:

Icles Rodriquez & Memoir 44 Japan

Link:

Click Here

Withdrawal from Hill 112

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1944, Armor, Countryside, Infantry, Memoir 44, Scenario

Withdrawal from Hill 112

The Withdrawal from Hill 112 occurred during the Normandy Campaign in July 1944, following fierce fighting over the strategically important high ground near Caen. British forces, particularly the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, had initially captured Hill 112 during Operation Jupiter (July 10–11), but the position became untenable due to intense German counterattacks, including the deployment of elite SS Panzer divisions.

General Howitzer:

Gentlemen, take a knee. Let me tell you about the grit it took to fight over a patch of real estate called Hill 112—a miserable piece of Norman countryside south of Caen that chewed up men and machines like a meat grinder.

The British and their armor locked horns with the damned Waffen-SS over this hill, not once, not twice—but for weeks. It wasn’t about the trees or the dirt—it was about elevation. Whoever held that hill could see the whole damn battlefield. The Tommies threw everything they had into it—Churchills, Cromwells, and a hell of a lot of courage.

They held it. Then they lost it. Then they bled to take it again.

But here’s the lesson, boys: sometimes the smart move isn’t holding ground—it’s bleeding the enemy dry while they try to take it. The British made Jerry commit his elite SS Panzer divisions there, keeping them pinned down while the Americans punched through elsewhere. And when the time came, they withdrew—not because they were beaten, but because the job was done. The Germans paid in blood for every inch.

That’s maneuver warfare. That’s using terrain like a blade. And that’s how you break the enemy’s back without breaking your own.

Dismissed.

6 VP’s

Card Balance:
Allies – 5
Axis – 6

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Countryside

Location:

France

Year:

1944

Theater

Western Front

Codename:

Operation Epsom

Summary:

The primary feature of this battlefield is the Odon River running right through the center section. As it is impassable, it severly limits movement between the two half of the field. There are only two bridges allowing crossover, and they are both controlled by the Allies at the start of the game.

Objectives:
This is a six VP game, so attacks must be managed by positional advantages to protect against painful retaliation. The Axis also have an Objective Medal in the town at j2.

Battlefield:
The battlefield is countryside terrain with forests, hedgerows, and hllls, split down much of the middle by the Odon river. Because of only two bridges, mobility from one side of the field to the other is quite limited. Each set of troops for both sides will pretty much have to fend for themselves with little hope of getting assistance from the other side.

Troops:
This is an infantry and tank battle with no artillery for either side.
Allies have 8 Infantry and 4 Armor.
Axis have 8 Infantry and 6 Armor.

Allied Strategy:

1. Because your armor are over-powered by enemy armor in each “half” (due to the Odon River), you will need to play your armor carefully. Open battle will likely result in your losses, just based on statistics of the dice roll and the overwhelming numbers of the enemy units. However, if you can hit his armor in the upper left flank while they are still pressed up against the wall, you will increase your hit rate by 17% due to the no-retreat situation they are in.

2. You have near control of the hills. Hold it with your height advantage to try to offset the enemy armor’s larger armored force.

3. You will need to protect the town hex at i2, as it has a Temporary Medal Objective for the Axis.

Axis Strategy:

1. The Axis begin this scenario with many of their forces crammed into a corner on the left flank. They are vulnerable to Allied attack, and their mobility is limited, without exposing them to further attack. The mission is to get the troops moving immediately to attack the enemy and create some breathing room for the forces.

2. Keep your infantry and armor as a cohesive fighting force. You will need your infantry to breach the hedgerows and towns, which your armor will soften up first.

3. Your forces are out in the open, but there are many town, forest, and hill hexes which you can move to in order to launch a well-defended attack against the Allies.

4. It is going to be difficult to launch an attack in the middle as the Odon River splits your forces up, so you may need to move them to each flank to support operations in those areas.

Author

Link

Villers-Bocage

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1944, Armor, Countryside, Infantry, Location: France, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Tactical, Theater: Western

Villers-Bocage

The Battle of Villers-Bocage took place on June 13, 1944, during the Normandy Campaign in World War II. It was a significant tank engagement between British and German forces near the town of Villers-Bocage in France, shortly after the D-Day landings.

Listen up, men—this was no parade down the Champs-Élysées. The British 7th Armoured Division—the famed “Desert Rats”—thought they’d found a hole in the German line near Caen and charged in, hungry for glory. But out of the hedgerows came Michael Wittmann and his awesome Tigers, ambushing them in the narrow streets of Villers-Bocage. In minutes, British columns were burning wrecks—armor smashed, morale shaken.

But here’s the thing: Wittmann’s brilliance bought the Germans nothing lasting. The Rats pulled back, regrouped, and the Tigers couldn’t press the advantage. The town lay in ruins, but the campaign rolled on. Villers-Bocage stands as a brutal reminder—urban fighting is hell, and courage alone doesn’t win the day. You need discipline, coordination, and the will to keep moving forward, no matter what roars out of the fog.

~~ General Howitzer

VP’s:

Allies – 3 medals

Axis – 5 medals

Card Balance:

Allies – 3

Axis – 6

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Countryside

Location:

Normandy

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western Front

Campaign:

Normandy Invasion

Summary:

This scenario is really unique with the battle between the just five German Tiger tanks vs. 24! Allied tanks, 16 infantry figures. And yet the battle is fairly balanced.

Objectives:

Allies – 3 Medals

Axis – 5 Medals, including two permanent medal exit objectives

Terrain:

Countryside with a road cutting across the battlefield at an angle

Troops:

Allies – 4 Infantry, 8 Armor

Axis – 5 Tiger Tanks

Allied Strategy

1. The only way you can hope to win is by bunching up your forces. Do not try to take on a Tiger Tank, one at a time.

2. Attack the units without forest protection first, as you will be able to roll triple the attack power.

3. You will need to force them out of the forest. Once they leave the forest hex, they cannot return. So a one-two punch is the way to go. Your first tank forces can attack, and hopefully roll a Flag, which will force the enemy out into the open. Then your second tank forces can roll a 3D attack and hopefully secure a kill.

4. As long as the Axis forces stay in their woods for protection, you can backoff and move out of attack range, while you get the rest of your forces on your right flank organized and into action.

Axis Strategy

1. Stay in the woods as long as you can, and keep attacking the enemy from there as long as they are in range. Because the enemy can only roll one dice against you in the woods, the odds of them rolling a hit, and then a second dice with a grenade are exceedingly low.

2. One of your Tigers is already out in the open, so plan on moving and attacking with that one first, but stay close to your other Tigers for support. Do not venture into a forward position where the enemy can surround you from behind.

Author:

Days of Wonder

URL