Knightsbridge, Battle of Gazala

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1942, Armor, Artillery, Desert, Memoir 44, Scenario, Tactical, Terrain Exp Pack

Knightsbridge

“Listen up! In early June ‘42, out there in that hot Libyan desert at a place they called Knightsbridge, our British allies were in for the fight of their lives. The place was nothing but a road junction, but it was as valuable as gold when the shooting started.

Rommel came at ‘em with his Panzers and those nasty 88s, aiming to cut ‘em off, encircle ‘em, and finish the job. The British Eighth Army fought back with everything they had, but those German guns chewed up their tanks like a buzz saw through dry timber.

Even though the Brits took a beating and left a lot of metal in that desert, Rommel couldn’t crack the line. He overreached, and the whole thing bogged down into a stalemate.

Let that be a lesson, boys—in the desert, mobility is king. You gotta hit hard, move fast, and never let the enemy pin you down. Knightsbridge wasn’t the final blow, but it sure as hell was the warning shot that the real fight was just getting started!”

~~ General Howitzer

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 4

Axis – 6

Complexity:

2

Conditions:

Desert

Location:

Libya

Year:

1942

Theater:

Mediterranean Theater

Campaign:

Western Desert Campaign

Context:

Historical

Summary:

Objectives:

5 Victor Points

Battlefields:

Knightsbridge is an almost open desert battlefield in which tanks engage in head-on warfare, interspersed with the occasional artillery fire and infantry assault.

Troops:

Allies – 8 Infantry, 1 Artillery

Axis – 6 Infantry, 3 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1. Big picture goal for Knightsbridge, like many desert scenarios is to hit first and hit hard.

2. The Axis have three Artillery which will assist the Armor if you venture too close. With your limited movement, it would be best to keep your forces together on your end of the battlefield.

3. Get to the ridge on your left section as quickly as possible. You cannot move as fast as the Axis, so you need to start right away. Do not get caught back against the border, or the enemy will wipe you out with the additional flag hits.

4. You are strong on your right flank, so move your units forward together to defend against the on-coming Axis attack.

Axis Strategy:

1. Because of the wadi in the middle of your end of the battlefield, your forces are divided. Your Armor on the left flank is outnumbered five to two, but you do have your artillery. If you can entice the Allies to move forward, you can get some support from your Artillery fire.

2. Take advantage of the ridgeline on your right flank by parking your units there and wait for the Allies to attack. The height advantage may count in your favor in the ensuring battle.

3. Grab the heights on the ridge as quickly as you can. Whoever gets on top of the hill first will gain a 17% hit advantage.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Juno Beach

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Beach, D-Day, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic

Juno Beach

The invasion of Juno Beach was part of the Allied D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, during World War II. Juno Beach, one of the five beaches targeted in the Normandy invasion, was assigned to Canadian forces from the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade. Their mission was to secure a beachhead, push inland, and capture key objectives such as the town of Caen.

Juno Beach was no picnic—it was hell from the start. The Canadians hit the shore under rough seas, late and scattered, with German guns pouring lead and shells across the sand. Machine guns, artillery, mines—everything the enemy could throw at them was waiting.

But those Canadians didn’t back off. They regrouped fast, pushed inland with infantry and armor working shoulder to shoulder, and smashed through the fortifications. By nightfall, they hadn’t just taken Juno—they’d driven farther inland than any other Allied unit on D-Day.

They paid dearly in blood, but their victory cracked open Hitler’s wall, anchored the Allied foothold in France, and lit the road that led to the liberation of Europe. Juno Beach proved it plain: Canadian steel and courage could punch just as hard as any force in the world.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 6

Axis – 4

Complexity:

2

Conditions:

Beach

Location:

Normandy

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western Front

Campaign:

D-Day

Codename

Summary:

Objectives:

6 Victory Points, including the possibility of four! Objective Medals for the Allies.

Battlefield:

With the River Seulles going through the center of the battlefield, the Juno Beach scenario is almost two different battles taking place at once. There is no beach ridge to slow down the advance of the Allies.

Troops:

Allies – 10 Infantry, 3 Armor

Axis – 7 Infantry, 1 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1. The Allies need to be aware of the VP goal of six points, and then count up the number of medals and forces on the right side of the map: three Objective Medals (two towns and one bridge) and three infantry. This means, that with the “right” set of cards, an Allied player could win the battle completely just by focusing on the right flank. Now it will rarely happen that such a single-minded focus can occur based on the luck of the cards. But keeping the enemy off-balance by occasional forays on the left flank is a good strategy also. But this scenario reminds us of an important principle, to always keep your overall objectives and plan in mind throughout the battle. And do not deviate unless cards, or circumstances dictate otherwise.

2. Of course, the left flank is a little more secure, as it is outside the range of the artillery.

3. With the River Seulles splitting your center section, you will need to make a determination of which direction your troops will head to. This will need to be determined by the cards in your hand.

4. As you move off the beach, the two Medal Objectives on the bridges look very tempting. But they are quite close to the enemy artillery, so you will not want to take those bridges until near the end of the game, so they cannot be chased away.

Axis Strategy:

1. Your Infantry in the bunker at I5 is in a great location to make some early hits on the enemy while they are still in the water, or backed up against it.

2. Your Infantry unit in the town of Graye-su-Mere in your left flank, is pretty useless in the early stage of the battle. Rather than wait for the action to come to them, at which point it may be too late, you may want to move it forward.

Battle Reports (percentage of Allied victories):
64%

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Japanese Counterattack

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Infantry, Jungle, Location: Pacific, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Pacific Theater, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Pacific

Japanese Counterattack

The “Japanese Counter-Attack” phase refers to the counteroffensives launched by Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater. One notable example occurred during the Battle of Guadalcanal, from August 1942 to February 1943. After U.S. Marines secured a critical airfield on Guadalcanal, known as Henderson Field, the Japanese launched multiple counterattacks to reclaim it. These counteroffensives, involving intense jungle fighting and night assaults, aimed to dislodge the U.S. forces from their foothold. The Japanese committed significant naval and infantry resources, but despite their efforts, they struggled to overcome the U.S. defenses and secure sustained supply lines.

The Japs threw in ships, men, and everything they could float or march—but it didn’t matter. Our defenses held like a steel wall, and without solid supply lines, their fight was doomed from the start. They came in hard, but we broke them harder.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 6

Axis – 5

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Jungle

Location:

Guam

Year:

1944

Theater:

Pacific Theater

Campaign

Codename

Summary

The Japanese Counterattack takes place on the same battlefield as the Guam Landings, but the game mechanics are pretty much reversed.

Objectives:
Six VP’s, plus each side has a permanent Objective Medal hex which they can seek.

Battlefield:
Jungle with a V-shaped river cutting right through the map.

Troops:
Marines – 9 Infantry, 2 Armor, 2 Artillery.
Japanese – 12 Infantry.

Allied Strategy:

1. With three artillery, and one armor, the Marines have more firepower than the Japanese. But the artillery is limited for much of the game by night visibility rules, which slowly improve throughout the game. So take your time to get your troops arranged, and your card management under control, to allow more daylight to help your attack and defense.

2. Your tank is stuck back in the left corner of the fight, so take advantage of the early turns to get it into play.

3. Remember that the Japanese practice the Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine. If they have all four units and are fighting at close combat, they role four! dice, not three. So during the game, one of the objectives the Marines need to practice is to take off at least one figure per hex. This will actually count as two in terms of reducing the Japanese firepower for subsequent attacks.

Axis Strategy:

1. Big picture strategy for the Japanese forces is to quickly overwhelm a flank with infantry forces who are still fully intact so that you can use the Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine against the Marines. Because of the four! Allied artillery, the center section is kind of a kill box. So the best hope is to move down one of flanks as the cards dictate.

2. Night-time conditions are to your advantage because the Allies have so much firepower. Therefore your best attacks will be immediately, before the dice rolls enough stars to bring out the full ranged artillery attacks.

3. There are three Permanent Medal Objectives (HQ-Supply & Hospital hexes). These are deep in enemy territory, but should you get your hands on either Behind Enemy Lines or Infantry Assault cards, there is a possibility you could force your way in to them.

Battle Reports (percentage of Allied victories):

66%

(These are the historical records. For new stats, record your games in the poll to the right.)

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Into the Cauldron

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1942, Armor, Desert, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Mediterranean Theater, Memoir 44, Scenario

Into the Cauldron

Rommel’s Panzers had bloodied the British 7th Armoured, but they’d shot their bolt. The Afrikakorps was jammed into what we’d call a pressure cooker—“the Cauldron.” To the south, Bir Hakeim held firm. To thea north, Tobruk was still in enemy hands. East and north, the tattered remains of British armor blocked the way. And to the west, minefields stretched like a wall of steel.

The Brits, blind to how short the Germans were on fuel and shells, failed to strike while the iron was hot. That hesitation let Rommel dig in around the ridges of Sidi Muftah, while his Italian allies clawed through minefields under heavy fire to drag supplies forward. When the British finally counterattacked on June 5th, it was sloppy and ill-timed—broken against the German anti-tank guns. A golden chance to smash the Desert Fox had slipped right through their fingers.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 4

Axis – 5

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Desert

Context:

Historical

Location:

North Africa

Year:

1942

Theater:

Mediterranean Theater

Campaign:

Battle of El Almein

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s, plus Exit Hex Medals

Battlefield:

This desert scenario has a series of sand dunes across the center of all three sections on which are perched sandbagged Axis troops ready for battle. The challenge for the Allies is with their greater armored forces are to force their way through to victory.

Troops:

Allies – 7 Infantry, 7 Armor

Axis – 8 Infantry, 5 Armor

Allied Strategy:

1. The Allies have numerical superiority on the left flank, which can be exploited. Also note that the Allies have a 7 -5 advantage with armor. It is important to quickly take advantage of this superiority, as desert warfare can very quickly turn around with a few well-rolled armor attack dice.

2. Use any attack cards you get, to pull your armor forward one hex, and aim their turrets at the enemy three hexes away on the dunes. In this way, you can start to degrade the enemy attack from the dunes. With some well-rolled dice, you can attack the sandbagged infantry from a distance, and possibly score a quick VP. But be wary of the sandbagged armor units on each flank, which are well protected, and can very quickly knock out your armor units with a few attacks. Also the sandbagged anti-tank units can score against your armor with stars, thus raising the likelihood of a successful armor hit from 33% to 50% per dice roll.

3. You have two units of hexes in bunkers deep in the enemy territory, next to the exit hexes. Be very careful about moving them from the bunkers. Once you do so, all their protection is gone, and since they are surrounded by enemy troops, will be destroyed quickly. But if you keep them in the bunkers and use them as harassment, they can distract the Axis troops from applying all of their fire-power at the unprotected Allied troops trying to make an attack uphill against the sandbagged Axis defenders.

Axis:

1. One special Victory Point which the Axis can take advantage of is the escape hex through the minefield. Don’t waste a lot of your forces trying to find it, but one unit assigned to opening the escape path while the rest battle the British could be a path to an ‘easy’ VP.

2. The Allies have a numerical superiority of armor. Don’t launch an armor attack prematurely. Use your sandbagged infantry and armor units to slowly degrade the enemy. Be prepared should they try to launch an assault. Keep your responsiveness ready so you are prepared for whichever direction they come.

3. Watch out for the two enemy infantry units lodged in the bunkers along the backrow. Have an armor unit ready to respond with devastating force should they venture out of the bunkers.

Battle Reports

(percentage of Allied victories):

48%

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Hill 112

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic

Hill 112

In early July 1944, during the Normandy campaign, British forces launched Operation Jupiter to seize Hill 112, a dominant height southwest of Caen. Control of this hill was crucial: whoever held it could observe and direct fire across much of the surrounding countryside, making it a strategically vital position.

On 10 July 1944, the British 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, supported by armored units including Churchills of the 31st Tank Brigade, attacked German defenses held mostly by elements of the Waffen-SS, including the 9th SS Panzer Division “Hohenstaufen” and 10th SS Panzer Division “Frundsberg.” The fighting was brutal, confused, and close-quarters, with British infantry repeatedly advancing into heavy machine-gun, mortar, and tank fire.

General Howitzer:
Hill 112 wasn’t conquered—but it served its purpose.
It tied down Germany’s best, burned away their strength, and cracked open the German shield around Caen. A brutal ridge that changed the course of the Normandy campaign by simply refusing to be ignored.

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

5 – 5

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Countryside

Location:

France

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western Front

Campaign

Codename:

Operation Jupiter

Summary:

Objectives:

This is a six VP game, so it calls for good positioning, strategic planning, and consistent attack with a goal towards long-term degradation of the enemy.

Battlefield:

The battlefield has a ridge of hills on one flank, moving into the center. There is also a set of hedgerows and a town hex right in the middle of the field. The Axis controls much of the board at the beginning of the round, while the Allies are pressed up against the back wall.

Troops:

Allied Strategy:

1. The Allies havae a significant armor advantage with six armor units vs. three for the Axis. Since you do have an armor advantage, make use of it, by getting your units out into the open field for battle where the long distance firepower of your tanks may prevail.

2. Watch out for the Axis artillery in the upper right flank. Although it is locked behind the Guigne River, its range controls much of the flank and part of the center flank.

3. Note that Hill 112 is an Allied medal objective. It is within range of a one-hex artillery attack. So if you grab the objective too early, the enemy will have time to chase you away. But if you time it right, it can be a late-game objective, to perhaps clinch the win.

Axis Strategy:

1. The Axis begin with control of much of the battlefield. If you can get your armor out into the middle of the field, you may perhaps be able to attack some of the Allied units while they are still up against the wall, and thus take advantage of their no-retreat situation.

2. You have an artillery unit trapped in the lower left flank behind the Guigne River. Use it whenever the enemy gets near the medal objective at h6.

Author:

Days of Wonder

URL

Hellfire Pass

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1941, Armor, Artillery, Desert, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Mediterranean Theater, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic

Hellfire Pass

Hellfire Pass was the kind of battleground that earns its name the hard way. In June 1941, on that blasted strip of desert between Egypt and Libya, British and Commonwealth troops dug in on the heights while Rommel’s Afrika Korps came at them like wolves scenting blood. That pass wasn’t just a notch in the ridgeline — it was the key to the whole frontier, a gate that controlled who moved and who stalled in the desert war.

The Germans hit fast, hit hard, and kept hitting, using tanks, guns, and every trick they had to crack the British line. And the men holding that ridge fought with grit, firing until their barrels burned and their positions were blown apart around them. They didn’t stop the Axis forever, but they made the enemy pay for every yard and bought precious time for the larger fight ahead.

Hellfire Pass proved a simple truth: when you stand your ground on the high ground, and you fight like you mean it, even the best the enemy has can’t roll over you without bleeding for it.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 4

Axis – 6

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Desert

Context:

Historical

Location:

Egyptian – Libyan border

Year:

1941

Theater:

North Africa

Campaign

Codename:

Operation Battleaxe

Summary:

Hellfire Pass begins with the Axis dominating over two-thirds of the battlefield. The challenge for the Allies is to break through to the exit hexes, if they can make it through Hellfire Pass.

Objectives:
Six VP’s, plus the Allies have exit hexes for additional Objective Medals

Battlefield:
Desert with the Halfaya Pass through which the battle takes place. Much of the battlefield is lined with Axis mines, which will slow the advance of the Allies.

Troops:
Allies have 9 Infantry, and 5 Armor.

Axis have 8 Infantry (including two Anti-tank units), 2 Armor, 2 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1. Allies have a numerical advantage in the center, of 3 Infantry, and 5 Armor. However, the Axis have a row of mines, and two artillery defending the section. So Allies will need a good set of cards which provide for rapid advance, and a Barrage or Airpower card to attack the artillery would definitely help.

2. Because this scenario has an escape option for the British, speed is paramount. So remember that units which begin on the road are able to travel one extra hex.

3. The Allies have a significant armor advantage of 5 – 2. Use their attack and mobility to your advantage. Some of them begin the scenario trapped behind infantry, so you need to get them out and into the game.

Axis Strategy:

1. Initial plan for the Axis is defensive. Stay behind the sandbags and mines which you have set up.

2. There are two Infantry units on your left flank which have no retreat. Some lucky one-shot dice hits can quickly cut their firepower in half.

3. Your Armor has mobility, and are at the ready to defend against a flank attack on either side, or do a quick run up the road to defend the center section.

4. Your Artillery is well-positioned, but the enemy starts at the one-dice hit range. It may be wise to wait a turn or two until they advance forward one row and then come within range of two-dice hits.

Battle Reports

(percentage of Allied victories):

48%

Author:

Link: