Wittmann’s Final Battle

Wittmann’s Final Battle

scenario_Wittmann's-Final-Battle

Wittmann’s last ride came on August 8, ’44, when the Canadians kicked off Operation Totalize south of Caen. He rolled out in his Tiger, thinking he’d stop the Allied push cold—but this wasn’t the Eastern Front, and the Allies weren’t amateurs anymore.

Somewhere near Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil, his luck ran out. A Sherman Firefly—packing that damn fine 17-pounder—put a round through his armor and ended the fight before it started. Wittmann and his crew never saw it coming.

That day didn’t just take out Germany’s star tank ace—it proved the tide had turned, and our boys could kill Tigers just as fast as they came at us.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

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Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 5

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

France

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Battle of Normandy

Codename:

Operation Totalizer

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s

Battlefield:

Countryside

Troops:

Allies – 9 Infantry, 4 Armor

Axis – 8 Infantry, 2 Armor, 1 Artillery

 

medal allies

Allied Strategy:

1.  Big Picture Strategy:  You need to move fast during the cover of night.  Every turn there is a possibility of getting a star which will increase daylight and extend the range of the enemy artillery. 

2.  You have four special forces units which can very quickly move in range to attack.  

3.  There are two objective medals in the right flank. You can keep pushing your forces in that direction as you have opportunity.

medal axis

Axis Strategy

1.  Big picture strategy; you will do well to delay and allow the presence of daylight to assist your defensive forces with your artillery.  Do not rush out to attack. Allow several turns to take place so that you get more daylight and thus more range for your artillery.

2.  Wittmann’s battalion is the four-tank unit with the special medal.  It can ignore the first retreat flag, which can assist you in close quarters battles with enemy armor.  

Battle Reports

14
BR - Wittmann

Author:

Days of Wonder

Resource:

BGA

Capture of Parry

Capture of Parry

Parry Island was a textbook assault—our 4th Marines hit the beach with tanks rolling, guns blazing, and the Navy pounding from offshore. The enemy was dug in and ready to die, and they did—every last one of them. In just over a day, we turned their fortress into a smoking ruin. That win locked down Kwajalein and put us one step closer to Japan’s front porch. Fast, brutal, and effective—just the way war ought to be fought.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

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Card Balance:

Allies – 6

Axis – 4

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Beach &  Jungle

Context:

Location:

Marshall Islands

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Marshall Islands

Codename:

Operation Flintlock

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s

Battlefield:

Beach.

Troops:

Allies – 9 Infantry, 6 Armor, 1 Artillery

Axis – 9 Infantry, 2 Armor, 1 Artillery

 

medal allies

Allied Strategy:

1.  

medal axis

Axis Strategy

1.

Battle Reports

0
BR - Capture of Parry

Author:

Days of Wonder

Resource:

Campaign Book, Volume 2

Umurbrogol Pocket

Umurbrogol Pocket

The Battle of the Umurbrogol Pocket in November 1944 was one of the fiercest and most grueling phases of the Battle of Peleliu during World War II. U.S. Marines faced deeply entrenched Japanese defenders in a mountainous, cave-ridden area known as “Bloody Nose Ridge.”

General Howitzer’s summary:

The Umurbrogol Pocket was a nightmare carved into rock—our Marines went up against die-hard defenders holed up in caves. The Japanese were dug in deep, fighting to the last man, and made us pay for every inch in blood. Flamethrowers, grenades, and guts—that’s what it took to root them out. It was slow, savage, and costly, but in the end, we crushed them. That ridge showed just how far the enemy would go—and how much farther we were willing to go to win.

5 VP’s

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Card Balance:

Allies (US Marines) – 5

Axis – 4

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Jungle Beach

Context:

Historical

Location:

Marianas & Palau Islands

Year:

1944

Theater:

Pacific

Campaign:

The Battle of Peleliu

Codename:

Operation Stalemate II

Summary:

Objectives:

5 VP’s plus a Last to Occupy Medal Objective

Battlefield:

Combination of hills and hills with caves .

Troops:

Allies – 9 Infantry, 4 Armor, and 2 Artillery

Axis – 8 Infantry

 

medal allies

Allied Strategy:

1.  Use your Artillery and Armor as much as you can to attack the Japanese defenders at a distance.  When they are sufficiently weakened, you can move in your infantry, beginning with your Engineers to finish up the forward units.

2.  The fresh water river is a victory medal which goes to the  Last to Occupy.  Keep some forces on hand to grab it as a final victory point.

medal axis

Axis Strategy

1.  You have a very strong defensive position which allows you to quickly move between caves and hide your weak units when necessary.

2.  Take advantage of your Seishin Kyoiku powers and attack any enemy troops using the Banzai War Cry which come within two hexes of your Infantry.

3.  Guard the fresh water source, and keep the enemy away from it, as they will attempt to grab it on their final move. 

Battle Reports

0
BR - Umurbrogol Pocket

Author:

Days of Wonder

Resource:

Campaign Book, Volume 2

Singapore

Singapore

The Battle of Singapore in February 1942 was the climactic phase of Japan’s “Bicycle Blitzkrieg” during the Mare Shinko Sakusen (Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere offensive). Japanese forces, using speed, surprise, and bicycles to maneuver swiftly through Malaya, overwhelmed British Commonwealth defenses and pushed them back to Singapore.

Despite its strong coastal defenses, Singapore fell after a week of land-based attacks and psychological warfare. General Percival surrendered on February 15, 1942, in one of Britain’s worst military defeats, with over 80,000 Allied troops taken prisoner. The fall of Singapore stunned the Allies and gave Japan control over a key strategic stronghold in Southeast Asia.

General Howitzer sums it up in one sentence:
The Japanese rolled through Malaya on – can you believe it! – bicycles, outmaneuvered the Brits, and took Singapore without breaking stride—proof that arrogance and poor leadership lose wars faster than bullets.

11 VP’s, including at least 5 Medal Objectives for the Axis player.

card

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 6

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Jungle Beach

Context:

Historical

Location:

Singapore

Year:

1942

Theater:

Pacific

Campaign:

Bicycle Blitzkreig

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

11 VP’s including Permanent Medal and Temporary Majority Medal Objectives

Battlefield:

Combination of beach assault and jungle terrain and the city of Singapore.

Troops:

Allies – 10 Infantry including Machine Gun, 2 Artillery, a gun boat, and optional British Hawker Hurricanes

Axis – 10 Infantry, 4 Armor, 3 Artillery

 

medal allies

🔥 Winning as Allies

1.  You have a gun boat in the corner right next to the enemy. Use it as many times as you can before they take it out.

2.  You have a couple of Artillery. Use them well, but note that the unit at Changi only has enough ammo for three hits. 

3. You have many Permanent Medal Objectives to guard, so in most cases you will need to keep your forces in a defensive position.

4.  Air rules are optional. It is important for British defenses to make use of them as you have two Hawker Hurricanes at your disposal.

medal axis

🔥 Winning as Axis

1.  You have many forces which can be brought to bear but you will need to use your landing craft to get them ashore.

2.  You need to take out the enemy gun boat in the corner of your right flank ASAP. That will only take one Grenade.

3.  Once you have dealt with immediate threats near the beach, you can take some time to repair the causeway, which will take two Stars.  Then you can advance your three Armor units into battle.

4.  Your right flank is your strongest. Once you get your forces ashore with the landing craft, you can advance against Tengah and capture your first Medal Objective. Then you can continue deep into enemy territory.

Battle Reports

0
BR - Singapore

Author:

Days of Wonder

Resource:

Campaign Book, Volume 2

Battle of Abbeville

Battle of Abbeville

Battle of Abbeville

The Battle of Abbeville was a hard-hitting brawl that showed just how unprepared we were for the kind of fast, mechanized war the Germans were waging. After their lightning dash to the Channel, the Germans dug in around Abbeville, threatening to cut off our northern forces. The French, led in part by de Gaulle and his 4e Division Cuirassée, threw in the big boys—those heavy Char B1 bis tanks and Hotchkiss H35s and H39s. The Brits rolled up with Matilda I and II tanks, tough as hell but slower than molasses in January.

We launched a series of assaults to punch the Germans off those Somme bridgeheads, but coordination was lousy, the terrain was brutal, and too many tanks broke down before they even fired a shot. The enemy wasn’t sitting on their hands either—they had Panzer IIIs and IVs guarding the line, with light Panzers filling in the gaps and 88mm Flak guns ripping through anything we sent their way.

Despite brave pushes and a few local breakthroughs, we couldn’t dislodge them. The Germans held the high ground, held the bridges, and held the initiative. That failure didn’t just cost us a patch of land—it helped seal France’s fate. The Germans kept their corridor, tightened the noose, and by the end of June, France was on her knees.

Abbeville wasn’t the biggest battle, but it damn sure mattered. It reminded us that guts alone wouldn’t win this war—we needed better gear, tighter coordination, and leaders ready to move fast and hit hard.

~~ General Howitzer

10 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 6

Axis – 6

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

France

Year:

1940

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

10 VP’s, including two Temporary Objective Medals.

Battlefield:

A countryside with a stretch of river across one end.

Troops:

Allies – 10 Infantry, 3 Artillery

Axis – 10 Infantry, 6 Armor, 2 Artillery

 

medal allies

🔥 Winning as Allies

1.  Big Picture Strategy: You have 5 Armor to the enemy’s none, but they have three well-entrenched Artillery, which give them a strong defensive advantage.  You will have to bring your two Artillery forward to provide some balance; at the same time, using your Armor to attack their many Infantry and keep them back as you move your Artillery into range.

2.  Concentrate your forces and just pick off each forward enemy infantry unit, section by section, as you move your forces forward together.

medal axis

🔥 Winning as Axis

1.  Big Picture Strategy: Consolidate your forces and remain in a defensive stance.  You have an Artillery advantage. Use it.

2.  Your forces are spread out and unable to defend each other. If you have the opportunity, you may want to pull back your forward units, and attempt to form some sort of a defensive line.

Battle Reports

4
BR - Abbeville

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Hedgerow Hell

Hedgerow Hell

Here’s a brief summary of the Battle of Hedgerow Hell in July 1944:

  • When & Where:
    July 1944, in the dense hedgerow country of Normandy, France.

  • Context:
    After the D-Day landings, U.S. forces faced stiff German resistance in the bocage (hedgerow) terrain, which made attacks and movements extremely difficult.

  • The Battle:
    Fighting was slow and brutal—close-quarters combat with tanks and infantry often forced to blast through thick hedgerows. German forces used the terrain to launch ambushes and hold up the American advance.

  • Outcome:
    Despite the difficulties, American troops adapted with new tactics and overcame German defenses, breaking out of the hedgerows and paving the way for the later launch of Operation Cobra.

Here is General Howitzer’s comments on it:

“Listen up, men! July ‘44 in Normandy—the damn hedgerows were like fighting in a jungle made of dirt and stone, and the Germans knew every inch of it. We called it Hedgerow Hell, and that’s exactly what it was.

We started on July 1st, smashing forward, inch by inch, day by day. Those Germans were dug in like ticks, every hedgerow a fortress, every field a killing ground. But our boys didn’t back down—they learned to blow holes in those hedgerows with explosives, and we turned those obstacles into stepping stones.

Week by week, we kept at it—infantry, tanks, engineers working together, and by the end of July, we’d beaten the bastards back. We learned to fight smarter, and we learned to hit ‘em so hard they couldn’t catch their breath.

July 25th—Operation Cobra—that was the payoff, boys! We broke out of that green hell and took the fight back to where they didn’t have those hedgerows to hide in.

So remember this—no matter how tough the terrain or how deep the enemy’s dug in, we keep pushing, keep killing, and never let the bastards stop us!

13 VP’s

card

Card Balance:

Allies – 8

Axis – 10

Complexity:

5

Conditions:

Countryside

countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

Normandy, France

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Normandy

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

13 VP’s, plus Territorial Objective Medals for each side, and Exit hexes for the Allies.

Battlefield:

Countryside with rivers, roads, hills, and many hedgerows.

Troops:

Allies – 21 Infantry, 8 Armor and some Trucks, 3 Artillery

Axis – 14 Infantry, 5 Armor, 4 Artillery

 

medal allies

Allied Strategy:

1.

medal axis

Axis Strategy

1. 

Battle Reports

0
BR - Hedgerow Hell

Author:

Days of Wonder