Utah Beach [Breakthrough]

by GeneralHowitzer | Jan 4, 2026 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Beach, Big Guns, Breakthrough Game, D-Day, Infantry, Location: France, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Western

Utah Beach [Breakthrough]

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memoir 44 utah beach breakthrough scenario

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At Utah Beach, the Americans did exactly what winning armies do—they adapted, moved fast, and drove inland with purpose.

The sea shoved our boys off target, but instead of whining about it, they took advantage of it. They came ashore where the Germans were weaker, reorganized on the fly, and went straight at the enemy. The leadership of Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr., made the difference—clear orders, aggressive movement, and no hesitation. By linking up with the airborne troops and punching inland, the U.S. forces turned what could have been confusion into momentum.

Casualties were light because the attack was bold and decisive. Utah wasn’t a grind; it was a lesson. War rewards speed, initiative, and commanders who seize opportunity. On Utah Beach, the Americans did all three—and that’s how you win.

~~ General Howitzer

12 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies –

Axis – 5* (first turn starts with 4)

Complexity:

4/5

Conditions:

Beach

Context:

Historical

Location:

Normandy

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

D-Day

Summary:

This is an Breakthrough game, so make use of the Breakthrough Command cards.

Objectives:

12 Medals

Terrain:

Beach terrain

Troops:

Allies – Infantry, Armor, one Destroyer

Axis – Infantry, Armor, Artillery with Big Guns

Special Rules:

1. Destroyer – attacks at 3,3,2,2,1,1,1,1 (with a locked in targeting reticule upon a successful hit)

2. Entry hexes for the Axis (Use one initiative roll [see Overlord rules] before each turn for the Axis.)

3. Big Gun rules – attacks at 3,3,2,2,1,1,1,1 (with a locked in targeting reticule upon a successful hit)

Allied Strategy:

1. You have a Destroyer in the bay. Use it as much as you can to target the enemy Big Guns. Once you hit them once, you can assign a Target Reticule to the hex if you make one hit, allowing you to roll one extra Dice until the unit is eliminated or moves from the hex. Do not move the Destroyer too close, or the two enemy Big Guns can eliminate you.

2. You need to break through all the Infantry blockades in the bunkers and sandbags, and escape out the Exit Hexes as soon as you can before the tanks show up.

3. Take the time to remove the barb wire lining the beach. It will take one turn to remove it, but it will speed up the escape for all the troops who follow.

4. You can win this scenario and never venture beyond row twelve. Make use of the Exit Hexes.

BIG PICTURE STRATEGY FOR BOTH SIDES:

1. This is a Breakthrough version of the Utah Beach attack, so it is long, 12 hexes, and you will need to use the Breakthrough cards, to get some additional movement options for each side.

Axis Strategy

1. You will need to get your troops down to the Allied Exit hexes in the upper part of your left section, ASAP. Move all Armor up the road to block the Exit Hexes. If you succeed in rolling any Armor on your initiative roles, start them at the Entry Hex on your left section to try to get as many forces as you can into play near the Exits.

2. You have two Big Guns alongside the bay. You can wipe out a lot of troops if you use them at every chance.

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Peleliu Landings [Overlord]

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 24, 2025 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Beach, Destroyer, Infantry, Jungle, Location: Pacific, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Overlord Game, Pacific Theater, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Pacific

Peleliu Landings (Overlord)

Listen up. When our boys hit Peleliu, they weren’t stepping onto some quiet stretch of sand — they were walking straight into a hornet’s nest carved out of coral and steel. The Japanese didn’t waste men on the beaches; they dug themselves into the ridges, the caves, and the guts of that island, building a fortress designed to bleed us dry.

The 1st Marine Division landed under murderous fire — artillery, machine guns, everything the enemy could throw. They took casualties by the score, but they kept pushing, clawing their way off those beaches yard by yard. By nightfall, they’d carved out a foothold. Not victory — just a place to start swinging.

Peleliu wasn’t taken in a day. It was a slugging match, the kind where grit and guts matter more than numbers. And the Marines proved that when the chips are down, America’s fighting men don’t back up — they break through.

~~ General Howitzer

13 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 11

Axis – 8

Complexity:

5/5

Conditions:

Beach

Context:

Historical

Location:

Palau Islands

Year:

1944

Theater:

Pacific

Campaign:

Guadalcanal Campaign

Summary:

This is an Overlord game, so make use of the Jungle Command cards, two per side.

Objectives:

12 Medals including Territorial Control, and Exit Row medals and a sudden death hex all for the Japanese.

Terrain:

Beach and jungle terrain, and mountains, and an airfield.

Troops:

Allies – Infantry, Armor, Destroyers

Axis – Infantry, Armor, Artillery

Special Rules:

1. Majority Temporary Territorial Control – whomever controls 3 of the 4 buildings of the airfield

2. Exit Row Medals – to any Marine forces that exit

3. Imperial Japanese Army Command rules – Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine (SKD), Yamato Dashi Concept (No Surrender), Banzai War Cry

4. US Marine Corps rules – Gung Ho! rule – activate one extra unit more than the card played indicates

5. Airfield rules – no movement restrictions, no combat restrictions, no line of site restrictions

6. Jungles – Movement, must stop; Battle, only if starting in, or adjacent to hex; blocks Line of Sight;

7. Minefields,

8. Marshes,

9. Mountain terrain – only Infantry may move onto Mountains; Battle, up the mountain reduces dice by two; blocks Line of Site

10. Destroyers – attacks at 3,3,2,2,1,1,1,1

Allied Strategy:

1. The Marines should avoid the Japanese up in the mountains on their left flank. There is little to be gained in that sector. Instead direct your forces at an angle towards the center, to bring pressure to bear towards the airfield.

2. The two Exit hexes for the Marines are an excellent and achievable goal. Work your way through the jungle and send some of our boys home to safety!

3. You have a warship at your disposal on your left flank. Use it at every opportunity to degrade the enemy forces. It is close enough to the center, that you can provide some good support for the forces fighting on the center beach.

4. The Marines are able to use their Gung Ho! ability to command one additional unit – but only in one section at a time. So the Command-In-Chief (CIC) should decide which sector requires the additional unit to be ordered, to either shore up a section that needs additional defense, or to enhance an attack with one additional unit to command.

5. You start the battle with three Engineer units. Get them off the beach and into the jungle as soon as possible. They will be able to overcome the jungle terrain protections, ignoring them at Close Assault, and being able to roll three dice for each attack. This will help to quickly blunt the Japanese SKD abilities.

BIG PICTURE STRATEGY FOR BOTH SIDES:

1. Because this is an Overlord game, hand management becomes critical. At the start of the game, both sides have plenty of cards to fight with. The Allies get 11 cards, and the Axis get 8. But because they can spend up to three cards per turn, and only get replenished at the rate of 2 cards per turn, each side will begin to run out of playable cards, about half-way through the game, and will have to resort to Initiative Rolls for one of their Field Commanders.

2. The center two sections are where most of the action is going to take place. As the Marines push up toward the Airfield, and the Japanese bring their Armor out from behind the mountains, they will all converge for an awesome bloodbath on the central beach.

3. This is a long scenario with 13 Victory Points. This means strategic hits, and good defensive moves, so that you are attacking the enemy from places of protection, will slowly build up to a successful attack, unit by unit. This scenario is not won in a single decisive attack. You will need to use your forces everywhere for a total war attack methodology.

4. This is an Overlord game, so be sure to understand the rules for how the Commander-In-Chief (CIC) distributes cards, and who is authorized to attack in which sections. Clarify before the game starts, any special rules for how to apply multi-sectional cards, and Tactic cards. The official Days of Wonder Overlord rules can be found here on the General Howitzer site.

Axis Strategy

1. You have a number of powerful Armor which are capable of doing great damage to the enemy on the beach. But they are blocked in by your Infantry. So get the Infantry moved out of the way, and take a couple of turns to attack the unprotected and helpless forces on the beach.

2. Keep a few forces close to the Airfield, which is a Permanent Majority Medal Objective. If the enemy controls three of the four building hexes at the end of their turn, this will earn a Permanent Medal Objective.

3. Also keep a few forces close to the Exit hexes to prevent the enemy from escaping, and earning medals.

4. Because of the Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine (SKD), your full force Infantry units get to roll one extra dice in Close Assault attacks. If you move your forces quickly forward onto the beach, you can capture the Marines at their weakest, and with your extra dice rolls, either kill them, or push them back into the sea for retreat kills. (Although it should be noted that historically, the Japanese attacked the beach from a distance and waited for the Marines to come to them, all the while inflicting heavy losses upon them for each territorial gain.)

5. You have two Artillery units which can reach all the way to the beach. Use them at every opportunity to attack the enemy from a distance. Do not move out your forces too early to the beach. Make them come to you, and keep hitting them with the Artillery as they approach.

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Sword Beach (Breakthrough)

by GeneralHowitzer | Sep 23, 2025 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Beach, Breakthrough Game, Countryside, D-Day, Infantry, Location: France, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Western

Sword Beach (Breakthrough)

The Battle of Sword Beach took place on June 6, 1944 (D-Day) — the easternmost of the five Allied landing beaches during the Normandy invasion. It was assigned primarily to British forces, with support from Free French commandos, as part of Operation Overlord.

By nightfall on June 6, the Allies had:

Landed over 28,000 troops
Secured a beachhead about 5 miles deep
Linked up with Canadian forces from Juno Beach
Held their positions despite German counterattacks

Listen up, men — Sword Beach wasn’t just another patch of sand; it was the gateway to Caen and the key to cracking open Hitler’s Atlantic Wall on the eastern flank. At dawn on June 6th, the British 3rd Infantry hit that beach under a storm of lead and steel. Mines, wire, and concrete — it didn’t matter. They went straight through it, methodical as a tank rolling downhill.

While naval guns thundered from offshore, the Royal Engineers cleared obstacles like veterans of a hundred storms. And those Free French commandos — they fought like lions, linking up with the boys from Pegasus Bridge to lock down the flank before Jerry could regroup.

The Germans tried to hit back with their 21st Panzer Division, and for a moment, they even reached the coast — but our airmen and artillery smashed them flat. By nightfall, the British held Sword, linked up with the Canadians at Juno, and built a bridgehead five miles deep.

Caen didn’t fall that day — but Sword showed the world how an army fights when it’s trained, disciplined, and led with purpose. That’s how you take a beach — with steel in your hands and fire in your gut.

~~ General Howitzer

VP’s

12

Card Balance:

Allies – 6

Axis – 4

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Beach

Context:

Historical

Location:

Normandy

Year:

1944

Codename:

Operation Overlord

Summary:

12 Victory Points:

12 Medals, including Permanent Medal Objectives for Allied control of Casino Riva Bella, Strong-point Cod, and Strong-point Trout. Also a 2-Medal Temporary Objective for which ever side controls the Orne River and Canal. Finally, massive 3-Medal Temporary Objective for whomever controls the two Hexes representing Caen. Initially the Axis player gets these three medals at game start.

Terrain:

Countryside and Beach

Troops:

Allies – 8 Infantry including 3 Elites, 5 Armor, 2 Artillery

Axis – 10 Infantry, 3 Armor, 2 Artillery

Allies:

Big Picture Strategy: Like all beach scenarios, the number one primary goal for your forces is to Get Off the Beach!. Do not pause to capture the three frontline enemy medals. You can encircle them and then attack from all sides.

1. Once you have gotten your forces out of the water, then you can encircle the enemy at the three Permanent Medal Objectives at Casino Riva Bella, Strong-point Trout and the Chateau. Those medals are almost a given, so do not lose an excessive number of forces attacking them before you are out of the water.

3. Get your Artillery out of the water as soon as possible. They will be vital to breaking through the strongholds of the enemy on the beach. It will be especially important to take out the Artillery in the bunker as soon as possible, or it will destroy your forces.

Axis:

Big Picture Strategy: Get your forces forward. Bring the battle to them.

1. You have Armor stuck in your lower left flank which you need to get forward to the beach as quickly as possible. Practice some delaying techniques for a couple of turns to allow your Armor forward. You will be in a much better position to repel the enemy forces.

2. Two approaches to deal with the enemy forces in your lower right flank:

Option A: Eliminate the enemy forces on your lower right flank along the Canel de Orne as quickly as possible so that you will not have to worry about a rear-action attack. Then you can move your forces forward towards the beach.

Option B: Surround them and slowly pick them off throughout the game, saving the coup-de-grace for the end, when you can kill off the final Infantry for one Medal, and then move onto the bridge for two Medals. This will earn you three! medals in a single turn. Save it for last to win the round.

Author: Days of Wonder

URL

Capture of Parry

by GeneralHowitzer | Jul 25, 2025 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Beach, Campaign Book: V2, Infantry, Jungle, Location: Pacific, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Pacific

Capture of Parry

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Capture-of-Parry_description

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

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

Allied Strategy:

1.

Axis Strategy

1.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Resource:

Campaign Book, Volume 2

Singapore

by GeneralHowitzer | Jul 5, 2025 | 1942, Armor, Artillery, Beach, Campaign Book: V2, Destroyer, Infantry, Jungle, Location: Pacific, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Special Weapons, Strategic, Theater: Pacific

Singapore

Terrain setup

Scenario Description

Full Map

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Center

Left

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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 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

Allied Strategy:

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.

Axis Strategy

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

Author:

Days of Wonder

Resource:

Campaign Book, Volume 2

Namur

by GeneralHowitzer | Jul 3, 2025 | 1944, Armor, Beach, Campaign Book: V2, Destroyer, Infantry, Jungle, Location: Pacific, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Pacific

Namur

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The Battle of Namur took place on February 1–2, 1944, as part of the U.S. assault on the Marshall Islands during World War II. U.S. 2nd Marine Division forces landed on Namur Island, part of the Kwajalein Atoll, facing fierce resistance from well-entrenched Japanese defenders. The battle saw intense close-quarters combat, complicated by Japanese bunkers, sniper fire, and booby traps. A massive explosion at a Japanese ammunition dump—triggered by American fire—caused heavy U.S. casualties but also disrupted enemy defenses. After two days of brutal fighting, the Marines secured the island. Namur’s capture was a key step in the U.S. island-hopping campaign, giving the Allies a critical foothold in the central Pacific and weakening Japan’s outer defensive ring.

General Howitzer’s summary:

Namur was a two-day slugfest—our 2nd Marines hit the beach and ran headfirst into bunkers, snipers, and traps laid by fanatical Japanese soldiers dug in like ticks. One hell of a blast tore through their ammo dump—and some of our boys with it—but it cracked their line wide open. When the smoke cleared, Namur was ours, and we had a solid damn grip in the Marshalls. Another island down, and one step closer to Tokyo.

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 5

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Jungle Beach

Context:

Historical

Location:

Marshall Islands

Year:

1944

Theater:

Pacific

Campaign:

Codename:

Operation Flintlock

Summary:

Objectives:

5 VP’s plus the Ammunition Bunker Permanent Medal Objective

Battlefield:

Combination of beach assault and jungle terrain with some small villages.

Troops:

Allies – 9 Infantry, 7 Armor, and a Destroyer ship

Axis – 12 Infantry

Allied Strategy:

1. Like all beach scenarios, the first objective is to get off of the beach as quickly as possible and assemble all of your forces into a cohesive fighting unit.

2. You have a Destroyer which has an attack range and power of 3,3,2,2,1,1,1,1; so 8 hexes deep! Plus with a successful hit you gain a targetting reticule upon the hex, which increases the dice by one until the hex is destroyed or vacated. Use it!

3. Use your Armor to soften up the enemy at a distance, should any of them venture near the shore. Remember that because of the Seishin Kyoiku principle, and full-force Japanese units attack with four dice at Close Range. So hit each one at least once before venturing near them.

4. The Ammunition Bunker is a Permanent Medal Objective(!) – if you can blow it up. So occupy it and roll two dice, and hope for a star; but a grenade will kill one of your Marine figures, so be careful!

Axis Strategy

1. You have superior numbers on your right flank and central section. So move your forces into the jungles and town hexes to hold off the enemy forces.

2. Get close and then by combining the Banzai two-hex Close Assault attack with any full-force units, you can hit them with the Seishin Kyoiku princple and roll four-dice with each attack.

3. Guard the ammunition bunker so that the enemy does not get an easy Permanent Medal Objective.

4. With all of the enemy tanks in the area, do not get any of your forces caught in the open.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Resource:

Campaign Book, Volume 2