Drop in the Night: 82nd

by GeneralHowitzer | Aug 11, 2025 | 1944, Armor, Breakthrough Game, Countryside, D-Day, Infantry, Location: France, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Western

Drop in the Night: 82nd

In the dead of night before D-Day, the All Americans of the 82nd Airborne didn’t tiptoe into Normandy—they dropped in like thunder. C-47s hauled them over the Channel, and under flak, wind, and pure hell, they jumped straight into the enemy’s lap. The plan was simple: grab the crossroads, smash German lines of communication, and choke off any counterattack toward Utah Beach.

They got scattered to hell and gone, fighting in small bands with nothing but guts and rifles. But by God, they took Sainte-Mère-Église—the first French town freed—and held the line until the rest of the army came ashore. It was messy, it was costly, but it damned well crippled the Germans and locked down the flank for the greatest invasion in history.

~~ General Howitzer

VP’s

8

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 5

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

Normandy

Year:

1944

Summary:

Victory Points:

8 Medals, including some objectives for capturing towns, bridges, and permanent medals for blowing up bridges.

Terrain:

there is a lot of terrain here with the battlefield being a breakthrough that is 17 rows deep, composed of countryside, rivers and marches.

Troops:

Allies – 10 elite Infantry units

Axis – 10 Infantry, 1 Armor

Special Rules:

1. Allies do three Paradrops around the stars on the map.

2. Nightime Rules: Then once daylight appears, you may be given a chance to do a fourth paradrop, using lost figures, up to three total over the town of Les Forges.

3. Blowing up Bridges – once Allied forces are adjacent to a bridge, they may have an opportunity to blow it up, for a Permanent Victory Medal.

Allies:

1. Big Picture Strategy: This scenario is about consolidating and coordinating your forces. Because of the paradrops, they end up scattered across the battlefield in a semi-random formation. You need to pull them together and then make a plan to target sets of the enemy forces, sector by sector: isolated, attack, destroy, move to the next sector.

2. Note that you have three Temporary Medal Objectives, made up of two bridges and one town. You also have two Permanent Medal Objectives if you can blow up the designated bridges of Pont-l’Abbe, and Beuzeville.

Axis:

1. Be aware the the two bridges across La Douve River are each permanent medal objectives for the Allies. If they succeed in destroying your bridges, they will gain one Medal for each one, plus any forces you have locked behind the river will be stranded as the river is impassable.

2. The other two bridges with the marked Allied Medals are temporary objectives, in which the Allies must remain on the hex to keep the medal.

3. Because this is an 8 medal battle, you will need to eliminate almost all of the Allied units to win.

Author.

URL

Wittmann’s Final Battle

by GeneralHowitzer | Jul 29, 2025 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Location: France, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Special Weapons, Strategic, Theater: Western

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

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

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.

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

Author:

Days of Wonder

Resource:

BGA

Battle of Abbeville

by GeneralHowitzer | Jun 28, 2025 | Armor, Artillery, Breakthrough Game, Countryside, Infantry, Location: France, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Western

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

🔥 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.

🔥 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

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Hedgerow Hell

by GeneralHowitzer | Jun 7, 2025 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Location: France, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Overlord Game, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Western

Hedgerow Hell

Hedgerow-Hell_whole

Hedgerow-Hell_title

Hedgerow-Hell_right2

Hedgerow-Hell_right1

Hedgerow-Hell_left2

Hedgerow-Hell_left1

Hedgerow-Hell_center2

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 Balance:

Allies – 8

Axis – 10

Complexity:

5

Conditions:

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

Allied Strategy:

1.

Axis Strategy

1.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Download PDF

The Cadets of Saumur

by GeneralHowitzer | May 31, 2025 | 1940, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Location: France, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Overlord Game, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Western

The Cadets of Saumur (Overlord Map)

Cadets-Saumur_title

Cadets-Saumur_right2

Cadets-Saumur_right1

Cadets-Saumur_Left2

Cadets-Saumur_Left1

Cadets-Saumur_center2

Cadets-Saumur_center1

“Let me give it to you straight, boys—back in ‘39, before the big show kicked off in Europe, there was a damn fine brawl brewing out east along the Khalkhin-Gol River. The Soviets, under that iron bastard Zhukov, took on the Japanese who were itching for a scrap in the borderlands.

Those Russians didn’t just trade blows—they went for the kill. They wrapped the Japanese 23rd Division up tight in a steel trap—tanks on the flanks, artillery in the rear, and air power pounding them into the dirt. No escape, no second chances—just one big, smoking ruin when the Red Army was done.

The result? The Japanese learned a lesson in modern warfare and didn’t forget it, and Zhukov walked out of there with a reputation as the man who could gut an enemy army whole. That’s how you fight a battle, boys—encircle, crush, and leave nothing but wreckage behind!”

~~ General Howitzer

Timeline of the Battle:

June 17, 1940 –
German forces approach the Loire River as French defenses collapse elsewhere. Cadets at Saumur are ordered to hold the bridges.
June 18, 1940 –
The cadets and their instructors begin preparing defenses, mining bridges, and setting up strongpoints.
June 19, 1940 –
German troops launch assaults to seize the Saumur bridges. The cadets, though heavily outnumbered, fiercely resist throughout the day and destroy bridges to slow the advance.
June 20, 1940 –
After holding for two days and inflicting delays on the Germans, the cadets receive orders to withdraw. German forces occupy Saumur later that day.

12 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies (France) – 8

Axis – 10

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

France

Year:

1940

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

12 VP’s with two Permanent Medal Objectives for the Axis.

Battlefield:

Countryside with many rivers, railroad, and towns

Troops:

Allies – 17 Infantry, 2 Armor, 3 Artillery

Axis – 20 Infanty, 3 Armor, 3 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1.

Axis Strategy

1.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Poterie Ridge

by GeneralHowitzer | May 8, 2025 | 1944, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Location: France, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Special Weapons, Strategic

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: