Battle of Westerplatte

by GeneralHowitzer | May 6, 2025 | 1939, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Location: Poland, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Special Weapons, Strategic, Theater: Western

Battle of Westerplatte

September 1st, 1939—0448 hours. That was the shot that lit the damn fuse on World War II.

The Germans kicked things off by bringing in the battleship Schleswig-Holstein, sitting nice and cozy in Danzig harbor, and then—boom—she opened up with a full broadside on the Polish outpost at Westerplatte. They thought they’d scare the Poles into folding before breakfast.

Then came the assault: crack German marines, three platoons strong, storming across the land bridge, expecting a little parade through the depot. They even blew open the rail gate like it was just another drill. They thought they were walking into a skirmish.

Wrong.

They walked straight into a kill zone. The Poles were locked, loaded, and waiting—concealed firing positions, crossfire, barbed wire, the whole damn package. And those German troops? They didn’t find a pushover—they found hell on Earth.

The plan was for the Poles to hold for twelve hours. Instead, they held that godforsaken strip of land for seven damn days—against artillery, naval fire, and relentless infantry assaults. They bled, they fought, and they showed the world what grit looks like under fire.

Westerplatte didn’t stop the war. But it told the Nazis one thing loud and clear: this wasn’t going to be easy. It became a symbol—of resistance, of courage, and of never giving an inch when everything’s on the line.

The lines were drawn, the fuse was lit, and history roared to life in a blaze of fire and steel.

Now the only question left is—when it’s your turn to hold the line… will you stand, or will you fold?

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 6

Complexity:

Conditions:

Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

Poland

Year:

September 1, 1939

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

The Invasion of Poland

Codename:

Fall Weiss / Case White

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s, plus one Permanent Medal Objective for each side (The Destroyer and the Supply Shed.)

Battlefield:

Contains countryside with a road, a railway, and a river.

Troops:

Allies – 10 Infantry (3 figures each), 2 Artillery

Axis – 10 Infantry, 1 Artillery, 1 Destroyer!

Allied Strategy:

1. Because of the surprise nature of the attack, all of the Polish Allied Infantry only have three figures each. They are therefore very quickly overrun by the German forces. Gain the hits you can, and protect the Supply Shed!

Axis Strategy

1. You have a Destroyer at your disposal, with massive range. Use it every chance you get.

Battle Reports

Author:

Originally developed for the Belgium Open, 2017; Also used by The Finest Hour Open, Chicago, 2025.

Link:

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Battle of Warsaw

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1939, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Location: Poland, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Tactical, Urban

Battle of Warsaw

The Battle of Warsaw on September 1, 1939, marked the beginning of World War II, as Germany invaded Poland and launched a full-scale assault on its capital. German forces, using blitzkrieg tactics with tanks, aircraft, and artillery, quickly overwhelmed Polish defenses.

Warsaw held out for several weeks under heavy bombing and siege, but after intense fighting and massive civilian casualties, the city surrendered on September 28, 1939. The fall of Warsaw marked the collapse of organized Polish resistance and the start of a brutal occupation.

General Howitzer summarizes its impact:
Warsaw was the first hard punch of the war—Germany rolled in with tanks and bombers, and Poland never stood a chance. The city fought like hell, but blitzkrieg was fast, brutal, and unforgiving. When Warsaw fell, the world saw what Hitler was willing to do, and what happened when you weren’t ready. It lit the fuse for everything that followed and proved this war wasn’t going to be clean or quick—it was going to be total.

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 6

Complexity:

Conditions:

Countryside – Urban

Location:

Warsaw, Poland

Year:

1939

Theater:

Western Front

Campaign:

The Invasion of Poland

Codename:

Case White / Fall Weib

Summary:

The Axis begin in countryside, and thus, have ease of movement. But as soon as they begin to breach Warsaw, it becomes an urban challenge for them, and the tanks are much less useful.

Objectives:
6 VP’s, which can also include one temporary Medal Objective, if two of the four Fortress hexes are occupied.

Battlefield:
This is a complex scenario with the Allies defending Warsaw as they are surrounded by Axis invaders. The battlefield is composed of roads, wire bales, sandbagged troops protected in city and church hexes. Since this is an urban scenario, the infantry will play a major role for both sides.

Troops:
Allies – 10 Infantry; 2 Artillery
Axis – 10 Infantry; 6 Armor; 1 Artillery

Allies:

1. Note that although the Axis have overwhelming armor advantage, the number of infantry hexes in this scenario are balanced at ten – ten. And since infantry are the primary forces useful for urban warfare, this part, at least, is good news for the Allies.

2. The Allies also have two well-placed artillery in two corners of the city. They can provide an effective deterrent against the Axis onslaught. Use them at every opportunity.

3. The scenario begins with two infantry forces out in the open on unguarded hexes. Get them into a town or church hex as you are able to, as there is no point in giving up easy VP’s to the enemy.

4. The Axis Infantry unit at A5 is in a no-retreat position. If you have the cards, you can gain some hits there early in the game.

Axis:

Big Picture strategy for the Axis is to soften the urban infantry defenses with long-distance shelling from your artillery and armor. Only when they are weakened should you move in for the close assault from the infantry.

1. Two of the four Fortress hexes become a temporary Objective Medal if the Axis can keep and hold them. Note that although they are occupied by Polish troops at the start of the scenario, they are not sandbagged, like some of the town hexes. This makes them a possible point of attack for you.

2. The Axis have overwhelming armor forces, but given that this is an urban scenario, their fire-power is limited. They can be kept at a distance and used to soften the defenses in preparation for an infantry attack. Remember that armor and infantry are designed to work together.

3. However, should you get an armor assault card, you may give consideration to moving right next to all of the heavily guarded infantry hexes, so that you can complete a close assault maneuver with one extra dice for every attack. With two dice per attack, and four armor units, you can do serious damage to the enemy, and soften them up for your infantry assault. This will have the additional benefit of having the armor units automatically removing the barb wire, so that when the infantry does come, they can attack with more firepower. But once this is completed, then pull back your armor as quickly as possible.

4. The placement of your forces on the right flank is awkward. You have an infantry and an armor unit with no retreat option. Unless you move those to a better spot, they will be targeted by the Allied artillery, granting them a quick early VP.

5. Remember that, as Axis, you can convert Recon cards into air attacks. This will give you additional opportunities to take out entrenched units, like the artillery.

Battle Reports

(percentage of Allied victories):

51%

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link: