Sugar Loaf and Half Moon

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1945, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Location: Pacific, Memoir 44, Pacific Theater, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Pacific

Sugar Loaf and Half Moon

The Battle of Sugar Loaf and Half Moon took place during the Battle of Okinawa in May 1945, one of the final and bloodiest battles of World War II. Sugar Loaf Hill and Half Moon Hill were heavily fortified Japanese positions that U.S. Marines needed to capture to advance on the island.

Listen up. Sugar Loaf and Half Moon weren’t just two lumps of dirt on Okinawa—they were the kind of fortified hellholes the enemy turns into a butcher shop. The Japanese were dug in deep, with bunkers you couldn’t see and tunnels you couldn’t count, and they poured out artillery, machine-gun fire, and counterattacks like they had an endless supply of men and steel.

Our Marines fought inch by inch, bleeding for every blasted ridge. They stormed those heights again and again, under fire hot enough to melt the paint off a helmet. Casualties were heavy, but the boys never broke. After days of slugging it out—crawling, climbing, charging—they took both hills and tore the heart out of the enemy’s northern line.

Seizing Sugar Loaf and Half Moon opened the door to Okinawa’s southern defenses, and it proved a cold, hard truth: fighting in the Pacific demanded guts, grit, and sacrifice on a scale few can imagine. And it was a grim preview of what it might have taken if we’d ever had to storm Japan itself.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

USA – 6

Japanese – 4

Complexity:

2

Conditions:

Jungle

Location:

Pacific

Year:

1945

Theater:

Pacific

Campaign:

Battle of Okinawa

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s
(Special Rule: Note that if the Marines clear out an entire section of Japanese forces, it counts as a temporary VP.)

Battlefield:

This scenario begins with both forces arrayed across the battlefield and ready to engage in immediate warfare. It is a countryside with hills and caves spread across all three sections. The caves allow for rapid movement of Japanese troops.

Troops:

Allies – 10 Infantry, 2 Armor, 2 Artillery

(Infantry practices the Gung-Ho! rule.)

Axis – 10 Infantry, 2 Artillery

(Japanese Infantry practices the Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine (SKD), and the Yamato Damashi Concept, and the Banzai War Cry.)

Allied Strategy:

1. The enemy is weak on your right flank. They have no artillery protection on half the flank. With your artillery, you have a slight numeric advantage. If you can work up the cards, you could launch an attack on tht side, and gain half the VP’s you need. Once you overwhelm that section, your remaining forces can combine with your center section troops to finish off the job and gain your final three VP’s.

2. Use your Artillery to hit every full force Infantry unit at least once in order to cancel out the SKD advantage they have.

3. Note that one of your artillery is mobile, so you can move in and fire. But do not move in too close prematurely, or the Japanese forces will overwhelm you with their SKD power.

4. Strategic consideration based on this special rule:
“When all the Japanese units in a section of the battlefield (right, center or left) are eliminated, the Marines gain one Victory Medal.” This means that if you can concentrate all of your attacks in one section, you will gain not only the medals for eliminating units, but also one extra Victory Medal for clearing out the section. Your most likely focus for this is the right section, since there are no enemy Artillery to eliminate.

Axis Strategy:

1. Use the Banzai War Cry combined with the Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine to quickly advance your full-power Infantry units to attack any enemy who are within striking range. With the additional dice roll that SKD provides, you can quickly weaken the enemy.

2. Remember to use the tunnel system to quickly move infantry from hill to hill to get your forces into the action.

3. Use your artillery at every opportunity on any enemy forces that approach.

4. Your Infantry are sitting mostly on Cave on a Hill hexes, which give a massive defensive advantage of minus 2 (only one dice attack), for normal attacks. This allows you to fend off many attacks. And when they get weak, you can do a quick swap out with fresh units using the cave system. So do not be quick to leave such a defensive position unless you can launch a decisive attack.

Battle Reports

(classic percentage of Allied victories):

68%

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

St. Vith, Ardennes

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Base Game, Countryside, Infantry, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic

St. Vith

The Battle of St. Vith, fought in December 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge, was a critical engagement on the Western Front in World War II. Located in Belgium, St. Vith was a key road junction that the German Army sought to capture to facilitate their advance into the Ardennes.

Men — what you saw at St. Vith was grit forged in steel. Outnumbered, outgunned, and half-frozen, those boys of the 106th Infantry and 7th Armored stood toe-to-toe with the damned 5th Panzer Army and said, “You’ll move through us only over our dead bodies.”

They fought for every yard of ground, every shell hole and hedgerow, and by God, they made the Germans pay for every inch. Their stand wrecked the enemy’s timetable, blunted his spearhead, and bought the time our armies needed to gather their strength for the counterblow.

When they finally withdrew on December 23rd, it wasn’t defeat — it was a tactical victory paid in blood and courage. St. Vith was no retreat; it was a wall of American willpower that helped break Hitler’s last gamble in the west.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 4

Axis – 5

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

Belgium

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western Front

Campaign:

Ardennes

Context:

Historical

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s

Battlefield:

The St. Vith scenario has a large central battlefield surrounded by forests blocking access to each of the flanks, and a long ridge of impassible mountain hexes (the Prumerberg) across the back of the field. It makes for intense warfare of armor, infantry and artillery battling it out for dominance in the center.

Troops:

Allies – 7 Infantry, 6 Armor

Axis – 10 Infantry, 4 Armor, 1 Artillery

Allied Strategy

1. The Allies are on the defensive here, receiving only 4 cards vs. the Axis’ 5 cards. You have sandbags; use them, and don’t be too quick to move out from them.

2. The center section with the impassable mountains behind and the enemy artillery in front is kind of a kill-zone unless you are prepared for it. Your best assault tactics may be found on the flanks.

Axis Strategy

1. Your forces are bunched together making for many no-retreat situaions. Move your Infantry into the woods as soon as possible.

2. Note that the enemy has their backs to the wall with the impassable mountains behind them. Once your infantry are deployed in the woods, use your armor and artillery to hit any forces in the center section. Most of your hits will be enhanced by another 17% because of the no-retreat situation in which the Allied forces find themselves.

3. Note that although the Allies have a 6-4 armor advantage, their two armor in the back center section will be slow to get into the action. If you can hit or eliminate one or more of the forward armor units before the others come into play, it will even out the battle for you.

Battle Reports

(percentage of Allied victories):

45%

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Sidi Rezegh Airfield

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

Sidi Rezegh Airfield

“Listen up, boys! Back in November ‘41, the battle for Sidi Rezegh Airfield was one hell of a dust-up in the North African sands. The South Africans and the British 7th Armoured Division—those Desert Rats—were gunning to knock the Axis on their heels and bust open that siege at Tobruk.

The Germans and their Italian pals weren’t about to give up that airfield without a fight. Our boys slammed into those anti-tank guns and Panzers like a battering ram, and at first, they made some headway. But Rommel, that desert fox, came roaring back with his own counterattack, and it turned into a slugfest—blood, sweat, and tanks grinding it out in the sand.

In the end, the Brits had to pull back from the airfield, but they gave Rommel a bloody nose and knocked his supply lines out of whack. And don’t forget—Operation Crusader didn’t end there. That airfield scrap was part of the bigger plan that finally lifted the siege of Tobruk and turned the tables in North Africa.

So remember this, men: sometimes you take a few lumps, but you keep punching, and that’s how you win the war!”

~~ General Howitzer

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 4

Axis – 5

Complexity:

2

Conditions:

Desert

Location:

North Africa

Year:

1941

Theater:

Mediterranean

Campaign:

Operation Crusader

Summary:
This desert scenario has a roadway passing through two sections cutting at an angle, blocked by escarpments. This is a tank battle ‘mano-a-mano’ and in many cases the attacker with the early momentum can gain the upper-hand and win.

Objectives:
This is a 5 VP game, and since it is a tank battle will go very quickly. The Axis begins with one point already, thanks to their control of the airfiled. 2.

Battlefield:
The field of play is all desert, with an escarpment and road running at any angle through much of the right flank. The small opening between escarpments is where the Axis will have to attack. The British can attempt to use the road for rapid progress towards the top of the map where the airfield lies.

Troops:
The Axis begin with an armor and mobility advantage to their side. The British also have no infantry, so some of infantry command cards will be converted to sigle armor unit commands.

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. Allies need to remember that because of North African Desert rules, your armor can only move two hexes, while Axis can move three. Watch your armor placement carefully to avoid a series of close assault attacks.

2. The Allied armor begins in a congested formation with several units having no retreat options. This places the Allies in a position, since they move first of attacking the Axis armor immediately, before they are attacked – while they are still pinned against the back border – by the three-hex moving Axis units. So even if the card do not allow you to move a lot of units, you simply must attack and get your forces forward.

3. The British will need to attack an overwhelming tank force which has greater mobility than them (3 hex moves vs. 2 hex moves). In order to do this, it may help to threaten an attack on the airfield, thus diverting some Axis armor resources towards defense of said airfield.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. Axis begins with one victory medal for the airfield. As long as they hold the airfield, they keep the medal. So part of Axis’ considerations and planning must not only include the outright attack on the Allies in the sand, but also thought must be given to defending the airfield. Do not allow the Allies to distract you, while they prepare for an assault against it.

Battle Reports

(percentage of Allied victories):

28%

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Schwammenauel Dam

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1945, Armor, Countryside, Infantry, Location: Germany, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Terrain Exp Pack, Theater: Western

Schwammenauel Dam

SchwamDam_center

SchwamDam_Dam1

SchwamDam_full

SchwamDam_left

SchwamDam_right

Historical Summary

We didn’t fight our way to the Schwammenauel Dam for scenery — we took it because it was choking our advance. The Germans thought they could hold the Roer hostage by flooding the valley and buying themselves time. That was a mistake. American infantry went in, took that dam under fire, and shut the valve on German delay tactics. Once the dam was secured, Operation Grenade could roll forward without interference, and the Roer was crossed on our terms. That action tore down the last real barrier in the Rhineland and put our armies back on the march straight into the heart of Germany — exactly where we intended to go.

~~ General Howitzer

VP’s:

5

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 5

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Mountains & Countryside

Location:

Germany

Year:

1945

Theater:

Western Front

Campaign:

Allied Rhineland Campaign

Summary

This is an exciting scenario with some unique features which recreate actual events on the battlefield in 1945.

Objective:

Six Medals will win, but the principle objective for the Allies is to preserve the two dams, Schwammenauel and Urft. Should either of them get successfully sabotaged by the Germans, and the Allies will likely lose the scenario.

Battlefield:

It is rugged mountainous terrain encircled by a river, mountains, and forests, with a dam at either end of the River Roer.

Troops:

Allies: 10 Infantry, 2 Armor

Axis: 8 Infantry

Special Rules:

Sabotaging a Dam – each of the two dams require a total of 4 stars to be destroyed. At the start of every turn, no matter what cards they hold in their hand, the Axis player rolls two dice, one of each dam. However, the dice will only count and apply to a dam if an Axis unit is on the actual dam hex. For each Star rolled, if the dam is occupied by Axis forces, a star icon is placed on that dam. Once a total of four stars accrue, the dam is destroyed, and the Axis player receives 4! victory medals per dam.

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. Big Picture Strategy: Destroy the enemy or capture the dams before they are sabotaged. Your best option, historically is to capture the Urft Dam first.

2. You have two Armor units, but given the rugged terrain, they will be almost useless to you. If you waste your time trying to get them out from behind the mountain, you will be giving the Axis time to sabotage the dam.

3. Your paratroopers have landed in a dangerous spot, pressed up against the mountain wall as they are. Move them forward to attack ASAP, before they are destroyed.

4. Your right flank is your strongest at the start. Move quickly forward to overwhelm the enemy and secure the Urft Dam.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. Big Picture Strategy: the goal is to delay the Allies (delaying tactics) as long as possible so that you can blow the dam(s). This will take at least four turns, but in reality, much longer. If you successfully sabotage one dam, (worth 4 medals!), you only need to take out one other Allied unit to win. Should you blow both dams, you are guaranteed a win. (Historically, the Germans were able to blow the discharge valves of the Schwammenauel Dam and flood the Roer River.

2. The Dam provides no battle protection. The only reason to stay on the hex is to attempt to sabotage the dame. But once the Allies get close, keep some forces in the woods to attack and slow down the enemy.

3. The Allied Paratroopers are easy prey, backed up against the mountain. Take them out quickly before they can attack your forces in the town of Kommerscheit.

Author:

Days of Wonder

URL

Rzhev – The Meat Grinder

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1942, Armor, Artillery, Eastern Front, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Winter

Rzhev (the Meat Grinder)

“Listen up, men! The Battle of Rzhev in that God-forsaken winter of ‘42 was a real bloodbath—some called it the ‘Rzhev Meat Grinder’ and they weren’t kidding. Those Russians threw everything they had at the Germans, trying to smash their lines and give Stalin a breather for Moscow. But the Germans had their trenches dug deep and those Red boys paid for every inch of dirt with buckets of blood.

The snow and ice turned the whole mess into a living hell—no damn place for a man or a tank. Despite all that, the Soviets never stopped coming. Sure, they didn’t take Rzhev right then and there, but they hammered the Germans so hard they finally had to pack up and haul ass out of there later on.

So here’s the lesson, boys: courage is the fuel, and persistence is the blade—but even the toughest steel can wear down when you keep pounding it. The Rzhev campaign was brutal, but it was one more nail in the coffin of that damn Nazi war machine.”

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 4

Axis – 6

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Winter

Location:

Russia

Year:

1942

Theater:

Eastern Front

Summary:

Rzhev is a complex scenario recreating the Soviet counter-offensive with a 10 VP goal. This requires a long-term plan, as quick tactical hits will not win such a long battle. Night rules are in effect.

Objectives:

10 VPs,
including Objective medals for both Axis and Allies, plus Exit objectives for Allies.

The town of Belyi is a temporary medal objective worth 1 medal for both sides. If any unit occupies any of the three hexes marked with an ‘A’ they gain a medal irregardless if an opponent occupies any of the other hexes. Both sides can earn 1 medal at the same time.
The town of Rzhev is a temporary medal objective worth 2 medals for both sides. If any unit occupies any of the 3 hexes marked with a ‘B’ they gain 2 medals irregardless if an opponent occupies any of the other hexes.

Terrain:

The Axis forces already control much of the battlefield, as sandbagged troops who are very difficult to dislodge, while the Russians are pressed up against the wall.

Troops:

Allies – 9 Infantry including a Sniper, 5 Armor, 1 Artillery

Axis – 10 Infantry including a Sniper, 4 Armor, 1 Artillery

🔥 1. Winning as the Soviets (Allies)

Soviets must be surgical, not brute-force.
Your troops have numbers but terrible defensive terrain.
So your victories come from forcing the Axis out of their woods.

Do NOT Push the Center First

The center looks juicy… but it’s a trap.

If you push center:

You feed medals to the German artillery in the woods
You take 2-dice fire from multiple directions
You lose tempo

2. You can attack the well-protected Axis Infantry units by placing your Armor in the forest and degrading them over several turns. Time is on your side, so there is no need to rush the attack until you are ready.

3. You have a well-placed Artillery right in the center of the battlefield. Use it at every opportunity to take out enemy forces. If you get the chance to concentrate firepower using a card like Firefight, Barrage, or Airpower, then use it to destroy the enemy Artillery against the back border before it moves forward.

🔥 1. Winning as the Germans (Axis)

Because this is a Russian counter-attack scenario, the Germans are primarily in a defensive position and out-numbered. So use your protections well. You must get your Armor into a good defensive tactical position to allow for mobility when needed, and defense of open terrain in the center and left section.

2. Your artillery is well-placed in the center. Use it to good effect before it is overwhelmed by the enemy.

Battle Reports

(percentage of Allied victories):

31%

Author:

Days of Wonder

Ponyri (Kursk)

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1943, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Eastern Front, Infantry, Location: Russia, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Eastern

Ponyri (Kursk)

The Battle of Ponyri took place in Ponyri, a small town in the Kursk Oblast of Russia, during World War II. It occurred in July 1943 as part of the larger Battle of Kursk, one of the biggest tank battles in history.

General Howitzer summarizes:

Ponyri was a slugfest in the mud and blood of Kursk—like a Stalingrad on a smaller scale. The Germans threw their Panzers and infantry at that rail junction with everything they had, trying to break through to Kursk, and the Soviets met them with steel, fire, and sheer grit. House to house, trench to trench, they held the line. The enemy never got past it—and Ponyri became the anvil that broke the German spear.

7 VP’s

Card Balance:

Russian – 4

Axis – 6

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Countryside

Location:

Russia

Year:

1943

Theater:

Eastern Front

Campaign:

Battle of Kursk

Codename:

part of Operation Citadel

Summary:

Objectives: 7 VP’s.

The key to winning Ponyri is controlling the town. It is worth two VP’s. Whichever side controls the town will cause the opponent to waste a lot of troops trying to gain control.

Terrain:

Countryside with forest and hills on one side, mines on the other, and the five-hex town of Ponyri in the center.

Troops:

Allies – 9 Infantry, 4 Armor, 3 Artillery

Axis – 8 Infantry, 7 Armor

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. The town of Ponyri is worth two VP’s. You begin with control of it, but since it has 5 hexes, you should take control of the central hex of Ponyri so that you have majority control. This will force the enemy to waste a lot of forces throwing themself against this well-defended town.

2. The Allied role in this scenario is primarily defensive. Use your sandbags and be slow to leave them. But if the enemy begins pummeling your armor on the left flank, you may need to consider a more aggresive approach, if your cards allow it.

3. You have three artillery. Take the time to move them forward one row early in the battle while you still have time, so that they can improve their hit rate against the enemy.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. Because the town of Ponyri is worth two VP’s! , you should attempt to get your infantry into it pretty quickly, before the enemy occupies all town hexes. But only take it, if you can keep them there, as they will be surrounded by the enemy on all sides.

2. On your left flank, use the forest and hills to advance your infantry under cover. If you try to make a direct assault in the open countryside, they will get decimated.

3. On your right flank, you have an armor superiority, so you can place yourself behind the mines and continuously degrade the enemy’s strength. But be aware of the artillery on the right. If the Allies move it one row forward, your armor directly behind the row of mines will be subject to 2D rolls against your forces.

4. When the enemy is sufficiently degraded, you may consider breaching the mines. (Expect some hits, but if you use your elite forces that begin with 4 armor figures, you should have a sufficient survival rate to continue the attack.) If you find the opening, you can push through for direct assaults against the enemy armor.

Battle Reports:

( percentage of Allied Victories):

54%

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Soviet_troops_and_T-34_tanks_counterattacking_Kursk_Voronezh_Front_July_1943

Battle of Kursk
(Copyright: www.mil.ru)