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

2
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

The Defense of Wanssum Woods

The Defense of Wanssum Wood

The Defense of Wanssum Woods in 1945 was part of Operation Snowman, a late World War II engagement in the Netherlands. German forces mounted a stubborn defense in the wooded area near Wanssum to delay the Allied advance.

General Howitzer has some thoughts on this battle:
Wanssum Woods was a thick, muddy brawl—Germans dug in deep, using every tree and shadow to stall us. The Brits and Canucks had to fight for every damn yard, ambush after ambush. But they didn’t quit. They rooted the enemy out, inch by inch, and kept the advance rolling into northern Germany. Forest or no forest, when you’re relentless, no defense holds.

6 VP’s

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Card Balance:

Allies (Great Britain) – 6

Axis – 5

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Winter Forest

Context:

Location:

Netherlands

Year:

1945

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s

Battlefield:

Combination of woods and winter.

Troops:

Allies – 13 Infantry

Axis – 9 Infantry

 

medal allies

Allied Strategy:

1.  

medal axis

Axis Strategy

1.

Battle Reports

0
BR - Wanssum Woods

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

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.

medal axis

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

0
BR - Singapore

Author:

Days of Wonder

Resource:

Campaign Book, Volume 2

Namur

Namur

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

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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

 

medal allies

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!

medal axis

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

1
BR - Namur

Author:

Days of Wonder

Resource:

Campaign Book, Volume 2

Battle of Abbeville

Battle of Abbeville

BTH Scenario Map

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

Allied Strategy:

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. 

medal axis

Axis Strategy:

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

Battle Reports

2
BR - Abbeville

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link: