St. Joseph’s Farm

by GeneralHowitzer | May 16, 2025 | 1942, Armor, Artillery, Combat Cards, Desert, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Tactical, Theater: Mediterranean

St. Joseph's Farm

Chouigui Pass—November 1942. One hell of a day for the U.S. Army, and the first time our boys showed the Krauts what American steel could do.

We were green, no doubt about it. The 1st Battalion, 1st Armored Regiment—part of my beloved 1st Armored Division—rolled into action near a place called Chouigui Pass, northwest of Tebourba. The brass might call it St. Joseph’s Farm, but I’ll tell you—there was nothing holy about what went down there.

Our men, riding those M3 Stuarts and M4 Shermans, spotted a German convoy and didn’t hesitate. They tore into it with everything they had. And wouldn’t you know it? A short time later, they ran into the 10th Panzer Division—real hardened bastards—but our boys didn’t back down.

We hit ’em hard. Burned up their vehicles, shattered their lines, and let ’em know the Americans were here and we weren’t playing. It wasn’t some grand campaign-ending victory, but it mattered. It was the first time U.S. armor took the fight to the Wehrmacht and came out standing.

That fight at Chouigui Pass proved something: our tanks could run, our boys could fight, and American grit was just getting started. North Africa wasn’t going to be easy—but after that day, the Germans knew we were in the game.

And from there, we only got meaner, faster, and a whole lot more dangerous.

~~ General Howitzer

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5 + 2 Combat Cards

Axis – 5 + 2 Combat Cards

Complexity:

2

Conditions:

Desert

Context:

Historical

Location:

Tunisia

Year:

1942

Theater:

Mediterranean

Campaign:

Tunisia Campaign

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

5 VP’s, including St. Joseph’s Farm as a Temporary Objective for the Axis.

Battlefield:

Desert terrain with a branching road running through it, and ridges on each flank, which provide the defensive surprise that historically occurred.

Troops:

Allies – 3 Infantry, 8 Armor, 1 Artillery

Axis – 5 Infantry, 5 Armor

Allied Strategy:

1. Historically, the Allies surprised the Germans by hiding their Armor reserves behind the ridges. In this scenario, the enemy obviously knows you are there, but you can still use the ridges as defensive protection until the Axis Armor gets close enough for you to launch your Armor assault, and maybe recreate history with an Allied victory.

Axis Strategy

1. Historically, the Axis were surprised by the Allied forces hiding behind the ridges. You know they are there, and they outnumber your forces, so you will need to score some quick hits against the forces in the center, to take them out of the action before their support shows up on the flanks.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Escouves Forest

by GeneralHowitzer | May 7, 2025 | 1944, Armor, Countryside, Infantry, Location: France, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Tactical, Theater: Western

Escouves Forest

August 1944—Écouves Forest. Thick woods, rough country, and Germans with their backs to the wall. Perfect place for a fight.

After we busted out of Normandy, the Krauts tried to make a stand in that damned forest north of Alençon, thinking trees and shadows would stop the Allied hammer. Well, General Leclerc’s French 2nd Armored Division rolled in and showed ’em that no terrain—no matter how dense—can save you when the Allies are coming.

It wasn’t clean. It wasn’t easy. The fighting was up close, personal, and vicious—tanks blasting through trees, infantry ambushed from behind every stump. But the French didn’t blink. They cut through that forest like a buzz saw through timber, rooting out the enemy one foxhole at a time.

And when the smoke cleared, the Écouves Forest was ours—and the jaws of the Falaise Pocket slammed tighter on those retreating bastards.

That fight mattered. It sped up the collapse of the German line in France and helped crack the door wide open on the road to Paris.

Moral of the story? You corner a desperate enemy in the woods, you don’t tiptoe in—you charge in, guns blazing, and don’t stop till the last one runs or drops.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 6

Axis – 5

Complexity:

2

Conditions:

Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

France

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s, plus the City of Ecouche for the Allies

Battlefield:

The center of the battlefield is dominated by the large Ecouves forest which is hiding some Germans.

Troops:

Allies – 6 Infantry, 6 Armor

Axis – 5 Infantry, 4 Armor

Allied Strategy:

1.

Axis Strategy

1.

Battle Reports

Author:

French Open, 2022; Also played at The Finest Hour Open, Chicago 2025.

Link:

View

Medeera Pocket

by GeneralHowitzer | Apr 29, 2025 | 1945, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Location: Pacific, Mobile Artillery, Scenario, Tactical, Theater: Pacific

Medeera Pocket

IMG_0782

IMG_0784

IMG_0785

Background

The Battle of the Medeera Pocket in June 1945 was a late-stage engagement during the Marianas and Palau Islands campaign of World War II.

Located on northern Peleliu, the Medeera Pocket was one of the last strongholds of Japanese resistance. U.S. Marines and Army forces faced fierce, dug-in Japanese defenders who refused to surrender, fighting from caves and fortified positions. The battle involved intense close-quarters combat, flamethrowers, explosives, and coordinated assaults to clear the terrain.

Despite being outnumbered and cut off, Japanese troops fought to the death, inflicting significant U.S. casualties before being wiped out.

The elimination of the Medeera Pocket marked the final clearing of organized resistance on Peleliu, securing the island for Allied operations and reinforcing the brutal nature of Pacific island warfare.

General Howitzer summarizes:

The Medeera Pocket was one hell of a last stand—the Japanese were holed up in caves, dug in deep, and determined to die where they stood. They fought like fanatics, even when they were cut off and outgunned, but our Army and Marines finished the job. Clearing that pocket sealed Peleliu for good and reminded everyone that in the Pacific, every inch costs blood.

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 6

Axis – 4

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Jungle

Context:

Historical

Location:

Palau Islands

Year:

1945

Theater:

Pacific

Campaign:

Codename:

Operation Iceberg

Summary:

Objectives:

5 VP’s

Battlefield:

Jungle terrain , hills with caves and some small villages.

Troops:

Allies – 8 Army Infantry, 2 Marine Infantry, 3 Artillery including a Mobile Artillery

Axis – 10 Infantry

Allied Strategy:

1. The center section is the key to victory. You have a Mobile Artillery, plus two other Artillery units which can all focus their firepower upon the center.

2. You have two Engineer units which can overcome the terrain disadvantages of caves on hills. Use them to clear out the entrenched enemy.

3. You have two Marine units which can be commanded every single turn, so they can conduct their own operation on your right flank, if they are supported by the Artillery unit on that side.

Axis Strategy

1. Remember the three special abilities of your Japanese forces (Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine, Yamato Dashi Concept, and the Banzai War Cry). You will need these to stand up against the enemy.

2. There are many Caves on Hills which give you both a defensive and mobile advantage. Infantry units can quickly move from one Cave on a Hill to another one, so that you can rapidly replenish your forces when they are destroyed.

3. You have two Artillery units well-protected in the center of the battlefield. Use them at every opportunity to push back the attacking Infantry, and when it comes into range, to also destroy the Mobile Artillery.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Resource:

Campaign Book, Volume 2

Saint-Martin and Bull Bridge

by GeneralHowitzer | Apr 28, 2025 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Location: France, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Special Weapons, Tactical

Saint-Martin and Bull Bridge

After the Allied breakout from Normandy (Operation Cobra, late July 1944), U.S. forces rapidly advanced across northern France. As they pursued retreating German forces, small but fierce battles flared up at key defensive points.
Battle Overview:
In early August 1944, elements of the U.S. Army (likely from Patton’s Third Army) encountered stiff German resistance at St. Martin and the nearby Bull Bridge, vital crossings over local waterways.
The Germans, using hastily organized rear-guard units, attempted to delay the American advance by holding these positions. Fighting involved close-quarters combat, sniper fire, artillery strikes, and quick assaults to seize the bridge intact before the Germans could demolish it.
Outcome:
U.S. forces ultimately captured St. Martin and secured Bull Bridge, helping to maintain the momentum of the Allied advance toward the Seine River.
German forces were forced into further retreat, suffering losses in men and equipment.
Significance:
Though a relatively small engagement compared to larger battles like Falaise, holding key river crossings like Bull Bridge was critical for sustaining the speed of the Allied liberation of France.

General Howitzer’s observation:
We took St. Martin and locked down Bull Bridge—small on the map, but damned vital. Every bridge we held kept our boys rolling toward the Seine and sent the Germans running with their tails between their legs, bleeding men and steel all the way.

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 5

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

France

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Operation Cobra

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

5 VP’s, plus the temporary Allied Objectives of city of St. Martin and Bull Bridge

Battlefield:

Countryside with forests and hedgerows, and a small river in the corner with Bull Bridge crossing it.

Troops:

Allies – 8 Infantry, 4 Armor

Axis – 6 Infantry, 3 Armor, 2 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1. Big picture strategy is that you can put the pressure on the enemy by both attacking units, and pushing towards the Bull Bridge medal objective. This is only a 5 medal game, so there is not a lot of time for deep strategy. You mainly just have to get into good attacking positions, and take out the enemy.

2. The Axis have two Artillery units and a Mortar Infantry unit. This means they have a lot of range for their attacks. It may be best to hunker down in hedgerows and on hills and wait for the enemy to attack you. Use your Armor to attack the enemy Infantry while you wait.

Axis Strategy

1. Big picture strategy is that you need to defend the town of St. Martin and the Bull Bridge. Historically, the bridge was completely undefended, so you need to get some forces near there to protect it from enemy capture.

2. You have an Infantry Mortar unit. With it you can ignore terrain restrictions and attack anything that comes near you with a range of 3,2,1,1. Use it to defend the town of St. Martin.

3. Defensive Response: the enemy has more Armor and Infantry than you, so stay in your protective stance, in your hedgerows and the sandbagged town. Let them come to you, and then attack them from a safe position. This should even things out a bit. Your Armor needs to spread itself out across all three sectors fo the battlefield to be prepared for wherever the enemy may try to attack.

Battle Reports

Author:

Link:

Drive on Caen

by GeneralHowitzer | Feb 23, 2025 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Tactical, Theater: Western

Drive on Caen

The “Drive on Caen” was a series of battles during the Normandy Campaign in World War II, aimed at capturing the city of Caen in France. This was a key objective for British and Canadian forces following the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. The battle unfolded in multiple phases, including Operations Perch, Epsom, Charnwood, and Goodwood, as the Allies attempted to break through German defenses.

The city of Caen was heavily defended by the German 21st Panzer Division and SS Panzer units, leading to intense urban combat and bombardment. While the British and Canadian forces faced stiff resistance, they gradually secured portions of Caen by mid-July 1944. The battle played a crucial role in drawing German forces away from the U.S. sector, aiding the overall success of Operation Overlord.

“Listen up! The Drive on Caen wasn’t just one fight—it was a whole series of hammer blows aimed at the heart of the German line in Normandy. The British and Canadians were tasked with taking that key city after D-Day, and by God, they were going to get it.

It wasn’t easy—21st Panzer, SS Panzer, and every last German who could hold a rifle was dug in deep. It turned into a meat grinder—street fights, rubble, tanks trading shots at point-blank range. Operations Perch, Epsom, Charnwood, Goodwood—each one was another turn of the screw, breaking those Germans down piece by piece.

By mid-July, they finally cracked Caen open. It didn’t just put that city back on the map for the Allies—it kept Germany’s attention right there, which meant the Americans could make their big breakout in the west.

So remember, boys—it’s not always about speed; it’s about grinding down the enemy, one bloody inch at a time, until they crack! That’s how you win a campaign!”

~~ General Howitzer

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 5

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

France

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western Front

Campaign:

Battle of Normandy Campaign

Codename:

Operation Charnwood

Summary:

Objectives:

5 VP’s, plus the objective medals

Battlefield:

Countryside with a few forests

Troops:

Allies – 8 Infantry, 4 Armor, Artillery

Axis – 7 Infantry, 2 Armor, 1 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1. Big picture strategy for Allies is to make a relentless push towads the town of Caen, which has medal objectives, as you also attack the enemy.

2. Be aware that on your left flank, are Anti-tank equipped Infantry forces. And on your right flank, the enemy has an Artillery. This means, the center section may actually be your best way forward.

Axis Strategy:

1. Big picture strategy for the Axis is that this is primarily a defensive scenario for the Axis as they attempt to prevent the historical push of the Allies toward the city of Caen.

2. The Allies have you outnumbered with armor, but if you put your two Anti-Tank Infantry to good use, you may be able to even the score.

3. You have two Medal Objectives to protect in the city of Caen. Make sure the enemy does not get close enough to capture it.

4. Be careful of moving your Armor into unprotected territory in the center section. The Allies have two armored units which can very quickly attack.

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Martinville Ridge

by GeneralHowitzer | Jan 10, 2025 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Tactical

Martinville Ridge

“Listen here, men! The Battle of Martinville Ridge was a mean slugfest in July ‘44, right in the thick of the Normandy bocage. That damn hedgerow country turned every field into a fortress, and every ridge was a death trap. Our boys from the 35th Infantry Division went up that ridge with grit and guts, trying to crack those Nazi defenses wide open.

The Germans had the high ground and those thick hedgerows, making every inch of dirt a hellhole to fight for. We took the ridge at first—bayonets and grenades leading the way—but those Germans counterattacked like devils, forcing us to pull back and regroup. But I’ll tell you what: every drop of sweat and blood we left on that ridge kept the enemy tied up and bleeding too.

We didn’t take Martinville Ridge outright, but we sure as hell rattled the Germans’ cages and cleared the way for our breakout later in Cobra. That’s the price of victory, boys—no easy ground, no easy days. Keep pushing, keep killing, and never give ‘em an inch!”

~~ General Howitzer

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 5

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

France

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western Front

Campaign:

Normandy Campaign

Summary:

Objectives:

5 VP’s, plus territorial objectives for each side.

Allies can target St. Lo and the ridge by Martinville. Axis targets Hill 122.

Terrain:

The battlefield is scattered with hills, towns, hedgerows, and forests.

Troops:

Allies – 10 Infantry, 4 Armor

Axis – 7 Infantry, 2 Armor, 1 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1. Your forces are scattered and in disarray. You need to coordinate them into a cohesive attack force.

2. Be aware that the enemy will quickly mass their forces for an attack against your forward infantry unit at d8. If you can move your left flank Armor up to support it, you may be able to hold the position for a while and inflict some damage on the Axis.

3. Beware the enemy Artillery in the corner of your right flank. Although he is locked in there, he can still roll powerful attacks on that flank. Stay away and nullify any firepower from there.

4. Your strategy should include plans for a continual push up the center in order to bring pressure to bear upon the two Medal Objectives on the hill and in the city of St. Lo.

5. Possible Attack Vector: One attack plan you can pursue is on the left flank. You only need five medals to win, and there are three enemy units up in the corner. If you get a good set of attack cards, such as Infantry Assault you can quickly surround them and take them out.

Axis Strategy:

1. Your forces are outnumbered, so you will need to get your armor out of the town into attack positions. You also need to move your infantry from the corner on your right flank and into a more centralized position. An early win for you can be the forward Allied Infantry unit at d8.

2. You have two Territorial Medals to protect. Be aware of the mobility range of their Armor should they push up the center. If you move your units off of those hexes, be certain the enemy cannot sneak in at the end and grab a final medal.

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link: