View this in your browser.

Strategy

Memoir '44

Tactics

The Command Card

July 5th, 2026

Play Smarter. Strike Harder.

GeneralHowitzer.com

Memoir '44 News

THE FOCUS THIS MONTH IS ON THE "BEACH ATTACKS!" WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON SWORD BEACH

A list of battle scenarios on the beach, including all of the Normandy beaches, plus many others
Sword Beach historical focus

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Results of

THE FINEST HOUR OPEN - CHICAGO

The tournament took place in Chicago on D-Day Weekend, June 5th - 7th.

1st place - Rich

2nd place - Jon Manley

3rd place - Christoph Guiard

4th place - Roger

5th place - JB Miller

Highlight of the weekend was a 12-person

D-Day Normandy invasion game. Lotsa fun!

Sword Beach

US Open

Location: the National Museum of the Marine Corps

August 22-23, 2026, Washington, DC

STRATEGY & TACTICS

Beach Assault Strategy

There are at least 17 scenarios on GeneralHowitzer.com which involve beaches.

The most well-known ones, of course, are the Normandy Beach scenarios of D-Day:

1. Gold Beach. [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2024/11/01/gold-beach/ ]

2. Juno Beach [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2024/11/01/juno-beach/ ]

3. Sword Beach. [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2024/11/01/sword-beach/ ]

4. Sword Beach (Breakthrough scenario) [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2025/09/23/sword-beach-breakthrough/ ]

5. Omaha Beach (First Assault Wave). [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2024/11/01/first-assault-wave-omaha-beach/ ]

6. Utah Beach. [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2024/11/01/utah-beach/ ]

7. Utah Beach (Breakthrough scenario). [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2026/01/04/utah-beach-breakthrough/ ]

8. Pointe-du-Hoc [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2024/11/01/pointe-du-hoc/ ]

Pacific Island beach assaults:

9. Wake Island. [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2024/11/01/wake-island/ ]

10. Guam Landings [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2024/11/01/guam-landings/ ]

11. Cape Torokina Landings [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2025/05/31/cape-torokina-landings/ ]

12. Capture of Parry [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2025/07/25/capture-of-parry-3/ ]

13. Battle of Namur [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2025/07/03/namur/ ]

14. Peleliu Landings (Overlord scenario) [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2025/11/24/peleliu-landings-overlord-2/ ]

Other scenarios with beach attacks:

15. Soviet Raid on Grigorevka (Ukraine) [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2025/04/29/ukraine-soviet-raid-on-grigorevka/ ]

16. Disaster at Dieppe [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2025/05/22/disaster-at-dieppe/ ]

17. Singapore [ https://generalhowitzer.com/2025/07/05/singapore-2/ ]

Are there common strategies that can be applied to Beach Assaults across these many scenarios?

While there are always variations depending on the unique weaponry and terrain of every beach scenario, there are some general principles which can be applied to most beach assaults:

Here are three rules to remember:

1st Principle: Use your long-range attack weaponry first

-- Many Memoir 44 scenarios supply the Allied commanders with weapons which can be used to clear the beaches before troops are committed to move forward onto the sand.

Examples would be:

a. Soviet Raid of Grigorevka - The Allies (Soviets at this time) have two Destroyers which can be used as soon as daylight shows up.

b. Cape Torokina - Two Destroyers

c. Battle of Namur - one Destroyer

d. Peleliu Landings - one Destroyer

e. Singapore - one Destroyer

And of course, make use of any Tactics cards you receive such as: Barrage, and Airpower

Then use any Armor or Artillery which you land on the sand to attack from a distance before the Infantry advances.

2nd Principle: Get off the beach as fast as possible!

-- James Holland, in his great book, "Normandy '44", states that all the troops were commanded to not stop to help anyone on the beach. This would just result in two soldiers getting killed instead of just the one. It sounds cruel, but that is the brutal reality of war. They were ordered to get off of that beach as quickly as possible. The fate of the entire D-Day beach invasion was dependent upon their capacity to gain a foothold with the first wave, and then to make room on that beach for the succeeding waves of troops who absolutely had to get into position and prepare for the certain counter-attack of the Panzer tanks that were on their way to the Normandy beaches.

--The principle applies in Memoir 44. Rapid movement forward and off the beach is the name of the game in nearly all beach scenarios, in particular, the Normandy Beach scenarios.

3rd Principle: Concentrate on one sector at a time

Memoir 44: Unless you have an extraordinary collection of cards, your best plan of attack is to focus on one sector. This will reduce your casualties, and increase the likelihood that you will be able to push out the enemy from their bunkers as rapidly as possible.

From General Howitzer:

THE D-DAY BEACH INVASIONS - Sword Beach

(June 6, 1944)

Sword Beach (Regular and Overlord versions)

Historical Summary

June 6th, 1944—Sword Beach. The British came in swinging on the eastern flank of Normandy, and they made it count.

Under General Miles Dempsey, the 3rd Infantry Division, backed by tanks, naval guns, and airborne troops, hit that beach like a battering ram. Their mission? Take the beach, punch inland, link up with the Canadians on the left and airborne boys on the right, and grab the city of Caen.

They ran headfirst into resistance from the German 716th Infantry, dug in and waiting. But it didn’t matter—Allied firepower and planning turned those bunkers into scrap. The Brits cleared the beach, pushed several miles inland, and set up a strong foothold by nightfall.

They didn’t take Caen on Day One—but they owned Sword Beach, and that was the damn prize. That success helped anchor the whole eastern flank of the invasion and gave us the momentum we needed to crack open Nazi-occupied France.

Sword Beach was no walk in the park—but it was a well-executed, hard-hitting assault that helped open the gate to Western Europe.

~~ General Howitzer

Memoir 44 Battle Reports and Percentages

Allies win this scenario only 37-45% of the time.

So the Axis are favored in this beach assault. If you are going to launch an attack on Sword Beach you will need to plan your attack carefully, combined with great cards, and good rolls. If you are unable to immediately get the cards or rolls you need, then minimize your losses by focusing in just one section, and attack slowly; by that I mean, if you can attack by only moving one hex forward then do that. The method is Move - Attack - Move - Attack. This gives you more time for good cards and good rolls.

OPERATION OVERLORD (THE NORMANDY LANDINGS): D-DAY 6 JUNE 1944

The British 2nd Army: Infantry waiting to move off 'Queen White' Beach, SWORD Area, while under enemy fire, on the morning of 6 June. The first landings on Sword were made by the British 3rd Infantry Division, 27th Armoured Brigade and Royal Marine and Army Commando units from General Crocker's I Corps. By nightfall the British had 28,850 men ashore and the Orne bridge had been seized. (This work created by the United Kingdom Government is in the public domain.)

Strategy and Tactics

Allied Strategy:

1. As with all beach scenarios, the challenge is for the Allies to get off the beach as quickly as possible.

2. The three! objective medals in the towns against the back border represent a clear and compelling goal for the Allies. If the Allies can maximize their movement cards off the beach and blitz past the defenders for the town hexes, victory can be had rather quickly.

3. The Axis artillery in the center of the battlefield is very dangerous and unless the Allies have an excellent set of cards, should not be attacked. The best strategy – as indicated by Alexis Beuve in the Memoir 44 Tactics & Strategy Guide is to attack on the flanks in order to avoid the devastating pounding from the centrally placed artillery.

4. You have three Elite Infantry which are capable of moving two hexes and still attacking. This is imminently valuable for a beach assault. They all start way back in the ocean hexes, but if you take the time in the early gameplay to get them moved forward, they will help you to quickly approach and attack the enemy forces.

5. Possible Attack Vector: split your forces in a “V” formation, and send half to the left, and half to the right, so that you can avoid the enemy Artillery in the center sector. It is set so far back from the beach that if you try to assault it with your Infantry, they will get decimated before they get close to it, so unless you have a Bombard or Airpower card, it is best to avoid it.

Axis Strategy:

1. The Axis armor in the corner is hidden away and of no use. Therefore, as early as possible, the Axis needs to move the tank into the forest hex, where it will have to stop for one turn. But from there it can make its way out to the battlefield. The decision as to whether to place the armor in the center section or the right flank, will depend in part on where the Allies choose to deploy their forces. But once this armor gets out the Axis player should be able to score one or two VP’s, especially if he catches the Allied forces while they still have their back to the water, resulting in some no-retreat hits.

2. Use your artillery as much as possible, before the enemy takes it out with Barrage or Air Power, or an Infantry Assault. This will be one of the Allies’ early objectives. So use it well while you have it.

3. Should you pull your infantry from the back row where they are defending Objective Medals? Early on, if you have the opportunity, they could bolster your forces which are trying to prevent the Allies from coming off the beach. But once the full scale Allied invasion begins to form, they will be sitting ducks in the open terrain, and should be pulled back to guard a Medal Objective.

GRAND CAMPAIGNS

There are many campaigns on the GeneralHowitzer.com site.

You can play battles in historical order if you like, and follow the Campaign Guidelines which are also available.

https://generalhowitzer.com/campaigns/

Recent Updates to the General Howitzer Community

Capture of Foy

By January 1945, the Germans were battered but still fighting. Holding Foy was their last attempt to cling to the Ardennes. The men of the 101st Airborne, hardened by weeks of cold, shellfire, and misery in the woods of Bois Jacques, were ready to finish the job. On January 13th, those paratroopers charged across open snow under enemy fire and …

Okinawa Hacksaw Ridge

7 VP'sCard Balance: Allies - 6 Axis - 4Complexity: 4Conditions: Jungle Context: Location: OkinawaYear: Theater: PacificSummary: Objectives: 7 VP's There is one Medal Objective for the Allies, the Axis HQ. There is also an Exit Hex for the Allies which will result in one VP for every Allied unit that escapes. Battlefield: Jungle with a severe ridge and hills with …

Patton's Kasserine Crucible

8 VP'sCard Balance: Allies - 8 Axis - 8Complexity: 3Conditions: Desert Context: HistoricalLocation: North AfricaYear: 1943Theater: MediterraneanSummary: Objectives: 8 VP's Battlefield: Desert with dunes, ravines, hills & ergs Troops: Allies - 8 Infantry, 5 Armor, 2 Artillery Axis - 7 Infantry, 7 Armor, 1 Artillery Special Rules: 1. Air Power - Remove the Air Power card 2. Patton's Iron Fist …