Operation Lightfoot

by GeneralHowitzer | May 24, 2025 | 1942, Armor, Artillery, Desert, Infantry, Memoir 44, Overlord Game, Scenario

Operation Lightfoot (Overlord Map)

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October 23, 1942—Montgomery kicks off Operation Lightfoot, and the desert explodes.

This wasn’t some quiet probe. This was a full-throttle offensive to smash through Rommel’s fortified line at El Alamein and break the damn deadlock in North Africa. The Axis had dug in deep—minefields, wire, concrete, artillery—the works. But Monty had a plan.

“Lightfoot” meant just that: infantry going in first, on foot, to thread through the minefields—because tanks would’ve blown themselves to hell if they led the way. So the boys marched straight into the Devil’s Gardens, clearing paths under fire, step by bloody step.

We laid down massive artillery barrages—the kind that rattled your teeth and turned the sand into glass. Then the Eighth Army pushed forward, slogging through everything the enemy threw at them. It was slow, it was costly, but it was relentless. And that’s how you win.

After days of grinding combat, Montgomery’s men punched through, and Rommel’s forces had no choice but to fall back. That was the turning point. That was the moment the tide shifted in the desert.

Operation Lightfoot wasn’t just a victory—it was proof that preparation, power, and persistence crush even the most dug-in enemy. From there, it was only a matter of time before the Axis was out of Africa for good.

15 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 10 + 2 Combat Cards

Axis – 10 + 2 Combat Cards

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Desert

Context:

Historical

Location:

North Africa

Year:

1942

Theater:

Mediterranean

Campaign:

Codename:

Operation Lightfoot

1Summary:

Objectives:

15 VP’s with Temporary Medal Objectives for control of hills and Exit Rows.

Battlefield:

A beach with towns, ridges, and a river cutting through the center.

Troops:

Allies – 18 Infantry with some special weapons, 11 Armor, 3 Artillery

Axis – 11 Infantry with some special weapons, 8 Armor, 3 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1.

Axis Strategy

1.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Disaster at Dieppe

by GeneralHowitzer | May 22, 2025 | 1942, Armor, Artillery, Beach, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Overlord Game, Scenario, Strategic

Disaster at Dieppe (Overlord Map)

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Alright, listen up—

The raid on Dieppe? That was a damn mess. We sent in brave boys—mostly Canadians—straight into a meat grinder without proper prep, cover, or firepower. The plan? Hit the Germans fast, grab intel, wreck their defenses, and get out. But hell, it was all wrong from the get-go. No real surprise, no heavy bombing to soften ’em up, and we landed right on their gun barrels.

The beaches were narrow, rocky deathtraps. Our tanks got stuck, the infantry got chewed up, and the Navy couldn’t do a damn thing once the chaos started. Over half the force was wiped out, captured, or bleeding in the surf. It was a bloody disaster—but those boys fought like hell.

And I’ll tell you this: we learned. We learned what not to do. Next time, we brought the whole hammer—air, sea, tanks, everything. That’s how you do it. That’s how we did it on D-Day. Dieppe was a painful lesson—but it paid off in Normandy.

~~ General Howitzer

10 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 7

Axis – 8

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Beach

Context:

Historical

Location:

Baltic area

Year:

1944

Theater:

Eastern

Campaign:

Codename:

Operation Jubilee

Summary:

Objectives:

10 VP’s with Temporary Medal Objectives for two bridges, a casino, and a chateau.

Battlefield:

A beach with towns, ridges, and a river cutting through the center.

Troops:

Allies – 20 Infantry, 5 Armor, 2 Half-Tracks

Axis – 15 Infanty, 4 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1.

Axis Strategy

1.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Taukkyan Roadblock

by GeneralHowitzer | May 18, 2025 | 1942, Armor, Combat Cards, Infantry, Jungle, Memoir 44, Scenario, Special Weapons, Tactical, Theater: Pacific

Taukkyan Roadblock

The Battle of the Taukkyan Roadblock? That was a brutal wake-up call in the jungles of Burma.

It was April 1942, and the British were pulling out of Rangoon, trying to stay one step ahead of a fast and ruthless Japanese advance. But they weren’t sitting back—they were moving like ghosts through the jungle, and they slammed a roadblock right down at Taukkyan, a vital choke point on the only damn road out.

It was a classic ambush—sliced right through the retreating columns. Trucks jammed, units scattered, and bullets flying like hellfire. The 17th Indian Division fought like lions to break through, but the jungle was tight, the fire was heavy, and the enemy was dug in and deadly.

A lot of brave men didn’t make it. That roadblock caused chaos, real chaos. It wasn’t just a firefight—it was the kind of sharp, surgical move that the Japanese were damn good at: fast, quiet, deadly. It wasn’t just a fight—it was a message.

The collapse at Taukkyan was a key reason why southern Burma slipped right through our fingers. It forced the Allies to fall back all the way into India. But mark my words—every inch we lost, we learned from. And when we came back, we came back with fire in our guts and iron in our fists.

~~ General Howitzer

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5 + 2 Combat Cards

Axis – 5 + 2 Combat Cards

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Jungle

Context:

Historical

Location:

Burma

Year:

1939

Theater:

Pacific

Campaign:

Burma Campaign

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

5 VP’s

Battlefield:

Jungle with two intersecting roads, a roadblock, a village, and some hills.

Troops:

Allies – 8 Infantry, 4 Armor

Axis (Japan) – 9 Infantry with some machine guns and anti-tank special weapons.

Allied Strategy:

1. Big Picture: while you do not have to get through the roadblock, it does present a challenge for the British as a rallying point for the enemy.

2. Before you attempt an Infantry attack, use your Armor units to attack the Japanese units at a distance, and reduce each unit by at least one figure, in order to eliminate their Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine power.

3. You have some powerful forces on your right section. Get the Infantry moved forward and into the nearby jungle, so that the roadway is clear to allow your Armor to advance and get into the attack.

Axis Strategy

1. Big Picture Strategy: with their special weapons of machine guns and anti-tank guns, plus the roadblock present a significant opportunity for the Japanese to hold off the Brits.

2. Because of the British tanks, you cannot just stay behind your sandbags the whole time. They will slowly pick you off, and degrade your attack ability. You will have to deal with the tanks, perhaps through specialized cards such as Barrage, Air Power, Behind Enemy Lines, or the Combat Card ‘Giretsu’, the Japanese BEL card.

3. With the right set of cards, and as long as most all of your forces are still at full ‘Seishin Kyoiku Doctrine’ strength, a full scale assault on your right flank could prove successful.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Bardia

by GeneralHowitzer | May 17, 2025 | 1941, Armor, Artillery, Desert, Infantry, Location: Libya, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Mediterranean

Bardia

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Bardia, January 1941—now that was a proper kick in the teeth for the Italians, and the Aussies delivered it with style.

This was the first big ground fight cooked up and led by an Australian outfit—6th Australian Division, under General Mackay—and let me tell you, those boys weren’t there to play games. Their target? Bardia, a heavily fortified Italian stronghold in Libya. Italians thought they were sitting pretty behind wire, guns, and concrete. Big mistake.

The 16th Brigade hit ’em from the west—smart move, weakest spot in the line. The engineers crawled through hell, cut through barbed wire, filled anti-tank ditches, and cleared a path like pros. Then came the punch: Matilda II tanks from the Brits’ 7th Royal Tank Regiment rolled in with the infantry. After that, it was a hammer-and-anvil job—17th and 19th Brigades came crashing in to finish the job.

By the end, Bardia was ours. Thousands of Italians surrendered, and the whole damn front cracked wide open. That victory let the Allies charge deeper into Libya and gave Rommel a reason to pack his bags for North Africa.

The Aussies proved two things at Bardia: one, they could plan and fight like hell; and two, when you combine tanks, grit, and coordination—you win. That’s the kind of war I like: fast, bold, and overwhelming.

~~ General Howitzer

7 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 6 + 2 Combat Cards

Axis – 6 + 2 Combat Cards
(Note that Italian rules call for a loss of one Command Card for every Italian unit/hex lost, until 3 remain.)

Complexity:

2

Conditions:

Desert

Context:

Historical

Location:

Libya

Year:

1943

Theater:

Mediterranean

Campaign:

Western Desert Campaign

Codename:

It was part of Operation Compass

Summary:

Objectives:

7 VP’s, including two building territorial objectives and two hill territorial objectives for the Allies

Battlefield:

Desert terrain with a branching roads running through it, and some dunes.

Troops:

Allies – 8 Infantry, 4 Armor, 2 Artillery

Axis – 10 Infantry, 1 Armor, 2 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1. Big Picture Strategy: follow the roads that points like an arrow to your targets in the center section, which contains four territorial medals awaiting you at the two towns and two hills.

2. Watch out for your right half of the battlefield which is dominated by the Italian artillery.

Axis Strategy

1. Big Picture Strategy: stay behind the sandbags! The Italians are in a defensive posture, and tactical wins are not worth the cost to your forces should you venture forth from your sandbags.

2. Be aware that the rules of engagement for the Italian nation is that for every unit/hex which gets destroyed, you lose one command card, down to three cards in your hand. This makes the loss of any unit devastating to your offensive capabilities.

3. You have a strong set of Artillery on the left side of the battlefield. Use them at every opportunity.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Sbeitla Tunisia

by GeneralHowitzer | May 16, 2025 | 1943, Armor, Artillery, Desert, Infantry, Memoir 44, Scenario, Tactical, Theater: Mediterranean

Sbeitla Tunisia

Operation Frühlingswind—February 1943. The Krauts thought they had us dead to rights in central Tunisia. They were wrong.

Rommel’s boys hit us hard at Sidi Bou Zid, busted through, and kept pushing west toward Sbeitla. On February 17, they grabbed the town—but that’s where the party stopped.

Because in rolled the 1st U.S. Armored Division—Combat Command B—and they didn’t come to retreat. They dug in, fought smart, and hit the Germans with a counterattack they didn’t see coming. It wasn’t perfect, but it was bold—and it threw a wrench into the Nazi gears. They didn’t push any farther.

Sure, we took our lumps. Our tactics were green, our command still learning the ropes. But what matters is we learned. Fast. That fight at Sbeitla was a baptism by fire—and it forged better soldiers, better leadership, and a better army.

The message was clear: the Americans might get hit, but by God, we hit back—and next time, we’d be coming out swinging.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5 + 2 Combat Cards

Axis – 5 + 2 Combat Cards

Complexity:

2

Conditions:

Desert

Context:

Historical

Location:

Tunisia

Year:

1943

Theater:

Mediterranean

Campaign:

Tunisia Campaign

Codename:

Operation Frühlingswind (Spring Wind)

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s, including territorial objectives, and exit hexes.

Battlefield:

Desert terrain with a branching roads running through it, and dunes everywhere.

Troops:

Allies – 7 Infantry, 4 Armor, 1 Artillery

Axis – 8 Infantry, 5 Armor

Allied Strategy:

1.

Axis Strategy

1.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link: