In late July /944, the German and Allied armies were still locked in close combat in the hedgerows and small towns of Normandy. On July 28 a German attack led by elements of the 2nd Panzer Division smashed into the unsuspecting American XIX Corps while it was preparing for its own offensive to break out of the hocage. The US. 2nd Armored Division moved into the fight, which reached a climax on the second day. That night the Germans withdrew due to problems elsewhere. These two tank divisions would cross swords again five months later in the Ardennes.
In one of those uncommon occurrences during World War II, two enemy combat formations of the same type with the same designation faced each other on the battlefield. The German 2nd Panzer Division and U.S. 2nd Armored Division collided in late July outside the village of Tessy-sur-Vire in Normandy. This time the Americans were attempting to break through German lines and the 2nd Panzer stopped the advance of the 2nd Armored. However, as part of Operation Cobra, other U.S. divisions did succeed in their attacks, ending the nearly two-month stalemate and undoing the 2nd Panzer's accomplishment.
Incredibly, these same two divisions would fight each other again five months later during the Battle of the Bulge at an equally critical turning point, although their roles were reversed. In late December in the snow-covered fields of the Ardennes region of Belgium, the 2nd Panzer Division was shattered just short of its objective of the Meuse River by the timely counterattack of the 2nd Armored Division. Unlike the American experience in Normandy, however, there were no other German divisions available to push on with the advance and the 2nd Panzer's spearhead marked the highk water mark of the German offensive in the Bulge.
This scenario focuses on the first meeting between these two famous units.
| American | German | |
| Division 1 |
10 Squad Bases 5 Sherman M4A1s (see special rules) |
8 Squad Bases 2 Panzer IVs |
| Division 2 |
8 Squad Bases 2 Sherman M4A1s (see special rules) |
8 Squad Bases 1 Panzer IV |
| Strategy Decks | Artillery 2 (2 full decks, see special rules) American Air Support 1 (2 full decks, see special rules) |
Artillery 1 (2 full decks, see special rules) Ground Support 1 (2 full decks, see special rules) |
| Starting Strategy Cards | 4 (2 from each deck) | - |
| Operations Cards | - Tank Ace (shared) - Elite Tank Crew (shared) - Double Time |
- Tank Ace (shared) - Elite Tank Crew (shared) |
| Deployment Zone | Div. 1: Any hexes with a green border on maps 5B and 8A. Div. 2: Any hexes with a green border on maps 9B and 11B. |
Div. 1: Any hexes with a grey border on maps 2A and 4A. Div. 2: Any hexes with a grey border on maps 2A and 4A. |
| Starting Initiative |  |
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| Objective | By the end of Round 20, the Americans win if they control 2 2-hex Buildings and at least 3 Bridge hexes on the east side of the board. | The Germans win if they control 3 2-hex Buildings and at least 2 Bridge hexes. Otherwise, it is a draw. |
| Rounds | 20 | |
| Actions per turn | 4 | 4 |
| Reinforcements |
In the Status Phase of Round 3 American Division 2 receives the following on the road at the edge of map 9B: In the Status Phase of Round 5 American Division 1 receives the following on the road hex at the edge of map 5B: In the Status Phase of Round 10 the American player receives the following: |
In the Status Phase of Round 2 German Division 1 receives the following on the road hex at the edge of maps 2A or 4A (northeast corner of the board): In the Status Phase of Round 5 German Division 2 receives the following on the mad hex at the edge of maps 2A or 4A (southeast corner of the board): In the Status Phase of Round 7 German Division 1 receives the following on the road hex at the edge of maps 2A or 4A (northeast corner of the board): In the Status Phase of Round 11 the German player receives the following: |
| Special Rules |
• Both players use two full decks of Strategy cards, removing the following cards from the decks: • The one American "Paratroopers" card is now called "Air Priority," costs 1 command, and has the following replacement text: • The American player may mark two of his starting Sherman M4A1 tanks as 76mm gun variants with these changes: • The German player may mark one of his starting SdKfz 251 Half-Tracks as the 251/9 variant with the 75mm gun with these changes: • The following Rounds represent the overnight period into the next day: |
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| HINTS |
Both players should settle in for a long battle, but your opening moves are critical to how difficult or easy you will make it to achieve your end game goals. Since both sides should be able to readily capture the villages closest to them, it is very important to decide how many units to leave there and how many units to send forward on the first day to attack and/or block the enemy. The American side has numbers in their favor, but that advantage really takes full effect on the second day. The German side has all of its tanks on the first day, so use this advantage to seize territory and eliminate American units. Otherwise, the Americans will simply overwhelm them on the second day. |
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Medic
Engineer
AntiTank
Flamethrower