Victory Results:
 0 %
Record a victory for BOTTOM ARMY  0 %

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
- 20 Regular Infantry
- 8 Elite Infantry
- 2 Officers
- 3 Machine Gun Crews
- 2 Mortar Crews

5 Sherman M4A1s (see special rules)
5 GMC CCKW 353s

2x Medic
1x Engineer
2x AntiTank

8 Squad Bases
- 21 Regular Infantry
- 1 Elite Infantry
- 2 Officers
- 2 Machine Gun Crews
- 2 Mortar crews

2 Panzer IVs

1x Medic
1x Engineer
2x AntiTank

Division 2

8 Squad Bases
- 16 Regular Inkintry
- 4 Elite Infainry
- 2 Officers
- 3 Machine Gun Crews
- 2 Mortar Crews

2 Sherman M4A1s (see special rules)

2x Medic
1x Engineer
1x AntiTank

8 Squad Bases
- 19 Regular Infantry
- 5 Elite Infantry
- 2 Officers
- 2 Machine Gun Crews
- I Mortar Crew

1 Panzer IV
3 SdKfz 251 Half-Tracks (see special rules)
3 Opel Blitzs

1x Medic
2x Engineer
1x Flamethrower
1x AntiTank

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   Initiative Token
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:
• 4 Sherman M4A1s

In the Status Phase of Round 5 American Division 1 receives the following on the road hex at the edge of map 5B:
• 1 Squad Base
- 4 Regular Infantry
• 2 Sherman M4Als
• 1 NI3A1 Half-Track
• Specialization token: 1 Engineer

In the Status Phase of Round 10 the American player receives the following:
Division 1 receives the following on the road hex at the edge of map 5B:
• 7 Squad Bases
- 18 Regular Infantry
- 7 Elite Infantry
- 3 Officers
• 5 Sherman M4Als
• 1 M3A1 Half-Track
• 3 GMC CCKW 353s
• Specialization token: 1 Anti-Tank
Division 2 receives the following on the road at the edge of map 9B:
• 7 Squad Bases
- 16 Regular Infantry
- 5 Elite Infantry
- 3 Officers
- 2 Machine Gun Crews
• 5 Sherman M4Als
• 1 M3A1 Half-Track
• 3 GMC CCKW 353s
• Specialization token: 1 Anti-Tank

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):
• 2 Squad Bases
- 6 Regular Infantry
- 1 Mortar Crew
• 1 Panzer IV
• 1 Tiger I
• 1 Opel Blitz

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):
• 4 Squad Bases
- 7 Regular Infantry
- 4 Elite Infantry
- 1 Officer
- 2 Machine Gun Crews
• 2 Panzer "Vs
• 1 Tiger I
• 2 Opel Blitzs

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):
• 2 Squad Bases
- 6 Regular Infantry
- 2 Elite Infantry
• 1 Panzer IV
• 1 Opel Blitz

In the Status Phase of Round 11 the German player receives the following:
Division 1 receives the following on the road hex at the edge of maps 2A or 4A (northeast corner of the board):
• 8 Squad Bases
- 20 Regular Infantry
- 2 Elite Infantry
- 2 Officers
- 2 Machine Gun Crews
- 2 Mortar Crews
• 4 Opel Blitz
• Specialization token: 2 Engineer
Division 2 receives the following on the road hex at the edge of maps 2A or 4A (southeast corner of the board):
• 5 Squad Bases
- 9 Regular Infantry
- 5 Elite Infantry
- 2 Officers
- 2 Mortar Crews
• 3 SdKfz 251 Half-Tracks
• 1 Opel Blitz
• Specialization token: 1 Anti-Tank

Special Rules

• Both players use two full decks of Strategy cards, removing the following cards from the decks:
- Artillery II — remove one "Spotting Round" card (leave one) and two "Increase Priority" cards (leave two).
- American Air Support I — remove all "Paratroopers" cards and one "Air Reconnaissance" card (leave one "Paratroopers" card which becomes a different card noted below).
- Artillery I — remove one "Spotting Round" card (leave one) and two "Increase Priority" cards (leave two).
- Ground Support I — keep all the cards from two full decks.

• The one American "Paratroopers" card is now called "Air Priority," costs 1 command, and has the following replacement text:
"Command Phase: Place this card in your play area. When you activate another Air Support Strategy card, its cost is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0). When establishing contact with an Air Support card, add 1 to your die result."

• The American player may mark two of his starting Sherman M4A1 tanks as 76mm gun variants with these changes:
- Range against vehicles = 8
- Firepower against vehicles = 10

• 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:
- It may not transport any squads.
- Range against infantry and vehicles = 6
- Firepower against infantry = 6
- Firepower against vehicles = 3
- It may use Concussive Firepower.

• The following Rounds represent the overnight period into the next day:
- Round 9 is dusk (Maximum LOS = 3)
- Rounds 10 and 11 are night (Maximum LOS = 2)
- Round 12 is dawn (Maximum LOS = 3)
- Mortars retain their full range during these Rounds.

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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