FOINCES INNORMANI D-Day: German ..... German Special Rules. Operation Overlord......... Know Your Panzers... Know Your Infantry . D-Day: German Force... 352" Infantry Division 716" Infantry Division. Beach Defence Grenadier Company Beach Defence Grenadier Company HQ. Beach Defence Grenadier Platoon Beach Defence sMG34 Machine-gun Platoon Beach Defence em Mortar Platoon Beach Defence 12cm Mortar Platoon Be Debec 75cm Gun Paroon Beach Defence 15cm Gun Platoon Beach Defence Sem Tank-hunter Patoo Beach Defence 7.5em Tank-hunter Platoon 3% Fallschirmjager Division...... Fallschirmjaiger Company ...... + Fallschirojager Company HQ Fallschiemjiger Platoon Fallschirmjager sMG2 Machine-gun Piatoon Fillschirmjager Sem Mortar Platoon Fallschirmjiger 12cm Mortar Platoon Ballshirmjger 7.5cm Tank-hunter Plaroon Fallschirmjiiger StuG Assault Gun Company Bilichirjaper SeuG Assault Gun Company HQ. irmjiger StuG Assault Gun Plaoor imsiger Seal! Ascaal Howites The Normandy Campaign 503" Heavy Tank Battalion Tiger Tank Company . . Tiger Tank Company HQ, ‘Tiger Tank Platoon Panzer Lehr Division . Panther Tank Company ....... Panther Tank Company HQ Panthee Tank Platoon Panzer IV Tank Company Panzer 1V Tank Company HQ Pamer IV Tank Platoon Malelragen AA Tank Platoon NING 44, Armoured Panzergrenadier Company «+. +++ Armoured Pnserenadies Company HQ Sd KF 251 Hallack mi Armoured sMG34 Machine-gun Platoon Armoured Sem Mortar Section Armoured 7-5em Gun Platoon Grille 15cm Gun Platoon ranzergrenadicr Company. Panzergrcnadice Company HQ Panzergrenadier Plato: sMG34 Machine-gun Platoon cm Morte Section 1em Mortar Platoon 7-5em Gun Platoon, 15em Gun Platoon 20 Tank-hunter Plasom Reconnaissance Company « Reconnaissance Company HQ. Reconnaissance Platoon, Sd Kf: 250 Hallack Reconnaissance em Mortar Section Reconnaissance 7.5cm Gi Sd K&: 250 Scout Troop Puma Scout Treo Sd Kf 234 (7.5em) Gun Platoon ‘Support Units. . Tagepanzer IV Tankchanter Pltoon, B.Bcm Tank-humte Platoon, B8.8cm Heavy AA Platoon Sd Kf 7/1 Quad AA Platoon Sd Kf 10/4 Light AA Platoon 2em Light AA Placoos ‘Wespe Arilery Bactery Hammel Arillery Battery 10.Scm Arillery Bartery 1Sem Nebelwerfer Battery Panzer If] OP Observation Post. D-Day: German Example Force. Painting Germans German Basing Guide . French Countryside Terral D-Day Battles .......4.445 Outed Breakout D-Day: German Catalogue .Pe NTA We shall see who fights better and who dies more easily, the German soldier faced with the destruction of his homeland or the Americans and British, vading Germany seemed unimaginable ... im of some kind. | had never seen such an assembly of ships, jondered if | was hallucinating, or if this was a del Sand I'm sure nobody will ever see such a thing again, perhaps not in human lWith metal, that is no exaggerati sn Europe becam Blitary backwater for the German Army. Panzer divisions Biom out on the batteficids of Russia rebuilt there whil ould be the next batefcld when the British and BAmerican forces invaded infantey of th divisions laid s and dug fortifications along. hund: While their resilience may h cil divisions 0 co and hale th Bdvance well shore oftheir D-Day objectives. HThe first available_pan D-Day, and by D. landings back into the sea. As the campaign panzer division mandy, bringing the toral ro cen. limited, the beach defence troops d our le division counterattacked on , two more had joined the attempt to arrived. in panzer divisions groups of tank vho don't even sen. Alfred Jodl, Operations ow what they are fighting for in Europe. ofthe German High Command, early 1944 Yet / was astonished at this sight. 1 istory. The sea was absolutely solid mm Holger Eckhertz, D Day Through German Eyes wired infantry mounted in half-tracks, infantry panzergrenadicrs, and a reconnaissance group of and panzergrenadiers in light halftracks that n used asa reserve, These formed an defences and arn groups © ard core of the er, the German -e8), were rebuild- the panzer divisions, the aratroopers, (p ing and expanding after hard fighting. These elite troops were fending infantry and hold sectors of the front around Carentan and St. L6. They became known for their stubborn defenc re pulled from other parts of to allo pulled out of the line and tack. Di smashed division after divisior ouncerattack: Allied gains and preventing brea che panzet divisions to be mcentrated for a massed counter- spite their best efforts, continuous Allied offensives forcing the panzers into a le, which they performed admirably, limixing throughs. tng all of these were the heavy Tiger tank battalions lied tanker, Tiger tanks were the heavi ‘st, most powerful ranks in existence. Wherever they fought, Allied advances ground eo a halt As a Gern ander, stopping the Allied invasion will fot be easy. You wil be outnumbered in men and equipment, fyery German soldier can be counted on to do his duryeee GERMAN SPECIAL RULES The following special rules are characteristic of D-Day: German forces, reflecting their own style of equipment, tactics, and approach to battle. ‘may attempt a second Movement Order after suc in its first Movement Order. The second Movement Ry Armour rating is nor increased by +1 if ic 16"/40em away when hie by HEAT weapons. German army was the firs le Amti-Tank (HEAT [Pasar explodes, 1 form Banks armour. Since it doc ifictive ax any nar Stith a ROF of ‘suuvo" are Anillery weapons and Bombardments, buc use a 10"/25cm square Bia mater of seconds, saruraii UTA a 4 FLAME-THROWER Infantry, Gun, and U cessful Saves when hit by a Flame automatically Pinned Down. Armoured Tank Teams use ‘Top armout for Armour Saves when hit by a Flame-throw Flame-throwers may shoot in Defensive Fire. However, does not automatically stop the assault. The defend needs to score five (or eight) hits as as normal mal ro stop the ass hing thy MOUNTED ASSAULT This Team has Assaule 4+ and Counceratcack 4+ with OB Passenger and Assault 3+ and Counterttack 4+ with Wo three Passengers. This is shown on ehe Transport Unie ead an additional mosivation and skill column, PANZERFAUST — LIMITED 1 Each time this Unit shoots, one of its Teams may shoot a8 Panzerfaust han its usual weapons, Each time this Unie rolls To Hie in an assault, one of ts Te pon. Infantty ied rve for the nest tank attach UNIT TRANSPORT The Unit Leader of the Transpore Arrachment must end Movement Step within 6°/15cm of the Unit Leader of Passenger Unie while on table, [Fic cannot do this, thea’ Transport Attachment must be Sent to the Rea. eOPERATION OVERLORD darkness of 6 June 1944, the largest Army under Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey. The yast Teriada of ships the world has ever seen heaves t0 off the forces involved meant that not all could be landed ax one, s0 Normandy coastline. Aboard, thousands of Allied soldiers spearheads would have to land on the invasion beaches and Tien readiness for their dae with destiny. Months of plan- push inland clearing the way for others to follow Shing, traning and preparation ace now behind them. On this ay they will undertake the greatest amphibious assaulc in TARGET NORMANDY Bhistry, and on heir successor failure hangs the fare of the The Allies chose Normandy for the landings, rather than the Miberation of Europe from the jackboot of Nazi domination. shortest route across the English Channel from Dover to the IB Day is finally here! as de Calais. Hitler himself suspected that Normandy would be the site of any invasion but, unusually, allowed himself OPERATION OVERLORD to be persuaded otherwise by his generals. To reinforce this Tn November 1943, following conviction, the Allies launched 4 major deception plan, he British and American Governments finally agreed ro a Operation Fortitude, using double agents, fake signal trans Fallscale invasion of German-occupied France—Operation missions, news stories, broadcasts and dummy encampments (Overlord-—provisionally scheduled for May 1944, In The deception cencred on creating the illusion of a First US December, US General Dwight D Eisenhower was appoint. Army Group, FUSAG, supposedly comprising 30 divisions fel Supreme Commander of Supreme Headquarters Allied stationed in south-east England under the command of Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) charged with planning General George S Patton. The Germans were completely the invasion, Under his command General Sir Bernard taken in. Even afer the Normandy landings had taken place, IMonigomerys 21 Army Group consisted of the US First Hitler refused wo allow reinforcements tobe transferred from my under General Omar Bradley and the British Second the Pas de Calais region, believing thar the landings were % Nias Cone m Pony oe te Pr ae ;, L a P| Or; SE rn A ey A ere Nene _— Ce kel foray Coco eg PragTHE ATLANTIC WALL While the Allies lid th the defenders of Hidle:’s fications of North Wes 1942, Generalfeldars Oberbefeibaber (OB) West, France, Holland and Be Which controlled Seventh Army, defending Brittany INormandy, and Fifteenth Army in the Pas de Calais region In November 1943, Generalfeldraan forders t0 ready the 1 expected i Eepsto deny fields vo airborne im plans and marshalled their forces castal fort idle had been nse all German Forcesin pB nd un. This included Army mmand of Army Group jven to Rommel, the famed “Desert Fox lected coastal defen fasion, Rommel added strongpoints and took Well-sived anti-tank lobstacles and extensive mincfields were constructed to hinder the invaders The long this parr of the coast had to mostly rely on absol Iveapons and there was a notable lack of depth in defence was broken. However, weaknesses remained. ‘The defences fonce the initial coastal ‘rust THE DEFENSIVE PLAN ‘The German defensive plan involved infanery formations holding the defensive line along the ich an armoured reserve held further inland. ‘The manning the fred defences were stat two infanc iments of variable quality supported by three eC Dt (East) bat The all-important armou lions made up of former Soviet so: vo the part of Panzer Group West, directly conerolled Wess. However, Rommel did manage to get three armoured divisions placed under his direct contol This F any counterattack in the even man command structure and the need key for- significantly hamper the German ability 10 onfusing G uuthority of Hitler himself to mon react swifily when required. On the day of the invasion, von. uunsted’s efforts to move rhorps (W* SS-Panaet wait Hitler's hours. Even then, th the months prec Corps) closer to the invasion beaches had to approval. This was not given until 160 Allied air most reserve formations. I the All ceduci attacks significantly dela movement of 4 air forces had smashed the French its capacity 1 move oops 10 the front Germans were forced to commit the few remaining Lufi aircraft co its defence against overwhelming odds, D-DAY As D-Da ened f ings by Eisenhower mad perfect, but it would have to do—the invasion was on. English Channel + to postpone the land- approached, the weather in th cing General Eise 24 hours. Final aicer consulting the meteorologists fateful decision. The weather was na The poor weather had lille the defenders neo a fale sense ‘of security. As the invasion gor unde was Breast si ve COTENTIN PENINSULA Phy a eter. ee AD er . ss f a EME er a corte eS Ae ees ; = ead BRADLEY1¢ US 82°! ‘All American’ and 101 # Airborne Divisions, and the ‘Red Devils’ of the British ne Division—dropped into Normandy to secure andings. The more fortunate ear their drop zones, but Tow cloud and anc entin Peninsil nany were dispersed as a craft fire stern flank of the inva ne divisions secured key areas n flank, the British para- struck at targets berween the Orne and Dives rivers. the Orne and Caen Canal were seized by an the op parachute and ¢) iB proved crucial in confusing and delaying the i defenders, securing inland routes f xy bridges and cross $P520 hous, nearly two thousand Allied medium and ombers hammered the German coastal defences, This Be onslaught was fell fiom seven batclcships, 18 cruisers, 43 destroyers, Bunboats and monitors, A follow-up raid by anoche s ain bombers ought yet more destruction, SEABORNE LANDINGS nder cover of darkness thousands of landing craft approached the Normandy coastline. The Allied amphibious to east they were codenamed: Utah and Omaha—the landing beaches of the US Firse Army-—and Gold, Juno and S e at five beaches, running from west ord — the landing beaches for the British and Canadian troops of the British Second Army, UTAH BEACH Utah Beach, at che base of the Cotentin Peninsula, was wide and flat, and behind the beach was a marshy plain thae had. been deliberately flooded by the defenders. The Americans Jected co land an hour earlier than the British, using the lower tide ed obstacles designed « under yme the problems of submerged beach destroy landing craft. At 0630 hours, ‘over of a bombardment from rocker-firing landing. Regimental Combat Team (RCT) of 4 ‘Ivy Infantry Division led the be rah projected landing ste. Foruirousy, however, the German Supported by Sherman DD amphibious tanks (28 of the 32 launched a whelmed the 915% Grenadier Repiment ofthe 709 Infantry Divison. The 4 Infantry Division a com of 200 caualies—far fewer than antipated, As the rest of the US VII Corps poured ashore, the Division linked up wit paratroopers of che 101" Alrborne Division wo B® cl the ext from the Hooded plain further iland, ie ashore) the infantry quickly ove cured its objectives ator the assaulting American troops. Bad weather n swamping landing raft ipushing them onto submerged obstacles. Preparatory fire Inissed most of the beach defences, sited on a high bluff oking the beach and losses wo enemy fire were heavy, Ghost ofthe combac engineers and supporting Sherman Mans lose before they reached the shoreline. Farther complicate matters, the assaulting troops of RCT fio the veteran 1" “Big Red One’ Infantry pny and 1164 RCT, from the inexperienced 29" ‘Bluc Gicy Infantry Division, found themselves facing not ihe anticipated 726% Infantry Regiment from fanny Divisions, but also the 914" and 916* Infantry i Infantry Division, who had occupied beach defences undetected by Allied intelligence. ‘The fe forces were pinned down on the beach until mid-af- iy suffering heavy casualties. By nightfall they had Iho mote than 2,000 yards inland. Pils to the west, near the Visc River estuary dividing land Utah, the 2* Ranger Battalion carried out a Assault from the sea directly up che cliffs ar Pointe da Esl but costly asaul, the cangers discovered thatthe Had already been removed by the G GOLD BEACH Av 0725 hours che first tsoops ftom the British Second. began landing, At Gold Beach, 69 and 231 Brigade Grou of 50 (Northumberland) Division led the assaule with Si port from commandos, artillery and specialist armour—dhey tmine-clearing, flame-throwing and engineering ‘funnieg allocated to the British beaches. The invaders made good progress against the defenders from 736% Infantry Regimen of the 716" Infantry Division. By early afternoon, all of 50° Division was ashore, with elements of 7 Armoured Division landing behind them later in the day. JUNO BEACH Immediately to the east of 50® Division, it was the ask OE his ind 8 Brigade Groups of 3 Canadian Division to stOFt ashore at Juno Beach. The Canadians were supported by thes commandos of 4 Special Service Brigade. Mindful of the debacle at Dieppe in 1942 which had cost so many Canadial lives, the Canadians anticipated heavy casualties. [n the ee thei objectives were taken with comparatively light casual after hard fighting against elements of the 736" Gre Regiment of the 716" Infantry Division, By mid afternoon the entire 3° Canadian Division was SWORD BEACH Ac the easternmost beach of the invasion, Sword Bex 8 Brigade Group of British 3 Division led the asi supported by the commandos of 1 Special Service Bi The landings suffered from high tides caused by the weather and also rough resistance from German {1000 the 736° lnfntry Regiment of the 716* Infancy Divs The Brish troops fought their way hough the defences and began to exploit inland. On the German si 716" Infantry Division was practically obliteraced, red co an effective strength of only two batalions 3" Division had been allocated very ambitious objet including the caprure ofthe city of Cacn, a crucial road mil junction some ten miles inland, The division uly ele the invasion beach and linked up with the paratroopers @ the 6* Aitborne Division, having advanced some (mi inland—ore ofthe farthest advances on D-Day. The unexpected arival of 21% Panzer Division sf Divisions advance and threw them on the def A strong defence by the British and Canadian divs prevented 21" Panzer Division from exploiting iss Ulespite reaching che ea between Juno and Sword Be However. ts attack had frustrated the inital drive on Theie failure wo capeure Caen was to have far teaching em quences fr the Allis NIGHTFALL, 6 JUNE By nightfall on 6 June the Allies were ashore, but in 89 places their beachhead was no deeper than 2000) Certain vital D-Day objectives—most notably Cae not been caprured, Yet enough men and material had brought ashore that the local German forces could not to push chem back into the sea, Seill, the task that lay bef the Allied forces was considerable. They must link up beachheads, capture Cherbourg (the only major port iit region) to guarantee resupply, and push inland to Caehl St. Ld, before breaking through the difficult bocage he ‘countryside of Normandy and into. the open terraPaar B The Allies may have driven German forces ou of Africa and pushed chem back on the Eastern Front, but Germany has come Back stronger than ever. With the promised miraculous V-weapons on the horizon, its elite panzer crews are still certain of Vicxory and will not stop fighting while chere is any hope of success, Their Third Reich bonus means that they will ight ro the fend in a last-stand situation Betitan Panzer IV and Tiger tanks, and StuG assault guns stored their ammunition in atmoured bins. This sighifeandy frediiced the chance of ammunicion explosions when tanks were hit. The increased exew survival rte gave tank erews con- iderable confidence in their anks. Their Protected Ammo bonus makes them more likely to remount if their tank was not fiminediacely destroyed Tiger crews were hand picked as the best ofthe best. They had confidence in themselves and their machines, repairing and Hemouncing damaged machines, and fighting on, even when the odds against them appeased insurmountable. PANZER IV ‘Aisost half of the German tanks in Yornandy were P ©: Commande: fought in the front Line marks of the Panzer IV an sinco the beginning iene + mn | wK4O 1/88 gun 2x MGS6 79200 MG 38 kav 23 mph) Maybach 220 kW 300 ip) Tho Panther's long 7en gun could pon ume, While they found its thick, well-cloped armour difficult to penetrate in ver, radio op rotum. Even ite spood and mobili od aean AllSed Hight tank, ‘Walght: 4300 tonne aking st en all-round winzer Allied tank with ease, crew (5 Keight: 2906's Weapont 7Sen KwK42 1/70 gum 2x NOS 792mm WE Amour 48-100 speed: 46 km/a (28 mph) Maybach 618 iW (690 bp)tas th onee, with thiex armour on both the front and sides iF weapons pored much of a threat to this monster, and ite crews knew Gf asking thea bold and aggressive in action. Few tanks were ever more SHG aesitt gun ae tho Stat accoutt nowitoor were the ntantzys crew Soneandon, Het eager hse with th mane gin ae the Fanar> 1, bt with, onder, driver atgnt br pestecon te sarusicy ro Tonett: 6770 22") ‘then fire rupyert. The st 1 focusoed moze ch Widths ae destroying oneny machine Howing the other arms too tneA Cole a AULA The Allies may h wn forces out of Africa and i ick on the Eastern Front, but Germany has come back stronger than h the promised miraculous V-weapons on the horizon, its elite infantry of the panzer divisions ate certain of victory and will not stop fighting whil any hope The pan: Third Reich bonus helps them to hold out in a desperate las-stand, 19444, the Germans were running out of manpower, so recruited older men to fill out their infantry divisions. With Families Back home, these soldiers were less willing to fight to the bitter end in a heroic last stand than the soldiers ofthe elite panzer Mlvisions. Their Family Man rating means that they are more likly lr when the situation looks hopeles BEACH DEFENCE GRENADIER COMPANY Hrodpsleaclgnet to detend the beaches of Prance against the Allied invasion ed been desped fit for By ront-tine service. They spent more of their tine building fortifications than training, but their Jack of ‘Combat ekilis mattered lese wh tended role, but did Limit their capability in tensive operations While mose coastal-defence divisions struggled to get enough machine-guns, t platoons of some divisions were given extra machine-guns to make them more ef Caray ee on the newie) iene F [sists 3+] ——. 1 equipped, with easy ed. balf-tracks, including nece unite used their nobility PANZERGRENADIER COMPANYCNS Treeeo borers Drs seta eo ae Seu SD KFZ 10/6 ARTILLERY BATTERY uci? AK bEROoN WESPE SOKFZ 7A ARTILLERY BATTERY quad sk Poon TS NEBELWERFER Barren Tae WILDCARD {Formation support352"° INFANTRY DIVISION “The 352" Infantry Division rose from the ashes of the 321 a fortress divisi Infantry Division sent ro the Russian and. Prone after the disaster ar Stalingrad destroyed in the Soviec countero following the Bare of Kursk. Leaving the surviving combat troops to fight fon with the 110° Infantry Division, the headquarters returned to France in November 1943. There division from young 18 and 19- ecruits from Hanov As «rebuilt the sar old commander, ic_fell Gonenllewnant Dietrich Kniss (warded the Kaight’s C with Oak Leaves and the German Cross in Gold) to mak His division ready to fight, He and his staff worked titles Wye Almost unobtainable, Shortages of ammunition the upon + equipment. Heavy weapons were scarce, trucks df meant a bare minimum of weapons training and vireually n driver training. Tn spice of these shortages and spending up to 8 hours a day Tabouring on beach defences, by May 1944 the 352 Infancry Division was fully equipped and capable of combat —a state that no other infantry division in the Normandy area could aspire to, By the standard of the fortress divisions, its equip. iment scale was lavish, with twice the number of machine- guns and plenty of mortars and guns. Neate The bi where would the division fight nest? Would they be sencto the Ri ‘Many of the soldiers were no doube relieved to be ordered to take over half question on their mind was sian Front? of the Normandy coastal sector from the overextended 716° Infantry Division. THE D-DAY FIGHTING D-Day, 6 June ‘of where the division would fight, division reacted immediacely Allied invasion, inflicting casualties on the two American divisions landi ctor. On the ist Germans stopped the Allies cold was Omaha, and it » 352 Infantry Division that had performed this heroic feat. With the Americans tied down on che beach and unable co yy vehicles up to the top of the steep bluff, ic seemed matter of time before they were pushed back into the wered the question The the horrendous ‘on Omaha Beach in ie the only be annel once the German reserves counterattacked. Unfortunately overlookin 1 the soldicts manning the stro the beach, their mobile reserves never arrived. firse headed American Then on artiving, they immediately the whole battlefield co their vunterattack the Battlegroup Meyer, the divisional reserve towards Carentan intending to counterattack th parachuce landings the ne all the way back ai searting point ax Bayeux to peneeration, Cts Iai iss pean ok? i Rots Reena Sc ae reachWhile this was happening, divisional headquarters believed thac the Americans had been contained. By the time the true ation was known, the opportunity co totally rout the American landings was lost in the fog of battle. The American forces were through the defences and pushed inland. As if eying co hold the beaches at Omaha, see off the para troopers at Carentan, and hale the Brivsh incursion at Bayeux ‘was nor enough, the 352 Infantry Division faced another problem. The American rangers attacking the coastal-defence gust Pointe du-Hoc had established firm conerol of the gun Positions by the time divisional headquarters was aware ofthe problem. Reinforcements weresenc co drive them off. Repeated atic throughout the day finally pushed the rangers back to the wire around the former German position, but there chey held their ground, resisting all effors to remove them. FIGHTING ON AFTER D-DAY Massively outnumbered and without reinforcements, the division stood no chance. By nightfall, che fight had moved ‘off the beaches and into the French countryside. For two ‘more months the division stood berween increasingly strong. 1US forces and victory. As the American infantry moved for ward the division continued co resise, and towns with names | like Isgny, Formigny, and Teévidtes became batlegwounds, During the defence of St. Ld, the division virtually ceased (@ st. Genevaleurnant Kraiss was killed during the bombing, re che attack. By 30 July, despite receiving eight new battalions from five other divisions, all ts batalions were classified as Abgekimpf, fought out, and no of even defending their postions, et alone attacking. Over the course of the fighting in Normandy the division had lose some 7900 officers and men out of is inital sten of 14,460. Each battalion had less than 100 combat-eady soldiers, OF its orga serviceable, along with just cwo of its cen SiuG assault guns The survivors were withdrawn to Alengon south-east of Cael for vficing. Within a week, they were back in combat, fight inti-tank guns only four remained: ing a rearguatd action against the American breakout racing cowards Paris, 0 1s ronamed the 352 Vol + Divisionon21 September, afterjustlessthan one year in existence. Absorbing the month-old 581* Volksgrenadiet Division, the division fighting against the odds until che end. or the last imey Co) aa aW 1 =2a0 ln al Mae, ae cd Barbed Wire First gaps in beach obstacles, ===—3> Allied movemene to the end of the day GERMAN UNITS 3" Batalion eo ‘ ee oe abn ieee hen - Turret Bunker Sun Bunker MG Tobruk Mortar Tobruk Field/AT gun ry cone rad emeagieet cents)