Greetings from the ever-expanding Second Front beachhead. The big news this issue is that a comprehensive draft ground Order of Battle has been completed. This will allow GRD to begin work on the counter artwork and also to kick off the final round of playtesting. Twelve elite groups of testers have been contacted and will soon be at work.

Following are a few random tidbits from this wealth of OB data for your perusal. At present the Order of Battle data alone runs over 100 pages... just to give you some idea of the mammoth undertaking Second Front represents.

Order of Battle Notes

AA Strengths

Axis Forces

German:
German Army.
1-10 mot It AA II AA=1
Luftwaffe:
2-10 mot hv AA III AA=4
2-10 mot It AA III AA=4
1-10 mot hv AA II AA=2
1-10 mot It AA II AA=2
OKW
1-3-0 hv AA X AA=6
Waffen-SS:
1-10 mot hv AA II AA=2

Italian:
1-3-6 It AA X AA=6
1-6 It AA III AA=2
1-8 hv AA II AA=1

Allied Forces

American:
3-10 mot hv AA X AA=8
1-8 hv AA III AA=2
0-10 mot hv AA II AA=2
1-10 mot It AA II AA=2

British:
2-3-10 mot hv AA X AA=8
0-3-6 hv AA X AA=6
0-2-6 hv AA X AA=4
1-8 hv AA II AA=2
0-81tAA II AA=1

ITALIAN FRAGILE DIVISION CHART

Fragile Division: Substitution
4-6 Inf XX 2-3-5 Inf XX
3-4-6 Inf XX 2-3-5 Inf XX
3-8 Inf XX 2-3-5 Inf XX
3-6 Inf XX 2-3-5 Inf XX

When a fragile division is eliminated, remove its counter and substitute a 2-3-5 Inf XX in its place in the replacement pool.

Allied Breakdowns

(Samples)

American:

11-8 Abn XX 82
1x 8 Abn/5* Para XX HQ 82
1x 4-5 Para III 82/504
1x 3-5 Para III 82/505
1x 3-5 Glider III 82/325

Optional: The 82nd can be reinforced from 11-8 to 14-8 through the addition of any 1x 3-5 Para III to the division.

11-8 Abn XX 101
1x 8 Abn/5* Para XX HQ 101
1x 4-5 Para III 101/502
1x 3-5 Para III 101/506
1x 3-5 Glider III 101/327

Optional: The 101st can be reinforced from 11-8 to 14-8 through the addition of any 1x 3-5 Para III to the division.

10-8 Mtn XX 10
1x 8 Mtn XX HQ 10
3x 3-8 Mtn III10/85, 10/86, 10/87

6-4-10 Arm X any
3x 2-1-10 Tank II

Note: 3x 2-1-10 Tank II may assemble into 6-4-10 Arm X, up to the limits of available 6-4-10 Arm X.

British:

17-10 Arm XX A
1x 10 Arm XX HQ
1x 11-10 Arm X
1x 5-10 Mech X

SECOND FRONT COUNTER LIST

Proposed Color Schemes

1. ALLIES

1.1 USA
1.1.1 US Army: white on olive
1.1.2 USAAF: black on light olive
1.1.3 US Navy: black on dark gray
1.1.4 US Marine Corps: black on dark gray
1.1.5 OSS: black top/white bottom on olive
1.1.6 US-Canadian: white top/black bottom on olive

1.2 British Empire
1.2.1 British Army: black on tan
1.2.2 RAF: black on tan
1.2.3 Royal Navy: black on light gray
1.2.4 Fleet Air Arm: black on light gray
1.2.5 Royal Marines: black on light gray
1.2.6 Canadian: black on brown
1.2.7 New Zealander: black top/white bottom on brown
1.2.8 South African: white top/black bottom on brown
1.2.9 Indian Army: brown on white
1.2.10 Indian State Forces: black/brown on white
1.2.11 Colonial: brown/black on white
1.2.12 Inter-Allied: black on medium brown (60% screen)

1.3 France
1.3.1 Metropolitan French: black on blue
1.3.2 Colonial French: white on blue
1.3.3 French Foreign Legion: black/white on blue

1.4.1 Italian: black on light gray-green

1.5.1 Allied: colors?

1.6.1 Belgian: colors?

1.7.1 Brazilian: black on olive

1.8.1 Czechoslovakian: black on red

1.9.1 Dutch: colors?

1.10.1 Greek: colors?

1.11.1 Norwegian: colors?

1.12.1 Polish: white on red

2.0 AXIS

2.1 Germany
2.1.1 German Army: black on gray-green
2.1.2 Luftwaffe: black on light blue
2.1.3 Kriegsmarine: black on dark blue
2.1.4 OKW Forces: white/black on gray-green
2.1.5 Waffen-SS: white on black
2.1.6 SS-Police: red on black
2.1.7 Hitler Youth: colors to be determined
2.1.8 Foreign and Special Contingents: white on gray-green
2.1.9 Eastern Troops: gray-green on white

2.2 Italy
2.2.1 Italian: black on light gray-green
2.2.2 CCNN: yellow on black
2.2.3 Albanian: white on gray-green
2.3.1 RSI Italian: black on yellow

3.0 MARKERS

1.2.6 Canadian: black on brown

CORPS MARKERS

# Front Ratings BOTTOM IDs
2x Inf XXX HQ 1,2

DIVISIONS

# Front Ratings Back Ratings Front & Back: LEFT IDs
2x 15-10 Arm XX 7-8* Arm Cadre 4,5
2x 13-10 Arm XX 6-8* Arm Cadre 4,5
2x 8-7-10 Arm XX 3-8* Arm Cadre 4,5
3x 10-8 Inf XX 5-8* Inf Cadre 1,2,3
1x 6-6* Res XX 2-6* Res Cadre 7

DIVISIONAL HQS
# Front Ratings Front: LEFT I Ds
1x 8 Inf XX HQ A

NON-DIVISIONAL UNITS

# Front Ratings : Front & Back: LEFT IDs
3x.3-8* Inf X : A, A, A (3-8 Inf X Back Rating)

# Front Ratings : Front: RIGHT IDs
1x 6-4-10 Arm X : 1
1 x 6-4-10 Arm X : 2 (6-4-10 Amph Arm X Back Rating)
1 x 6-4-6 Tank X : 1
1x 3-10 mot Inf X : 12
1x 3-10 mot Art X : 1 A
2x 6-8 Art X : 1, 2
1x 1-2-8 Eng X : 1
1x 3-6 Trng X : 1 A
2x 2-1-10 Recon II : 1, 18
1x (+1)-10 APC counters (1 RE) : 1 APC
1x 1-2-10 mot AT II : 7
2x 1-8 AT II : 6, 7
1x 1-8 hv AA II AA=2 : 2
2x 0-8 It AA II AA=1 : 1, 6
1x 2-1-10 Res Arm II : Elgin

1.2.7 New Zealander: black top/white bottom on brown
DIVISIONS

# Front Ratings Back Ratings Front & Back: LEFT IDs
1 x 17-10 Mech XX 8-8* Mech Cadre 2
1 x 15-10 Mech XX 7-8* Mech Cadre 2

1.2.8 South African: white top/black bottom on brown
DIVISIONS

# Front Ratings Back Ratings Front & Back: LEFT IDs
1 x 15-10 Arm XX 7-8* Arm Cadre 6
1 x 13-10 Arm XX 6-8* Arm Cadre 6

NON-DIVISIONAL UNITS
# Front Ratings Front: RIGHT IDs
1 x 3-10 mot Inf X 13