Operation Overlord

An Abbreviated Second Front
Campaign Scenario

Introduction

by Frank Watson


Introduction

"Operation OVERLORD" is a Europa campaign scenario for Second Front which is a slightly abbreviated version of Second Front scenario 41.B.3 "The ETO (1944-45 Theater Scenario)" that limits the Allied player to the historical OVERLORD plan and limits the Axis player to the historical Axis deployment.

The scenario starts on the Allied Player turn of the Jun 144 turn and ends either upon the conclusion of the May 145 turn or upon an Axis surrender (per Rule 38A2).

Components

All the components needed to play "Operation OVERLORD" can be found in Second Front.

Special Rules

General Scenario Information. Use the Allied Jun I 44 initial forces, given on page 26, and the Allied reinforcements starting from Jun I 44 as given in the Second Front Allied Order of Battle booklet. Allied units may begin the game embarked.

Use the Axis initial setup presented in the article on page 21 of this issue entitled "Second Front JUN I 44 German Order Of Battle". Use Axis reinforcements from the Second Front Order of Battle book starting from Jun II 44.

For this scenario, the ETO includes the Mediterranean Sea. Allied forces may operate in the Mediterranean and may use ports and naval bases in North Africa, Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica, as well as the port of Napoli (26:2422). The southern France invasion forces (Aug II 44) appear in any of these Mediterranean ports.

The Axis player controls the West and Greater Germany theaters. At the start of the game, he owns all non-neutral hexes except those owned by the Allies.

See Rule 42 for victory conditions.

Pre-planning. The Allied player has the following airborne and amphibious operations planned for the Jun I 44 player turn.

American:

Hex 17A:0711 (Amphibious):
3x 3-8 Inf III B, B, B [4/8, 4/12, 4/22]
1x 3-8 Eng III 1171
1x 3-8 Eng III 1121
1x 2-1-10 amph Tank II 70
1x 1-5 amph Aslt Eng II 7 (USN)

Hex 17A:0712: (Airborne)
1x 3-5 Glider III 82/325
3x 3-5 Para III 82/505, 507, 508

Hex 17A:0811: (Airborne)
1x 4-5 Para III 101/502
2x 3-5 Para III 501, 101/506

Hex 17A:0810: (Amphibious)
1x 4-8 Inf III A [1/16]
2x 3-8 Inf III A, C [1/18, 29/116]
1x 3-8 Eng III 1106
2x 2-1-10 amph Arm II 741,743
2x 1-5 Ranger II 2,5

British:

Hex 17A:0910 (Amphibious):
1x 6-4-10 Amph Arm X 2 (Can)
1x 5-3-6 Assault Eng Tank X 1 RE
2x 3-8 Inf III B, B [50/69, 50/231 ]
2x 3-8 Inf III A, A (Can) [3/7, 3/8]

Hex 17A:1009 (Amphibious):
1x 6-4- 10 amph Arm X 27
1x 5-3-10 Eng Tank X 30
2x 3-8 Inf III A, A [3/8, 3/185]
1x 3-8 Marine Cmdo X 1
1x 3-8 Marine Cmdo X 4 (RM)

Hex 17A:1009 (Airborne):
1x 4-5 Air Lndg X 6
2x 2-5 Para X 3,5

Optional Rules

Garrisons The Axis order of battle lists specific deployment hexes for units in garrisons in the West theater. Deploy these units on the map in the hexes indicated and mark them as garrison units in any convenient way, such as using garrison markers made from the template provided in this issue. When a unit is activated from garrison it becomes activated in its specific deployment hex. Units in garrison may be move while in garrison, but must end each movement phase in a city in the garrison area and Axis garrison requirements must be met.

Special Allied Beach Landing Capability. In the exploitation phase of the Jun I Allied player turn (only):

  • NTs may land Allied non c/m units land on friendly beaches from (note that this includes units with heavy equipment).

  • units at friendly beaches at a cost of 30 MPs.

    79th Armoured XX. British assault engineer tank brigade and engineer tank brigade may make amphibious assaults but their attack strength is halved again.

    AECD In Bocage. Units in bocage retain AECD effects against airborne assaults up to a ratio of 1/7th . AECD in excess of 1/7th has no further effect.

    Anti-aircraft Units in Overstack. Up to two REs of antiaircraft units in overstack in each hex may participate in antiaircraft fire against enemy air missions. These anti-aircraft units may not participate in ground combat.

    Construction Units in Overstack. Up to two REs of construction units in each hex may use their construction abilities while in overstack.

    Reaction Rolls. If a player makes any amphibious during his naval movement steps, the enemy player reacts to the landing at the end of the naval movement sub-phase (after all naval movement steps are done).

    If a player makes any airborne landings during his movement phase, the enemy player reacts to the airdrop at the end of the movement phase (after all friendly movement is completed).

    For each hex in which an amphibious landing or airdrop was made, the reacting player rolls one die and consults the success table but with the following additional modifiers applied:

    +1 reacting unit is 1 RE or less in size;
    -1 if the reacting unit has already attempted a reaction roll in the current turn;
    -2 if attempt is in reaction to an airborne operation.

    Results are as described in SF rule 32D with one exception: a unit reacting to a purely airborne operation may only use 1 MP in reaction.

    Railroad Tunnel Breaks. If the Allied player scores a rail hit on hex 17A: 1914, he scores a rail tunnel hit. A rail tunnel hit is a permanent rail break in the hex and cannot be repaired by either side within the scope of the game.

    SAS / Maquis Units. The Allied player may deploy all five of his SAS units [2x 1-8 Para Cmdo II 1 SAS, 2 SAS; 2x Para Cmdo II 3 SAS, 4 SAS (French), and 1x 1-8 Para Cmdo II 5 SAS (Bel)] on his Jun 144 turn anywhere in MR 10, 11, 4, 9, and 12; one per MR; and not adjacent to or stacked with another SAS unit. These units then function under SE Optional Rule 40 as Partisan units until destroyed or "dismissed" by the Allied player (by being in a friendly owned hex or adjacent to a friendly unit). Once destroyed or once "dismissed," they again become conventional units and no longer can be used as to "partisans."

    More Operation Overlord

    Back to Europa Number 59-60 Table of Contents
    Back to Europa List of Issues
    Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List
    © Copyright 1997 by GR/D
    This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com