Introduction

"Victory in the West" is a Europa campaign for Second Front beginning with the Allies already ashore in Normandy. Play begins with the Jun II 44 turn and continues to the end of the standard SF play. The scenario shares some of the setup information with the "Operation OVERLORD" campaign also in this issue.

Background

D-Day is over and the Allied expeditionary force is safely ashore in France, secure in a lodgement 60 miles long. Slow to react at first, the German command is now in action and, although 15th Army remains in Pas de Calais alert for a second invasion, reinforcements are streaming to Normandy from everywhere else in France. No longer will the Allies face static coastal defense troops and unmotivated Osttruppen, for the reinforcements bear names like 'Panzer Lehr', 'Leibstandarte', and 'Das Reich'. The real battle for Normandy is about to begin...

Components

All the components needed to play "Victory in the West" can be found in Second Front.

Special Rules

General Scenario Information

Use the Allied Jun I 44 initial forces, given by the "Second Front ETO Allied Order of Battle, Jun I 44" on page 26 with modifications given by "Allied Order of Battle Changes" in this scenario. Use Allied reinforcements starting from Jun II 44 as given in the Second Front Allied Order of Battle booklet.

Use the Axis initial setup presented in the article on page 21 on page 21 in this issue entitled "SF Jun I 44 Axis Order of Battle, West and Gr. Germany" with modifications given by "Victory in the West Axis Order of Battle" in this scenario. 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 pot of Napoli (26:2422). The southern France invasion forces (Aug II 44) appear in any of these Mediterranean ports.

Unlike Second Front campaign scenarios, there is no Axis redeployment, nor is there a pre-game Allied movement phase.

At the start of the game, the Allied player owns all hexes in Britain and hexes 17A:0712, 17A:0810, 17A:0811, 17A:1009, and 17A: 1009.

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.

Strategic Air Forces

The Allied player has used the American Strategic Air Forces once, and the British strategic air forces once.

Optional Rules

Use any of the optional rules included in the scenario "Operation OVERLORD."

"Victory in the West" Axis Order of Battle

Use the "SF Jun I 44 Axis Order of Battle, West and Gr. Germany" on page 21 with the following changes.
Order of Battle: Axis (June I 1944) Ground Forces

Eliminated Units
1x 4-5* Static XX 709
1x 4-5 * Static XX 716
1x 3-4-8 Para-Inf III 6 (LW)
1x 1-2-6 Inf III A
1x 2-6 Inf III A

Place in hex 17A:1011: 1x 2-3-6* Inf Cadre (5-7-6) 352
Place in hex 17A:0611 (Cherbourg) 1x 3-2-8 Art III 621
Place in hex 17A: 1008 1x 4-5* Static XX 711

Air Units

Use the Jun I column of the Axis Air Order of Battle on page 25. To represent air activity in the Jun I turn, roll a die for each Axis air unit deployed on Map 17A north of the center map fold.On a roll of '5' or '6' that unit begins the game aborted.

"Victory in the West" Allied Order of Battle

Forces Jun I 44, Axis Player Turn

Miscellaneous

Accumulated Replacements: ETO: American: 20 inf RPs, 20 arm RPs; British: 10 British inf RPs, 5 arm RPs, 2.5 Canadian inf RPs.

Available for Assembly or Breakdown:
2x 11-8 Abn X 82, 101 (US)
1 x 9-8 Inf XX 29 (US)
3x 1-2-10 mot AT II 612, 702, 803 (US) 3rd TD Group]
3x 2-1-10 Tank II 746, 747, 749(US) 6th Armored Group]

Eliminated
1x 3-8 Inf III C (US)
1x 3-8 Eng III ?? (US)
2x 3-5 Para III 502,508
2x 2- 1 - 10 amph Tank II 741, 743 (US)
1x 1-5 Ranger II 2 (US)

US First Army (Bradley)

US VII Corps (Collins)

Place in hex 17A:0711:
1x 10-8 Inf XX 4
1x 7-8 Inf XX .90
1x 3-10 mot hv AA X 11?
2x 3-8 Eng III 1121,1171
1x 2-3-8 Eng III 1104
1x 4-8 Art X VII
1x 3-8 Art X 190
1x 2-1-10 amph Tank II 70
1x 1-2-10 mot AT II 801
1x 3-2-8 Art X 188

Hex 17A:0712:
1x 5-3-10 Arm X 6
1x 3-5 Glider III (disrupted) 82/325
1x 3-5 Para III (undisrupted) 82/505
2x 3-5 Para III (badly disrupted) 507,508
1x 5 *Abn XX HQ (disrupted) 82
1x 1-2-10 mot AT II 899

Hex 17A:0811: (Airborne)
1x 16-10 Arm XX 2
1x 3-5 Glider Inf III (undisrupted) 101/327
1x 4-5 Para III (disrupted) 1011501
1x 3-5 Para III (undisrupted) 101/506
1x 5* Abn XX HQ (badly disrupted) 101

US V Corps (Gerow

Place in hex 17A:0810:
1x 11-8 Inf XX 1
1x 10-8 Inf XX 2
1x 9-8 Inf XX 30
1x 3-8 Inf III B [29]
1x 2-8 Inf III B [29]
1x 8 Inf XX HQ B [29]
1x 3-2-10 Mech Cav X 102
1x 3-10 mot hv AA X 10917
1x 3-8 Eng III 110
1x 4-8 Art X V
1x 3-8 Art X 187
1x 2-5-10 mot AT X 3
1x 2-1-10 Tank II 745
2x 1-8 Mortar II 81,87
1x 1-8 Ranger II 5

British Second Army (Dempsey)

British XXX Corps (Bucknell)

Place in hex 17A:0910.
1 x 10-8 Inf XX 3 (Can)
1x 9-8 Inf XX 50
1x 7-10 Arm X 8
1x 6-8 Art X 2 (Can)
1x 6-4-10 Amph Arm X 2 (Can)
1x 5-3-6 Aslt Eng Tank X 1 RE
1x 3-2-10 Aslt Gun X RMAS (RM)
1x 2-3-8 Eng X 10?
1x 2-10 mot lt AA X (AA=4) XXX
1x 1-8 AT II 73
1x 1-8 AT II 6 (Can)

Place In hex 17A:0911
1x 14-10 Arm XX 7

British I Corps (Crocker)

Place in hex 17A: 1009:
2x 9-8 Inf XX 3,51
1x 8-7-8 Art XX any
1x 7-10 Arm X 4
1x 6-4-10 Amph Arm X 27
1x 5-3-10 Eng Tank X 30
2x 3-8 Marine Cmdo X 1, 4 (RM)
2x 2-5 Para X 3,5
1x 4-5 Air Lndg X 6
1x 6 Abn XX HQ 6
1x 2-3-8 Eng X 11?
1x 2-10 mot lt AA X (AA=4) 1
1x 1-8 AT II 62

Britain

Place in Britain or in the Britain holding box:

All units listed in the Allied Jun I Order of Battle on page 26 not listed above. Add the units listed below, representing Jun I 44 reinforcements:
1x 12-10 Arm XX 7
2x 1-2- 10 mot AT II 630,774
1x 1-8 AT II 610

Naval Forces (Ramsey)

Place in 17A: 1009, prepared for NGS: 1x 16 pt TF (1 NGS usage in 1944) ENTF-1
Place in 17A:0810, prepared for NGS: 1x 12 pt TF (1 NGS usage in 1944) WNTF-1 (USN)
Place in 17A:081 1, prepared for NGS: 1x 12 pt TF (1 NGS usage in 1944) WNTF-2 (USN)
Place anywhere in Britain or in the Main holding box: 2x 16 pt TF (1 NGS usage in 1944) ENTF-2, ENTF-3, 10x undamaged LCs, 10x damaged LCs, 50 naval transport

Air Units

Use the Jun I column of the Allied Air Order of Battle on page 25. To represent air activity in the Jun I turn: