1. OVERVIEW
This is a simple simulation of the Allied invasion of France at Normandy in June 1944. Complete games take two hours played on a tabletop surface five feet wide by six feet long with 20mm vehicles and figures. Each game turn represents approximately 2.5 days. The game begins on 6 June and ends on 30 June - ten turns. The object of the game for the Allies is to secure the lodgment area and prepare for future operations. For the Germans, the object is to eliminate the Allied landings, or to contain the lodgment to the smallest area possible.
2. THE GAME MAP
The map depicts the area of the Normandy invasion from the invasion beaches in the north to St. Lo in the south and from Coutances in the west to Vimont in the east. Each area is named for a town, village, or topographical feature. Roads connect some areas. Rivers pass along some area borders. There are bridges where roads cross over rivers. Bridges are permanent and may not be destroyed
3. WINNING THE GAME
Several areas are worth victory points. There are a total of 21 points possible. The Allied point total at the end of game turn 10 identifies the level of victory as follows:
- 0-10 points. German victory. The invasion is contained and the war continues into 1946.
11-14 points. Allied tactical victory. The war ends in May 1945.
15-17 points. Allied operational victory. The war ends in December 1945.
18-21 points. Allied strategic victory. The war ends in September 1944.
To get credit for a victory point area, the Allies must fulfill two requirements. They must be the last side to have uncontested control of the area and the area must be in supply at the end of Turn 10.
4. UNITS
Units move and fight as a whole. Each unit has a combat strength representing the number of hits it can take before being removed from play. When a unit takes a hit, it receives a marker (typically a ring or chit of some sort). Remove units from play when they receive a number of hits equal to or greater than their combat strength.
5. TURN SEQUENCE
Turn 1, D-Day, follows a slightly different sequence than turns 2 through 10. It attempts to simulate many of the key elements of the first 24 hours in the battle for Normandy. In order to do that, the first turn contains some additional one-time events. If it takes a bit longer to do the first turn, remember that for some soldiers, D-Day was the rest of their life.
TURN I SEQUENCE
This is the sequence for Turn 1 only. Note: There are no supply checks for either side on Turn 1.
- l . Allied airborne divisions land in their objective areas. Each rolls one die to determine its temporary strength. See Section 13 below for details.
2. German units issue defensive fire upon Allied airborne units.
3. Allies use naval gunfire (12 total dice) against any valid targets.
4. Allied units land on invasion beach areas. Allied players roll one die for each area to determine the landing forces' temporary strength. See Section 13 below for details.
5. German players roll one die for each of the German static beach defense units (five invasion beach areas) to determine their true strength minus any hits taken from naval gunfire. See Section 13 below for details.
6. Surviving German static beach defense units issue defensive fire upon Allied landing units.
7. German units move. German units check for Allied operational air power as needed.
8. Allies allocate tactical air power and issue defensive fire.
9. Return all Allied units to their proper strength minus any hits taken so far. 10. Place Allied supply dumps on all invasion beaches currently under uncontested Allied control - maximum five dumps.
TURNS 2 - 10 SEQUENCE
Turns two through ten use the following sequence:
- 1. Allies check supply. Units out of supply take one hit. See special rules for Allied airborne divisions supply status on Turns 1-3.
2. Allocate Allied replacements - (maximum four, two American, two British).
3. Allies move. Tactical or road march. This includes Allied reinforcements scheduled to arrive on this turn.
4. Germans issue defensive fire.
5. Germans check supply. Units out of supply take one hit.
6. German move. Tactical or road march. This includes any German reinforcements scheduled to arrive on this turn. Apply Allied operational air power if appropriate.
7. Allied defensive fire. Apply naval gunfire, allocate tactical air power, and fire defensive fires.
8. Place Allied supply dumps on all invasion beaches currently under uncontested Allied control - maximum five dumps. Do not place additional dumps on beaches already marked.
6. CHECKING SUPPLY
Units must be able to trace a supply line from the area they occupy along roads from area to area, without passing through enemy occupied areas, to their supply source. Units may not draw supply line through contested areas but may draw supply line to contested areas. Merely passing through an area does not necessarily block enemy supply through that area. To block enemy lines of supply, units must physically occupy the area in question. Allied supply sources are the five invasion beach areas. American units may only draw supplies through Utah and Omaha beaches. British and Canadian units may only draw supplies through Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches.
German sources are all roads leading off the map to the north, south, west, and east. Units out of supply must take one hit immediately. Remove units if applicable. Units out of supply are not affected in any other way. See special supply rule for the three Allied airborne units. Consider them in supply for the first three turns of the game even if they are isolated.
OPTIONAL RULE: Units out of supply may not use road march.
OPTIONAL RULE: At the end of the first turn that an Allied invasion area (beach) is uncontested, the Allied player places a supply dump on that area. Supply dumps may move one area per turn and only along roads. If a German unit is the only unit in an area containing an Allied supply dump, then the dump is permanently removed from play
5. REPLACEMENTS
The Allies receive four replacement strength points (two American, two British) each turn beginning on turn 2. The Allied player may remove hits from any unit currently in supply from a supply dump. Unused replacement points may not be saved from turn to turn, but may be used to re-build units currently in the Allied dead pile. The three Allied airborne divisions and all German units never receive replacements.
6. REINFORCEMENTS
See Order of Battle. On the turn reinforcements arrive, place German units in an area with a road leading off the edge of the map. American reinforcements may arrive at either Utah or Omaha beaches. British and Canadian reinforcements may arrive at Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches. Note the limit of three friendly units per area. German reinforcements arrive at a road area along the north, south, east, or west edge of the playing map. If using road march, consider that the unit has passed its first die roll and proceed according to normal rules from that point.
OPTIONAL RULE: On the turn before reinforcements are due to arrive, players roll one die for each unit. On a roll of 1, they arrive one turn earlier than scheduled. On rolls of 2, 3, 4, or 5, they arrive as scheduled. On a roll of 6, they arrive one turn later than scheduled.
7. MOVEMENT
There are two types of movement. Tactical movement and road march. Basic movement for all units is one area per turn. No more than three friendly units may end their movement inside the same area. American and British/Canadian units may not ever occupy the same area at the end of a move.
TACTICAL MOVEMENT.
- Units may move from one area to an adjacent area. Infantry units may move into adjacent areas even if the areas are not connected by road. This includes rivers. Armor, mechanized, and artillery units may only move from one area to another if there is a road connection (i.e. never move cross country). Units may depart from an area that contains enemy units. Each unit that does so takes one hit. (See Rule 8, Fortifications). Units may not leave a contested area by moving into another area containing enemy units.
ROAD MARCH
- Units may move from area to area along the connecting roads. Units wishing to use road movement must begin their turn in an area free of enemy units. Units may not use road movement to move through enemy-occupied areas, but may use road movement to move into enemy controlled areas. Allied units may move up to four areas, German units may move up to three areas. See Rule 10, Operational Air power for rules of German road march.
8. DEFENSIVE FIRE
Units may fire (throw as many dice) as their current combat strength, but only at enemy units inside the same area they occupy (see rules for artillery). The firing player chooses an area, designates the firing unit and its target, and rolls the appropriate number of dice.
You always hit your target on a roll of 6. See modifiers below.
DEFENSIVE FIRE MODIFIERS: Effects are not cumulative.
Tactical Air Power (Allies only) - add one to die roll. Fortification (beach and coastal areas only) - add one to die roll. Bocage area (German only) - add one to die roll.
How TO DISTRIBUTE HITS.
The target player may distribute hits among his units any way he wishes so long as every hit is accounted for.
OPTIONAL RULE: Allow the firing player to place hits on the target units. Note: This will dramatically change the game.
9. FORTIFICATIONS
Fortifications may only be built in beach and coastal areas, not in bocage. Units, that do not move for one turn, may fortify the area they occupy. This may not be done if the area is contested, that is, if it also contains enemy units. Place a fortification marker on the unit at the end of the movement phase. Remove fortification markers when the friendly unit moves out of the area or if the unit is destroyed.
Fortification effects are granted only to the unit that built the fortification even if there are other friendly units inside the area. The two effects of fortifications are:
- Fortified units wishing to withdraw from a contested area may do so without taking a hit (see Rule 5, Normal Movement).
Fortified units add one to their defensive fire die rolls.
The five German static defense units that begin the game in the invasion beach areas are fortified.
10. AIR POWER
The Allies enjoy air superiority, even monopoly. Air power has two effects in this game.
OPERATIONAL AIR POWER
Any German unit attempting to use road march or overrun in its movement phase must roll one die for the first area it attempts to enter. On a die roll of 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, the unit may continue into that first area. One a die roll of 1, the unit may not move or may not move further. For the second area that the unit wishes to road march into, the die roll to halt is one or two, and for the third area the roll is one, two, or three to halt. This may mean that some units do not move at all. It may mean that some units move and others do not. German units may always move one area using tactical movement.
TACTICAL AIR POWER
During their defensive fire phase, Allied players may designate one American area and one British/Canadian area to receive a tactical air power bonus. Units in designated areas add one to their defensive die rolls including any artillery in support. Maximum two areas per turn, one American, and one British Canadian.
11. ARTILLERY
Artillery units have a range of one area. That is, they may fire from the area they occupy into any adjacent area. Artillery may be used to augment other units in contested areas during the defensive fire phase. Add the artillery firepower to the number of dice that the friendly unit(s) throw. If there are enemy units in the same area as artillery, the artillery must fire at those enemy units. Artillery dice hit on the same number(s) as the unit they are supporting. If the unit is adding one to it's roll, the artillery adds one to its roll as well.
12. NAVAL GUNFIRE
The Allies may use naval gunfire to attack targets in beach and coastal areas (but not bocage). Naval gunfire amounts to twelve dice per turn and can be used either in conjunction with ground unit defensive fire, or used alone against German units not in contact with Allied units. Naval gunfire may be apportioned any way the Allied player wishes, but it may not be saved from one turn to the next.
13. FIRST TURN (D-DAY SPECIAL RULES)
ALLIED AIRBORNE UNITS
The three Allied airborne units (US 82 Airborne, US 101 Airborne, and British 6 Airborne) each have a basic combat strength of six. When they land on Turn 1, each throws one die and that result is the unit's temporary combat power. If eliminated, the units are lost for the rest of the game. Airborne units ignore the supply rule for the first three turns. Airborne units may not receive replacements during the game. Otherwise, they continue in the same way as other Allied units.
ALLIED INVASION UNITS
The Allied units that landed on D-Day were well-trained and equipped, but not everything went according to plan. Roll one die per invasion beach. Temporarily subtract that number from the strength of the Allied unit landing in that beach area on turn 1. At the end of turn 1, units revert to their printed strength, minus any hits taken in turn 1. If eliminated on turn 1, these Allied units go to the dead pile awaiting replacements. Note that this is different from the Allied airborne units that are permanently lost if eliminated.
GERMAN STATIC UNITS
Each of the five invasion beach areas contains one German unit representing all the varied defenses that might have been able to oppose the Allied landing on D-Day. Each of these units has a maximum strength of six. On turn 1, at the beginning of the German defensive fire phase, the German player rolls one die for each unit. That die roll is the unit strength. It may defend normally and be supported by artillery fire and participate in battle just like any other German units. Static units may not move. In combat, static defense units take all hits possible, if any, before other German units that may also be in the area. Static units ignore supply rules for the first three turns.
OPTIONAL RULE, 21 PANZER DIVISION
Some historians believe that the Germans could have positioned the 21 Panzer Division closer to the invasion beaches to have a better counter attack option. To simulate this, replace the 21 PZD's three regiments with one divisional unit with a strength of 12 and position it in Caen. This gives the whole division a chance to reach the British invasion beaches on turn 1. Of course, Allied operational air power may prevent this from happening.
14. DESIGNER NOTES
I wish to thank my good war gaming buddy, Harold Morgan for his assistance in developing this game and to his grandson Stephan for helping play test it.
My goal is to produce games that are simple, but not simple-minded. This game is a bit more complicated than my previous efforts, but most of the complications arise from the turn one sequence. After that, the game is pretty simple.
Allied airborne units can not receive replacements because they are more highly trained than normal infantry or armor units. They can not easily receive replacements.
After some play testing, it became clear that there needed to be some terrain effects on combat to boost the German defenses in the bocage areas.
Feel free to change any rule or add your own rules to make this game suit your purpose which, I hope, is to have fun. Always seek to balance historical accuracy with playability or you run the risk of having a game that people will play exactly once.
George Knapp's D-Day Tabletop Game
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© Copyright 2004 Hal Thinglum
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