Sorry it has been a little while since my last update.

Utah Beach at the end of the 0900, 6 June turn.

The 4th ID is still fighting to get off the beach, and has managed to get 2 units (24.023) through a gap. All gaps are now open, but reinforcements are still dodging obstacles as they come in. Stp 09 has finally been eliminated with a well placed heavy barrage from HMS Hawkins, which came just before the 4th ID activation. At least one thing was going right on Utah Beach.

For those that are starting to breath a sigh of relief for the Ivy Division Soldiers, their luck could not hold up through the entire turn. The event chit turned into a German naval mine hitting an American troop transport. The 1st Battlaion, 22nd Infantry Regiment's transport is sunk off the coast of France. Despite being able to save all the infantrymen aboard, their gear is lost and it will take 24hrs to replace. With a 1-day scenario, this effectively, eliminated another battalion from the ill-fated, 4th ID.

German Direct Command is left in the cup and will start the 1100 turn. The multiple chits to the right side of the turn record chart are formation chits that were bought this turn, for play during the 1100 turn.

Utah Beach at WBC

The 82nd Assembly Area at the end of the 1100 turn, 6 June.

This turn was one of maneuver, for both the Americans and the Germans.

Within the 505th PIR area, MAJ von der Heydte takes advantage of a seam between the 505th and 508th PIRs. Moving 2 companies of I/FsJg 6 to the west, he forces both American paratrooper regiments to respond to him, thus thinning their lines at crucial locations. Namely, south of St. Sauveur le Vicomte, where I Company, 505th PIR is still holding out using rearguards for flank support. 1st Battalion remains focused on the city of St. Sauveur le Vicomte, while 2nd Battalion is still tied to their rally point, trying to build combat power beyond single step units. Meanwhile MAJ von der Heydte knows that his III Battalion will arrive shortly, ready to resume the attack to relieve St. Sauveur le Vicomte. This turn also saw the first leader casualty, as COL Ekman, Commander of the 505th was the unlucky recipient of the random event chit. His replacement will be challenged by the Fallschirmjagers.

In the 507th sector, B Company succeeds in assaulting St. Jacques de Nehou, opening up room to move the rest of the battalion northwest toward the Seye River. 2nd Battalion comtinues to push north against the rest of II/1057 GR, which is now being commanded by Oberst von Saldern, himself. The German troops see little difference. 3rd Battalion, 507th is just now starting to reform and extend the regimental line to the northeast.

The 508th PIR has extended their perimeter about as far as possible, as the I/1057 GR arrives from the south to prevent the Americans from reaching the western side of the Cotentin Peninsula. Otherwise, things are just a little too quiet on the western side of the Division perimeter. COL Lindquist knows this should concern him, but he wants to take control of Neuville en Beaumont before more Germans can arrive. He is also forced to react to MAJ von der Heydte's feint from the east.

Although it is the hypothetical landing area for the 82nd Airborne Division, I believe this will become a good 1 map scenario by itself, as both sides must counter offensively and defensively. There is little artillery, and even fewer good artillery units in this area, so fire support is almost exclusively mortars. Infantry maneuver is the key mandate for this portion of the battlefield.

Looking good Tom!

Gee Tom, those chit pulls don't look anything like what happened down in Florida a few years back.

The 101st Assembly Area at the end of the 1100 turn, 6 June.

The 501st PIR has now closed in on the southwestern half of the 795.Ost Battalion and started preparatory fires with their mortars. However, the Germans have had the time to place themselves in bocage and in one case, build an improved position. They will be challenging to remove. B Company 81st AA/AT Battalion which was positioned overlooking the Merederet and Douve Rivers, has now come under long-range (6km) mortar fire from elements of the 6th Fallschirmjaeger Regiment. This also allowed the German commander to get a Fallschirmjaeger Kompany across the Chef du Pont causeway to reinforce the Panzerjaeger Kompany on the east side of the Merederet River, (45.038) forming a strongpoint there.

In the 502nd PIR sector, 1st Battalion has fully recovered its strength and launches an assault against 2.Kompany, 795.Ost Battalion. This attack is successful and the paratroopers seize Reuville. The 2nd Battalion is spread across a 5km front trying to keep the 1057 Grenadier Regiment at bay long enough for reinforcements to arrive from Utah Beach (little do they know the troubles that 4th ID is having). As 3rd Battalion was regaining its strength, the Germans were able to catch I Company off guard with a well placed mortar mission that eliminated the understrength company. The German initial defensive line is starting to solidify with multiple bocage markers appearing to the north and northwest of the 502nd PIR. The lead element of the Sturm AOK 7 has also arrived under the command of Oberstlieutnant Hoffmann.

Within the 506th PIR area, COL Sink is experiencing a good old fashioned meeting engagement. As the majority of his Regiment moves south from Ste-Marie du Mont, the III / 6 Falschirmjaeger Regiment is moving north from Carentan. The Germans have the advantage due to III / 1058 Grenadier Regiment already being in the area, but they don't have command emphasis, as MAJ von der Heydte is occupied on the western half of the Cotentin by the 82nd Airborne Division.

This last statement turned into a major issue for the German commanders. The 6th Fallschirmjaeger Regiment is on par with the American Airborne units, when they are in command. However, depending on the way this unit is employed, it has kompanies spread over 26+ kms. MAJ von der Heydte has a command radius of only 4 kms. The German commander decided to focus on the 82nd at the expense of his units facing the 101st.

What's the TQ of Easy Company? Is it still 1 point higher than the rest of the 506th (as in WED and RfB)?

Dick,

The TQ is 1 point higher, but the defense rating is the same as the rest of the battalion: -1.

The best unit overall, for both sides will be D/505th, from the 82nd Airborne. This unit will have the 8 TQ and a -2 defense rating. The rest of this battalion also gets a TQ bump, so it really is a heavy hitter.

Utah Beach at the end of the 1100, 6 June turn.

The 4th ID continues to make glacial progress. All beach obstacles have been reduced to 0 and all gaps are open. 2 of the 3 German Wiederstandnesten directly opposing Utah Beach have been eliminated. However, they still need to get several thousand troops off the beach itself. Time is critical as they are about to receive another "large" wave of reinforcements, which will only delay the beach being declared clear.

Of note, due to their mobility, the self propelled howitzers of the 29th Field Artillery Battalion and the 65th Armored Field Artillery Battalion get "further" inland than any other unit at this point. This was a calculated risk, as the German defenders have no direct fire capability that can reach this area anymore, but their indirect fire can reach everywhere. The mass modifiers on the beach were a bigger threat at this point. So the old school call of "Howitzers Forward!" was given by BG Roosevelt.

For those that look closely, COL Trebolet did not decide to take a morning swim. I had moved him to get at some of the stacks and forgot to replace him on the beach. He should be in hex 24.023, just north of COL Van Fleet.

I mentioned in an earlier post that COL Ekman, 505th PIR Commander was the first leader casualty of this game. In Utah Beach, if they are casualties, leaders will be handled a little differently. Each leader will have a replacement side, which could be better, the same, or worse than the leader he is replacing. The leader may also have a name, if historically, there was a replacement used. In this particular case, the difference was the reduction of 1 in his attachment rating from 6 to 5 and it was a generic replacement (not named). The rules will most likely be written determining who chooses the leader casualty, but there will be options for this to be random as well.

The 243.Infanterie Division was supposed to arrive this turn on the far western side of the map, but was delayed due to poor German chit pull. It will now arrive at the start of the 1300 turn.

I notice that one of the Formation Activation chits belongs to the 22th (sic) Inf. Regiment.

I like the part about replacement leaders possibly being better.

Great catch Dick. Will add to the corrections file.

Thanks.

After a long stop I'd like to play this game again, what about the rules? Is it enough to download the last version on the official site or there are other clarifications through the board?

I'm asking this because I remember several changes after the game release.

Thanks in advance

Is it enough to download the last version on the official site or there are other clarifications through the board?

The most recent version of the rules are the best ones to download (2.0b). There are a few clarifications that have come up on this forum that will be eventually incorporated into the next version of the rules (planned to be released with the Bastogne game).

Great! Nick, do you already have a file with these clarifications included?

Thanks

I see that he allied formations are covered under 17.7

But what about the Germans can they change assignments from one division to another. There are a number of flak units and Brassert that may or not come into play can these be moved later once attached to a Division.

If so what is the process?

Thanks

Mike

I see its covered in 13.0

An artillery unit is in bocage status and gets entrenched. Subsequently a park is formed and the artillery is moved to the park display. Entrenchment stays in place on map. Subsequently the park has a direct fire called on it which immediately disbands the park and the artillery returned to map.... May the artillery unit be placed back into the bocage &/or entrenchment to resolve the direct fire?

An artillery unit is in bocage status and gets entrenched. Subsequently a park is formed and the artillery is moved to the park display. Entrenchment stays in place on map. Subsequently the park has a direct fire called on it which immediately disbands the park and the artillery returned to map.... May the artillery unit be placed back into the bocage &/or entrenchment to resolve the direct fire?

No, they are just placed on the map.

Problem with hypo - parks cannot be placed in Bocage/Hedgerows (2.1.10).

Can the Germans spend a CP to automatically pass a Tank Recovery roll from 16.4? Or do they have to roll it as in assaults, engineering actions etc?