SPECIALIST ALLIED VEHICLES

Above: British 'Funnies' from 79th Armoured Division. These four vehicles make up a RAPID FIRE gap clearance team whose job it is to force a path across the mine/obstacle strewn beaches and deal with any emplacements defending the shoreline. Churchill A VREs and Sherman Flail tank are Britannia models. D7 armoured bulldozer is a Raventhorpe Miniatures 'Ready to Roll' one piece casting. One of the A VREs has been converted to carry a Matchbox plastic SPG bridge.

Above: American DUKW amphibious truck carrying a 105 mm howitzer and crew. Raventhorpe Minatures models including a 'Ready to Roll' waterline version of the truck. At Omaha nearly all of these were swamped before reaching the beach.

Left: A Britannia swimming version of their Sherman DD tank. Many of these tanks were ' dry landed' as rough seas prevented their launch in some sectors.

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CONTENTS

Introduction

The Atlantic Wall in Normandy

Typical Fortifications

Fighting for the Beaches

D-Day Funnies

The American Airborne Assault

Scenario 1: The Capture ofSt Mere-Eglise

Utah Beach

Scenario 2: Utah Beach Landing

Omaha Beach

Scenario 3: Bloody Omaha

Gold Beach

Scenario 4: Gold Beach Landing

Juno Beach

Scenario 5: The Canadians at Juno

Sword Beach

Scenario 6: Sword Beach Landing

The British Airborne Assault

21 Panzer Division

Scenario 7: Kampfgruppe Oppeln Counter-Attack

Scenario 8: Kampfgruppe Von Luck Counter-Attack

References

Page Number

2

4

5

6

8

9

16

19

20

25

26

36

37

44

45

52

53

60

65

66

68

72

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INTRODUCTION

Combined operations have always been popular with World War II wargamers. For generations Airfix LCMs, DUKW s and Shermans have waded ashore to assault a variety of indestructible strongpoints fashioned from polystyrene and cardboard. Normandy tabletop battles became much more sophisticated in the early 1980s when a company called Miltra released a truly inspirational range of German concrete bunkers and accessories. My fascination with this firm's peculiar looking 'Festung PAK 39' anti-tank gun inspired my quest for more knowledge which persists to this day.

The 50th anniversary of D-Day brought about an explosion in the availability of 20 mm models with which to build and breach the infamous Atlantic Wall. Britannia Miniatures led the way with a range of landing craft, specialist assault vehicles, troops and defence works. Several manufacturers quickly followed and all the 'kit' needed to liberate (and defend) the European mainland is readily available. For the serious enthusiast, Raventhorpe Miniatures and Sentry Models have a superb catalogue of Normandy buildings and landing craft including an 18" long LCT 4 tank landing craft).

Numerous books have been written about the events of 6th June 1944 but none pull all the necessary information together for a warga mer to quickly recreate their own Longest Day'. Rapid Fire! D-Day is a detailed guide to all the formations committed to the invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord) and the German defenders who were determined to prevent the Allies establishing a beachhead.

Also included are specialist rules (Fighting for the Beaches) to play large scale amphibious assaults. Designed primarily with Rapid Fire! in mind, players who utilise other systems will be able to bolt on these mechanisms to their preferred rules. The scales used in the organisation charts and scenarios are the usual Rapid Fire! approximations of 15: 1 for figures and 5:1 for heavy weapons /AFVs. However, some liberties have been taken with scales, particularly with the defenders, to create balanced tabletop actions.

There are eight game scenarios. Five are the beach landings (Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword). These scenarios include landing plans which set out all the units/ boat loads involved in the assault waves and battle maps showing the location of the key strongpoints. Three involve German counter­attacks to 'throw the Allies back into the sea'. For those wishing to expand the scenarios into larger games or mini campaigns there are additional organisation charts which detail Allied follow up formations and German units which could have intervened on 6th June.

The first Rapid Fire! Campaign guide, 'Operation Market Garden', was very much a labour of love and was written following several battlefield tours. Following this tradition, the Sword Beach game model featured in the photographs incorporates sand from Ouistreham sea front. This was liberated at 1 am on 6th June 1994 after consuming rather too many bieres at Cafe Gondree. There are many other eccentric features incorporated into the models but space prevents too much detail here .....

No book of this nature can be produced without the help and support of others and I would like to thank my fellow enthusiasts for all their help in what has been a ten year project: Malcolm Taylor, (who is really the driving force behind the terrain model making), Rich (we're doomed) Marsh (for his continued commitment to the Rapid Fire! concept), Tony Chadburnl Raventhorpe Miniatures for his willingness to produce the most obscure models irrespective of any commercial logic, Dave Howitt/ Britannia Miniatures, and Mick Sewell/Sentry Models (for undertaking more construction work than Organisation Todt). Thanks also to the 'usual suspects' for play testing and input into the scenarios, Dale Rawson, Danny Malone, Dave Johnson and Howard Greenwood. Finally, and most importantly, the long suffering better half, Sue, for constantly reminding me I should have completed this book two years ago.

LANDING CRAFT ABBREVIA nONS

LCA Landing Craft, Assault (a British designed boat capable of carrying 35 troops).

LCVP Landing Craft, Vehicle Personnel (an American designed boat cable of carrying 36 troops or a small vehicle).

LCM Landing Craft, Mechanised (capable of landing one 30 ton tank).

LCI(S) Landing Craft, Infantry (Small) (a British designed boat capabl e of carrying 96 troops).

LCT 4 Landing Craft, Tank (Mark 4) (a British designed boat capable of carrying six 40 ton tanks). See sketch opposite.

LCT 5 Landing Craft, Tank (Mark 5) (an American designed boat capable of carrying four 40 ton tanks) .

Sherman DDs and DUKWs were amphibious versions of Sherman tanks and 2 Y2 ton trucks.

(There were numerous other types of specialist landing craft used during the assault but these are outside the scope of the scenarios.)

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American 82nd Airborne

American IOlst Airborne

Division

German 91 (Air La nding) [nfantry Division

OPERATION OVERLORD, D-DAY 6TH JUNE 1944

American 29th Lnfantry

Division

American 1st Infantry

Division

British 50th Infantry

Division

GOLD

•

Canadian 3rd Infantry

Division

JUNo

ARROMANCHES

20 miles

British 3rd Infantry

Division

British 6th Airborne

Division

•

German Fallschirmjager

Regiment 6

German 352 Infantry

Division • German

'--____ ---1 BA YEUX 716 (Static)

The Opposing Forces

The above map shows the mam divisional formations that were committed to the assault phase of Operation Overlord. Numerous small units attached to these formations and these are included in the organisation charts. The key German units are also included.

After 6th June the build up of both sides was rapid and the Germans achieved much in the face of total Allied air superiority (air power was not a significant factor to the events described in this book therefore is not included it in any of the scenarios).

NORMANDY

In the seven days that followed D-Day the following additional divisions were committed to the battle:

Infantry Division

CAEN • German

2 L Panzer Division

THE BUILD UP: 6TH - 13TH JUNE 1944

British

7th Armoured Division 51 st (Highland) Infantry Division

American

90th Infantry Division 2nd Armoured Division

9th Infantry Division

German

711 Infantry Division 12 SS Panzer Division

3 Fallschirmjager Division Panzer Lehr Division 77 Infantry Division

17 SS Panzer Grenadier Division 265 Infantry Division

2 Panzer Division 346 Infantry Division.

LeT 4 (length 187') which landed the specialist armour of79th Armoured Division.

rr-----,..,.,..,""" ....

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THE ATLANTIC WALL IN NORMANDY

During the early years of their occupation of France the Germans did not believe that the Normandy coastline was a likely area for an Allied invasion and the defences around Calais were far more extensive and formidable. However, by April 1944 evidence had accumulated that Normandy might be the scene of an invasion and extra troops and resources were allocated to bolster this sector of the Atlantic Wall. The main German units that were in position and were engaged on D-Day were (from west to east) 91 Air landing Division, Fallschirmjager Regiment 6, 709 (Static) Infantry Division, 352 Infantry Division and 716 (Static) Infantry Division. The only reserve formation available to make any significant impression on 6th June was 21 Panzer Division which was assembled in the Caen area.

The term 'Atlantic Wall' implies a continuous line of defences. The reality was quite different. Shortages of equipment and personnel meant that the defenders were deployed in a series of coastal strongpoints and Widerstandnest (literally meaning resistance nests -identified as 'WN' in the battle maps) . These typically were equipped with two to six anti-tank guns, (or old field guns such as the French 75 mm), mortars, machine guns and were manned by 30 to 60 soldiers who were often not considered fit for frontline service.

Strongpoints were warrens of reinforced concrete fortifications including open emplacements , casemates (called pillboxes by the British), shelters and observation posts. These were connected by trenches and protected by barbed WIre, mine fields and anti-tank ditches. Each strongpoint was sited so that it could be supported by its immediate neighbours if attacked.

They were designed to have 3600

defence capability with the majority of heavy weapons covering the beach. Construction work on these positions was far from complete by 6th June.

All beaches were strewn with obstacles to impede an assault and destroy landing craft. These came in many forms ranging from simple

When the invasion came the troops of the static infantry divisions, often 'volunteers' from Russia or other occupied territories in the east fought well until their defences were overrun. However, they were no match for the Allied forces once they had been forced out of their reinforced concrete fortifications.

stakes made from tree r----------------------, trunks (often with attached teller mines), and hedgehogs made from welded angle iron through to mobile Belgium Gates and extensive Dragon ' s Teeth arrangements.

An enormous variety of weaponry equipped the strongpoints. Ex Czech, French (including numerous obsolete tank turrets) and Russian weapons were commonplace with some specialist fortification hardware taken its original home in the Maginot Line.

Behind the strongpoints were the coastal batteries. Most, but not all, guns (which were mainly ex Czech or Russian) were protected by casemates by June 1944. The lighter batteries were part of the static infantry divisions and the larger ones often manned by naval personnel and subject to a separate command structure.

BATTLE MAP

STRONGPOINT KEy o Gun in casemate (+ calibre)

Gun in open emplacement (+ calibre)

Sea wall casemate with 50 mm AT

Casemate with tank turret (+ calibre)

MG tobruk (or casemate)

50 mm mortar tobruk

8 Observation bunker (with MG)

c:r- Static flame thrower

/\/\/\/\/\ Anti-tank ditch

x X X

T T T

(or dragon ' s teeth if on beach)

Beach obstacles

Anti-tank sea wall

Rocket launcher

Dug in gun (+ calibre)

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TYPICAL FORTIFICATIONS

Right: a typical anti-tank gun casemate. These were sited to provide flanking fire along the beach and incorporated a substantial blast wall to protect the embrasure from naval bombardment. Earth was usually piled over the side and top to camouflage the position.

Right: a semi-open sea wall casemate for the Festung PAK 50 mm. This allowed flanking fire along the beach (in both directions) with 9' to 12' concrete protection from a naval bombardment. Examples of these can be found at in WN 27 at Aubin sur Mer (see page 51) and WN 37 at Le Hamel (see page 40).

~ SEA

Left: a MG 34 machine gun tobruk. These were often incorporated into other casemates and sea walls. This example consists of a buried concrete shelter with only the concrete firing 'ring' position visible at ground level.

Left: the Festung PAK 50 mm (called a '50 mm fortress AT gun' in the organisation charts) was the most common anti-tank weapon on the Normandy beaches. This shows a standard open emplacement which gave a good field of fire at the expense of crew protection.

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