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PARATROOPERS ON D-DAY 1944

AMERICAN BRIEFING
Elements of Co. E, 506th Regt., 101st Airborne Division

, 1x Company Headquarters 1 Company Leader, Lt Winters (3+) 1 Rifle Team (4+) 1x Rifle Platoon (Reduced) 1 Platoon Leader, Lt. Compton (3+) 2 Rifle Teams (4+) 1x Rifle Platoon (Reduced) 1 Platoon Leader, Lt. Spiers (3+) 1 Rifle Squad (4+) 1x Machine Gun Platoon 2 Machine Gun Teams (4+)

Variable Forces (roll 1d6): 1-2 Lt. Peacock: Lt Comptons morale is changed to (4+). 3-4 Opps!...dropped the grenade!: The first time a Rifle Team rolls a 1 on its white die during a fire action it immediately becomes broken morale. 5-6 Brass Knuckles: One Rifle Team is a +0 in close combat instead of the normal -1.

EASY COMPANY
6 June, 1944, morning

Brecourt Manor The men of Easy Company, 506 Regiment were badly scattered during their jump into Normandy. Troopers landed in a wide area behind Utah Beach and struggled to find their D-Day objectives. By the morning Lt. Dick Winters had made it to his battalions rally point at the farm of Le Grand Chemin near Ste. Marie-Du-Mont. As he gathered up his men the sound of German artillery firing on Utah Beach was heard just two fields away. He was ordered to take the few men of Easy Company that were available and take out the German guns. (This action is depicted in Band of Brothers, Episode Two: Day of Days)
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American Victory Conditions: Prevent German victory. American Initiative: One permanent chip. American Setup: All elements except Lt Spiers platoon enter anywhere on the west board edge on turn one. Lt. Spiers platoon enters on turn four anywhere on the north board edge.

GERMAN BRIEFING
Elements of 1st Company, 919th Grenadier Regiment, 709th Infantry Division

1x Battery Headquarters 1 Company Leader (4+) 2 Rifle Teams (4+) 1x 105mm Artillery Battery 4 105mm Howitzers with crew (5+) 1x Battery Defense Platoon 1 Platoon Leader (4+) 1 Rifle Squads (4+) 3 Machine Gun Teams (4+)

Variable Forces (roll 1d6): 1-2 Russiansactually Georgians: Change the Platoon Leaders morale to (5+). 3-4 Valiant Gun Crews: Change all of the 105mm Howitzer crews morale to (4+). 5-6 Fallschirmjagers!: Change the Platoon Leaders morale to 3+.

Aftermath: Easy Company destroyed all four guns while suffering light casualties in what has become one of the most well-known small unit actions of World War Two. As such, it has spurred a lot of debate over what German unit was defending the guns. Dick Winters said it was Fallschirmjagers but there is evidence that they did not move into the area until after the fight. The unit that was assigned the area was the 1st Company, 919th Grenadier Regiment, 709th Infantry Division. There is also evidence that a unit composed of Georgians was in the areaand considering the failed German defense, a case can be made that they were there. Since there is nothing definitive I have decided to let the variable forces die-roll decide. As you will see there is a chance that the defenders will be either Fallschirmjagers, regular Germans or Georgiansgood luck!

German Victory Conditions: Accumulate 24 victory points. German Initiative: None. German Setup: The German force consists of 3 units. One 105mm gun with crew starts in each gun emplacement. The Battery Headquarters and one machine gun team must start in the trenches within 12-inches of the east board edge. The rest of the Battery Defense Platoon starts anywhere on the south side of the large V shaped hedgerow.

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SCENARIO 1: PARATROOPERS ON D-DAY 1944

EASY COMPANY
Scenario Rules
Victory Points: 1 VP at the end of each turn for each gun that is not destroyed. d3 VP per turn for each gun with an unbroken crew that expends a fire action to shoot at Utah Beach. The points are acquired the moment the gun fires, not at the end of the turn. Terrain: The gun emplacements and trench provide hard cover. The gun emplacements block LOS. The trenches are considered touching the hedgerow but the gun emplacements are not. Elements that cross the hedgerow directly in front of a gun emplacement are moving in open terrain. Elements that cross the hedgerow and enter directly into the trench are spotted but receive hard cover form opportunity fire. Destroying the howitzers: A leader touching a 105mm Howitzer may spend his rally action to destroy the gun. Howitzer crews: The Howitzer crews are busy manning their guns to fire on Utah Beach. They may never use fire actions to shoot the howitzers at the paratroopers. The only combat they can participate in is close combat where they can defend only. They may only use move actions to occupy gun emplacements.

DEPLOYMENT MAP (2x3)

North

Trench

1
Hedgerows

* 2

V shaped hedgerow

Gun Emplacement

Machine Gun Platoon:

NOTE The Machine Gun Platoon has no Platoon Leader. The only leader that can use his morale to rally the Machine Gun teams is the Company Leader. (Lt Winters)

Game Length:
The game ends when all of the artillery crews are eliminated or the Germans accumulate 24 victory points.