Matrix Games

I don’t remember exactly when I bought my first copy of Avalon Hill’s “The Longest Day.”  But I think it was around 1985.

Obviously the subject and battalion-level scale attracted me, but also the use of German unit symbols. However, what I really enjoyed were Jim Burnett’s two articles in the General magazine; Volume 19, Numbers 1 and 2.

In the two articles Jim gave a detailed description of the game plus provided a suggested set-up for each beach.  It was this suggested set-up that captivated me.  Resulting in hours perfecting my own, modified set-up.  Which the “dice gods” often laffed at - allowing me only horrible rolls - when I played the game.

Having spent a fair amount of time Alpha and Beta Testing Overlord’s various landing scenarios - to include the 135 turn campaign game - what I’d like to do in this diary and a second follow-on diary, is walk you through my suggested landings for the American beaches (this diary) and then the British plus Canadians (my next diary).

Needless to say, my suggested landings are not perfect.  The “dice gods” still get a vote.  A roll of a one, on a six sided die, can result in the Allies taking high casualties on “Beach xyz” and not getting ashore.

Step One:  Intelligence (Intel)

During the Allied Set-up, for each of the five beaches; UTAH, OMAHA, GOLD, JUNO, and SWORD.  The Allies get a Corps Intel Asset plus a sixth Ultra Intel Asset.

Why are these important?  Without, at a minimum, a German Flag in a hex (Fog of War (FOW) Level One Intelligence) you cannot target your heavy bombers versus a hex nor fire - in support of the attack - naval gunfire.  In other words, you’re conducting a moving attack.  Only able to allocate the combat strength of your ground units versus the Atlantic Wall.  Not good.*

*FOW also reduces the effect of naval and air bombardments vs. ground targets.

UTAH - Hex 25, 21 (Uncle Red) VII Corps Intel Asset.

OMAHA - Hex 33, 25 (Charlie/Dog) V Corp Intel Asset.

Step Two: Heavy Bombers (17 Total)

UTAH - One B-17 vs. Hex 24, 19 and one B-17 vs. Hex 25, 21.

OMAHA - Lancaster** vs. 31, 24 (Point du Hoc) + One B-17 vs. 33, 25 and one B-24 (453rd Bombardment Group***) vs. 36, 26.

And if the German artillery unit in 32, 25 has been spotted (FOW Level 2 Intelligence or higher****), one last B-17 vs. 32, 25.

**The only Heavy Bomber attack to hit its target was a Lancaster mission vs. Point du Hoc.  The Lancasters were able to damage several of the underground tunnel exits and the tunnels themselves, trapping approximately one-third of the garrison.

***The Operations Officer for the 453rd was (then) Major Jimmy Stewart.  And while he didn’t fly on D-Day, he did plan the Group’s mission.  (Note: I’ve not been able to learn the 453rd’s D-Day target, but supporting The Big Red One - if they were writing it - sounds like something Hollywood would put into its D-Day script.)

****Level 1 FOW = German Flag.

Step 3: Seaborne Assault

UTAH - Hex 24, 19 and Hex 25, 21.

Hex 24, 19 - Both 4th Infantry Division battalions (1st Battalion/8th Infantry Regiment and 3rd Battalion/22nd Infantry Regiment) in Hex 25, 19 (Tare Green) vs. German Grenadier Platoon from the 709th Infantry Division (7.II./919 WN 9 or 7 Platoon, II Grenadier Battalion, 919 Grenadier Regiment, Wiederstandnest #9), in a Fort, ~2 in Defense.

Spend supply so that both American battalions are in Combat+ and Move+.

Odds (for their scatter rolls, assume both American battalions’ strength is reduced to 85% each): 17-2.

Naval Gunfire Support:

o 29th and 42nd Armored Field Artillery Battalions (M7 Priests)

[On D-Day, six American Armored Artillery Battalions (M7 Priests) and ten British and Canadian Field Regiments (Sextons and M7 Priests) were brought ashore on LCTs so they could provide direct fire support to their assigned beaches during the LCTs’ beach run-in.  An LCT is a small 259 ton amphibious assault ship - with a bow ramp - designed to carry five tanks.]

o US Navy Cruiser Division Task Force A1

o US Navy Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 20/10

o US Navy Landing Craft Tank (Rocket) or LCT(R), Fire Support Group (FSG) 5.1

[LCT(R), was a modification of the standard LCT, that could carry salvos of 3” Rockets.  An area weapon, it fired its rockets just prior to the first wave “hitting” the beach.]

Allied Combat Assets: One Combat Engineer Asset (the 49th Combat Engineers) + 70th Armor Battalion Duplex Drive (DD) Asset.

Final Odds: >15:1

Hex 25, 21 - Both 4th Infantry Division battalions (2nd and 3rd Battalions/8th Infantry Regiment) in Hex 26, 20 (Uncle Red) vs. German Grenadier Platoon from the 709th Infantry Division (3./I./919 WN 7), in a Fort, ~2 in Defense.

Spend supply so that both American battalions are in Combat+ and Move+.

Odds (for their scatter rolls, assume both American battalions’ strength is reduced to 85%): 17-2.

Naval Gunfire Support:  

o 65th and 76th Armored Field Artillery Battalions (M7 Priests)

o US Navy Cruiser Division Task Force A2

o US Navy Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 34/17

o US Navy Landing Craft Tank (Rocket) 5.2

Allied Combat Assets: VII Corps Surprise Asset (two shifts) and “Rough Rider” Brigadier (BG) Teddy Roosevelt Jr. Asset (Assistant Division Commander or ADC 4th Infantry Division).

Final Odds: >15:1

OMAHA - Pointe du Hoc (Hex 31, 24) + Hex 33, 25 and Hex 36, 26.

Pointe de Hoc - American D, E, and F Companies, 2nd Ranger Battalion vs. a German Coastal Artillery Battery (2 Battery, 1260 Artillery Regiment WN 77 or 2./1260 WN77), in a Fort, ~2 in Defense.

[During WWII, US Ranger Battalions were organized like British Commando and Royal Marine Battalions.  Six companies of around seventy men each.  On D-Day, while D, E, and F Companies assaulted Pointe du Hoc, A, B, and C Companies, 2nd Ranger Battalion plus 5th Ranger Battalion assaulted OMAHA.]

Spend supply so the Rangers are in Combat+ and Move+.

Odds (for its scatter rolls, assume the Ranger Battalion (-)’s strength is reduced to 85%): 3-2.

Naval Gunfire Support: USS Texas

Allied Combat Assets: V Corps Surprise Asset (two shifts).

Final Odds: 7.67:1

[Because of the repeated Allied bombings and the German bunker complex at Pointe du Hoc were not yet complete, just prior to D-Day, the Germans decided to hide its French 155mm Guns in an orchard a mile to the South.  The guns were discovered later on D-Day - by the Rangers - and destroyed.]

Hex 33, 25 - Two 29th Infantry Division Battalions (1st and 3rd Battalions/116th Infantry Regiment)  and the remainder of the 2nd Rangers in Hex 34, 24 (Charlie/Dog) [Main Attack] plus 2nd Battalion/116th Infantry Regiment and the 5th Rangers in Hex 34, 25 (Easy Green) [Supporting Attack] vs. a German Grenadier Battalion (minus) from the 352nd Infantry Division (III.(-)/726 WNs 68, 70, 71, & 72), in a Fort, ~11 in Defense.

Spend supply so that all American battalions are in Combat+ and Move+.

Odds (for their scatter rolls, assume all American battalions’ strength is reduced to 85%): 34-11.

Naval Gunfire Support:  

o 58th Armored Field Artillery Battalion (M7 Priests)

o USS Arkansas

o Royal Navy Cruiser Division Task Force C1

o US Navy Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 35/18

o US Navy Landing Craft Tank (Rocket) 4.1

Allied Combat Assets: Rangers Lead the Way Asset (two shifts) and One Combat Engineer Asset (the 299th Combat Engineers).

Final Odds: 9.36:1

Hex 36, 26 - One 1st Infantry Division battalion (1st Battalion/16th Infantry Regiment) in Hex 35,25 (Easy Red) [Supporting Attack] and two additional 1st Infantry Division battalions (2nd and 3rd Battalions/16th Infantry Regiment) in Hex 36, 25 (Fox Green) [Main Attack] vs. a German Grenadier Battalion (minus) from the 352nd Infantry Division (I.(-)/726 WNs 66 and 61), in a Fort, ~8 in Defense.

Spend supply so that all American battalions are in Combat+ and Move+.

Odds (for their scatter rolls, assume all American battalions’ strength is reduced to 85%): 26-8.

Naval Gunfire Support:  

o 62nd Armored Field Artillery Battalion (M7 Priests)

o Free French Cruiser Division Task Force C2

o US Navy Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 36/18

o US Navy Landing Craft Tank (Rocket) 4.2

Allied Combat Assets: 741st Armor Battalion DD Asset and One Combat Engineer Asset (the 112th Combat Engineers).

Final Odds: 8.75:1

Part 2:  GOLD, JUNO, and SWORD coming soon!