Breakout: Normandy Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 1. Components
• 2. Object
• 3. The Mapboard
• 4. The Playing Pieces
• 5. Prepare for Play
• 6. Sequence of Play
• 7. Stacking & Control
• 8. Movement and Combat
• 9. Assault Resolution
• 10. Bombardment
• 11. The Advantage
• 12. Disruption and Supply
• 13. Regrouping
• 14. Zones
• 15. Fortifications
• 16. Artillery
• 17. Naval & Air Bombardment
• 18. Weather
• 19. Reinforcements
• 20. Bridges
• 21. D-Day
• 22. Victory Conditions
• 23. Optional Rules
• 24. Extended Game
• 25. Index & Glossary
• Credits
• Examples of Play
• Designer's Notes
  • Zones
  • The Armies
  • Initial Setup
  • Night
  • Intelligence
  • Air Power
  • Sea Power
  • Weather
  • Ground Assaults
  • Bombardment
  • Fortifications
  • Supply
  • Rivers, Bridges, and Bocage
  • Victory Conditions
• The Invasion of Normandy
• D-Day: June 6
  • The Airborne Bridgehead
  • Behind Utah Beach
  • Utah Beach
  • Omaha Beach
  • Gold Beach
  • Juno Beach
  • Sword Beach
  • The German Reaction
  • D+1: June 7
  • D+2: June 8
  • D+3: June 9
  • D+4: June 10
  • D+5: June 11
  • D+6: June 12
  • Week 2: June 13-19
  • Week 3: June 20-26
• Aftermath

1. Components

BREAKOUT: NORMANDY has the following components:

• Two 22" x 16" mounted mapboards
• Three 8" x 11" Setup Cards
• Two sheets of die-cut playing pieces
• One rulebook
• Four six-sided dice, two colored and two white

Replacement parts can be ordered from The Avalon Hill Game Company, 4517 Harford Rd., Baltimore, MD 21214 by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope and requesting a current Replacement Parts Price List or calling Toll Free 1-800-999-3222 to order with any major credit card.

2. Object

BREAKOUT: NORMANDY is a two-player game simulating the Allied invasion of France in WWII. One player commands the German forces defending the Normandy coast and the other controls the Allied invasion forces. The Allies win if they achieve a Breakout or control sufficient Victory Point Areas by the end of the week. The Germans win by avoiding the Allied victory conditions.

3. The Mapboard

3.1 SCALE: The mapboard depicts the Normandy region of France where the D-Day landings occurred. The map scale is approximately 1" = 2.7 miles.

3.2 AREAS: The mapboard is divided into 60 numbered Areas by black boundary lines. Each is Adjacent to other Areas if they share a common boundary.

3.21 IDENTITY: Each Area contains an Identity circle or square symbol divided into two halves. The number in the top half (from 1 to 60) identifies that Area. Areas with a square Identity symbol contain Bocage.

3.22 TEM: The black number in the lower half of the Identity circle/square (ranging from +1 to +4) is that Area's Terrain Effects Modifier (TEM) which is used in resolving attacks against units in that Area (9.3B, 10.3A).

3.23 BOUNDARIES: Areas are separated from each other by one of three types of thick, black boundary lines:

• (dashed): Open Ground
• (solid): River
• (wavy): Flooded

The type of boundary affects movement, supply, and combat between Areas.

3.24 BRIDGES: Bridge symbols crossing River and Flooded boundaries represent bridges or causeways between the Areas. Bridges may be repaired and destroyed, but new bridges may not be built across boundaries that do not have a printed bridge symbol.

3.25 VICTORY POINTS: An Area whose name is printed in red and is listed on the Victory Point Chart is worth the amount of Victory Points listed thereon if the Allies control and supply it at the end of the week.

3.26 NAVAL TARGETS: Certain Areas near the coast can be targets of Naval Bombardment. These Areas have their Identity/TEM symbol printed on a tan background if they can be bombarded by the Eastern Task Force (British) or on a green background if they can be bombarded by the Western Task Force (U.S.). Areas that can be bombarded by both Task Forces, or by a Task Force and the Le Havre Batteries, have two colors in their Identity symbol.

3.27 LE HAVRE BATTERIES TARGETS: Areas 1 and 2 have their ID/TEM symbol printed on a blue background because they can be bombarded by shore batteries protecting Le Havre.

3.3 ZONES: There are five perimeter rectangular boxes lettered "A" to "E" which represent offboard approaches. These Zones are used to regulate strategic movement of units outside the immediate vicinity of the battle around the fringes of the map.

3.4 BEACH APPROACH BOX: Each of the five invasion beaches is connected to a Beach Approach Box, where assaulting Allied units are placed during the Amphibious Assault Phase of the first Game Turn. Reinforcements are also placed in those boxes during the Dawn Reinforcement Phase while awaiting landing on a scheduled beach. While there, they may not attack or be attacked.

3.5 OFFSHORE BOX: The Offshore Box contains Allied units which failed to land during the preceding day. After June 7th (see 19.5), they may be reassigned to any permitted Beach Approach Box of the same nationality in the next Dawn Phase.

3.6 BOMBARDMENT DISPLAY: This boxed section of the mapboard holds each Naval/Air bombardment marker when it is not making a bombardment attack.

3.7 TURN RECORD TRACK: The Turn Record Track printed on the mapboard is used to note the current Game Turn date, its initial Weather, and the arrival of reinforcements. Any Game Turn with a German, US, or British symbol in its box indicates the arrival during that turn of that nationality's reinforcements. The game starts with a Weather marker's "Clear" side face-up in the first space (June 6, 1944) of the Turn Record Track. At the end of each Game Turn, advance the Weather marker one space to the next date on the Turn Record Track.

3.8 IMPULSE TRACK: The Impulse Track is used to record the current impulse of a turn and any Weather Changes. The Advantage marker is moved in the space corresponding to the current impulse, with the side of the marker which is face-up indicating the holder of the Advantage (11). The Turn marker is placed on the "0" space with the "Clear" side face-up throughout the turn to record the starting weather and initial impulse of that turn.

3.9 INVENTORY TRACKS: The Supply Track is used to record the amount of supply in reserve for each player (12.53) by moving his supply marker(s) along it. The Victory Point Chart and Track are used to record the current score by placing star markers on the spaces representing Victory Point Areas controlled by the Allies and sliding a star marker along the Track to show the current total.

4. The Playing Pieces

4.1 UNITS: The game has two sheets of die-cut playing pieces called units representing the military formations that fought the battle. U.S. units are green, British units are tan, German units are blue (Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine) and black (SS). Canadian units are considered British for game purposes.

4.2 UNIT TYPES: There are six types of units: Infantry, Armor, Field Artillery, FLAK, PAK, and Coastal Artillery. Each unit has two printed sides. Throughout the game, units will be required to turn either their white (Spent) or colored (Fresh) side face-up. A unit has only the strength factors shown on the side that is currently face-up. When its Spent side is face-up, a unit may not attack, and its movement options are restricted to retreating and regrouping.

Unit type symbols: Infantry, Ranger (Commando), Panzer Grenadier, Parachute, Glider, Armor (Panzer), Field Artillery, Nebelwerfer, FLAK (Anti-Aircraft), PAK (Anti-Tank), Air Bombardment, Naval Bombardment, Coastal Artillery.

4.21 INFANTRY: Infantry units are infantry, ranger, commando, panzer grenadier, parachute, and glider forces.

4.22 ARMOR: Armor units are U.S. combat commands, British brigades, and German panzer regiments and battalions.

4.23 FIELD ARTILLERY: Field Artillery units are divisional and corps artillery, and German Nebelwerfer brigades. The Attack Factor of Field Artillery is underscored to reflect that it cannot be used as the Point Unit in an Assault impulse.

4.24 FLAK/PAK: FLAK units are German Anti-Aircraft battalions and regiments, which often filled an anti-tank role. PAK units are German 88mm anti-tank gun battalions. Other anti-tank forces were less effective and are factored into the strengths of their units. The "*" which replaces the Attack Factor of these units means that they cannot be used as the Point Unit in an assault and cannot enter an enemy-controlled Area without Point Unit accompaniment.

4.25 COASTAL ARTILLERY: Coastal Artillery represents one or more batteries of casemated guns designed for use against ships. They may not move, retreat, or attack. They interdict Allied amphibious invasion forces, reinforcements and supply. Their Defense Factor represents an assortment of prepared defenses and low-grade security forces.

4.3 UNIT INFORMATION: All unit markers have the unit's size and organization, strength factors, time and location of arrival.

4.31 UNIT SIZE AND ORGANIZATION: One of the following symbols appears at the top center of each unit to identify the size of that unit:

• II Battalion
• III Regiment
• X Brigade
• XX Division
• XXX Corps

In addition, each unit has an identifying number or name to the right of the unit's symbol. Most units also have their parent division listed to the left of the unit's type, which is used to determine Divisional Integrity (9.2D).

4.32 STRENGTH FACTORS: On its Fresh side, each unit has a three-digit number below it's symbol. The first number is the Attack Factor, followed by the Defense Factor and the Movement Factor. There is only one factor on a unit's Spent side (Spent Defense Factor) since a Spent unit can neither attack nor move during an impulse.

4.33 LOCATION AND TURN OF ENTRY: Each unit has its initial location or its turn of entry on its Spent side. The date is the day in June the unit becomes available and is listed as a small number to the left of the Spent Defense Factor.

Units with no date are placed on board at the start of the game. Their Setup Area is the circled number to the right of the Spent Defense Factor. Those units which begin play in a Zone have that Zone letter boxed to the right of the Spent Defense Factor. Allied units that invade on June 6 or land on June 7 have the number of the corresponding Beach Area (or Drop Area for airborne units) to the right of their Spent Defense Factor.

4.4 BOMBARDMENT: There are three types of bombardment markers: Air, Naval, and Le Havre Batteries. These are not units; they do not move on the mapboard nor can they control an Area. They are kept in their Bombardment Displays and flipped to the "Used" side after use. A bombardment marker only has an Attack Factor which is used in a Bombardment Impulse. The reverse side indicates only that it has been used and is not available for another bombardment in the current day.

4.5 DISRUPTION: These markers are used to show levels of disorganization of a unit as a result of combat. The face-up side of the Disruption marker shows the level of disruption of the marked unit (level 1 or 2).

4.6 CONTROL: Control markers are placed only in Areas controlled by the Allies; Areas without a Control marker are controlled by the Germans. Control markers are also placed on the Victory Point Chart/Track to record Victory Points.

4.7 DESTROYED BRIDGE: Place a Destroyed Bridge marker on a bridge symbol when that bridge is destroyed. Remove it when the bridge is repaired. Place a "Held" marker on any bridge taken intact or repaired by the Allies.

4.8 TURN: A Weather marker shows the current Turn on the Turn Record Track. The face-up side indicates the weather for the current turn; Clear or Overcast. An additional Weather marker is placed on the next Impulse space of the Impulse Track whenever there is a Weather Change.

5. Prepare for Play

5.1 GAME TURN: Place a Weather marker on the June 6 space of the Turn Record Track, with the "Clear" side face-up. Place the "Advantage" marker on the "0" space of the Impulse Track with the "star" side face-up (to show Allied control of the Advantage). Place the Sunset DRM marker beneath the "0" space of the Impulse Track ready to move onto the Track if earned. Place the four "Supply x1" and "Supply x10" markers on the "0" space of the Supply Track. Place the Turn marker on the "0" space of the Impulse Track with the "Clear" side face-up.

5.2 BOMBARDMENT MARKERS: Place the Allied Air and Naval bombardment markers, and the German Le Havre Batteries in their respective Bombardment Displays on the mapboard with their colored side face-up.

5.3 SETUP: Place the initial German units on the mapboard in the Areas shown on the German Setup card with their Fresh side face-up. Place the remaining units in the corresponding locations of their respective Setup cards to await entry. You may ignore all units entering after June 12 unless playing the Extended Game (see 24).

5.4 START OF PLAY: The game is ready to begin with the Allied airborne and amphibious invasion on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

6. Sequence of Play

6.1 OVERVIEW: A game has seven Turns. Each Turn represents 24 hours and is composed of a variable number of "mini-turns" or Impulses. The German player has the first impulse and the Allied player the last impulse in each Turn. During each Allied impulse, a Sunset DR is made which may advance the Impulse marker or end the Daylight Phase. After all the day's impulses end, both players are able to Refit and Regroup their surviving units. At the end of the week, Victory Points are totalled to decide the winner. Each Turn after the first has the following phases:

1. Dawn Phase (place Reinforcements and reset Bombardment Displays)
2. Daylight Phase (players alternate taking Assault, Bombardment, or Pass Impulses)
3. Refit Phase (place Supply Depots)
4. Regroup Phase (move any units into adjacent Free Area)

6.2 DAWN PHASE: Both players consult the Turn Record Track for Reinforcements and place those scheduled to arrive in this turn where specified on their Setup Card. The markers on the Bombardment Displays are returned to their Fresh side. Move the Weather marker to the next space of the Turn Record Track with the face-up side matching the weather symbol in that box.

6.21 FIRST TURN: On the first Turn (June 6, 1944) the Dawn Phase is replaced with four preliminary phases: the Airborne, Naval Bombardment, Air Bombardment, and Amphibious Assault Phases. See D-Day (21).

6.3 DAYLIGHT PHASE: The players alternate impulses, starting with the German. During the Allied impulse, the first Allied DR made for any purpose doubles as the "Sunset DR". If the Advantage marker moves off the Impulse Track, or the Sunset DR is < the current impulse number, the Daylight Phase ends. If the Sunset DR equals the current impulse number, the Weather changes. If the Sunset DR is ≥ the impulse number, the Impulse marker advances to the next space of the Impulse Track. The Sunset DR may be modified either plus or minus the position of the Sunset DRM on the Impulse Track depending on which side of the Sunset DRM marker is face-up (11.23).

6.4 REFIT PHASE: Place the Advantage/Turn markers on the '0' space of the Impulse Track and return the Sunset DRM marker beneath the '0' space of the Impulse Track (11.23). The German player Refits his units which he will supply. The German may then choose to spend his Reserve to advance or retract the Advantage/Turn markers for the start of the next day one impulse space for each ten points of Reserves he uses. The Allied player then Refits all of his units which he can supply. The Allied player may then choose to spend his Reserve to advance or retract the Advantage/Turn markers for the start of the next day one impulse space for each ten points of Reserves he uses. Any isolated German unit must then make a Surrender dr (12.8).

6.5 REGROUP PHASE: Each player may Regroup any or all of his units by moving them one Area into any Adjacent Free Area. The German Regroups his units first; then, the Allied player Regroups his units.

7. Stacking & Control

7.1 AREAS: Each side may have a maximum of ten units in each Area. Units may not move, regroup into, or end retreat in an Area already containing ten friendly units. Similarly, two friendly Corps Artillery units may not occupy the same Area.

7.2 ZONES: Any number or type of units may occupy a Zone.

7.3 CONTROL: Each Area is always controlled by either the Germans, the U.S., or the British. Initially, all Areas are controlled by the Germans. Control changes when a side has a unit in a Vacant Area previously controlled by the enemy. Control can be gained during movement without stopping to end an impulse in the Area. However, the cost to enter a Vacant, enemy-controlled Area remains two MF throughout the impulse even though the first friendly unit to enter it changes that control. Control is shown by placing or removing an Allied "star/circle" marker in that Area. If both Allied nationalities occupy an Area when control changes, control belongs to the nationality with the most units in the Area when it changes hands. If they have equal numbers of units in the Area, control is immediately given to the nationality of the Allied player's choice. Allied Control changes nationality in a Free Area if all of the controlling nationality's units exit the Area leaving the other Allied nationality as the last sole occupant.

7.4 CONTESTED: An Area is Contested if it contains units of both sides. Contesting an Area does not alter an opponent's control of that Area, but does have other advantages.

7.5 VACANT: An Area is Vacant if it contains no enemy units, regardless of the presence of friendly units or who controls it.

7.6 FREE: An Area is Free if it is Vacant and under friendly control. Only Free Areas may be entered by Regrouping units.

7.7 STACKING: Although some Areas are large enough to display all of the units therein, stacking all units of the same Division, or various levels of Spent/Disrupted units in separate piles is recommended to conserve space and markers. A player may examine stacks of enemy units at any time.

8. Movement and Combat

8.1 IMPULSES: The game is played in alternating mini-turns called Impulses. In his impulse, a player activates an Area (or Approach Box) to move and/or attack with any of his Fresh units which started the impulse in that activated Area (or Approach Box). His opponent then has the same opportunity in his impulse. A player may take two consecutive impulses only if he uses the Advantage to declare a Double Impulse (11.4). The active player with the impulse is the "attacker"; his opponent is the "defender".

8.11 TYPES OF IMPULSES: There are three types of impulses: Assault, Bombardment, and Pass.

In an Assault Impulse, the attacker may repair bridges in an Area he controls, move and/or attack with any of his Fresh units starting the impulse in the activated Area. Afterwards, he may also, regardless of whether he has any units in the activated Area, attempt to destroy bridges on any boundaries of that Area. He may even activate an enemy-controlled Area containing none of his units for the sole purpose of attempting to destroy its bridges (20.4).

In a Bombardment Impulse, the Attacker activates one Area to bombard with Field Artillery, or the Le Havre Batteries, or Air, or Naval bombardment.

In a Pass Impulse, there is no action taken (except a Sunset DR during an Allied impulse).

8.12 ENEMY UNITS: No unit may move during an opposing impulse except to retreat as a result of Assault combat.

8.13 LEGALITIES AND ERRORS: A player may not change his move once he has made a DR/dr, or his opponent has declared any action (including a Pass Impulse) he will take during his next impulse unless he has already declared another action in the interim. Illegal moves/attacks are valid if the opposing player does not challenge them before completing his own next impulse.

8.2 ASSAULT IMPULSE: In an Assault Impulse, the Attacker selects any one Area (or Zone/Approach Box) of his choice as the Active Area. If the Active Area is under friendly control, he may attempt to repair bridges on its boundaries. He may move and/or attack with any of his Fresh units that start in the Active Area and also attempt to destroy any or all bridges which he controls on the boundaries of an Active Area.

An Assault Impulse has three steps:

1. Bridge Repair in friendly-controlled Area
2. Bridge Seizure/Movement/Assault
3. Bridge Demolition

8.21 BRIDGE REPAIR: At the start of the impulse, the Attacker may attempt to repair any destroyed bridges on the boundaries of the Active Area if he controls that Area (see 20.2).

8.22 MOVEMENT/ASSAULT: After all repair attempts, the attacker may move all, some, or none of his Fresh units from the Active Area. At any point in the impulse, Fresh units that started in the Active Area may Assault enemy units in the same Area. Each Area may be attacked only once per impulse. If the Assault results in an Overrun (8.53), assaulting units with unused MF may continue movement. When a unit completes its action for the impulse, it is flipped to its Spent side, and any other units in the Active Area may move and attack. This continues until there are no more Fresh units from the Active Area or the attacker declines further effort.

8.221 SEIZING BRIDGES: Any Fresh Armor/Infantry unit which began the impulse in the Active Area may attempt to take an enemy-held bridge bordering the Free Area that it currently occupies by using one MF and making a dr ≥ 7. The seizing unit need not attack into the next Area. The dr is subject to the following modifications:

• +3 Attempt made from a Free Area (mandatory requirement)
• +1 Other Area is Vacant
• -1 Per Fresh enemy unit in other Area
• -1 Boundary is Flooded

Only one bridge seizure attempt may be made per bridge per impulse. All other units crossing a bridge successfully seized in the same impulse by this method must pay the extra MF expended on the seizure attempt. Blown bridges or river boundaries may not be seized; they must be crossed to gain control of them.

8.23 BRIDGE DEMOLITION: After moving all units he wishes to move and resolving all Assaults caused by that movement, the attacker may attempt to destroy any of his threatened bridges on the boundaries of the Active Area (see 20.4). He need not control or occupy the Active Area to attempt bridge demolition on its boundaries.

8.3 MOVEMENT: During his impulse, the attacker may move any number of Fresh units beginning the impulse in the Active Area. He may move as many of them as he wishes. Doing so does not prevent the movement of other units in that same Area in a later impulse.

8.31 MULTIPLE AREA DESTINATIONS: Units starting in the Active Area may move to and/or attack different Areas in the same impulse. Attacks into different Areas do not have to be predesignated. The Attacker can await the result of a move/attack before announcing a later move/attack into another Area in the same impulse by other units starting in the Active Area. However, once an Area is attacked, additional units may not move into that Area during the same impulse. Units which just attacked and Overran an Area, and have sufficient MF remaining, continue moving; they may even move out and back into the Area where the Overrun occurred.

8.32 EXHAUSTION: Only Fresh units may expend MF or attack in an impulse. Once a unit expends MF and/or attacks and finishes its impulse, it is flipped to its Spent side. Consequently, a unit may use MF/attack in only one impulse of each Daylight Phase.

8.33 MECHANICS OF MOVEMENT: A unit may only move into adjacent Areas, or along arrows between Zones and Areas/Zones. Movement requires the expenditure of Movement Factors (MF) during an impulse. The unit may continue to move into adjacent Areas until it lacks enough MF to do so, or it enters an Area occupied by an enemy unit. Units which begin movement in the same Area do not all have to end their movement together in the same Area. Nor do all moving units during an impulse have to move simultaneously. Thus, a unit that fails an Interdiction dr could block the movement of other units in that impulse if it causes the Area to become fully stacked.

8.34 EXIT OF ENEMY-OCCUPIED AREA: Non-Armor units starting their impulse in a Contested Area must expend all of their MF to leave that Area during an impulse and may only move into a Free Area. Armor units are likewise restricted if the Area in which they start contains an enemy Armor unit. Otherwise, Armor units starting in a Contested Area can exit at normal Area entrance MF costs if their first Area entered is a Free Area.

8.35 ENTRANCE OF ENEMY-OCCUPIED AREA: Armor and Infantry units may enter an enemy-occupied/enemy-controlled Area if they have sufficient MF/enemy MF to use, but only from a Vacant Area. FLAK, PAK and Field Artillery may only enter an enemy-occupied Area if it is already Contested by a friendly unit, or a friendly Point Unit accompanies them.

8.36 MF COSTS: It costs:

A. 1 MF to enter a Free Area B. 2 MF to enter an enemy-controlled Vacant Area C. 3 MF to enter an Area containing only Spent/Disrupted enemy units D. 4 MF to enter an Area containing a Fresh enemy unit E. All MF to cross a river without using a bridge (Infantry only)

These cases are not cumulative; i.e. only the most severe case can apply to an Area.

8.37 MOVEMENT RESTRICTIONS: Five other factors restrict movement.

8.371 CROSSING BOUNDARIES: A maximum of five units may use each bridge to cross a river or flooded boundary in each impulse/Regroup Phase. The five-unit limit for each bridge applies regardless of the direction(s) traversed. No unit may cross a flooded boundary without using a bridge. A boundary is unbridged if the bridge on that boundary is destroyed, or if the boundary never had a printed bridge symbol.

8.372 ENEMY-HELD BRIDGES: A unit may not cross an enemy-held bridge (or an enemy-held river line) from a Contested Area (unless it is an attacking unit retreating to the Area from which it entered after losing a Mandatory Assault across that boundary).

8.373 COASTAL ARTILLERY: Coastal Artillery may not move, Retreat or Regroup.

8.374 NATIONALITIES: The Allied player cannot move/attack with both British and US units in the same impulse (even if they start in the same Area) unless they use a Double Impulse (11.4).

8.375 POINT UNITS: Infantry/armor units are Point Units. Only Point Units may enter an Uncontested, enemy-controlled Area (whether Vacant or not). Once that Area has been entered by a friendly Point Unit, any other unit may accompany the entering Point Unit. Artillery, FLAK, and PAK units may not enter a Contested Area across a boundary requiring a Mandatory Assault (8.51) unless led by a Point Unit.

8.38 MINIMUM MOVE: If otherwise able to do so, a unit which has not yet used any MF in the impulse can move one Area by using all of its MF even if it lacks sufficient MF.

EXAMPLE: A "3-4-3" infantry unit could enter an adjacent Area containing a Fresh enemy unit even though it costs four MF. However, the infantry unit would not be allowed to do so if it would have to cross an unbridged flooded boundary, or if it started in a Contested Area (8.35), or if it used a MF attempting to seize a bridge first (8.221). Other units in the Active Area could not claim a Minimum Move to cross a just-seized bridge, although they could cross the river by giving the defender a +2 modification to his DV for making a Mandatory Assault across a river without using a bridge.

8.4 AIR INTERDICTION: During Clear Weather impulses, German movement may be interdicted by Allied air power. Interdiction does not require the use of an Air marker, and applies even if both Allied Air markers are already used. Each German unit that moves more than one Area must make an Air Interdiction dr as it enters the second and all subsequent Areas entered during that impulse. If the Interdiction dr is a "2", the unit ends its movement and becomes Spent in the Area it tried to exit. If the Interdiction dr is "1", the unit suffers "Disrupt 1" and stops in the Area it was trying to exit. There is a +1 drm for each Fresh German FLAK unit (not in the process of moving) already in the Area being exited.

8.5 RESOLVING ASSAULTS: Only Fresh units that started the impulse in the Active Area may assault. An Assault may occur at no additional MF cost if any of the units that started in the Active Area enters an enemy-occupied Area. However, if an already Contested Area was chosen to be the Active Area, the cost of an assault in that Area is one MF against only Spent/Disrupted defenders, or two MF if there are any Fresh defenders. Non-participating units of the attacker are not affected. All defending units in an Area being attacked can potentially be affected by that attack. An Assault is resolved only after all units have entered the attacked Area in that impulse. Other Fresh units starting in the Active Area, but not involved in the Assault, may move but no additional units may enter the attacked Area during that impulse once the assault is resolved.

8.51 MANDATORY ASSAULT: Assault is Mandatory if friendly units:

• enter an enemy-occupied Area that was not Contested at the start of the impulse, or
• enter a Contested Area across an enemy-held bridge or river, or
• land on a Beach with an undestroyed Fortification (15.2).

After a Mandatory Assault is resolved, flip all moving units to their Spent side. If the attacker loses, all Mandatory Assaulting units must retreat (Exception: 9.41), and retrace their route toward the Active Area (Retreats 9.6). If an attack includes both Mandatory and Optional Assaulting units, only those making the Mandatory Assault must retreat if they are repulsed.

8.511 RIVER CROSSINGS: Any unit crossing a river without using a bridge must make a Mandatory Assault if the bridge/river on that boundary is enemy-held. If the attack is not repulsed, the bridge/river on that boundary becomes friendly. River boundaries crossed by the Allies are marked by "Held" markers in the same manner as a bridge. All unmarked river boundaries are held by the Germans unless they are between two Allied-controlled Areas.

8.52 OPTIONAL ASSAULT: In all situations where friendly units enter enemy-controlled and occupied Areas other than those described above for Mandatory Assault, the attacker may assault with any or all of his units that entered the Area. Unactivated attacker units starting in the defending Area may not participate in the assault and are not affected. Units entering that Area without assaulting become Spent when they finish their move. Units which do assault become Spent when their attack is resolved. Units making an Optional Assault while entering an Area may retreat or remain in the defending Area if they lose the attack.

8.53 OVERRUN: If an Assault requires the defender to take more Casualty Points than can be absorbed by the defending units in the assaulted Area, the attacker can continue moving the assaulting units with any remaining MF and any supporting artillery may continue to support other assaults. Units in Bocage or Zones may not Overrun and must stop after their attack. Overruns are also not allowed during the Airborne or Amphibious Assault Phases of D-Day (21). If Overruns are not allowed, the attacking unit's impulse ends after its attack; it may not use any remaining MF to seize bridges or move elsewhere.

8.54 ACTIVE CONTESTED AREA: If the Active Area is Contested at the start of the impulse, all, some, or none of the Fresh units starting in that Area may Assault before they begin movement. If the defenders are Overrun, the assaulting units may continue moving. If no defending units remain in the Area but the defenders are not Overrun, the assaulting units are Spent, but other Fresh units in that Area may move without Contested Area Exit restrictions (8.34). If even one defending unit remains in that Area after the attack is resolved, the assaulting units become Spent, and Contested Area Exit restrictions apply to all other Fresh units moving in that impulse. If the attacker loses the Assault, the assaulting units do not retreat and must remain in that Area. All units in the Active Area (regardless of involvement in the assault) moving after the assault resolution have used one MF if only Spent enemy units were in that Area, or two MF if even one Fresh defending unit was in that Area. No further Assault may be made in that Area in that impulse.

8.6 PASS: A player must declare a Pass Impulse if he does not wish to repair a bridge, move, seize a bridge/attack, or destroy a bridge during that impulse. If the Allied player passes, he must still make a Sunset DR (6.3) to determine if the Daylight Phase ends or the Weather changes. If both players pass consecutively, the Daylight Phase ends.

9. Assault Resolution

9.1 PROCEDURE: Assaults are resolved by comparing the Attack Value of the attacking unit(s) plus a DR against the Defense Value of the defending unit(s) plus a DR. In an Assault the attacker selects the Point Unit and all assaulting units, then the defender selects the Forward Unit.

9.11 THE DICE: Each player places a box lid or bottom nearby in which to roll his own dice. When resolving combat each player simultaneously throws his dice into his box. The German uses the white dice, the Allied player uses the colored dice. Only dice thrown into the box are counted. If one or more dice miss the box, or if any die is "cocked" (not lying flat on the surface of the box), only those errant dice are rerolled.

9.2 ATTACK VALUE (AV): The AV is equal to the sum of:

A. The Attack Factor of any one attacking Infantry/Armor unit (the "Point Unit") of the attacker's choice. B. +1 for each assaulting unit other than the Point Unit. C. +1 for each supporting Field Artillery unit. D. +1 Divisional Integrity Bonus for each division contributing three or more units to the attack (including supporting Field Artillery units). E. +1 for Air Support if the Allies assault in Clear Weather. F. -1 if SS and Wehrmacht units assault together.

9.3 DEFENSE VALUE (DV): The DV is equal to the sum of:

A. The Defense Factor of any one defending unit (the "Forward Unit") of the defender's choice in the Area being attacked. That Defense Factor is reduced by the amount of its Disruption Level if any (0 for a Spent unit, -1 for a "Disrupt 1" unit and -2 for a "Disrupt 2" unit). B. + the TEM of the defending Area. C. +1 if a unit crossed a bridge while making a Mandatory Assault (8.51), and +1 if that bridge is held by defender, and/or +1 if it was across a flooded boundary. D. +2 if a unit crossed a river boundary without using a bridge while making a Mandatory Assault.* E. +2 if the Germans are defending a Fortified Area. F. +2 for Air Support if Germans assault in Clear Weather. G. +1 for each Fresh defender other than the Forward unit.

*If another assaulting unit crosses a bridge, use the highest applicable modifier of cases C and D, but not both.

9.4 COMPUTING RESULTS: The result of the attack depends on the difference between the Attack Total and the Defense Total.

9.41 FAILURE: If the Attack Total < the Defense Total, the attacker has been repulsed. There is no effect on the defending units. All assaulting units other than supporting Field Artillery are marked "Disrupt 1". Supporting Field Artillery becomes Spent. All assaulting units must retreat in a Mandatory Assault. Assaulting units may retreat in an Optional Assault unless they started the impulse in the attacked Area, or entered that Area from a Beach Approach Box. Assaulting units do not retreat in the Airborne or Amphibious Assault Phases of D-Day and suffer no additional disruption for their failure to retreat.

9.42 STALEMATE: If the Attack Total equals the Defense Total, the Assaulting units and any supporting Field Artillery become Spent but are not forced to retreat. They may retreat at their option. Only the Point Unit becomes "Disrupt 1". There is no effect on the defending units.

9.43 SUCCESS: If the Attack Total > the Defense Total, the defender must remove Casualty Points (9.5) equal to the difference. The Assaulting units and any supporting Field Artillery become Spent at the end of the impulse.

9.5 CASUALTY POINTS (CP): To satisfy his losses, the defender removes CPs from his units in the defending Area. CPs may be taken in any combination, except that the Forward Unit must suffer the first lost CP.

A. Each Fresh unit that becomes Spent absorbs one CP. B. Each Spent unit that becomes "Disrupt 1" absorbs one CP. C. Each "Disrupt 1" unit that increases its disruption to "Disrupt 2" absorbs one CP. D. Each "Disrupt 2" unit that is eliminated absorbs one CP. E. Each Spent/Disrupted defending unit that retreats absorbs one CP. F. The same unit may absorb more than one CP in an assault, until it is eliminated, but a unit cannot absorb CPs by both retreat and elimination. If a unit must absorb more CPs than it can fulfill by becoming "Disrupt 2" and retreating, then it must be eliminated without retreating.

The defender in Bocage always suffers one less CP than the difference between the Attack Total and the Defense Total.

9.6 RETREATS: Attacking and defending units may retreat as a result of Assaults. If both attacker and defender retreat from the same Assault, the attacker retreats first. Units may not retreat during a Bombardment.

9.61 ATTACKER RETREATS: Assaulting units must retreat if they lose a Mandatory Assault (Exceptions: see 9.41). If they lose an Optional Assault, they may retreat. Attacking units never retreat from the Area in which they started the impulse. Assaulting units that retreat may do so only into the Area from which they entered the attacked Area.

9.62 DEFENDER RETREATS: Defenders in an Area being Assaulted may voluntarily retreat, even if the Attacker loses. Fresh units that voluntarily retreat become Spent. Spent/disrupted units that voluntarily retreat do not take further losses for retreating.

9.63 DEFENDER RETREAT RESTRICTIONS:

A. Only infantry may retreat across river boundaries without using a secured bridge. B. Units cannot retreat into the sea, across an unbridged flooded boundary, or across an enemy-held bridge/river. C. Units may not retreat into an Uncontested, enemy-controlled Area, even if Vacant. D. Units may not end their retreat in excess of stacking limits (9.66).

9.64 RETREAT PRIORITIES: If there is more than one Area to which defending units may retreat, the defender must retreat based on the following priorities:

A. Free Area adjacent to the least number of enemy-controlled Areas B. Friendly-Controlled, Contested area C. Enemy-Controlled, Contested area D. Fully-stacked Area (9.66)

Multiple defenders may retreat into different Areas so long as the above priorities are observed.

9.65 PROCEDURE: Units retreat one at a time. Consequently, an Area to which one unit can retreat may become unavailable to a subsequent retreating unit if the Area becomes fully stacked.

9.66 RETREAT INTO FULLY STACKED AREA: If the only retreat alternative is a fully-stacked Area, a unit may retreat into that Area, but it must continue its retreat to another Area until it reaches one that is not fully stacked.

9.67 SUBSEQUENT ATTACKS: Units which retreat could be assaulted and retreated again by another assault in the same impulse, or in later impulses of the same or different turns.

9.7 ARTILLERY SUPPORT: Field Artillery may not Assault, although it may follow a Point Unit into an Area being assaulted. One or more Fresh Artillery units may support an Assault in the same or adjacent Area. Supporting Artillery does not have to be in the Active Area. Each supporting Field Artillery unit adds one to the Attack Value (9.2C). Supporting Field Artillery may not move in that impulse, and becomes Spent when the assault is resolved. If the attacker loses the assault, the supporting Field Artillery does not become Disrupted or retreat.

9.8 EXCESS CASUALTIES: If the results of any attack require the defender to take more casualties than his units in the Area can sustain, additional casualties are ignored, but an Overrun (8.53) may result.

10. Bombardment

10.1 BOMBARDMENT IMPULSE: In a Bombardment Impulse, the attacker activates an Area to be the Target Area. Unlike an Assault, there is neither movement nor bridge repair/demolition.

10.11 BOMBARDMENT DECLARATION: The Allied player may bombard with Field Artillery, Air, or Naval bombardment forces. The German player may bombard with either Field Artillery or the Le Havre Batteries. The attacking Bombardment marker is flipped and returned to the appropriate Bombardment Display with its "Used" side up to show it cannot attack again this turn. Attacking Field Artillery units are flipped to their Spent side once their attack is resolved.

10.12 PRIMARY TARGET: The attacker chooses one unit in the Target Area as the Primary Target. The Primary Target must take the first Attrition Point inflicted, if any. Field Artillery may not be selected as the Primary Target if there are other defending unit types in the Target Area. A Construct marker can be chosen as the Primary Target of Field Artillery only if the bridge site occupies a boundary of the Area containing the lead artillery unit.

10.2 ATTACK VALUE (AV): The AV is the Attack Factor of the attacking Bombardment marker. In a Field Artillery bombardment, the AV is the Attack Factor of one Field Artillery unit of the attacker's choice plus one for each Field Artillery unit in or adjacent to the Target Area supporting the bombardment. British artillery may not support US artillery and vice versa.

10.3 DEFENSE VALUE (DV): The DV is the sum of:

A. + the TEM of the Target Area B. +2 if the Germans are defending a Fortified Area C. +1 for each Fresh FLAK unit in the Target Area vs Air Bombardment, or +1 for each Fresh Coastal Artillery unit in the Target Area vs Naval Bombardment, or +1 for each Fresh Field Artillery unit in the Target Area vs Field Artillery Bombardment*

*Nebelwerfers do not increase the Bombardment DV of a Target Area nor does Field Artillery increase the DV of a Target Area vs a Nebelwerfer bombardment.

The Defense Factor of the defending unit(s) is not relevant to bombardment resolution.

10.4 ATTRITION: Bombarding units suffer neither retreat nor Disruption, but become Spent when the bombardment is over. To resolve a bombardment, the attacker makes a DR, which is added to the AV to form the Attack Total, and the defender makes a DR which is added to the DV to form the Defense Total. If the Attack Total is > the Defense Total, the defender must take Attrition Points (AP) equal to the difference between the Attack Total and the Defense Total. The defense absorbs AP as follows:

• 3 AP - Fresh armored unit
• 2 AP - Spent/Disrupted armored unit
• 2 AP - All Coastal Artillery
• 2 AP - Other Fresh unit
• 1 AP - Other Spent/Disrupted unit or Construct*

*Construct absorbs AP only if it is the Primary Target.

A Fresh unit absorbs APs in becoming Spent, an already Spent/Disrupted unit absorbs AP(s) by increasing its Disruption Level. Disrupt 2 units are unaffected.

The first AP(s) must be taken by the Primary Target. The defender distributes the remaining AP(s) among other defending units in the Area as he chooses, but must apportion the losses by exact count in such a way as to use the maximum number of APs to reduce defending units given the attacker's choice of the Primary Target and the remaining units in the Target Area. A unit may not voluntarily take a loss by absorbing more/less APs than required so as to save another unit from taking a loss. Unlike an Assault, each defending unit in a Bombardment can only be reduced a maximum of one level per impulse and cannot be eliminated. A unit cannot absorb fewer than its listed APs without being affected. Excess APs are ignored.

EXAMPLE: An Area containing a Fresh Coastal Artillery unit, a Fresh German infantry unit, and a Spent German infantry unit is the target of an Allied Bombardment. The Allies choose the Coastal Artillery unit as the Primary Target. If the Germans must take one or less AP, there is no effect, since the Primary Target must take the first APs and the Coastal Artillery requires two APs to be reduced. If there are two APs, the Coastal Artillery becomes Spent. If there are three APs, the Coastal Artillery becomes Spent and the Spent infantry becomes "Disrupt 1". If there are four CPs, the two Fresh units become Spent. If there are five or more APs, all three units are reduced. APs in excess of five are ignored.

10.5 RETREAT: Units are not allowed to retreat as a result of a Bombardment.

11. The Advantage

11.1 OVERVIEW: The Advantage represents the hoarding of resources for a major offensive. It reflects an edge that one side may temporarily have based on weather, morale, position, surprise, leadership, or fate. One of the players always has the Advantage as symbolized by placement of the Advantage Marker with the controlling side's symbol face-up on the Impulse Track.

11.2 ADVANTAGE SHIFT: The Allies start the game with the Advantage. It shifts to the opponent at the end of the current player impulse (or phase, during the D-Day preliminary phases) whenever used by the controlling player. Flip the Advantage marker to its other side on the Impulse Track whenever the Advantage changes possession.

11.21 ALLIED LOSSES: Although the Allies suffered attrition during the Normandy Campaign, they did not lose whole regiments en masse. Such losses would have had major political effects which might have increased German hopes for a negotiated peace. Therefore, the loss of a unit has more dire consequences for the Allies. Whenever an Allied unit is eliminated, the Allied player loses the Advantage if he already has it. If more than one Allied unit is eliminated in an impulse, the Allied player must lose the Advantage and the German may immediately move the Sunset DRM marker one space in either direction along the Impulse Track for each eliminated unit above the first. If the Allies don't already have the Advantage to lose, advance or retract the Sunset DRM marker immediately one space on the Impulse Track at the German's option for each Allied unit eliminated.

11.22 GERMAN LOSSES: Whenever three German units are eliminated in a single impulse (including a Double Impulse, but not a phase), the German player loses the Advantage if he has it. If more than three German units are eliminated in an impulse, the German player must lose the Advantage and the Allied player may immediately move the Sunset DRM marker one space in either direction along the Impulse Track for each eliminated unit above the third. If the Germans don't have the Advantage to lose, advance or retract the Sunset DRM marker immediately one space on the Impulse Track for each eliminated German unit in excess of two at the Allied player's option.

11.23 SUNSET DRM: Whenever the Sunset DRM marker is moved onto the Impulse Track, it modifies all subsequent Sunset DR (for Sunset purposes only) by the amount of the space it is on. The yellow "Sun +" side is placed face-up when the amount should be added to the Sunset DR. The black "Moon -" side is placed face-up when it will be subtracted from the Sunset DR. The Sunset DRM does not affect Weather Changes.

11.24 SHIFT LIMITS: The Sunset DRM can never be moved more than three spaces per player impulse regardless of the number of enemy units eliminated in that impulse. Remove the Sunset DRM marker from the Impulse Track at Sunset by placing it beneath the '0' space.

11.3 COMBAT: The player controlling the Advantage may use it once per impulse/phase to force a reroll of any one attack, before any subsequent action takes place. Both players reroll. There is no guarantee that the reroll will be better; it can even be worse. Regardless of the new result, the Advantage shifts to the enemy at the end of that impulse/phase.

11.4 DOUBLE IMPULSE: The Advantage may be spent by the attacker to declare two active Areas during his impulse instead of one, or to activate the same Area twice. Among other things, this allows units which began the impulse in different Areas to combine forces in a single Assault if the two active Areas are declared before the resolution of any attack involving the combined forces. All normal rules apply (the attacker may still not enter an Area previously attacked in the same impulse). A Double Impulse counts as only one impulse on the Turn Record Track. A player may observe the results of his first impulse before deciding to declare a Double Impulse, or he may declare them simultaneously so as to combine forces from two active Areas in the same assault.

11.5 SUNSET DR: If the Advantage is used to reroll any DR which had served as the Allied Sunset DR, the rerolled DR becomes the effective Sunset DR. The second impulse of a Double Impulse has no Sunset DR.

11.6 OTHER USES: The Advantage can be used to force a reroll of any DR/dr. This causes loss of the Advantage at the end of the current impulse. Because the Advantage is not lost until the end of the player impulse/phase in which it is used, it may not be used to force a reroll of any DR/dr which has already been rerolled. Nor can the Advantage be lost due to unit losses caused by the opponent's use of the Advantage (such as declaration of a Double Impulse), because the defender would not yet have the Advantage and thus could not lose it.

12. Disruption and Supply

12.1 OVERVIEW: Only units which begin the impulse with their Fresh side face-up may move, assault, bombard, or provide artillery support. Units participating in those activities are flipped to their Spent side at the end of the current impulse. This represents a loss of fighting efficiency due to combat losses, expenditure of supplies, exhaustion, or being in transit between prepared positions. Rest, supplies and replacements are required before Spent units again become capable of offensive action.

12.2 LEVELS OF DISRUPTION: A Spent unit is not Disrupted but cannot impulse move or attack. Spent units are flipped to their white side. A unit at "Disrupt 1" is marked with a "Disrupt 1" Marker. The flip side of a "Disrupt 1" marker is used to mark a unit at "Disrupt 2".

12.3 BECOMING DISRUPTED: Fresh units that move become Spent. Units that make an Assault become Spent if their Attack Value is > the Defense Value, or "Disrupt 1" if their AV is < the DV. If an Assault results in an AV equal to the DV, the Point Unit suffers "Disrupt 1" and the remaining attacking units are Spent. Bombarding units become Spent when their attack is over. A Fresh defending unit that takes Casualty Points must become Spent for its first CP. A unit can absorb CPs/APs by becoming Spent and/or increasing its Disruption level.

12.4 REFIT PHASE: Units recover during the Refit Phase. The Germans perform their entire Refit Phase first. Then, the Allies Refit. Players will often lack sufficient supply to Refit all of their units. Regardless of supply, a Disrupted unit may not recover more than one level per day.

12.5 SUPPLY LINES: Supply lines are traced from a unit's Area back to a supply source. A valid supply line is a contiguous route of any length traced through any friendly-controlled (Free or Contested) Areas. Supply may not cross a river boundary without a friendly bridge except to enter the Area being supplied. Supply may not cross a flooded boundary without a friendly bridge. Units without a valid supply line are isolated (12.8).

12.51 DEPOTS: Supply Depots are placed during each player's Refit Phase and removed from the board at the end of that Phase. To Refit, a unit must draw supply from a Depot. A Refit requires the following number of Supply Points:

• 1 point per Refitting unit in the same Area with the Depot
• 1 additional point for a Disrupted unit
• 1 additional point for each boundary crossed from the Depot
• 1 additional point for each Contested, intervening Area between the Refitting unit and the Depot

The Depot owner chooses his most advantageous supply route. Units may trace a supply route from an enemy-controlled Area at no additional cost. However, units may not trace supply through or into an enemy-controlled Area. A unit drawing supply from more than one Depot must pay a total supply cost equal to that of the furthest Depot from which it will draw supply. There is no limit to the number of Depots allowed in an Area.

12.52 CONTESTED DEPOTS: A Depot in a Contested Area may not be used to refit units outside that Area or to add excess supply to its reserves on the Supply Track. Only the sources of Depots can contain Depots while Contested.

12.53 RESERVES: All unused supply points of a Depot in a Free Area are added to that player's Reserves by moving his supply markers on the Supply Track. Each space on the Supply Track occupied by the large "Reserves" marker is worth 10 supply points × the value of that space. Each space on the Supply Track occupied by the small "Reserves" marker is worth 1 supply point × the value of that space. Either player may expend his Supply Reserves to buy Impulse Advances or Retractions for the following day at a cost of ten points each at the end of his current Refit Phase. The maximum daily impulse purchase is three per player. Therefore, if the Germans were to purchase an impulse to set the Impulse marker for the next day at '1', the most the Allies could do is purchase three impulses and reset the Impulse marker to 'B'.

Neither player may use Reserves to augment the value of his daily Supply Depots (Exception: 24.7).

12.6 GERMAN SUPPLY SOURCES: German-Controlled Zones are German supply sources. Cherbourg is a limited German supply source (see 12.62).

12.61 GERMAN SUPPLY CAPACITY: The Germans may place six Depots during the Refit Phase of each turn in any Free Areas which can trace a supply line to a German-controlled Zone. Any Zone may automatically Refit all German units in it without using onboard Depots. Each German Depot is worth ten supply points in Overcast weather or five supply points in Clear weather. These values are modified by Weather Changes (18.41).

12.62 CHERBOURG: Cherbourg is a limited source of supply for German units therein. Any Spent German unit in Cherbourg can attempt to refit before placement of the mobile Depots at no cost to any Depot if it rolls ≥ 4 on a Refit dr. "Disrupt 1" units must roll ≥ 5 on their Refit dr to become Spent. "Disrupt 2" units must roll 6 on their Refit dr to become "Disrupt 1". Units outside Cherbourg may not trace supply to it to claim this Refit dr opportunity, although units with a supply line to Cherbourg are not required to make a Surrender dr if isolated (12.8). A unit which fails its Cherbourg Refit dr may refit normally from a mobile Depot, but no unit may refit two levels in the same impulse.

12.7 ALLIED SUPPLY SOURCES: Allied units are supplied from Beach Areas and Air Supply.

12.71 BEACHES: The five Beach Areas supply Allied units. The Allied Supply Depots originate in their named Beach Areas and are worth ten supply points each day. Omaha Beach can place two such Depots. If a Beach Area is Contested (regardless of who controls it), it may only supply Allied units in that Beach Area. If a Beach is controlled by the Allies and Uncontested, it may instead move its Depot(s) into any Free Area controlled by its nationality which has a supply line to it. However, the path from that Depot to its Beach can cross only Free Areas controlled by its own nationality. The path to the beach cannot cross a river/flooded boundary without use of a friendly bridge.

U.S. Beach Areas and their Depots may refit only U.S. units. The three British Beach Areas and their Depots may only refit British units. Both nationalities may trace supply from Depots through Areas controlled by their allies at no additional cost.

If the Germans regain control of a Beach, that Beach loses its Depot capacity until the day after it is again controlled by the Allies.

12.72 COASTAL ARTILLERY INTERDICTION: The supply value of any Allied Depot is reduced by one for each fresh Coastal Artillery unit in or adjacent to the Beach/Minor Port which generated that Depot. Since the Germans refit first, they may restore Spent Coastal Artillery in time to interdict Allied supply before the Allied Depots are placed.

12.8 ISOLATION EFFECTS: An isolated Area may not attempt Bridge Repair. Isolated Allied units do not qualify for a Breakout or Victory Points. Isolation does not affect the ability of Fresh Coastal Artillery to interdict Allied Reinforcements/supply. At the end of the German Refit Phase, each isolated German unit must make a Surrender dr. German units which can trace supply to Cherbourg are not isolated. If the die roll is less than the level of the unit, the unit is eliminated. If the die roll is equal to the level of the unit, it loses one level to the next lower Spent/Disrupt level (or is eliminated if already at "Disrupt 2"). Fresh units are level 1, Spent units are level 2, "Disrupt 1" units are level 3, and "Disrupt 2" units are level 4. Isolated Allied units need not make this dr due to their greater possibility of air supply.

12.9 AIR SUPPLY: The Allies may potentially Refit up to four units in any one Area by air. Any Area (not Zone) containing Allied units may be Air Supplied, whether isolated or not, without consuming supply from any Depot. Each of the four units in the Area chosen for the resupply attempt (both U.S. and British) must make a dr ≥ 7 to refit. The following drm apply:

• +4 if the Area is Free
• +3 if the Area is Allied controlled but Contested
• +2 if the Area is German-controlled
• -1 if the unit is Disrupted
• -1 if day was partially Overcast (at least one, but ≤ half of total impulses)
• -2 if day was Predominantly Overcast (> half of total impulses but not all)
• -3 if day was totally Overcast

The ability to receive Air Supply does not prevent a unit from being isolated for purposes of bridge construction or victory determination. Air supply cannot be used to build reserves on the Supply Track. Air Supply can be used in an Area that will contain a Depot and can be resolved before that Depot allocates its supplies. However, no unit can refit two levels in the same Refit Phase.

13. Regrouping

Both sides can regroup all their forces during the Regroup Phase. The Germans Regroup all their units first, then the Allies. All units may move into an adjacent Free Area/Zone regardless of their status without worsening that status. They may not cross enemy-held bridges nor exceed the five-unit bridge limits. No unit may move farther than one Area, or across boundaries it may not normally cross (such as an Armor unit regrouping across an unbridged river). Allied units in a Beach Approach Box that have not yet landed at a Beach Area may land at that Beach Area if it is Free, or move to the Offshore Box for reassignment in the Dawn Reinforcement Phase. Fresh Coastal Artillery in adjacent Areas may attempt to interdict in the normal fashion and, if successful, forces the landing unit to arrive Spent or Disrupted.

14. Zones

14.1 OVERVIEW: A Zone represents much more terrain than an Area. All rules for Areas apply equally to Zones unless stated otherwise.

14.2 MOVEMENT: A Zone can only be entered by a unit starting its impulse in an adjacent Zone or Area, and the unit must end movement upon entry of that Zone. A unit beginning its impulse in a Zone may move to an Area normally, paying the entrance costs of that Area and may continue movement to other Areas if MFs are available. There are no movement restrictions due to beginning an impulse in a Contested Zone (8.34).

14.3 OCCUPATION LIMITS: An unlimited number of units of both sides may occupy a Zone. There is no Corps Artillery stacking restriction in Zones.

14.4 COMBAT: Field Artillery in a Zone may only attack enemy units in their own Zone. A Zone may not be attacked by Field Artillery outside the Zone. This applies to making or supporting a Bombardment as well as supporting an Assault. Air Bombardments may not be made against a Zone, nor do Air Support AV/DV modifiers apply there. Otherwise, an Assault can be conducted normally in a Zone as if in an Area.

15. Fortifications

15.1 SETUP: Fortifications represent elaborate German beach defenses and prepared positions. Fortifications cannot be constructed during play. They add +2 to the DV of German units in that Area against all types of attack.

15.2 REMOVAL: A Fortification is eliminated when the Allies control its Area or when the Beach is Contested by a Spent (but not Disrupted) Allied unit. Cover the printed Fortification symbol with an Allied Control marker or the Spent Allied unit as appropriate. Even if the Germans retake the Area or disrupt all Allied units in it, the Fortification remains ineffective and its printed symbol is covered by a destroyed Bridge marker until retaken by the Allies.

16. Artillery

16.1 FIELD ARTILLERY: Field Artillery may not directly participate in an Assault. Field Artillery may either make or support a Bombardment, or support an Assault. Field Artillery becomes Spent when it is used. It may become disrupted as a result of enemy attacks, or if it enters an Area with other units which lose a Mandatory Assault in that impulse. Defending Field Artillery in an Area being attacked absorbs losses like any other unit except that it may not be designated as the Primary Target or Forward Unit in any Area with other defending unit types.

16.11 BOMBARDMENT: Field Artillery may Bombard enemy units in the same or adjacent Area as the sole action of an impulse. Field Artillery in a Contested Area may only make or support an attack against its own Area. Field Artillery in a Free Area may make or support an attack against any adjacent Area. The participating Artillery units need not be in the same Area. As with Assaults, there is a "lead" Field Artillery unit, with each additional participating Field Artillery unit adding one to its Attack Value. Each Fresh defending Field Artillery unit in the Target Area adds one to its DV (10.3C).

16.12 ASSAULT SUPPORT: Each Fresh Field Artillery unit can add one to the AV of an Assault in the same or adjacent Area, but only if it does not move in that impulse. Field Artillery in a Contested Area may only support an attack in its own Area. Field Artillery in a Free Area may support an attack in any adjacent Area. Divisional artillery may support an Assault only if the Assault contains at least one other unit of its own division.

16.13 CORPS ARTILLERY: Corps Artillery can support any attack made by units of its own nationality. Only one Corps Artillery unit is allowed in an Area at a time (even in mid-impulse). To aid in recognition of their stacking limits, Corps ID is highlighted in an oval background.

16.14 NEBELWERFERS: A Nebelwerfer brigade may not support Assaults or a Bombardment made by another unit, or be supported by Field Artillery units when it makes a Bombardment. Because of its short range, it may only Bombard its own Zone. It does not increase the DV of a Target Area, nor does Allied Field Artillery increase the DV of an Area against a Nebelwerfer barrage. Like Field Artillery, it may not be chosen as the Primary Target of a bombardment if other unit types are in the same Area.

16.2 FLAK/PAK: A FLAK or PAK unit may not be the Point Unit of an attack, as shown by the "*" in place of its attack strength, but it may otherwise take part normally in an Assault. A FLAK/PAK unit may be the Forward Defender. Each Fresh FLAK unit adds one to the Air Interdiction dr (8.4) and to the DV of its Area vs an Air Bombardment (10.3C).

16.3 COASTAL ARTILLERY: Each Fresh Coastal Artillery unit adds one to the DV of its Area vs a Naval Bombardment (17.2). Coastal Artillery may never move, Regroup, retreat, or attack. Each Fresh Coastal Artillery unit in or adjacent to a Beach Area interdicts Allied units/supply landing in that Area (12.72, 19.4).

16.4 LE HAVRE BATTERIES: The Le Havre Batteries are represented by a marker that can be used to Bombard Allied units in Areas 1 or 2. The Le Havre Batteries marker attacks alone as the sole action of a German impulse.

17. Naval & Air Bombardment

17.1 OVERVIEW: The Allies have two markers for Naval Bombardment and two for concentrated air strikes. Each Naval and Air Bombardment marker is flipped when used and automatically becomes Fresh during the Dawn Phase. Each marker attacks by itself as the sole action of an impulse. It cannot be supported by other forms of bombardment/artillery. The same Target Area cannot be attacked by Naval/Air bombardments of different nationalities in the same day.

17.2 NAVAL: Each Naval Bombardment marker can make a Naval Bombardment against certain Areas on or adjacent to the coast as the sole activity of an Allied impulse. US Navy (Western Task Force) Target Areas must have a green background on their Target Area ID. Royal Navy (Eastern Task Force) Target Areas must have a brown background on their Target Area ID. In addition, a unit of the same nationality as the Naval Bombardment marker must be in or adjacent to the Target Area, or the Target Area must be adjacent to an Area controlled by that nationality. A Naval Bombardment is resolved in the same manner as a Field Artillery Bombardment except that each Fresh Coastal Artillery unit in the Target Area instead of each Fresh Field Artillery unit adds one to the DV.

17.3 AIR: Each Air Bombardment marker can make an Air Bombardment during Clear Weather against any Area containing enemy units as the sole activity of an Allied impulse. Unlike all other impulses, however, Air Bombardment does not advance the Impulse marker, although a Sunset DR is still made to determine if the day ends or the Weather changes.

A unit of the same nationality as the Air marker must be in or adjacent to the Target Area, or the Target Area must be adjacent to an Area controlled by that nationality. For this purpose, the Beach Approach Boxes are part of their respective Beach Areas. Zones may not be the target of an Air Bombardment. Air Bombardments are resolved in the same manner as Field Artillery Bombardments except that each Fresh FLAK unit in the Target Area adds one to the DV (instead of each Fresh Field Artillery unit).

17.31 MISTAKEN ATTACK: If the Target Area of an Air Bombardment is Contested, Allied casualties occur if the original (unmodified) attacker and defender DRs are equal. The Allied Attrition Points are half (fractions rounded up) the attacker's Original DR. The German may select the unintentional Allied "Primary Target" after the attack is resolved. German losses are taken normally.

18. Weather

18.1 DAWN: At the start of each turn, check the Turn Record Track to determine the Weather at the start of the day and flip the Weather marker to the appropriate side and place it on that date.

18.2 CLEAR WEATHER: Play proceeds normally. Air Bombardment, Air Interdiction, and the Air Support modifiers to the Allied AV/DV apply only during Clear Weather impulses.

18.3 OVERCAST: German MFs are increased by one during Overcast impulses. Air Bombardment, Air Interdiction, and the Air Support modifiers to the Allied AV/DV do not apply during Overcast impulses.

18.4 WEATHER CHANGES: If the Allied player's Sunset DR (6.3) equals the current impulse number, the weather changes (from Clear to Overcast or vice versa) during the next German impulse. Record the Weather Change by putting an appropriate Weather marker on the next space of the Impulse Track. Do not flip the Weather marker on the Turn Record Track or the Turn marker on the Impulse Track. The new weather status remains in effect until the Dawn Phase of the next turn, or until the Allied player's Sunset DR again equals the current impulse number. In the latter case, record the Weather Change by putting an appropriate Weather marker on the next space of the Impulse Track. Should a Weather Change occur during an Air Bombardment impulse, it is in effect during the upcoming German impulse even though the impulse marker has not yet advanced to the Weather Change space.

18.41 SUPPLY CONSEQUENCES: The number of impulses of each Weather condition in a turn affects the supply status of German mobile Depots as follows:

• For every three impulses (or fraction thereof) of Overcast weather in a "Clear" day, each German Depot is worth one additional supply point.
• For every three impulses (or fraction thereof) of Clear weather in an Overcast day, each German Depot is worth one less Supply Point.

EXAMPLE: June 7th dawns as a Clear Weather day on the '0' impulse but during Allied impulse #3 (his fourth impulse of the turn even though the Impulse marker is in the 3 space of the Impulse Track), the Allied player makes a Sunset DR of "3" which equals the current Impulse Number. An Overcast marker is placed in the 4 space of the Impulse Track and the turn continues. On Allied impulse #7, the Allied Sunset DR is a "7" which again equals the current Impulse Number. A "Clear" marker is placed on the '8' space of the Impulse Track. On impulse #8, the Allied Sunset DR is < 8, thus ending the day.

As a result of the above weather pattern, the Allies could use Air Interdiction, Air Bombardment, and increase their AV/DV due to Air Support on all but impulses #4-#7. During those four impulses, the German unit MFs are increased by one. Allied Air Supply (12.9) will be subject to a -1 drm because the day was partially overcast (four of nine impulses). The German Depots will each be worth 7 SUPPLY POINTS [5 (Base Value during Clear Day) + 2 (+1 for every three Overcast impulses or fraction thereof) = 7].

Assume that the Allied third impulse was an Air Bombardment that resulted in a Weather Change. The Impulse marker does not advance. The next Allied impulse's Sunset DR is a '2' which causes the day to end before the Impulse marker can advance to reach the new weather pattern. Although the German player used an impulse with Overcast weather, that impulse's weather has no effect on the supply situation of either side because Weather Changes are considered inconsequential for supply purposes until the Impulse marker reaches them on the Impulse Track.

19. Reinforcements

19.1 OVERVIEW: Reinforcements are placed during the Dawn Phase.

19.2 GERMAN: German reinforcements are placed in the Zone(s) specified, Fresh side up.

19.3 ALLIED: Allied reinforcements are placed in the Beach Approach Box of the Beach Area where they will land. Units may land only at beaches of their own nationality. The number of landing reinforcements and Allied units already in the Beach Area may never exceed ten during each Landing impulse. A maximum of five units may land per impulse/Regroup Phase. Reinforcements may move normally in their turn of entry. An impulse used to land units requires activation of the Beach Approach Box and does not activate any units already in the Beach Area. A landing impulse is treated as a normal Assault Impulse except that no bridge repair/demolition is possible since no Area was activated. Reinforcements pay normal MF costs for entering the Beach Area, and may continue moving if it is uncontested or they achieve an Overrun. Allied reinforcements may not land at a German-Controlled, Uncontested Beach Area. Allied reinforcements that do not land during the Daylight Phase may land during the Regrouping Phase if their Beach Area is Free.

19.4 INTERDICTION: Fresh German Coastal Artillery may interdict Allied reinforcements, supply, and invasion units. The Interdiction Value of a Beach Area is equal to the number of Fresh German Coastal Artillery units in/adjacent to that Area. Each Allied unit landing at a Beach Area must be stated before any Interdiction is resolved. Each landing unit then makes an Interdiction dr. If the dr is equal to the Interdiction Value, the unit becomes Spent in the Beach Area in which it landed and cannot attack nor move farther on that turn. If the Interdiction dr is less than the Interdiction Value, the unit becomes "Disrupt 1". If the Interdiction dr is greater than the Interdiction Value, the unit is unaffected. If the Beach Area becomes fully stacked, no further Allied units may land that impulse. Coastal Artillery does not become Spent as a result of interdiction, and may interdict all adjacent Beach Areas on the same impulse/Regroup Phase.

19.5 JUNE 7 REINFORCEMENTS: Reinforcements entering June 7 must be placed in the Beach Approach shown on the back of the unit. The two Airborne reinforcements are placed directly in their indicated Drop Areas, Fresh side up. These airborne reinforcements do not have the option of securing bridges without using an impulse to cross or seize them as do the airborne units landing on D-Day (21.2). Units scheduled to land on D-Day that did not land then may land as reinforcements on June 7 or later. If they land on June 7, they may only land on the beach for which they were originally scheduled. Reinforcements entering after June 7, even if they were originally scheduled for D-Day or June 7, may land on any Beach of their nationality.

19.6 RANGERS WITHDRAWAL: The U.S. Ranger battalions must be withdrawn during the Dawn Phase of the first turn if Omaha Beach is controlled by the Allies. Both units are withdrawn regardless of their current status. There is no additional penalty if they are already eliminated.

20. Bridges

20.1 OVERVIEW: Bridges are always in one of three states: Allied-held, German-held, or destroyed. At the start of play, all bridges are German-held. Bridges can change hands five different ways:

• Capture by Allied Airborne units during D-Day (21.2)
• Repair of a destroyed bridge (20.2)
• Successful seizure attempt during movement (8.221)
• Crossed during a successful or Stalemated Mandatory Assault (8.511)
• Both connecting Areas become friendly-controlled (8.511)

A maximum of five units may use a bridge during an impulse/Regroup Phase (although they may move across a bridge during an impulse and retreat back across it in the same impulse). Otherwise, transit of a bridge is limited to five units per impulse or phase regardless of direction moved.

20.2 BRIDGE REPAIR: Demolished bridges can be repaired. Bridges may not be built across boundaries that did not have a bridge initially. If the active Area is friendly-controlled and not isolated, repair attempts may be made at the start of an Assault impulse to any bridges on its boundaries. There is a maximum of four repair attempts per impulse (or Refit Phase) for the Allies and one for the Germans. Each bridge site can make only one repair attempt per impulse/Refit Phase. The attacker makes a dr and adds the appropriate drms (20.5) for each repair attempt. If the final Repair dr is ≥ 7, the bridge is repaired and the Demolished Bridge marker is removed or flipped to its "Held" side.

20.21 CONSTRUCTION: The Allies have four Construct markers; the Germans have only one. For each Repair attempt, a Construct marker belonging to that side must be available. Construct markers are available if currently on the bridge being repaired or off the map. If the player does not have a Construct marker available, one must be removed from elsewhere on the map. If the attempt is unsuccessful, increase the construct level by +1 to a maximum of +2. This is done either by placing a Construct marker on the bridge or flipping the marker already there. If the repair attempt is successful, remove any Construct marker on that bridge—it is not available again during the same impulse/Refit Phase.

Both sides may attempt to repair the same bridge, but if either side is successful, the Construct marker of the other player on that site is removed.

20.22 PRIMARY TARGET: A Construct marker can be reduced one level by bombardment in the same manner as a spent infantry unit if chosen as the Primary Target and the lead bombarding artillery unit is in an Area bordered by the bridge site. Any additional APs inflicted will affect other units in the Target Area normally. Otherwise, bridges and Construct markers are immune to bombardment damage.

20.23 NIGHT CONSTRUCTION: A player may attempt bridge repair during his Refit Phase by using supply as if the bridge site were a spent unit. The supply must be provided by the same nationality controlling the Area. If the repair is successful, other Depots may trace their supply line through that bridge to their supply source during the same Refit Phase.

20.3 BRIDGE SEIZURE: A moving armor/infantry unit in a Free Area can attempt to seize an enemy-held bridge bordering its Area at any time during its movement. The attempt costs one MF and is successful if the dr ≥ 7. The dr is subject to the following modifications:

• +3 Attempt from a Free Area
• +1 Other Area is Vacant
• -1 Per Fresh enemy unit in the other Area
• -1 Boundary is Flooded

Each bridge is subject to only one seizure attempt per impulse. If successful, all other units must pay one additional MF when crossing the seized bridge during the impulse it was seized.

Bridge seizure may not be attempted during the Amphibious Assault Phase, but may be attempted by amphibiously assaulting units during a regular Movement impulse after achieving an Overrun or landing unopposed.

20.4 BRIDGE DEMOLITION: A demolition attempt of each bridge on any or all boundaries of the Active Area may be made at the end of an Assault Impulse by the side which controls those bridges if the enemy Contests or Controls one of the bridge's two Areas. Contesting an Area momentarily during a failed Mandatory Assault is not sufficient to allow a bridge demolition attempt. The attacker makes a dr and adds the appropriate drm. If the final dr is ≥ 7, the bridge is covered with a Demolished Bridge marker. A Bridge Demolition attempt may be made regardless of the presence or absence of friendly units in the Active Area. Construction markers can be removed by their owner at any time without benefit of a die roll.

20.5 BRIDGE MODIFIERS: Repair/Demolition drms depend on the status of the two Areas on either side of the bridge. Total the drms for both Areas:

• +3: Free
• +2: Contested Friendly
• +1: Contested Enemy

The following additional modifiers also apply:

• -1: Any Repair Attempt
• -1: Flooded Boundary
• +X: Construct modifiers to any Repair Attempt

21. D-Day

21.1 OVERVIEW: The turn sequence for the first day is modified by replacement of the Dawn Reinforcement Phase with four temporary phases as follows:

1A. Airborne Phase 1B. Naval Bombardment Phase 1C. Air Bombardment Phase 1D. Amphibious Assault Phase 2. Daylight Movement/Attack Phase 3. Evening Refit Phase 4. Night Regroup Phase

21.2 AIRBORNE PHASE: In the night Airborne Phase, the initial Allied Airborne units indicated on the Allied Setup Card are placed in their Drop Areas, Fresh side up. They may attack German units in their Drop Area as a normal Assault, although they do not retreat if they lose (or advance if they Overrun) in this unique night attack. There is no +1 AV modifier for Allied Air Power. German units may not move/attack in this phase except to retreat. Each dropped airborne unit which does not attack during the night of June 5th-6th may instead secure one bridge of its choice in the Drop Area by becoming Spent and placing an "Held" marker on the bridge. This is the only instance wherein bridges may be automatically secured without being successfully traversed or seized by a successful MF expenditure (8.221). Dropped airborne units which neither attack nor seize a bridge remain Fresh.

21.3 NAVAL BOMBARDMENT PHASE: The Allies make Naval Bombardment attacks against all five Beach Areas. These are resolved normally with full Attack Strength (17.2) and both Naval Bombardment markers are flipped. In subsequent turns, the Allied Naval Bombardment markers may each attack only one Target Area, and only one Naval Bombardment marker can attack per impulse.

21.4 AIR BOMBARDMENT PHASE: The Allies make one Air Bombardment attack against two different Target Areas on or adjacent to a Beach. Both Target Areas must be declared before either attack is resolved. These are resolved normally (17.3) and both Air Bombardment markers are flipped. In subsequent turns, only one Air marker may attack in each impulse.

21.5 AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT PHASE: At least one unit must attempt to invade each Beach with an Assault. The Allied player simultaneously places those units from his Setup card which he wishes to land in the first wave in their respective Beach Approach Boxes and then resolves any Coastal Artillery interdiction (19.4) against them for all five Beaches. After interdiction, they assault their respective Beach Areas in the order selected by the Allied player. Overrun does not apply but the Allies do receive the +1 modifier for Air Support.

If the Allies lose the Assault, the attacking units do not retreat, but all units in that landing attempt (including those which were Interdicted) become "Disrupt 1". If all Allied units making the Amphibious Mandatory Assault become Spent due to Interdiction, they automatically lose the Assault and become "Disrupt 1". Artillery may not land during the Amphibious Assault Phase.

Units remaining on the Allied Setup card may enter later as Reinforcements and should be placed in their respective Beach Approach Boxes. If the Beach is Free, they may move inland to other Areas during their landing impulse.

21.6 DAYLIGHT IMPULSES: A normal turn now starts with German Impulse 0. Fresh units in an Activated Area may move/attack in an impulse. Allied units scheduled for an Amphibious Invasion that did not land yet may do so at their specified beach as reinforcements. Allied Reinforcements do not have to make Mandatory Assaults when they land if the Beach Area is already contested with a Fresh or Spent Allied unit. However, if the only Allied units in a Contested Beach Area are Disrupted, Reinforcements may land only by making a Mandatory Assault unless the fortifications have been destroyed (15.2). Artillery may not land as part of a Mandatory Assault against the Landing Area.

21.7 REFIT AND REGROUP PHASES: These phases follow in the same manner as in a normal turn.

22. Victory Conditions

22.1 BREAKOUT: The Allies win if they achieve a Breakout by having a supplied Fresh unit in any Zone at the end of the Daylight Phase of any Game Turn.

22.2 WEEKLY VICTORY CHECK: The Allies win by having ten or more Victory Points at the end of the June 12th turn. The Germans win by preventing the Allies from fulfilling their Victory Conditions.

22.3 VICTORY POINTS: The Germans do not receive Victory Points. Victory depends solely on the Allied Victory Point total unless the Allies achieve a Breakout (22.1). The Allies receive Victory Points for all Areas they Control having valid supply lines, regardless of the presence of German units Contesting an Area or its supply line. The Allies receive two Victory Points for isolating Cherbourg or four Victory Points for control of Cherbourg. Allied possession of the Advantage is worth one Victory Point. The Allies forfeit one Victory Point for each Beach Area under German control at the end of a week.

22.4 CREDIT FOR CONTESTED AREAS VICTORY POINT: The Allies receive one additional Victory Point if they contest (not control) supplied Victory Point areas worth at least seven Victory Points at game end.

23. Optional Rules

23.1 OVERVIEW: These rules may be added only by consent of both players.

23.2 SIDE DETERMINATION: If both players want to play the same side, this rule is used to decide which each player commands and compensates for any player's perceptions regarding the relative chances of victory of each side.

23.21 BIDS: Both players simultaneously present a written, secret bid for command of the Allied forces. The bid takes the form of a number of Victory Points (either Control or Contested, i.e. fractional, Victory Points) added to the level required for an Allied win. Such a bid may consist of Plus or Minus Victory Points, or even 0 Victory Points. The player who has made the higher bid commands the Allies. If the bids are tied, decide sides with a random die roll with the tie bid added to the required Victory Points.

23.22 RESOLUTION: The successful bid is paid at the end of each week by adding the number bid to the required Allied Victory Point level.

23.3 ALTERNATE COMBAT RESOLUTION: Players who feel that the luck element is too strong may substitute cards for dice when resolving attacks. Although this does not eliminate the luck element, it does lessen it and ensures that both players will have an "average" DR of 7 for every 36 combat resolutions. Dice still must be used for all purposes other than attack resolution.

23.31 THE DECK: Four ordinary card decks are required, two each with the same decorative sides. Two special decks of 36 cards each are selected from those decks with each containing one 2, two 3's, three 4's, four 5's, five 6's, six 7's, five 8's, four 9's, three 10's, two Jacks, and one Queen. The Jacks are considered an 11 DR, the Queen is considered a 12 DR. Instead of rolling dice, both players turn over one card at a time from their respective decks to resolve attacks. Once all 36 cards have been used, the decks are reshuffled. Drawn cards negated by use of the Advantage are not returned to their respective decks until both decks are exhausted and reshuffled. Players may wish to insert additional decks to make card counting more difficult.

24. Extended Game

Those wishing to extend play beyond the June 12th turn may agree beforehand to the following variations.

24.1 WEEKLY VICTORY CHECK: Check the Allied Victory Point total at the end of each week (June 12, 19, 26). If the Allies exceed the required Victory Points for that week, they win. If they have less than the required number of Victory Points, they lose. If they have exactly the required number of Victory Points, play continues to the next week. The required Victory Point level is printed at the right of the Turn Record Track for each week of the battle.

24.2 MINOR PORTS: There are four Minor Ports that can be used to supply U.S. units: Carentan, Isigny, St. Vaast, and Barfleur. Each is available ten days after the Allies control it. Place the corresponding Port Marker on the Turn Record Track ten days after the Allies first control its Area. Each Minor Port can place one "Depot 1".

24.3 MULBERRIES: When the Allies gain control of Gold and/or Omaha Beach, place the appropriate Mulberry marker on the Turn Record Track ten days later. When the Mulberry becomes available on that date, remove it from the Turn Record Track and place it in its Area to increase the supply capacity of that beach by one "Depot 10".

24.4 CONTESTED/RECAPTURED PORTS & BEACHES: The Allies can use a Minor Port for supply only if it is in an Allied-Controlled Area. If during the Refit Phase, the Germans contest a Minor Port or Beach with a Mulberry/Depot marker on the Turn Track, advance the Mulberry/Minor Port marker one space. If, during the Refit Phase, the Germans control a Minor Port or Beach Area with a Mulberry/Depot in operation, remove the appropriate Supply marker. If the Allies recapture the Area, a Minor Port Depot marker must be placed on the Turn Track as if the Area was newly captured for the first time. If a Mulberry marker is removed from the Area, it may never be replaced. The Allies may not delay activating a Mulberry, even if German capture is imminent.

24.5 STORM OCCURRENCE: Whenever a Weather Change occurs during the second week, a Storm dr must be made. If the Storm dr is greater than the number of finished days in that week, the weather changes normally. However, if the Storm dr is less than or equal to the number of finished days in that week, the weather changes to Storm and Storm conditions persist for the rest of that day and the following day. Ignore all other weather changes during that day and the next. A Storm result occurs only once; after the first Storm, no Storm dr is made again. If a Storm has not occurred by June 19th, it will occur automatically during the first weather change of the 19th. If there is no Weather Change on the 19th, it occurs during the Refit Phase of the June 19th turn.

The first day after a Storm is also a Storm with no Weather Changes. The second day after a Storm starts as Storm but reverts to Overcast with the first Weather Change. Once a Weather Change occurs, the Storm is broken and normal Weather Change rules prevail. If no Weather Changes occur by the fourth day after a Storm, the weather automatically changes to whatever weather is scheduled for that day on the Turn Record Track.

24.6 STORM EFFECTS: The Storm has the same effects as Overcast plus:

A. No Allied reinforcements may land during a Storm impulse/Regroup Phase. B. A dr must be made for each Mulberry when the Storm ends. A dr ≤ 3 destroys that Mulberry, even if not yet completed. The Omaha Mulberry which was more exposed to the weather must modify its Storm damage dr by -1; the better-sheltered Gold Mulberry modifies its Storm damage dr by +1. Neither Mulberry may be used during the Storm. C. Naval Bombardment is not allowed during a Storm impulse. D. The supply value of all Allied Beach Depots is halved the first day of a Storm and reduced to 2 apiece per day thereafter until they return to 10 the day after the Storm ends. Air Supply may not be attempted during a Storm Refit Phase. Minor Port Depots are not affected.

24.7 RESERVES: During Refit Phases when the Allied Beach Depots each have a value less than 10, the Allied player may spend any Reserve supply to augment the value of each of his Beach Depots by an equal amount (not to exceed 10 per Depot). However, the available reserve must be split evenly among all Beach Depots. Any unspent supplies are again returned to Reserve.

25. Index & Glossary

The Index & Glossary below cross-references house terms to the rule sections in which they are defined; the numerals following each entry are rules section references.

• >: Greater than
• ≥: Greater than or equal to
• <: Less than
• ≤: Less than or equal to
• Active Area: The Area which the attacker has specified as the one from which he will use units in an Assault Impulse (8.2) or in which he will repair/destroy bridges, or which will be the target of a Bombardment impulse (10.1).
• Adjacent: Areas which share a common boundary.
• Advantage: The temporary advantage one side has over the other, yielding certain benefits to its owner. 11 (Victory Conditions: 22.3)
• Air Bombardment: 17.3
• Air Interdiction: 8.4
• Air Supply: 12.9
• Airborne Phase: 21.2
• Amphibious Assault Phase: 21.5
• Area: An irregular-shaped space on the mapboard, used to regulate movement and combat. 3.2
• Armor: A type of unit, usually part of an armored or panzer division, equipped with tanks and other armored vehicles. Armor is noteworthy for its ability to leave Contested Areas and continue movement (8.34) and for its resilience against bombardments. 4.22, 10.4
• Artillery: 16
• Artillery Support: 9.7
• Assault Impulse: A declared impulse during which the attacker may move and attack with Fresh units, and repair, seize and destroy bridges. 8.2
• Assault Resolution: 9
• Attacker: The active player resolving the current impulse, whether attacking or not. 8.1
• Attack Factor: The first (leftmost) number below the unit symbol on the Fresh side of units, or the number on the Fresh side of a bombardment marker. It is used when attacking as the Point Unit of a Ground Assault, or when making a bombardment. 4.32
• Attack Total: The sum of the Attack Value and a combat resolution DR. 9.1
• Attack Value (AV): The total attack strength of an attacking group before the addition of a combat resolution DR. 9.2
• Attrition Points (AP): The difference between the Attack Total and Defense Total in a Bombardment. Units absorb AP at varying rates according to type and status. 10.4
• Beach Area: One of the five areas where Allied units landed on D-Day: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno or Sword Beach. 3.2 (Supply 12.71)
• Beach Approach: The box that connects to a specific Beach Area in which Allied units are placed at Dawn of the day of their arrival. 3.4
• Bocage: An Area whose terrain is dominated by hedgerows. It has a square rather than round ID symbol. 3.21 (Overrun NA: 8.53) (Assault CP: 9.5)
• Bombardment Display: 3.6
• Bombardment Impulse: An attack made solely by Field Artillery, or Le Havre Batteries, or Aircraft, or Naval Bombardment. 10
• Boundary: The thick black dashed, solid, or wavy line separating two adjacent Areas. 3.23
• Breakout: An instant Allied victory achieved by having a supplied, Fresh Allied unit in any Zone at the end of any Daylight Phase. 22.1
• Bridge: A "held/unheld" symbol on a river or flooded boundary that permits units to either cross that boundary or to do so with less movement/combat penalties. Bridges may be destroyed or repaired. 3.24, 20 (Amphibious Assault: 20.3) (Enemy-held: 8.372) (Movement Limits: 8.371) (Primary Target: 20.22) (Secured: 21.2) (Seized: 8.221)
• Casualty Points (CP): The difference between the Attack Total and the Defense Total in an Assault, which must be absorbed by defending units becoming Spent, increasing their level of disruption, retreating, or being eliminated. 9.5
• Cherbourg: 12.62 (Isolation Victory Points: 22.3)
• Clear Weather: 18.2
• Coastal Artillery: A stationary unit having fixed casemated guns sighted out to sea, and static Security forces. It may never move or retreat. 4.25, 8.373, 16.3 (Interdiction: 19.4) (Supply 12.72)
• Construction: 20.21
• Contested: Any Area containing both friendly and enemy units. 7.4
• Controlled: The last side to have been the sole occupant of an Area controls it. The Germans control all Areas at the start of play. 7.3
• Corps Artillery: 16.13
• Date: All the phases and impulses of a single turn. 3.7
• Dawn Phase: 6.2
• Daylight Phase: The alternating movement/combat impulses of each day. 6.3
• D-Day: 6.21, 21
• Defender: The inactive player who is not resolving the current impulse. 8.1
• Defense Factor: The second digit of the three-digit number below the unit symbol on the Fresh side of a unit, or the only number on the Spent side of a unit beneath its unit symbol. It is used by the Forward Unit when being attacked in an Assault to determine its Defense Value. 4.32
• Defense Total: The sum of the Defense Value and a combat resolution DR. 9.1
• Defense Value (DV): The total defensive strength of a defending group before the addition of a combat resolution DR. 9.3
• Demolition: 20.4
• Depots: Markers from which supply is drawn to Refit. 12.51 (Weather Effects: 18.41)
• Disruption: An increased state of disorganization of a unit, suffered in combat and signified by a "Disrupt 1" or "Disrupt 2" marker. 4.5, 12.2
• Divisional Artillery Support Limits: 16.12
• Divisional Integrity: A +1 modifier added to the AV of any attack if three or more of the attacking units belong to the same division. 9.2D
• Double Impulse: An impulse activated by use of the Advantage so that the attacker may declare two active Areas (or the same Area twice) in the current impulse. 11.4
• dr (die roll): A roll of one die.
• DR (dice roll): A roll of two dice added together to form one combined result.
• drm (die roll modifier): A number added to an original die roll to produce a final result.
• DRM (Dice Roll Modifier): A number added to an original dice roll to produce a final result.
• Drop Area: The Area where Allied Airborne units are initially placed to start play on either D-Day or the Dawn Phase of June 7th. Such placement is not an impulse. 4.33, 19.5, 21.2
• Entrance of Enemy-Occupied Areas: 8.35
• Errors: 8.13
• Exit of Enemy-Occupied Area: 8.34
• Extended Game: 24
• Field Artillery: A type of unit having mobile guns, howitzers, mortars, or rockets. 4.23, 16.1 (Primary Target: 10.12)
• First Turn (D-Day): 6.21, 21
• FLAK (Anti-Aircraft): A German unit having 88mm anti-aircraft weapons. 4.24, 16.2
• Flooded Boundary: 3.23 (Movement Restrictions: 8.371)
• Fortifications: 15 (Mandatory Assault: 21.6)
• Forward Unit: The defending unit chosen by the defender whose Defense Factor is used in computing the DV of an Area against an Assault. 9.1, 9.3A
• Free: An Uncontested, friendly-controlled Area. 7.6
• Fresh: The colored (front) side of a unit. Only Fresh units may move or attack except to Regroup or Retreat. 4.32
• ID (identity): A number within the circle in each Area, or the square in each Zone, identifying it for reference purposes. 3.21
• Impulse: One of the alternating move/attack "mini-turns" that make up the Daylight Phase of a Turn. 8.1
• Impulse Track: The seventeen-box display above the Turn Record Track recording the number of the current impulse for each day. 3.8
• Infantry: All units not otherwise defined as Armor, FLAK, PAK, Field Artillery, or Coastal Artillery. 4.21
• Interdiction: (Air 8.4) (Invasion, Reinforcement 19.4) (Supply 12.72)
• Inventory Tracks: 3.9
• Isolation: Any unit unable to trace supply to its source through friendly controlled Areas is isolated. (Effect: 12.8) (Supply Line 12.5)
• Le Havre Batteries: 3.27, 16.4
• Mandatory Assault: An assault into a previously Uncontested Area or across an enemy-held bridge/river requiring retreat if unsuccessful. 8.51 (Reinforcements: 21.6)
• Mapboard: 3
• Minimum Move: 8.38
• Mistaken Attack: 17.31
• Minor Port: An Area (Isigny, Carentan, Barfleur, and St. Vaast) which can be used to generate a daily supply "Depot 1" ten days after being controlled by the Allies. Used only in Extended Game. 24.2
• MF (Movement Factor): The third (rightmost) digit below the unit symbol on the Fresh side of a unit. It is the number of movement points a unit may expend in one impulse (Exception: Germans/Overcast 18.3). 4.32, 8.33
• Movement & Combat: 8
• Mulberry: An artificial harbor used only in Extended Game. 24.3
• Naval Bombardment: 17.2 (Phase: 21.3)
• Naval Targets: 3.26
• Nebelwerfer: German rocket artillery. 4.23, 16.14 (DV: 10.3)
• Occupation Limits: 7
• Offshore Box: A location on the mapboard containing Allied units available to be reassigned to land at any beach on the following dawn. 3.5
• Optional Assault: 8.52
• Overcast: 18.3
• Overrun: An Assault generating more Casualty Points than the defender can absorb which allows the attacker to continue moving in/from the attacked Area. Overrun is not allowed during the Airborne or Amphibious Assault Phases or in Bocage. 8.53
• PAK (Anti-Tank): A German unit consisting of 88mm anti-tank guns. 4.24, 16.2
• Pass Impulse: An impulse during which the attacker performs no action. 8.6
• Point Unit: The Armor/Infantry unit whose Attack Factor is used in computing the AV in an Assault. 9.2A, 9.1 (Movement: 8.375)
• Predominantly Overcast: Any day in which the majority of impulses (but not all) shown on the Impulse Track for that day are Overcast is "Predominantly Overcast". (Air Supply 12.9)
• Prepare to Play: 5
• Primary Target: The attacker's pre-selected choice of a defending unit in a Target Area that takes the first Attrition Point in a bombardment. 10.12, 10.4
• Rangers Withdrawal: 19.6
• Refit: 12.4 (Isolation Effects: 12.8) (Phase: 6.4)
• Regrouping: 13 (Phase: 6.5)
• Reinforcements: 19 (Mandatory Assaults: 21.6)
• Reserves: 12.53
• Retreats: 9.6 (Attacker: 9.41) (Bombardment NA: 10.5)
• River Crossings: 8.511
• Secure Bridge: 20.1 (D-Day: 21.2)
• Seizing Bridge: 8.221, 20.3
• Sequence of Play: 6
• Spent: The first step of unit exhaustion caused by movement or combat shown by flipping the unit to its white (back) side. 4.2, 12.1
• Stacking: 7, 7.7
• Storm: 24.5-.7
• Sunset DR: 6.3, 8.6 (Advantage: 11.5) (Modifier: 11.23)
• Supply Line: 12.5 (Supply Reserves: 12.53)
• Support of Assaults: 9.7
• Surrender: Isolation effect 12.8
• Target Area: The Area selected by the attacker as the subject of a bombardment. 10.1
• TEM (Terrain Effects Modifier): The defensive modifier added to the DV against all attacks in a given Area. 3.22, 9.3B, 10.3A
• Turn: All the phases and impulses of a single date on the Turn Record Track. 3.7, 6.1
• Turn of Entry: 4.33
• Turn Record Track: 3.7
• Unit: Any piece that can control an Area. This includes infantry, armor, FLAK, PAK, Field Artillery, and Coastal Artillery. It excludes air, naval, and Le Havre bombardment markers. 4.1
• Vacant: An Area containing no enemy units. An Area can contain friendly units and still be considered Vacant. 7.5
• Victory Conditions: 22
• Victory Points: 3.25, 22.3
• Weather: 18 (Changes: 18.4)
• Week: Seven consecutive Turns measured from the start of June 6, 13, or 20. 6.1, 24.1
• Withdrawal: 19.6
• Zone: A rectangular box at the gameboard edge containing units on the periphery of the playing area. A Zone is equivalent to an Area for all game purposes other than those listed in Zones. 3.3, 14

Credits

RESEARCH & DESIGN: James Stahler & Don Greenwood

GAME DEVELOPMENT: Don Greenwood

BOX ART: Michael Reis

MAPBOARD & COUNTER ART: Charles Kibler

MVP: Andrew Maly and Drew Simon

PLAYTESTING: Roger Eastep, Andy Lewis, Sean Cousins, Carl Fago, Robert O'Connor, Ray Pfeifer, Darrell Hanning, Michael Sigler

Examples of Play

1. PARATROOP DROP: The game always begins with the Airborne Phase of D-Day, June 6th, 1944 with the dispositions of British and American airborne units in and around Sainte-Mère-Église (in addition to the British drop in Merville, Area 7, not illustrated here). At this point, the Allied player has the option to attack with his Airborne units, or secure bridges with them, or pass (thereby allowing them to remain Fresh).

If the Allies attack in Area 50 with all four of their regiments, their AV is 7 [3 (Attack Factor of any one unit) + 3 (three additional attacking units) + 1 (Divisional Integrity bonus since three of the attacking units are from the same Division) = 7]. The +1 modifier for Air Support (9.2E) does not apply because this attack occurs at night. The German DV will be 5 [2 (Defense Factor of the Coastal Artillery unit) + 3 (TEM of St. Mere Eglise) = 5].

Both players roll two dice. If the German DR is exactly two more than the Allied DR, there is no effect on the Germans, but the four Allied units are flipped over and become Spent with the Point Unit becoming "Disrupt 1". If the German DR beats the Allied DR by more than two, the four Allied units will all become "Disrupt 1". If the German DR is one more than the Allied DR, the Germans incur one CP. This would normally cause the Martin Coastal Artillery unit to become Spent, but since the assault occurred in Bocage, the defense is forgiven one CP and is unaffected. If the Allied DR ties the German DR, the Germans must absorb two CPs (reduced to one by Bocage) so the German flips the Coastal Artillery unit to its Spent side. If the Allied DR is at least four higher than the German DR, the assault would generate more CPs than the defender could pay. Normally, that would be an Overrun but since this is the Airborne Phase (and also because it takes place in Bocage; 8.53), no Overruns are allowed. Instead, the German unit is eliminated and the action in St. Mere Eglise ends. In all of these cases, the four assaulting regiments become Spent. Regardless of the result, the Coastal Artillery may not retreat.

Meanwhile in Pont L'Abbe, the Allies would have an AV of only 4 [3 (Attack Factor of one unit) +1 (one additional unit) = 4] against a DV of 8 [5 (Defense Factor of the 1057th Regiment) +3 (TEM of Pont L'Abbe) = 8]. Since this would affect the Allied unit only if the Allied DR was at least six greater than the German DR, the Allied player elects not to attack, and instead flips his two units to their Spent side. In so doing, he declares that he now holds the Valognes-Pont L'Abbe and Pont L'Abbe-St. Mere Eglise bridges. The two bridges are marked with "Held" markers (21.2).

2. NAVAL BOMBARDMENT: On the first turn, the Western Task Force bombards both Omaha and Utah Beach. On all other turns, it can make only one Bombardment per day. Likewise, the Eastern Task Force (not shown in this example) bombards Gold, Juno, and Sword Beaches on the first day, but is restricted to one bombardment per day thereafter.

Utah Beach is attacked with an AV of 8 [Attack Factor of the Western Task Force] and defends with a DV of 3 [1 (TEM of Utah Beach) + 2 (Fortifications) = 3]. Since there is only one unit in the Area, it is selected as the Primary Target by default. The possible results depend on the difference between the Attack Total (AV + DR) and the Defense Total (DV + DR). If the German DR beats the Allied DR by four, the bombardment inflicts one AP. Since it takes two APs to disrupt a Fresh unit, there is no effect. If the German DR beats the Allied DR by at least five, there are no APs resulting from this bombardment and the 1/919th is unaffected. Otherwise, the 1/919th becomes Spent (a unit can only be reduced one level by bombardment). The unit cannot retreat during a Bombardment Phase.

On Omaha Beach, the AV is also 8, but the DV is 4 [1 (TEM of Omaha Beach) +2 (Fortifications) +1 (Fresh Coastal Artillery) = 4]. The Allied player may select either Infantry unit or the Coastal Artillery unit as the Primary Target. The Field Artillery may not be selected as the Primary Target as long as there are other defending unit types in the Area (10.12). The Allied player selects the Coastal Artillery unit, hoping to neutralize it before it can Interdict the coming invasion. The barrage must generate at least two APs to cause the Coastal Artillery unit to become Spent. The Allied DR is a 7; the German DR is a 6. This creates an Attack Total of 15 and a Defense Total of 10. The difference between the two totals yields five APs to be absorbed by the German defenders on Omaha. The Coastal Artillery, as the Primary Target, must absorb two and becomes Spent. The remaining three APs may be used to force only one more unit to become Spent, since all the defending units are Fresh and require two APs apiece to become Spent. The fifth AP is thus lost with no effect. The German selects any one of his remaining three defending units and flips it to its Spent side to resolve the bombardment. The WTF marker is returned to its Display on the mapboard and flipped to its "Used" side to show that it cannot be used again during this turn.

3. AIR BOMBARDMENT: Both Allied Air markers may make Air Bombardments during the Air Bombardment Phase just before the invasion. The British 2 TAF has started this Phase by attacking Port-en-Bessin, rendering the Longues Coastal Artillery Spent (not illustrated here). Had the British attack failed, the US IX AF may not have opted to attack it again since its Target Area (Grandcamp) was predesignated prior to the British attack (21.4).

The Americans choose the Grandcamp Coastal Artillery as their Primary Target and attack with an AV of 5 (the Attack Factor of the IX AF). The Germans defend with a DV of 2 [1 (TEM of Grandcamp) + 1 (32 FLAK Bn) = 2]. If the German DR is at least three more than the Allied DR, there will be no effect. If the German DR is two greater than the Allied DR, there will be one AP but since it takes two APs to render any Fresh unit Spent, there will also be no effect. If the German DR is one greater than the Allied DR, the Germans take two APs which must be absorbed by the Primary Target—rendering the Grandcamp Coastal Artillery Spent. If the German DR equals the Allied DR, the result is the same since there are no already Spent units which may absorb the third AP. If the Allies win the German DR by one, the Germans suffer four APs. Now the German must choose one other Fresh unit to join the Coastal Artillery unit in becoming Spent. If the Allied DR is at least three greater than the German DR, all three German units are flipped to their Spent side. Any additional APs gained in this attack are ignored since a unit may not lose more than one step in a bombardment. Regardless of the result, the IX AF marker is returned to its Display space with its "Used" side face-up to show that it cannot be used again during this turn.

4. AMPHIBIOUS INVASION: The Allies have chosen to send all three of the 4th Division's Infantry regiments ashore in their first wave against Utah Beach. An Interdiction dr must be made for each of the three units due to the Fresh Marcouf Coastal Artillery in Montebourg. A "1" is rolled for the 8th Rgt, so it immediately becomes Spent and is unable to add to the AV. The remaining two units land safely and attack the Spent 1/919 with an AV of 8 [6 (Attack Factor of the Point Unit) + 1 (one other attacking unit) + 1 (Air Support) = 8]. The German DV is 3 [0 (Defense Factor of Spent 1/919) + 1 (TEM of Utah) + 2 (Fortifications) = 3].

The German DR must beat the Allied DR by five to avoid taking CPs, and it must beat the Allied DR by at least six to win the battle.

Assume the respective DRs are equal. This generates five CPs which is more than the three CPs the Spent 1/919 can absorb. Normally, this situation would result in an Overrun and the Allies could move their remaining Movement Factors. However, Overruns are not allowed during the Amphibious Invasion Phase, so all three units of the 4th Division remain in Utah with their Spent side face-up.

Instead, let's assume the German DR beat the Allied DR by five for a tie. The Point Unit would become "Disrupt 1", but the other two US units would remain Spent. If the German DR beats the Allied DR by at least six, the US would have lost the Mandatory Assault and all three units would become "Disrupt 1". They do not retreat because this is the Amphibious Invasion Phase.

On Omaha, the Naval and Air Bombardment Phases have succeeded in neutralizing all three of the Coastal Artillery units capable of interdicting the beach. The Allied player is assaulting with all seven of his infantry units in the first wave. His AV is 14 [6 (Attack Factor of Point Unit) + 6 (six additional assaulting units) +1 (Divisional Integrity bonus for 1st Division) +1 (Air Support) = 14]. The Germans choose the Spent Vierville Coastal Artillery as their Forward Unit and defend with a DV of 10 [4 (Defense Factor of Forward Unit) +1 (TEM of Omaha) +2 (Fortifications) +3 (three other Fresh units) = 10].

The Allied DR is a '2' and the German DR is a '7'. Since the Defense Total of 17 is greater than the Attack Total of 16, the Allies lose the assault and all seven of their units become "Disrupt 1". Facing a major catastrophe, the Allies flip the Advantage marker and demand a reroll. This time the DRs are equal and the Germans suffer four CPs. The first CP must be taken from the Forward Unit so the Spent Vierville Coastal Artillery becomes "Disrupt 1". The German chooses to fulfill the remainder of his losses with the 916 and 726th Infantry Regiments. Both defending units become Spent for a total of three CPs absorbed. The German then retreats the 726th to fulfill the fourth CP. It may retreat to Grandcamp, Trevieres, or Port-en-Bessin. However, if the British have already taken control of Gold Beach, Port-en-Bessin cannot be chosen as the retreat route because it is adjacent to an enemy-controlled Area while the other two retreat choices are not (9.64A).

The German had several other choices to satisfy his losses in the assault. For instance, he could have simply destroyed the Vierville unit with three CPs, and flipped one of the three remaining units to its Spent side. Alternatively, he could have taken two CPs with the Vierville unit to "Disrupt 2" and used the third and fourth CPs to render one of the other units Spent and retreat only that one Spent unit.

5. AIR INTERDICTION: It is the German first impulse of June 6th. He selects Cap de la Hague (57) as the Active Area. He wishes to move both of his mobile units to Montebourg (52)—a move of three Areas. Since Air Interdiction is possible (8.4), his units must move one at a time. He may choose to move one unit as far as it can go before moving the other, or he may alternate moving both units one Area at a time until they have finished moving. Both units move safely to Cherbourg as the first Area traversed is always Interdiction-free. Normally, to continue movement, each unit would have to chance an Air Interdiction dr for each additional Area entered. However, Cherbourg contains three Fresh FLAK units which each modify any Air Interdiction dr by +1. Consequently, Air Interdiction in Cherbourg is currently ineffective and both units pass safely into Valognes. To continue into Montebourg, however, both units must chance an Air Interdiction dr in Valognes. The 920th Regiment rolls first and throws a '1'. This not only prevents its entrance into Montebourg, but also causes it to become "Disrupt 1". Had it rolled a '2', it would have simply had to stop Spent in Valognes. The 101st NW Brigade rolls a '3' and moves into Montebourg where it decides to stop and becomes Spent.

6. BRIDGE DEMOLITION & REPAIR: The German player starts this Clear weather impulse by declaring Pont L'Abbe as the Active Area of an Assault Impulse and attempts to repair the Pont L'Abbe-St. Jores bridge (20.2). He needs a final dr of at least 7 to repair the bridge. He is entitled to a drm of +3 [+3 (St. Jores is Free) +2 (Pont L'Abbe is German-controlled but Contested) -1 (Flooded boundary) -1 (Repair attempt) = +3]. A dr of 4 or more repairs the bridge by removing the Destroyed Bridge marker. A dr of 3 or less fails to repair the bridge, but results in placement of a +1 Construct marker (20.21). The dr is a '4' and the bridge is repaired. The 1057th Regiment now moves across the newly repaired bridge to St. Jores, allowing Control of Pont L'Abbe to instantly shift to the Allies. The Germans now attempt to destroy the bridge they just crossed as well as the Pont L'Abbe-St. Sauveur bridge (20.4). Each Demolition attempt needs a final dr of at least 7 to succeed. The drm for the St. Jores attempt is +2 [+3 (one Free adjacent Area) -1 (Flooded boundary) = +2]. The drm for the St. Sauveur attempt is +3 [+3 (one Free adjacent Area)]. The Valognes and St. Mere Eglise bridges cannot be blown because they are under enemy control.

The 1057th was unable to cross the Valognes bridge because it was held by the Allies. A unit cannot exit a Contested Area across an enemy-held bridge (8.372). Nor can the 1057th expend a MF to attempt to seize the Valognes bridge because such attempts can only be made from a Free Area (8.221).

Now assume that the German wishes to reinforce Pont L'Abbe instead of withdrawing from it. The German activates Valognes. He wants to send the 1058 Regiment into Pont L'Abbe without attacking. He can do so but must risk Air Interdiction in St. Sauveur because he must cross a previously secured bridge to avoid a Mandatory Assault and the Americans still hold the Pont L'Abbe-Valognes bridge across the shorter route. Were they to avoid the risk of Air Interdiction by taking the shorter route into Pont L'Abbe, they would have to make a Mandatory Assault at 4:9 [2 (Spent Defense Factor of Airborne) +3 (TEM of Pont L'Abbe) +2 (Air Support) +2 (Mandatory Assault across enemy-held bridge) = 9].

The German has one other option. He could expend one MF with the 1058th in an attempt to seize the Pont L'Abbe-Valognes bridge from Valognes by making a dr ≥ 7. The applicable drm are:

+3 Attempt from Free Area

However, if this attempt fails, the 1058th will then lack sufficient MF to try the St. Sauveur-Pont L'Abbe route.

7. MANDATORY ASSAULT: The German 6th FS Regiment is entering St. Mere Eglise during an Overcast impulse. Since Area 50 was uncontested at the start of the impulse, the 6th FS must make a Mandatory Assault (8.51). The German AV is 6 [Attack Factor of 6th FS]. The Allied DV is 7 [2 (Defense Factor of any one Forward Unit) +3 (TEM of Area 50) +2 (Mandatory Assault across Flooded Boundary on a friendly bridge) = 7]. Had the German garrison in St. Mere Eglise survived (even at "Disrupt 2"), Area 50 would have been Contested and the 6th FS could have entered without attacking or could have made an Optional Assault at 6:5 because the Allies would not have been entitled to the extra +2 modification for a Mandatory Assault across a Flooded boundary.

If the Allied Defense Total in this Mandatory Assault is greater than the German Attack Total, the 6th FS must retreat to Carentan and become "Disrupt 1". The defenders will not absorb any CPs, but still have the option to either retreat or remain in place. If the Attack and Defense Totals are tied, the 6th FS would still be "Disrupt 1" but would have the option to remain in St. Mere Eglise or retreat. If the German Attack Total is greater than the Allied Defense Total, the U.S. paratroopers would have to absorb the appropriate number of CPs (less one for Bocage).

8. EXIT OF CONTESTED AREA: The Allies have activated Area 30 and are making an Optional Assault with the Rangers and the entire 1st Division including supporting fire from their divisional artillery. The AV is 13 [6 (Attack Factor of Point Unit) + 1 (Divisional Integrity bonus) + 1 (Air Support) + 4 (four other assaulting units) + 1 (Divisional Artillery Support) = 13]. The DV is 6 [4 (Defense Factor of Forward Unit) + 1 (TEM of Omaha) + 1 (additional fresh defenders) = 6].

If the Germans win the battle, the Rangers and the three infantry Regiments that assaulted become "Disrupt 1," but do not retreat since they started the impulse in Omaha Beach. The artillery just becomes Spent because it only supported the attack (16.12). The 29th Division can still move in this impulse, but it cannot attack in Omaha since that Area was already attacked during this impulse. Their only movement option during this impulse is to Port-en-Bessin where they must stop and become Spent (8.34). If there were an Armored unit in Omaha, it could enter Port-en-Bessin (only) and then continue its move from there, since there are no enemy Armor units in Omaha, but it would have used two MF in Omaha before it left (8.54).

Suppose that the Germans are forced to absorb two CPs. The Forward Unit must become Spent. It can then retreat to Grandcamp, leaving the other unit in Omaha Beach. Other options include both units becoming Spent and remaining in Omaha, or both units voluntarily retreating to Grandcamp (becoming Spent in the process). Regardless of the option chosen, any retreat must be to Grandcamp because Trevieres is adjacent to Port-en-Bessin which is under Allied control (9.64A).

If both German units retreat (or are eliminated without an Overrun), the assaulting units become Spent and can move no further. The 29th Division can then move normally this impulse, but with two less MF due to the attack on the Fresh German units in their Area. They could even enter Grandcamp and attack the just-retreated German units. However, if even one German unit remains to contest Omaha Beach, the 29th Division can only remain in Omaha or move to Port-en-Bessin and stop.

Suppose that the Germans were required to take more than eight CPs, eliminating both units and resulting in an Overrun (8.53). All units in Omaha can move normally, having already expended two MF in Omaha, except for the 1st Division Artillery which supported the Attack and becomes Spent there. However, now that Omaha is no longer Contested, either Division's artillery can now support an assault in an adjacent Area in this impulse (16.12) if an infantry unit of that division is involved in the assault.

9. REFIT PHASE: Due to a partially Overcast day, the German Depot in Trevieres is worth six supply points and is able to refit any of the five Spent/Disrupted German units shown, but lacks sufficient supply to refit them all. The Refit costs are as follows:

• 3 Supply Points to refit the two infantry units in Trevieres at a cost of one supply point for the Spent 916th and two supply points for the Disrupted 726th. The 726th Regiment will still be Spent because it can recover only one level per day (12.4).
• 2 Supply Points to refit the Longues Coastal Artillery in Port-en-Bessin across the Trevieres-Port-en-Bessin River boundary. Supply can be traced into an Area across an unbridged river—but not through it (12.5). Had the supply line been traced across the Bayeux bridge (out of view, on the right), the cost would have been three Supply Points.
• 3 Supply Points to refit the Vierville Coastal Artillery back to "Disrupt 1" (two for being in an adjacent Area and one for being Disrupted).
• 4 Supply Points to refit the Grandcamp Coastal Artillery through Omaha Beach [1 (Trevieres) + 2 (Omaha Beach) + 1 (Grandcamp) = 4]. See 12.51.

Faced with these hard choices, the German opts to Refit the two units in Trevieres at a cost of three points plus the Coastal Artillery in Port-en-Bessin for two more. He banks his one remaining supply point on the Supply Track.

10. OVERRUN: The British are landing their second wave at Gold Beach with the 56th Infantry and 8th Armored Brigades. They spend one MF to land in Gold and three more to enter Bretteville which contains a Spent enemy unit. The resulting Mandatory Assault is made with an AV of 8 against a German DV of 3. The DRs are equal and this results in five CPs which is two more than the Spent German unit in Bretteville can absorb. Consequently, the 21st Pz FLAK Bn is eliminated and an Overrun (8.53) has occurred. This allows the assaulting units to continue moving until they expend their remaining MFs. The 56th has only one MF remaining which is insufficient to advance further. Rather than use it to withdraw back to Gold Beach, it attempts to seize the Verson bridge with a modified dr ≥ 7 at a cost of one MF (8.221). Regardless of the outcome, it ends its movement Spent in Bretteville. However, the Armor Brigade may enter its pick of Villars-Bocage or Tilly (both of which are Vacant, enemy-controlled Areas requiring an expenditure of two MFs). The bridge of the Area entered by the Armor brigade will automatically become Allied-held when it is crossed. The Armor unit may not enter Verson because the attempt to seize that bridge by the 56th will require an additional one MF from every unit crossing it during this impulse.

11. PARTIAL MANDATORY ASSAULT & DOUBLE IMPULSE: It is an Allied Overcast impulse and the Americans hold the Isigny-St. Lo bridge. They send all six infantry regiments into St. Lo, but because the bridge can only hold five units per impulse, the sixth must cross the river unaided. This is an Optional Assault because St. Lo is already contested and the Allies hold the St. Lo-Isigny bridge. The Allies assault with all six units and supporting fire from the two Divisional Artillery units. The AV is 15 [6 (Attack Factor of Point Unit) + 5 (five extra assaulting units) + 2 (two Divisional Integrity bonuses) + 2 (two supporting Field Artillery units) = 15]. The German DV is 13 [7 (Defense Factor of Forward Unit) + 3 (three extra Fresh defending units) + 3 (TEM of St. Lo) = 13]. The defense gets no benefit from the sixth unit crossing the river without the bridge because the Allies already control that river boundary by controlling its bridge. If the sixth unit had crossed another section of the river boundary over which the Allies had no control, the Germans would have received an additional +2 DV for a Mandatory Assault across a River without using a bridge. If the Allies lose the DR by three or more, all of the assaulting units will become "Disrupt 1" and may retreat or remain in St Lo. The supporting Field Artillery will become Spent.

Not wishing to risk this assault, the Allied player decides to use the Advantage and declares a Double Impulse by activating both Area 35 and 33 simultaneously. The three infantry units of the 2nd Division enter St. Lo across the St. Lo-St. Jean De Daye bridge to join the six units entering from Isigny. The AV of the combined assault is increased by five [3 (three extra units) + 1 (Divisional Integrity bonus) + 1 (Supporting Field Artillery) = 5] for a total AV of 20. The German DV becomes 15 because of the +2 modifier (Mandatory Assault across river on enemy-held bridge). However, the 2nd Infantry Division is making a Mandatory Assault and will have to retreat if they lose the attack. The other units which did not cross the enemy-held bridge did not make a Mandatory Assault and therefore need not retreat if the attack is repulsed. No additional Allied units may enter St. Lo which now contains the maximum ten Allied units.

12. BRIDGE SEIZURE: It is the first Allied impulse of June 6th. The Allies send the 8th Regiment of the 4th Division ashore at Utah for one MF. It passes the Interdiction dr caused by the Coastal Artillery in Montebourg by rolling > 1. It expends three more MF to enter St. Mere Eglise across the Allied-held bridge and attacks the Martin Coastal Artillery at 7:5. The Allied Attack Total is five > the Defense Total which eliminates the Martin Coastal Artillery and gives the Allies control of St. Mere Eglise. Although this is more CPs than the Germans can pay it is not an Overrun because it took place in Bocage. The 8th Regiment's impulse is thus over and it cannot expend its last MF to attempt to seize the Montebourg bridge.

In the German second impulse, Area 45 is activated and the 100 Pz Rp Bn moves into Carentan (1 MF) and attempts to seize the St. Mere-Eglise bridge (1 MF). The applicable drm are:

+3 Attempt from a Free Area -1 Flooded Boundary

Consequently, the German needs to roll ≥ 5 to succeed. If unsuccessful, with his last three MF he may cross the bridge to enter St. Mere Eglise, but would have to make a Mandatory Assault at odds of 1:10. Had the German Coastal Artillery survived and still contested the Area, the 100 Pz Rp Bn could have entered the Area across the newly-secured bridge without attacking were it successful in seizing the bridge. However, had it failed to seize the bridge, the only way it could cross would be with a Mandatory Assault at 1:10 even though the Area is still contested and controlled by the Germans. Even if successful in seizing the bridge, the German cannot attempt to destroy it in this impulse since Carentan is not the active Area.

The Allies use their second impulse to land the last remaining infantry regiment of the 4th Division at a cost of one MF, again survive interdiction fire by the Montebourg battery, expend one more MF to enter St. Mere Eglise, and use a third MF to attempt to take the Montebourg bridge. This time the applicable drms are:

+3 Attempt from a Free Area -2 Two Fresh defenders

Consequently, the Allied player needs a '6' to take the Montebourg bridge. Regardless of the outcome, it lacks sufficient MF to move any further and only one bridge seizure attempt is allowed per bridge per impulse.

The German third impulse finds him once again trying to retake the Carentan bridge. This time he activates Carentan and spends one MF with the 6FS Regiment for the attempt which fails when he cannot roll ≥ '5'. The 6FS Regiment is now Spent and with only two MF left is unable to attempt a Mandatory Assault across the bridge since even a Minimum Move (8.38) requires ALL of a unit's MF. Had he been successful in seizing the bridge, he could have attempted to demolish it at the end of his impulse, but would still have lacked the necessary MF to cross it after the seizure attempt.

Designer's Notes

Logistics is the backbone of any army in the modern era. Heroism, the currency of Hollywood films, plays its part too, but no nationality has ever held a monopoly on heroes. The side better able to supply its troops, and move them more quickly so as to mass more force than the enemy is more likely to generate the most heroes. Put simply, that is the theory behind the design of BREAKOUT: NORMANDY.

The Battle of Normandy was among the most crucial, decisive, hardest- and longest-fought battles of World War II. It began with history's largest amphibious invasion, lasted 11 weeks, and ended with the German army shattered and the victorious Allies streaming nearly unopposed across France. It was a long slugging match which ended with a knockout. We focus on the first week of the battle, when the Germans had their only real chance to drive the Allies into the sea, and the Allies were searching for a breakout leading to a quick victory, hoping to avoid the long, bloody weeks to come spent slogging through the bocage.

The traditional wargame approach works well enough when one side attacks and the other reacts. But to simulate Normandy, where both sides were able to attack, often simultaneously, a more interactive system was needed. The impulse system, pioneered in STORM OVER ARNHEM, improved in THUNDER AT CASSINO and refined in TURNING POINT: STALINGRAD, works very well in gaming the type of attack/response/counter-response action found on the beaches and among the hedgerows of Normandy. We believe we've taken that novel system to the next level. Dare we claim to have perfected the system?

The mapboard depicts the entire region of Normandy in which the battle was joined during the all-important first three weeks. The Allies didn't advance beyond the mapboard until breakout had been achieved in the aftermath of COBRA. The most important features of the battlefield are the two major cities, Cherbourg and Caen, the coast, rivers, flooded regions, and bocage. Cherbourg and Caen each have their own Area. Many of the other Areas are centered around major towns. Rivers are frequently used to separate one Area from another, as are the flooded regions around the Dives, Orne, Aure, Douve, and Merderet. Each of the five invasion beaches is a separate Area. Utah Beach, even though a narrow Area, was separated from the hinterland by low, flooded land crossed only by a few causeways. Since this was crucial to the invasion, and supplied much of the reason for the landing of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, Utah is made a separate Area from Ste. Mere Eglise, with a flooded, bridged boundary.

The best defensive terrain was urban. Caen took weeks to capture, although the Allies were within a few miles of it on the first day. Cherbourg managed to hold out for several days despite being isolated, demoralized, and greatly outnumbered by an enemy with total control of the air and sea. Consequently, these cities rate a +4 TEM. The American struggles in bocage are well documented. Therefore, Areas dominated by bocage rate a +3 TEM as well as a prohibition against Overruns and an ability to absorb the first CP in an Assault. Areas with a significant amount of forest, marsh, or hills earned a +2 TEM. A TEM of +1 fell to the remaining areas which were primarily flat and open.

The boundary between two Areas can be flooded, river, or open. Flooded boundaries are low-lying land along rivers that were purposely inundated by the Germans to hinder airborne operations. In some cases, the flooding was not very deep, and soldiers were able to wade across the boundary, but it was still impractical for a modern army, dependent on vehicles, to supply troops over such terrain, without use of bridges or causeways.

River boundaries represent rivers running along the entire boundary between two Areas, but they also are used if the main road net between those Areas crosses bridges, which can be defended or destroyed to hinder the advance of a road-bound army. In those cases, a river need not run the entire length of the boundary and the river boundary could be composed of more than one river. In fact, river boundaries also represent generalized obstacles to movement between the Areas, not necessarily rivers alone. Although most rivers in Normandy are narrow, shallow affairs and not much of an obstacle themselves, they often lie at the bottom of a steep valley which does present an obstacle to movement and doubles as an excellent defensive position. A prominent example is the Elle River, where the US V Corps halted its advance in the first week, having reached a strong natural boundary and defensive position.

Most rivers have bridges where the road net crosses the river and links the two Areas on either side. Where there is no substantial road link between adjacent Areas separated by a river, an advance between those Areas would be very difficult. Therefore, that river boundary has no bridge. This does not mean that no bridge existed there. There may actually be dozens of them. But they are either too small for militarily significant traffic, or take too roundabout a route on secondary roads to seriously impact the existing main road net. For simplicity, a bridge symbol can represent a number of bridges or causeways, just as a river boundary can represent more than one river.

Novice German players may get the mistaken impression that blowing bridges actually helps the Allied advance since the Allies can sometimes repair bridges easier than they can capture existing ones. After all, it takes no unit to repair a bridge while a fresh unit must expend MFs to seize one. The bias also seems clear in the MF costs. It costs nothing extra to cross a just-repaired bridge, but it costs a MF to seize a bridge or cross one seized in the same impulse. Such factors are illusions, however. The single most important commodity in the Allied arsenal is time. Each impulse is precious and must be used to maximum effect if the Allies are to better their historical performance. An impulse spent to no other effect than to fail a bridge construction attempt is a considerable setback for the Allies. Any bridge construction attempt not between two Free Areas is subject to failure regardless of prior construction modifiers. The uncertainty of repair attempts makes bridge demolition a positive element in the German's arsenal of delaying tactics. Only on those rare occasions when the Allies have impulses to spare—such as during a very conservative D-Day landing with little or no second waves—is demolition likely to backfire and actually aid the Allied advance.

Bridge repair requires no unit in the Area because it is accomplished by Engineer Battalions assigned at the Corps level which do not take unit-form in the game. Similarly, bridge repair does not require MF expenditure because no "unit" is required to attempt it. The uncertainty of bridge repair is considered ample penalty in this regard. If unsuccessful, units gambling to use the bridge during that impulse are likely to be inconvenienced far more than a MF.

Zones

A common problem in most wargames is the "edge of the board" effect, in which units appear from the void, and if they exit the board, fall off the edge of the world never to be seen again. STORM OVER ARNHEM managed to soften this effect with the concept of Strategic Movement Zones. A Zone encompasses a much larger region than an Area, and consequently has different rules governing it. It is a compromise between the terrain depicted in detail in the Areas on the board, and the offboard terrain not depicted at all. Because a Zone is larger than an Area, it has no stacking restrictions, but it takes much longer to move into Zones than to move from Area to Area.

The Armies

In most wargames, a player has a large number of pieces that represent units of similar size, with no intermediate organization. In real life, a commander controls no more than three to five subordinate units, but a game player controls dozens with no problem, leading him to wonder why all those intermediate levels of organization are necessary. BREAKOUT: NORMANDY has several rules that reward players who pay some attention to these intermediate levels of organization.

A division is represented by its component regiments or brigades, and its field artillery. This allows a division to be spread out over several Areas or concentrated in one Area. It also allows a division to suffer partial losses rather than being eliminated all at once. Players are encouraged to respect division integrity by an attack bonus which applies when three units of the division attack together. This philosophy is also reflected by having the various components of the division appearing together in most cases, even though the component regiments of a division were often disembarked on different days. Historically, divisions tended to operate together as a unit, although there were plenty of cases in which a division was committed piecemeal, or had a regiment assigned to another division. Nevertheless, as a general rule, units were most effective when they fought together as intact divisions. A student of the campaign can find several instances of Allied regiments being landed before they appear as available in our Order of Appearance. However, for the most part, those units were not engaged in combat and were held to the rear until their sister regiments were available to also swing into line. Therefore, the "center of gravity" approach was used to determine the availability date of whole divisions.

Divisions are organized into corps which are a much more flexible organization. Divisions were constantly shuffled between corps much more than subordinate units were shuffled between divisions. Here, a corps organization is represented by its artillery unit. Since corps were spread out geographically, corps artillery units are not allowed to occupy the same Area. Think of a corps as being composed of all the units in the same Area as the corps artillery unit, in addition to some of the units in adjacent Areas.

The Allies comprised the British Second Army under Dempsey, and the US First Army, under Bradley. These two armies had different doctrines, weapons and organization. They operated separately, although they coordinated their actions, and therefore require their own impulses. They also had their own supply services and supply lines. Consequently, Areas belong either to the British or to the Americans for supply purposes. If the two armies got their supply lines tangled, logistical inefficiencies would ensue.

In the early stages of the battle the German defenders were all part of the 7th Army, so the Germans didn't have separate supply lines, in the same sense as the Allies. However, the Germans included a number of separate organizations. Most of the ground troops belonged to the Wehrmacht, but there were SS formations as well, which had a somewhat different organization and doctrine. The coastal artillery was split between the Wehrmacht and Kriegsmarine. The independent FLAK battalions and parachute units were part of the Luftwaffe. The Germans cooperated with each other for the most part despite this confusion of command, which is shown in the game only by the +1 modifier for combined Wehrmacht/SS attacks.

Most units in the game are regiments or brigades with exceptions made for corps artillery, coastal artillery, and a few independent battalions. The battalions depicted are either powerful or famous, significant enough to represent along side the larger units. Most of the battalions are German antiaircraft and antitank units containing the 88mm gun, which was perhaps the most effective and feared weapon in the German arsenal. Tiger tanks were organized into independent battalions, and these also were more effective than an ordinary battalion.

The panzer regiment of the Panzer Lehr Division was exceptionally large and strong. It is therefore broken down into its component battalions. At the other end of the scale, the 919th Regiment supplied the troops who defended Utah Beach. It would be ahistorical to either leave Utah undefended or to put the entire regiment there, and there was no coastal artillery at Utah to make up the difference. Consequently, one battalion of the 919th Regiment appears separately to welcome the Americans ashore. AOK 7 was the independent Sturm Battalion of the 7th Army, and it was somewhat stronger than an ordinary infantry battalion, so it appears on its own. The 100th Panzer Replacement Battalion was not very powerful, but it supplied the tanks that were used against the American paratroopers in the first few days of the invasion, and it therefore has recognition in the battle well beyond its strength. There were many more independent units of battalion strength on both sides, but only these are shown as separate units; the others being factored into the strength of other larger, nearby formations.

The German coastal artillery units represent mostly large caliber guns emplaced in fixed positions. Each unit represents all the batteries in an Area, together with miscellaneous security battalions and other beach defenses. The exception are the two coastal artillery units in Cherbourg, which had a large concentration of guns defending the port, and which were able to hold their own against the US Navy in an action on June 25.

On the Allied side, the only battalions shown are the famous Ranger battalions that landed on Omaha, one of which took Pointe du Hoc. Even they are immediately withdrawn once the Allies take Omaha, since allowing them to remain to absorb losses would give them importance far beyond their numbers. The Allies have numerous tank, artillery, engineer, antitank and antiaircraft battalions, but their strengths have been factored into other units. Unlike the Americans, who organized their tanks into armored divisions or independent tank battalions that were attached to infantry divisions, the British had a number of armored brigades that operated with specific infantry divisions. These brigades are not made part of the infantry divisions because they were not historically. Making them so would allow them to attack independently of the infantry elements of the division but still receive support from the divisional artillery. This would reflect usage for which they were not intended. Their mission was to support the infantry divisions, not to attack on their own.

In most cases, the strength on the Spent side of a unit is half the strength on the Fresh side. Except for the elite paratroopers and commandos, the Spent strength of the Allied units are rounded down. Usually, when an Allied unit suffered heavy casualties it would be taken from the line, rested and refit. The Germans didn't have such luxury. They performed miracles of defense with shattered units, and therefore their Spent defense strength is rounded up. Coastal artillery consists mostly of casemated guns; their positions are just as strong whether Fresh or Spent, and so they have the same values either way.

Units in the German army came in a variety of strengths, while the Allied forces had very similar sized regiments and brigades. Most of the American regiments have an attack and defense factor of 5. Certain divisions, the US 1st, 4th, 9th, and 30th, performed exceptionally well so their factors are increased to 6. The US 90th Division did not perform so well, suffered several changes of command, and its factors are consequently reduced to 4.

The US divisions include a number of units attached from corps. The British brigades are a little weaker than the US regiment, because a lot of the British strength is included in the independent armoured brigades that worked closely with specific divisions. Therefore the British brigades are 4-4-5's and 4-5-5's, with the exception of a couple elite units, the Canadian 3rd and British 15th Divisions.

Airborne regiments and brigades are weaker than corresponding infantry units because they had far fewer heavy weapons, and fewer men in action, despite the high quality of the individual airborne soldier. The commando brigades were smaller than an infantry brigade, but were so well trained that they are almost as strong.

Initial Setup

Many of the German regiments were broken into smaller units and scattered over the countryside, in some cases in the equivalent of three or four Areas. The initial placement of the regimental counters reflects the "center of mass" of the unit. For example, the strength of the coastal artillery units at Gold and Juno include elements of the 736th Regiment at Sword. Sword contained the fortified headquarters of the 736th Regiment, code-named MORRIS and HILLMAN, which were able to hold out the entire day of the invasion. For that reason, the 736th Regiment is placed at Sword, despite the fact that many companies of that regiment were scattered over Gold, Juno, and Sword. Similarly, the various artillery units of 21st Panzer were actually spread out all over the British sector to cover the beaches and is reflected in the strength of the Coastal Artillery units in those Areas. Their actual starting position in Bourguebus, is not so much a center of gravity as a placement of convenience out of harm's way which ensures it cannot have an undue effect on any one beach on D-Day and will be able to "withdraw" in good order to Caen for operations on the 7th as it did historically.

Likewise, strictly speaking, Panzer Lehr should appear in Le Mans on D-DAY. However, doing so would require imposing an "idiot" rule on the Germans that forbids them to move Lehr until Hitler awakens and gives his permission. It is simpler to assume these historical restraints and simply place Lehr on the board on June 7th so their arrival cannot beat their historical appearance.

Night

Most of the combat in the Normandy Campaign took place during the day. Part of the reason for this was that the battle took place around the summer solstice, and at this latitude the nights were very short. Consequently, there are no separate day and night impulses. Instead, rest and refit of units occurs at night.

More to the point, Allied absolute control of the air during the day forced German units to do most of their movement at night. This is reflected in the game in the Regroup Phase, which allows reinforcements to slowly move towards the front without threat of air attack.

Intelligence

On the regimental scale in Normandy, both sides usually knew the location, strength, and identity of their opponents, so there are no hidden or concealed units in the game. The biggest difference in intelligence was on the strategic level, with the Allies being able to surprise the Germans as to the timing and location of the invasion, and pinning the German 15th Army in place with the phantom First US Army Group. Still, the Allies had a significant intelligence edge on the operational scale as well due to superior air reconnaissance, the French underground, and ULTRA decodes of German radio messages. This is reflected in the game with the Germans having to commit themselves first in the Refit and Regroup Phases, with the Allies observing the results before making their own decisions. The Allies also get the last impulse of each turn, but cannot predict with absolute certainty exactly when that will be.

Air Power

The Allies had complete air superiority over Normandy. To counteract the 14,674 Allied sorties on D-Day, the Germans had only 319 aircraft in the area, of which less than a hundred were fighters. After the campaign developed, the Allies could cram every field in Normandy with materiel while the Germans had to hide everything to keep from being destroyed by roving Allied aircraft. There was a German saying, "If you see a white plane, it's an American; if it's black, it's the R.A.F. If you don't see any planes, it's the Luftwaffe." The Luftwaffe limited itself to nuisance raids on the Allied fleet anchored off the coast, with little effect beyond destroying a lot of sleep. It is therefore not represented in the game.

It is difficult to overstate the value of Allied air power in the battle and this factor is reflected in a number of ways. The most obvious is the Air Bombardment markers. These represent concentrated air bombardment, less powerful than the carpet bombing that took place later in the campaign, but more powerful than fighter-bomber attacks on targets of opportunity.

Aside from these concentrated air attacks, there was a constant cloud of Allied aircraft over the battlefield. This is represented by Allied air interdiction of German units that move more than one Area in an impulse, and also by the air modifier that helps the Allies in both attack and defense. Aircraft were much more effective against units in motion on the roads or supply dumps than against dug-in troops in the front lines. Therefore, there is only a +1 DRM when the Allies make an assault, and a +2 DRM when the Germans leave their prepared positions to attack.

Possibly the most important effect of air power was its crippling effect on the Germans to supply their forces on the front line, and the ability to deliver additional supplies to the Allies in Normandy. The Germans would pray for rain so that they would be able to move their supplies free from interference by the Allied air forces. In the game, the German supplies are reduced during good weather by the activity of the Allied aircraft; the cloudier the day the more German supplies that make it to the front lines. Alternatively, the Allied air transports can deliver supplies to the troops over and above that landed from the boats.

Normandy was at the extreme range of much of the Allied aircraft; their time over the battlefield was limited by their range from the English airfields. This is one reason why the Germans expected the Allies to invade Pas de Calais, which was nearer to England; and why the Allies were disappointed at the lack of progress of the British forces. The ground beyond Caen was ideal for airfields, which would have increased the range, and hence the effectiveness, of the Allied aircraft. Because of this extreme range, Allied air power is limited to the Areas on the board, and is not allowed in the Zones.

Sea Power

The Allies were virtually unopposed on the water. Against the huge Allied armada, the Germans could muster just a few E-Boats. These did manage to dash through the Allied smokescreen and sink a ship, but they were helpless to seriously hinder the invasion. The navy is represented by two bombardment counters, one for the naval forces supporting the US 1st Army (Western Naval Task Force) and one representing the Eastern Naval Task Force supporting the British 2nd Army. Each of these abstractly represents the fire support of numerous battleships, cruisers, and destroyers of the naval task forces. They were more effective than air bombardment since naval gunfire was more accurate than bombs, and could remain on station throughout the campaign, while an airplane could spend only a few minutes over the battlefield. However, naval bombardment is limited to Areas on or near the coast.

German ships are not represented since they were effectively countered by the Allied navies. The Allied minesweepers, cargo ships, and landing craft are also not directly represented in the game, but their effect is in the ability of the Allied divisions to land and to be supplied over the beaches.

Weather

The Germans could do little to counter the immense Allied air and naval power, but ships and aircraft were vulnerable to winds and rain. The invasion was postponed once due to the weather, and came perilously close to being put off a second time. As it was, the Allied aircraft were frequently grounded by bad weather, either over the battlefield or over their airfields in England. The shallow-draft landing craft delivering their cargoes to the shore were vulnerable to storms at sea, as the events of June 19th-22nd proved. The weather was a crucial factor in the battle for Normandy, and plays a major role in the game.

Reflecting weather in an historical game is difficult. If the weather in the game follows the actual weather, both players artificially know beforehand the upcoming weather. However, if the weather is determined randomly, the historical weather is not likely to occur, and any claim to historicity is thereby impugned. BREAKOUT: NORMANDY attempts a compromise between these approaches. Each day starts out with the historical weather pattern, but as the day progresses there is an increasing likelihood that the weather may change, adding historical uncertainty and urgency to the consideration of the historical weather.

Ground Assaults

One weakness in this series of games has heretofore been that the attacker benefits as much from strong defensive terrain as the defender. A defender can be in a powerful position, with a high TEM, and the attacker can enter it and derive the same TEM benefit without winning a battle. In this game, if the attackers enter a new area and lose a battle they must retreat back to whence they came; they were repulsed and cannot remain in the defender's Area. If the attacker already has a "bridgehead" in an Area (that is, if the Area is Contested), think of the attackers as first reinforcing the bridgehead, and then attacking out of it. If they are repulsed, they may remain in that Area; but they failed to break out of their bridgehead.

Another criticism of the earlier games which has been addressed here is that additional defending units do not really increase the strength of an Area. They can absorb more casualty points and keep the defender from giving up the Area, but they cannot prevent the attacker from gaining a foothold there. This is remedied by increasing the Defense Value for each Fresh defending unit in the Area, beyond the Forward unit. This realistically makes such areas harder to assault, but more rewarding to bombard because of the unit density which is as it should be.

Previously, the Defense Value was based on the weakest, or sometimes the strongest, defending unit in an Area. If based on the weakest, adding an additional weak unit can actually lower the defense strength of an Area. If based on the strongest unit, this implies that the strongest unit is forced to be at risk and cannot be held "out of the line" in reserve. In BREAKOUT: NORMANDY, the defender has his choice of which unit is the "Forward Unit". This will usually be the strongest unit to maximize the strength of the position, but the defender can decide if the strongest unit is too valuable to risk, and assign a lesser unit to the "front line" in an Area.

Bombardment

Just because a unit was strong against a ground attack did not necessarily help it against shells and bombs. Therefore, a target unit's defense factor has no effect in a bombardment. What is important is the type of target unit; tanks require direct hits by high caliber guns, and thus are harder to effect by bombardment. Fresh units are considered dug-in, and therefore better protected against bombardment than a Spent unit, which may have been in transit, or exposed as it makes an assault, or disorganized from battle, and is correspondingly more vulnerable to bombardment. Coastal artillery, consisting of casemated guns, is not affected by being Spent; it remains behind massive concrete whether Spent or Fresh.

The motivation for allowing the attacker to choose the Primary Target of a bombardment is to keep a weak unit from protecting a strong unit. Field artillery cannot be the Primary Target of a bombardment (unless there is no alternative) because artillery was camouflaged well to the rear, and was fired upon only when it was drawn into the battle by firing repeated fire missions. Infantry in the front line had no such luxury.

The Nebelwerfers are treated differently from conventional artillery because they are relatively short-range weapons, and less accurate than field guns. Therefore they cannot support or be supported by other field artillery, and cannot fire counter-battery because of their lack of accuracy. They were designed to place great amounts of firepower suddenly at short range, and that they did very well.

Fortifications

The Germans struggled to construct fortifications along the entire Atlantic Wall, and although unfinished when the invasion came, their fortifications were still formidable. They consisted mostly of obstacles, mines and barbed wire along the beaches, and pillboxes, trenches, and fortified buildings on the shore. These fortifications are represented by the +2 DRM that the Germans get in the beach Areas. Since the fortifications represent pillboxes and fortified areas such as Morris and Hillman at Sword beach, the DRM applies regardless of the direction of the attack. Once these Areas have been significantly penetrated by the Allies (as represented by the presence of a non-disrupted Allied unit), the fortifications cease to have any effect.

Supply

Supply was king in the Battle for Normandy. The Allies had to bring all their beans and bullets over the beaches. Despite the difficulty of bringing their supplies over the beaches, the Allies rarely lacked what they needed to fight the battle, but they had to be careful and frequently had to slow up their attack to amass supplies for the next big push. The Allies should be able to refit most of their units each turn, and build up some reserves, but inevitably a few units will have to wait for their share. Air supply will help out, especially if some units become isolated, but that is chancey with its dependence on the weather. However, if the Allies fail to promptly secure one of the beaches, they will be hurting.

The Allies can expect to have their biggest supply problems at Utah Beach, since it is isolated from the rest of the beachhead. As happened historically, the Americans will want to link up Utah with Omaha so that the supplies can flow between them, and the Germans must try very hard to prevent this despite a lack of good defensive terrain.

The Germans have unlimited supply in the Zones, since that is beyond the worst of the Allied air interdiction. The bigger problem is the supply of units on the front lines. With as much difficulty as the Allies had bringing supply ashore, the Germans had far more trouble getting their supplies past the omnipresent Allied fighter-bombers. German supply is largely governed by the weather. The better the weather, the more effective the Allied air interdiction is, and the fewer supplies make it to the troops, which is reflected in the value of each depot.

Cherbourg is a limited source of German supply because its forts contained stockpiles and when it was cut off by the Allied advance, the Germans instituted emergency measures to supply it by air drop, E-Boats, and submarine.

The unused supplies from depots contribute to supply reserves that are used for or against a major offensive. This is reflected in the purchase of the Impulse/Turn starting point for the next day, having the effect of adding (or subtracting) impulses to (from) the next day. This abstractly reflects the heavy use of supplies in a major attack (or defense, if the day is shortened).

Rivers, Bridges, and Bocage

The hedgerow terrain gives the Normandy Campaign its unique flavor. This is represented in the game in several ways. Areas that consist mostly of bocage have a +3 TEM, instead of the +1 TEM that they would otherwise merit in most cases. This applies to bombardment as well as ground assaults, since bocage greatly limits the observation needed to call in artillery, or for aircraft to spot their targets. It also applies regardless of whether the attack is mandatory or not, in contrast with the DRM for crossing rivers and bridges, which no longer apply once a foothold is gained in an Area.

Besides the TEM benefit, the defender in bocage absorbs the first Casualty Point earned in a ground assault at no cost. In the restrictive bocage territory, a few defenders could hold off a much larger attacking force, and the going was always slow. Thus, overrun is not allowed in bocage. Even if you clear an Area, you cannot immediately seize bridges or move on to other Areas. Once units attack in bocage, they are through for the day.

Bocage got all the headlines in Normandy, but rivers were very important as well. Witness the employment of the elite airborne divisions to secure the causeways behind Utah Beach, their attempt to take bridges over the Merderet and the Douve, and the British quick grab for the Pegasus Bridge over the Orne River and detonation of the Dives bridges. Even though shallow and narrow by American standards, the rivers and canals of Normandy were major obstacles to an advance within the framework of the game.

Ownership of a bridge or river boundary gives an indication of the location of a foothold within a contested Area. It also can represent a very small bridgehead into an uncontested enemy-owned Area. Crossing a bridge or river across an enemy-held boundary is always a Mandatory Assault; there are enemy in the way between the attackers and the Area. If the boundary is successfully crossed, it now belongs to the attacker. It is also possible to make a limited attack just to seize a bridge. This represents making gains around a bridge site without controlling a significant portion of an Area. Because of the element of surprise that the initial airborne landings enjoyed, the airborne troops are allowed to secure a bridge on landing at the cost of becoming Spent, before the seaborne troops come ashore.

Both sides had a number of engineer battalions organic to divisions or attached to corps or armies that are not represented by units in the game. Among other duties, these engineers built and destroyed bridges; units are not required for this purpose. In most cases, the Germans managed to demolish bridges in time to block the Allied advance, but there were a few important instances where they failed. The American seizure of the Aure River bridge to Isigny is the most prominent.

The causeways over flooded terrain were harder to destroy and repair than bridges, as is represented by a drm in the game. It is also harder to repair a bridge than to destroy it which is also represented by another drm. Other drm's come from the level of control of the two Areas on either side of the bridge boundary. A bridge cannot be built on boundaries that did not originally have a bridge because, for a bridge to be useful, it must connect to the local road net, and there must be a militarily significant road approach to the bridge, both of which are assumed to be lacking if the boundary has no printed bridge.

Victory Conditions

The Allied objective was to achieve a quick breakout from the beachhead. In the game a breakout is represented by a supplied Fresh Allied unit ending the day in a Zone. It must first reach the Zone, become Fresh during a Refit Phase, and remain Fresh for a whole day. This is the breakout that Montgomery, Eisenhower, and Bradley hoped for, but it is very difficult to achieve. If you can manage it, you deserve to win the game.

Normally, the game will be decided on points, which are based on how far the Allies get in a week (or two or three), as compared to their historical success. Rommel's goal of pushing the Allies back into the sea is largely unattainable given historical weather patterns and the failures of the German High Command. Point values are based on strategic worth for the most part. Caen and Cherbourg are the most important objectives, and their Victory Point value reflects that. Some Areas are worth points to further encourage pursuit of the actual Allied goals, such as the Allied link up of their beachheads, and isolation of Cherbourg. If the Allies can expand their beachhead faster and farther than their historical counterparts did, they win. If the Germans are able to box the Allied invasion into a smaller, narrower beachhead than did their historical counterparts, they win.

The Invasion of Normandy

They were coming. The Germans didn't know where or when, but they knew that the Allies were going to invade somewhere in northwest France. They also knew that the invasion was imminent—overdue, in fact. Germany's only hope of winning the war was to totally defeat the invasion, to drive their enemies yet again off the continent and into the sea, as they did at Dunkirk in 1940 and again at Dieppe in 1942. They knew that the Allies lacked sufficient resources to launch more than one major invasion in 1944. When it was defeated, the Wehrmacht would shift as many as 50 divisions now guarding the Atlantic coast to the Eastern Front, to reverse the Soviet tide and seize victory from the jaws of defeat.

As early as 1940, the British knew that they would eventually have to return to France to come to grips with the Germans. Until the U.S. entered the war, the British were too weak to mount an invasion of the continent. In fact, they were fortunate to no longer fear invasion themselves. For the time being, they had to be content with occasional commando raids on Nazi-occupied Europe. Nevertheless, the British planners devised a plan called ROUNDUP that envisioned an invasion of France with their limited resources in the event that the German army collapsed. This was the seed of what would later become OVERLORD, the greatest amphibious invasion in history.

When the U.S. entered the war, their planners, aided by the British, crafted a plan called SLEDGEHAMMER for an invasion of France in 1942. SLEDGEHAMMER was an emergency operation to relieve pressure on the Russian Front by distracting the Germans. Allied air superiority was a prerequisite, and the only place where the Allies could hope to achieve air superiority at this time was the Pas de Calais, between Dunkirk and the Somme. However, this region had the strongest German defenses on the French coast, beaches unsuitable for landing craft, poor exits from the beaches to the interior, and ports much too small to support the invading force. Perhaps fortunately for the Allies, a shortage of shipping, made worse by demands in the Pacific and huge losses in the U-Boat war, dictated that there was to be no invasion of France in 1942 aside from the ill-fated raid at Dieppe. This scaled-down disaster showed both how strong the German beach defenses really were, and how little the Allies knew about mounting an amphibious invasion.

Nevertheless, Roosevelt insisted that US troops get their feet wet in the war against Germany in 1942. The fall of Tobruk and the retreat of the 8th Army to El Alamein presented a crisis in the Mediterranean. Consequently, instead of France, in November, 1942, the Allies invaded the French colonies in North Africa in Operation TORCH. The Americans, led by Army Chief of Staff General Marshall, wanted to stage an invasion of France in 1943 (also called ROUNDUP), but their resources were still deemed too meager to risk such a crucial battle. Instead, it was decided at the Casablanca Conference in January, 1943, to continue the main emphasis in the Mediterranean Theater. Thus, TORCH led directly to the invasions of Sicily and Italy in 1943, causing the postponement of the invasion of France until 1944. It was just as well, since the expensive lessons learned from the Mediterranean invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Salerno, and Anzio were invaluable in contributing to the much more difficult invasion of France. The additional year also allowed the Allies to address their shipping deficiencies, to design and build new landing craft, and to train more and better troops with which to fight the battle on the coast. It also allowed the Allies to achieve decisive air superiority.

In April, 1943, General Frederick E. Morgan was appointed COSSAC (Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander), and charged with developing a plan for the invasion of France in 1944. His staff formulated the initial OVERLORD plan which included these requirements for selection of an invasion site:

1. Within range of Allied airpower.
2. Beaches sufficient to maintain a large force for several months, and sheltered from the winds so that they could be used in bad weather.
3. Sufficient vehicular exits to the interior, connecting to a good road network.
4. Beach defenses that could be neutralized by Allied air and naval forces.
5. Proximity to an easily captured major port that could be used immediately, and a grouping of ports able to support an invading army for the long term.

No sector fit all the requirements exactly, but Normandy came closest. It was at the extreme range of Allied fighter aircraft, and was not well sheltered, but it was near the major port of Cherbourg and not too distant from the ports of Brittany. The original plan called for two British and one American division to assault the beaches in the vicinity of Caen, supported by two airborne brigades dropped behind the beaches.

After Eisenhower's appointment as Supreme Commander, the size of the invasion was expanded to a five-division assault. Now a division, supported by two airborne divisions, would land directly on the Cotentin Peninsula to expedite capture of Cherbourg. D-Day was originally set for May 1, but was postponed to early June to allow another month's production of scarce landing craft.

Eisenhower used the additional time for a major air offensive by diverting the Allied strategic air forces from targets deep in Germany. His goal was to achieve total air superiority by eliminating the Luftwaffe in France, destroying the German beach defenses, and isolating the invasion area by destroying the French railway system as well as the bridges across the Seine and Loire Rivers. This air offensive was very successful in achieving two of its three goals. Once the invasion began, it was very difficult for the Germans to move supplies and reinforcements to Normandy. The Allies ruled the skies; Allied aircraft flew 14,674 sorties on June 6. The Germans had fewer than 100 fighters airborne to oppose this mighty onslaught. However, the effect on the beach defenses was nonetheless disappointing.

The Germans expected the invasion in Pas de Calais due to its proximity to both Germany and Britain. The Allied command knew, via ULTRA intercepts, that the Germans expected the invasion at the Pas de Calais. To reinforce those beliefs, the fictional First US Army Group (FUSAG) was created, commanded by General George S. Patton, to generate enough radio message traffic to appear to be a real Army Group poised to invade the Pas de Calais. Pas de Calais was bombed more heavily than Normandy to aid the deception. This ruse successfully pinned down the powerful German 15th Army awaiting the "real" invasion for at least six weeks, far from the Allied "feint" in Normandy.

Among the German High Command, only Rommel suspected that Pas de Calais was a ruse. He deduced from the pattern of bombing designed to isolate Normandy from the rest of France, that Normandy was to be the invasion site. However, he was unable to convince the German High Command. Still, Rommel did his best to get troops to Normandy, improve the beach defenses, and to move armored reserves closer to the beaches.

Rommel and the rest of the German High Command also differed on the tactics to be used in combating the invasion once ashore. Von Rundstedt held the majority view that they should destroy the invasion with a mobile armored battle in the interior of France, away from the big guns of the Allied ships, where the superior German panzers could defeat Allied tanks. Rommel knew first hand, however, from his years in Africa what would happen in a mobile battle when the enemy has total air superiority. He vainly argued for the strongest possible beach defenses, with armored reserves positioned immediately behind the beaches. The panzer divisions had to be ready to counterattack the invasion on its first day, even in its first few hours, before the Allies became established. He believed that once the Allies became firmly established ashore, they would be impossible to dislodge.

Nor did Rommel's handicap end there. The Germans labored beneath a tangled command structure. Some of the coastal batteries were under command of the Kriegsmarine, while others took orders from the Wehrmacht. Worse, the Luftwaffe exercised direct control of the anti-aircraft defenses and the parachute divisions. Panzer divisions were split between the Wehrmacht and the SS. Field Marshal Von Rundstedt commanded OB West, responsible for the defense of France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Field Marshal Rommel commanded Army Group B, in northwest France, from the Netherlands to Brittany. General Blaskowitz commanded Army Group G, which defended the Bay of Biscay and South France. Most of the panzer formations in France were concentrated in Panzer Group West, commanded by Geyr von Schweppenburg, who reported to Rundstedt, but whose divisions could only be committed by personal order from Hitler.

In contrast to the Germans, the Allies enjoyed a unified command structure despite the fact that their forces came from many nations. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was Supreme Commander. Under him were Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay commanding the naval forces, Air Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory commanding the aircraft, and General Sir Bernard Montgomery commanding the ground forces. Montgomery commanded the 21st Army Group, which comprised the US First Army, under General Omar Bradley, and the British Second Army under General Sir Miles Dempsey. The US First Army was initially composed of the VII Corps, which landed at Utah Beach on the Cotentin Peninsula, and the V Corps at Omaha Beach. The British Second Army included the XXX Corps at Gold Beach, and the I Corps which landed at Juno and Sword Beaches.

D-Day: June 6

June 6, 1944 is one of the most famous dates of this century, second only to the "day that will live in infamy". The invasion, originally scheduled for June 5, was delayed one day by unfavorable weather. The necessary combination of a full moon for the paratroopers and early morning low tides to allow the landing craft to avoid the German beach obstacles left a narrow window of opportunity. If cancelled again, the entire operation would have to be postponed for a month to await the next favorable combination of moonlight and tides. A slightly improved weather forecast set the entire operation in motion the next day by a very worried Eisenhower.

As it turned out, the weather worked in the Allies favor. The Allies had much wider ranging weather stations than the Germans, who were limited to continental Europe and harried U-Boat reports. Consequently, the Germans had no clue of a break in the weather. The bad weather promised to shield them for another week. This led them to history's most fateful wargame. When the invasion arrived, the majority of the local German command was away at a map exercise in Rennes. Rommel himself was in Germany, celebrating his wife's birthday.

The Airborne Bridgehead

The greatest amphibious invasion in history began shortly after midnight, with an airborne assault. The British 6th Airborne Division landed first with the mission of securing the bridges over the Orne River and the Caen Canal. They were to seize a bridgehead to the east of the Orne River to protect the eastern flank of the invasion from German reinforcement and counterattack. The 5th Parachute Brigade had to grab the crucial bridges, hold the bridgehead, and establish a landing field for the glider brigade, which was to land the following evening. The 3rd Parachute Brigade had the task of blowing bridges over the Dives River, capturing the Merville Battery, and blocking the roads from the south. Despite a very scattered landing and a counterattack by elements of the 21st Panzer Division, the men of the 6th Airborne Division managed to carry out all their tasks. Later that day, the paratroopers were reinforced by the commandos of the 1st Special Service Brigade, who had landed at Sword Beach. As the final act of D-Day, the 6th Airlanding Brigade with the division's heavy weapons landed in gliders to reinforce the positions of the paratroopers and commandos in the bridgehead across the Orne.

These elite troops, in what was to be known as the Airborne Bridgehead, achieved their objective of protecting the beaches from counterattack from across the Orne, but remained locked in a deadly struggle with the German 711th and 346th Infantry Divisions and the 21st Panzer Division. The Germans were unable to eliminate the bridgehead, but the British were too weak to force a breakout. A stalemate ensued for weeks.

Behind Utah Beach

The American 101st and 82nd Divisions landed at the other end of the invasion area, on the Cotentin Peninsula behind Utah Beach. Utah Beach was needed as an entry onto the Cotentin Peninsula to threaten the port of Cherbourg, the first major objective of the invasion. However, the beaches were separated from the rest of the peninsula by a large flooded area crossed by a number of causeways. If the Germans could destroy or defend those causeways, the invasion force would never leave the beach. To secure these exits from the beach, and to protect the beaches from expected German counterattacks, the plan called for two airborne divisions to be dropped behind Utah.

The 101st Airborne Division dropped first, closely followed by the 82nd. The 101st was to secure the causeways between Utah Beach and the interior, seize bridges across the Douve River to be used later in a drive on Carentan, and protect the beaches against a German drive from the southeast. The 82nd Airborne Division landed one regiment to take St. Mere Eglise and protect the beachhead from the Germans in Montebourg and Valognes. Two other regiments landed across the Merderet River; their mission was to seize bridges for the later drive to split the peninsula, while shielding the invasion from a German counterattack from the west.

Bad weather and strong German anti-aircraft defenses caused these two divisions to be widely scattered all over the countryside. Nevertheless, they were partially successful in their tasks. The 101st managed to secure the causeways and allow the seaborne troops to exit the beaches, although this was due as much to the ease that the amphibious troops had in landing and quickly exploiting their good fortune, as to the efforts of the paratroopers. The 82nd Division captured the vital town of St. Mere Eglise. The paratroopers were much less successful in their mission of securing the bridges over the Douve and Merderet. They were repulsed in their initial attempts, and those rivers were not crossed for a number of days after D-Day. However, their biggest contribution was the confusion that they sowed among the Germans. Encountering small bands of deadly paratroopers seemingly everywhere, the German counterattacks were halted before they could gain any momentum and never posed the least threat to the invasion beach.

Utah Beach

The seaborne phase of the invasion began with a massive naval bombardment. The coastal artillery batteries drew most of the fire before the Allied ships turned their attention to the shore defenses. A massive air strike followed. The first troops to hit the beach were from the 4th Infantry Division of the US VII Corps. An unexpected current carried the landing craft about 2000 yards to the south of the planned invasion site, but this worked in the American's favor, because they landed where the German defenses were weakest and avoided dangerous strongpoints. Utah proved to be the most successful of the beaches, with the bulk of the Duplex Drive (DD) tanks swimming ashore safely. The Americans landed against only light resistance, quickly mopped up the beach, and rapidly crossed the causeways to the interior to link up with the paratroopers. By the end of the day, the entire 4th Division was ashore and the 90th Division had begun disembarking.

Omaha Beach

While the easiest beach was American, the most difficult landing area was also dealt to the American 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions which landed at Omaha Beach. While the land behind Utah Beach was flat and flooded, Omaha was backed by high dunes and cliffs, with few exits from the beach. The German strongpoints were excellently sited to fire along the beach and to be protected from naval gunfire. Worse, although it had been reported by Allied intelligence to be in reserve well behind the beach, much of the German 352nd Infantry Division was defending Omaha Beach, augmenting the defense of the 716th Infantry Division.

The Allied Air Bombardment proved nearly worthless. Cloud cover caused the bombers to delay dropping their bombs to lessen the risk of hitting the transports. As a consequence, they missed the Germans also. The surf was worse than at Utah, and most of the DD tanks landed in the wrong place, and most of the DD tanks were swamped. The stage was set for a disaster.

Landing craft hit the beach at Omaha amid withering fire. The debarking troops were pinned down immediately. Many took refuge at the waterline or behind beach obstacles. Others made it across the sand to the sea wall, where they could go no further. For hours the situation looked like a defeat in the making. By late morning, General Bradley considered aborting the invasion at Omaha and rerouting the reinforcements to Utah. However, bit by bit, the American infantry, aided by several destroyers that sailed close inshore to lend fire support, managed to knock out German positions and advance off the beach.

The best known action at Omaha was the Ranger assault on Pointe du Hoc. Atop the cliffs, a German coastal defense battery with six 155mm guns could command the sea approaches to both Utah and Omaha Beaches. Heavy pre-invasion bombing failed to knock out the battery, so the Rangers drew the toughest assignment of the "Longest Day". About 200 men of three companies of the 2nd Ranger Battalion made the assault on the 100-foot cliffs, while the remainder of the battalion, along with the 5th Ranger Battalion, landed at Omaha beach proper, with the mission of fighting overland to relieve their comrades, or to finish the job if the initial assault failed. Against strong opposition, they managed to scale the cliffs with the aid of extension ladders borrowed from the London Fire Brigade. Once on top of the cliffs, the Rangers found that the gun emplacements were minus the dreaded guns. They later found the guns well behind the coast. After surviving a number of German counterattacks from the 914th Regiment, the Rangers were relieved two days later by the 29th Division.

The day ended with the bulk of the 1st and 29th Divisions ashore in a very narrow beachhead. It was vulnerable to a German counterattack, but the Germans had no reserves with which to attack. The defenders, from the 352nd and 716th Infantry Divisions, were also getting pounded, and their positions were as thin as the American's beachhead.

Gold Beach

The initial objective of the British beaches was the key city of Caen. Montgomery expected that Caen would be taken on the first day, with armored elements "knocking about" as far as Falaise on D-Day. It didn't quite work out that way.

Gold, the westernmost of the British beaches, was invaded by the British 50th Infantry Division and the 8th Armored Brigade. The objective for the first day was to take Bayeux and Port-En-Bessin to link up with the Americans on Omaha. This turned out to be a bit optimistic. Delayed by a number of German strongpoints, the advance inland halted just short of those objectives, which were to fall the next day.

Juno Beach

The Canadians landed in the British center. Their mission was to support the 3rd Division landing at Sword, and take Carpiquet Airfield just west of Caen. This force comprised the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division and the Canadian 2nd Armored Brigade, under the British I Corps. After initial difficulties, the Canadians gained a five-mile-deep beachhead on the first day. Elements of the 7th Brigade crossed the main Bayeux-Caen road at Bretteville and almost took Carpiquet Airfield before they were forced to turn back to a less exposed position.

Sword Beach

On the extreme left of the invasion was Sword Beach, separated from Juno by a rocky coast. Here landed the British 3rd Division, the 27th Armored Brigade, and the bulk of the commandos, all under command of the British I Corps. Caen was their objective. Once ashore, a mixed infantry/armored force was to be formed from the 27th Armored Brigade and the 185th Infantry Brigade to make a dash for Caen. There were significant delays getting ashore, and the advance was halted by two major strongpoints, codenamed Morris and Hillman, manned by the 716th Division. One of these, Hillman, was the fortified headquarters of the 736th Regiment. It managed to hold out the entire day. Meanwhile, these strongpoints had to be bypassed for the advance to continue, resulting in delays. Finally the advance got underway, without the tanks that couldn't get past the traffic jam on the beach. This reduced spearhead was brought to a screeching halt by elements of the 21st Panzer Division at Bieville, a couple miles short of Caen, where the front lines were to remain for a month.

At the end of June 6, the British and Canadians were solidly ashore on all three beaches, but they uniformly fell short of their D-Day objectives. Part of the reason for the failure was the stubborn resistance of the Germans, and part of it was the poor weather, which hampered the air bombardment which was to neutralize the German defenses. The poor weather also resulted in higher tides than normal, which narrowed the beaches. Onto these narrow strips to the interior were dumped thousands of men and vehicles and tons of supplies, clogging the exits from the beaches with a monumental traffic jam, and delaying the advance as much as the Germans.

That the British and Canadians were able to overcome the German defenses as well as they did was partly due to their use of "funny" specially adapted armored vehicles. Besides the amphibious tanks that were supposed to swim ashore to lend immediate armor support, the British had devised a wide variety of special-purpose armored vehicles, including tanks mounting bridges, flamethrowers, and large mortars firing 40 pound demolition charges. Flail tanks that could clear a path through minefields, and tanks that carried fascines to create an instant solid roadway over the sands rounded out the assortment.

The German Reaction

At first, the Germans were totally confused. Their senior officers were away at a map exercise, and information from the front was very sketchy. The Allied paratroopers, seemingly everywhere, caused untold confusion, and the air bombardment which missed the beaches, still disrupted inland communications with the troops under attack. Consequently, the initial German reaction was hardly decisive. The 21st Panzer Division, spread out around Caen and to the southeast, was the first to react. The 125th Panzer Grenadier Regiment of the 21st Panzer Division, supported by a company of tanks, engaged the paratroopers of the British 6th Airborne Division early in the morning of June 6. During the day, after delays waiting for orders and a road march through the rubble of Caen, the 22nd Panzer Regiment attacked the 3rd British Division while the 192nd Panzer Grenadier Regiment charged into the gap between the British and Canadians. The attack by the panzers was broken up at Periers Ridge by the Fireflies of the Staffordshire Yeomanry, commanded by Lt. Col. J. A. Eadie, who predicted before the invasion exactly how and where the German counterattack would occur. His tanks were prepared to meet it. The Panzer Grenadiers, however, met no opposition and reached the coast, but were in an exposed position and were obliged to withdraw to Caen that night.

At the other end of the battlefield, the German 91st Infantry Division launched attacks on the American airborne troops from three directions. The 6th FS Regiment, attached to the 91st Division, attacked north from Carentan, got stopped by the 101st Airborne Division, and lost a battalion in the process. The 1058th Regiment attacked from Montebourg south towards St. Mere Eglise, and was halted by the 82nd Airborne Division before it reached the town. The 1057th Regiment, supported by obsolete French and Czech tanks from the 100 Panzer Replacement Battalion, attacked from the west. The paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division blocked it before it could reach the Merderet River. The paratroopers fulfilled their primary purpose of protecting the beachhead from German counterattack to perfection.

The beach most vulnerable to counterattack was Omaha, but the German reserves were engaged on both flanks and they had no troops left with which to attack in the center. Omaha beach was spared all but small, local counterattacks.

The main striking force of the Germans in the area consisted of the 12th SS Panzer Division at Liseux and Panzer Lehr near Le Mans. However, these divisions could not be committed without Hitler's personal permission, and the Fuhrer was asleep. With no one willing to wake him, these powerful formations did not start moving until well into the day of invasion after the weather had cleared. They then had to pass through a gauntlet of constant air attacks to reach the battlefield. The 12th SS Panzer Division did not arrive until that night, when it attacked the Canadian 3rd Division, to begin a face-off that was to last months.

D+1: June 7

D-Day, was just the beginning of a campaign that lasted nearly a year and stretched all the way from the Normandy beaches across France, Belgium, and The Netherlands, to the Elbe River deep in Germany, and even into Czechoslovakia. But first the Allies had to take Caen and secure their lodgement. The first week after the invasion was spent linking up and expanding the Allied beachheads, coupled with an attempt to take Caen.

June 7 began with the 325th Glider Regiment landing to reinforce the beleaguered 82nd Airborne Division, still under attack from the 91st Division. The 4th Division came into line facing north and attacked with its 12th and 22nd Regiments, driving the Germans back two miles. Meanwhile its 8th Regiment reinforced the 82nd's paratroopers at St. Mere-Eglise, who were again attacked by the 1058th Regiment and the 7th Army Sturm Battalion (AOK 7), with artillery support. The 1057th Regiment continued to attack west of the Merderet. It was unable to dislodge the paratroopers, but they were likewise unable to capture a bridge across the Merderet. The 101st Airborne Division began its attack south towards Carentan. Meanwhile the 1st Battalion of the 6th FS Regiment surrendered, as did the 795th Battalion, and the region between the Merderet, the Douve, and the beachhead gradually became secure.

The V Corps continued its efforts to secure Omaha. The 1st Division, on the left, advanced toward Port-En-Bessin and the British beaches. The 29th Division mopped up along the coast and attacked west toward Isigny and the Rangers at Pointe du Hoc, who were still locked in combat with elements of the 914th Regiment. It was a day of modest gains on the ground, but the German 716th and 352nd Divisions were getting chewed up. Meanwhile the 30th Mobile Brigade arrived on the scene to shore up the German defenses.

The British 50th Division took Bayeux and crossed the Bayeux-Caen Highway. It continued to mop up bypassed German strongpoints behind the lines, as did troops in the other two beachheads of the British 2nd Army. The 48th and 41st Commandos completed the link between Juno and Sword Beaches. The Canadian 3rd and British 3rd Divisions made another desperate attempt to take Caen. Meanwhile, the 12th SS Panzer Division had arrived with orders to attack out of Caen, along with the 21st Panzer Division, to drive the British back into the sea. The British and German attacks met head on, with neither side making much progress. Meanwhile the battle raged in the Airborne Bridgehead, again with neither side making much headway.

D+2: June 8

The 101st Airborne Division was to attack south and take Carentan, in a drive to link up Utah and Omaha beachheads. It also attacked St. Come du Mont, defended by elements of the 6th FS Regiment and the 1058th Regiment, who retreated to Carentan. The Germans abandoned their attempt to retake St. Mere Eglise and were now on the defensive. The 4th Division, along with the 505th Parachute Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division, continued to attack north toward Montebourg, which was now defended by ad hoc elements of the 709th, 243rd, and 91st Divisions.

The 29th Division attacked west towards Grandcamp and Isigny, doing its part to link up with Utah. It managed to capture Isigny that night with its bridge over the Aure River still intact, cutting off German coastal artillery and part of the 914th Regiment near Grandcamp. Meanwhile, the Rangers at Pointe du Hoc were relieved by their comrades who landed at Omaha. At the same time, the 1st Division attacked south towards Trevieres to expand the beachhead, and east toward Port-En-Bessin to link up with the British. The 26th Regiment was sluggish in attacking and allowed the Germans, who were about to be pinned between the British and the 1st Division, to escape to the south to rejoin the German defense line.

The 47th Royal Marine Commandos, operating with the 50th Division, took Port-En-Bessin to link up with the Americans, while the British and Germans continued their mutual attacks, with no advantage gained by either side.

D+3: June 9

The 4th Division continued its attack toward Montebourg taking the fortified strongpoint of Azeville, while the 82nd Airborne Division attacked west across the Merderet River. The 101st Airborne Division continued to attack south towards Carentan.

The 29th Division secured Grandcamp, while its 175th Regiment crossed the Vire River in its drive to reach Utah, and the rest of the division attacked across the Aure River. The newly-landed 2nd Division joined with the 1st Division in an attack against the Germans in Trevieres, which was evacuated that night. Meanwhile, the 115th Regiment took Colombieres, and elements of the US 2nd Armored Division began landing on the beach.

By this time Panzer Lehr, once the strongest unit in the German defense, but now badly mauled by Allied air interdiction, had joined the line. The 21st Panzer Division was on the German right, still engaged east of the Orne against the 6th Airborne Division, and in front of Caen with the British 3rd Division. The 12th SS was to its left, fighting against the Canadian 3rd Division. To its left was Lehr, near Bayeux and Tilly. A direct attack on Caen no longer seemed likely to lead to success, so Montgomery planned to envelop it. He directed the British 51st Division, along with the 4th Armored Brigade, to reinforce the Airborne Bridgehead and to attack south to envelop Caen on the east. Also, the 7th Armored Division (the "Desert Rats") were to pass through the lines of the British 50th Division and attack south to envelop Caen on the west. He even planned for the British 1st Airborne Division (of later Arnhem fame) to land to the south of the city to complete the encirclement.

The German 346th Infantry Division joined elements of the 21st Panzer east of the Orne. The Germans were planning a three-division attack at the same time as the British. The 21st Panzer Division was to attack the Airborne Bridgehead, the 12th SS Panzer Division was to attack the Canadians, and Panzer Lehr was to attack towards Bayeux.

D+4: June 10

The 4th Division continued to make slow progress towards Montebourg. The 357th and 358th Regiments of the 90th Division attacked across the Merderet, but were stopped by the 1057th Regiment. Meanwhile, the 101st Airborne Division continued its attack on Carentan. The 327th Glider Regiment crossed the Douve River downstream of Carentan to flank the city and made contact with the 175th Regiment, but Carentan was still held by the 6 FS Regiment.

The V Corps took Trevieres and Foret de Cerisy, although the 2nd Division had a tough time against the center of the 352nd Division. Still, the Germans were streched thin in the center, with most of their reinforcements going to defend Cherbourg against the VII Corps and to hold Caen against the British.

The British 51st Division began its attack out of the Airborne Bridgehead with no success, stopped dead by the 21st Panzer and 346th Infantry Divisions. The XXX Corps, with the 7th Armored and 50th Infantry Divisions, attacked south towards Tilly, and ran into Panzer Lehr attacking them, and also had very little success.

D+5: June 11

The 90th Infantry Division and 82nd Airborne Division continued to make slow progress west of the Merderet. The 101st Airborne Division threatened to encircle Carentan, which the Germans evacuated that night. However, the first elements of the 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division started arriving in the Carentan sector.

Elements of the 2nd Armored Division were sent to reinforce the weak link between the two American beachheads. There was a lull in the V Corps sector as the 1st and 2nd Divisions reorganized. The remnants of the 352nd Division were in St. Lo, with the 3rd Parachute, 275th, and 353rd Divisions on their way there. Meanwhile a large gap had developed between the 352nd Division and Panzer Lehr.

XXX Corps continued its attack on Panzer Lehr towards Tilly, again with no success. Elements of the 7th Armored Division took Tilly, but were driven out again by Panzer Lehr. The I Corps continued to put pressure on the Germans. The Canadian 3rd Division advanced towards Verson against the 12th SS Panzer Division, and had heavy tank losses at Le Mesnil-Patry.

D+6: June 12

The 4th Division, aided by the 39th Regiment of the 9th Division, continued to attack north, taking Azeville and Crisbecq, but being repulsed at Montebourg. The 90th Division continued to push slowly west across the Merderet River. The 508th Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division attacked south across the Douve River toward St. Jores, shattering the remnants of the 100 Panzer Replacement Battalion.

Since Carentan was evacuated the night before, the 101st Airborne Division was finally able to occupy it, completing the link up between V Corps at Omaha and VII Corps at Utah. Meanwhile, the 175th Regiment attacked south against elements of the 275th Division, which had recently arrived at the front from Brittany.

The rest of the V Corps resumed its attack toward St. Lo and Caumont. The 29th and 2nd Divisions crossed the Elle River fighting the remnants of the 352nd Division and the newly arrived 3rd FS Division, making slow gains. The 1st Division was more successful, taking Balleroy and Caumont. Neither side was fully aware of the large gap that had formed between the 3rd FS Division in the St. Lo sector and Panzer Lehr in the Caen sector.

The British 7th Armored Division followed the US 1st Division and dashed into this gap, swinging to the west to bypass Panzer Lehr and penetrate the "Caumont Gap" to within six miles of Villars-Bocage. Fighting continued all along the rest of the Caen sector, with little ground changing hands.

The first week ended with the Allies firmly ashore and the five separate beachheads linked into one secure lodgement. At considerable cost, the Germans had managed to receive sufficient reinforcements to contain the bridgehead. The Allies had failed to capture their first major objectives of Caen and Cherbourg, and a swift breakout was no longer possible.

Week 2: June 13-19

With a bridgehead across the Elle, and the high ground around Caumont in American hands, General Bradley halted the advance of the V Corps and put all his resources into the drive to cut the Cotentin Peninsula and isolate Cherbourg. The 4th Division continued its attack north, while the 82nd Airborne, 9th, and 90th Divisions attacked west across the Merderet. On June 16, the 82nd Airborne Division took Pont l'Abbe, reached the Douve River, and occupied St. Sauveur, with the 9th Division keeping pace to the north. The 90th Division turned to face north to protect the right flank of this drive, and advanced toward Valognes. The German defense had been cracked by the VII Corps. On the 17th, the 9th Division reached Barneville and isolated Cherbourg.

The next phase was an attack on Cherbourg by the 4th (on the right), 79th (center) and 9th (left) Divisions. The Germans defended with the remnants of four divisions: the 709th, 243rd, 91st, and 77th. A large part of the 77th Division managed to escape isolation by breaking through the thin American lines to reach La Haye du Puits in the south, despite orders from Hitler that it was to take part in the defense of Cherbourg. The rest of the Germans retreated to the Cherbourg defenses, and the Americans took les Pieux, Bricquebec, and Montebourg on June 19th.

On June 13, the 17th SS counterattacked the 101st Airborne Division in an attempt to regain Carentan and drive a wedge between the American beachheads. This attack was repulsed by the paratroopers, with help from the 2nd Armored Division. At the same time, the XIX Corps became operational with the 29th and 30th Divisions. Its mission was to defend the link between Omaha and Utah, and advance south towards St. Lo. During the rest of the week the XIX Corps held off the 17th SS and advanced to the Vire-Taute Canal.

The US VIII Corps was activated on June 15 to defend the southern flank of the thrust across the peninsula, while the VII Corps went after Cherbourg. Initially, the VIII Corps comprised just the 101st Airborne Division, but it later added the 82nd Airborne and 90th Divisions.

In the British sector, on June 13, the 7th Armored Division took Villars-Bocage, but was counterattacked by a single Tiger tank commanded by Captain Michael Wittman, of the 501st SS Panzer Battalion. He was already famous for his feats on the Eastern Front, and was considered the best tank commander in the German army. His single tank demolished the spearhead of the 7th Armored Division before he withdrew. Then he returned with the four other tanks of his company. When the dust cleared, he had driven the British from Villars-Bocage and nearly destroyed the 22nd British Armored Brigade. As if that weren't bad enough, the 2nd Panzer Division arrived to plug the Caumont Gap. This division, along with Panzer Lehr, launched an attack on the exposed 7th Armored Division and the US 1st Division, driving them back toward Caumont.

Week 3: June 20-26

The week started with a major storm in the Channel. It began late on the 19th, continued for three days, and completely disrupted the landing of Allied supplies over the beaches. Only 10% of the previous daily tonnage landed during the storm. Worse, the American mulberry under construction at Omaha beach was totally destroyed. The British mulberry at Gold Beach, being in more sheltered waters, was seriously damaged, but was repaired with materiel salvaged from Omaha. The storm made it more difficult to supply the drive on Cherbourg and required shutting down virtually all other offensive operations while emphasizing the importance of capturing the port to keep supplies flowing even in bad weather.

On June 20th and 21st, the US 4th, 79th, and 9th Divisions closed in on Cherbourg and began their assault on the fortress. With major bombardments by the navy and air force, Cherbourg fell by the end of the week. However, the Germans had the time for a masterful demolition of the port, and the Americans captured nothing but wreckage and rubble. Cherbourg was not fully functional until September, but the Allies were able to land much more supplies over the beaches than they expected, the weather held, and they had ample supplies for the remainder of the Normandy campaign.

Aftermath

The storm represented the last chance for the Germans to accomplish Rommel's goal of throwing the Allies back into the sea. However, it arrived too late to do anything other than give the battered German defenses a respite from the unending reign of American artillery and air attacks. By the 19th, the Americans were too firmly ashore and the German forces too weakened to accomplish the major effort required. Had nature intervened a week earlier, the history of Normandy and the Second World War might have been considerably different.

The planned quick Allied breakout from the beaches never materialized. Instead, the Allies waged an uneven battle of attrition for seven weeks with the Americans paying a heavy price for small gains in the bocage, while the British paid a stiffer price for even less territory in a protracted battle for Caen. This fighting, though providing negligible returns in terms of territorial gains was nonetheless having a telling effect. Even the eventual release of the German panzers defending the "real threat" at Pas de Calais could not replace the German losses. While 14 British Divisions drew a like number of German Divisions, including most of the panzers, to the Caen sector, the Americans had amassed 19 relatively fresh Divisions to face nine battered German units. It was time for Operation Cobra.

On July 25, 2400 bombers dropped 4000 tons of bombs on a 7,000 yard front. The carpet bombing caused considerable American casualties, but virtually eliminated Panzer Lehr. The VII Corps attacked through the gap with the 4th, 9th and 30th Divisions. Their progress was limited more by the destruction and rubble of the bombing than by German resistance. The next day the VIII Corps on the right and the V Corps on the left joined in the attack. By the 27th, it was clear that the German defenses had been penetrated and the race was on. The mobile American army began a mad dash across France that did not stop until it hit the Siegfried Line on the German frontier. And even then, it was stopped more by a lack of supplies brought about by its own success than from any organized German resistance. The Breakout from Normandy had indeed occurred, but much later than anyone had predicted.