This Game follows a Unit of American G.I's who participated in this action, and played a pivotal, yet before now unknown role in the defeat of the Nazi war machine.
At the northernmost tip of the D-Day invasion force is where we find our forces as they assault the beachhead at a location code-named "Dagger". Their orders are to overcome the beach defenses then push inland and retake the French village of Saint Hommlet.
What happened next, was beyond anything they had anticipated. Only now can the true story be told.
Landing at "Dagger" Beach, Normandy.
The soldiers must traverse the Beach as quickly as possible, to reach the seawall slope at the base of the rocky shelf. The rocky shelf is a maze of barb-wire and mines leading up to the base of the bluff upon which the Germans are entrenched. To "Win" this Scenario, the Players must take out 1 Bunker and 2 MG nests.
The Players:
John - Baker Co.
1) Smith - M1 Garand 3) Murphy - Thompson
2) Banner - BAR 4) Weiser - M1 Garand
Bryan - Easy Co.
1) Dawkins - BAR 3) Ellsworth - M1 Garand
2) Burchill - M1 Carbine 4)Callihan - Thompson
Selina - Fox Co.
1) Keebler - Thompson 3) Moth - M1 Garand
2) Jacobs - M1 Garand 4) Stierling - Bazooka
Nate - Dog Co.
1) Fynn - Bazooka 3) Wulfgar - Thompson
2) Atticus - M1 Garand 4) Cade - M1 Garand
The landing craft drop their ramps and our men start the deadly run up the beach! Each Player had the option of choosing 2 ways to navigate the beach.
1) Full Run! This allows crossing the beach in 2 Moments (rounds), however you DO NOT get to make any DEX checks to avoid incoming damage and must weather any punishment taken!
2) Leap Frog! This option allows your men to take advantage of cover from randomly determined obstacles on the beach as you wend your way up the beach. This will take 4 Moments (rounds) to accomplish and you get Dex checks vs incoming enemy fire plus minor bonuses from the type of obstacle used as cover!
Each Player chose Option#2!!
[At the beginning of each Moment (round), the player rolls a D6 to see what type of Obstacle their men use as cover.
1-2. Belgian Gate, 3-4. Log, 5-6. Hedgehog
Also the enemy has a 1 in 6 chance per Moment (round) of targeting your men with a random type Attack.
1-4. Stray bullet d12, 5. MG fire 2d6, 6. explosion 3d6.]
The four companies made their way towards the rocky slope, each of them fearfully aware of the incoming fire! There more than few moans uttered as the Enemy Die would come up option#6 Explosion!!
If damage was sustained, I allowed them to distribute amongst the men or apply it to one guy. They were savy and mostly did the distribution so they could get as many men to the slope as possible!
Jacobs of Fox Co. almost didn't make it to the slope! Everyone else arrived a bit battered and sore but overall only down between 2-4 hit points. [All the men had a base 10hp to start]
From the position at the seawall slope, they were finally able to make use of most of their weapons, and the Bazooka of Dog Co. fired a shot at the bunker on top of the bluff above! Some rifle fire was also rolled for and a couple of random enemies were struck down. The men waited for NPC engineers to clear a path with bangalores through the mines and wire.
Baker & Easy company made a Full Run! across the cleared rocky shelf to the base of the Bluff, while Dog & Fox Co. provided covering fire from the seawall.
At the base of the Bluff, the players had the choice of two options to reach the enemy. ( I only made clear there was a path, if someone asked about climbing I would give them the bonus below).
1) Navigate winding path up - this takes 2 moments (rounds) to do, and is protected by an MG nest and 6 men with rifles. No save vs. the MG, and a 1in3 to be targeted by riflemen
2) Scale the bluff - takes 1 moment (round) to reach the top, and a 1 in 10 chance to come under fire. However if any damage is taken, you fall for d6 damage.
Private Weiser of baker Co. noted that the bluff was much like the ones back home in Colorado and asked if they could be climbed rather than taking the winding path! Both Baker & Easy Co. were soon climbing the bluff with the Bunker as their target!
Meanwhile from the seawall below, Dog & Fox Co. were concentrating their fire on MG nests and taking them out with combined Rifle and Bazooka fire!!
Upon reaching the top of the bluff Easy Co. assaulted the bunker with grenades, while Baker Co. flanked and got to the rear of the bunker. The grenades from Easy did enough damage to force the Bunkers occupants to flee driving them into a withering hail of Thompson & BAR short burst fire laid down Murphy and Banner of baker Co.
At this point the players had completed the objectives of destroying a Bunker and 2 MG nests, plus about a dozen random enemy soldiers. We had been playing for just about 2 hours at this point. Every single man in each of the Companies had taken damage but no one was taken Out of Action.
We took a short break, as our fifth player showed up and we talked about choosing 1 of the four Classes and a single surviving member of each players Company to become their 1st level Character. I allowed them to roll a D20 against each each ability scores, if you rolled equal to or less that your current # you could increase it by 1 point. They could now choose a class and arrange their scores to taste. They also each rolled an additional D6 bonus for their Hit points.
Our new First level Squad line-up after surviving the beach:
Corp. A. Murphy - Leadership / SN 8675309 / Thompson Smg.
Pvt. 1st class A. Fynn - Recon / SN 00240686 / M1 Garand + Telescopic sight, Field radio
Pvt. 1st Class Jason Stone - Combat / SN 1130230 / BAR
Pvt 1st Class Jayden "J" Stierling - Recon / SN 413400 / Pistol, Field Radio
Pvt 1st Class Duke Dawkins - Intelligence / SN 0537007 / Thompson Smg., Field radio
Any unused Zero level survivors are assumed to be in the Unit and will be used as back-up characters should any of the current men be taken Out of Action.
We still had some time so I added a short Recon mission for our 5 man squad.
Mission 1A: Find the enemy 88!
Primary Objective: locate and radio back co-ordinates of enemy 88 artillery emplacement so an air strike can take it out.
Time: D-day +1
[ I again made use of the flipside of the Memoire 44 game board and quickly laid out the supposed location of the German 88.]
The squad moved inland and located a farmhouse along a dirt road. Pvt. Fynn spied a couple of enemy sentries and took up a sniping position. Pvt. Stierling was sent to flank the farmhouse and locate the exact position of the 88, while Corp. Murphy with Privates Stone & Dawkins set up in the hedgerow just across the street from the farmhouse.
Pvt. Stierling located the 88 hidden in the copse of trees just west of the farm, from his position on the hill just south of the farmhouse. This info was communicated to Murphy.
Corp. Murphy, figured out the co-ordinates then had Dawkins, radio them in for the Air-strike. However he feared the 88 would fire off again soon endangering the men back at the Beachhead so he set in motion a plan to assault the farm and have Fynn take out the crew of the 88.
Fynn's first shot killed a crewman at the 88 and the rest took cover! The sentries at the farm house started to raise the alarm but were taken out by a hurled grenade from Murphy and Thompson fire from Dawkins! Stone however had the BAR jam on him and had to get the gun working again.
With the BAR out, the remaining enemy in the farmhouse opened up on the three G.I.'s! Murphy and Dawkins were forced into cover and they saw Stone take multiple hits!!!
Pvt. Stierling was winding his way back towards the hedgerow when he came upon an enemy patrol of three men trying to flank Murphy's position! Drawing his bayonet, "J" begins to sneak up on the closest enemy who is unaware of him.
"Stone!" cries Murphy, as he rolls the BAR man over assuming him to be mortally wounded, if not dead!
With a strained grumble, Stone smiles and shows the surprised Corporal his bullet hole ridden entrenching tool!!
"You lucky son of a ..." Murphy and Stone duck as bullets whizz past them!
With Murphy and Stone pinned down, Dawkins sprints across the street and is able to position himself just below a window of the farmhouse. He then pitches a couple of smoke grenades into the house.
From his position, Fynn is slowing taking out the crew of the 88! Kapow! Aaaiiee!!
Stierling is about to strike when a twig snaps under his boot!!! The german soldier spins around to see him with bayonet drawn and tries to hit him with the butt of his rifle, and a struggle ensues! The other two soldiers turn and raise their rifles. Stierling is able to get behind his initial target and use him as a body-shield when the rifles go off! BAM! BAM! The german sags in Stierlings arms and he feels a sharp stinging in his side! Falling back on the ground with the dead soldier on top of him Stierling pulls his pistol and goes for a double shot, hoping to take out the last two enemy soldiers.
BLAM! BLAM!
Back at the farm house, the smoke grenades are forcing the occupants out, and Dawkins is able to bayonet an enemy attempting to climb out a window, while Stone fires on those coming out of the doorway. Murphy knowing that Stierling might be in trouble, from the sound of gunfire heads in that direction!
The two german soldiers take aim and Stierling winces at the searing pain in his side. Suddenly a loud whooping holler and spray of gunfire comes through the trees driving the germans to the ground for cover!
Corporal Murphy leaps over a hedge and sprays high, giving Stierling a clear shot! One of the enemy soldiers drops from a double shot action from the Privates .45 cal pistol. Murphy takes out the final soldier with a single shot and then helps Stierling limp back to the others!
As Fynn takes out a fifth enemy crewman near the 88, the unmistakable sound of incoming aircraft is heard and soon the 88 explodes in a ball of flame!!
Returning to the beachhead, the Squad is informed they will be heading out to locate a small French resistance cell and recon the village of St. Hommlet.
[ This little scenario came in just under an hour, and we wrapped up and set a date for Session 2. All in all actual game time for the evening was just a little over 3 hours. The game play was fast, fun & exciting!]
Next time on "The Front!" Session 2: Saint Hommlet
