REFERENCE BOOK Table of Contents Designer’S Notes

REFERENCE BOOK Table of Contents Designer’s Notes...... 2 31.0 Mapmaker’s Notes...... 40 26.0 Footnoted Entries...... 2 32.0 Order of Battle...... 41 27.0 Game Elements...... 13 33.0 Selected Sources & Recommended Reading...... 48 28.0 Units & Weapons...... 21 29.0 OB Notes...... 33 30.0 Historical Notes...... 39

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countryside characterized by small fields rimmed with thick and Designer’s Notes steeply embanked hedges and sunken roads, containing small stout I would like to acknowledge the contributions of lead researchers farms with neighbouring woods and orchards in a broken landscape. Vincent Lefavrais, A. Verspeeten, and David Hughes to the notes Studded with small villages, ideal for defensive strongpoints…” appearing in this booklet, portions of which have been lifted rather 6 Close Terrain. There are few gameplay differences between close liberally from their emails and edited by myself. These guys have terrain types. Apart from victory objectives, which are typically my gratitude for a job well done. I’m very pleased that they stuck village or woods hexes, the only differences are a +1 DRM to Re- with me to the end of this eight-year project. covery rolls in village hexes, a Modifier Chit which favors village and woods over heavy bocage, and a higher MP cost to enter woods. Furthermore, woods is the only terrain type that blocks LOS with 26.0 Footnoted Entries respect to spotting units at higher elevation. For all other purposes, close terrain is close terrain. Note that all three types conveniently The following notes refer to the footnoted entries in the Rule Book use the same dark green background color on the map. and Scenario Book. 1 2.2.1 Interpreting the Unit Counters. For the ID boxes of the German units, I used the historical color-codes where practical: pink for panzer regiments, scarlet for panzer artillery regiments, black for pioneers, and gold for armored reconnaissance battalions (Panzer-Aufklärungsabteilungen). I have A. Verspeeten to thank for this excellent suggestion. Light green is normally associated with Panzergrenadier units, but since there are so many German units of this type, I opted to use white instead to keep the total amount of “color clutter” to a minimum. 2 4.2.2 Seulles Boundary. The British 50th Northumbrian Infantry Division (a.k.a. the “Tynes and Tees”) was facing off against the remainder of Panzer Lehr just west of the Seulles. The bridge at 0207 is not a valid exit for Lehr/21PD units because it would place them right in the front lines of the 50th Infantry Division. 3 4.5.1 Attached Transports. Universal Carriers have light armor, granting them immunity against small arms fire. Note that those 7 5.1.2 Bocage. The ground over which these battles were fought units denoted as having Universal Carrier attached transports (“U”) had a number of wide open areas, but the photo recon imagery also include models such as the scout carrier and Bren gun carrier. The shows many regions of dense bocage. This is especially true near marginal CS, RAS, and AT values of these units are derived from Cristot and Tilly-sur-Seulles, in the regions west and north of Juvi- a number of Bren LMGs and PIATs, and in the case of the Carrier gny, and pretty much everywhere on the southern half of the map. Platoons, 2” mortars. By contrast, the Loyd Carriers have no armor By “dense” I mean there are portions of as many as six or seven or weapons. individual fields in a single 425 yard hex, all separated by hedge- More info on the Univ. Carrier can be found in the notes section rows! However, this is not the norm, with one to three fields per hex for British Weapons (28.2.2) while more info on the British Carrier being more typical of a bocage hex in the game. Early versions of Platoons and Scout Platoons can be found in the Unit Notes (28.2.1) the playtest map and Terrain Effects Chart distinguished between as well as footnoted entry 12.6.1. See also notes pertaining to Cru- orchard and bocage, but in reality this terrain is a mish-mosh of sader Tractors and Schwimmwagen in the Weapons section (28.2.2 both, and rarely does orchard appear in a hex without hedgerows. and 28.3.2 respectively). The need for two densities of bocage became apparent as soon as I began to code the hexes according to the aerial photography. I had 4 4.5.6 Survival Table. This table provides a simple method for to make a judgement call, sometimes quite arbitrarily, as to whether determining what happens to transported units when their transport a particular bocage hex should be classified as light or heavy. In takes a hit. If the transported unit is a mortar, British MG, or towed general, where three or more individual hedgerow-bordered fields gun a step reduction is more likely than with other types of units. exist in a single hex, or where two or more oppose a north-south Mortars and British MGs qualify because they are the only weap- axis of advance (i.e., an east-west orientation of hedgerows), I have ons which are loaded into open-topped transports. Unlike infantry, classified them as heavy bocage. Such hexes offer the defenders which could quickly dismount under fire, these types of weapons multiple lines of hedgerows behind which to fall back, making a were more difficult to unload or unhook, and were more reliant on series of “mini-retreats” possible within a single hex and within the their transports to carry their bulkier ammunition. Infantry units course of a 90 minute game turn. In the game this is abstracted by also suffer step reductions less frequently because they represent a preventing ZOC from extending into them, and by their increased relatively large number of men as compared to a heavy weapons unit. defensive bonus compared to light bocage. 5 5.0 Terrain. Lloyd Clark’s book Operation Epsom says of the ter- 8 5.1.3 Woods. There are fewer wooded areas in the vicinity of our rain: “The most northerly section, the first to be crossed by the British map area today than in 1944. Some woods, including a sizeable attack, was made up of hedgeless fields up to the insignificant Mue section of Tessel Woods itself, have been clear cut for more farming stream. (…) Further south (…) there was good defensive bocage space. Have a quick look at Google Earth and you’ll see what I mean.

9 5.1.4 Village. Since lone farms, manors, and chateaus are also been unaffected. The rules for weather, roads, supply, and (Optional classified as village, “settled” might have been a more apt name for Rule) Tigers in the Mud all combine to reflect this. this terrain type. Village derives its defensive benefit not only from After some discussion and consideration, I opted to make waterways the buildings themselves but from the numerous hedge-lined fields, impact leg units minimally. The delay on leg movement (+1 MP) orchards, and stone walls usually found in very close proximity to amounts to a mere fraction of a 90-minute game turn and is due them. For notes on Strongpoints, see footnote #55. mainly to the prominence of brambles along their shores as opposed 10 5.1.5 Waterways. As of late 2010, I’d been unable to find any to the depth of water or strength of current. My guess is that the reliable data on the depth and width of the rivers in the region circa Royal Engineers (abstracted in the game) could make most of these late June ‘44. Furthermore, I knew that the Germans had intention- narrow streams easily fordable for a company-sized leg unit, given ally flooded some regions at the time of this operation, making about twenty minutes to do their job. Smaller waterways might be things difficult from a research standpoint. Enter Vincent Lefavrais. crossable even without log bridges and the like if the men were Vincent took a field trip to the battlefield, walking it extensively and willing to get wet up to the knees or waist. Where the streams are taking lots of photos and notes which proved incredibly useful. For less than two meters wide, the men might simply jump over them; those who are interested, I have presented his findings as an article the prominence of thorns and vegetation would again be the bigger that can be downloaded from the GMT website. The article contains impediment. I feel the +1 MP requirement is reasonable, and it is more than 80 photos and map images, making it a great starting point both simple and easy to remember. for players who wish to better visualize the terrain over which these 11 5.1.6 Slopes. Elevation is not absolute in this game. The slope battles were fought. Among the images is a key that Vincent cre- hexsides are not contour lines but rather specific changes in elevation ated on an early playtest map to indicate his location and direction which are significant enough to block LOS. The hills in this region of facing for each of the photos. To a game designer, this kind of are not very dramatic and not really hills in the way Americans information is invaluable. You simply can’t get this level of detail understand the word. There are certainly a few notable spots—the from any number of books, maps, or websites. Rauray spur and the hilltop wood near Tessel among them—which In general, most of the waterways represented in the game are not command a nice view of the surrounding countryside. A good particularly wide, but they cut across the countryside with rather example for those who own the Saunders book Operation Epsom steep, deep banks, making crossing difficult for vehicles. As a result, can be seen in the photo on page 30-31 which shows the view from vehicles in the game need to cross at bridges, putting a premium on Rauray. It’s evident that it’s not so much elevation that’s important, the control of bridge hexes. The non-Seulles waterways were little but line of sight. In the game, hilltop locations are often objectives. more than small streams which normally might have been crossable VP rewards aside, the open nature of the nearby terrain, such as the by tracked vehicles. However, as Georges Bernage says about the open fields to the north and east of Rauray, should make it obvious Salbey in La bataille de l’Odon (Heimdal Publishing, 2008): “… to the players why they would want to hold these objectives. These usually a starved rivulet but the profuse rains had caused it to swell hilltops offer nice Reaction Fire opportunities. and the whole surrounding sector had become swampy.” 12 5.2 Roads. The road network generally favors the Germans be- Vincent’s photos were taken on a day following some sizable rainfall. cause it runs counter to the British axis of advance. It also allows the This gave us a broad idea of the actual conditions at the time since Germans to shuffle units east or west across the front line to fill gaps. Operations Dauntless and Epsom were launched under heavy rain. Numerous small sunken roads exist in nearly all bocage hexes, which If anything, the historical conditions must have been even more is why the MP cost for bocage is not as high as it might otherwise muddy and soggy than the ones Vincent experienced. He wrote, be. Although vehicle units are not always assumed to be tackling “given the fact that I almost got bogged down on a couple of occa- the hedgerows, in many cases the roads were mined or otherwise sions after parking my car on the roadside, I shudder to think how trapped (by hidden AT guns, for example), so the most direct route it must have been 70 years ago in a 30-ton Sherman under heavy was not always used. The movement cost for village and bocage rain...” Waterways in this area have ever-present vegetation such as is a sort of average between these minor dirt roads and alternative trees, brushes, shrubs, and thorns growing along their banks and, routes over or through the hedgerows. for this reason, block LOS in the game. The banks were often quite 13 5.3.1 Temporary Reveal Upon Firing. Players may wonder why steep—a sudden drop of half a meter or more—with water depth it is that a Concealed unit which Returns Fire is only revealed across ranging from about half a meter to a meter. Width of the waterways its three frontal hexsides. I can hear you crying, “This makes it too was in the ballpark of two meters. The Seulles was much wider, hard to get a flank shot!” Consider the following graphic (overleaf) ranging from about five to eight meters, with one-meter-high banks of a situation involving two tank troops in a heavy bocage hex. and a depth of more than a meter with strong currents. Since the A platoon of German tanks (G) are concealed in a bocage hex with war, the topography has changed slightly, notably concerning the respect to British tanks (B). As the German tanks emerge from behind hedgerows, a lot of which were torn down to increase the size of the hedgerow to fire, as two of them are doing in the graphic, they the farming plots. What could not be judged from Vincent’s photos become revealed with respect to Return Fire only across their three is the extent of the flooding caused by the Germans in 1944. The frontal hexsides. The graphic should hopefully make it obvious as to photo recon images we worked with to create the map suggest that why. Next, consider the hex scale and the fact that units in adjacent no areas were entirely inundated. Still, my supposition is that low- hexes are always revealed. The rule doesn’t seem so strict anymore. elevation areas near the many waterways, as well as most roads, might have been affected by the water level, especially after the rain started up again on June 26, making them soggy and less than ideal for vehicular movement. Only better and raised roads would have

than four units per hex—especially since the transport half-tracks don’t count towards this limit.

8.2-8.3 Combat Modifiers 15 #2. Red-boxed CS Unit Attacking into Close Terrain. Most AFVs suffer this penalty, which represents the inherent difficulty in using vehicles and vehicle-mounted weapons in close terrain. 16 #5. Yellow-boxed CS AFV Unit. These AFVs are equipped with flame-throwers or 290mm mortars. These weapons generally have a limited range of 50 yards or less, making them useless in Combats but highly effective in Assaults. See also footnote 20. 17 #12. Orange-boxed CS Unit. These units are either AFVs with short barrelled guns firing high explosive (HE) shells or IGs firing high caliber shells—weapon types that are very useful against soft targets. 18 #14. German Combined Arms Bonus. Players may wonder why the British do not receive a similar combined arms bonus. British coordination between infantry and armor was less than stellar during this campaign. By most accounts, the 8th Armoured Brigade fared better in this regard than most armored formations in Normandy. 14 6.0 Stacking. Stacking is limited to two British companies per 19 #16. British Coordination Penalty. This modifier forces a small hex to simulate the way the British infantry companies were fielded Command & Control consideration on the player, even if Optional historically. These units required a front of about 250 yards per Rule 21.5 OSMs is not in use. It discourages the building of “rain- company in order to operate according to doctrine. There is no such bow stacks,”—the term we used in playtesting for unrealistically restriction for German companies. Theoretically, the German player mixing and matching units of differing brigades in order to achieve may stack four companies per hex, though the +4 DRM to enemy maximum stacking efficiency. Note that the brigades in question are Ranged Attacks would make this rather foolish. color-coded by greens, blues, and warm colors for ease in identifying Elimination of overstacked units sounds harsh but it almost never them for this purpose. occurs in practice. The fact that ZOC does not extend into close ter- 20 #18. Yellow-boxed CS Unit. This bonus applies to units armed rain makes it difficult to surround a unit and cause additional step with flame-throwers (Crocodiles, Flammpanzerwagen, and pioneer reductions during a Retreat. Units will typically have a retreat path infantry) or 290mm Petard spigot mortars (AVRE)—short-ranged unless completely surrounded by the enemy. Furthermore, 8.5.2.4 weapons designed to destroy buildings or oust the enemy from Retreats and Overstacking allows units to continue their Retreat to fortifications. avoid elimination due to overstacking. We never had to do this in our playtests because the hexes behind the front line typically contain 21 8.7.1 Multi-hex Advances. British leg units may not perform only a handful of mortar or transport units. This leaves only one multi-hex advances due to a combination of German snipers, sparse situation where elimination due to overstacking will occur: voluntary but fanatical resistance, and an overall approach by the British which overstacking. Don’t do it, or you lose your units. emphasized caution and casualty conservation. The stacking limit of four units per hex (plus markers and indepen- 22 dent transports) is intended to keep things reasonable from a physical 9.0 Assaults. Assaults within the context of this game are not handling perspective and is not necessarily a realistic upper limit of prepared assaults but mobile attacks. If the lack of defensive support the number of units that might function together within the same 425 seems odd, consider that units which move adjacent to the enemy yard hex. However, it conveniently forces the British player to use often take FF as they move. Units which started their Action Phase historical frontages for his infantry companies. Between the stack- adjacent were already eligible to be targeted by Ranged Attacks and ing limit of two British infantry companies per hex and the Assault Combats during their opponent’s Combat Phase. Also consider that rule which mandates the first two attacker losses be taken as step non-supporting Ranged Attacks may be conducted prior to conduct- reduction in an Assault, a savvy British player will handle his units ing an Assault during the Action Phase in this game (unlike in Red in a manner very similar to the way they were historically deployed, Winter) and this lack of support becomes mostly semantic. I felt with two companies up and two companies in reserve (but over the that the British and Germans by June of ‘44 should have greater course of a 90-minute turn, the two reserve companies will usually flexibility regarding coordination of barrages and Assaults than the be thrown into the fight as well due to the heavy nature of the fight- Soviets and Finns in 1939. ing in this game). What we are likely to see is two separate waves 23 10.0 Ranged Attacks. The RAT has been calibrated to light bo- of British attacks per infantry battalion with each wave consisting of cage, just as the Red Winter RAT was calibrated to forest in winter. two stacks of two infantry companies, usually supported by tanks, Three exceptions allowing Ranged Attacks into adjacent hexes MGs, or the Carrier Platoon. may at first seem tricky to remember. New players are encouraged The stacking limit works well from the German perspective as well. to use this handy rule of thumb: If the target of the Ranged Attack The Germans are spread thin, so there is rarely a need to stack more isn’t in a field hex, two of the three cases can be immediately ruled out; both FF and Adjacent Defensive Support must be into field.

The remaining case is a Return Fire Ranged Attack, which requires The undulating terrain, bocage, and tree-lined streams severely one of the two units involved (firing unit or target) to be a vehicle. limit LOS in many parts of the battlefield. Many key objectives are Usually, it’s a situation where a tank or Carrier Platoon is returning on high ground and provide nice, clear views of the surroundings. fire on an AT Gun. We studied several contour maps and refined the current slope locations again and again over about four years to arrive at those you Ranged Attack Modifiers (on the PAC): see on the map. This required overlaying semi-transparent layers #7-8. Direct fire at a range of 3 or more hexes. A -1 DRM applies in Photoshop and comparing some WW2-era contour maps of the to direct fire at a range of 3 hexes, and the firing unit’s RAS value area, a modern day satellite map with 5m contours, and the game is halved at ranges beyond that. Apart from the obvious reason that map itself. In general, places where the rise over run equals .05 or a target becomes harder to hit as it becomes further away, these greater qualify for slope hexsides. For example, the approach to penalties exist because AFVs derive most of their anti-personnel Tessel Woods from the south has roughly a 19 yard rise over the value (RAS) from their MGs, which have a limited range of 2-3 distance of a 425 yard hex, for a slope of .044. This is quite steep for hexes. Beyond this, only their main gun is in range. Units with an this battlefield where most hills are of the gently rolling type. Many orange circle beside their RAS value have main guns capable of waterways also qualified for slope hexsides as they cut valleys into firing sufficiently high caliber and/or low velocity High Explosive the surrounding land. The contours of the various elevation maps (HE) shells so as to not suffer this penalty. that we used didn’t always precisely agree, so what you see on the #11. Buttoned. Even while small arms fire cannot destroy AFVs, it final game map is, in many cases, an amalgam of the sources. The can still be helpful because it causes the AFV to “button up,” with 3D battlefield map created by Gina Willis (described in more detail the crew closing the turret hatch and seeking shelter inside the tank later in these notes) proved invaluable in determining where LOS rather than spotting from the open hatch. Buttoned units have reduced should or should not exist between two given map hexes. visibility and therefore a reduced ability to successfully employ their As a final note on the topic: I hate LOS rules and feel that many anti-personnel weapons. This is reflected by a Suppressed marker otherwise excellent game systems are marred by vague, inadequate, in the AFV’s hex causing both a negative DRM on the RAT and a or overly complicated LOS rules. I’ve attempted to keep the rules as negative modifier for Tactical Advantage. simple and precise as possible, given the importance of LOS in this battle. Inevitably, gray areas arise where multiple elevation levels and 24 10.4.1 Suppression. The cumulative “Suppressed” results dead zones are involved. When in doubt, reread the rules and refer simulate varying degrees of disorganization enemy units suffer to the illustrated examples to see if your situation is covered. If that from incoming fire. These are conditions from which they will fails, have a peek at the included LOS Determination flowchart. If quickly recover unless the situation is quickly exploited via good still in doubt, feel free to email me with your specific situation and old fashioned combat. I’ll see if I can be of assistance. 27 It helps to think of Suppression as the suppression of a unit’s com- 10.7 Friction Fire. While FF is normally used by the non-phasing bat potential rather than a literal “pinning down” of the unit over player against an enemy unit that is actively moving during its Ac- the duration of a 90 minute turn. Perhaps the suppressed unit has tion Phase or Advancing After Combat during its Combat Phase, it indeed gone to ground, but only for a portion of the turn, leaving can also be used by either player against a retreating enemy unit. it less time to employ effective tactics. Players shouldn’t take the It may help Red Winter players to think of field hexes in this game term “Suppressed” too literally since it refers to a temporary state as the equivalent of frozen lake in Red Winter. FF is only allowed and Suppressed units can still Retreat or Advance After Combat. against enemies in field hexes. Since a “Suppressed” result against an enemy hex that is not sup- I read one criticism of Red Winter stating that FF is exactly the same porting a Combat prevents units in that hex from supporting future thing as opportunity fire in other games and asking why it isn’t just Combats in the same phase, players should leave these units marked called opportunity fire. In my mind, they aren’t the same thing. Op- “Suppressed” for the remainder of the phase. Note that in most cases, portunity fire is typically handled as a normal Ranged Attack that the unit will not be in a position to support a future Combat, so no uses the same routine as other Ranged Attacks. It just happens to marker is necessary. During the Action Phase, when it’s important take place against a moving unit. In this game system, FF is different to prevent enemy units from conducting FF, the markers will be from a normal Ranged Attack. Rather than resulting in a Suppressed more useful. result (or a Suppressed plus a step reduction at very high modified 25 10.5 Spotters. Self-spotting mortars receive only a +1 DRM as results), it results in an interesting choice for the receiving player: compared to +2 for other weapons. This is because the mortars’ RAS halt the move in the current hex or take the number of step reduc- ratings are already inflated to account for their greater flexibility. tions shown and continue moving. By calling it something other The +2 for other weapon types (which are limited to IGs and 88s) than opportunity fire, I was trying to highlight the fact that it isn’t imitates the +2 for Soviet IGs used in Red Winter and encourages simply handled as a ranged attack against a moving unit. I chose their use in a self-spotting manner. the name Friction Fire because I felt that would serve as a good mnemonic (friction inhibits movement). Originally, the effect of 26 10.6.3 LOS and Elevation. Slopes and elevation are abstracted FF was to “drain” MPs from the moving stack, but this created too in this game. Players shouldn’t take the slope locations too literally much tracking and was cumbersome in play. since their placement is based on LOS considerations rather than New players will find a comparison of FF and ARC in 23.0 Tips steepness or elevation. While upslope generally means at higher and Strategies. elevation, the slope hexsides in no way indicate absolute elevation. They are not contour lines.

28 11.2 AT Fire DRMs (on the PAC): lead playtester Gina Willis who first suggested the idea of making 2. Range (in hexes) to target. As described in detail in the Game Assaults less predictable by somehow introducing randomization of Elements section (27.0), this DRM accounts for the greater difficulty the DRMs that could apply. Lead playtester Eric Edwards came up in hitting a target as range increases as well as a drop in penetration with the idea of using a chit draw mechanic to determine how many capability by roughly 1 cm per 425 yards for most of the main gun AT attacks should be allowed in a given Assault, and the order in types represented in the game. which they should be resolved. Previously, I had been doing all of the above using three tables, each with their own list of modifiers. 3. Flanking Fire. Most AFVs had thicker armor in the front than I was initially rather proud of these tables, but, when I taught Eric to the sides and rear, and the +3 DRM accounts for an average how to use them, I realized how ludicrous it was all beginning to distribution of armor. Some AFVs (the Panther, for example) had sound. (“Okay, you roll on this table and use these DRMs to deter- an even greater disparity, with very thick and highly sloped frontal mine which units get to roll on the AT Fire Table and in what order, armor but only a fraction as much armor on the sides. Flanking fire and this third table determines which DRMs will apply to the roll against these AFVs receives a more favorable DRM (in the case of on the second table…”) The game was getting too unwieldy and too the Panther, a +5). complicated. Migrating the information from these tables over to a Thinly armored vehicles such as half-tracks grant only a +1 DRM. simple chit draw was a huge step in the right direction, but it still took Players may find it curious that they generate any kind of DRM at months of trial and error. We tested many variations before honing all, given that the difference in armor thickness between front and in on the combination of factors that felt “just right.” sides of these AFVs isn’t pronounced enough to warrant a DRM It was moderately late in the testing that I came up with against the AT shells of most tanks’ main guns. I rationalized that the idea of making the penetration factor (Armor minus the flanking fire DRM should simulate a larger target profile and the AT) a chit-drawn DRM so that it would not always element of surprise, apart from just armor thickness. factor into a given Assault. Formerly, infantry AT 4. Terrain. There is a lessened penalty for Return Fire vs. units in weapons such as PIATs and Panzerfäuste always succeeded in these terrain types because the vehicle that originally fired had to eliminating thin-skinned vehicles such as armored cars and half- emerge from cover and reveal its position in order to fire. The benefit tracks; there was no point in even rolling the AT Fire dice. This felt of the terrain is mitigated, but the vehicle’s position is still more very disappointing to me. Surely armor thickness and weapon favorable than a field due to partial cover and the close proximity penetration stats weren’t everything in these situations. What about of full cover. the many other relevant variables such as morale, terrain, the element of surprise, and enemy fire? That’s when it occurred to me that the 6. Target’s Amor > Firing Unit’s AT Rating. This modifier is nec- penetration factor should be included as a modifier chit. It’s on three essary because the bell curve alone cannot account for the difficulty of the thirteen chits, actually, so it will factor into the AT Fire roll in achieving a meaningful hit against an AFV with armor thicker quite often, but its inclusion is no longer a given. than a round’s maximum AP capacity. As I continued to playtest and refine the two new sets of chits, I felt 7. Firing from Hex with one or more Suppressed Markers. The a giant weight lifted from my shoulders. The Assault system was AFV has buttoned its turret hatch or the crew has otherwise taken now much faster and cleaner, and the chit draw interjected the sort cover due to incoming fire, making it more difficult for them to of chaos and unpredictability that Gina had desired. It was no longer spot the target. enough to merely crunch numbers and set up for a perfect-odds attack. There was now a very real chance that things could go hor- 29 11.2.1.1 ARC Fire along Hex Spines. Since Return Fire against a ribly wrong. For example, your opponent might use AT Fire twice, newly revealed target must be through a frontal hexside, these rules eliminating your AFVs before they ever granted you a bonus or got effectively mean that a unit in close terrain cannot be an eligible off a shot. After two further years of testing and fine tuning the chits, target for the Flanking Fire except in two situations: Assaults and I felt I had a subsystem that produced the right sorts of outcomes adjacent enemies. while remaining true to the spirit of the game series. 30 11.3.2 Zero-Range (AT Fire) Units. The AT ratings of these units Players may at first perceive the Tactical Advantage procedure as are based on a combination of training, experience and weapon qual- a lot of sound and fury signifying very little. I assure you that it ity (accuracy, armor penetration, and whether the weapon is single- is not. As players become more familiar with the game, they will shot or can be reloaded). British infantry are typically armed with quickly come to realize the importance of AFV kills in Assaults. the reloadable, spring-launched PIAT, while most German infantry Each Assault in this game is its own little microcosm of the battle, are equipped with the single-shot but more powerful Panzerfaust or often with combined arms forces facing off amongst the maze of Panzerschreck. Nearly all leg units are also equipped with grenades. hedgerows. Choosing your assaulting stack carefully so that it is well-rounded and appropriate for the target hex is important, and 31 11.4 Tactical Advantage. These rules were originally optional the order of allowed AT Fire attacks is everything. Of course, a little and called the Ambush rules. By the time I arrived at the final ver- luck during the Modifier chit draw never hurts. Occasionally, your sion, I discovered that they streamlined game play considerably, so draw will be so lucky (or unlucky) that rolling the dice isn’t even I made them mandatory. necessary. I let that slide as being in the spirit of the unpredictability Tactical Advantage uses a chit draw mechanic which introduces a inherent in this type of conflict. This is controlled chaos, after all, high degree of friction and uncertainty into Assaults, making them and even your best laid plans can occasionally go awry, just as you more interesting and realistic in my opinion. While these rules might can occasionally pull an unexpected victory from the jaws of defeat. at first appear to complicate game play, they in fact speed things up Players may at first perceive the +1 modifier for assaulting from by limiting the number of units which can perform AT Fire during a any non-field hex into a field hex to be too small (i.e., not punishing given Assault, as well as the number of modifiers that apply. It was © 2015 GMT Games, LLC Operation Dauntless Reference Book 7 enough for the infantry defending in the field) given the openness of more accurately be called “Units for Which Special Rules Apply,” farm fields and the extreme vulnerability of infantry in the open. The but that’s a mouthful. reasoning for the modifier becomes apparent when one recalls that 36 12.1.1 AFVs and Losses. These rules present a key difference the Tactical Advantage procedure is concerned mainly with infantry from Red Winter, where AFVs suffered losses normally in Assaults units’ ability to fire on tanks, and the field crops were thigh-high to and could even take voluntary step reductions to satisfy losses. This waist-high this time of year, offering excellent hiding places for the is because Operation Dauntless uses the Tactical Advantage routine, lone infantryman wielding a PIAT or Panzerfaust. absent from the former game, to resolve zero-range AT attacks. 32 11.4.2 Modifier Chits. The players may notice that while zero- AFVs’ ability to ignore losses in Combats and Assaults has some range AT attacks normally apply to infantry units armed with PIATs, important ramifications. Players cannot successfully capture a hex Panzerfäuste, and the like, there are a couple of AFV types that also containing one or more AFV units by merely performing a Combat, qualify—namely, British AVRE and German Flammpanzerwagen. If even if that hex is held by a lone half-track unit. This may seem it at first seems odd that these AFVs are handled as infantry, consider “gamey” until one considers that nearly every unit in the game has for a moment how they are fielded when pressed into an AT role. an AT rating and therefore has an adequate opportunity to destroy They can’t simply engage enemy armor at close range; they have such units. Assaults by units without AT capability will be equally to engage at really close range! To do this effectively, these AFVs useless against defending hexes containing one or more AFVs. In need to remain hidden and then fire from ambush positions, much both cases, the AFVs will simply ignore any losses, while the attack- like infantry units. By allowing them to behave in this manner I ers run the risk of step reductions as a result of the CRT. avoided the need for special rules for handling them in Assaults. All this may at first seem odd because it is in fact quite different The rationale behind a few of these chits is worth mentioning. than most games. However, the player should consider the entire Target’s Combat Strength. Drawing this chit infers turn sequence rather than focusing on the instant of the Combat that the target vehicle is in a position to use its anti- or Assault. In order to capture a hex, the player will first need to personnel MGs against the unit using AT Fire against eliminate (or cause the voluntary withdrawal of) any AFVs in the it. hex by using AT Fire during the Action Phase. Failing that, he can make further AT Fire attacks during the Combat Phase, before declaring the actual Combat. If all that fails and the defending hex Target is open-topped. Unlike other AFVs, these units still contains AFVs, he’ll need to hold off and assault the hex and/ are vulnerable to small arms fire, and especially to or hit it with more AT Fire during the friendly Action Phase of the grenades. next game turn. The “big picture” emerges and we see that AFVs Target’s CS is in orange/yellow box. Drawing this cannot hold hexes indefinitely—they can merely delay the advance chit infers that the target vehicle is in a position to fire by a turn, and usually at a great risk to their own safety. its high caliber shells or flame-throwers against the Don’t forget that Suppressed markers in the target hex yield a bonus unit performing the AT Fire against it. to the Tactical Advantage chit draw. Hitting the target AFVs with Lack of Modifiers for Strongpoints and Dug-In Hexes. Note Ranged Attacks—even if it can’t destroy them outright—can be that there is no Modifier chit for Dug-In or Strongpoint hexes, nor helpful and oft overlooked strategy. are these improvements reflected in the Tactical Advantage modi- 37 12.1.2 AFVs and Overruns. AFVs which overrun cannot per- fiers. Defending vehicles are not considered to be benefiting from form a multi-hex Advance After Combat; they must expend MPs to these improvements, and defending infantry occupying them would enter each hex beyond the original vacated defending hex. This is a typically need to leave them in order to ambush tanks with PIATs, difference from Red Winter, where the tanks’ MAs were calibrated Panzerfäuste, and similar infantry-AT weapons. One could argue to account for the effects of winter weather on the poor roads. In that the occupation of a static defense position in no way equates that game, armor could perform multi-hex advances for free, then with having a “tactical advantage” in terms of maneuvering into continue to overrun with any remaining MA. Playtesting showed ambush positions from which to fire these types of weapons. A static the need for this change. Without it, the high MAs of the British and position is, by definition, static and can be avoided. The effect of German AFVs combined with the extensive road network to allow the static position comes into play later, during the actual resolution stacks of rampaging AFVs to achieve far too much in a 90 minute of the Assault. game turn. They could chase retreated units clear across the map 33 11.5 ARC. The ARC is covered in detail in the more general notes while hitting other weak units along the way. section, 27.0 Game Elements. 38 12.2 AFVs with Special Attributes. 34 11.5.2.3 Reaction Move. The rule states that the Reaction Move AVRE. The Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE) are the need not be away from the enemy which performed the AT Fire. In- vehicular heroes of this game for the British—possibly even more deed, in some cases it may make sense to move towards the offender. so than the panzer-killing Fireflies. The British player will need to 35 12.1 Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs). Players may wonder commit them early and often if he is to make progress in the Cam- why AFVs are “special units” when even a quick glance at the coun- paign Game. Their bunker-busting 290mm Petard spigot mortars ter sheets reveals that over half the units in the game are AFVs—and are formidable weapons, but due to their very limited range they many of the remaining leg units are treated as AFVs on their attached are only useful in Assaults. The AVRE are the only British tanks transport sides. Keep in mind that this game system originated with in the game with armor heavy enough to stand up to fire from the Red Winter, which is basically an infantry-only game. Also consider German tanks and AT guns. While not suited for an anti-tank role that a number of special rules apply to AFVs. Section 12.0 should themselves due to their extremely limited AT Range and miserable FC, their Armor rating makes them ideal for supporting British

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC 8 Operation Dauntless Reference Book infantry against German Strongpoints. It is often possible to get a of barrages. There are too many guns and it would require far too combined stack of British infantry and AVRE into Assault range much wristage! To simulate the effects of the creeping barrages, of the German Panthers or Tigers so that the infantry can take out special rules are included in the scenarios to which they apply. On the German tanks with their PIAT. At times, this is the only viable June 16 (the attack on Cristot) and June 25 (the attack on Fontenay), option. The Shermans, with only half as much armor as the AVRE, the effects of the massive opening barrage are abstracted into the are often vulnerable in this role, especially when up against Panthers Special Rules for the first game turn. On June 26, there was little or Tigers. See also 28.2.2 British Weapon Notes. artillery support in the Dauntless sector due to the newly launched Sherman Crabs. Apart from being fitted with the mine-clearing flail, (and larger) Epsom offensive, just off map to the east. these tanks are equipped with the standard 75mm gun. Therefore, 41 12.3.2 German Artillery. While the game portrays all German their AT, CS, and RAS ratings look much like other Shermans. See non-mortar and non-IG artillery units as operating from off map, in also 28.2.2 British Weapon Notes. reality some of them did operate somewhere within the area of the Crocodiles. These Churchill flame-thrower tanks excel against game map. The off-map system is a quick and simple way to reflect Strongpoints and Dug-In hexes. As explained in detail in the Brit- the effects of their availability, as well as ammo shortages, without ish Weapon Notes section (28.2.2), Crocodiles were rare and were resorting to markers, extra die rolling, or bookkeeping. Historical committed very sparingly. Not featuring them in the game would sources are silent or unclear about the precise locations of some of have been wrong, but featuring too many, or allowing all but infre- these units during the battle. Additionally, playtesting showed the quent use, would also be wrong. I have chosen to leave them out of units had little to no chance of becoming involved in direct fire or scenarios with no German Strongpoints, while leaving it up to the Assault situations. Migrating these units off map allowed us to cut British player whether or not to commit them in the other scenarios. down on counter clutter and, more importantly, streamline the game Note that the AVRE have two steps (vs. only one for Crocodiles), by removing a host of former rules. These included rules govern- a better Armor rating, and still provide a column shift in Assaults, ing minimum ranges (for the Werfers which could only hit hexes 3 so they will be the better choice in most game situations. The ex- or more hexes away from their map location), special rules for SP ception is use against Strongpoints, where the Crocodiles excel. artillery (since these units could move and fire in the same turn, as The Crocodile troops’ relatively high price (2 points per unit—the opposed to towed artillery which could do one or the other, and had same as a two-step AVRE) is intentional and intended to reflect the to be tracked as such), rules which allowed the Werfers to “shoot historical problems associated with these units; it ensures that they and scoot” (effectively a special use-it-or-lose-it movement phase), will not be committed too frequently in the game. and more. The off map migration also freed up about four spaces on the countersheet which were formerly occupied by ammo markers Flammpanzerwagen. These are portrayed as type SdKfz 251/16 for tracking 105mm, 152mm, and rocket ammo. I have Gina Willis flame-thrower half-tracks. The dual flame-throwers have very short to thank for these changes. It was her constructive criticism that range and are useful only in Assaults, but in Assaults they are deadly. showed me the need to simplify and streamline what had become a See also 28.3.2 German Weapon Notes. rather cumbersome process. Regarding the two ranges of values on the flip-sides of the German artillery units: British air superiority made the movement of supplies to the front very difficult for the Germans. Ammo was becoming scarce as well as being diverted to resist the British Epsom offensive that kicked off on June 26. From that date onwards, it becomes more difficult for the German player to commit his increasingly scarce artillery resources to the battles being gamed. The British player suffers a similar fate on June 26 when several useful Asset chits are removed from his cup, representing assets diverted to support Epsom. 42 12.3.3 German Self-Propelled Rocket Artillery. These units never qualify for FF or ARC because they are only placed for the purpose of Support. Similarly, they never qualify for Adjacent Defen- sive Support because they can only be placed 2 or more hexes from all enemies. The rule that they cannot make non-supporting Ranged Attacks is not meant to infer that these weapons weren’t capable of doing so, but rather a restriction on the types of situations where 39 12.3 Artillery. The British can fire their artillery each and every German command was willing to commit such a valuable resource. turn rather than rolling for its return. They enjoyed a surplus of I felt they should not be usable “off the cuff” or in situations where shells for their artillery, unlike the Germans who faced severe sup- they’d have little chance of an effect (FF, ARC, and non-supporting ply difficulties. fire). Instead, they are limited in use to situations where their fire 40 actually supports a Combat. The other reason I felt they shouldn’t 12.3.1 British Artillery. The British kicked off their attacks on the be usable “off the cuff” is that aiming these weapons was nearly German-held villages with enormous rolling barrages by hundreds impossible. They were used for saturation fire against a large target of guns. This sometimes included naval gun fire from off-shore area such as a village. See also 28.3.2 German Weapons. Royal Navy ships. The infantry followed closely behind the moving “wall” of fire. In the game, no dice are rolled to handle these types

43 12.5.1 Mortars and Infantry Guns in Combat. The German chance of inflicting a step reduction on the infantry unit itself. So, self-propelled mortar half-tracks (SdKfz 251/2 and 250/7) were while capable of laying down some good firepower, these units are designed such that the mortars could still fire while loaded on the more vulnerable than they first appear. half-track. In the game, they have attached transports and can fire I believe the game system encourages the British player to use both even when flipped to their loaded sides. Carrier Platoons and Scout Platoons in roles consistent with their 44 12.6.1 British Carrier Platoons and Scout Platoons. Players historical and intended uses. The Carrier Platoons will mainly sup- may find it odd that these units do not have a red boxed CS value port the infantry or grab objectives and hold on to them for a turn like other armored units. This was intentional. The red box represents until the infantry arrive or the 6-pdrs roll up to deploy. The more the inherent difficulties of AFVs in maneuvering into good firing fragile Scout Platoons will mainly be used for spotting, although positions in close terrain. However, the Carrier Platoons and Scout they will occasionally be committed to support a combat action. Platoons can dismount from their carriers and embed themselves Notes pertaining to the historical use and makeup of the Carrier in the close terrain, even taking the carrier-mounted Bren guns Platoon and Scout Platoon can be found in the British Unit Notes with them. (28.2.1). Notes on the Universal Carrier can be found in the British Carrier Platoons originally had only one step, but playtesting re- Weapon Notes (28.2.2). vealed that the British player was too reluctant to use them in their 45 12.7 Flak. While “flak” is technically a German term, it applies historical role. They were simply too vulnerable. The solution was to all anti-aircraft units in this game. Flak units do not shoot down to grant them another step, but mitigate this somewhat by making it air assets per se—the scale does not allow for that—but, rather, they harder for them to recover and more costly for them to take replace- increase the likelihood of an airstrike’s failure. This encourages ments. After these changes, they really came into their own. While players to keep their flak units close to their other units. they are the only two-step platoon-sized infantry unit in the game, they are also better trained and much larger than other platoons (at Players will note that the flak units have good RAS and FC ratings. 63 men vs. only 37 in a standard British infantry platoon); both As these units were built to target aircraft, they have good targeting helped justify the additional step. systems and a very high rate of fire. I toned down their FC ratings slightly from what they might have been based on the statistics The bullet list of special rules for these units (12.6.1, PAC) isn’t as alone, lest these units be used in an unhistorical manner as light bad as it looks once you realize that each rule basically just states AFV hunters. If further rationale is needed to justify this reduction, whether the unit is treated as infantry or armor in a specific game consider the “fear factor” involved when flak crews are ordered to situation. These rules made it possible to avoid separate carrier engage enemy AFVs. transport counters for many units, shaving a total of seventeen 46 counters from the mix. 12.8 British Assets. British naval guns were originally included as an Asset. Our research suggested that they should not be “on call” Carrier Platoons receive a negative DRM on the Recovery Table like the divisional artillery and their effects would be better handled because they are smaller than company-sized infantry units; a step abstractly in those scenarios that begin in the wake of such barrages. reduction therefore represents a greater percentage reduction in manpower. This means that reduced Carrier Platoons will take longer to 47 12.8.2 Aircraft. Air attacks do not play a particularly large part recover and return to the action, on average, than infantry companies. in the game. They are included for added realism and fun. The Players may find it odd that the Carrier Platoons and Scout Platoons British artillery plays a much larger role than aircraft. This is due to have a marginally higher CS than the standard infantry companies. A the scale—we’re looking at a handful of days and a rather focused Carrier Platoon has 12-13 Bren LMGs vs. only 9 in an infantry com- portion of the Normandy front. That said, a well-implemented air pany. I believe that the higher CS is accurate—especially when you strike can occasionally be extremely helpful and satisfying! figure in the cover provided by the carriers themselves. A member of Aircraft cannot be committed on late afternoon or dusk turns. Low Consimworld asked me whether a British Scout Platoon really put sun angles at this time of day made picking out ground targets out that much firepower in combat, and, doctrinally, if it would have extremely difficult. Shadows became long and overlapping. The been used in a manner that allowed that firepower to be “noticed” on pilots also needed time to return to base while some daylight yet the battlefield. I believe so. However, what the marginal CS superior- remained. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the Germans believed ity doesn’t reveal is that the single-step Scout Platoon has almost no that the British air attacks dwindled in intensity from about 1700 staying power under fire. If it takes but a single step reduction, it is onwards, and the Germans felt secure enough to begin moving at eliminated. That means the British player won’t be committing it to around this time. many offensive actions, except perhaps where carefully calculated 48 12.8.2.1 Fighter-Bombers. These aircraft are mostly Hawker (against a weaker enemy recon force, perhaps, or in support of a Typhoons and Supermarine Spitfires of 83rd Air Group based in friendly infantry attack from LMG range). The infantry company, Normandy. They attack with a combination of rockets and strafing. on the other hand, can take and hold a hex because it has two steps, 49 and, when it loses a step, it can recover by spending a turn to roll 12.8.2.2 Bombers. These are mostly Mosquitos—excellent all- 1d6 in an attempt to flip back to its full-strength side. This makes weather aircraft that proved incredibly useful during the Normandy the infantry company much stronger than the Scout Platoon in the campaign, despite the fact that they were made of wood and therefore long run. Also note that the infantry company is immune to AT fire, highly vulnerable to flak. The type of bombing represented here unlike both the Carrier Platoon and Scout Platoon which are highly should not be confused with tactical bombing. It is not as accurate vulnerable to AT weapons. Hits from AT fire against these units are and this explains the distance requirement and the fact that a hex tracked as reductions to the Transport Pool and generate VPs for but not a particular unit may be targeted. High altitude bombers are the German player. Additionally, each such hit has a 2 in 6 (33%) not part of this game. The Mosquito bombers cannot target hexes which are adjacent to British units. While our research suggests that

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC 10 Operation Dauntless Reference Book the actual danger zone is only about 200 yards, we felt there was no random mechanic for Replacements, rather than going with a set way the ground troops would have trusted the RAF to that extent. number of steps like in Red Winter. This decision was made for a According to one source, at 700 feet you have a 1% chance of being handful of reasons. There are problems associated with set rates. For hit by a lethal fragment. One of the real dangers is fragments that one, they assume that the game designer and research team know go steeply up, and come down a long way away. Since they come what the return rates actually were, and, in most cases, we didn’t. down at a sharp angle, many types of cover are not helpful, and be- Historical replacement rates are also dependent on what happened ing prone can present a larger target. Apparently, one intervening historically—the number of weapons or vehicles of a given type hex is a reasonable estimate for a safe distance, but this assumes that were knocked out and recovered—yet the game could swing a forward air controller, some sort of landmark, and an attack run in a wildly different direction with respect to type-specific losses. parallel to the front line. Two intervening hexes is probably more Finally, when the players know ahead of time how many steps they’ll realistic. By allowing Mosquito bombers to target enemy hexes two be receiving for each unit type, they are tempted to adjust their play hexes away from British units but by making British units at this styles according. For example, the German player might send his range vulnerable to possible friendly fire (if using that optional rule), Panzer IV platoons on high-risk missions just prior to the night turn the British player is encouraged to maintain a safe distance of three to ensure that the two soon-to-be-gained steps won’t go to waste. I hexes. He may reduce this to two hexes, but in doing so he runs the wanted to avoid such gamey behavior, while attempting to match risk of subjecting his units to stray bomb fragments. the relative return rates as closely as possible. I also wanted to keep 50 12.8.2.3 Tactical Recon. These Assets represent reconnaissance both players guessing, as I believe this increases the tension in the aircraft—mostly Auster Mk V’s and Spitfires. Utilizing them to night turns and reduces the appeal of “high-risk dusk missions.” their full potential requires some planning on the part of the British 54 13.3 Recovery. Because the Recovery DRMs are cumulative, a player, who should not underestimate their usefulness. unit that is OOS cannot succeed in recovering unless it also ben- 51 12.9 Crusader Tractors. These are the only AFVs with an Armor efits from one or more positive DRMs. Since German units always rating greater than 1 that track losses via the Transport Pool. See receive a -1 DRM due to supply problems, a successful German 28.2.1 for more notes on these units. recovery attempt will require a minimum of two conditions which yield positive DRMs. 52 13.1 Reinforcements. These rules highlight the idea that the The +1 DRM for night turns reflects the longer duration of these battle is not being fought in a vacuum. Troops can be pulled from turns, which generally have less combat action and offer more time the flanks, off-map, and committed to hotspots as needed, but at the for units to rest. price of weakening the line elsewhere. The VPs earned for unspent 55 Reinforcement Points at the end of some scenarios emphasize this 14.0 Digging In and Strongpoints. Digging In represents minor idea and give the players an incentive to not over-commit units. improvements to a hex’s defensive potential and includes scouting Players must decide which units are needed, and when and where for the most defensible positions, defining kill zones, digging slit to commit them. The starting allotments and accrual rates of Rein- trenches and foxholes, and possibly piling small obstacles such forcement Points were carefully selected so that players can afford as sandbags. Digging In is not to be confused with Strongpoints, the units that were committed historically at roughly their historical which are more permanent and beneficial but cannot be placed once times of commitment. Yet the system allows some variability in the game begins (with the exception of the June 26/27 night turn). how a player spends his resources. For example, if more tanks are Strongpoints represent walled farms and chateaus or simply stout needed but infantry are plentiful, a player can opt to spend his points houses that have been reinforced. on tanks rather than commit more infantry, even if this is at odds 56 15.3 Supply Sources. Players may wonder why Les Nouillons with what occurred historically. This offers a type of flexibility and (1422) is the only supply hex on the map which uses a tertiary road. realism not found in games with scripted unit entries. This hex was the most direct route to our map area for 12SS units held 53 13.2 Replacements. Replacements for weapons and AFVs rep- in reserve in Missy, a few hexes directly south of 1422. It wouldn’t resent the recovery and repair of pre-existing weapons or vehicles, have made sense for these units to use the (off-map) road network including AFVs in short term repair status which have been returned to enter the area depicted on the map via Belle Jambe (0923) or the to their former units. To a more limited extent, they also represent railroad (1123); this would have taken them too long. the scrounging of weapons and vehicles from rear and reserve units 57 18.5 The Campaign Game: Special Rule #1 Heavy Smoke and and HQ. German ammo increases (if using Optional Rule 19.14) Fog. The 2R column shift to British Assaults on turn 1 is due to the represent the effect of supply vehicles which succeed in reaching abstracted effects of the opening barrage by 250 artillery and naval the front, typically under the cover of darkness. guns.The Germans’ inability to move simulates shell-shock, severed The number of destroyed AFVs which return to the field over the communications, and general confusion arising from the massive course of a three-day battle is probably slim to none, and I’ve British barrage. The British movement restrictions simulate both the attempted to craft the replacements rules accordingly, or at least thick fog and the need to advance in an orderly manner behind the balance reality with game needs. It’s quite easy to rationalize that creeping barrage. While some German units begin further south, out- a proportion of tank step losses are actually thrown tracks, shell- side the bombardment area, these units can’t move anyway because shocked crews bailing out from tanks with minor damage, and the they begin the game inactive. Along with the German off-map units, like, making these tanks eligible to come back on the next day as they are waiting to receive orders once the severity of the situation replacements. Incidentally, the Zetterling book indicates that three has been assessed and communications have been restored. Panzer IVs were returned to the field following short-term repair 58 18.5 The Campaign Game: Special Rule #4 Panzer With- on the a.m. of June 26. In game terms, this would equate to roughly drawal. The German player has a tough choice to make in deciding two steps. After careful consideration, I decided to use the current whether to withdraw reduced on-map companies or inactive, full

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC Operation Dauntless Reference Book 11 strength off-map companies. The latter yields the best short-term Woods; this also amounts to a day and a half. The 11RSF, having gain, but the former grants more total panzer steps over the long suffered 201 casualties on June 25, was withdrawn from the front haul. It is up to the German player to balance his immediate need lines and did not return to action until June 28, meaning they were for armor with the long-term need for reinforcements. off the line for at least two days. So, while the rule originally dictated The choice to remove Panzer IVs or Panthers also isn’t as obvious placement of the withdrawn units on the Turn Track 13 turns (24 as it might at first seem. The Panzer IVs are clearly inferior, but hours) in the future, the history made a good case for increasing this they’re twice as likely to receive Replacement steps. to an average of 36 hours as well as introducing some variability via the dice. Until shortly before publication, we played the game with the 60 withdrawal requirement as four companies, and with four or more 18.5 The Campaign Game: Victory Conditions. Front Line remaining steps necessary to qualify. While the withdrawal of four VPs. The historical frontline at the evening of June 27 was not a companies seemed to be consistent with the historical withdrawal, straight, easily defined hex row, as explained in the 18.5 Historical it doesn’t address the fact that gamers usually take greater risks than Notes. In general, the British advance hadn’t penetrated as far south their historical counterparts and typically lose more units in a shorter as hex row 18, but we decided to use 18 as our measuring point in or- time span. Adjusting both numbers (withdrawn companies and steps der to account for hex 1318 of Rauray, which was British-controlled. to qualify) from four to three helped address what I felt was a slight 61 19.1 Fire Control. These rules started off as mandatory rules, pro-British bias on the second day of the battle, becoming a more and I hope that most players will try them out once familiar with the pronounced bias on the third day. The supposition was that by keep- basics of the game. These rules reflect the quality vs. quantity aspect ing a few more panzers on the map and/or available for purchase, of the historical armor engagement. As any treadhead knows, not the Germans might have a bit more staying power late in the game. all tank crews and weapons systems are created equal. Armor and When a new book (Cazenave’s Panzerdivision Hitlerjugend. Vol. 2, penetration are not everything—you first have to hit your target. In SS-Panzer-Regiment 12, Normandie 1944) was published in June general, the German AFVs have an edge here. Players using these of 2015, we realized that the 7th Company of Panzer IVs was not at rules will quickly come to realize that some units are much better any point present at these battles, and so the withdrawal requirement (or worse) than their ratings might otherwise suggest. was lowered yet again. By staging the withdrawal across three game Sherman tanks are considered the standard, and the FC rules have turns over two days, we were able to increase the total number of been calibrated accordingly. The Shermans of the SRY have FC withdrawal companies back to three while making these withdrawals ratings that are one point higher than the other tank regiments. This roughly coincide with their historical counterparts. I believe that the is intentional. The Sherwood Rangers comprised veteran tankers, final state of this rule is both the best balanced and most accurate. unlike the other two British tank regiments appearing in the game. The game doesn’t specifically address the fact that on the night of Most armored cars, half-tracks, assault guns, and turretless tank June 26/27, one Panzer IV company was withdrawn, and then later destroyers are classified as FC Class “Poor” and have negative rat- returned. However, there was a bit of a lull in the fighting during ings. Most British tanks and German armored cars are classified as this time which the game may or may not reproduce, depending on “Standard” and have no FC stat (an assumed rating of zero). Panzer the number and condition of the British on-map infantry battalions. I IV Hs, Panthers, Fireflies, and Achilles are classified as “Good” and didn’t want to force this kind of late-game withdrawal and return on have positive ratings, while the superior German Tigers have a +5. the players because I felt that such an event should be reactive and based at least partly on on-map events. For example, if the British The game’s original FC system classified all units as one of five attacks had increased in ferocity late on June 26, the Germans might classes: Superior, Good, Standard, Below Average, and Poor. Play- well have kept the withdrawn company in the vicinity of Tessel- testing revealed that this didn’t allow enough fidelity. We tried many Bretteville/ Rauray in order to counter the attacks. methods before settling on the final one. 59 18.5 The Campaign Game: Special Rule #5 Deactivation of Note that weapons with a high rate of fire might have FC ratings British Formations. Withdrawn formations would realistically be which are better than players might otherwise expect. For example, recovering in villages near the north edge of the map, such as St- the German recon half-tracks, with their 20mm guns, are FC class Pierre, Le Haut d’Audrieu, and Cristot. Placing them on the Turn Standard rather than Poor. However, for many of these weapon types, Track, instead, reduces counter clutter. More importantly, it prevents I have also weighed in a certain “fear factor” because armored cars, gamey “hunting missions” by the German player with the goal of half-tracks, or flak units ordered to fire on enemy AFVs may be able collapsing (per Special Rule #6) already-battered infantry battalions. to do so at a high rate of fire, almost ensuring a hit, but they will also engage the enemy with great reluctance. For example, the stats alone The average result of the dice (1d10+1d6+10) will be 19 turns, or for a recon car might suggest that it should have a FC rating of +2, roughly a day and a half, which happens to be the historical times- while the penalty for using this unit in high-stakes situations (the pan for most British infantry battalions (from the time they were unit is intended for recon!) is a -2. The final, printed FC rating is 0. withdrawn until the time they were recommitted to the line). For 62 example, the war diary of the 70th Infantry Brigade mentions that 19.2 Luftwaffe Nuisance Raids. While the Luftwaffe had been the 1st Tyneside Scots relieved the Lincolns on June 25 (in Bas de mostly grounded by this point, the Germans did still conduct night- Fontenay, we guess). The Lincolns were back in the line on the time bombing raids on a semi-regular basis, mainly to deprive the morning of June 27, when they progressed southwards between British troops of much-needed sleep. While these raids certainly Tessel Woods and Rauray to clear the La Grande Ferme area along occurred further north, near the beaches, we found no evidence that the Bordel. That means the time of their “deactivation” amounts to they were conducted near Fontenay during the time period covered roughly a day and a half. The Hallams were also back on June 27 by the game. I included them just for fun. before dawn, establishing positions at the southern end of Tessel

Note that the resolution of the raid takes place during the German anyway, the German player becomes capable of dealing some real Reset Phase. Since Suppressed markers go away at the end of the damage to the British. This nicely mirrors the historical actions of phase in which they are placed, any result other than a step reduc- these fanatical teenagers. The reward for success is great—the choice tion can be ignored. This means that the best target will be a British to do a step reduction to any attacking unit of the German player’s hex containing two infantry companies and no close terrain. After choice, including armor! This rule should create some tough and DRMs, a step reduction will occur on a modified 9 or higher, making interesting decisions for the German player. reduced units prime targets. 67 19.10 Plunging Fire vs. Vehicles. These attacks consist of falling 63 19.5 British Tank OSMs. The British had a sharp distinction shells or bombs which are more likely to flip over a vehicle than between “Independent” and “Divisional” tank brigades, and also destroy it by piercing its armor. The DRM for Armor increments is between “under command of” as opposed to “assigned to.” We a crude way of factoring in a vehicle’s weight. Very heavy vehicles don’t have to worry about the former in the game since divisional like Tigers will be difficult to “flip” (-4 DRM). Note that a separate tank brigade squadrons only went with divisional battalions. Put roll is resolved against every AFV unit in the target hex. This is dif- very simply, when a tank squadron was assigned to a battalion it ferent from both AT Fire and normal Ranged Attacks. Also note that was in all respects under the orders of the battalion commander, and the -1 DRM for FF/ARC effectively cancels the +1 DRM for field. therefore needs no OSM of its own. The exception is that the major Since a maximum of one step reduction from Plunging Fire can be commanding could appeal to his colonel if the tanks were being inflicted per attack, it is usually in the firing player’s best interest to mishandled (irrelevant to the game) or (which does matter) that the start by rolling against the most desirable target in the hex. tank regiment commander was either by order or by choice taking 68 back command. In game terms, this might mean massing all the 19.11 Counter-Battery Fire. Players may wonder why the Ger- tanks of a regiment for a purpose the player thinks best—a sort of man Nebelwerfer rocket artillery units are immune to counter-battery “mini-Goodwood.” What this all boils down to is that we were able fire. The rockets left obvious smoke trails which greatly aided Brit- to justify getting rid of five British tank OSMs and converting the ish forward observers in pinpointing the launchers’ positions, and remaining three into regimental OSMs—one for each tank regiment. standard practice for the Germans was to “shoot and scoot” with The rules state that when a tank squadron is not using the OSM of their Werfers, mobilizing quickly and efficiently after firing. I opted its regiment, it is governed by the OSM of an infantry battalion. to abstract this practice by simply prohibiting this type of counter- This shows the no-compromise nature of British practice—either battery mission. The relatively high number of turns required for the tanks fought detached to battalions or they fought as a regiment. Werfers to return to play after firing further reinforces the notion that they are in transit for some time after firing. 64 19.7 British Sabot Ammo. June of ‘44 marked the arrival of the new British 57mm ATDS (anti-tank discarding sabot) ammo at the 69 19.17 Tigers in the Mud. The name of the rule is a nod to the front. This ammo type greatly improved the penetration capability Otto Carius book of the same name. “Tigers, Mud, and Bridges” of the 6-pounder guns, giving them a reasonable chance against the just didn’t have the same ring. heavily armored Panthers and Tigers. However, the new ammo was 70 19.18 Increased Stacking Limits. While the increase is realistic not yet perfected and its accuracy dropped off drastically after 500 in the sense that sixteen platoon-sized units should be able to physi- yards. At the time of this operation, it was still not widely available. cally fit into a hex 425 yards across, it makes it theoretically possible 65 19.8 Massed Artillery vs. Armored Spearheads. The inability of to field units in a manner inconsistent with their historical use. Of off-map artillery to perform ARC under the standard rules is mainly course, a bit of concentrated fire from the opposing player will for simplicity. Additionally, since indirect fire has its RAS halved, quickly reveal the problem with this approach. As players increase I felt these types of “hip shoot” barrages would be fairly inaccurate stacking beyond four units per hex, the game also gets more dif- and better used elsewhere. But certainly there is some justification in ficult to play from a physical standpoint since the physical stacking allowing such fire if both players are willing to tackle the additional of counters becomes necessary. rules. Both sides had excellent coordination with their artillery (the British had AGRA) and there’s no real difference between on-map artillery, such as the German IGs, and off-map artillery that was historically assigned to directly support on-map units (the British 25-pdr batteries being a prime example since these could be reas- signed at a moment’s notice). 66 19.9 12SS Fanatical Defense. This rule changed many times over the years. I rather like how it turned out. The final version is simple, elegant, fun, and an all-or-nothing gamble. There is more depth lurking beneath the surface of this simple rule than may be immediately apparent. The requirements encourage the German player to spread his 12SS infantry units for coverage rather than stacking them, while also discouraging stacking with units of Panzer Lehr and 21st Panzer Divisions. The steep penalty for failure (all German units eliminated) means that a savvy German player will only mount fanatical defences with lone reduced or single-step units which are overwhelmed and unlikely to meet their retreat requirement. When used in situations where the 12SS infantry is about to be eliminated Officers of the 21st Panzer Division inspect a map.

than a detailed account of the battles, but it includes some nice maps 27.0 Game Elements and a general OB. It served to pique my interest in these fascinating and rarely-gamed battles, and I quickly followed up with other books, Overview including Patrick Delaforce’s The Polar Bears and K. Meyer’s Grena- The idea of doing a game that focused purely on the British effort in diers. A vivid picture of this battle began to emerge. I was still working Normandy was intriguing to me on many levels. I think Mike Wind- on Red Winter at the time and a few quick calculations demonstrated sor, an American Consimworld user, put it best when he posted on that the Dauntless battles could be gamed using the same unit, time, and the game’s forum: “Unfortunately, the British story is not well told hex scales as Red Winter—and all on a single map. With the exception over here (if at all), and most of what we do ‘know’ comes from of the game Panzergrenadier: Beyond Normandy (Avalanche Press), American movies.” I find this very true. Yet it was our British allies which focuses exclusively on the Scottish Corridor near Cheux, and a who bore the enormous and unenviable responsibility of tying down handful of web-published miniatures scenarios for Battlefront: WWII, the best-equipped of the German panzer divisions, indirectly aiding I knew of no wargames on this topic. Certainly there were none that other Allied divisions in breaking out of the beachheads. A game focused on the Polar Bears Division at Fontenay and Rauray. That analyzing the organization and contributions of a British infantry made the idea of this game all the more appealing. division in Normandy will hopefully help to address the imbalance I initially thought that designing and developing this game would be in the current crop of Normandy games, while offering players some a simple matter of translating a new OB to the existing Red Winter insight into the nature of the sacrifice and perseverance of the British rules. That game was rapidly approaching a finished state at the time I troops against staunch resistance. began working out the particulars of Operation Dauntless. I reasoned I’d been gaming and reading about Normandy for two decades but, that the core rules could stay the same, so creating a new game for the like Mike, I knew little about the British involvement until I started to system would be as easy as identifying which aspects differed and in- follow up the various Gold/Juno/Sword books with ones that focused venting new rules or subsystems to handle those aspects. I was wrong. on the inland battles. I was attracted to the situation near Caen because As it turned out, nearly everything differed, and Operation Dauntless it has not been extensively gamed, and it offered a mixture of infantry was more difficult and time consuming to develop than Red Winter line battles and sweeping armored counterattacks. The importance of by about a factor of ten. Many of the new mechanics and subsystems combined arms tactics and specialized units were emphasized time gave me fits and took years of playtests and revisions. Several were and again as the British 49th Infantry Division, untried before landing thrown out and started from scratch multiple times. Among the worst in France, threw itself headlong into the breach between two panzer offenders were the ARC, Anti-Tank Fire, Concealment, Elevation, divisions. There were also some massive tank battles on this part of and LOS. Simply put, this game is much more ambitious than Red the front. These battles, along with the July battles for Hill 110 and Winter. Had I known when I began how difficult the hurdles would the even larger Operation Goodwood, may be as close as we get to a be, I probably would have canned the project and opted to work on “Kursk in Normandy.” Overall, it makes for good wargaming material, something simpler instead. But now that it’s nearly behind me, I’m and it’s very different from the American experience in Normandy. really glad that I stuck with it and persevered. I feel the reward was worth all the fuss, as this is now a refined and robust system that can The British at the onset of Operation Dauntless have the advantage in be applied to any WW2- or Korean-era battle. There are rules or at quantity, as opposed to the Germans who have a clear edge in quality. least guidelines for handling all the complexities associated with this The British artillery dominates the battlefield, but a quick look at the era of warfare: combined arms, minefields, air support, flak, fanatical terrain reveals many conveniently-spaced walled farms and chateaus defense, strongpoints, infantry AT weaponry, ambushes, the increased which heavily favor the defender. On the surface, when comparing a intensity and compressed time scale of armor vs. armor interactions as British infantry battalion to a German Panzergrenadier battalion, the compared to the slower, more methodical infantry battles, and a wide odds appear to be stacked rather heavily in favor of the Germans—not variety of specialized unit types. All these aspects of WW2-era warfare just because of the German units’ stats but also due to their wealth and their associated rules have their genesis in Operation Dauntless of supporting units (Stummels, armored transport half-tracks and the and can now be used more-or-less intact for future games in this series. like). However there are ten such British battalions (nine infantry and one elite rifle battalion) to only two German battalions (three includ- Comparisons with Red Winter ing the German armored recon battalion, plus elements of two other Panzergrenadier battalions). The Germans suffer from supply shortages Compared with the former game of this series, Operation Dauntless has due to total Allied air superiority and they get fewer replacements. In a richer spectrum of tactical possibilities and considerations. It is the fact, they have to withdraw units to deal with the British Epsom of- more complex game, but this has more to do with the thought processes fensive on day two of the battle. Meanwhile, the Brits enjoy a steady involved in playing the game well than with the modest increase in stream of supplies, a more lenient recovery game mechanic, a large rules length and complexity. Players will find this game to be more number of towed 17-pounder anti-tank guns to keep the Germans’ puzzle-like than Red Winter. By that, I mean players are often required superior armor at bay, and the newly arrived sabot ammo for their to use their units in a particular order or in a cooperative manner to smaller but more numerous towed 6-pounder AT guns. This is going succeed. I personally think Operation Dauntless is the better game, to be one fierce fight... but I suspect that a certain percentage of gamers, wanting another Red Winter, won’t think so. I hope they’ll take the time to delve into Genesis this game’s new subsystems and give me the chance to prove them wrong. This game is less free-wheeling and more comprehensive, and My interest in Operations Martlet (a.k.a. Dauntless) and Epsom began it has a more methodical pace. But meeting each of your successive when I impulsively picked up the book Operation Epsom by Lloyd goals in Operation Dauntless feels more rewarding, in my opinion. Clark, which was sitting alone on the top shelf of a local secondhand Take flanking maneuvers, for example. You won’t see the same kind bookstore. This very affordable little book is more of a tour guide

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC 14 Operation Dauntless Reference Book of wild and crazy maneuvers here that you saw in Red Winter. There in strength, but not enough so to achieve 2:1 odds. The forces here are are more units crammed into a smaller piece of real estate, and the more evenly matched in terms of combat strength than they were in weather, lighting, and reconnaissance conditions make those massive the Russo-Finnish Winter War, and small differences in strength are “Winter War-style” flank marches impossible to pull off. Maneuver is more common and more relevant. After playtesting the game both more restrained here. When your flanking attemptsdo succeed, even with and without the 3:2 and 2:3 columns, we discovered that they though they may only represent a few hexes gained in map terms, you’ll helped achieve the right outcomes and were worth the weight of their feel a certain satisfaction—much more so than in Red Winter—in part inclusion, even if they occasionally required the use of a calculator. because you’ll receive a very tangible reward. Pocketing even a small Players will note that the odds are capped at 5:1 in this game, whereas number of units in this game (especially Germans) can have a major they are capped at 6:1 in Red Winter and even higher in many other impact on the remainder of the game. Successfully pulling off this games. This is intentional. Apart from giving the German underdog a kind of coordinated action means you’ve successfully orchestrated a bit more of the required staying power, I felt that this cap was reason- multi-phase, multi-mechanic, multi-turn plan. You can step back and able given the nature of the dense bocage, wherein bringing greater view the new situation on the battlefield and appreciate exactly how numbers to bear on the enemy didn’t necessarily translate into a victory. and why it developed. We briefly tried playtesting the game with 4:1 as the maximum odds Those wishing a more comprehensive comparison of differences column, but found it to be a step too far; it was frequently frustrating between Operation Dauntless and Red Winter will find one in section for both players. 22.0 of the Play Book. Each LMG accounts for roughly 1/3 of a CS point. I’m of the opinion Portions of the remaining notes in this section were lifted from the that most of a unit’s offensive firepower comes from its LMGs, not Red Winter designer’s notes. I apologize for the redundancy. I figure its rifles. Having 72 bolt-action rifles (in the case of a British infantry that fewer than half of all Operation Dauntless players have played company) certainly helps, but we must also consider that all 72 rifles the former game, so a few words about the game system itself are aren’t firing across a single hexside of the 425 yard hex when the unit probably in order. is conducting a Combat or Assault. Those rifles are what gives the unit much of its defensive staying power—in game terms, the ability Design Goals to hold a hex. As a successor to Red Winter, the goals here were similar to that game’s: Ranged Attacks • Highlight the similarities and differences between the forces Ranged Attacks are normally used to support Combats in this game, being gamed—in this case, the British infantry battalion and the which is how I felt it should be. They can also inflict step reductions German mechanized panzergrenadier battalion in June of ’44. on their targets, but they are most effective when used as Support. The “+1 per infantry company in the target hex” is a simple DRM • The system should be generally applicable to other WWII era which conveniently discourages wanton stacking of units. Pile too battles at a similar scale. many companies in the same hex and your opponent’s artillery will • Gameplay should be fast paced and interactive. pound you to dust! About that final bullet point: The overall pace here is slower than that Intuitively, it seemed to me that at the company scale, most fire at in Red Winter because there is more going on each turn. However, the ranges of two or more hexes would be more likely to pin or suppress players certainly interact much more in this game. The ARC, Friction units than flat out destroy them. When creatingRed Winter, I thought Fire, and the new rules for Tactical Advantage in Assaults all make about the ways that fire affected units in tactical games—suppression, for some great interactions that keep both players engaged throughout demoralization, etc.—and I also thought about the markers involved their opponent’s turns, moreso than in the former game. in denoting these temporary, recoverable states. If I used the flip sides When I set out to design Red Winter, I wanted a game system that was of the unit counters to represent such a state, then I couldn’t feature fairly simple on the surface but gave rise to a greater depth of possible step reductions without the use of additional unit counters, markers, or strategies and tactics than what was immediately apparent—“simple off-map record keeping. I was certain that I wanted step reductions to but not simplistic.” An example of the type of mechanic I was going be a part of the game, so I went about scratching my head and trying for can be seen in the game’s unit Recovery system, whereby reduced to come up with a way to represent a “worsened” state for units under infantry units may attempt to recover to full strength during their fire, but without the extra clutter. Action Phase in lieu of other actions. This requires rolling a “6”or The solution to this dilemma was solved by choosing the appropriate higher on a 1d6. Units gain a bonus to the die roll for maintaining scale—in this case, the time scale. Given 90 minutes per game turn, their distance from enemy units. This provides a simple yet realistic most units would return to normal fairly quickly (within one turn) incentive for players to withdraw their reduced units to the rear and after the offending ranged fired ceased. Thus I hit on a solution—a move forward fresh troops. “use it or lose it” benefit from ranged fire. This benefit would need to be exploited via Assault or normal, adjacent-hex combat, or it would Combats be lost at the end of the phase. The Combat Results Table is calibrated such that light bocage is the The Suppressed markers, which were not terribly important in Red norm. It is shifted two columns towards more lethal (a 2:1 attack in Winter except to serve as a reminder of the net number of column Operation Dauntless has the same range of outcomes as a 4:1 attack shifts affecting the Combat, really come into their own in Operation in Red Winter). This is due to both a difference in terrain and condi- Dauntless. Now you’ll be trying to suppress enemy units as you move tions and in the quality of the combatants. The addition of 3:2 and 2:3 and attack, as this prevents them from firing on you. columns allows for greater fidelity. I felt these new columns were necessary to highlight situations where one side had a marked advantage

The RAT results include step reductions on very high modified rolls. Attacks is allowed during an Assault. Consider a situation where a Units can be destroyed by a Ranged Attack alone, but it’s not easy unit starts its Action Phase several hexes away from the enemy hex it to achieve this result. In general, you’ll still want to follow up your wishes to assault. As it moves toward the hex, it may be fired upon. Ranged Attacks with Assaults or Combats. Units moving across the Now consider a situation where it starts its Action Phase adjacent to open fields are the main exception. Fields are basically the equivalent the hex it wishes to assault. The defenders can’t use support, but the of frozen lakes in Red Winter, even if the penalties associated with the fact that the attacker started adjacent means that the defending side fields aren’t quite as severe. You’ll face an overwhelming temptation to already had an opportunity to make Ranged Attacks and/or combats fire on units crossing fields whenever you can see them—but beware! during its own Action Phase and Combat Phase. When viewed as an In this game, you’ll reveal your position whenever you fire from cover. amalgam of two player turns, the true sequence of simulated events This means that when your MG platoon opens up on those infantry emerges. In situations where the terrain limits this type of fire due to companies crossing the field, the MGs might in turn come under fire the moving/assaulting unit’s concealment, it is the defenders’ CS that themselves from enemy MGs or mortars. This makes for some tough affects the outcome. decisions regarding many of the actions that transpire each game turn—even during your opponent’s turn! Recovery The RAS ratings of artillery and mortars have been increased some- I wanted reduced infantry units in this game system to have the ability what over their equivalents in Red Winter. This was to account for to recover to full efficiency, but I didn’t want it to be too easy for them the greater coordination and accuracy displayed by both British and to do so. Moreover, I wanted the mechanic to be something simple and Germans in Normandy as compared to the Soviets in the Winter War. intuitive—that is, simple rules concealing a greater complexity—the foundation of this game system’s design philosophy. The current unit Lack of Combined Fire recovery system is the product of this mantra, finely tuned to provide Some players will wonder why they’re not allowed to combine their both depth and ease of play. The “roll a 6 to recover” mechanic may Ranged Attacks into a single die roll. After all, this would require seem overly simple at first, but the subtle implications will quickly fewer total die rolls. The answer, in brief: I always felt the combined surface as a game unwinds. fire approach was unrealistic. If your company is taking cover in a The skeptics will surely ask several obvious questions. Can units keep trench, does it really matter if one MG section or ten is firing at you? on doing this indefinitely? What is a step reduction supposed to repre- Well, yes, but to a much smaller extent than if there was a single sent, anyway—a physical loss of manpower, or merely a recoverable mortar platoon dropping shells straight down on your heads. Any morale state? And how can I ever destroy my enemy if he can simply individual MG section should have a very slim chance of affecting recover over and over again? a company-sized unit in this situation. Allowing players to combine First, units that attempt Recovery can’t take any other action during their low-odds Ranged Attacks into one “super-attack” means that their Action Phase. Furthermore, units gain a +1 DRM to their Re- enough low-odds participants will eventually guarantee a favorable covery roll if they are 4 or more hexes distant from all enemies, and result. I felt it shouldn’t. I couldn’t justify simplifying the game via additional positive DRMs for being in a village hex and for being out a combined fire rule; the additional wristage of multiple rolls was of the enemy’s LOS. The above provide a realistic incentive to pull necessary to ensure the right sort of outcomes at this scale. battle-worn units from the front lines while continuously rotating in fresh units. It also means that Recovery, in game terms, isn’t as Assaults simplistic as it initially sounds based on a reading of the rules. There Assaults, primarily important for only the Finns in Red Winter, have is more going on beneath the surface than meets the eye. You have really grown up in Operation Dauntless. Not only do we have an all to figure that when you try to recover a reduced unit, you’re wasting new subsystem for handling AT Fire in Assaults, but both sides are a turn to pull it back to a safe distance, then spending one or more able to assault—and frequently need to do so. Both the British and the turns making Recovery rolls, then yet another turn to move back into Germans displayed a greater degree of control and coordination than the action. So, on average, you’ll need at least 3-4 game turns to get a the participants in the Winter War, and the weather also allowed for reduced unit back to full strength. During these 3-4 turns, the enemy a greater versatility in mobile assaults. For these reasons, I reduced isn’t simply ignoring your other units. The battle has continued, and the requirement to conduct an Assault from +2 MPs to +1 MP and there are likely to be more reduced units now than when you started allowed both sides to conduct Ranged Attacks during their Action the whole process. The net result of all this, in case it isn’t obvious, Phase. In this way, enemy hexes can be Suppressed before they are is that you can’t simply recover your units each and every time they assaulted. Players should note that while Ranged Attacks still cannot are reduced, or you’ll lose the game. The number of units which actu- technically support Assaults, they can do so in a roundabout manner. ally do recover is, I think, reasonable and believable. Also note that Since units can now make Ranged Attacks in lieu of other actions you can’t rotate in fresh troops to fill the gaps if you haven’t saved during the Action Phase, players are able to place Suppressed markers any fresh troops for that purpose. So the simple “roll a modified 6 or in defending hexes which they wish to assault during the same phase; higher” mechanic has yet another important implication on gameplay: the markers won’t go away until the end of the phase. This effect was It encourages players to keep reserves. not achievable in Red Winter. What is Recovery supposed to be simulating—a recoverable morale Following the release of Red Winter, I was asked many times what state, or fresh replacement troops? The answer, in simplest terms, is Assaults are supposed to represent within this game system. They “both—but mainly the former.” I don’t feel the end result is any less are hasty attacks aimed at forcing the defender out of his hex rather realistic than that achieved by other, more complex games. I think the than prepared assaults. If this were a Napoleonic or ancients game, abstract approach makes sense given the unit and time scales. you might think of them as a “charge” or “shock combat,” respec- What’s to prevent a unit from recovering over and over? Well, nothing. tively. Players may wonder why no defensive support from Ranged However (and here we go with the “hidden layers” again), having a

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC 16 Operation Dauntless Reference Book reasonable chance of success—especially for the German player who larger impact on balance here than in Red Winter, I did not spend receives a -1 DRM—requires pulling back to a safe distance from en- quite as much time finely balancing the scenarios this time around. emy troops, and preferably into the safety of villages or strongpoints. There are simply too many things to try in each scenario. But I feel This can take quite a few turns of doing nothing else with the unit. that all scenarios—especially the Campaign Game, which we spent the most time on—should be roughly balanced between two players Complexity of equal skill. As previously mentioned, the added complexity of this game as compared with Red Winter has more to do with the types of tactics and Armor Reaction Cycle (ARC) planning required to play the game well and less to do with increased The ARC probably represents the single most important evolution complexity of the rules themselves. While the rules are certainly a step between this game and Red Winter. In a sense, it is the fundamental up in complexity, it is not a large step. Much of the increase in the subsystem around which the rest of the game revolves. And it took physical length of the rule book comes from the inherent difficulty in me a long, long time (and many revisions) to develop it. Since armor describing certain concepts including the ARC, which is rather simple is only a piece of the puzzle in Operation Dauntless, I tried to keep in practice and could be demonstrated to a new player in less than the routine simple and fast moving, with a lot of abstraction, yet five minutes. Yet writing out all the particulars of the ARC requires a achieving realistic results. That said, it will require a bit of an “open fairly large footprint on paper. The length of the printed rules suggests mind” by players accustomed to more traditional “igo-ugo” or strictly something that is more complicated than it actually is. The optional sequenced approaches. OSM rules add a new dimension to gameplay but, just like most of Unlimited fire by and against vehicles may sound a bit fishy to the new the mandatory rules that cause this game to be more complex than its player at first, but it actually plays out very well. When you consider predecessor, are fairly light and simple to understand and implement. the 90 minute game turns and the fact that two tank companies can It’s the manner in which they impact gameplay, forcing the players thoroughly decimate each other in mere minutes, you’ll realize that to refine their thought processes and strategies, that adds much of this the outcome of such a fight is less a matter of endless shooting and perceived complexity. more a matter of how far the losing player wants to push his luck In the end, I think the added complexity is well worth it. I suspect that before breaking off the engagement. That’s where the Reaction Move those players that invest the time to thoroughly learn the system and option comes in handy. Without it, the ARC rules wouldn’t work very its nuances will think so too. I believe this game captures the feel of well. Due to the interplay of the three options (Return Fire, Reaction the hedgerow fighting that characterized these battles. Concealment is Move, Pass) the ARC feels realistic to me. And it produces some key, highlighting the difficulty inherent in making forward progress for tough decisions! You’ll find yourself considering the odds each and the British, as well as granting not undue importance to high ground every time you have the option to return fire and continue the cycle, and reconnaissance. Combats (two way firefights at a range of 1 hex, knowing full well that if you fire instead of pass, your opponent can or 425 yards) often cannot accomplish much given the dense terrain then do the same, possibly at better odds. and presence of AFVs (which are immune to rifle/MG fire). Assaults If both players are willing, then yes, the cycle can continue until (very close-ranged attacks) are the order of the day. Each Assault is one side or the other is completely knocked out of the fight. Yes, it’s its own microcosm of the battle, full of tension and unpredictability different from most wargames, but hopefully in a good way. In my as each side attempts to knock out the enemy’s armor with PIATs playtest games, I noticed that the ARC rarely goes for more than one and Panzerfäuste. The outcomes are believable when viewed both or two cycles because it usually becomes quite obvious which player in terms of the individual unit conflicts, and over the course of the has the upper hand. The losing player normally opts to Pass and end multi-day battle. the cycle when the odds become stacked against him, or else he will I’ve attempted to keep the individual systems almost as simple as they Reaction Move and scoot into the bocage, breaking off the engagement were in Red Winter. I feel that any further simplification would have and preserving his valuable armor. been counterproductive, as it would have done a disservice to the game Note that “ARC” is a bit of a misnomer since all vehicle units may as a simulation of Normandy hedgerow fighting. participate—armored or otherwise. “Vehicle Reaction Cycle (VRC)” is more correct but wasn’t as catchy. I also felt that “ARC” worked Balance well because the word itself is a nice mnemonic that conjures imagery Which side has the overall advantage, in game terms? It’s hard to say. of shells being lobbed back and forth. The British, with their overwhelming artillery, air, and tank support, clearly have the ability to either push back or destroy the Germans. Anti-Tank (AT) System The Germans cannot hope for a win in the strategic sense; over the The AT ratings of AFVs were calculated using the most standard ammo long term, they’ll need to perform a well-executed fighting retreat or types for these vehicles at the time of these battles. Interestingly, AT they will die. But the Germans have “teeth” and they can cause a high and Armor ratings represent the actual average armor penetration number of British casualties as the game progresses. The Brits adhered and armor thickness, respectively, in centimeters. Thus, a Sherman to Monty’s creed of “casualty conservation”, taking their time in order tank with an AT rating of 10 and an Armor rating of 7 can penetrate to lay down massive barrages before attacking German-held villages (roughly) a maximum of 100mm of armor and has an average armor and strongpoints. The victory conditions do not give the British player thickness of 70mm. As I see it, this is a strength of this particular game the luxury of sacrificing units willy-nilly. If the German player can system and calibration: We use numbers that are meaningful as well as inflict enough casualties and/or buy enough time, he will win the game. relative. Average armor thickness has been calculated using a simple I’ve attempted to craft the victory conditions such that the game is algorithm which gives somewhat greater weight to frontal armor thick- as evenly matched as possible. Given that there are many possible ness than side thickness, and somewhat greater weight to turret than avenues to victory and that differing player styles will have an even hull. This is an abstract approach which generates believable results for © 2015 GMT Games, LLC Operation Dauntless Reference Book 17 platoon-sized armored units. To determine a vehicle’s precise Armor point, with everything else handled as a + or - DRM. It’s very much an rating, I assumed that roughly 2/3 of shots strike a vehicle’s front as abstraction, but hopefully one that produces reasonable results given opposed to its side, and 2/3 strike the turret as opposed to the hull. the scale. Add in the Optional Rules for Fire Control and the results Keeping in mind the scale of the game—tank duels embedded within become more accurate still. 90 minute turns, and each attack representing multiple shells—I feel Players seeking exacting detail may take issue with the +8 upper cap this is reasonable. on the Penetration DRM as this cap suggests that, beyond a point, The overall armor penetration capabilities of the AFVs, adjusted for increased armor penetration is no longer relevant. In some cases, range to target, are astonishingly accurate considering the simplicity this is true in the “real world”; a high velocity AT shell frequently of the system. For example, consider that the maximum penetration passes right through the body of a thinly-armored vehicle. But my real of a Panzer IV H’s 75mm KwK40/L48 main gun should be roughly justification for the cap is that the AT Fire system of this game was 140mm at 50 yards (Assault range in Operation Dauntless), 129mm never intended to simulate the effect of individual shells on a shot- at 500 yards, (1.18 hexes in Operation Dauntless) 117mm at 1000 by-shot basis. Rather, it was created as an abstraction that represents yards (2.35 hexes), 104mm at 1500 yards (3.53 hexes), 92mm at 2000 an amalgam of both accuracy (hitting the target) and penetration. I yards (4.71 hexes), and 79mm at 2500 yards (5.88 hexes). In game find that the +8 cap works very well, even if it becomes the norm in terms, this should translate roughly into an AT rating of 14 at range 0, many situations: Panthers firing on Shermans, Shermans firing on 13 at 1, 12 at 2, 11 at 3, 10 at 4, 9 at 5, and 8 at 6. Thanks to the base half-tracks, Fireflies firing on Panthers. It means that range and terrain rating of 14 and the -1 per hex range DRM, it does. If you hunt down effectively become the determining factors in achieving a kill once the data and do the math, you’ll find that the same can be said for the the AT to Armor comparison becomes sufficiently high. We played 75mm M3 gun of the Sherman II and Sherman III, the 17-pdr gun of the game without the cap in the early years, and found the AFVs of the Firefly and Achilles, the KwK42/L70 of the Panther, the 88mm both sides too vulnerable. The current cap of +8 is, in my opinion, the KwK36/L56 of the Tiger, and the 75mm KwK L/24 of the Stummel. correct limiting value for a 2d10 bell curve system. Anything higher In fact, the actual penetrations of most guns represented in the game would break the calibration of the curve and therefore require one or fall off by about 1 cm every 400-450 yards—yet another advantage more additional dice (which would then require the player to do more of using a 425 yard hex scale. It’s all an abstraction—and rightfully math in his head to resolve each AT Fire roll). so, I think, given the scale—but one that holds up remarkably well in that it produces believable results with a minimum of rules real estate. More on Armor Ratings All of this added detail and realism would have been for naught if it For the Armor ratings themselves, I used as my starting point the SP- flew in the face of the system’s design goals of speed and elegance. WaW data base (from Steel Panthers: World at War, a WW2 combat But in this case, it didn’t, as the -1 per hex DRM is not only accurate simulation computer game from Matrix Games).The ratings therein but very easy to remember; you simply count the number of hexes account for not only thickness by location but also slope (inclination to your target. angle) and variability in thickness and slope across that location—es- When searching online and printed sources for armor penetration at pecially in the front turret, which factors into the Armor ratings the a given range, I came to the following conclusion: When they say most heavily. For example, a tank with a gun mantlet generally has “maximum,” they really mean it. Maximum penetration for a given much thicker armor in that location. Because the mantlet accounts for a weapon typically meant “in the absolute, best case scenario, using known percentage of the area of the front turret, a sort of average front a special ammunition type and a perfect 90 degree angle of attack.” turret thickness can be derived. The ratings also attempt to compensate Tanks are rarely afforded a perfect 90 degree angle of attack, and abstractly for different types of armor (e.g., cold-rolled, case-hardened, special ammo types were not widely available during the week of etc.) since these differing types of steel have known properties. The Dauntless/Epsom. For these reasons, some of the game units’ AT Fire SPWaW ratings were merely a starting point, and I compared them ratings (for example, the 6-pdrs’ rating of 11) may be lower than some to numerous other sources including several books, online sources players might expect. such as wwiitanks.co.uk, and even the ASL (Advanced Squad Leader Players may wonder how it is possible that in this game system you boardgame by Multi-Man Publishing) vehicle stats for armor and slope. can destroy something with armor thicker than the maximum penetra- Where discrepancies existed, I attempted to determine why. In some tion capability of the gun. Firstly, it is worth pointing out that while cases, I was forced to arrive at a sort of compromise between sources. technically possible, this type of step reduction will very rarely occur I also actively engaged a half dozen or so researchers and playtesters due to a combination of the -2 DRM for Armor greater than AT rat- in proofing the AT and Armor ratings of the AFVs in the game. ing, the negative penetration factor with which you begin (AT minus Players may find that certain Armor ratings are higher than they Armor), and the need to roll a modified 14 or higher to achieve a step might expect based on other games they have played—for example, reduction. Generally speaking, the chance of success with this type of the Churchill AVRE has a higher Armor rating than the Tiger. This is shot is 3% or less (a required 19 or 20 on 2d10). Next consider that a usually because the “inflated” ratings attempt to account abstractly for step reduction to an AFV does not always represent a “brew up.” It can the types of factors mentioned above. Similarly, players may find that also represent a wide variety of non-lethal results such as a disabling some Armor ratings are lower than expected, e.g., the Armor rating of track hit, the loss of a main gun, or simply enough hits that the crew a Jagdpanther is only marginally higher than a Tiger’s. This is usually inside becomes shell-shocked or injured, bailing out of the vehicle or due to the relative thickness of an AFV’s side armor (as is the case breaking formation. Keep in mind that this system does not require with the Jagdpanther, which had only 45mm in the side) or lack of separate rolls for hitting and penetration. Therefore there is more to the slope (which certainly does not apply to the Jagdpanther). Due to the equation than simply AT and Armor ratings. Factors including range to way the Armor rating is calculated, thin side armor and/or unsloped target, fire control, visibility, buttoned/unbuttoned status, and terrain armor can really drag a unit’s Armor rating down. While I believe the are all factored into a single die roll. Penetration is only the starting Armor ratings are accurate—broadly speaking and in an abstract sense

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC 18 Operation Dauntless Reference Book to fit the game’s scale—players are welcome to adjust them as they and so forth. This was accomplished in Photoshop by setting the fill see fit. The +8 cap on the Penetration DRM means there is no danger function to 15% opacity and filling the hex borders themselves, right of “breaking” the calibration curve by doing so. The possible effect over top of the photo imagery and as a separate layer. It worked very on game balance is another matter entirely. well for early playtesting of the units’ interactions with the terrain. Next, we moved to solid-filled hexes whereby each hex was a single Map color representing a particular terrain type. Both Mark Mahaffey and At first glance, the map terrain might appear to change abruptly in order I created our own early versions of the playtest map using solid, color- to conform to the hex grid. But a closer look reveals that the houses, coded hexes. They weren’t pretty, but they were highly functional. orchards, and hedgerows flow rather freely across the hex grid; it’s While on the topic of the map, special mention should be made of the the classification of cover as light, medium, or heavy that conforms to lovely playtest maps by Antonio Pinar and Michael Evans. Antonio the hex grid, as denoted by three shades of green. When viewed from was active every step of the way throughout the game’s development a distance, these three shades might be misinterpreted as elevation or and testing, keeping the playtest map updated as needed. And there terrain type. I realize that this might be hard for folks to wrap their were a lot of revisions! An even earlier version of the map by Mi- heads around at first (i.e., the fact that the color represents a broad chael Evans also exists. While little of the terrain classification from classification affecting defense and movement rather than elevation or Michael’s version made it into the final map, his map was incredibly a specific terrain type). While this approach to the map is admittedly useful during the earliest trials of the game system. It was also incred- unusual, I felt it was the best way to portray the needed information ibly helpful in promoting and marketing the game at the time of its in a highly functional manner. The underlying terrain classification initial placement on the P500 list. needed to be visible even when there were four counters side-by-side 3D Map. Late in the process of refining the map, lead playtester Gina in a hex. After printing up some playtest versions, I realized that, if Willis created a 3D map of the battlefield that proved invaluable. the hexes were large enough and I used color-coding, the color could Screenshots from this lovely and detailed map can be viewed at the be seen rather easily in the excess space around the counters. Doing it Operation Dauntless forums on Consimworld and Boardgamegeek. this way meant there was no need to pick up the counters to see what This map was used to get the placement of certain terrain features “spot was underneath—even when the hex was fully stacked. on”—especially as they related to LOS. Using her map as a guide, Gina It’s worth noting that the three-tier green gradient should be color-blind was able to answer dozens of my questions regarding LOS between friendly, along with the rest of the map and the counters as a whole. I particular game hexes. She even drew up some diagrams whereby she have my friend Maymi, who was Lead Proofer on this game, to thank marked up the playtest map with lines between hexes, with a red por- for helping me work out the details on this. tion of the line indicating blocked LOS and a white portion indicating For creating this map we had access to extensive Crown Copyright unobstructed LOS. This type of study was especially important in the aerial reconnaissance photography from the Scottish Archives. This region of the hill near Tessel Woods. Originally, due to my placement allowed Mark Mahaffey to create a map of unprecedented detail. I of terrain and slope hexsides, German units defending in this region think it is one of the finest wargame maps ever produced. The Red could easily see British units advancing near the Bordel to the north. Winter map set a high mark for this series in terms of both accuracy In reality, the height of the hilltop (which really wasn’t much of a hill and graphical appeal, but with the Operation Dauntless map, I feel to begin with) combined with the trees lining the waterways to block we’ve blown it out of the water. The detail in the reconnaissance photos LOS in an 800 yard dead zone beyond each waterway. Historical ac- was truly amazing. We could see individual houses, barns, haystacks, counts bear this out. As the result of Gina’s 3D map and LOS study, bomb craters, and, in some cases, even German tanks. I used this data many slope hexsides were relocated and the rules for LOS and blocking to determine how to classify each hex in terms of terrain, and Mark terrain were modified. 2D contour images generated by Gina’s 3D map used it to place the roads and waterways as well as to make the general saved us again just before the map went to the printers, during our last shape of the terrain forms as accurate as possible. All of this took an minute discussions about Point 110 (see below). insane amount of time (think: years) to complete, refine, and proof, Gina’s 3D map was created in Battlefront’s map editor for their turn- but I think it was worthwhile. based computer tactical game Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy. In the early stages of map development, I printed and assembled an It allows Operation Dauntless players to stage tactical situations from oversized (roughly 5 feet on end) poster version of the map based on a the boardgame in Combat Mission to see how they play out in 3D, and combination of the recon photography, modern day satellite data (to fill vice-versa. Players can download that map from Battlefront’s website in a few small gaps in the recon sweeps), and Mark’s playtest graph- repository: http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_re ics. What a sight to behold! The detail and coverage was impressive. mository&Itemid=314&func=fileinfo&id=2646 This map filled up a good portion of the wall of my kitchen, much to Map Area. The area of coverage of the final map varies considerably the annoyance of my family. I also printed up a second, smaller copy from early versions. Originally, the map covered the area from Le Haut that was restricted to the game’s play area. This one I framed behind d’Audrieu and Cristot in the north (this hasn’t changed), to Monts, glass so that I could mark it up with sharpies. Ultra-fine points in a Noyers, and Missy in the south, extending west to Tilly-sur-Seulles half dozen colors proved invaluable for classifying terrain and denot- and beyond, and east to Le Haut du Bosq and the outskirts of Cheux. ing unit positions. When I needed to make a change—or when my Even as late as October 2013, we were continuing to remove map real wife wanted her picture frame back—I just hit it with some rubbing estate in the interest of enlarging hexes and condensing the map to alcohol on a cotton swab and all of the writing magically disappeared. the relevant areas. To this end, we shaved several columns west of the Playtest Versions. Eventually I migrated my markup to the computer Seulles (which weren’t really used except as a zone for Panzer Lehr where I color-coded the hexes to make the terrain classification more units to retreat and recover within), several columns off the west edge apparent. For example, yellow for field, light green for light bocage, (the Cheux boundary / minefield region), and 3-4 rows off the south edge, so that Noyers and Missy are now just off-map. The final change © 2015 GMT Games, LLC Operation Dauntless Reference Book 19 bugged me at first until I realized that it would allow the German player I had a bit of a panic just before the map went to the printers when map to remove a large number of inactive “reserve” units from the map proofer Nadir Elfarra rightly pointed out that we had incorrectly placed until needed, decluttering the play area considerably. The final southern Point 110 in hex 1617 when, in reality, it was closer to 1419. This led map limit of Belle Jambe represents, I think, a good compromise. The to a late revision of this region and the associated LOS considerations. German player should still have enough space in the south to retreat Since I wanted to leave the door open to a possible expansion map his reduced units from the front lines, recover them safely, and get and game covering the late June and July fighting for Rauray, as well back in the action, but without an excess of wasted space down there. as a full-sized sister game covering the Scottish corridor salient of Operation Epsom, it was important to me that Point 110 have open Line of Sight (LOS) LOS to any linkable map to the east. But if we moved Point 110 to its I’ve tried to keep LOS as simple as possible. Terrain either blocks historical position at 1419, it would become hemmed in by bocage LOS or it doesn’t. In Red Winter, all terrain types other than frozen to the east, and the game’s LOS rules wouldn’t allow units at 1419 to lake blocked LOS. In Operation Dauntless, replace “frozen lake” with see over the non-adjacent bocage to the new map beyond. This meant “field” and you’re almost there. In this game, you also have conceal- that in game terms, Point 110 would be of limited value. ment and elevation. But like the LOS rules themselves, the rules for The opinion of map proofer Nadir Elfarra concerning Point 110—and these have been kept as simple as possible. Units in non-field terrain I must say that after studying the contour maps I agree with him—is are Concealed; they cannot be fired upon until they fire themselves, that the Germans believed that Point 110 would be a high-point that unless the spotting enemy unit is adjacent to them. Once a Concealed would grant important LOS across the lines of Epsom’s attack, which unit fires, it is considered spotted for the purpose of an immediate centered on Cheux. In reality, because of the slight nature of the rise and reaction (Return Fire, or—when not qualifying for ARC—simply the very common tree-lined hedges and bocage, it didn’t dominate the the next action), meaning that it can be targeted by Ranged Attacks. areas north of Cheux as anticipated. Rauray itself was in some ways a No markers are necessary because the spotted unit automatically be- better position for this, and this is reflected in accounts of the Epsom comes concealed again, “melting” back into the bocage or woods. It forces taking fire from Rauray during their advance on the opening day all works well in play, keeping the game moving along quickly. I’ve of that attack. Nadir felt it would be more important to the Germans tried to find the best compromise of simplicity, speed, and realism—a to ensure dominating lines of sight from Rauray than 110. Where 110 goal of the series. became important was that it dominated the road II SS Panzerkorps The LOS rules gave me fits for about four years as I tried out one was taking to Cheux, hence the intense battle for it, and for Rauray. method after another to find one that was sufficiently simple yet Ultimately, I went back to the images generated by Gina’s 3D contour realistic. Unlike in most games, there are no dead zones created by map project to study the Rauray spur and LOS. As it turned out, the elevation. I’ve always disliked those kinds of LOS rules (“okay, so if fields just east of the village (roughly 1517 and 1617) offer the best we’re 3 hexes away from this lower elevation hex, that creates a 3 hex LOS to the fields to the northeast, while the high point of the actual deadzone beyond. But… oh, wait, there’s one hex in the middle of the spur is roughly hex 1419. I therefore opted to relocate the label “Point deadzone which is a different elevation, creating its own deadzone.”) 110” to hex 1419 and add slope hexsides to that hex in order to grant it Only waterway hexsides create a deadzone in Operation Daunltess the proper LOS effects, should an expansion map ever be added to the (due to tall and lush vegetation), and only in the hex immediately eastern map edge. Point 110 can now see down an open “channel” of beyond the waterway. field hexes, directly into the outskirts of Cheux, four hexes to the east I’m extremely pleased with how the final LOS rules turned out. Once (and off-map). Hexes 1516, 1517, 1616, and 1617 then become the players are familiar with the rules, I think they’ll find it quick and easy historical British positions “at Rauray” with the best LOS to the field to calculate LOS between any two given hexes. But this simplicity approaches to Cheux to the northeast, just as I feel they should be. The was only possible because of the very gradual nature of slopes in this actual objective (and label) of Point 110 are now spot-on. region of Normandy; it wouldn’t have worked anywhere with severe hills. The other beauty of the LOS system is that the slope hexsides Thoughts on Command & Control (C&C) have been placed not to indicate military crests, but where they will Some players have asked me why you’d want to leave out the OSMs create exactly the correct LOS effect between two given hexes. We since this would amount to playing a “fantasy battle.” For one thing, checked this on a hex-by-hex basis in the Bordel region, as well as leaving out the OSMs for your first couple of sessions helps with the near Cristot, using the 3D topo map. learning curve. Also, a detailed simulation of C&C isn’t everyone’s Point 110. Following discussions of the map and LOS, it is impos- cup of tea. Food for thought: Red Winter didn’t have any strict rules sible to not mention Point 110. This location (map hex 1419), which for C&C / formational integrity per se other than the optional rules is also commonly known as Hill 110 or Ring Contour 110, is a victory for Soviet Coordination, and yet my experiences show that the vast objective in the game. It was the location of ferocious fighting during majority of players still group their units together and operate within the II SS Panzerkorps’ counterattack toward the base of Operation fairly historical parameters. I think this is due to a variety of factors, Epsom’s “Scottish Corridor” salient, which takes place after the events including simplicity. It helps players visualize their units on the of this game. The counterattack was aimed at Cheux, which is off-map battlefield when they are grouped by color code (battalion / regiment). by about four hexes from where the roads exit the map at 1613 and There’s also the fact that these units tend to start together or enter the 1615, via the Rauray spur (the objective of Dauntless). The position, map together, so they tend to start off as a group and then move and though hardly discernible when there in person, is simply the high- attack as a group. Then there are the limitations of the terrain on this point from which one would expect to have the best lines of sight to movement which tend to keep them together. There are other bits of Epsom’s lines of communications. Given its elevation and location chrome which encourage units to stay together, such as the require- with respect to the bocage to the east, we felt that it didn’t warrant ment for a spotter to be of the same regiment, and the Finnish field having a special game effect. kitchen which only benefits JR16 units. I’ve read a criticism of RW for

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC 20 Operation Dauntless Reference Book not having explicit C&C rules. I think this is partly valid, but it also Breaking the Panzers. I had originally planned to take the scope of depends on your mindset as well as an understanding of that battle. My the game beyond June 27. Doing so would have required even more mindset was to stick to the Dunnigan mantra of focusing on simulating countersheets, as II SS Panzerkorps arrived in this area by June 27 one thing. In this case, the focus was highlighting the similarities and and was in action by June 28. A game expansion covering the late differences of the Finnish and Soviet regiments. I also wanted to keep June and July battles for Hill 110 (hex 1419 on the current map), the game simple, balanced, and competitive for tournament style play. tentatively called “Breaking the Panzers,” may be in order. Such an Turning to Normandy, it would at first seem ludicrous to grant the expansion would probably require an overlapping map add-on to ex- combatants the same flexibility shown in Red Winter, until players pand the area around Hill 110 to the south and east, as well as one or realize that the battlefield itself is much more restrictive here. You two countersheets of new (mainly German) units, and would present won’t see as many wild maneuvers, and units don’t tend to separate a game situation ripe with many scenarios. as often. This is due to the much narrower front and the nature of the Sequel Normandy Games. I currently have two related, stand-alone terrain itself. There are also a larger number of enemy units to halt Normandy games in consideration. The first is an Operation Epsom your advance with their fire or ZOC. To some extent, your units are game covering the Scottish Corridor salient, and, in particular, the forced to stay together, advance together, and retreat together. Apart battle for Cheux. This would likely be a one- or two-mapper (as a from the OSM rules, a handful of rules for formational integrity have four-mapper covering the entire operation would be too much of found their way into the game. For example, each German division a good thing, in my opinion!) and it would be 100% linkable with has its own sector as defined by the Divisional Boundary, and the Operation Dauntless. I thought long and hard about this sequel game German player suffers a VP penalty for fielding stacks on the wrong while working on Dauntless, and many of the current rules and map side of this boundary. Furthermore, 12SS units only receive their choices reflect my effort to make the games linkable. For example, bonuses (+1/-1 during Tactical Advantage, plus an Optional Rule for the current rules for Operation Epsom (a June 26 special event that 12SS Fanatical Defense) when stacked only with 12SS units. British impacts the Operation Dauntless Campaign Game) include the with- units suffer an unfavorable column shift for conducting an Assault drawal of a number of panzer companies to meet the new threat to with units of differing brigades. So while there are no rules which the east. These rules were designed to go away entirely when playing absolutely force players to keep units of a particular formation together, both games simultaneously, leaving the German player responsible for the players won’t do particularly well in the game if they operate them these kinds of command decisions, i.e., when and where to send his otherwise—especially on the offensive. panzers. There were also considerations when working on the current game map involving units near the Rauray spur/Point 110 spotting in Scope and Future Normandy Games the direction of Cheux and the open field approaches to the north. We Following the release of Red Winter, I noticed that the vast majority worked out those issues in the final days before the map went to the of folks were playing scenarios that begin on the first day of the battle. printers so that it will be all ready to link up with a possible Operation I think historical gamers have an interest in seeing the how and why Epsom map if/when the time comes. a particular battle developed the way it did, starting with the earliest The second game in consideration is a smaller, introductory game stages. With this in mind, I adjusted the scenario roster to showcase a on the battle for Carpiquet Airfield, done as a single- or half-mapper. wide variety of scenarios from the first day of the Dauntless battles. The number of units and map coverage required are a good fit for a We have scenarios of every length and size, with fog, without fog, or smaller game using this system. I’m envisioning a handful of scenarios with both fog and fog-free turns, covering the Panzer Lehr front, the with relatively short play times, ideal for newcomers. Additionally, I 12SS front, or both fronts, and spanning all of June 25, only the morn- thought it would be nice to recognize the contributions and sacrifices ing, or only the afternoon. Hopefully everyone will find something of our Canadian allies. to suit their tastes. The portions of the scenario names in quotations (“Nightmarish Personal Note and Conclusion Crossroads,” “The Groaning Woods,” “The Simmering Cauldron,” Operation Dauntless has been a labor of love. I’ve worked on it for etc.) were lifted from various books about the conflict, and in most eight years, and the time spent has been exhilarating, rewarding, and cases are from quotes by the combatants themselves. The majority occasionally frustrating. It is, beyond a doubt, the largest endeavor I were found in Patrick Delaforce’s The Polar Bears. have ever undertaken and seen through to completion. Hopefully my Omitted Scenarios: June 17-27. Due to constraints of time and space, care and enthusiasm for this project are evident in the final product, several scenarios that were originally slated for inclusion had to be and players will appreciate and enjoy what they now hold in their left out. These included the KOYLI’s attack on the small woods and hands. I sincerely hope that new players will take the time to move orchards west of Les Hauts Vents on June 17, the final stand of the beyond the tutorials and delve into the game’s systems, discovering 6th Dukes on June 27, the capture of Rauray on June 27, a Third Day some of the nuances, and ultimately reaching a point where they feel (June 27) standalone scenario, and a completely hypothetical scenario comfortable trying the Campaign Game. That’s the real meat and based on an old scenario for G.E.V. (a sci-fi wargame by Steve Jackson potatoes of the game. Games)—to be included just for fun. The last scenario would have ~ Mark Mokszycki (designer) required twelve additional U.S. Hellcat tank destroyer counters to fill in as the G.E.V.’s, and a quick glance at the state of the final countersheets should make it obvious why we had to leave this one out. As of the time of this writing, I have a total of about eight ideas for additional scenarios. If there is interest, I would be happy to make some or all of them available post-publication, possibly through a combination of online articles and C3i add-ons, or as a game expansion.

situation as it develops in-game—not to the historical situation. 28.0 Units and Weapons Exceptions for major events (Operation Epsom, for example) must This section covers design notes and historical notes pertaining obviously be made. to the unit types that fought in these battles, and the weapons and Comparison of British and German Infantry Companies. The vehicles employed. Notes pertaining to specific unit formations can first obvious difference between the infantry companies of the two be found in 29.0 OB Notes. sides is mobility. The German panzergrenadier companies have 28.1 General Notes Pertaining to Units and Weapons half-tracks available to shuttle them practically anywhere on the battlefield in a single game turn unless limited by carefully placed of Both Sides British units (and the 6-pounders are especially useful in this regard). German Manpower and Supply Shortages. These deficiencies The British infantry, on the other hand, have to “foot it” to the battle. really hit home for the German player because the game simulates Their efforts are supported by a large compliment of armored carri- them at several levels: a negative DRM to German Recovery rolls, ers, useful for hauling supplies, ammo, and heavy weapons. These a scarcity of Replacements, AP ammo shortages, limited artillery carriers allow the British to fire their MGs and light mortars from the availability (again due to ammo shortages), and the lower values on cover of lightly armored vehicles, while also providing advancing reduced sides of infantry counters. All this may seem like overkill infantry with cover from small arms fire. Other effects of the carriers to the German player, but I feel it is an accurate representation of are simulated in a variety of ways—some rather abstract—and in- the problems faced by these German divisions. The British player clude relatively lenient supply and recovery for the British, increased will come to appreciate the importance of every one of these design mobility for heavy weapons, and increased mobile firepower (via decisions, and he’ll need to exploit them for a shot at victory. Even each infantry battalion’s Carrier Platoon). Carriers are discussed in with all of these penalties, the Germans are tough defenders! more detail in 28.2.1 and 28.2.2. German Loss Rates and Reinforcements. While great care has The German Panzergrenadier infantry companies have much been taken to give units quite a bit of staying power at this scale, higher CS and RAS values than their British counterparts. This is here, as in virtually all wargames, units do tend to “die off” faster due mainly to two factors. The German battalions comprise three than their historical counterparts. I attribute this to players taking companies as opposed to four companies for the British, so there are far more (and greater) risks when pushing around bits of cardboard fewer men per British company. This gives the British companies than they’d be willing to take in real life. However, this phenomenon more coverage, but they pack less punch per company. is somewhat mitigated here because players can always purchase The infantry companies of both sides represent rifle- and LMG- more units, or even (possibly) reconstitute lost units during the night armed troops. The Germans have far more LMGs per company (18 turns. In the case of the British, formations can be deactivated and vs. 9). Each LMG accounts for roughly 1/3 point of CS, and every fresh ones committed. One might rationalize that the net effect of ~60-150 rifle-armed troops account for roughly 1 point of CS. In all of the above is very similar to having a historical unit appear on this game system, an infantry unit derives the majority of its CS and the map, fight a bit, relocate to a spot off-map, return on-map later, RAS from its compliment of LMGs. I believe this is accurate; the withdraw again, etc., as many of the German units that fought in rifles account mainly for a unit’s ZOC, staying power (reduction in these battles were known to do. For example, let’s say that a panzer CS from full- to reduced-strength sides), and ability to defend a hex, platoon of 6/Pz12 is destroyed in the game. That doesn’t necessarily while the LMGs account for most of its firepower in a direct and mean that all five tanks of the platoon were brewed up. Maybe the prolonged conflict situation like a Combat or Assault. platoon got beat up and shell-shocked a bit, lost one or two or possibly even three of its tanks, and then withdrew to a location off-map Players will note that the German infantry units suffer a greater or near the south or east map edge. In real-world terms, these tanks reduction in CS and RAS from full to reduced strength than their are now in reserve or (to use the more proactive, German term) in British counterparts. This simulates mainly a manpower shortage, as an “ambush position.” In game terms, they are placed in the Dead compared to the British. The 12th SS Panzer Division, for example, Pool box Eligible for Reconstitution. Later, they can be reconstituted had been fighting on the front lines since June 7 without receiving (re-committed, in real-world terms) and re-enter the fray. Similarly, significant replacements, and by June 24 it had already lost 2550 a different platoon from the same company might be purchased men—the equivalent of two entire Panzergrenadier battalions! and activated (picked up from the German Reinforcement card and The greater German reduction in CS and RAS also simulates the placed at a 12SS supply hex) for the exact same game effect. It’s all tenuous German supply situation. Keep in mind that a turn is 90 an abstraction, of course, but I do think it lends some credibility to my minutes of combat—much longer than what you’d see in a squad claim (to the lead researchers) that rules for the micro-management or platoon-level game—and the ability to replenish lost weapons of particular German platoons or companies coming and going to/ and spent ammo within this time frame is crucial for recovering from the map over the course of the three-day battle really weren’t units. In Red Winter it was standard to represent a reduced infan- needed (and, in fact, would have complicated things too much). A try company by halving its CS, rounded up (from 5 to 3 for both more rigid approach to withdrawing or activating German units also Soviets and Finns) and I believe this worked well to represent the would have effectively ignored the current game situation in favor of state of available supplies and manpower. In Operation Dauntless, known historical developments at given times. I’ve never liked the the German infantry have their CS halved, rounded down (from rigid approach to reinforcements and/or recovery in wargaming as 7 to 3) to reflect the aforementioned manpower and supply short- I believe it is unrealistic (too predictable, and frequently leading to ages. This reduction isn’t as severe as it might otherwise be due to “end-of-the-world” tactics) as well as doing a disservice to wargames the Germans’ propensity for manning their LMGs to the last man. as a tool for discovering “what if.” The reconstitution, withdrawal, Consider also that when step reductions occur to infantry units in and re-appearance of specific units should relate specifically to the the game, there may be actual weapons such as LMGs lost. These

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC 22 Operation Dauntless Reference Book weapons are difficult for the Germans to replace at this stage of the “Super-Powered” AFVs. It may at first seem unrealistic or even war due to Allied air superiority. over-the-top that certain AFVs can provide such a major swing in the Recon. Although Operation Dauntless is primarily a company-level outcome of a Combat or Assault. Take as a prime example the little game, I ultimately went with platoon-sized AFV, pioneer, and recon single-step Flammpanzerwagen (SdKfz 251/16) unit. It represents units. This gives added flexibility to these unit types. In the case of only two half-tracks with dual mounted flame-throwers + MGs. Its recon infantry, it allows them to spread out and cover more ground, CS is tripled in an Assault. Additionally, it may qualify to provide but with reduced staying power. This encourages a more historical the German player with a column shift for each of the following: use of the recon units—tasking them with real reconnaissance rather Combined Arms Bonus, Armor Bonus, Yellow-boxed CS unit in an than using them as a company-sized fighting force. It also allowed Assault, Yellow-boxed CS unit assaulting a Strongpoint or Dug-In me to rationalize giving them marginally higher Movement Allow- hex. The final case is on aper unit basis, so two Flammpanzerwagen ances than their more cumbersome, company-level equivalents. For units stacked in the assaulting hex can, in addition to having their example, the German recon infantry platoons’ high mobility allows total CS of 2 tripled to 6, provide a whopping five column shifts—all them to rush to an area of the battlefield and temporarily stall the for just four half-tracks! But before you cry foul, consider the follow- British advance for a turn, and/or to act as spotters to call down ing: These half-tracks are only this useful in one very specific situa- mortar and rocket fire on the advancing Brits. Their weak CS means tion. They are nearly useless in any situation other than an Assault, they don’t have much staying power in combat, so they’re best used and when assaulting a hex without a Dug-In marker or Strongpoint, to “spot and scoot,” retreating upon contact with the enemy. they grant fewer column shifts. If there are any enemy infantry or AFVs in the target hex, the thin-skinned half-tracks will likely be Close Support Vehicles. Most of the anti-personnel attack value brewed up before they ever have the opportunity to provide a single of an AFV is in its compliment of machineguns, not the main gun, column shift. The true picture begins to emerge: These extremely and these have a shorter range than the main gun. This is not so for vulnerable vehicles are really only useful in Assaults against enemy a handful of vehicles and weapons that excel in the close support Strongpoints or Dug-In hexes that contain no AT-capable defenders. role. These units gain a favorable column shift in Combats and/or They would be the perfect choice, for example, against an enemy are an exception to the > 2 hex Ranged Attack penalty, as denoted MG unit holed up in a Strongpoint hex—exactly as it should be—but by orange-boxed CS and/or orange circle Ranged Attack Strength. they are so vulnerable as to be nearly useless in most other situations. These AFV types are discussed elsewhere in more detail. The same could be said for other AFV types that provide multiple Movement Allowances (MA) of Vehicles. Are the MAs of vehicle column shifts. Before you judge them overpowered, consider their units accurate and realistic? Yes and no. Relatively speaking, they versatility and vulnerability in various situations. I’ll leave it to the are accurate. That is, if tank model A has a maximum road speed players to discover the best use for each vehicle type, but I’ll leave exactly twice that of tank model B, its MA will be exactly double. you with this hint: It typically agrees very closely with that vehicle’s However, maximum road speed in yards per 90 minutes does not historically intended purpose. translate directly into a given number of 425 yard hexes per game Infantry AT Ratings. Players may wonder why the German panzer- turn. Otherwise, a vehicle with a top speed of, say, 35 mph could grenadier infantry companies have AT ratings which are far superior move 217 hexes per turn (1 mile = 1760 yards; 35 mph= 92,400 to their British counterparts (15-18 for Germans vs. 13 for most yards per 90 minutes)! The MAs do not allow for this type of “mega- British). This is in part due to the differences in range and penetra- move,” even given road movement and Extended Movement. This tion capability between the German Panzerfaust or Panzerschreck kind of move might remotely be possible in an operational level and the British PIAT, but also due to the number of AT weapons per game where movement is taking place on excellent roads and well unit, as well as training and morale. 12SS infantry units in particular behind the frontlines. But even then, it isn’t allowing for time spent were encouraged to engage enemy tanks with their hand-held AT for rest, refueling, refitting, orders, etc. In Operation Dauntless, weapons. The young members of this division had been indoctrinated a vehicle unit’s MA assumes that it is exercising some degree of to fight tanks on sight, grabbing that Panzerfaust or grenade and caution while moving, rather than merely moving at its maximum disabling the enemy tank as a matter of pride. When working out obtainable speed for the duration of the 90 minute game turn. This the details of how the two German divisions should differ in terms MA is therefore based on a speed which is only about 1/6 – 1/7 of of the infantry AT routine, I was reminded of a scene from the movie its theoretical top speed. This is an abstraction, but one I felt was The Ogre starring John Malkovich. The scene takes place in a Hitler realistic given the scale of the game, the condition of the roads, and Youth training camp where a mock tank assault by infantry is being the proximity of units to the front line. staged for instructional purposes. A charismatic officer is coaching Ranged Attack Strength (RAS) Values of Artillery Units. In the lads, “A tank is deaf and half-blind. You can hear it, but it can’t general, the self-propelled versions of weapons have their RAS hear you. […] Also, it has big blind spots here and here, and it’s values increased by +1 compared to the towed versions, reflecting almost totally blind when you’re right up close to it. So, don’t be their enhanced flexibility (for example, less time spent relocating afraid of tanks! Just the opposite. Go right up to them, because that’s in order to avoid counter-battery fire). The British off-map batteries when they are the least dangerous.” While the Panzer Lehr Division have their RAS values artificially inflated by about +1 as compared may lack some of this fanaticism, it more than makes up for it by to the German equivalents. This represents the generous ammo its generous, experimentally high allotment of Panzerschreck—12 supplies of the Royal Artillery which allowed for sustained fire. In per company! The Panzer Lehr infantry’s higher AT rating reflects the case of the medium and heavy guns (Assets), the grouping of this numeric superiority, while the 12SS infantry’s smaller reduction units under a brigade level centralized AGRA (Army Group Royal in AT rating on its reduced side (a mere -1, vs. -2 or -3 for units of Artillery) command led to greater efficiency and performance. other divisions), as well as the favorable -1 modifier it receives when defending in the Tactical Advantage procedure, reflect the division’s strong indoctrination. © 2015 GMT Games, LLC Operation Dauntless Reference Book 23

Step Reductions to Vehicle Units. Each step reduction to a vehicle supporting tank squadron comprising five (including the HQ troop) unit represents roughly 1-2 vehicles rendered ineffective (but not Sherman tank troops each (1 troop = 4 tanks). Each also has available necessarily “brewed up”). I used 1.5 vehicles as the basis of many its own Royal Artillery assets: an off-map Gunner Battery (eight calculations. This applies to both platoon-sized units and Transport 25-pounder field guns) of a RA Field Regiment, and an Anti-Tank Pool losses. For independent transport half-track units, each step Battery (two troops of four each 17-pounder AT guns with attached reduction represents more like 4-6 vehicles rendered ineffective. Crusader Tractor transports). Transports. Someone once said that a wargame is only as good as British infantry battalions normally attacked with two companies in its supply rules. While that isn’t terribly relevant at the company front and a third in immediate reserve. Depending on frontage and level, I might suggest that a platoon/company-level game featur- situation the fourth company was either used to cover the rest of the ing divisions in Normandy in 1944 is only as good as its transport battalion frontage, to exploit or ready to perform a further attack, or rules. The transport rules allow for both independent and attached (as when facing the Germans one had to be aware of) ready to shift transports, and many units can exist in two states: loaded/towed or to face a counterattack. Of course it might equally well be seized deployed. All the transports available to both sides allow the actual by the brigade commander as his reserve! supply rules to be rather simplified and supply itself rarely becomes The British also, learning from bitter experience in World War One, an issue (although this becomes a bit worse on Mud turns). The Brit- almost always held a strong cadre “out of battle.” Many seconds in ish carriers are the unsung heroes of these battles. The game models command—from section up to company—were ordered to remain in them in several ways, from Transport Pools to attached transports the rear. This deliberate protection of leaders meant that a shattered to Carrier Platoons and even breakdown units. formation could more easily be reformed. Tanks on Night Turns. Refuelling and rearming of the tanks took British Infantry Company. This is the most common British coun- place at night, and tanks have their CS halved at this time. I like ter in the game. At 127 officers and men, it is smaller than a German to keep things simple and in the hands of the players, so there are company, but a British battalion had four, not three, companies. no rules explicitly stating that the British player must withdraw his Theoretically, each infantry company is armed with 72 bolt-action tanks at night. Hopefully the game mechanics will encourage this rifles, 12 Sten SMGs (9+3 for officers), 9 Bren LMGs, and 6 2” sort of behavior without the need for special rules. Lenient move- mortars. Unofficially, the company might have 10 or even more ment and ZOC rules on night turns will make it relatively easy for LMGs; the battalion had over 60 so there was a tendency to strip small, motivated German units to infiltrate the British lines and rear area units of theirs. Each company also included an assumed wreak havoc on British carriers and the like. assault section (abstracted in the game as part of the same infantry company counter) which were frequently employed against occupied houses or positions. Each of the infantry company’s nine rifle sections carried a Bren LMG, a Sten SMG, and 8 rifles—though in reality the vast numbers of Stens present in a British infantry division meant that many managed to fall into the hands of the infantry and replaced rifles. The only other weapons in the company were a tenth Bren and a PIAT (think: a bazooka with a bigger charge, but shorter range; see below) with company HQ and a 2” mortar with each platoon. This little mortar was exceedingly useful, not for the negligible damage it could inflict but because it fired a highly effective smoke round. The historical frontage for an infantry company in Normandy was not typically less than 250 yards (in game terms, two companies per hex). See also section 26.0, footnote 14, pertaining to stacking, for more on this topic. 28.2 British Units and Weapons Sappers and Assault Sections. Rather than clutter the game with 28.2.1 British Units additional counters for each infantry company, we decided to abstract British Infantry Brigades. Each brigade comprises three battalions, these units by incorporating their mine-clearing ability into the infan- and the three British brigades appearing in this game comprise the try companies. They are assumed to be present any time full-strength 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division, a.k.a. “The Polar Bears.” British infantry companies conduct an Assault or clear mines. The brigades are color-coded by greens, blues, and warm tones Anti-Tank Batteries. Each infantry division had a towed anti-tank (yellow, orange, red) for easy identification and setup. The color- gun regiment equipped with two very different weapons. The older coding is especially helpful if playing with the optional rules for 6-pounder gun had been rejuvenated by the issue of discarding sabot Operational Sectors (OSMs; 19.5) which restrict the battalions’ ammunition (see Optional Rule 19.7) that was capable of penetrat- areas of operation. ing even Tiger tanks at close range. However, this ammo was much British Infantry Battalion. Each battalion comprises eight unit more common with the guns manned by the Royal Artillery than the counters: four identical infantry companies, an attached (but not identical ones in the infantry battalions, and most infantry 6-pound- organic) MMG platoon, a 3” mortar platoon (six 3” mortars with ers did not have many (if any) sabot shots at this date. Even without attached carriers), a 6-pounder AT platoon (six 6-pounders with sabot ammunition, the low profile and relative ease of movement of attached Loyd Carriers), and a Carrier Platoon (thirteen carriers); the gun made it effective at close quarters. Although HE shells were each of these is described separately below. Each battalion has one available for these guns, AT crews were not trained for long-distance

“area” shooting; that came much later when all AT gunners were and a 2” mortar which could be fired in or out of the carrier. Each retrained to take part in the “Pepperpot” group blanket bombard- carrier mounted a Bren LMG and had a four man crew of an NCO, ments. For this reason, the RAS Range of the 6-pdr units is set to two riflemen, and a driver-mechanic. With 13 LMGs (vs. 9 in a the same value as the AT Range. regular infantry company), they had more light support weapons The primary anti-tank weapon was the towed 17-pounder which than an entire infantry company, but their lower manpower was matched the German 75mm with standard ammunition and even the insufficient for them to hold ground indefinitely. Their high speed dreaded 88mm when firing the reasonably common sabot (APDS) and compliment of LMGs made them capable of bringing a great round. Unfortunately, the 17-pounder, like all heavy AT guns, was deal of firepower to a particular location on short notice. Their thin a monstrous pig when it came to moving and deploying—so heavy armor helped protect the infantry from small arms fire (expressed that the British used old Crusader tanks with their turrets removed in the game as a -1 DRM from Ranged Attacks) but they are highly as towing vehicles. The most effective of all British anti-tank bat- vulnerable to AT Fire. They are rather unique units which, properly teries, however, were those of the Corps Anti-Tank Regiments, by used, are of great benefit to the British player. The infantry could now largely equipped with the “Achilles” 17-pounder conversion of fight with their complement of LMGs mounted on the carriers or the US M10 tank destroyer. The guns were standard but the mounts dismounted on bipods. Typically the platoon fought with the troops incorporated better sights than the towed weapons. They were dismounted, advancing beside the carriers and using them as cover. primarily deployed in support of tank brigades—commonly those Game play notes pertaining to the Carrier Platoon can be found in equipped with Churchill tanks that lacked 17-pounder variants. But, the 12.6.1 footnoted entry of section (26.0 #44). as not many tank brigades had arrived in Normandy at this date, a British Artillery. Normally, any British division in the attack (as- battery was spared to help the 8th Armoured Brigade. suming the other divisions nearby were not attacking) had access to its own three artillery regiments, the flanking 25-pdr regiment of the closest neighboring division, and at least half of its corps artillery— perhaps three medium regiments and a heavy regiment—but much of the latter was used in counter-battery work. That would leave the norm of at least one medium battery—probably both batteries of one regiment available, since they would have sent their forward observers to the attacking brigade. So a normal “stonk” or Uncle Target would be 6+ 25-pdr gunner batteries plus two medium batteries. Much more were ready but that is all that would be expected to be landing within 15 minutes tops of an emergency fire call. A caveat: Because of the “Great Storm,” unloading of support assets was well behind (Monty wanted infantry—the 15th in particular—over guns) so the corps artillery might well have been weaker than otherwise expected—especially during the June 16-18 scenarios. “Gunner” was a nickname for the Royal Artillery. What is being represented by a Gunner Battery counter is the distant, attached field artillery battery. The gunnery major commanding that battery Mortar Platoon. The mortar platoon consisted of six “tubes” and lived with the infantry battalion commander to ensure immediate was considered the single most powerful element of the infantry support. Unlike the US case, where artillery commanders lived battalion. The mortars were generally paired into three sections, with the guns, it meant there was no delay caused by questioning each with an ammo truck which also carried a PIAT. Each mortar the need for support. was transported by a Univ. Carrier, but the vehicle did not normally Sherman Tank Troop (75mm). The British tank troops were orga- serve as a firing platform for the mortar, which had to dismount and nized into one of three configurations: four Sherman III (HQ troops assemble. It could be fired from the carrier in an emergency, but this only), four Sherman II DD (duplex-drive) “swimming” tanks, and tended to wreck the suspension and was strongly discouraged; in the the common “3 + 1” configuration of three Sherman III plus one game, they have to be dismounted to fire. The caliber of the mortars VC Firefly, which had been adopted by all regiments appearing was 81.5mm, but they were called “3-inch mortars” by the British in this game by the time of these battles. The game uses the term Army. The Mortar Platoon, Carrier Platoon, and Anti-Tank Platoon “Firefly-enhanced” to describe these troops. While the 75mm gun together formed the battalion’s Support Company. of the Sherman II and III did an admirable job of infantry support Carrier Platoon. This rather unique unit was used like lightly- and was sufficient against medium tanks like the Panzer IV, it lacked armored cavalry rather than as a transport unit. It could mobilize the punch to take on the heavier Panthers and Tigers. That task fell quickly to take a position and hold it until the infantry companies to the Fireflies. arrived, or support the leg infantry in the attack. The Carrier Platoon Firefly-enhanced Tank Troop. As previously mentioned, many was also used to transport casualties, bring up ammunition towing of the British tank troops include one of the superior Firefly tanks carts, and for other assorted tasks, but these functions are not directly per three standard Shermans. Note that the Fireflies (which are not represented in the game. amphibious and cannot be made so) are never used to enhance Sher- The carriers were in four sections of three each and were sometimes man DD troops; they appear only with Sherman III troops. fielded as two half-platoons of two sections (six carriers) each—one The introduction of the 17-pdr Firefly caused all sorts of contortions on each flank of the advancing leg infantry. Each section had a PIAT to the organization of British Sherman tank units. As usual, military

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC Operation Dauntless Reference Book 25 inertia and the power of the quartermaster took hold, the issue being claimed that the Germans preferentially targeted their Fireflies over that this was a new tank with new engines—all Fireflies had the standard Shermans, and, even while Zetterling argues that the loss Chrysler multi-bank, while many “standard” Sherman tanks had figures do not support this claim, it certainly makes sense from the the Continental, or even a diesel, engine—and, of course ammuni- German perspective. Not only were the Fireflies lethal to Panthers tion. The natural result was to allocate all twelve Fireflies to one and Tigers, but they were highly recognizable due to their long 17- squadron and train its fitters and ordnance men to service its tanks. pdr guns. It might also be argued that the Fireflies put themselves This worked well initially, especially for the units that had their in harm’s way more often than the standard Shermans—especially Sherman II tanks converted to DD form for amphibious landing, when going up against Panthers or Tigers—and were therefore more for the additional weight and changed configuration of the Firefly likely to be the target of return fire. meant that it was not suitable for the DD process. Many of the DD Players will note that the MA of these units increases slightly on their regiments retained this organization for some time, especially as reduced sides. Playtesters were quick to point this out as a mistake, their DD squadrons were diverted to other duties after landing in but it is intentional. The higher MA is based on the Sherman III later waves. It was also not unknown for the other regiments to also tanks of the troop, no longer slowed down by the heavier Fireflies. retain separate Firefly squadrons at first—some unkind souls sug- gesting that this was because they were appropriated by the senior Scout Platoon. Apart from their added reconnaissance role, these squadron commander who insisted they be used in the reserve role. behaved similarly to the Carrier Platoons of the infantry battalions. But a couple of days’ action with panzers showed that any squadron By the time of these battles, the 49th Battalion of the Recon Corps that lacked the 17-pounder was in deep, deep trouble, so they were had reinvented itself as a cavalry unit; it was now called the 49th allocated to the three “fighting squadrons” on the basis of one per Regiment Reconnaissance Corps, and its scout units should more troop (“platoon” to Americans). One trivial reason for the delay was properly be called “troops.” I decided to let them stand as scout that this meant four troops of four, not five of three tanks—meaning “platoons” in the game because this nomenclature made it easier one junior officer in each squadron lost his position! Initially, the for players to understand that they are treated as infantry (and be- formidable Firefly was often seized upon by the troop officer as his cause British tank platoons are called “troops”). It is also in better “mount,” a habit that quickly vanished as the German custom of agreement with the NATO symbol on their counters which indicates targeting tanks with long, nasty guns became apparent. Within a few they are platoon-sized. The British scout platoons of 49th Regiment weeks of the Normandy landing, the four tank troop was the norm, Reconnaissance Corps used the same type of equipment as those in with the Firefly commanded by the troop sergeant, and normally the 12KRRC in terms of LMGs and Scout Carriers (one of many placed third in the column. variants of the Universal Carrier) but were also accompanied by Humber armored cars. Note that, although the Firefly became much more common later in the war, it was never universal simply because the 17-pdr was inferior Motor Battalion. These were rare creatures in British service with to the 75mm as an anti-infantry or soft-target weapon. In Northwest just one in each armoured division and one in the very few armoured Europe, the regiments in the game that were still active (by then the brigade groups. They were also considered elite—at least by the 24th Dragoons had been abolished) had two Firefly and two 75mm famous Rifle Brigade and King’s Royal Rifle Corps battalions that Sherman tanks in each troop, while one in Italy would have had a alone were chosen to form them. A battalion could expect to fight troop with one Firefly, one 75mm, and one 76mm Sherman. either as a complete unit, or as separate rifle companies, each supporting one of the three armoured units in their brigade. Therefore Fireflies: The Trials and Tribulations of Playtesting. Over the they had three companies, not the normal four, fighting units in years, I probably tried half a dozen different ways to portray the Lend-Lease half-tracks and each with a pair of 3-inch mortars. The Fireflies. These ranged from separate Firefly counters, to “Firefly support company had an anti-tank platoon (only four 6-pounder destroyed” markers, to two sets of counters for each troop (with and guns, vs. six in a regular infantry battalion, since it was assumed without Fireflies), to averaging the stats for three standard Shermans the tanks would provide support as well) and a Vickers MMG pla- to one Firefly. None were ideal. They created superfluous counter toon. The motor rifle section had two fewer soldiers than those in clutter or bookkeeping, or made the game too complex, or gave a a standard battalion. less-than-historical feel to the use and portrayal of these tanks. The solution to the Firefly dilemma—treating these troops as Fireflies on 28.2.2 British Weapons their full strength sides and as standard Shermans with 75mm guns PIAT. The Projector Infantry Anti-Tank (PIAT) was the British on their reduced sides—was a compromise and an abstraction, but platoon anti-tank weapon, serving the same function as the US it works very well. No additional counters, markers, or undesirable bazooka and German Panzerfaust but very different in form and “stats averaging” were necessary to implement it. As I played around function. Because the ammunition was propelled by a giant spring with more and more armor vs. armor engagements, this method re- rather than a rocket, it had less range and its slower speed made it ally grew on me. Now I quite like it. less accurate. But against that were two advantages: Since there was In game terms, the Firefly-enhanced units are powerful but fragile. no massive back-blast it could be fired from a room or from cover While on their full-strength sides, the British player gains the full and because there was no flash it was more difficult for the enemy benefit of the Firefly component of a troop, with an excellent AT rat- to spot the firing position. And, unlike the German Panzerfaust, the ing of 18. On their reduced sides, this rating drops to a 10 and they are PIAT was not disposable. effectively treated as standard Sherman III troops. This means that, Vickers MMG. This was a World War One weapon that had been when a Firefly-enhanced troop reveals its position by firing, it might much updated since. Unlike most machine-guns in Normandy it suffer a step reduction due to Return Fire, which effectively elimi- was both belt-fed and water-cooled and so was capable of almost nates the Firefly component of this Sherman counter. In playtesting, endless covering fire. New ammunition allowed it to fire indirect at we jokingly referred to this act as “de-Fireflying” the troop. The Brits up to 4,700 yards though this, intended to blanket key points with a

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC 26 Operation Dauntless Reference Book continuous rain of fire, was not being used at this stage of the war. with two 20-strong squadrons of DD tanks, including the 4th/7th Its obvious weak point was its weight. As a result, when in defense, Dragoon Guards and the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (Sherwood each platoon would man four guns, but if they were ordered to ad- Rangers, or “SRY”) portrayed in the game. Their tanks were Sher- vance on foot two guns would usually be left behind. However, in man II DD (M4A1 version) but the DD equipment could be applied Normandy movement was usually by carrier. The Vickers MMGs to all versions. For example, the 13th/18th Hussars (later to join the could fire while mounted on the carrier, albeit at reduced accuracy 8th Brigade) used Sherman V DD (M4A4 version) tanks. None of due to an increase in vibration. In game terms, this translates to both these were 17-pdr Firefly versions, as the longer gun meant that the shorter range and lack of a black-boxed CS when mounted. screens could not be erected. To make the DD waterproof it was necessary to plug and grease-block every single open point on the hull, turret, and gun, of which there were hundreds—an exceedingly tiresome task much loathed by the crews. On landing, a single button detonated charges that blew away screen and protection allowing the tank to go straight into action. Some were still fighting in the 8th Brigade, complete with their tiny propellers, when the war ended. The DD tanks cannot “swim” within the context of this game; the waterways portrayed on our map are too narrow and shallow, and their banks too steep. The counters depict these tanks with their floatation devices lowered, while in reality, the devices had probably been removed entirely by June 25—or at least photos of 8th 4.2” Heavy Mortar. Each support battalion had 16 of these, usu- Armoured Brigade tanks from this ally assigned with one platoon of four mortars supporting each time period suggest as much. I opted brigade with a fourth held in reserve. Its advantage was that its to leave the counter art as-is, as I round contained much more explosive than that did a similar artil- believe the lowered floatation de- lery round, its disadvantage that (like all contemporary mortars) it vices add a bit of flavor and help the was less accurate. DD’s stand out amongst the Sherman III’s and VC Fireflies.

Sherman III Tank. The HQ troop of each squadron was comprised entirely of these tanks while the Firefly-enhanced troops had three Sherman III’s to one VC Firefly in each troop. In game terms, the Sherman III has similar armament (75mm gun) and armor to the DD tanks, but slightly better speed. Sherman VC Firefly. The formidable Sherman Firefly tank was essentially a U.S.-made Sherman armed with a British 17-pounder gun which was capable of penetrating very thick armor—even that of the German Panthers and Tigers. The problem, for the British, was that there never seemed to be enough Fireflies to go around. Making matters worse, their long guns stuck out like sore thumbs, enticing the Germans to target them preferentially over the Shermans of the squadron—or so some British units would claim. Achilles. The British M10 Achilles tank destroyer was basically Sherman II DD Tank. Also called “swimming” Shermans or a US M10 “Wolverine” with a 17-pounder AT gun. The gun was “Donald Duck” tanks, the “DD” stands for “Duplex Drive”—the equipped with better sights than the 17-pdr on the Firefly. There is ability to power forward on land and sea. They are the most numer- some disagreement as to how these vehicles were actually named, ous tanks in the game, outnumbering even the German Panzer IVs with some sources stating that the entire M10 program was code- by roughly 3-to-1. named “Achilles.” In the field, both British and U.S. vehicles were Amphibious tanks were the brainchild of Nicholas Straussler who probably simply referred to as M10s. In game terms as well as in the combined two innovations—propellers at the rear driven by the tank historical battles, they are most effective when used on the defense engine, and folding waterproof canvas that, when erected, formed rather than the offensive because their thin armor makes them very a flotation screen that increased freeboard and protected against vulnerable to AT Fire. waves. The devices were initially applied to the Valentine tank but Centaur. The Centaur IV amphibious close support tanks of the it was soon realized that the greater height of the Sherman made it Royal Marines Armoured Support Group (RMASG) are armed more suitable. A rush program was introduced and by Normandy with 95mm howitzers. These tanks are members of the Cromwell (in addition to several US tank battalions) five Commonwealth tank tank family. They have inferior engines and were used for training regiments were equipped with Sherman DD tanks, each operating and by the Marines. The RMASG was disbanded two weeks after

D-Day, on June 20, so the Centaur troops appear in the game only variants of the Sexton, only the Sexton II was based on a Canadian- in the Cristot scenario (18.1). Note the Centaurs’ weak AT rating, built Grizzly (M4A1 Sherman) hull, so the vehicles in our OB are heavy armor, and orange-box CS value. Sexton II’s. These SP guns had a maximum gun elevation of 35 degrees, yielding a maximum range of 11,000 yards (about 25-26 map hexes). They are lightly armored, with about 68mm of armor in the front hull. First built in 1943, the Sextons were available in the field from June ‘44 onward. From ‘43 to ‘45, Montreal Locomo- tive Works manufactured 2,150 of them. These were used by both Canadian and British forces. During the D-day landings, the Sextons fired from their landing craft as they came ashore, but this fire was near impossible to direct and had a very limited effect. Theoretically, one Sexton battery was on-call for each tank regiment of 8th Armoured Brigade (24L, SRY, RDG—thus the color-coding of their ID boxes) but in reality they operated with the same flexibility as the Infantry Battalions’ 25-pdr Gunner Batteries, able to offer support wherever and whenever needed.

Universal Carrier. Small, lightly armored carriers were a mainstay of the British Army, and served in a wide variety of roles. Most were the Universal Carrier but often referred to as “Bren Carriers” since almost all mounted a Bren LMG. Variants included the scout carrier, MMG carrier, and mortar carrier; the mortar carriers for the 4.2” mortars towed ammo trailers. Carriers are represented in the game in three ways: 1. Attached transports. These are for loading mortars and MGs, and represented as the flip-side of the transported units. 2. Carrier Platoons and Scout Platoons. These are potent combat units armed with an abundance of LMGs and PIATs. They function as an odd amalgam of leg infantry and AFVs. 3. Transport Pool. Losses to units with attached carrier transport Crocodile. The flammable petrol gel for the flame-thrower is pulled are tracked using the British Transport Pool because British in a trailer behind the tank, sparing the Crocodile a fiery death if the combat units operated with lots of “spare” carriers that were trailer takes a hit. Their armor is quite heavy, offering them a degree assigned to rear echelon functions. of protection against enemy infantry in Assaults. Crocodiles were rare beasts and even when the Normandy campaign ended there were still only about 35 present. As the game starts there were some 150 AVRE but only a single squadron with about 16 Crocodiles in Normandy. These were untried weapons this early in the Normandy campaign notably having pressure problems with their fuel trailers. Once troops got used to them, they were deadly and the infantry demanded them, but their rarity meant that they would only be assigned as a single three-tank troop. Incidentally, it was not the pressure problem but the absolute secrecy on the trailers and the system that seems to be the reason they were committed so rarely. Any officer or NCO who lost one was facing a court martial—no matter the excuse! So it seems that for the first month or so, their use was timid. Furthermore, at this early date, after a single series of passes that used up the nitrogen, it would still take a day or so to check and recharge the system.

Sextons. From the British Army website: “147 (Essex Yeomanry) Regiment was converted to 25 pounder guns and landed on D-Day to fight through Germany.” The Essex Yeomanry website agrees: “The 147th fought as a self-propelled artillery unit using 25-pounder field guns mounted on Sherman tank chassis.” While there are three

Missing Stuarts. A number of Stuart light tanks also existed in the historical OB. By this stage, almost all Stuarts had their turrets removed, which greatly improved their recon function (better visibility and lower profile), but reduced their game combat value to virtually zero. We opted to leave them out to avoid unnecessary counter clutter.

This closeup of the AVRE’s 290mm Petard spigot mortar also shows (at right) the mortar shell, which was nicknamed the “Flying Dustbin.” AVRE. The AVRE (Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers) featured in Crusader III AA Mk III. For the British, mid to late June brought the game belong to 82nd Assault Squadron, 6th Assault Regiment, the dawning realization that the Luftwaffe had been grounded. 1st Assault Brigade, 79th Armoured Division “Funnies.” Like the The Crusader anti-aircraft tanks were still on the OB of armored Crocodiles, they are treated as reinforcements that can be activated regiments at the end of June but most units were disbanding them as needed by the British player. AVRE were rather more common because no Luftwaffe was around. However, some—almost exclu- in Normandy than Crocodiles, with well over 100 ready for action. sively the old cavalry regiments—did retain a few, often attaching They are quite possibly the most important supporting units in one to each scout troop assigned for recon. the game for the British player. Each of the four AVRE counters Missing AA Tanks. Apart from those represented in the game, nu- represents six Churchill AVRE tanks. Their 290mm Petard spigot merous other British AA units existed in the historical British OB. mortars are powerful weapons of limited range, useful for destroying For example, we originally included a counter for a lone Crusader SP buildings and cracking concrete bunkers (but there were none of the 40mm troop (representing four vehicles) from the LAA Regiment of latter in the region of our game map, fortunately for the Brits). The the 49th Infantry Division. We felt that if we included these AA units, Germans greatly feared these tanks and had orders to destroy them the British player would use them against German ground units in on sight. But the mortars are only part of what made the AVRE so a rather unhistorical manner, skewing the game balance since these feared. They could also carry demolition charges, clear mines, and units have high RAS values and are very effective in the ground fill ditches and craters or cross AT obstacles by means of a fascine support role. We determined that these AA tanks were not used in (log bundle). The AVRE proved incredibly valuable in capturing the anti-infantry role in Normandy, being used only later in such a Fontenay-le-Pesnel, firing their mortars and Besa MGs in support of role, so we decided they were irrelevant to the game. the infantry. Near the end of June, AVRE supported the 56th Infantry Brigade at Tilly-sur-Seulles against an armored counterattack by 28.3 German Units and Weapons the Panzer Lehr Division. It was here that the Germans managed to 28.3.1 German Units capture their first intact AVRE, much to the outrage of its commander. Panzergrenadier Infantry Company. Players may wonder why a Crusader Tractor. These are defrocked (turretless) Crusader tanks British infantry company drops from 4 to a 3 when reduced, while used as heavy towing vehicles for the British 17-pdr AT guns. I was a German infantry company drops from 7 to 3. This was one of sev- initially advised by the research team that the 17-pdrs should be eral ways I attempted to simulate the Germans’ powerful but fragile immobile in the game. However, I felt that over the course of the nature. (The British called them a “strong crust.”) Most importantly, three-day campaign game, they would be of practically no value it was the method that worked out the best in play. It encouraged the if this were the case. The final rules require these guns to spend a right kind of behavior from the German player, and the game played minimum of three turns—but usually more—to relocate to a useful more smoothly and historically, with a nice ebb and flow. The Ger- position and deploy. I believe this time span is pretty accurate. It man divisions portrayed in this game had impressive firepower but allows the guns to keep up with the British push (with difficulty) they had already suffered heavy losses and did not have enough men while still severely limiting their usefulness in offensive situations. to cover the front in depth. They were horribly overstretched. There Set up in prime defensive positions such as hills overlooking open are various ways this situation might be simulated. For starters, one fields, they will discourage the German player from running amok might go with a larger number of relatively weaker, platoon-sized behind the British lines. Knowing how and when to relocate the AT units, or else a smaller number of more powerful units. In this case, line is a topic discussed in 23.0 Tips & Strategies. I opted for a compromise, with platoon-sized pioneer and recon © 2015 GMT Games, LLC Operation Dauntless Reference Book 29 infantry units, but company-sized leg infantry and Panzergrenadier guns than tanks. This coincides with their historical use and the infantry units. It was all about finding the correct balance between problems faced by the German commanders at these battles. Kurt coverage (German-occupied hexes plus ZOCs) and Combat Strength. Meyer wrote in his biography, “We started to treat our tanks with The CS drop from 7 on the full-strength side to 3 on the reduced side kid gloves. We had received no replacement tanks up to that point doesn’t tell the whole story (as usual). Let’s consider the ramifica- and our strength melted away daily. The constant use of piecemeal tions of how this reduction interacts with the other game mechanics. tactics enraged me. Where [sic] had happened to the days of the big For starters, losses from Combats and Assaults need not be taken armor offensives?” The tank platoons will usually embed themselves as step reductions by the defender. They can be taken as Retreats. It in close terrain, then take a single shot against a target of opportunity usually makes sense for the German player to conserve his manpower before melting back into the bocage, or relocate when the enemy by dropping back a hex or two rather than taking step reductions. By moves adjacent. As the price of the tanks drops, the German player tailoring the German units’ CS ratings so that it drops from 7 to 3, will be able to field more of them for a time. When the number of the German player has an incentive to behave in a historical manner, German tanks is at its peak—usually from late on June 25 through falling back rather than absorbing punishing losses to manpower. the first half of June 26—the German player will be able to form If you need a direct rationale for the reduction, consider it due to Kampfgruppen (usually 1-2 stacks of 3-4 AFV units each) that can a combination of manpower and supply difficulties, plus relatively prove incredibly effective at plugging gaps, tidying the frontlines, or higher losses to the weapon crews. Also consider that reduced two- throwing back overextended British units. The first time the British step infantry units can recover in this game system. They can fall player comes to experience this kind of armored counterattack, he back from the front line, spend a turn or two making Recovery rolls to will gain a new respect for the weapons and flexibility available to return to their full-strength sides, and then move back into the fight. the German player. Since units must begin the Action Phase stacked in order to perform Use of German Half-Tracks on Defense. I’ve always been bothered an Assault as a stack (and they’ll certainly want to use combined by game systems that allow the defender to squander his valuable arms in Assaults), an interesting and tried-and-true tactic emerges transport units in an unrealistic manner as “speed bumps” against the from the interaction of the three mechanics (Retreat, Recovery, and offense. Worse yet are systems that grant transport half-tracks suf- stacking/Assaults): The retreated Germans will fall back and form ficient firepower to make them effective as infantry-killing machines. up “assault stacks” of multiple units in a hex—usually a reduced I wanted to avoid these issues with this game. On the other hand, I infantry unit or two and/or some platoon-sized infantry units, to didn’t want to add any special rules which specifically forbade the which they’ll add some panzers and SP guns—before returning to German player from using his half-tracks defensively. The solution the battle as an independent, combined-arms stack that is capable of to this dilemma came from making these units sufficiently vulnerable performing localized counterattacks and tidying up small gaps in the to infantry AT fire during the resolution of the Tactical Advantage German line. (“assault stacks” are described in more detail in 23.0.) procedure. The German player is welcome to use his half-tracks to What all this means: Without additional rules overhead, the stats drop defend hexes. Given their MGs, large unit size (which translates into (from 7 to 3) and the interaction of the aforementioned mechanics a high RAS), and light armor (which allows them to ignore losses will give a savvy German player incentive to behave in a historical from Combats and Ranged Attacks), they can be quite lethal when manner by forming offensive stacks (Kampfgruppen) with which used in a FF role against advancing infantry. But the German player to accomplish his offensive goals. It’s common in this game to see will marvel only briefly at their lethality, for their usefulness will these types of Kampfgruppen form and disband one or more times be short-lived. Using them in this manner will almost certainly see a day, as required to preserve the German front line. They usually them destroyed on the following turn, if not later in the same turn. form around one or more reduced infantry units that have fallen back I think the German player will find that the use of transports in a from the battle and into a reserve/recovery position. defensive manner is not a wise tactic. It usually amounts to handing VPs for enemy AFV losses to the opponent. That said, their oc- casional use to bolster defense in an unusually desperate situation may be warranted. If you stack them with enough infantry to obtain an edge in Tactical Advantage, they might even survive. See also 23.0 for tips on setup and use of transport half-tracks and Stummels. 28.3.2 German Weapons Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck. The Panzerfaust (“tank fist”; plural: Panzerfäuste) was a recoilless anti-tank weapon that could be shoulder-launched by a single man. It consisted of a 149mm high explosive warhead that could penetrate a maximum of 200mm of armor and a range that varied by version (30m for the Panzerfaust 30). It was a single-shot weapon with a disposable launch tube. By comparison, the Panzerschreck (“tank fright”) was an 88mm reus- able anti-tank rocket launcher that was produced in smaller numbers but had a much longer effective range (150m) and a projectile that traveled at over twice the speed. The official name of the Panzer- Use of German Tanks. The German player will find that his tanks schreck was “Raketenpanzerbüchse” which is typically abbreviated cannot be massed and used effectively for much of the game. They as RPzB in the status reports, but the troops commonly called them will instead be parceled out here and there along the front, forced “Ofenrohr” (“Stove Pipe”) because of the large amount of smoke to fight defensively. In this respect, they function more like AT © 2015 GMT Games, LLC 30 Operation Dauntless Reference Book they generated when fired. It’s worth noting that the Panzerfaust, with its shorter range, actually achieved more kills in Normandy than the Panzerschreck, relatively speaking. This may be due to the fact that the latter weapon, with its longer range, was regularly fired from a greater distance and therefore more often missed the target. The Panzerfaust supply seems to have been insufficient in Normandy (much like every other weapon, ammo, and spare part for the Germans), and some sources suggest that SS divisions in Normandy might not have received any Panzerfäuste until July(!), though anecdotal evidence indicates that at least some were present in June. Panzer Lehr had experimentally high numbers of Panzer- schreck in its panzergrenadier companies: 12 per company. In other panzer divisions, a number of three per company was more standard, although it isn’t certain when they were first delivered. Sometimes the weapons were concentrated in the Battalion Heavy Company, but in action would be parceled out in teams. Normal quantities of Panzerfäuste from the second half 1944 onward would be two, sometimes three, per rifle squad. Generally, in early 1944, infantry divisions had priority for deliveries of both weapon types, as their Grenadiers had fewer AT weapons to go around than their panzer Tiger. This was the most dreaded of all German tanks in the Nor- division comrades. mandy theater, and with good reason. Its 88mm gun was more than The AT ratings of the German recon infantry and pioneer platoons sufficient to knock out even the most heavily armored Allied tanks were deflated somewhat to account not only for a smaller total num- while its heavy armor made it practically invulnerable to the stan- ber of infantry AT weapons, but due to the fact that these units were dard Sherman’s 75mm guns at all but the closest ranges. The Tiger’s typically limited to Panzerfäuste, which were primarily defensive superior range and optics gave it the ability to fire and strike distant, weapons, as opposed to the longer-ranged Panzerschreck wielded moving targets with great accuracy. It is fortunate for the Allies that by the Panzergrenadier infantry companies. This amounted to about the Germans had so few Tigers to go around. a -3 to the rating. However, the rating was then increased somewhat Players may wonder why the Tigers don’t have red-boxed CS values in the case of the pioneers to allow for specialty weapons including like other tanks, and why they have an orange-circle RAS value. anti-tank magnetic mines and satchel charges. Both are due to the 88mm gun which could fire high explosive (HE) Panzer IV. The majority of the German tanks faced by the British shells that were more effective against infantry and structures than during the battles portrayed here are Panzer IV types, although the the HE shells of other tanks. The players will also note that these heavier Panthers come in a very close second. While it did not have units cost 3 Reinforcement Points for each single-step section, vs. quite the punch or popularity of the Panther, the Panzer IV H medium only 2 for the Jagdpanther sections. The reason: The Tigers can tank was the workhorse of the German Army in June 1944. This was prowl anywhere on the map without incurring VP penalties. They also true for the Waffen SS units, which typically had marginally also have much a better Fire Control rating. In game terms, the more Panzer IV tanks than Panthers. Rather than portray all Panzer Jagdpanther’s superior AT rating and AT Range are rarely relevant IV counters as IV H models we opted to simply refer to them as given the confining nature of the terrain and the range of armor “Pz IV” because the more recent “J” model had entered service at thicknesses of the British tanks. this time. Compared to its British Sherman counterpart, the Panzer Panther vs. Tiger debate. While the Tiger demanded and continues IV H has better range, better firepower, better optics, and slightly to get the most attention, it was the more numerous and more mobile less armor (though when we examine the penetration factor of AT Panther that really deserves the designation of “top tank” for the rating minus Armor, we see that the German tanks still have the Germans. It is nearly impossible to discuss the Panther without a edge in penetration, amounting to a +6 DRM vs. +4). However, comparison to the Tiger—plus treadheads tend to love this sort of the Germans are not able to field as many tanks as the British, and discussion—so I will do so now. in many cases the German tanks cannot be operated as an armored spearhead, instead being parceled out across the front for use in a The Panther’s AT rating is slightly superior to the Tiger’s, as I believe static defense role. At times they must even be used to fill gaps in it should be, but this is misleading. The Tiger’s superior FC rating the frontline, as if AT guns, with little or no infantry support. It all means that in many situations, it is the better weapon—especially becomes much worse for the Germans on June 26, when Operation at extreme ranges. It can also lob shells further as denoted by its Epsom kicks off and they must withdraw the majority of their tanks greater AT Range. Furthermore, the Tiger’s CS is not halved like to cope with the new threat. the Panther’s when attacking into close terrain, and the Tiger has an orange-circle RAS, meaning that its Ranged Attack does not taper StuG III. It is worth noting that the other most common type of off over distance like the Panther’s. This is because a significant German AFV in Normandy in June ‘44 was the StuG III. However, percentage of the Tiger’s RAS rating is due to its 88mm HE shells. the 12th SS did not have any StuG IIIs. While the nearby Panzer The Panther’s Ranged Attack tapers off because a higher percent- Lehr Division did have StuGs, we found no evidence that they age of its RAS is based on its MGs, which have a relatively limited operated in these battles. range, and its HE shells are not as effective as the Tiger’s.

The relative armor quality of Tigers vs. Panthers has been a source long-term impact on the fighting. Stummels are half-tracks fitted of great debate in books and online forums. The Panther’s armor is with short-barreled 75mm guns, granting them an “Orange-boxed more sloped, but it is much thinner on the vehicle’s sides. For this CS Bonus” which makes them very useful against enemy infantry. game I determined Armor ratings by assuming that roughly 1/3 of Consider that by stacking them with German infantry, the German shots strike a vehicle’s side as opposed to its front, and 1/3 strike player gains a column shift for combined arms as well as a column the hull as opposed to the turret. Using this basic algorithm, the shift for an Orange-boxed CS unit. And if the opposing British stack Panther’s thin side armor really drags down its rating relative to the contains no armor, the German player will gain a third column shift! Tiger. A further DRM for flank attacks vs. Panthers was necessary Do not underestimate these little units. As the German player, protect to achieve the right sort of outcome in flanking situations since the them by keeping them behind the frontline hexes until needed. Use difference between front and side armor is so pronounced in the them on the offensive when you have the Tactical Advantage (i.e., Panther—more so than in other tank types, which average about a when your total infantry steps outnumber your opponent’s) in order 30mm difference in armor thickness from front to side/rear (thus to keep these thin-skinned AFVs safe from the numerous enemy the standard +3 DRM). Part of what made the Tiger so formidable PIAT. See 23.0 for tips on the setup and use of Stummels. was its heavy side armor. A Sherman’s 75mm gun could penetrate that of the Panther even when firing at it from an oblique angle, but (except at the highly unlikely point-blank range) could not penetrate the Tiger’s side armor, even when firing at the most optimum 90 degree angle. When comparing armor of the Panther and Tiger, we must also consider the Tiger’s very heavily armored gun mantlet. In game terms, the Tiger comes out ahead purely in terms of Armor. But when players consider the relative Movement Allowances of the vehicles (the Panther is considerably faster), as well as the Optional Rule for Tigers in the Mud (which also prohibit them from using many bridges), an undesirable side-effect of the Tiger’s heavier armor becomes apparent.

Flammpanzerwagen. Six of these vehicles were attached to the Much of the above would seem to indicate that the Tiger is the 26th Regiment HQ, but our researchers felt that they were probably superior tank, and in many ways it was. But consider that only a parceled out as three sections of two vehicles each, to support the small number of Tigers are available in the game, each a single-step panzergrenadier companies when called for. While the Gliederung unit representing only two tanks (vs. four for the two-step Panthers). shows only the total number of flame-throwers in the division and Now factor in the Tiger’s lower speed, inability to use many bridges, does not distinguish between SdKfz 251/16 and hand-held flame- and difficulty maneuvering in mud, and you’ll find that it is re- throwers carried in SdKfz 251/1, the German High Command vehicle ally the more numerous Panthers—still far superior to the Panzer delivery reports, as well as photos, show that these were indeed the IVs—which are likely to accomplish more for the German player. SdKfz 251/16. However, in game terms, these two unit types would be statistically identical at this scale.

Jagdpanther. See 29.2 OB Notes: 654th Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion. Stummel. While the German tanks are likely to get the most attention, their participation in a given action in this game is not a given. On the other hand, the numerous and hard-working SdKfz 251/9 “Stummel” (“Stump”) self-propelled guns which support each Pan- zergrenadier infantry company are more likely to have the greater

‘88. The Germans used their 88mm flak guns mainly for ground ac- Schwimmwagen. These are unarmored, wheeled, amphibious vehi- tion in these battles. They are quite effective when used in the role cles used by the German recon infantry platoons of 15/26 Company. of artillery against enemy infantry, and they also make superior AT They cannot “swim” in this game due to the steep banks and dense guns—though historically they were rarely squandered in the lat- vegetation of the shallow, narrow waterways depicted on the map. ter role due to their vulnerability, especially when the cheaper and Trucks. The 12SS Transport Pool marker shows an Opel Blitz, but more numerous 75mm PaK40 AT guns were sufficiently effective the truck type used by the Germans in fact varied greatly, especially at knocking out the enemy Shermans. Note that the counter shows a for the 12th SS which had a large contingent of former Italian ve- SdKfz 10 as the towing vehicle, but this should, in fact, be a SdKfz 7. hicles such as FIATs. The archetypical trucks for the Panzergrenadier SP Mortars. Two types of SP mortar half-tracks exist in the German (motorized) units would have been the Steyr 1500A 2-ton truck for OB: the larger SdKfz 251/2 in the panzergrenadier battalions, and the heavy weapons and the Opel Blitz 3-ton for the men. The real the smaller SdKfz 250/7 in the recon units. Both use 81mm mortars situation in 1944 saw all sorts of trucks from German and foreign which can be fired from loaded or dismounted positions. The vehicle production. Special thanks go out to A. Verspeeten for his help with types are similar in game terms, but the recon models are a bit faster. this topic. Half-Tracks. Many German half-track units are what you might call “37mm-enhanced,” much in the way that British Sherman troops can be Firefly-enhanced. These units derive their AT rating from one to three SdKfz 251/10 (or SdKfz 250/10 in the case of recon units) in addition to the standard transport half-tracks. Two-step half-track units lose all AT capability once reduced. By this stage of the war, most SdKfz 251/1 transport half-tracks would be Ausf. D. The counter images actually show a mix of Ausf. C and D features. German Panzer HQ Units. We opted to leave out the HQ panzers, assuming that they are “rolled” into other units plus factor into the Recovery mechanic. The Regimental HQ units are also left out, as well as the HQ platoon of each battalion, except in the case of the Flakpanzer unit of each HQ platoon and the regimental HQ. SP Rockets. These two German units represent “Wurfrahmen ‘40” Pioneers. Unlike their British engineer counterparts, the German self-propelled rocket half-track units. We know that Panzer Lehr panzer pioneers were elite assault infantry, i.e., combat engineers had some of these, but we’re not sure how many or how they were equipped with close range weapons including satchel charges. The attached to the division. They were tracked as ammunition rather pioneer units have organic SdKfz 251/7 engineering half-tracks. than AFVs, which created a brick wall with respect to research. These were sometimes armed with 28mm schwere (heavy) Pan- They are not specifically mentioned in any of our sources, and the zerbüchse, but we found no evidence, photographic or otherwise, two units provided are a best guess. The total number of available that the units appearing in this game used this unusual weapon. vehicles and their effect on the battle were probably minimal. I’ve Furthermore, this weapons’ shells used tungsten in their composi- included them mainly for fun. tion, which was an increasingly rare alloy at this time of the war, normally kept for better uses. Mere days before the countersheets went to the printers, we decided to delete these weapons from the transport sides of the pioneer counters. Some of the German pioneer units had no Panzerschreck—only Panzerfaust 30 and Panzerfaust “klein,” which were primarily defensive weapons. These single-shot weapons had a range even shorter than that of the PIAT. The Germans had not received their Panzerfaust 60s yet in June ‘44.

to land in Normandy. However, in 1944 the ever-emphatic General 29.0 OB Notes Montgomery was newly appointed to command the invasion and This section covers design notes and historical notes pertaining to decided otherwise, insisting that a Regular division—the 3rd—be the units which fought in these battles. used instead. There were two factors at work here: The 49th was what was called a First Line Territorial division meaning that it was OB Research. This is one of those areas where Operation Dauntless made up from the best trained of the Territorial (comparable to U.S. was ten times more difficult and time consuming than Red Winter. National Guard) battalions of its region, but not regular; the second By early 2009 I had a workable OB for the game with which I was that the 3rd was Montgomery’s old command in the 1940 campaign. fairly happy. Shortly before adding the game to the GMT P500 list I told Andy Lewis at GMT that I estimated the game was 80% done. Just after the period covered by the game, one battalion, the 6th At the time I believed that to be true, and in a sense it was. The game Duke of Wellington’s Regiment was removed due to excessive I was making at that time was 80% complete. However, what you losses—380 men in 14 days. It was replaced by a regular battalion, have before you now is an entirely different game. While many of the 1st Leicestershire Regiment. (A scenario titled “The End of the the game’s subsystems were substituted or refined following its 6th Dukes—Stopping the Juvigny-Fontenay Gap” was removed due inclusion on the P500, the single biggest change was the OB. Many to space constraints in the Scenario Book but will likely be made excellent researchers became involved with the game at this point, available post-publication at some point.) In August, as casualties most notably Vincent Lefavrais, A. Verspeeten, and David Hughes, mounted, the entire 70th Infantry Brigade was removed and replaced all of whom had much to say about the OB. In brief, many aspects by the 56th Infantry Brigade. of my early OB were completely wrong, being based on theoretical Despite these losses, the 49th continued to fight, at Le Havre, Ni- formations that were quite different from those actually deployed, or jmegen and the Reichswald, ending the war with the advance into on erroneous data, or on my own gross misunderstandings. Sorting Holland where it liberated Amsterdam and Utrecht. In all it had out the OB and making it as accurate as possible proved a much big- taken almost 11,000 casualties, 1,642 of them killed. ger undertaking than anything I’d ever imagined. Our OB discussions 2nd Battalion, The Princess Louise’s Kensington Regiment have continued right up to now—just days before the printers. Over (a.k.a. Kensington’s or Kensington’s MG). This is a divisional the years, we have surely exchanged thousands of emails regarding machine-gun battalion with three companies of Vickers MMG (all the units involved in these battles. Without the knowledge, patience, assigned by platoon to infantry battalions) and one company of 4.2” and persistence, of the lead researchers, you would now have before heavy mortars (all assigned by platoon to the infantry brigades). In you a very different—and far inferior—simulation. game terms, the MG platoons are color-coded on their counters and The German OB is based mainly on the June 1st Ist-Gliederung organized in the OB to correspond to the infantry brigades/battalions (“as-is status report,” also commonly called the “Kriegsgliederung”) to which they are assigned, while the heavy mortar platoons are not. which is from the Bundesarchiv and shows the actual strength of Elements, 49th Regiment Reconnaissance Corps. One of the three the division at this date. It should be considered the definitive OB. recon squadrons was assigned directly to the attack—the one shown As such, it forms the foundation of the 12th SS OB for the game. in the game. Both of the other two squadrons were also involved This was supplemented by books, first-hand accounts, and primary but on the flanks, yet were also adding to the recon capability of sources too numerous to name here (see 33.0 Selected Sources). Our the division in the area of the battle. The choice we faced was to researchers were quick to point out differences between what was either show the entire regiment (which would require many more actually taking place in the field, and what was reported on paper. counters) but with strict rules on usage, or add partial elements of For example, dividing the panzers to form an additional company, the other two squadrons—the mobile elements—into the single and having fewer tanks per platoon. (Both topics are covered later squadron shown in the game. We opted to represent this disparate in these notes.) Note also that the Germans suffered many losses mass of unit types as two discrete types, lumping like with like and between June 1 and 25. They supposedly received no materials or ending up with separate counters for cars and carriers. Hence, in the men as replacements. Accounts differ on this point, but it’s at least game, the extra armored car equates to one recon section, and an safe to assume that they received very little. It’s worth noting that additional carrier in each carrier section equates to one additional we had the exact source numbers of available Panzer IVs and Pan- carrier section. Not having those additions would have made both thers for the start of Operation Dauntless. The infantry and other unit types too weak to operate by themselves. We made no attempt equipment were more nebulous and based in part on division-level to increase the AT sections since the other squadrons would need casualty figures from the time up until the start of Dauntless/Epsom. to keep all of their own. 29.1 British OB Notes 8th Armoured Brigade. The 8th Armoured Brigade was a rare type of formation. Most tank-equipped brigades had three tank 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division (a.k.a. The Polar Bears). units, equipped with either Sherman tanks for armoured brigades or The 49th gets its official title from the West Riding—one of the three Churchill tanks for tank brigades. But the 8th was different; as well chunks of the large county of Yorkshire from which some of its units as its three Sherman regiments it had a motor battalion (half-track came. Its unofficial title, the “Polar Bears,” came about because the equipped infantry) and a complete regiment of self-propelled Sexton division, still only partly trained, was assigned to northern duties, 25-pdr guns. Only one other brigade—the 4th—was organized in the part to Norway and then the entire division to Iceland. It remained same way and both brigades were, in effect, miniature armoured divi- there until relieved by the U.S. Marines. sions. It makes sense to consider both as armoured brigade groups. Back in Britain, this northern exposure led to the division being The 8th first saw action in late 1942 in Tunisia and fought until the nominated for mountain training in Scotland—not that this did any end of the North African Campaign, then returning to the UK. Each good, as in 1943 it was selected as one of the three assault divisions of its three tank regiments had a different origin. The 4th/7th Royal

Dragoon Guards was a regular unit (the “4th/7th” refers to an earlier This division was the last of the SS panzer divisions, created by the merger of the 4th Royal Irish and 7th Princess Royal’s heavy cavalry Fuhrer’s order on February 13, 1943. Initially a panzergrenadier units), the 24th Lancers one of three wartime formed “cavalry” division, on October 30, 1943, it was reorganized to a panzer divi- regiments (the other two served in India), and the Nottinghamshire sion. The division was named Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth) for the Yeomanry a territorial (in US terms, a National Guard) cavalry unit. composition of the troops—the majority of its members (soldiers as It had previously had an insulting experience for a cavalry unit, being well as non-commissioned officers) were recruited from the Hitler ordered to dismount in 1940 and serve as coast artillery gunners in Youth organization of the Nazi party and born in the first half of Crete and Tobruk. But since Yeomanry cavalry officers tended to be 1926. The officers, however, mostly originated from the 1st SS rich and influential (its subtitle was the Sherwood Rangers) it was Panzer Division “Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler” with an additional quickly remounted—if on tanks. fair number coming from the Heer (army), and were veterans with The Normandy Campaign was costly for the 8th which lost 124 of extensive Eastern Front combat experience. The division comprised its 190 tanks in the first 25 days. By July, losses were so great that one panzer regiment, two panzergrenadier regiments, one artillery its junior regiment, the 24th Lancers, had to be disbanded, replaced regiment, and one armored recon battalion. The panzergrenadier by the regular 13th/18th Hussars. In the advance after crossing the regiments included the motorized (truck-born) 25th Regiment and Seine, the 8th really shone, sharing with the equally adventurous 4th mechanized (half-track-born) 26th Regiment, but only one of the Armoured Brigade the assumed title of “Montgomery’s Greyhounds” 26th’s three panzergrenadier battalions was truly mechanized. The based on their ability to achieve sustained attacks using their integral division saw its first combat deployment in Normandy, going into infantry and artillery. action the day after D-Day (June 7, 1944) against the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division, preventing a Canadian advance to Caen and Carpiquet by the North Nova Scotia Highlanders and Sherbrooke Fusiliers, and destroying 28 Canadian tanks. On June 7, 43 Canadian POWs were executed by members of the 12th SS, earning them the hatred of the Allies. The 12th SS continued to fight in the Caen sector throughout June, repulsing Canadian and British attacks. On June 25, it was deployed in the Fontenay sector, with the 3rd Battalion of the 26th Panzergrenadier Regiment deployed in the town proper, with one panzer company (the 8th) deployed south of the town, in supporting positions, and with the divisional pioneer unit deployed in the open fields just to the east. 26th Panzergrenadier Regiment. III. (mechanized) Battalion (9/26, 10/26, 11/26, 12/26). This battalion had about 56 total SdKfz 251/1 transport half-tracks. 12th schwere (heavy) Company (12/26). Oddly, the heavy weapons company did not have any mortars, SP or otherwise. The six “Stummel” SP guns of the company were fielded as one platoon per doctrine (as described in “Merkblatt 47a/33”) and therefore appear in the game as one double-sided unit. 14th SS Flak Kompanie (14/26). We know the exact number and equipment type (12 towed 20mm flak) from our sources. We also know that some of the German AA units in the area were under orders to prepare for ground action, per Meyer. 15th SS Recon Company—Volkswagen (15/26). The Gliederung 29.2 German OB Notes does not show this company at all, but we can assume it existed from 12th SS “Hitlerjugend” (“Hitler Youth”) Panzer Division H. Meyer’s book, which even lists its leaders’ names. The book states “The SS showed that they believed that thus far, everybody had been that the Recce Coy of the 25th Panzergrenadier Rgt was equipped fighting like milkmaids.” - Lt. Rudolph Schaaf with amphibious Volkswagen Schwimmwagen cars, and then states that the 26th Rgt. had the same organization as the 25th. The KStN At the time of Operation Dauntless the 12th SS Panzer Division was (Kriegsstärkenachweisung) for a Panzer-Aufklärungskompanie one of the best equipped on the western front in terms of weapons, (Volkswagen) shows, apart from the Kübelwagen (or Schwimmwa- manpower, and tanks. What they lacked in experience they made gen), five Motorcycles, two 81mm Mortars, four HMGs, 18 LMGs, up for in sheer tenacity. The division was made up entirely of sev- seven Trucks, and 228 total men (including officers). In game terms, enteen and eighteen year old boys, apart from officers and senior the 18 LMGs give the company a total CS of roughly 6-7. I opted non-commissioned officers, earning them the nickname “the Baby to portray the company as three platoons to give them greater flex- Milk Division.” They received no tobacco or alcohol rations, getting ibility. The 4th platoon was the heavy weapons—MGs and mortars. candy and chocolate instead. But they quickly proved themselves Special thanks go to A. Verspeeten and Vincent Lefavrais for their in combat time and again as small pockets of resistance managed kind assistance in researching this topic and generating a “best guess” to stall superior British numbers. OB for this “missing” company.

16th SS Pioneer Company (16/26). The Gliederung shows two guns in this company (11 of 25 vehicles) to have a full complement HMGs and 18 LMGs. It also shows six flame-throwers, which are of SdKfz 250/9s. presumably the infantry weapon type. The regimental pioneers of 3rd & 4th (Recon) Companies (3/Auf, 4/Auf). The Gliederung 26th Regiment are not to be confused with the divisional pioneers. lists 56 MGs and this total includes the MGs mounted on the vari- There has been some popular confusion regarding the latter unit, ous half-tracks, so this leaves roughly 20 MGs to account for. This with some claiming that they were not present in Normandy, or else probably means six per infantry platoon, which leaves only two— did not exist. This is not so. The 12th SS did in fact have its Pioneer probably protection for the mortars. The Gliederung shows 32 and Battalion with it in Normandy, but it was destroyed on June 26 while 37 SdKfz 250/1 transport half-tracks in the 3rd and 4th Companies, defending Cheux and does not exist after that. On that evening, the respectively. 12th SS divisional report states, “the Pioneer Battalion should be Players will note that these units lack a red-box CS value on their considered as annihilated.” Note that this battalion does not appear loaded sides. This was intentional. Each platoon includes a SdKfz in this game, as it was located too far east. 250/8 with short-barreled 75mm gun for infantry support. I ratio- 12th SS Divisions-Begleit-Kompanie (Division Escort Com- nalized that one such vehicle would not be enough to justify an pany). This unit was in action with the Panzer Lehr Division in orange-boxed CS (like a Stummel section) but would be sufficient their efforts against the British 50th Infantry Division, off-map to to help these units avoid a red-box CS penalty when attacking into the west, during the battles portrayed in this game. The function of close terrain. The inclusion of these vehicles is also reflected in the this company was to escort the divisional staff, but it was also used relatively higher RAS ratings of the recon infantry platoons. as a last reserve and assault company for plugging holes in the line. It was carried on trucks. 12SS Panzer Regiment. Each Panzer IV tank unit represents a platoon of roughly five tanks 12th SS Armored Recon Battalion (Panzer- (12th SS) as compared to an understrength platoon of two to three Aufklärungsabteilung). tanks in Panzer Lehr. To reflect this difference in numbers, only the This battalion was the 12th SS’s only infantry reserve and began 12th SS panzer platoons are two-step units. The marginally higher the battle near Bretteville and Missy. It had suffered almost 50% CS, RAS, and Fire Control ratings of the 12SS platoons account for manpower casualties by the time of Operation Dauntless. the additional vehicles. 1st (Armored Car) Company (1/Auf). The Gliederung shows five When we examined the panzer strength of the 12th SS, we discovered SdKfz 232 (8-wheeled, 20mm gun) and six SdKfz 223 (4-wheeled, that it was at its best on June 25. The full-strength stats of all Ger- radio + MG). More cars were en route to the front, but due to de- man tanks were calculated based around the idea that they should lays they did not arrive until July. The report linked to the June 1st be determined by the average number of vehicles per platoon on the Gliederung shows that 27 “half-tracks and armored cars” are in morning of June 25. This explains why all 12th SS tank units begin “short-term (i.e. 3 week maximum) repairs” at this date. the Campaign Game at full-strength, despite the previous fighting. 2nd (“Armored Car”) Company (2/Auf). The Meldung (Strength I. Battalion (Panthers) (1/Pz12, 2/Pz12, 4/Pz12). This battalion Report) of June 1st says that the unit was still short by twelve SdKfz was an operational reserve kept near Noyers. The 1st, 2nd, and 4th 222 and six SdKfz 233. The June 1st Gliederung is very hard to Companies were present during these battles. The 3rd Company follow at this point but it seems likely that the “cars” are actually (commanded by Rudolf von Ribbentrop, the son of the German recon half-tracks—probably SdKfz 250/9 armed with 20mm guns. Foreign Minister) had suffered heavy losses in a short timespan at We know from the Gliederung that 11 of the 25 “armored cars” the beginning of the invasion. On June 14, it was ordered to cede its had 20mm guns, and all 25 had MGs. The numbers could indicate eight remaining operational tanks to the HQ, 1st and 4th Companies, two platoons of 5-6 SdKfz 250/9 each. However, it also shows 25 and its surviving crews were sent to Le Neubourg (40 km south of “light armored cars” and six “light artillery spotter vehicles” (pos- Rouen) to fill up the ranks of a new company. sibly the SdKfz 250/12 range spotting half-tracks) and 25 MG. This Panthers on June 26. Our rationale for inactive Panther platoons and last point is confusing since the vehicles with 20mm autocannon step reductions to Panthers for the June 26 scenarios is as follows. should also have MGs (the 250/9 was also equipped with either The Germans had been attacking for a couple of turns prior to the a single MG34 or MG42, for example). Since there are 25 “light beginning of these scenarios (which begin at 0700) and our sources armored cars” and 25 MGs, this leads us to believe that the MGs mentioned that one of the Panther companies started the attack with on the 20mm-armed vehicles were ignored or overlooked because two platoons, keeping the third in reserve. We felt it was likely that they were not the primary weapon, and the cited 25 MGs are the the other companies did the same. The Panthers had already been armament of the light armored cars, which are either SdKfz 250/1 or committed during the afternoon of the day before, and they had SdKfz 251/1 standard APCs, or early, obsolete, proper armored cars, been fighting for some time since dawn on June 26. The number which technically should not still be in service in June ‘44. On the of available 12th SS Panthers on June 26 was down from 44 to 37, other hand, even uniforms in the 12th SS weren’t always standard so we felt that the equivalent of seven Panthers should be removed issue, many men wearing Italian leftovers with an alternative camo from the game. Historically, 4th Company lost three Panthers (totally scheme! Improvisations to deal with shortages of materials in some knocked out) on June 25/26, while 2nd Company lost only two. The areas were rather common in 1944, also in the Waffen-SS. other two missing Panthers must have been only damaged and sent The unit counters represent a mixture of SdKfz 250/9 (with 20mm to the workshop. Based on these data and suppositions, we opted gun + MG) and SdKfz 250/5 radio vehicles. Some of the SdKfz to remove a total of three Panther steps before the start of the June 250/9 vehicles are probably actually SdKfz 250/1, since this type 26 scenarios. We decided on two steps from 4/Pz12 and 1 step from was substituted, and since we know that there are not enough 20mm 2/Pz12 because these two companies historically took the leading

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC 36 Operation Dauntless Reference Book part in the June 25 counterattack, whereas 1/Pz12 was committed in H. Meyer’s book from a platoon leader of 5th Company on June in more of a supporting role. 27, near Cheux, who says “I announced Bando’s death to [...] the two other platoon leaders…” which strongly infers only three platoons per company at this time, or at least within 5th Company. From the summer of ‘44 onward (if not sooner), the 4th platoons of 5th through 8th Companies had been concentrated into the un- authorized “9. Kompanie” for greater tactical flexibility. From the summer of ‘44 onward, TOE panzer strength dropped from 22 to 17 to even 14 in some cases. On the eve of Operation Epsom (June 26), 12th SS Panzer Regiment had a total of about 58 Mk IVs and 44 Panthers. Obviously, they had even more than this prior to Operation Dauntless since the Brits knocked out several on June 25, according to reliable accounts from both sides. According to Niklas Zetterling in his book Normandy 1944, “On June 1st, the 12SSPD had 91 combat ready Panzer IVs, with 7 in short-term repair. By June 16th this had dropped to 52, then 26 on Panzer IV tanks of the 12th SS Panzer Division in January, 1944. June 17th, 45 on June 18th. The number then increased to 59 on June 20th, 55 on June 23rd, and 58 on June 24th.” Presumably this II. Battalion (Panzers) (5/Pz12, 6/Pz12, 8/Pz12). This battalion increase was due to tanks previously listed as being in short-term comprised roughly 60-65 Panzer IVs, as a best case scenario, at the repair being reintegrated into their units; the regiment enjoyed no end of June ‘44. Dividing this between five companies with three proper tank reinforcements during these battles. At the kick-off of platoons each, we get about four tanks on average per platoon. Operation Epsom (June 26) the number of Panzer IVs was back up Early versions of the game counters had their stats based on the to 60, but then dropped to only 32 (with 22 in short-term repair) by assumption that there were four companies total (see below) with the next day! It remained at 32 on July 2. three platoons per company and an average of about 4.5 tanks per platoon. The counter stats needed to be recalculated—with CS, RAS, and FC all decreased proportionally—in light of rather compelling evidence that there were actually five companies operating at the time of Operation Dauntless. In June of 2015, a new French book by Stephan Cazenave, based on primary sources including the war diaries of the 12th SS-Panzer- Regiment and its two battalions, as well as veterans’ accounts, made it clear that, contrary to what H. Meyer’s 12th SS history recounted in vague details, the 7th Company did not take part in any of the Cristot, Boislonde, or Dauntless fighting. Like the 3rd Company (Panthers), it suffered heavy losses in the early days of the campaign, losing a great number of tanks and all its officers by June 9. On June 13, the survivors that had not been transferred to other companies as replacements were sent to the Rouen area under SS-Obersturmführer A knocked out tank of 8th Company is being towed by a British Albert Gasch to fill in their ranks; the new company wouldn’t reach Cromwell recovery vehicle. the front until July. Some last minute adjustments to unit stats and 8th (Panzer) Company (8/Pz12). Players will note that this com- scenarios were thus made necessary just before the game went to pany is the only panzer company that starts the game on-map. It print, as this change meant that the remaining panzer platoons of II. had only nine available tanks on June 19. To remove this company Battalion should represent five tanks per counter, not four. from the worst of the continuous British artillery pounding, it was The 9th Company of panzers was not included in the OB because it withdrawn on June 20 to the former II. Battalion HQ, 2.5 km south was west of Carpiquet Airfield, well off-map to the east. Therefore of Fontenay (it was too vulnerable in the town itself). However, the it is not be available to the German player in the game, even as a war diary of II./SS-Pz.Rgt. 12 shows that the panzer battalion saw Reinforcement. no combat action during the June 20-25 period, so the company The various researchers and contributors on feldgrau.net have sug- must have received some tanks back from the workshops by the gested that there may have been four platoons per company with kick-off of Dauntless. The company’s first move was to send four fewer tanks per platoon. I believe this conclusion was mainly based panzers to Fontenay to bolster the grenadiers fighting there in the on the numeric vehicle ID’s found on the tanks themselves, as vis- early morning hours of June 25. The whole company then supported ible in photographs. These ID’s can be confusing, in part because the fighting withdrawal of III./26 Panzergrenadier Battalion later that the Germans intended them to be so. For example, in a photo of a day. Players will note that the 8th Company is likely to see a lot of Panzer IV with painted ID number “837,” the ID indicates that the action in the game, as it did historically. panzer belongs to 8th Company, third platoon, and it is (interestingly) vehicle number three. Max Wünsche, Panzer-Regiment commander, ordered his tanks be numbered starting from five rather than one in order to “mask” the platoon leader’s vehicle. We found an account

12th SS Projector (Rocket) Battalion. A handful of British accounts specifically mention coming under fire from “Moaning Minnies” or some other reference to German rocket artillery on June 25-26 during Operation Dauntless. H. Meyer mentions that the first battery (only) of the 12th SS Projector Battalion arrived on the front on June 12th and was attached to one battalion (Abteilung) of the Werfer-Regiment 83 (comprising, along with the Werfer-Rgt 84, the Werfer-Brigade 7) which supported the 25th Panzergrenadier A Wirbelwind field conversion of II. Battalion. This quadruple Regiment north and northeast of Caen. Werfer-Rgt 83 later operated 20mm AA gun mounted on a Panzer IV chassis was developed against Operation Epsom. According to Zetterling, “it was not until by Karl-Wilhelm Krause for this battalion the beginning of July the entire battalion had arrived.” However, of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment. we weren’t entirely sure this ruled out the possibility that additional (but not all) batteries arrived after June 12 but before early July. II./Pz12 HQ Flak Section (HQ/II/Pz12). The Wirbelwind unit is comprised of field conversions, not production line vehicles. These 1st Platoon, 12th SS Pioneer Battalion (1/Pi12). The lack of at- had no turret armor, so the overall Armor rating was reduced to tached transport for this unit is intentional. These latecomers to the reflect this, and a special graphic (of which we are quite proud!) battle arrived on foot as reinforcements at the Ferme St-Nicolas was created by Charlie Kibler. There were no true Wirbelwinds in during the June 25/26 night. Their company, as well as the rest of Normandy at this point. the pioneer battalion, was posted on the frontlines just off-map to the east, where they would be annihilated on the following day, 12th SS Panzer Artillery Regiment. during the Epsom offensive. The Gliederung gives us a complete picture of the number of artillery in this regiment, but the number of artillery which were Panzer Lehr Division actually supporting the on-map 12th SS units is only a fraction It’s worth noting that the Panzer Lehr OB, more so than the 12th SS of this total. By carefully comparing the Gliederung to accounts OB, contains several units that did not take part in the June 25-27 from primary sources, we were able to take an educated guess as fighting but might have done so had the British pressed harder on to how many units from this regiment should appear in the game, this front. Historically, the British left the Panzer Lehr pretty much and at what times on what dates. The OB in the Reynolds book undisturbed on June 26-27 rather than shuffling units to this front shows three batteries of SP artillery and two of towed, while Kurt to take advantage of a weaker resistance there. Even the earliest Meyer states just the opposite (two and three). Hubert Meyer says playtests of the Campaign Game revealed a conundrum: The British that four six-gun batteries (one self-propelled 105mm Wespe, one player, having a much clearer understanding of the forces opposing self-propelled 150mm Hummel, and two towed 105mm) from two him on both fronts, was likely to put more pressure on the weaker artillery battalions were located near Cheux, 500 meters southwest Panzer Lehr front than his historical counterpart (see Historical of the church. The I. (self-propelled) Battalion also comprised a 1st Notes for 18.14 for more details). This presented an interesting battery consisting of six Wespe SP guns, but per Meyer’s account, design challenge: maintaining game balance and historical realism this battery was located elsewhere and thus it does not appear in the without somehow tying the hands of the British player. One way of game. The II. (towed) Battalion consisted of three batteries of six handling this was to allow for a greater variety of Panzer Lehr units each 105mm light field howitzers, towed by tractors. Kurt Meyer as reinforcements—units that were situated just off-map or in reserve mentions that II. Battalion was located to the east near Cheux, then during the dates gamed. These units—namely, the Jagdpanthers of when Epsom was launched it pulled back to the Salbey sector (just 2/654 and a number of the understrength Panzer IV platoons of 7/ southeast of Cheux), and on June 27th, it supported the fighting at Pz130 and 8/Pz130—did not participate in the fighting on these dates Rauray but then ran out of ammo. III. Battalion (150mm howitzers and in the area of our map, but were available. If the British player and 105mm field guns) was not in support of the Dauntless sector, presses the attack in the Panzer Lehr sector the German player can and does not appear in the game. commit these units just as his historical counterpart likely would have done.

able Jagdpanthers available. On June 29, the company passed under control of XLVII Panzerkorps, without having been engaged. Had they started moving to their staging area earlier, instead of waiting for stragglers and getting a new camouflage finish, the Jagdpanthers might have been in a position to intervene against the British as early as the afternoon of June 25, if the German command had recognized a need to do so. Making them available on the battlefield helps address a balancing issue in favor of the British, since the British player knows the strength and makeup of the Panzer Lehr line, and he knows that it is the “weak link” in the German defenses. Our researchers felt that a possible June 25-26 entry for the Jag- dpanthers could be justified in any of several ways. For example, OB West might have made the recommendation sooner, or even 9th Flak Company (9/901). This company was the 901’s regimental commanded rather than recommended the transfer, possibly even AA company. It comprised three sections: one with two SdKfz 7/1 earmarking the unit for priority. Similarly, the unit might have been (Flakvierling quad 20mm mounted on a SdKfz 7 half-track), and sent to Panzer Lehr from the get-go—quite justifiable considering two with four each SdKfz 10/4 or 10/5 (20mm Flak 30 or Flak 38 the length of the Lehr’s front lines and its heavy infantry losses in on SdKfz 10 half-tracks); given the division’s creation date, it was the early June fighting. Purists are welcome to delay the Jagdpan- probably equipped with the latter, but the counter art depicts the thers’ entry until June 27; their commitment requires a voluntary former. Since more than half of the 901st Regiment is fighting in expenditure of Reinforcement Points, after all. the game area, we felt there was a strong probability that some or The Jagdpanther (“hunting panther”) was a new AFV model with even most of this company was engaged on-map. I added them to a number of teething problems, and prone to breakdowns, as the the counter mix as much for fun as to bolster Lehr’s AA defense historical march illustrated. We felt that making all eight vehicles and ground attack, choosing to portray two of the three sections. available for the game was too much of a stretch. This is also reflected in the staggering of their availability over the course of the 992nd Heavy Artillery Battalion. These 152mm guns are captured game. Historically, these powerful tank destroyers were used in the Soviet weapons, considered to be superior to the standard German field in the same manner as the Tigers: as “fire brigades” reacting to 150mm howitzers. enemy armored thrusts where they most threatened the thin German lines, so we felt that two-vehicle units were the best way to depict them. Their long 88s (8.8cm KwK 43 L/71) were superior to the Tiger’s short 88 (KwK 36 L/56) with a higher initial velocity of 1,100m/s. Additionally, the crew of the 654th were veterans from Russia; this helped with regards to the units’ FC ratings by partially counterbalancing the Jagdpanther’s lack of a turret.

Jagdpanthers of the Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 654. Pumas. The SdKfz 234/2 Puma entered production in late ‘43. Only 654th Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion (2/654). At the time of 101 of these heavy armored cars were produced, and our research D-Day, the schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 654 was based at the could account for the delivery of all but six of these. Panzer Lehr tank training facility in Mailly-le-Camp, about 100 km east of Division received 20 of them, six of which are represented in the Paris. On June 12, OB West recommended a company with the only game. There are at least four pieces of circumstantial evidence that eight available Jagdpanthers to be sent to StuG-Brigade 902 in the the 12th SS eventually received Pumas, including a July photo, a Valognes area, south of Cherbourg. But this recommendation was November OB showing four Pumas in the HQ Company of the overcome by events and, while in Argentan on June 19, the company Panzer-Aufklärungsabteilung, and a painting of the 12th SS with a was attached to the Panzer Lehr Division by order of the 7th Army. Puma, but the division had no Pumas in June of ‘44. Generalleutnant Bayerlein authorized two days of maintenance for the company to catch their breath; but it was four days before it 21st Panzer Division moved to Falaise (a 22-km trip) on the evening of June 23, then to The lower CS ratings of the 21PD infantry companies are attributed Bonnemaison southeast of Villers-Bocage (35 km) during the night to two factors. Per Heimdal 21PD history, the two companies fighting of June 24/25, and finally to Épinay-sur-Odon (10 km) on the evening with Panzer Lehr were weakened by the previous weeks of fighting of June 25, with only two Jagdpanthers reaching the area. A third and were understrength. The infantry component of 12th SS, Panzer arrived on the morning of June 26, and June 27 saw five service- © 2015 GMT Games, LLC Operation Dauntless Reference Book 39

Lehr, and 21PD Panzergrenadier Companies all had 18 LMGs per company. But the Panzer Lehr companies, as well as the III./26 companies, being equipped with half-tracks, had about two dozen more mounted on their vehicles (unlike the truck-borne companies of 21PD) and routinely dismantled some of them to bolster the Panzergrenadiers on the frontlines. French Half-Tracks (HT/1/192). This independent transport unit is comprised of captured and modified French Unic P107 half-track tractors. The Germans armored some of these to serve as infantry carriers, giving them the “leichte SPW U304 (f)” designation (leichte = light); a number were equipped with 37mm PaK 36 AT guns, to serve as platoon leader vehicles, and were simply named “SPW U304 (f) mit 3.7cm PaK 36.” Thus, HT/1/192 was equipped with both SPW U304 (f) and SPW U304 (f) with 37mm PaK 36. The picture on the counter mistakenly shows a different captured French Luftwaffe Units half-track model, the SPW S307 (f), as our “best guess” at the time (2/Flak12). The lone on-map 88mm flak unit comprises four 88mm the counters were created had led us to believe that this was most guns and three 20mm guns. Originally we rated it the same as the likely the model used. By the time we had the new information, 20mm flak units, on the assumption that the bigger guns would have it was too late to change the artwork. The two models look quite been too unwieldy to effectively engage low-flying Allied fighter- similar at the size they are portrayed on the counter, so I’m not too bombers. However, while researching the German use of 88mm worried about it. guns as artillery support, we found the following: “The close-range 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion. fire of heavy AA batteries (i.e., the rapid fire of several groups, with The presence of Tigers at these battles is clearly documented, but fuses set for this purpose, as a rule to 700 meters) against low-flying the number of them engaged has been the subject of much debate. aircraft attacking these batteries also proved successful. Aircraft We know from German sources and British photographic evidence were even shot down, which was hardly to be expected from this that a handful were at the battles, but the exact number that actually type of firing.” We deemed this grounds for a one point increase to saw combat was probably minimal, seeing as no Tiger managed to the flak rating of this unit. reach the 12th SS counterattack start line in time at dawn on June 26, as ordered, as well as how the battalion’s westernmost company at the time, the 3./101, was ordered to the Grainville area by mid-day 30.0 Historical Notes on June 26 to oppose the Scottish thrust toward the Odon. Operation Dauntless was an ambitious British offensive that was The British certainly claimed to have fought a large number of both a failure and a success. It failed to meet its 24-hour timeline these monsters, but gamers should keep in mind that these battles for capturing the high ground near Rauray prior to the kick-off of took place soon after the infamous Villers-Bocage incident, where the larger Operation Epsom, over open ground just to the east, but a dozen Tigers, among them Michael Wittmann’s, stopped cold the it succeeded in tying down a number of powerful German panzer progress of the 22nd Armoured Brigade in a battle whose beginning divisions. has often been likened to a “turkey shoot.” It is likely that the Tiger’s reputation had spread out of control at this point, causing the Panzer Two and a half weeks after D-Day (June 6, 1944), the British VIII IV, with its blocky silhouette, to be mistaken for the feared Tiger. Corps was in a position to outflank Caen—nicknamed the “anvil of victory”—via an offensive into the Odon Valley west of the city. The Existing pictures reveal that each company had at least one Tiger capture of Caen would allow a unified Allied front to protect the flank operating in the Dauntless sector during the dates gamed: Tiger 334 of the US First Army and form a jumping-off point for the capture (3rd Company) was disabled in Rauray; Tiger 114 (1st Company) of Falaise. The British 3rd Infantry Division had driven on Caen on was captured, in working order, by the British; and another Tiger, June 6 but was halted by the 21st Panzer Division. The next day, a without visible turret numbers but whose battalion emblem’s loca- pincer attack on the city was attempted (Operation Perch) but was tion on the front hull is characteristic of the 2nd Company, was also halted by the 21st Panzer and Panzer Lehr Divisions. A fresh advance knocked out in the Rauray spur area. We reasoned that four to six east of Caen by the 3rd Canadian Division on June 11 was met and Tigers was a reasonable number to include in the game, as much checked by the recently arrived 12th SS Panzer Division. The British for fun and variety as anything else, and so included a total of three 7th Armoured Division exploited a gap and captured Villers-Bocage sections (of two Tigers each) in the game but left it up to the German but was forced to withdraw after a costly counterattack. VIII Corps player as to how many should be committed and when. next planned to outflank Caen from the east (Operation Dreadnought) but violent storms in the English Channel delayed the Allied effort by postponing three British divisional disembarkations; that offensive was cancelled. The storms also grounded Allied aircraft and allowed two more German divisions to reach Normandy, while the 21st Panzer and Panzer Lehr Divisions fortified their defensive positions via trenches and minefields. Operation Epsom, an offensive across the open ground west of Caen and into the wooded Odon River Valley, was scheduled for

June 26. But for Epsom to succeed, XXX Corps needed to capture the Rauray spur on the day prior. This spur consisted of the high ground to the west of Operation Epsom and offered the Germans a commanding view of the wide-open Epsom battlefield. If the spur remained in German hands on June 26, hellish fire from German artillery, mortars, and 88mm guns could be directed upon the advancing troops of VIII Corps. The 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division, also known as “the Polar Bears,” had the unenviable goal of capturing the Rauray spur in just over 24 hours. This three-phase offensive (the phases of which were code-named “Barracuda,” “Walrus,” and “Albacore”) was named “Operation Dauntless” at the time of the battles but it has become more commonly known as “Operation Martlet” by most historians since. Both Martlet and Epsom were named after English horse racing tracks—the idea being to choose code names that gave the Germans as little clue as possible as to the nature of the operations in the event that British plans were intercepted. The Polar Bears’ attack at dawn on June 25 was supported by the Sherman tanks of the 8th Armoured Brigade as well as the “funnies” (specialized tanks) of the 79th Armoured Division, the 49th’s own divisional artillery, an additional field artillery regiment, a battery of M10 Achilles tank destroyers, and five VIII Corps field artillery regiments. The attack began across open ground with two infantry brigades up front and one in reserve, and was directed into the breach between two German Panzer Divisions. On the west, 31.0 Mapmaker’s Notes opposite the Hallamshire and Lincolnshire Battalions of the British The mapmaking process for Operation Dauntless is noteworthy in 146th Brigade, the Panzer Lehr Division held the far bank of the two areas. Bordel River—actually just a small stream but swollen from the storm. Panzer Lehr controlled the area around Juvigny-sur-Seulles, First, the large hexscale has allowed us to implement detailed the hilltop wood near Tessel, and Bas de Fontenay (lower Fontenay). contours in addition to the slope hexsides used for the game itself. On the east, opposite the Royal Scots Fusiliers Battalion of the 147th Observant players will note the entire hexgrid is slightly displaced Infantry Brigade, the 3rd Battalion of the 12th SS Panzer Division over the map—this displacement follows the gentle contours of the had taken up positions in Fontenay-le-Pesnel and the open fields to area’s elevation; you will see it particularly in valleys, such as the the east. Both German divisions were well-equipped and formidable river cut around Hex 0215. adversaries but they had suffered heavy losses since the D-Day Second, the available source material for the area is exceptional. invasion and were now tired. Thanks to aerial reconnaissance flights the week before the battle, For notes pertaining to the individual phases of Operation Daunt- we have stunning photographic imagery of the entire field, down to less as well as the preliminary battles for Cristot and Le Parc de individual trees. The map could easily have been made with perfect Boislonde (June 16-20), see the Historical Notes for the individual detail, but ultimately of course the needs of the game must take scenarios in sections 18.1-18.16 of the Scenario Book. precedence. I have, however, maintained exact detail in the “lesser” The Polar Bears were met with staunch resistance and did not capture map elements; this being the precise location of the fields and their the Rauray spur on June 25. In fact, it took four days of heavy fight- planted/fallow status, the orchards (where they intersect precisely ing before it was finally wrestled from the Germans. (Incidentally, with the game’s heavy bocage hexes), and the hedgerows (where many text books refer to June 25 (only) as “Operation Martlet” and they intersect with any bocage hex). The “greater” elements on the to subsequent days as “Epsom actions in the Martlet sector.”) Both map (woods, rivers, bridges, buildings, and roads) are shown at a operations—Dauntless and Epsom—failed to achieve their goals much-exaggerated scale for clarity of gameplay. but succeeded in diverting the German panzer strength from the Whilst Mark Mokszycki and I did much of the initial map work, Allied beachheads further west. Dauntless diverted the main panzer and I of course created the final map, I would be remiss not to give strength of the 12th SS and allowed Operation Epsom to attain its special thanks to Vincent Lefavrais and Antonio Pinar Peña. Vincent first day objectives. guided Mark and I through precise terrain details, and even went so The Polar Bears would hold their line around Rauray throughout far as to visit the battlefield and provide reports. Antonio’s work in the remainder of June and most of July, successfully defending maintaining a gameplay map throughout playtesting gave invaluable against multiple German counterattacks by the newly arrived II. help through the middle of the process. We’re all quite proud of this SS-Panzer-Korps. map, and hope it’s a pleasure to play on... Until next time, Mark Mahaffey

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC Operation Dauntless Reference Book 41 32.0 Order of Battle 218th Anti-Tank Battery, RA • 218 AT Anti-Tank Troop (4 x 17-pounder AT gun with attached When listing the number of weapons per unit, the format “9+3” is Crusader Tractor towing vehicles) sometimes used, where the “+3” refers to those weapons carried • 218 AT Anti-Tank Troop (as above) by the officers. 147th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier E. R. Mahoney; 32.1 British OB Brigadier H. Woods after July 4) Compared to the Germans, the British forces stuck more closely to 11th Battalion, The Royal Scots Fusiliers (RSF) their theoretical OB and were therefore a bit easier to research. One (RSF; as Linc above) of the bigger challenges was keeping track of which tank squadrons and MG companies were assigned to which infantry battalions, and 6th Battalion, The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment (6th Dukes) which supporting units were on-call, for the various phases of the (6DWR; as Linc above) operation. The SMG model is not shown for infantry units; by this time most were Stens but some still carried Thompsons or even 7th Battalion, The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment (7th Dukes) Lanchesters. British Assets are not included in this OB. (7DWR; as Linc above) 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division, Associated Units a.k.a. “The Polar Bears” ‘B’ Company, 2nd Battalion, Kensington’s (Major General E. H. “Bubbles” Barker) • B/Ken Machine Gun Platoon (4 x Vickers MMG with attached 146th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier J. F. Walker) Universal Carriers; attached to RSF) • B/Ken Machine Gun Platoon (as above; attached to 6DWR) 4th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment (Lincolns) • B/Ken Machine Gun Platoon (as above; attached to 7DWR) • A/Linc Infantry Company (5 officers, 122 men, theoretically armed with 72 x bolt-action rifle, ~20 x SMG, 9+1 x Bren 143rd Field Regiment, RA LMG, 6 x 2” mortar, 3 x PIAT) • 143FR Gunner Battery, assigned to RSF (8 x 25-pounder field • B/Linc Infantry Company (as above) gun) • C/Linc Infantry Company (as above) • 143FR Gunner Battery, assigned to 6DWR (as above) • D/Linc Infantry Company (as above) • 143FR Gunner Battery, assigned to 7DWR (as above) • Mtr/Linc Mortar Platoon (6 x 3” Mortar with attached Mortar 219th Anti-Tank Battery, RA Carriers) • 219 AT Anti-Tank Troop (4 x 17-pounder AT gun with attached • AT/Linc Anti-Tank Platoon (6 x 6-pounder AT gun with Crusader tractors) attached towing Loyd Carriers) • 219 AT Anti-Tank Troop (as above) • CP/Linc Carrier Platoon (63 men armed with 13 x Bren LMG, 3 x PIAT, with 13 Bren Carriers) 70th Infantry Brigade 4th Battalion, The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (Brigadier E. C. Cookir-Collis) (KOYLI) 1st Battalion, The Tyneside Scottish (Tyne Scots) (KOYLI; as Linc above) (TS; as Linc above) Hallamshire Battalion, the York and Lancaster Regiment 10th Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry (10th DLI) (Hallams) (10DLI; as Linc above) (Hal; as Linc above) 11th Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry (11th DLI) Associated Units (11DLI; as Linc above) ‘A’ Company, 2nd Battalion, The Princess Louise’s Kensington Machine Gun Regiment (Kensington’s) Associated Units • A/Ken Machine Gun Platoon (4 x Vickers MMG with attached ‘C’ Company, 2nd Battalion, Kensington’s Universal Carriers; attached to Linc) • C/Ken Machine Gun Platoon (4 x Vickers MMG with attached • A/Ken Machine Gun Platoon (as above; attached to KOYLI) Universal Carriers; attached to TS) • A/Ken Machine Gun Platoon (as above; attached to Hal) • C/Ken Machine Gun Platoon (as above; attached to 10DLI) 69th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (RA) • C/Ken Machine Gun Platoon (as above; attached to 11DLI) • 69FR Gunner Battery, assigned to Linc (8 x 25-pounder field 217th Anti-Tank Battery, RA gun) • 217 AT Anti-Tank Troop (4 x 17-pounder AT gun with attached • 69FR Gunner Battery, assigned to KOYLI (as above) Crusader tractors) • 69FR Gunner Battery, assigned to Hal (as above) • 217 AT Anti-Tank Troop (as above)

185th Field Regiment, RA Elements, 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards Tanks (RDG) • 185FR Gunner Battery, assigned to TS (8 x 25-pounder field ‘B’ Squadron (Duplex-Drive) gun) • B/RDG HQ Troop (4 x Sherman III) • 185FR Gunner Battery, assigned to 10DLI (as above) • B/RDG DD Troop (4 x Sherman II DD) • 185FR Gunner Battery, 11DLI (as above) • B/RDG DD Troop (as above) Divisional Troops, 49th Division • B/RDG DD Troop (as above) Elements, 49th Regiment Reconnaissance • B/RDG DD Troop (as above) Corps (Rec) ‘C’ Squadron (Duplex-Drive) Note: This squadron is shown with some assets transferred from the (C/RDG; as B/RDG above) other squadrons that operated on the flanks of the division. AA/RDG Self-propelled Anti-Aircraft Troop (6 x Crusader III AA 3rd Troop (Armored Cars) Mk III) • AC/Rec Armored Car Troop (4 x Humber armored car) Nottinghamshire “Sherwood Rangers” Yeomanry 4th, 5th, and 6th Troops (Scout Carriers) Tanks (SRY) • S/Rec Scout Platoon (21 men armed with 9 x Bren LMG, 9 ‘A’ Squadron (Firefly-enhanced) x SMG, 1 x PIAT, 3 x 2” mortar, with 7 scout carriers and 2 • A/SRY HQ Troop (4 x Sherman III) Humber III light reconnaissance cars; integral armored cars have been separated out) • A/SRY Firefly-enhanced Troop (1 x VC Firefly and 3 x Sherman III) • S/Rec Scout Platoon (as above) • A/SRY Firefly-enhanced Troop (as above) • S/Rec Scout Platoon (as above) • A/SRY Firefly-enhanced Troop (as above) 7th Troop (Anti-Tank) • A/SRY Firefly-enhanced Troop (as above) • AT/Rec Anti-Tank Platoon (6 x 6-pounder AT gun with attached Loyd Carriers) ‘B’ Squadron (Duplex-Drive) • AT/Rec Anti-Tank Platoon (as above) • B/SRY HQ Troop (4 x Sherman III) • B/SRY DD Troop (4 x Sherman II DD) 49th Division Associated Units • B/SRY DD Troop (as above) ‘D’ Company, The Kensington Machine Gun Regiment • B/SRY DD Troop (as above) • D/Ken Mortar Platoon (4 x 4.2” heavy mortar with 8 x attached Mortar Carriers + 8 x Ammo Carriers) • B/SRY DD Troop (as above) • D/Ken Mortar Platoon (as above) ‘C’ Squadron (Duplex-Drive) • D/Ken Mortar Platoon (as above) (C/SRY; as B/SRY above) • D/Ken Mortar Platoon (as above) AA/SRY Self-propelled Anti-Aircraft Troop (6 x Crusader III AA Mk III) 8th Armoured Brigade 12th King’s Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) (Brigadier Bernard Cracroft) Note: The scout platoons, having different equipment, are shown 24th Lancers Tanks (24L) separately from their infantry companies. ‘A’ Squadron (Firefly-enhanced) • A/KRRC Rifle Company (minus the scout platoon; 7 officers, 168 men with 102 rifles, ~21 x SMG, 12 x Bren LMG, 6 x • A/24L HQ Troop (4 x Sherman III) PIAT, 6 x 2” mortar) • A/24L Firefly-enhanced Troop (1 x VC Firefly and 3 x Sherman • B/KRRC Rifle Company (as above) III) • C/KRRC Rifle Company (as above) • A/24L Firefly-enhanced Troop (as above) • HT/KRRC (12-14 x M3 and/or M5 Half-Track, plus possibly • A/24L Firefly-enhanced Troop (as above) one scout car for the second-in-command) • A/24L Firefly-enhanced Troop (as above) • HT/KRRC (as above) ‘B’ Squadron (Firefly-enhanced) • HT/KRRC (as above) (B/24L; as ‘A’ Squadron, above) • MG/KRRC Machine Gun Platoon (4 x Vickers MMG, with 8 x carrier transport, 1 x PIAT) ‘C’ Squadron (Firefly-enhanced) • MG/KRRC (as above) (C/24L; as ‘A’ Squadron, above) • AT/KRRC Anti-Tank Troop (4 x 6-pdr AT gun with attached AA/24L Self-propelled Anti-Aircraft Troop (6 x Crusader III AA Loyd Carriers) Mk III) • AT/KRRC (as above)

• AT/KRRC (as above) 220th Anti-Tank Battery, RA • S/KRRC Scout Platoon (38 men with 12 x Bren LMG, ~11 x • 220 AT Anti-Tank Troop (4 x 17-pounder AT guns with SMG, 3 x PIAT, 3 x 2” mortar, with 11 scout carriers and one attached Crusader tractors) scout car). • 220 AT Anti-Tank Troop (as above) • S/KRRC Scout Platoon (as above) • 220 AT Anti-Tank Troop (4 x 6-pdr AT guns with attached Loyd • K/KRRC Scout Platoon (as above) Carriers) • Mtr/KRRC Mortar Platoon (6 x 3” Mortar with attached Mortar (Not shown: Assets, Royal Artillery and Royal Air Force) Carriers—actually converted mortar sections) Note: These were three company-level mortar sections, but in the 32.2 German OB game they are fielded as a composite unit for simplicity, effectiveness, and reduction of counter clutter. The reader should be aware that the manpower figures listed in the following OB are for full-strength formations. By June 25, depleted 147th Field Regiment, RA (Essex Yeomanry) by the previous weeks of fighting, the 12th SS Panzergrenadier • 147FR SP Battery (8 x Sexton II SP 25-pounder gun) companies were down 1/4 to 1/3 from initial strength, and the Panzer-Aufklärungsabteilung had suffered nearly 50% casualties. • 147FR SP Battery (as above) The figures for the infantry companies were calculated by totaling • 147FR SP Battery (as above) the personnel and weapons of the infantry platoons, AT half-squad, and HQ squad, excluding the weapons mounted on vehicles, since Other Supporting Elements these are specifically mentioned with the vehicles. Auxiliary units 79th Armoured Division “Funnies” such as supply, maintenance, and train were ignored. Infantry MGs (Major-General Sir Percy Hobart) and LMGs were a mixture of MG34s and MG 42s; the model is not specified in the Gliederung, but there were probably many 6th Assault Regiment, 1st Assault Brigade more of the newer MG42 as Panzer Lehr and 12th SS were two of Elements, 82nd Assault Squadron the best-equipped German divisions on the western front. Infantry • 82/RE AVRE Troop (6 x Churchill AVRE with 290mm Petard units were equipped with variable quantities of Panzerfäuste and/ spigot mortar + MG) or Panzerschreck. For record-keeping purposes, the Panzerschreck was considered a weapon and the Panzerfaust an expendable ammo • 82/RE (as above) type (like its predecessor, the magnetic hollow-charge AT mine), • 82/RE (as above) yet the reporting of both types wasn’t always consistent. Vehicle • 82/RE (as above) units—and panzer platoons in particular—are listed at their actual strength in number of vehicles, in so far as we could determine, at th 30 Armoured Brigade the start of June 25. Elements, 22nd Dragoons th • B/22D Sherman Crab Troop (5 x Sherman V Crab) Elements, 12 SS Panzer Division • B/22D (as above) “Hitlerjugend” (Standartenführer Kurt “Panzermeyer” Meyer) 31st Tank Brigade Elements, 26th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment Elements, Royal Armoured Corps (Standartenführer Wilhelm Mohnke) • 141 RAC Crocodile Troop (3 x Churchill Crocodile flame- Elements, HQ Company thrower tank) • FL/26 Panzerflamm Section (2 x SdKfz 251/16 • 141 RAC Crocodile Troop (as above) “Flammpanzerwagen” half-track with dual flame-thrower + Royal Marines MG) • FL/26 Panzerflamm Section(as above) Elements, Royal Marines Armoured Support Group • FL/26 Panzerflamm Section(as above) • RMASG Centaur CS Tank Troop (4 x Centaur IV amphibious close support tank) • AT/26 Towed Anti-Tank Platoon (3 x 75mm Pak 40 AT gun, with organic SdKfz 251/1 towing half-tracks with MG) • RMASG (as above) • RMASG (as above) IIIrd Battalion (armored) (Sturmbannführer Erich Olboeter) Royal Artillery 9th (Panzergrenadier) Company 146th Anti-Tank Battery (Self-Propelled) (Obersturmführer Bruno Zantop, KIA June 17; • 146 AT SP Anti-Tank Troop (4 x M10 Achilles SP 17-pounder Untersturmführer Gerhard Sentke) tank destroyer) • 9/26 Panzergrenadier Infantry Company (139 combat troops • 146 AT SP Anti-Tank Troop (as above) armed with rifles, SMGs and 19 x LMG) • 146 AT SP Anti-Tank Troop (as above) • MG/9/26 Machine Gun Platoon (4 x MG42 HMG; actually two sections of 2 x HMG each)

• HT/9/26 Half-tracks (15 x SdKfz 251/1 half-track transport • 15/26 Recon Infantry Platoon (as above) with MG, 3 x SdKfz 251/10 half-track with 37mm gun + MG) • MG/15/26 Machine Gun Platoon (4 x MG42 HMG, with • SP/9/26 Self-Propelled Gun Section (2 x SdKfz 251/9 organic Schwimmwagen amphibious car transports; actually “Stummel” (“Stump”) half-track with short-barreled 75mm gun two sections of 2 x HMG each) + MG) • Mtr/15/26 Mortar Section (2 x 81mm GrW 34 mortar, with 10th (Panzergrenadier) Company (Untersturmführer Helmut organic truck transports) Mader, WIA June 18; Obersturmführer Wolfgang Hopf, KIA 16th (Pioneer) Company June 25; Untersturmführer Jürgen Gädertz, WIA June 25; (Obersturmführer Herbert Trompke, MIA June 18) Oberscharführer Gerhard Fritzsche) • 16/26 Pioneer Platoon (56 combat troops armed with rifles and (10/26; as 9/26 above) 3 x LMG, with organic truck transports) 11th (Panzergrenadier) Company (Untersturmführer • 16/26 Pioneer Platoon (as above) Karlfried Burkhardt, WIA June 19; Obersturmführer Willi • 16/26 Pioneer Platoon (as above) Latter, WIA June 26; Obersturmführer Peter Holl) • MG/16/26 Machine Gun Section (2 x MG42 HMG with (11/26; as 9/26 above) organic truck transports) • Mtr/16/26 Mortar Section (2 x 81mm GrW 34 mortar with 12th (Panzergrenadier Heavy Weapons) Company organic truck transports) (Hauptsturmführer Josef Riede; Untersturmführer Manfred Buse, KIA June 27; Oberscharführer Joachim Wimmer) Elements, 12th SS Panzer Regiment • Pi/12/26 Pioneer Platoon (53 combat troops armed with rifles, (Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche) SMGs and 7 x LMG, with 6 x organic SdKfz 251/7 engineer Elements, HQ Company (Hauptsturmführer Georg Isecke) half-track transports with MG) • HQ/Pz12 Flakpanzer Platoon (6 x Flakpanzer 38(t) anti-aircraft • AT/12/26 Towed Anti-Tank Platoon (3 x 75mm Pak 40 AT gun, vehicles with 20mm Flak 38 gun) with organic SdKfz 251/1 towing half-tracks with MG) st • IG/12/26 Towed Infantry Gun Section (2 x 75mm leIG 18 IG, Elements, I Battalion (Sturmbannführer Arnold Jürgensen) with organic SdKfz 251/1 towing half-tracks with MG) Elements, HQ Company (Untersturmführer Heinz Schröder) • SP/12/26 Self-Propelled Gun Platoon (6 x SdKfz 251/9 • HQ/I/Pz12 Flakpanzer Platoon (6 x Flakpanzer 38(t) anti- “Stummel” half-track with short-barreled 75mm gun + MG) aircraft vehicles with 20mm Flak 38 gun) Composite unit: 1st Company (Hauptsturmführer Kurt-Anton Berlin) • Mtr/III/26 self-propelled mortars (6 x 81mm GrW 34 mortars, • 1/Pz12 Panther Platoon (about 4 Panther Ausf. A or G) with 6 x organic SdKfz 251/2 half-track mortar carrier with • 1/Pz12 Panther Platoon (as above) MG—2 each from 9th, 10th, and 11th Companies) • 1/Pz12 Panther Platoon (as above) Note: These were three company-level sections, but in the game they are fielded as a single battalion-level unit, for simplicity, effective- 2nd Company (Obersturmführer Helmut Gaede) ness, and reduction of counter clutter. • 2/Pz12 Panther Platoon (about 4 Panther Ausf. A or G) • 2/Pz12 Panther Platoon (as above) Regimental Companies • 2/Pz12 Panther Platoon (as above) 13th (Heavy Infantry Gun) Company (Obersturmführer Polanski) 4th Company (Leutnant Erich Pohl) • 13/26 Towed Infantry Gun Platoon (3 x 150mm sIG 33 heavy • 4/Pz12 Panther Platoon (about 4 Panther Ausf. A or G) IG, with organic SdKfz 10 half-track prime movers, and 3-4 • 4/Pz12 Panther Platoon (as above) supporting LMGs) • 4/Pz12 Panther Platoon (as above) • 13/26 Towed Infantry Gun Platoon (as above) nd 14th (Flak) Company (Hauptsturmführer Martin Stolze) Elements, II Battalion (Sturmbannführer Karl-Heinz Prinz) • 14/26 Towed Flak Platoon (4 x 20mm Flak 38 anti-aircraft gun, with organic Steyr 1500A towing light trucks and 1-2 Elements, HQ Company supporting LMGs) (Hauptsturmführer Josef Pezdeuscheg) • 14/26 Towed Flak Platoon (as above) • HQ/II/Pz12 Flakpanzer Platoon (3 x Wirbelwind (“Whirlwind”) field conversion anti-aircraft vehicles with quadruple 20mm • 14/26 Towed Flak Platoon (as above) Flakvierling 38 gun) 15th (Recon) Company (Oberleutnant Bayer) 5th Company (Obersturmführer Helmut Bando, KIA June 27; • 15/26 Recon Infantry Platoon (46 combat troops armed Untersturmführer Karl-Heinz Porsch) with rifles and 6 x LMG, with 12 x organic Schwimmwagen • 5/Pz12 Panzer Platoon (about 5 Panzer IV, mostly Ausf. H) amphibious car transport) • 5/Pz12 Panzer Platoon (as above) • 15/26 Recon Infantry Platoon (as above) • 5/Pz12 Panzer Platoon (as above) © 2015 GMT Games, LLC Operation Dauntless Reference Book 45

6th Company (Hauptsturmführer Ludwig Ruckdeschel, WIA 3rd (Recon) Company (Obersturmführer Gunther Keue) June 26; Untersturmführer Helmut Buchwald) • 3/Auf Recon Infantry Platoon (41 combat troops armed with • 6/Pz12 Panzer Platoon (about 5 Panzer IV, mostly Ausf. H) rifles, SMGs and 6 x LMG, with 7 x organic SdKfz 250/1 • 6/Pz12 Panzer Platoon (as above) half-track transports with MG, 1 x SdKfz 250/8 half-track with short-barreled 75mm gun + MG) • 6/Pz12 Panzer Platoon (as above) • 3/Auf Recon Infantry Platoon (as above) 8th Company (Obersturmführer Hans Siegel, WIA June 27; • 3/Auf Recon Infantry Platoon (as above) Obersturmführer Herbert Höfler) • MG/3/Auf Machine Gun Platoon (4 x MG42 HMG, with • 8/Pz12 Panzer Platoon (about 5 Panzer IV, mostly Ausf. H) organic SdKfz 250/1 half-track transports with MG; actually • 8/Pz12 Panzer Platoon (as above) two sections of 2 x HMG each) • 8/Pz12 Panzer Platoon (as above) 4th (Recon) Company (Obersturmführer Heinz Beiersdorf) Elements, 12th SS Armored Artillery Regiment • 4/Auf Recon Infantry Platoon (as 3/Auf above) (Obersturmbannführer Fritz Schröder) • 4/Auf Recon Infantry Platoon (as above) Elements, Ist Battalion (self-propelled) • 4/Auf Recon Infantry Platoon (as above) (Sturmbannführer Erich Urbanitz) Note: This company did not have its complement of HMGs. • 2/Art12 Self-Propelled Artillery Battery (6 x Wespe (“Wasp”) 5th (Recon Heavy Weapons) Company artillery vehicle with 105mm leFH 18 howitzer) (Hauptsturmführer Gerd Freiherr von Reitzenstein) • 3/Art12 Self-Propelled Artillery Battery (6 x Hummel • Pi/5/Auf pioneer Platoon (53 combat troops armed with rifles, (“Bumble Bee”) artillery vehicle with 150mm sFH 18 SMGs and 7 x LMG, with 6 x organic SdKfz 251/7 engineer howitzer) half-track transport with MG) IInd Battalion (towed) • AT/5/Auf Towed Anti-Tank Platoon (3 x 75mm Pak 40 AT gun, (Hauptsturmführer Alfred Schöps, promoted to Sturmbannführer with organic SdKfz 251/1 towing half-tracks with MG) June 21, KIA June 26; Obersturmführer Harald Etterich) • IG/5/Auf Towed Infantry Gun section (2 x 75mm leIG 18 infantry • 4/Art12 Towed Artillery Battery (6 x 105mm leFH 18 howitzer, gun, with organic SdKfz 251/1 towing half-tracks with MG) with SdKfz 11 half-track prime movers, and 4 x supporting • SP/5/Auf Self-Propelled Gun Platoon (6 x SdKfz 251/9 LMG) “Stummel” half-track with short-barreled 75mm gun + MG) • 5/Art12 Towed Artillery Battery (as above) Composite unit: • 6/Art12 Towed Artillery Battery (as above) • Mtr/3+4/Auf self-propelled mortars (4 x 81mm GrW 34 mortar, with 4 x organic SdKfz 251/2 half-track mortar carrier with Elements, 12th SS Divisional Units MG—2 each from 3rd and 4th Companies) th 12 SS Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Note: The mortars have been rolled into one unit for convenience. (Sturmbannführer Gerhard “Gerd” Bremer) th 1st (Armored Car) Company Elements, 12 SS Armored Pioneer Battalion (Untersturmführer Karl-Heinz Gauch, acting) (Sturmbannführer Siegfried Müller) st • 1/Auf Armored Cars (6 x armored car; actually two patrols of 3 Elements, 1 Company (Untersturmführer Bruno Asmus) cars each) • 1/Pi12 Pioneer Platoon (53 combat troops armed with rifles, Note: These are a mixture of 8-wheeled SdKfz 232s with 20mm gun SMGs and 6 x LMG) + MG and SdKfz 223 radio vehicles with MG. Their portrayal as Elements, 12th SS Projector (Rocket) Battalion SdKfz 223 on the reduced sides is intentional. (Hauptsturmführer Willy Müller) • 1/Auf Armored Cars (as above) • 1/Werf12 Towed Rocket Artillery Battery (6 x 150mm 2nd (Armored Car) Company (Obersturmführer Walter Nebelwerfer 41 rocket launcher, with SdKfz 10 half-track Hauck) prime-movers, and 7 x supporting LMG) • 2/Auf “Armored Cars” (6 x recon half-tracks; actually two Elements, 12th SS Flak Artillery Battalion patrols of 3 half-tracks each) (Sturmbannführer Rudolph Fend) Note: These are a mixture of SdKfz 250/9s with 20mm gun + MG, • 1/Flak12 Towed Flak Battery (4 x 88mm Flak 36 anti-aircraft SdKfz 250/1s with MG, and 250/5 radio vehicles. gun, with organic SdKfz 7 half-track prime movers + 2 x 20mm Flak 38 anti-aircraft gun, with organic SdKfz 10 half-track • 2/Auf “Armored Cars” (as above) prime movers, and 2 x supporting LMG) • 2/Auf “Armored Cars” (as above) • 2/Flak12 Towed Flak Battery (as above) • 2/Auf “Armored Cars” (as above) Note: This battery, unlike the other two, is an on-map unit available to purchase as a Reinforcement. • 3/Flak12 Towed Flak Battery (as above)

Regimental Companies Elements, Panzer Lehr Division 9th (Heavy Infantry Gun) Company (Hauptmann Hennecke) (Generalleutnant Fritz Bayerlein) • 9/901 Self-Propelled Infantry Gun Section (2 x “Grille” Elements, 901st Panzergrenadier Lehr Regiment (“Cricket’) artillery vehicle with 150mm sIG 33 heavy IG) (Oberst Georg Scholze) • 9/901 Self-Propelled Infantry Gun Section (as above) Ist Battalion (armored) • 9/901 Self-Propelled Infantry Gun Section (as above) (Major Konrad Uthe, KIA June 25; Hauptmann Karl Philipps) 10th (Pioneer) Company (Hauptmann Klein) 1st (Panzergrenadier) Company (Leutnant Hillermann) • 10/901 Pioneer Platoon (53 combat troops armed with rifles, • 1/901 Panzergrenadier Infantry Company (139 combat troops SMGs and 6 x LMG, with 6 x organic SdKfz 251/7 engineer armed with rifles, SMGs, 19 x LMG, and ~12 Panzerschreck) half-track transports with MG) Note: The Pz. Lehr infantry were equipped with experimentally high • 10/901 Pioneer Platoon (as above) numbers of Panzerschreck. • 10/901 Pioneer Platoon (as above) • MG/1/901 Machine Gun Platoon (4 x MG42 HMG; actually • MG/10/901 Machine Gun Section (2 x MG42 HMG, with 1 x two sections of 2 x HMG each) organic SdKfz 251/1 half-track transport with MG) • HT/1/901 Half-tracks (15 x SdKfz 251/1 half-track transports • Mtr/10/901 Self-Propelled Mortar Section (2 x 81mm GrW 34 with MG, 3 x SdKfz 251/10 half-track with 37mm gun + MG) mortar, with 2 x organic SdKfz 251/2 half-track mortar carrier • SP/1/901 Self-Propelled Gun Section (2 x SdKfz 251/9 with MG) “Stummel” half-track with short-barreled 75mm gun + MG) Elements, 11th (Flak) Company (Oberleutnant Rheinländer) 2nd (Panzergrenadier) Company (Oberleutnant Mersiowski) • 11/901 Self-Propelled Flak Section (3 x SdKfz 10/4 or SdKfz (2/901; as 1/901 above) 10/5 anti-aircraft halftrack with 20mm Flak 30 or Flak 38 gun, respectively) 3rd (Panzergrenadier) Company (Hauptmann Salzmann) • 11/901 Self-Propelled Flak Section (as above) (3/901; as 1/901 above) Note: The presence of these units at the battle is a best guess. 4th (Panzergrenadier Heavy Weapons) Company th (Oberleutnant Gehrke) Elements, 130 Panzer Lehr Regiment (Oberst Rudolf Gerhardt) • Pi/4/901 Pioneer Platoon (53 combat troops armed with rifles, SMGs and 7 x LMG, with 6 x organic SdKfz 251/7 engineer Elements, IInd Battalion (Hauptmann Helmut Ritgen) half-track transports with MG) 7th Company (Hauptmann Föllmer) • IG/4/901 Towed Infantry Gun section (2 x 75mm leIG 18 IG, • 7/Pz130 Panzer Platoon, understrength (about 2-3 Panzer IV, with organic SdKfz 251/1 towing half-tracks with MG) mostly Ausf. H) • SP/4/901 Self-Propelled Gun Platoon (6 x SdKfz 251/9 • 7/Pz130 Panzer Platoon, understrength (as above) “Stummel” half-track with short-barreled 75mm gun + MG) • 7/Pz130 Panzer Platoon, understrength (as above) Composite unit: • 7/Pz130 Panzer Platoon, understrength (as above) • Mtr/I/901 self-propelled mortars (6 x 81mm GrW 34 mortar, 8th Company (Leutnant Peter) with 6 x organic SdKfz 251/2 half-track mortar carrier with • 8/Pz130 Panzer Platoon, understrength (about 2-3 Panzer IV, MG—2 each from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Companies) mostly Ausf. H) Note: The mortars have been rolled into one unit for convenience. • 8/Pz130 Panzer Platoon, understrength (as above) Elements, IInd Battalion (armored) (Major Schöne) • 8/Pz130 Panzer Platoon, understrength (as above) 5th (Panzergrenadier) Company (Hauptmann Karl Philipps, • 8/Pz130 Panzer Platoon, understrength (as above) promoted to I./901 commander June 25) th • 5/901 Panzergrenadier infantry company (139 combat troops Elements, 130 Armored Artillery Regiment armed with rifles, SMGs and 19 x LMG) (Major Zeissler) st • MG/5/901 Machine Gun Platoon (4 x MG42 HMG; actually I Battalion (self-propelled) (Oberleutnant Kurtze) two sections of 2 x HMG each) • 1/Art130 Self-Propelled Artillery Battery (6 x Wespe (“Wasp”) • HT/5/901 Half-tracks (15 x SdKfz 251/1 half-track transport artillery vehicle with 105mm leFH 18 howitzer) with MG, 3 x SdKfz 251/10 half-track with 37mm gun + MG) • 2/Art130 Self-Propelled Artillery Battery (as above) • SP/5/901 Self-Propelled Gun section (2 x SdKfz 251/9 • 3/Art130 Self-Propelled Artillery Battery (6 x Hummel “Stummel” half-track with short-barreled 75mm gun + MG) (“Bumble Bee”) artillery vehicle with 150mm sFH 18 • Mtr/5/901 Self-Propelled Mortar Section (2 x 81mm GrW 34 howitzer) mortar, with 2 x organic SdKfz 251/2 half-track mortar carriers with MG)

992nd Heavy Artillery Battalion (towed) • 2/654 Tank Destroyer Section (as above) (commander unknown) Note: This company was attached to Lehr at the time of Operation • 1/992 Towed Artillery Battery (4 x 152mm KH 433/1(r) Dauntless. howitzer-gun, with SdKfz 8 half-track prime movers, and 5 supporting LMGs) Elements, 21st Panzer Division • 2/992 Towed Artillery Battery (as above) (Generalmajor Edgar Feuchtinger) • 3/992 Towed Artillery Battery (as above) Elements, 192nd Panzergrenadier Regiment Note: This Army-level unit had been attached to the Artillery Regi- (Oberst Josef Rauch) ment since June 11, in order to increase its firepower. Elements, Ist Battalion (armored) (Hauptmann Werner Rätzer) Elements, Lehr Divisional Units 1st (Panzergrenadier) Company (Oberleutnant Braun) th Elements, 130 Armored Reconnaissance Lehr Battalion • 1/192 Panzergrenadier Infantry Company (139 combat troops (Major Gerd von Born-Fallois) armed with rifles, SMGs and 19 x LMG) st Elements, 1 (Armored Car) Company • MG/1/192 Machine Gun Platoon (4 x MG42 HMG; actually (Oberleutnant Gollwitzer) two sections of 2 x HMG each) • 1/Auf Heavy Armored Car Patrol (2 x SdKfz 234/2 “Puma”) • HT/1/192 Half-tracks (15 x captured French SPW U304 (f) • 1/Auf Heavy Armored Car Patrol (as above) half-track transport with MG, 3 x captured French SPW U304 • 1/Auf Heavy Armored Car Patrol (as above) (f) half-track with 37mm gun + MG) nd Elements, 2nd (Armored Car) Company Elements, II Battalion (motorized) (Hauptmann Rusche) (Oberleutnant Weinstein) 6th (Panzergrenadier) Company (Oberleutnant Kuhbier) • 2/Auf Light “Armored Cars” (6 x recon half-track; actually two • 6/192 Panzergrenadier Infantry Company (153 combat troops patrols of 3 half-tracks each) armed with rifles, SMGs and 17 x LMG) Note: These are a mixture of SdKfz 250/9s with 20mm gun + MG, • MG/6/192 Machine Gun Platoon (4 x MG42 HMG; actually SdKfz 250/1s with MG, and 250/5 radio vehicles. two sections of 2 x HMG each) • 2/Auf Light “Armored Cars” (as above) • Tr/6/192 Trucks (about 12 x captured French Renault AGR or similar truck transport) Elements, 130th Armored Pioneer Battalion (Major Walter Brandt) Composite unit: • Mtr/1+6/192 Self-Propelled Mortars (4 x 81mm GrW 34 1st Company (Oberleutnant Kolbussa) mortar, with 4 x organic captured French SPW U304 (f) • 1/Pi130 Pioneer Platoon (53 combat troops armed with rifles, half-track mortar carrier with MG—2 each from 1st and 6th SMGs and 6 x LMG, with 6 x organic SdKfz 251/7 engineer Company) half-track transport with MG) Note: The mortars have been rolled into one unit for convenience. • 1/Pi130 pioneer Platoon (as above) • 1/Pi130 pioneer Platoon (as above) Elements, 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion 2nd Company (Hauptmann Aibenbach) (Obersturmbannführer Heinz von Westernhagen) (2/Pi130; as 1/Pi130 above) Elements, 1st Company (Hauptsturmführer Rolf Möbius) • 1/101 Tiger Tank Section (2 x Tiger I Ausf. E) Composite unit: • Mtr/1+2/Pi130 Self-Propelled Mortars (4 x 81mm GrW 34 Elements, 2nd Company (Obersturmführer Michael mortar, with 4 x organic SdKfz 251/2 half-track mortar carriers Wittmann, promoted to Hauptsturmführer June 21) with MG—2 each from 1st and 2nd Companies) • 2/101 Tiger Tank Section (as 1/101 above) Note: The mortars have been rolled into one unit for convenience. Elements, 3rd Company (Untersturmführer Thomas Amselgruber) Miscellaneous Lehr Units • 3/101 Tiger Tank Section (as 1/101 above) • SP Rockets (about 2-6 x Wurfrahmen 40 6-barreled rocket Luftwaffe Units launcher mounted on SdKfz 251 half-tracks, armed with 36 th rounds of 280mm HE rockets) Elements, 4 Flak Assault Regiment (Oberst Herbert Röhler) • SP Rockets (as above) • I(53)/Flak4 Towed Flak Battalion (18 x 88mm Flak 36 anti- aircraft gun + about two dozen 20mm and 37mm anti-aircraft Elements, 654th Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion guns, all with half-track prime movers) (Hauptmann Karl-Heinz Noak) • I(141)/Flak4 Towed Flak Battalion (as above) Elements, 2nd Company (Hauptmann Friedrich Lüders) Misc. Luftwaffe • 2/654 Tank Destroyer Section (2 x Jagdpanther) • Luftwaffe Nuisance Raid (Optional Unit; about 4-8 x Junkers • 2/654 Tank Destroyer Section (as above) Ju 88 bomber)

Hills, Stuart. By Tank Into Normandy: A Memoir of the Campaign 33.0 Selected Sources & in North-West Europe from D-Day to VE Day. London (UK): Cas- Recommended Reading sell, 2002. Jacquet, Stéphane. La bataille de Tilly-sur-Seulles, 1944. Bayeux The following list is by no means comprehensive. It offers a good (France): Heimdal, 2009. starting point for gamers interested in the units, weapons, and battles Jentz, Tom, Hilary Doyle. Flammpanzer: German Flamethrowers portrayed in this game. Be aware that some of the books are in French 1941-45. Oxford (UK): Osprey, 1995. or German. Note that this list does not include online sources, of Keegan, John. Six Armies in Normandy. London (UK): Penguin which there were dozens. Books, 1994. Badsey, Stephen. Normandy 1944: Allied Landings and Breakout. Maule, Henry. Caen: The Brutal Battle and Breakout from Nor- Oxford (UK): Osprey, 1990. mandy. Newton Abbot (UK): David & Charles, 1988. Baverstock, Kevin. Breaking the Panzers: : The Bloody Battle for McKee, Alexander. Caen: Anvil of Victory. New York (NY): Dorset Rauray, Normandy, 1 July 1944. Stroud (UK): Sutton, 2002. Press, 2001. Benamou, Jean-Pierre. Bataille de Caen, 6 juin au 15 août 1944. Meyer, Hubert (former chief of staff of the 12th SS). The 12th SS: Bayeux (France): Heimdal, 1988. The History of the Hitler Youth Panzer Division. Vol. One. Winnipeg Bernage, Georges. La bataille de l’Odon. Bayeux (France): Heim- (Canada): J.J. Fedorowicz, 1994. dal, 2009. Meyer, Kurt (commander of the 12th SS Panzer Division). Grena- Bernage, Georges. The Panzers and the Battle of Normandy: June diers: The Story of Waffen SS General Kurt “Panzer” Meyer. Win- 5th – July 20th, 1944. Bayeux (France): Heimdal, 2000. nipeg (Canada): J.J. Fedorowicz, 2001. Brayley, Martin. The British Army 1939-45. Vol. 1, North-West Münch, Karlheinz. The Combat History of schwere Panzerjäger- Europe. Oxford (UK): Osprey, 2001. Abteilung 654: in Action in the East and West with the Ferdinand Butler, Rupert. SS-Hitlerjugend—The History of the Twelfth SS and the Jagdpanther. Winnipeg (Canada): J.J. Fedorowicz, 2002. Division 1943-45. Stroud (UK): Spellmount, 2003. Perrigault, Jean-Claude. 21. Panzer-Division. Bayeux (France): Cazenave, Stephan. Panzerdivision Hitlerjugend. Vol. 2, SS-Panzer- Heimdal, 2003. Regiment 12, Normandie 1944. Maranes Éd., 2014. Perrigault, Jean-Claude. La Panzer-Lehr-Division. Bayeux (France): Clark, Lloyd. Operation Epsom. Stroud (UK): Sutton, 2001. Heimdal, 1995. Compagnon, Jean. The Normandy Landings. Rennes (France): Perrett, Bryan, Bruce Culver, Jim Laurier. German Armoured Cars Ouest-France, 1994. and Reconnaissance Half-Tracks 1939-45. Oxford (UK): Osprey, Daglish, Ian. Operation Epsom: Over the Battlefield.Barnsley (UK): 1999. Pen & Sword Military, 2007. Reynolds, Michael. Steel Inferno: 1st SS Panzer Corps in Normandy. Delaforce, Patrick. The Polar Bears- Monty’s Left Flank- From New York (NY): Dell, 1998. Normandy to the Relief of Holland with the 49th Division. Stroud Saunders, Tim. Hill 112: Battles of the Odon. Barnsley (UK), Leo (UK): Sutton, 1995. Cooper: 2001. Doherty, Richard. The British Reconnaissance Corps in World War Saunders, Tim. Operation Epsom: VIII British Corps v 1st SS Pan- II. Oxford (UK): Osprey, 2007. zerkorps. Barnsley (UK), Leo Cooper: 2003. Dugdale, Jeff, Michael Wood. SS Panzer Formations April – Septem- Spayd, P.A., Gary Wilkins. Bayerlein: After Action Reports of the ber 1944: Normandy: Their Detailed and Precise Strengths. Parts Panzer Lehr Division Commander from D-day to the Ruhr. Atglen 1A and 1B. Westoning (UK): Military Press, 2007. (Pa.), Schiffer: 2007. Fletcher, David. Sherman Firefly.Oxford (UK): Osprey, 2008. Wood, James A. Army of the West: The Weekly Reports of German Fletcher, David. Swimming Shermans—Sherman DD amphibious Army Group B from Normandy to the West Wall. Mechanicsburg tank of World War II. Oxford (UK): Osprey, 2008. (Pa.): Stackpole, 2007. Ford, Ken. Caen 1944: Montgomery’s Breakout Attempt. Oxford Zetterling, Niklas. Normandy 1944: German Military Organiza- (UK): Osprey, 2004. tion, Combat Power and Organizational Effectiveness. Winnipeg (Canada): J.J. Fedorowicz, 2000. Fortin, Ludovic. Les chars britanniques en Normandie. Paris (France): Histoire & Collection, 2005. More than perhaps any other single source, extensive use was made Gliederung, 12. SS-Panzer-Division, dated June 1, 1944 of the June 1st 1944 Ist-Gliederung (“as-is” status report). This, Gliederung, 21. Panzer-Division, dated June 1, 1944 along with the Dugdale & Wood books and the Zetterling book, allowed us to arrive at a very precise German OB, in most cases right Gliederung, Panzer-Lehr-Division, dated June 1, 1944 down to the number of weapons and vehicles. Special thanks go to Hart, Stephan A. Sherman Firefly vs. Tiger—Normandy 1944.Oxford Vincent Lefavrais and A. Verspeeten for their kind assistance in what (UK): Osprey, 2007. turned out to be a rather monumental endeavor lasting several years. Hart, Stephen Ashley. Colossal Cracks—Montgomery’s 21st Army Group in Northwest Europe, 1944-45. Mechanicsburg (Pa.): Stack- pole, 2007. Henry, Chris. British Anti-tank Artillery 1939-45. Oxford (UK): GMT Games, LLC Osprey, 2004. P.O. Box 1308, Hanford, CA 93232-1308