1st Special Service Brigade

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The document provides details on the organization and equipment of various British commando and armored units that took part in the Normandy landings on D-Day.

The document describes the organization of several British commando units including the 3rd, 4th, 45th Royal Marine, and 6th Commandos as well as the 1st Special Service Brigade. It also mentions various armored units such as Sherman tanks, Centaurs, and Fireflies.

The document provides details on weapons capabilities of tanks, self-propelled guns, and infantry weapons. These include guns like the 6 pdr, 17 pdr, and 25 pdr as well as mortars and machine guns. Ranges, rates of fire, and anti-tank capabilities are given for many weapons.

By Jason Davis, Mark Francis and Wayne Turner

Z
No. 3 CommaNdo
Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Young
1 Troop (66 men)
2 Troop (66 men)
3 Troop (66 men)
4 Troop (66 men)
5 Troop (66 men)
Heavy Weapons Troop (39 Men,
3x 3 mortar, 3x Vickers MG)
No. 4 CommaNdo
Lieutenant-Colonel R. W. P. Dawson
1 Troop (66 men)
2 Troop (66 men)
3 Troop (66 men)
4 Troop (66 men)
5 Troop (66 men)
1 Troop (66 men), 10 Inter-allied Commando
8 Troop (66 men), 10 Inter-allied Commando
Heavy Weapons Troop (39 Men,
3x 3 mortar, 3x Vickers MG)
No. 45 (Royal maRiNe)
CommaNdo
Lieutenant-Colonel N. C. Ries
A Troop (60 men)
B Troop (60 men)
X Troop (60 men)
Y Troop (60 men)
Z Troop (60 men)
Heavy Weapons S Troop (33 Men,
3x 3 mortar, 3x Vickers MG)
1
st
speCial seRviCe BRigade
Brigadier Simon Fraser Te Lord Lovat
No. 6 CommaNdo
Lieutenant-Colonel Derek Mills-Roberts
1 Troop (66 men)
2 Troop (66 men)
3 Troop (66 men)
4 Troop (66 men)
5 Troop (66 men)
Heavy Weapons Troop (39 Men,
3x 3 mortar, 3x Vickers MG)
1
s t
Speci al Ser vi ce Br i gade
the most experienced commando units in
the entire Special Service Group. Unlike
the commandos of 4
th
Special Service
Brigade, 1
st
Special Service Brigade were
to land on just one beach on the coast of
Normandy, codenamed Sword Beach.
taRget NoRmaNdy
On 6 June 1944, the Allied invasion
forces assaulted the fortifed coast of
Normandy. 1
st
Special Service Brigade
had a very clear objective, relieve the
airborne troops that had landed in
the early hours of the morning on the
eastern fank of the Normandy beaches.
Te bridges over the Canal de Caen and
Orne River were vital to the security of
the entire assault force. Any counterat-
tack across these bridges could have
driven the invasion forces back into the
sea. Te bridges were to be taken by
the glider borne units of 6
th
Airborne
Division, but these lightly armed troops could not be expected
to hold out indefnitely without support from the sea. It would
be up to Brigadier Te Lord Lovats commandos to reach them
as soon as possible. Beyond the bridgehead, 1
st
Special Service
Brigade was expected to seize the seaside towns of Sallanelles
and Franceville Plage and to clear the coastal strip between
these towns and Cabourg. 1
st
Special Service Brigade landed on
Sword Beach after the assault brigades of 3
rd
Infantry Division,
and immediately set out for the objectives that they had been
given.
3 CommaNdo
Formed in July 1940, 3 Commando became one of the most
experienced commandos by 1944. Commanded by the leg-
endary Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Young, 3 Commando had
served in Norway, Dieppe, Sicily and Italy before returning to
England to prepare for the Normandy invasion. 3 Commando
would land at H+90 with 1
st
Special Service Brigade HQ and
follow 6 Commando to relieve the airborne units at Pegasus
Bridge. After successfully linking up with the airborne troops, 3
Commando was initially placed with 6
th
Airbornes Headquarters
at Le Bas de Ranville to reinforce 12
th
Parachute Battalion,
which was under great pressure from German attacks emanat-
ing from St Honorine. Once secure, Young sent two Troops to
assist 45 (RM) Commando in attacking Franceville-Plage and
clearing the Merville Battery which had been re-occupied by
German troops. On D+1, the rest of the Commando estab-
lished positions around Amfreville with 4 Commando to its left
in Hameau Oger (usually written as Hameau Oger on 1944
maps) and 6 Commando to its right in Le Plein. Over the next
few weeks 3 Commando would be involved in a deadly game of
cat and mouse with German troops. Attack would be met with
counterattack as each side fought for the dominating Bavent
Ridge. Te largest of the German counterattacks came on D+4
with a three pronged assault with the intent of driving the com-
mandos of the ridge.
4 CommaNdo
Also formed in July 1940, 4 Commando received distinction
for its actions in the failed Dieppe raid by successfully knocking
out a gun battery at Varangeville. It would be asked to repeat
1
st
speCial seRviCe BRigade
1
st
Special Service Brigade, comprised of 3, 4, and 6 Commando,
plus 45 (Royal Marine) Commando. Led by the enigmatic
Brigadier Te Lord Lovat, 1
st
Special Service Brigade contained
the CReatioN of the CommaNdos
Te Army Commandos were the brainchild of Winston Churchill and Lt Colonel Dudley Clark, a South African by birth.
It was after the sturdy South African Boer Kommandos that the new unit was to get its name. After the British withdrawal at
Dunkirk, Prime Minister Winston Churchill wished to retaliate by having specialist raiding forces harass the enemy coastline
and destroy small military installations and supply depots.
After many successful raids on the enemy coast, including the ambitious raid on St. Nazaire, the commandos were restructured in
1943 into brigades of assault and light infantry. Tese brigades also included the newly formed Royal Marine Commandos. Four
separate Special Service Brigades were created and these were to see extensive service throughout the remaining war years in Italy,
Burma, and Europe.
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this endeavour when it was assigned the destruction of a 6 gun
coastal battery and the heavily fortifed Riva Bella Casino just
north of Ouistreham.
Attached to 4 Commando were numbers 1 and 8 French Troops
of 10 Inter-allied Commando, a commando unit comprised
entirely of troops from occupied European countries. Tese
French Commandos, commanded by Comandant Philippe
Kiefer, were given the honour of being the frst commandos to
land on the French coast.
On 5 June Lovat addressed the entire Brigade and ended the
speech with the following words for the French commandos,
Demain matin on les aura; Tomorrow morning you will have
glory.
4 Commando landed on the extreme left of Sword Beach on
Queen Red only to fnd that the initial assault brigades had not
yet cleared the beach. Having to fght their way of the beach,
they soon headed down the lateral road to Ouistreham. Te
two French commando Troops assault on the Riva Bella Casino
encountered stif German resistance and the various small arms
of the resolute commandos were not enough to penetrate the
thick concrete bunkers and pillboxes. Comandant Kiefer then
persuaded a Centaur of 5
th
Battery, Royal Marine Armoured
Support Group to suppress the defenders, enabling the com-
mandos to fnally assault and take the position.
Te rest of 4 Commando closed in on the gun battery near
the mouth of the River Orne. After a series of small assaults,
it became apparent to the commandos that the guns were no
longer present and had been moved prior to the invasion. Te
commandos left the remainder of the German garrison to the
follow up infantry and withdrew to regroup and join the remain-
der of 1
st
Special Service Brigade across the Orne bridgehead.
Once across the bridgehead, 4 Commando took up position in
Hameau Oger. During the battles over the following week, 4
Commando often bore the brunt of the German assaults and
artillery, and casualties were higher than in the other com-
mandos. Te two French troops remained with 4 Commando
for the next 3 months, distinguishing themselves throughout
the campaign. Of the 177 French commandos that landed on
Sword Beach, only 40 were left unscathed.
4
6 CommaNdo
No. 6 commando frst saw service in Norway in December 1941,
with Operation Archery where they destroyed fsh oil factories at
Vaagso. Te oil was used to produce munitions. Tey next went
into action during Operation Torch when it landed near Algiers
alongside US forces. Te Commando eventually returned to
Britain for the D-Day landings. Troopers of 6 Commando were
the frst to reach the beleaguered airborne troops on the Orne
River bridges after fghting their way through several enemy
positions around Colleville and St Aubin dArquenay. Once
across the bridges, 6 Commando linked up with 9
th
Parachute
Battalion and took position in Le Plein, which would repre-
sent the extreme right fank of 1
st
Special Service Brigade. 6
Commando were the frst 1
st
Special Service Brigade troops to
conduct an assault when they attacked the village of Breville on
7 June. After being harassed by sporadic shelling from within
Breville, the commandos attacked in force, but soon realized
that the village was heavily defended and withdrew back to Le
Plein, bringing 15 German prisoners and various weaponry
with them for the loss of just one commando. Along with the
other commandos of 1
st
Special Service Brigade, 6 Commando
would endure constant attacks by German troops, mortars and
snipers until Breville was fnally taken on 12 June.
45 (Royal maRiNe) CommaNdo
45 (RM) Commando had not seen action prior to D-Day and
was keen to prove its place alongside the other more experi-
enced Commandos in the 1
st
Special Service Brigade. Landing
with the remainder of 1
st
Special Service Brigade, the men of 45
(RM) Commando moved of the beach with haste and encoun-
tered strong opposition around Colleville sur Orne including
a battery of Nebelwerfer rockets that were quickly silenced.
Unfortunately, 45 (RM) Commandos commander, Colonel
Ries, was severely wounded by a sniper during the advance,
so the second in command, Major Nicol Gray took command
of the Commando. Once across the Orne River bridges, 45
(RM) Commando advanced north toward Franceville Plage
and Merville. With two Troops from 3 Commando attached
to attack the re-occupied Merville battery, the Royal Marines
assaulted German positions within the town of Merville and
Franceville Plage. Although successful, their position on the
extreme left fank was vulnerable and could not be well sup-
ported. As such, they faced the possibility of being surrounded
and overrun by a determined German counterattack. Te
Commando then retired to positions outside of Sallanelles, just
to the left of 4 Commando. On 8 June, 45 (RM) Commando
bore the brunt of a strong counterattack supported by several
self propelled guns. After defeating the assault, the Commando
withdrew again toward Amfreville after becoming low on am-
munition. However, the heavy casualties they inficted on the
German assault was enough to secure the northern end of the
Bavent Ridge and the entire northern fank of the invasion.
the BRigade oN d+4
Te largest German attack on the Brigades positions on Bavent
Ridge came four days after they landed on the Normandy
beaches.
Te attack started with a large mortar bombardment, most of
which fell onto 4 Commandos positions. Supported by self-
propelled guns, the German infantry advanced toward the three
villages held by 1
st
Special Service Brigade. After hours of hard
fghting, the German troops were again beaten back toward
Breville.
Te next day, soldiers of the 51
st
Highland Division crossed
the Orne Bridge and were sent to assault the Germans within
Breville, with disastrous results. Breville did not fall until
12 June after a costly assault by paratroopers of 12
th
Parachute
Battalion supported by fve artillery regiments and tanks of the
13th/18th Hussars. It was during the initial bombardment for
this attack that Brigadier Te Lord Lovat was severely wounded
when rounds fell short of their target and landed within a group
of ofcers from the units involved in the assault.
With the fall of Breville, German pressure eased on the com-
mandos frontline and subsequent encounters would predomi-
nantly involve small patrols and sniping actions.

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No. 41 (Royal maRiNe)
CommaNdo
Lieutenant-Colonel E. Palmer
A Troop (60 men)
B Troop (60 men)
P Troop (60 men)
X Troop (60 men)
Y Troop (60 men)
Heavy Weapons S Troop (33 Men,
3x 3 mortar, 3x Vickers MG)
No. 47 (Royal maRiNe)
CommaNdo
Lieutenant-Colonel C. F. Phillips
A Troop (60 men)
B Troop (60 men)
X Troop (60 men)
Y Troop (60 men)
Z Troop (60 men)
Heavy Weapons S Troop (33 Men,
3x 3 mortar, 3x Vickers MG)
No. 48 (Royal maRiNe)
CommaNdo
Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. Moulton
A Troop (60 men)
B Troop (60 men)
X Troop (60 men)
Y Troop (60 men)
Z Troop (60 men)
Heavy Weapons S Troop (33 Men,
3x 3 mortar, 3x Vickers MG)
4
th
speCial seRviCe BRigade
Brigadier B. W. Leicester
No. 46 (Royal maRiNe)
CommaNdo
Lieutenant-Colonel C. R. Hardy
A Troop (60 men)
B Troop (60 men)
X Troop (60 men)
Y Troop (60 men)
Z Troop (60 men)
Heavy Weapons S Troop (33 Men,
3x 3 mortar, 3x Vickers MG)
4
t h
Speci al Ser vi ce Br i gade
4
th
speCial seRviCe BRigade, Royal
maRiNe CommaNdos iN NoRmaNdy
the Royal maRiNes
For centuries, the Royal Marines have
served as the Royal Navys infantry. From
the Americas, to the Iberian Peninsula,
the Crimea, China, Gallipoli, and
Zeebrugge, the marines have acted as
amphibious infantry carrying England
through countless wars.
In World War II, the Royal Marines
made their frst landing on 20 April 1940
as the vanguard for the Allied relief force
at Namos, Norway. Te Allied ofensive
lasted just a few short weeks, but the
marines proved their worth securing the
area, while faced with intense Luftwafe
raids and lacking air cover of their own.
Shortly there after, the marines were or-
ganized in to the Royal Marine Division
and deployed troops to every theatre
of war, serving in the Netherlands,
France, Iceland, the Faeroe Islands,
Dakar, Madagascar, Malaya, Burma,
Singapore, Crete, and Tobruk, as well as aboard Royal Navy
vessels spanning the globe.
foRmiNg the Royal maRiNe
CommaNdos
Due to the success of the Army Commandos operations in
Norway, the Channel Islands, St. Nazaire, and the Middle
East, the Admiralty dissolved the Marine Division in late
1942 and reorganized its amphibious assault infantry in to
eight additional Commandos.
Number 40 RM Commando was the frst such unit, seeing
brief action at Dieppe, but was fortunate to be assigned to
a late wave of the landing. Shortly after they came ashore,
the tide of battle had clearly swung in the defenders favour
and the Commando escaped with most of its strength. Other
units were not so fortunate. 40 RM Commando would go on
to join its fellow Commandos in the Mediterranean theatre.
Tere, No. 41 RM Commando served in Sicily and par-
ticipated in the seizure of Salerno, but was withdrawn to
England following a stif German counterattack. Other Royal
Marine Commandos would serve in Burma, Italy, Greece and
Yugoslavia, while the remainder formed up and trained for
the inevitable invasion of Northwest Europe.
4
th
speCial seRviCe BRigade
Te Fourth Special Service Brigade was created in March
of 1944 specifcally for the invasion of France. Comprised
entirely of Royal Marines, the brigade was tasked with
securing the fanks of the invasion beaches, linking up the
entire British front from the Orne River to Port-en-Bessin
and the Americans on Omaha. Te newly raised 46 and 47
RM Commandos joined 41 RM Commando. It immediately
became apparent to Allied planners that a fourth Commando
was needed for the brigades mission, so in mid-March the
remaining men of the Royal Marine Division and other vol-
unteers began an accelerated training schedule to form No.
48 RM Commando in time for the invasion. Te Brigade
was expected to be in combat for at most a week before being
returned home, however fate had other plans for them.
Royal maRiNe aRmouRed suppoRt
gRoup
As planning for the invasion of Europe commenced, the
British designed a series of support craft based on the ubiq-
uitous landing craft tank (LCT) to provide additional fre
support for the assault troops. From the anti-aircraft LCFs, to
the barrage rocket armed LCT(R)s and the naval guns of the
LCGs, a myriad of these craft crossed the Channel. Perhaps
the oddest of these were the LCT(A)s. Tey were simply
standard US made tank landing craft with 50 tons of armour
afxed to the sides. Te LCT(A)s carried Centaur tanks that
had been gutted of their underpowered Liberty engines in
order to provide more room for ammunition. Royal Marines
formed the gun crews of these former tanks, turned foating
turrets.
However, General Montgomery questioned the wisdom
of leaving these tanks foating at sea and insisted that their
engines be reinstalled so they could go ashore to act as self-
propelled artillery. As such, drivers form the Royal Armoured
Corps joined the marines completing the tank crews of the
Royal Marine Armoured Support Group (RMASG). For the

next several months, the new crews trained while the tanks
were waterproofed with rubberized paint, their hatches
sealed, and their engine exhausts ftted with an extension
so they could wade ashore with the frst wave of the assault.
Additionally, compass bearings were painted on the sides of
the turret to assist the gunners and observers in coordinating
fre missions.
Unfortunately, weighed down by their heavy armour, the
LCT(A)s did not fair well, many swamping during the
Channel crossing, while others sufered mechanical problems
at sea, and still more struck the German mines before unload-
ing their cargo. Only 48 of the 80 Centaurs assigned to the
Royal Marines Armoured Support Group made it ashore by
mid afternoon.
Tose that did make it began fring their cannons two miles
from shore, adding to the preliminary bombardment. Once
ashore, they covered the assault taking out gun emplacements,
machine-guns nests, and snipers with their gunfre or simply
ramming buildings with the bows of their tanks. As the Royal
Marine Commandos moved out along the beaches to secure
German strong points and create one continuous beachhead,
the Centaurs went along side providing fre support.
swoRd
Te most experienced unit in the Brigade, 41 RM Commando,
departed Southampton Water at 2130, 5 June, aboard fve
LCI(S)s to go ashore at Hermanville-sur-Mer and move west
to Lion-Sur-Mer then link up with their fellow Commandos
at Luc-sur-Mer.
As the Commandos came ashore they faced moderate fre,
loosing several men including their RSM, Naval Forward
Observation Ofcer, and second in command, Major
Barclay, but once they cleared the immediate beach defences
the Commandos found themselves in a relatively quite sector.
From their assembly area they marched down the coastal road
toward Lion-sur-Mer joined by three AVREs. As P and Y
troops approached the town a well-concealed German PaK
38 gun ambushed the tanks destroying all three and stalling
the assault. Te Commandos scurried for cover taking up
positions on both sides of the road. Teir location revealed,
the Germans fred a dizzying mortar, rocket, and artillery
bombardment, but the Commandos were unable to respond
as they had expended all their mortar bombs in the initial
push on Lion.
Meanwhile A and B troops had been moving ahead on their
second objective at the Chateau, but were pre-emptively
attacked as they made their approach and were forced back
towards their comrades. Facing overwhelming defences and ar-
tillery, the Commandos dug in and awaited reinforcements.
At 1330 battalions of the Lincolnshire and Royal Ulster Rifes
regiments came ashore then moved up to the Commandos
position bringing with them a replacement Naval Observation
Ofcer. As soon as he arrived, the destroyers of shore began a
one hour-long naval bombardment battering the strong point
and chateau. Yet it was too late in the day for the Commandos
to launch an efective assault so as the sun set they dug in
for the night. Trough the darkness they observed German
aircraft raking the beaches with fre and wondered how their
comrades were fairing on the other beaches.
When dawn broke the German artillery fre began once
again, pinning the Commandos and supporting infantry for
another two hours. From over head came the awful drone of
three approaching Heinkel bombers. As a fight of Spitfres
raced to intercept, the Commandos looked up in horror as
the Luftwafe planes opened their bays and rained anti-per-
sonnel bombs directly on their position killing several men
including their royal artillery observer and severely wounding
their commanding ofcer, Lt Col Gray. Having already lost
Major Barclay, command fell to the 23 year old Adjutant
John Taplin. Under his command the Commando joined the
Lincolns in the fnal assault on the strongpoint and chateau.
Once the two units had defeated the position that had long

frustrated their plans, 41 Commando moved out alone to


Luc-sur-mer. Fortunately, they found the town undefended
and dug in to wait for their comrades to join them from the
Canadian beach.
JuNo
48 RM Commando left England aboard six LCI(S)s bound
for Nan Red sector of Juno Beach with the mission to
assault the strongpoint at Langrune-sur-Mer and then link
up with 41 RM Commando sealing the breach between the
Canadian and British 3rd Infantry Divisions. Unfortunately,
as the Commandos approached the shore, two of their ships
struck underwater obstacles and sunk. Weighed down by
their heavy gear, many of the marines aboard those two
ships drowned in the surf. Tose that made it ashore faced
intense German mortar, machine-gun, and sniper fre along
side the Canadians still trying to secure the landing zone.
Te combined efect of these two situations was disastrous. A
mere ffty percent of the Commando made it of the beach to
fght on east of Juno.
Once of the beach, 48 RM Commando bypassed
Wiederstandnest (strongpoint) WN27 at St. Aubin, where
B Company of the Canadian North Shore regiment was still
fghting, and the remaining Commandos made their way to
the heavily defended guns at Langrune. As they approached,
HMS Vigilant rained shells down on the position, but
achieved little efect due to the heavy fortifcations.
Upon arrival they found the strong point protected by snipers,
mines, machine-guns and an imposing four-foot thick concrete
wall. Tere two Centaurs from 1
st
Royal Marine Support
Regiment joined the attack. Te frst of these tanks moved
toward the wall fring its 95mm howitzer and obliterating a
machine-gun bunker that had been covering the crossroads.
Tis allowed B Troop to advance to the wall and prepare for
an assault. Te Commandos Colonel Moulton then ordered
the Centaur to destroy the wall so his troops could assault.
Unfortunately, the tanks 95mm howitzer, designed for arcing
fre, could not be lowered enough to hit the base of the wall,
so the Centaur kept fring with little efect until it had run
out of ammunition. Te second Centaur began to move in
to position, but struck a mine while approaching the wall,
forcing the crew to bail out and join the Commandos.
With the Centaur thrust thwarted, B Troop raced across the
intersection to an opposing house only to discover that the
Germans had sealed all the windows and doors facing the
strongpoint with concrete. Te Commandos had no choice
but to bring down the wall. Tey set a charge at its base, but
once again the explosive force was absorbed by the strength
of the fortifcation.
As the Commandos deliberated on how to next strike at
the obstacle, they received news of the 21. Panzerdivisions
counterattack that had already stopped the British advance
on Caen and was pushing on toward Lion-sur-Mer. Te
Commandos were ordered to cease the assault and take up
defensive positions. Hearing the gathering panzers in the
distance, they attempted to set up a forward observation post
to call in additional fre support from HMS Belfast, but were
unable to get through to the mighty warship. Meanwhile, the
German Panzergrenadiers reached their comrades in the 716.
Infanteriedivision still lodged between the two elements of
4
th
Special Service Brigade. Lightly armed, unable to call in
naval gunfre support, sandwiched between a German strong
point and a panzer division, while having sufered extreme
casualties, No. 48 Commando needed their luck to change
quickly. Fortunately, that came in the form of a massive
glider landing by 6
th
Airborne Divisions follow up regiments
to the east. Seeing the fotilla of gliders landing, the German
commander feared he would be out fanked and ordered his
force to withdraw towards Caen. Had he pushed onward and
attacked the Commandos, Sword beach would have been
isolated and the entire eastern fank of the Allied invasion
may have collapsed.
In the morning the Commandos were joined by a pair of
Canadian M10s, which fred anti-tank rounds on the wall,
cutting clear through it and splashing into the surf beyond.
For an hour the M10s peppered the wall with solid shot and
the fortifcation began to disintegrate. An RMASG Sherman
then moved forward, fring high explosive rounds that shat-
tered the wall and allowed the Commandos to launch their
long overdue assault. Pushing behind the advancing Sherman,
with its cannon and machine-guns blazing, the Commandos
quickly seized the interior of the strong point and spent the
rest of the day silencing the remaining pockets of resistance
around Langrune.
Te brigades reserve element, No. 46 RM Commando, landed
on Juno beach at 0900 on 7 June and passed their comrades,
pressing on to Petit Enfer. In the aptly named Little Hell,
the Commandos faced stif German resistance, but were able
to force their way through the enemy positions and on to
Luc-sur-Mer. Tere they met up with 41 RM Commando,
fnally linking Juno and Sword Beaches.
gold
Perhaps the 4
th
Special Service Brigades most important D-
day objective was the costal town of Port-en-Bessin. Flanked
by sheer clifs, twelve miles west of Gold and three miles
east of Omaha, the natural port would not only serve as the
link up point between the American and British sectors, but
would be the Normandy terminus of PLUTO, the Pipe Line
Under Te Ocean, which would fuel the Allied advance with
petrol pumped directly across the channel from the Isle of
Wight. Due to the importance of seizing the port, Lt Col
Philips was given the choice of directly assaulting the village
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alone, or landing on Gold and marching overland to attack
the German position from the rear. Remembering the failed
raid on Dieppe, Philips volunteered his men for the long
march.
Unlike their fellow Commandos 47 RM Commando left
England aboard two large transports, the SS Victoria and
Princess Jospehine Charollette. At approximately 0700 they
boarded 14 LCAs and began their run in to the beach. From
the sea they could see their preceding units were struggling.
Due to intense fre, the Hampshires had landed one and a
half miles further to the east than originally planned. Teir
supporting RMASG Centaurs fared even worse. Of the
10 intended to support the Jig Green sector, only 5 made
it ashore and four of those were quickly dispatched by
German gunfre. Ordered to avoid contact with the enemy
and make haste to the vital port, Philips ordered his LCAs to
approach the beach behind the Hampshires near Roquettes,
further extending their already long march. Even taking this
safer approach the Commandos landing craft were severely
battered. Five of their craft sunk before reaching the shore
and almost all the others were damaged. By the time they
reached the shore fve ofcers, including Lt Col Philips, who
would swim to shore by late in the day, and seventy-one other
ranks were missing. Many who made it ashore had lost their
weapons, the Commando had but one broken wireless set,
only a single three-inch mortar that had its sight knocked of,
and a lone Bangalore torpedo.
By the time they made it to the seawall the Commandos were
spread out over a mile of beach instead of 200 yards as planned.
Beyond the wall laid the heavily mined coastal road. Unable
to locate Philips, the second in command, Major Donnell led
his men of the beach following an advancing Sherman Crab
and turned inland to avoid engaging the enemy. Behind the
lines the Commando moved quickly to Buhot where Philips
rejoined it after his long swim. For the next several hours
the Commando stealthily pushed on, occasionally encounter-
ing snipers and small units of unsuspecting rear guards from
whom they captured several Spandaus (MG-34) and other
small arms. As dusk descended upon the Commando they
reached Point 72, the highest point on a ridge near Escures,
which they thankfully discovered was undefended, but had
several fortifcations that were in various stages of construc-
tion. Tere they dug in for the night and prepared for the
attack on Port-en-Bessin at the break of dawn. In just one day
the Commando had traversed over a dozen miles of enemy
occupied terrain, with relatively light casualties.
Originally the attack on Port-en-Bessin was planned to be
supported by American artillery, but having no working
radio made this coordination impossible. Furthermore the
Americans were still in the thick of their fghting on Omaha.
However, the Commandos luck changed with the arrival of
two French civilians, a replacement Forward Observation
Ofcer, and a Gendarme named Gouget. As the two civilians
met with the Commandos ofcers and identifed the German
positions, the artillery ofcer repaired the units wireless set
allowing him to get through to the navy ships of shore. At
1400 two LCG(L)s opened fre on the port and were joined
by HMS Emeralds six-inch guns an hour later. By 1600
the city was hit by RAF Typhoon air strikes and the Royal
Artillery bombarded the area with smoke in preparation for
the Commandos assault.
In the ensuing confusion, Gouget guided A and B troops
through ditches surrounding the town, past the outer ring
of guns pits. Meanwhile X Troop fxed bayonets and charged
the machine-gun nests, quickly taking the positions due to
the shock of their assault and the incoming artillery. Once the
outer ring of defences had been breached, A Troop advanced
on the western feature, but were repelled when two German
FlaK ships, that had moved in to the port unbeknownst to
the Commandos on 5 June, opened fre on the men with
their rapid fre cannons. Meanwhile B Troop also launched
an assault on the town itself, but they were pinned down by a
pillbox on the heights and machine-guns concealed in houses
throughout the village.
In an attempt to reinvigorate the attack Philips ordered
his men to launch an assault on the FlaK ships, but the
Kreigsmarine once again repelled them. Seeing their comrades
fall in the assault, the captains of HMS Ursa and the Polish
ship Krakowiak approached the port, but were unable to
obtain a fring angle on the FlaK ships, which were concealed
behind the ports concrete and stone breakwater. Desperate
to ofer assistance, the ships formed boarding parties and
launched their motorboats, which, due to their shallow draft,
dashed across the harbour net and attacked the FlaK ships.
Once the navy had silenced the FlaK, B and Heavy weapons
troops made their way up the eastern feature and assaulted
the German blockhouse forcing the defenders to surrender.
Sporadic fghting continued on until dawn of 8 June when the
remaining defenders on the western feature saw the devasta-
tion of their positions and ships and surrendered peacefully.
In the evening, Cpt Isherwood and Lt Bennet set out to the
west to fnd the Americans. On a road west of the town they
heard an approaching vehicle and took cover. Bravely, Bennet
stepped out and confronted the vehicle. Luckily he found
them to be the Americans moving of Omaha. On 9 June
PLUTO arrived in the form of an army port company and
the petrol started to fow, supplying Allied vehicles across the
Normandy front.
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RadaR statioN
After a short rest and reinforcement the 46, 47, and 48 RM
Commandos moved south to the Douvre Radar Station. Tis
massive fortifed complex was the primary Luftwafe radar
station in the area. Almost ten acres in area, littered with
gun pits, mine felds, tunnels, bunkers, fve 5cm anti-tank
guns, a 7.5cm feld gun, and a twenty foot ring of barbed
wire, the site was far more than the Commandos could tackle
alone. Instead the Commandos job was to isolate the station,
allowing other Allied forces to pass by undeterred in their
push on Caen.
After a few days of securing the perimeter, 46, 47 and 48
RM Commando were sent to support the Canadians and
Airborne divisions while 41 RM Commando stayed behind.
For the next week the Commandos continued to harass the
strongpoint with occasional mortar fre, Typhoon strikes,
and volleys from two attached RMASG Centaurs. Although
the site did not actively threaten Allied movements in the
area it did provide radar-ranging information for Luftwafe
night fghters and constantly reported on British movements.
Likewise, it was able to fre on a nearby landing strip that
the RAF hoped to use as a forward operating base for its
Typhoons. Te site had to be silenced.
On 17 June the assault began with a bombardment from the
Royal Artillerys 7.2 inch guns and ships of shore. Under
their new commander, Lt. Col Palmer, 41 RM Commando
and forty-four armoured engineering vehicles attacked from
the north while other tanks created a diversion from the
southwest. Te Sherman Crabs cleared the way through the
minefelds while the AVsRE battered the bunkers with their
enormous cannons. Te efect of such fre was devastating
on the morale of the entrenched German defenders. When
the Commandos entered the entrenchments, spraying the
Germans with submachine-gun fre, it was clear that the
station could no longer be defended. Te two hundred and
twenty seven remaining Luftwafe troopers quickly surren-
dered and the last of the 4
th
Special Service Brigades D-Day
objectives was fnally achieved.
oN the liNe
While 41 RM Commando dealt with the radar station, the
remainder of 4
th
Special Service Brigade moved to the Orne
River Basin, where they joined their fellow Commandos of
1
st
Special Service Brigade and the 6
th
Airborne Division, all
falling under command of Major-General Gale. Tere they
would spend the next month anchoring the Allied fank while
Montgomery launched his series of assaults on Caen. In true
Commando style, Brigadier Leicester had his men conduct
frequent patrols and raids across no mans land in order to
keep his men in fghting shape and the German defenders
engaged. Te Brigade would remain in the Orne area until
mid August.
the BReakout
In mid August, following the capture of Caen, General Gales
forces broke out of their positions and launched a major of-
fensive to dislodge the enemy. Before sunrise on 20 August,
46 RM Commando launched an attack on the heights above
Putot. Tere a savage close-quarters battle ensued and the
Commandos seized the position over looking the entire
Dozul area. For much of the day, 48 Commando pushed
through the bocage, without support, to Point 134 and Point
120 followed by 41 Commando. Tis location nearly cut
of the Germans escape route from the town. However, the
attack on the town was delayed until frst light on 21 August.
Realizing that they had been out fanked, the Germans set the
village ablaze and withdrew.
With Dozul captured the advance picked up pace as the
Commandos pushed on through Beuzeville to the Risle
River. On many occasions the marching Commandos and
airborne troops would arrive in a village less than hour after
the Germans had made a hasty withdrawal.
Following the capture of Pont-Audemer, the 6
th
Airborne and
1
st
Special Service Brigade were relieved by the 49
th
Division
and returned to England. However, the Marines of 4
th
Brigade
would remain fghting for several more weeks, clearing
pockets of resistance between the Seine and Valmont then
taking up the role of garrison troops in and around the shat-
tered city of Le Havre. Battered by intense Allied bombing
and heavy fghting when the 49
th
and 51
st
Divisions seized
the port, Le Havres citizens were starving and downtrod-
den. Te Commandos had to take on the unenviable role of
policemen holding supplies from needy civilians in order to
keep the supplies fowing to the front. Fortunately, for their
morale, they moved out once more and took up positions
near Dunkirk, probing the German lines with frequent small
raids.
afteR fRaNCe
On 27 September the Brigade was withdrawn from the line,
not to England, but to assembly areas in De Hann, Belgium.
Tere they prepared for another amphibious assault, this
time on the Dutch island of Walcheren. Te island lay at the
mouth of the Scheldt River, which ran from Antwerp to the
sea. Until the island and the northern banks of the river were
occupied, the port of Antwerp could not be used to support
the Allied advance. On 3 October Allied bombers breached
the dykes at Westkapelle, Flushing, and Veree, fooding the
island leaving only a few dry areas around the perimeter
of the island, greatly restricting the Germans freedom of
movement. Te 4
th
Special Service Brigade formed the
seaborne element of the attack while British and Canadian
infantry attacked overland from the mainland. Tis time
the Commandos came ashore in LVTs, which had already
proven their value in the Pacifc campaign. 41 Commando
was tasked with assaulting the town of Westkappelle, then
to move north along the causeway to Domburg. Just to their
south, 48 Commando took on a radar station and naval gun
battery, while 47 completed the encirclement of the western
part of the island by moving south towards Flushing.
Te brigade would spend the rest of the war making raids
across the Maas River in Operations Incalculable and Bogart.
Many of the 4
th
Brigades Commandos would go on to fght
again in the Far East while others took on occupation duties
in Europe.
In 1946 all Commando operations were centralized under
the command of the Royal Marines. Teir decedents would
be called on time and again to defend British interests at
home and abroad.
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10
Brigadier The Lord LovaT
Brigadier Simon Fraser (known to his friends as Shimi) was
born on 9 June 1911 and became the 15
th
Lord Lovat. Tirty
three years later, he led one of the most experienced and deadly
combat units in the British Army into battle on D-Day. After
growing up in Scotland, Lovat joined the Scots Guards but at
the outbreak of war he soon volunteered for one of the daring
commando units. Attached to 4 Commando, Lovat would see
action on many raids including the early raids in Norway. In
1942, Lovat took command of 4 Commando and led them
in an assault on the town of Dieppe. Although the raid was
a disaster, Lovats commandos succeeded in their objective of
destroying the Varangeville battery.
Before D-Day, Lovat was given command of the 1
st
Special
Service Brigade who were to land at Sword Beach and head
inland to relieve the airborne troops at the Orne River bridges.
Coming ashore with 1
st
Special Service Brigade headquarters,
Lovat was accompanied by his piper Bill Millin and instructed
him to play his bagpipes during the landing, even though they
had been given specifc orders not to do so. Bill Millin played
Highland Laddie while wading ashore behind Lovat. On the
march to the bridges, Lovat looked more as if on a country walk
rather than in battle, wearing his distinguishable white sweater
and carrying a walking stick. Upon reaching the airborne troops
at the bridge, Lovat apologized for being late, although he arrived
only two minutes past the expected time. Always an inspiring
presence, Lovat commanded his troops to march across Pegasus
Bridge with Bill Millin still playing the pipes. Unfortunately,
several commandos were killed by enemy snipers, many shot
through the head where they wore their green berets instead
of helmets. Te follow up commandos wore their helmets on
subsequent crossings.
Lovat commanded the 1
st
Special Service Brigade over the next
few days until he was seriously wounded by a Highland Division
artillery shell which fell short during an attack on Breville on 12
June. 6 Commandos commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Derek
Mills-Roberts subsequently took command of 1
st
Special Service
Brigade for the rest of the campaign.
CharaCteristiCs
Bill milliN
On D-Day, Lovat was accompanied by his piper Bill Millin.
Te commandos were inspired by his presence as he played
Highland Laddie as 1
st
Special Service Brigade HQ came
ashore and Blue Bonnets to the soldiers on Sword Beach.
Any hits on Lovat do not count towards Pinning Down the
platoon.
iN the NiCk of time
On D-Day, Lovat arrived to relieve the paratroopers at Pegasus
Bridge just 2 minutes after his planned arrival. Te commando
reserves were soon placed into the line to the east of the Orne
bridgehead, and were pivotal in securing the left fank of the
allied invasion.
In missions that use the Reserves or Delayed Reserves special
rules, the Commando player may roll one more die in
addition to the normal allotment to see if reserves arrive.
Tis additional die may only be used for Commando
Platoons held in reserve.
Te Lord Lovat is a Warrior, and a Higher Command Rife team. He is an Independent team and rated as Fearless Veteran.
Lord Lovat is armed with his old Winchester hunting rife. He has a Range of 16/40cm, ROF 1, an Anti-tank rating of 2, and a
Firepower rating of 6.
Lovat may join a Commando Troop for +25 points that does not contain Peter Young.
11
LieuTenanT CoLoneL PeTer Young
In 1939 Peter Young was commissioned into the Bedfordshire
and Hertfordshire Regiment, with which he went to France
in 1940. He joined No. 3 Commando when it was founded
and soon became a Captain. His troops took part in raids on
the Channel Island of Guernsey, and Lofoten and Vaagso in
Norway during 1941. It was during the later raid that he won
his frst Military Cross (MC). After a period on the staf at
Combined Operations HQ, he became second-in-command of
No. 3 Commando under Colonel John Dunford-Slater.
In the Dieppe raid of 19 August 1942, Major Young now
carrying a US Garand rife, found himself ashore with only
18 commandos. Despite this, he managed to take his force up
the clifs on a network of barbed wire which, as he put it, an
over-conscientious German ofcer had inadvertently provided
for them to walk on. Young was the only Commando ofcer
to reach his objective and bring back all his men. At one point,
when they were approaching enemy machine-guns through
a cornfeld, he encouraged his soldiers by telling them not to
worry about bullets as standing corn made efective protection!
He was awarded a Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his
part in this raid.
No. 3 Commandos next major battle was Operation Husky, the
assault on Sicily. Tere, due to an inexperienced fotilla com-
mander, his force was landed on the wrong beach behind the
infantry it was supposed to lead ashore! Dunford-Slater ofered
the frustrated Major Young a new challenge to get his teeth into,
a ferce action against a fortifed farm near Cassibile, taken at
the cost of one casualty.
Youngs next battle was a raid to secure the Ponte dei Malati
bridge ahead of 50th (Northumbrian) Divisions advance. Tis
time the landing went according to plan, and the commandos
seized the bridge. However, when dawn arrived without any sign
of the infantry and increasing pressure from German mobile
reserves, the lightly-equipped commandos removed the bridge
demolitions and withdrew. Major Young went back to rescue a
number of wounded commandos for which he received a Bar
to his MC.
On 1 August 1943, Young was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
and given command of No. 3 Commando. He led it through
raids in Italy, receiving a second Bar to his MC in the process. He
missed the opening of the battle of Termoli (No. 3 Commandos
biggest battle to date) being sick at the time, but arrived before
the end of the battle.
He led No. 3 Commando in the D-Day landings in Normandy,
before taking over a brigade in Burma for the rest of the war.
After the war Brigadier Young was a leading fgure in British
wargaming, writing Charge! Or How To Play Wargames, one of
the frst books on wargaming.
CharaCteristiCs
mC aNd douBle BaR
No one wins three Military Crosses without being calm in the
heat of battle.
Young and any Commando, Commando Machine-gun or
Commando Mortar platoon he is currently leading pass all
Motivation Tests on a roll of 2+ instead of their normal
roll.
CoNtRaRy
When faced with the impassable clif at Dieppe, Young pri-
vately agreed that it was, but with a surly growl he tackled it
anyway, making it up to his and everyone elses surprise.
Young and any Commando, Commando Machine-gun or
Commando Mortar platoon he is currently leading may re-
roll any failed Skill Test to cross Impassable Terrain using
the Mind and Heart rule.
CoRNfields stop Bullets
To inspire his mens confdence under fre, Young told them
that 15 feet of standing corn would stop a bullet. He may well
have been right as none were hit. Either way, his men learned to
make excellent use of any cover they could fnd.
Young and any Commando, Commando Machine-gun
or Commando Mortar platoon he joins can be Gone to
Ground when shooting, as long as they are Concealed and
did not move.
Peter Young is a Warrior, and a Higher Command Rife team. He is an Independent team and rated as Fearless Veteran. Young is
armed with a M1 Garand rife. He has a Range of 16/40cm, ROF 1 with no penalty for moving, an Anti-tank rating of 2, and a
Firepower rating of 6.
Peter Young may join a Commando Troop for +50 points that does not contain Te Lord Lovat.
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4
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SPeCiaL ServiCe Brigade
Te Royal Marine Commandos landed in the second wave
on D-Day, just after the assault battalions. As they made
their way to their objectives, they occasionally received
support from units of the British 3
rd
Infantry Division and
27 Armoured Brigade on Sword, Canadian 3
rd
Infantry
Division and Canadian 2 Armoured Brigade on Juno, while
the British 50
th
Infantry Division and 8 Armoured brigade
assisted them on Gold.
When making your beach support selections your Rife
Platoon, Field Battery, Royal Artillery (SP), and Anti Tank
Platoon, Royal Artillery (SP) must all be from the same
beach. Engineering tanks of the 79
th
Armoured Division,
and Centaurs of the Royal Marine Armoured Support
Group served along the entire landing zone so may be taken
as support from any of the beaches.
1
ST
SPeCiaL ServiCe Brigade
A 1
st
Special Service Brigade Commando Troop can be
felded as a beach invasion force or fghting on the Orne
with the 6
th
Airborne Division paratroops. However, if
taken as a beach invasion force, the Support Platoons can
only come from the 79
th
Armoured Division and the Sword
Beach options. Te Lord Lovat may also be included in the
beach force.
1J
No BRitish Bulldog
Commandos are fearless, but they are also raiders. Teir
job is to get in, strike hard, and get out. Prolonged combats
simply delay their mission, so the British Bulldog rule does
not apply to Commando platoons.
kNow the plaN
Commandos are expected to be independent-minded (if not
downright unconventional) sorts and every man is drilled in
the plan before an attack. Tat way if the ofcers are killed,
an NCO, or even a private can take over as needed.
Commando Sections use the German Mission Tactics special
rule.
faiRBaiRN-sykes
Under Captains W E Fairbairn and A E Sykes, a pair of
tough Shanghai policemen, Commandos were trained in
every imaginable method of killing and avoiding being killed
in close combat. Te Fairbairn-Sykes dagger they designed
for the Commandos is still in use today.
Commando Infantry Teams hit on a roll of 2+ in an
assault.
miNd aNd heaRt
While in Scotland, the commandos trained in all sorts of
difcult terrain, from fooded bogs to sheer clifs. Tis would
serve the troopers well in Normandy. In particular, No. 47
(RM) Commando would use these skills as they navigated
the clifs west of Arromanche and attacked the heights sur-
rounding Port-en-Bessin.
All commando Infantry and Man-packed Gun teams are
Mountaineers.
assault foRCe
Te primary task of the 1
st
and 4
th
Special Service brigades
on D-Day was to assault strong points between the landing
zones, thereby securing a continuous beachhead from Sword
all the way to Omaha. Once the front had been secured the
Army and Royal Marine Commandos continued to fght on
as assault troops attacking radar stations, gun emplacements,
and bunkers throughout coastal Normandy.
However, the 1
st
Special Service Brigade soon found them-
selves on the defensive on the Orne River after the initial few
days fghting.
A force containing a Commando (Beaches) will always
attack against any other Infantry Company in a mission
with the Defensive Battle Special Rule.
A force containing a Commando (Orne) is not afected by
the Assault Force special rule, and determines who attacks
as normal in missions with the Defensive Battle special
rule.
you aRe Not aloNe
Commandos are small, hard-hitting strike forces. As each
commando troop has only two small platoons, they must
operate together to win. Every commando knows that no
matter what happens, they are not alone. Even if their troop
runs into insurmountable trouble, another troop will be
there to help them out.
A Commando ignores all Support Platoons when determin-
ing whether it needs to take a Company Morale Check for
being below half strength. Support Platoons never count as
being either Destroyed or still on table for the purposes of a
Company Morale Check.
Naval guNfiRe suppoRt
Te Royal Navy provided direct fre support to the com-
mandos in Normandy from their destroyers sitting just of
shore. Additional naval gunfre from cruisers, battleships,
and monitors bombarded the coastal area with larger calibre
cannons using predetermined fre plans. Tough these guns
had little efect on the heavily reinforced concrete bunkers,
they did keep Jerrys head down long enough for the com-
mandos to launch their assaults.
When using this force to conduct an amphibious landing
use the rules in the D-Day book (see page 15) for Naval
Gunfre Support.
For all other missions use the following rules:
If you have Naval Gunfre support, your force will feld
an NGFS Observer Rife Team. It is an Observer team for
an artillery battery of four Confdent Trained naval guns
sitting of table using the Across the Volga Rules (see page
225 of the rule book). Tey do not have a Staf team.
Weapon Range ROF Anti-Tank Firepower
Naval Guns 112/280cm - 6 1+
Commando speCial rules
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Commando (BeaCheS)
(iNfaNtRy CompaNy)
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Company HQ
headquarTerS
1
5
A Commando must feld a Commando HQ and three to fve Commando Companies and may feld
one of each of the remaining Combat Platoons.
It may also feld a Support Platoon from each box shown (Armoured, Infantry, etc).
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arTiLLerY
airCrafT
Commando
Machine-gun Platoon
maChine-gunS
1
7
Commando
Mortar Platoon
arTiLLerY
1
7
1
9
Armoured Platoon
armoured
1
9
Flail Platoon
1
9
AVRE Section
armoured
2
0
Rife Platoon
infanTrY
2
0
Anti-tank Platoon,
Royal Artillery (SP)
anTi-Tank
1
9
AVRE Section
Commando Company
infanTrY
1
6
Commando Company
infanTrY
1
6
2
1
Machine-gun Platoon
Air Support
2
8
2
1
2
2
Heavy Mortar Platoon
navaL SuPPorT
Naval Gun Fire Support
2
8
2
3
Royal Marine Armoured
Support Platoon
anTi-airCrafT
2
2
Light Anti-aircraft Platoon
Field Battery,
Royal Artillery (SP)
Commando Company
infanTrY
1
6
Commando Company
infanTrY
1
6
Commando Company
infanTrY
1
6
1
Company Command
Rifle team
PIAT team
Commando
PIAT team
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
motivatioN aNd skill
Te 4
th
Special Service Brigade commandos are all veterans of the Royal
Marines. Te Army Commandos of the 1
st
Special Service Brigade have vast
experience. A Commando is rated Fearless Veteran.
headquarters
CommaNdo hQ
headQuaRteRs
Company HQ 20 points
optioNs
Add up to two PIAT teams for +20 points per team.
Add up to three Sniper teams for +50 points per
team.
Sniper teams are only available to a Commando (Orne).

Te Commandos of 1
st
Special Service Brigade had a vital
task on D-Day. Without their haste, a German counterat-
tack across the Orne could have driven the invasion forces
back into the sea. With grim determination, the commandos
took position alongside their paratrooper comrades and held
their ground against determined German assaults.
Te Royal Marines of the 4
th
Special Service Brigade
operated in full strength Commando units consisting of fve
commando troops (A, B, X, Y, Z) each named for the turret
Even though they are an infantry force, a Commando Troop
(Beaches) may not take snipers. Teir role in Normandy
was to move quickly and assault strong points, leaving them
no time to set up efective sniper positions.
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ConSCriPT
Trained
veTeran

reLuCTanT
ConfidenT
fearLeSS
positions on major Royal Navy capital ships and a support
troop (S) carrying their Vickers heavy machine guns and
three-inch mortars. In all, a Commando unit consisted of
almost 500 men. However, many of the Royal Marines were
killed in their landing craft by mines or shot while crossing
the unsecured beach. By the time they set of from their
landing zones some commando units were reduced to barely
half their original numbers.
1
Commando Company
Captain
Commando Section
Subaltern
Subaltern
HQ Section
Command Rifle/MG team
Lance Sergeant
Commando
Squad
Rifle/MG team
Rifle/MG team Rifle/MG team
Lance Sergeant
Commando
Squad
Rifle/MG team
Rifle/MG team Rifle/MG team
Commando Section
Captain
Captain
HQ Section
Command Rifle/MG team
Lance Sergeant
Commando
Squad
Rifle/MG team
Rifle/MG team Rifle/MG team
Lance Sergeant
Commando
Squad
Rifle/MG team
Rifle/MG team Rifle/MG team
Combat platoons
CommaNdo CompaNy
platooN
2 Commando Sections 390 points
1 Commando Section 195 points
At the start of the game before deployment you may make
any or all of the following changes to each Commando
Section:
Replace up to two Rife/MG teams with SMG teams.
Replace one Rife/MG team with a Light Mortar team.
Replace one Rife/MG team with a PIAT team.
Replace up to two Rife/MG teams with Flame-thrower
teams in one Commando (Beaches) Commando
company.
Commando Sections operate as separate platoons, each
with their own command team. Although its component
Commando Sections operate as separate platoons for all
other purposes, a Commando Company deploys all at the
same time as a single platoon. For example, this means
that you treat the entire Commando Company as a single
platoon when calculating the number of platoons held in
Ambush or Reserve.
Te men of the 1
st
and 4
th
Special Service Brigades played a
critical role on D-Day. While the infantry divisions secured
the landing areas and pushed inland, the Royal Marine
Commandos moved laterally along the shore assaulting
Germans strong points raking the landing zones from the
fanks. Once these positions were eliminated their job was to
link the various beachheads in a continuous front.
Te Army Commandos marched quickly to relieve the para-
troopers of 6
th
Airborne Division. Once across the Orne, the
resilient commandos fought tenaciously to hold the left fank
of the entire invasion.
1
3 Mortar
Mortar
Section
3 Mortar
Mortar
Section
3 Mortar
Mortar
Section
Mortar Platoon
Observer
Rifle team
CommaNdo maChiNe-guN platooN
platooN
HQ Section with:
3 MG Sections 125 points
2 MG Sections 90 points
A force may not have more than one Commando
Machine-gun Platoon.
CommaNdo moRtaR platooN
platooN
HQ Section with:
3 Mortar Sections 125 points
2 Mortar Sections 95 points
A force may not have more than one Commando Mortar
Platoon.
Te heaviest weapons carried by the commandos were the 3
inch mortars of their support troop. Able to deliver high ex-
plosive bombs as well as smoke ammunition, these weapons
were useful against defending infantry, but had little efect
on concrete casements and gun emplacements.
Te commandos employed the Vickers heavy machine gun
to provide covering fre for their assaults and protect hard
won territory from counter attacking Germans.
Vickers HMG teams from a Commando Troop are not
trained in indirect fre techniques, so they cannot fre
Artillery Bombardments.
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18
beaCh support platoons
Gold, Sword and Juno Beaches
Te Commandos were spread across all three British
beaches.
Your Commando force may take Support platoons from the
Beach Support Platoons below.
A Rife Platoon, Machine-gun Platoon, Heavy Mortar
Platoon, Armoured Platoons, Anti-tank Platoon (SP),
Royal Artillery, Field Battery (SP), Royal Artillery, and a
Light Anti-aircraft Platoon (SP) supporting a Commando
must be from the same beach.
For example if you take a Confdent Veteran Rife Platoon
from Gold Beach and you choose to take a Armoured
Platoon it must also be a Confdent Veteran platoon from
Gold Beach.
Canadian platoons from Juno Beach use the Canadian
Special Rules.
Canadian speCial rules
woodsmeN
Although Canada has been settled for centuries, it was not
until the Nineteenth Century that its population underwent
signifcant growth and it remains a largely rural country.
Canadian soldiers are typically a little more independent
(and unruly) than British soldiers.
Canadian Platoons use the German Mission Tactics special rule.
assault tRoops
Te Canadians have maintained their enviable reputation as
aggressive assault troops, unwilling to be stopped by enemy
fre, no matter how heavy.
Canadian Platoons do not use the British Bulldog special
rule. Instead any Canadian Platoon that is Pinned Down
may re-roll failed Motivation tests to rally from being
Pinned Down or remount vehicles after being Bailed Out.
motivatioN aNd skill
Te 79
th
Armoured Division and the Royal Marine
Armoured Support Group have new equipment
and are using untested tactics in the assault on
Normandy.
Tey are rated:

ConfidenT Trained
Te Royal Marine Commandos fought alongside
the 50
th
Division and 8
th
Armoured Brigade on
Gold Beach.
Tese units are:
Te Army and Royal Marine Commandos on
Sword Beach fought with the 3
rd
Division and
27
th
Armoured
Brigade.
Tese units are:
Juno Beach was the landing beach of the
Canadian 3
rd
Division and 2
nd
Armoured Brigade.
Tese Canadian
units are:
ConfidenT veTeran

ConfidenT Trained

ConfidenT Trained
19
Command Sherman
Sherman Sherman
Command Sherman Crab
Flail Platoon
Sherman Crab
Flail Tank
Sherman Crab
Flail Tank
HQ Flail Tank
AVRE SECTION
Sergeant
HQ AVRE
Command AVRE
AVRE
AVRE
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aRmouRed platooN
Te DD tanks of the Assault brigades were some of the frst
units to land in France. Teir job was to eliminate machine-
guns and bunkers that threatened the infantry. Teir 75mm
cannons were invaluable to the Allies struggling to dislodge
Gerry. Later, the other regiments of the assaulting armoured
brigades arrived aboard LCTs with their standard transmis-
sion Sherman tanks and the much needed Firefies.
platooN
3 Sherman II or III 260 points
Add Firefy VC for +105 points.
3 Sherman III 200 points
Add Firefy VC for +80 points.
3 Sherman III 210 points
Add Firefy VC for +80 points.
optioN
Arm any or all Sherman tanks with a .50cal AA MG
for +5 points per tank.

An Armoured Platoon that does not contain a Sherman


Firefy tank may be replaced by Sherman DD tanks. See
page 14 of D-Day for their rules.
flail platooN
platooN
3 Sherman Crab
Flail Platoons are unusual in that you do not pay points
for them. Instead, if you are attacking, you may swap
your Armoured Platoon for a Flail Platoon before
deployment.
Te Sherman Crabs were employed to detonate mines along
the beachhead making the sandy shore safe for men and
material alike. Several Crabs fell victim to the very mines
they were intended to destroy and others became bogged in
soft wet sand. However, the crews of the fail tanks persevered
Sherman Crab fail tanks may not launch Assaults. Te
Mine Flail Special Rules are on page 215 of the Flames Of
War rulebook.
and cleared safe paths through by mid morning of D-Day.
Te Crabs would later be employed in assaulting heavily
mined strong points throughout interior Normandy in
support of the commandos and other Allied forces.
avRe seCtioN
platooN
2 AVRE 70 points
AVRE Sections use the AVRE Special Rules on pages 28-29
of D-Day.
Using their fascines and small box girders the AVsRE
(Armoured Vehicles, Royal Engineers) bridged anti-tank
ditches and sea walls creating egresses from the shoreline.
AVsRE used their 290mm fying dustbin petard mortars
damaging and destroying several concrete bunkers in the
commandos area of operations. Later AVsRE assisted the
commandos in destroying the Douvre Radar Station.
Z0
Rifle platooN
platooN
HQ Section with:
3 Rife Squads 175 points
2 Rife Squads 135 points
HQ Section with:
3 Rife Squads 135 points
2 Rife Squads 105 points
HQ Section with:
3 Rife Squads 145 points
2 Rife Squads 115 points
On D-Day, German resistance at the waters edge required
more time to silence than the Allies had planned. As such,
when the commandos hit the beach they faced intense
machine gun and sniper fre along side the assault battalions
still trying to get of the beach. Fighting side by side, the
infantry, commandos, and supporting tanks broke through
the Atlantic wall and headed for their objectives.
Te 4
th
Special Service Brigade was specifcally ordered
to avoid contact with the enemy until they reached their
intended targets. In their rush from the landing zone, several
commando units bypassed rife platoons still fghting brutal
battles in the villages adjacent to the beaches.
aNti-taNk platooN (sp), Royal
aRtilleRy
platooN
2 Anti-tank Sections 320 points
1 Anti-tank Section 160 points
2 Anti-tank Sections 240 points
1 Anti-tank Section 120 points
2 Anti-tank Sections 250 points
1 Anti-tank Section 130 points
Te Tank Destroyers of the assault divisions were called
upon to support the commandos not only in fghting enemy
panzers, but also to defeat fortifed German positions.
Z1
heavy moRtaR platooN
platooN
HQ Section with:
2 Mortar Sections 185 points
1 Mortar Section 105 points
Add PIAT team for +20 points.
HQ Section with:
2 Mortar Sections 140 points
1 Mortar Section 80 points
Add PIAT team for +15 points.
HQ Section with:
2 Mortar Sections 150 points
1 Mortar Section 90 points
Add PIAT team for +15 points.
optioNs
Add Troop Carrier and Loyd Carriers to the
platoon at no cost.

A platoon of 4.2 mortars provide a commander with the


best of both mortars and medium artillery. Tey are fexible
weapons, being relatively mobile and responsive, having a
good range and a large-calibre shell with more explosive
content than the excellent 25 pdr feld gun. Teir only
weakness is their inability to sustain long bombardments.
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maChiNe-guN platooN
platooN
HQ Section with:
2 Machine-gun Sections 185 points
1 Machine-gun Section 100 points
Add PIAT team for +20 points.
HQ Section with:
2 Machine-gun Sections 150 points
1 Machine-gun Section 80 points
Add PIAT team for +15 points.
HQ Section with:
2 Machine-gun Sections 160 points
1 Machine-gun Section 90 points
Add PIAT team for +15 points.
optioNs
Add Troop Carrier and MMG Carriers to the
platoon at no cost.

Te machine-gunners of the assault divisions Machine-gun


battalions are highly-trained specialists who provide sus-
tained direct-fre support to your company.
Using indirect-fre techniques developed and perfected
during the Great War, they lay down long-range barrages to
keep Jerrys head down as your men move up to assault.
ZZ
RM Armoured Support Platoon
Royal maRiNe aRmouRed suppoRt platooN
platooN
1 Command Sherman and:
4 Centaur 245 points
3 Centaur 200 points
2 Centaur 155 points
optioN
Arm Command Sherman tank with a .50cal AA MG
for +5 points.
Your Royal Marine Armoured Support Platoon may be
used as foating artillery in a Hit the Beach mission.

Unlike the Royal Artillery, the Centaurs of the Royal Marine


Armoured Support Group were landed in the very frst wave.
Two miles from shore they opened fre with their 95mm
guns peppering the shoreline as their transports tried to fnd
a safe place to land. Although many did not make it to shore,
those that did proved useful as assault guns. Ordered to stay
within one mile of the shoreline, the Centaurs moved later-
ally along the beaches in small units responding to calls for
fre support from the infantry companies and their fellow
marine commandos.
If you believe the Brylcreem Boys of the RAF, the Jerries
never manage to crack their air superiority. But the Luftwafe
still gets through on occasion, and its the job of the Assault
light aNti-aiRCRaft platooN
platooN
2 Anti-aircraft Sections 260 points
1 Anti-aircraft Section 130 points
2 Anti-aircraft Sections 200 points
1 Anti-aircraft Section 100 points
2 Anti-aircraft Sections 210 points
1 Anti-aircraft Section 110 points
optioNs
Replace all three Bofors 40mm SP self-propelled
guns in each section with four Oerlikon 20mm SP
self-propelled guns for -25 points per Anti-aircraft
Section.

divisions light anti-aircraft regiment to deal with that


eventuality.
Most anti-aircraft batteries are equipped with self-propelled
40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns with a good range and
hitting power. Te light batteries have self-propelled 20mm
Oerlikon guns for use against low-level raiders.
ZJ
Priest
Priest
Priest
Priest
Priest
Priest
Priest
Priest
Field Battery (SP), Royal Artillery
Observer Sherman OP Tanks cannot launch assaults.
Although a Field Battery (SP), Royal Artillery is a single
Support choice, each Gun Troop operates as a separate platoon
with its own Command team. Te Command team and
Staf team of the HQ Troop are Independent teams. If the
Command team of the HQ Troop joins a Gun Troop, it
becomes the Platoon Command team.
Although they count as separate platoons for all other
purposes, a Field Battery (SP), Royal Artillery deploys as a
single platoon, all at the same time. For example, both Gun
Troops are treated as a single platoon when calculating the
number of platoons held in Ambush or Reserve.
field BatteRy (sp), Royal aRtilleRy
platooN
HQ Troop with:
2 Gun Troops with 8 Priests 535 points
2 Gun Troops with 8 Priests 395 points
2 Gun Troops with 8 Priests 405 points
1 Gun Troop with 4 Priest 300 points
1 Gun Troop with 2 Priest 180 points
1 Gun Troop with 4 Priest 225 points
1 Gun Troop with 2 Priest 130 points
1 Gun Troop with 4 Priest 235 points
1 Gun Troop with 2 Priest 140 points

2 Gun Troops with 8 Sextons 485 points

1 Gun Troop with 4 Sextons 280 points
1 Gun Troop with 2 Sextons 170 points
optioNs
Add 15 cwt trucks at no cost.
Replace all Observer teams and their OP carriers with
Observer Sherman OP tanks for +10 points per tank.
Your Field Battery (SP), Royal Artillery may be used as
foating artillery in a Hit the Beach mission.

Just after 0600 hours the self-propelled guns of the assault


divisions Royal Artillery regiments opened fre from their
LCTs adding to the deluge of shells falling on the German
defences. Once the infantry, commandos, and armour were
ashore theses vehicles were landed, providing additional
direct cannon fre. Unfortunately, due to their thin armour
and open tops, they were ill suited to action on the beach.
Many fell victim to German defensive guns and counter
battery fre.
Once the beach was secured the self-propelled guns made
their way to safer areas and provided indirect fre to the
troops pushing inland.
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Z4
Commando (orne)
(iNfaNtRy CompaNy)
arTiLLerY
2
8
Armoured Platoon
armoured
infanTrY
2
6
Highland Rife Platoon
2
6
Parachute Platoon
2
0
Anti-tank Platoon,
Royal Artillery (SP) (Sword)
anTi-Tank
2
5
Airlanding Anti-tank Platoon
2
5
Airlanding Heavy Anti-tank
Platoon
2
6
Airlanding Platoon
2
2
2
7
Field Battery,
Royal Artillery
Royal Marine Armoured
Support Platoon
2
8
Airlanding Battery,
Royal Artillery
arTiLLerY
2
7
Medium Battery,
Royal Artillery
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P
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Company HQ
headquarTerS
1
5
A Commando must feld a Commando HQ and three to fve Commando Companies and may feld
one of each of the remaining Combat Platoons.
It may also feld a Support Platoon from each box shown (Armoured, Infantry, etc).
h
e
a
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q
u
a
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T
e
r
S
d
i
v
i
S
i
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a
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S
u
P
P
o
r
T

P
L
a
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o
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S

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p
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f
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e
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b
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x
)
air SuPPorT
Commando
Machine-gun Platoon
maChine-gunS
1
7
Commando
Mortar Platoon
arTiLLerY
1
7
Commando Company
infanTrY
1
6
Commando Company
infanTrY
1
6
Priority Air Support
2
8
Limited Air Support
2
8
navaL SuPPorT
Naval Gun Fire Support
2
8
Commando Company
infanTrY
1
6
Commando Company
infanTrY
1
6
Commando Company
infanTrY
1
6
Z
orne support platoons
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The Orne Bridges
Te Commandos of the 1
st
Special Service Brigade on
landing rushed to support the Airborne troops holding
the bridges over the River Orne.
Centaurs of the Royal Marine Armoured Support Group
were soon handed over to X Troop, 210 Battery of the
53
rd
Airlanding Regiment.
A Royal Marine Armoured Support Platoon can be taken
from the Beach Support Section with the Orne Support
Platoon options.
motivatioN aNd skill
Airborne troops holding the bridges over the River
Orne are from the elite 6
th
Airborne Division.
Tey are rated:

fearLeSS veTeran
Also fghting on the Orne River was the veteran
infantry of the 51
st
Highland Division.
Tese units are:
Te big guns of the Medium Batteries, Royal
Artillery also supported the Commandos on the
Orne River.
Tese units are:

reLuCTanT veTeran

ConfidenT Trained
aiRlaNdiNg aNti-taNk platooN
platooN
HQ Section with:
2 Anti-tank Sections 175 points
1 Anti-tank Section 95 points
6 pdr anti-tank guns of 3 and 4 Airlanding Anti-tank battery
were often in the line with the Commandos of 1
st
Special
Service Brigade. Tese guns were capable of taking on any
German armour encountered in the airborne salient.
aiRlaNdiNg heavy aNti-taNk
platooN
platooN
HQ Section with:
1 Anti-tank Section 155 points
Several 17 pdr anti-tank guns were fown into the airborne
lodgement on the night of 6 June where they were immedi-
ately put into action the following day. Directed by an ofcer
of 3 Commando, the 17 pdrs knocked out several enemy
tanks that were attacking south of Ranville.
Z
highlaNd Rifle platooN
platooN
HQ Section with:
3 Rife Squads 135 points
2 Rife Squads 100 points
On 10 June, the commandos and paratroopers received
further reinforcement from the 51
st
Highland Infantry
Division. Tese rugged desert veterans were quickly put into
action.
Cautious not Stupid
If a platoon from the 51
st
Highland Division was not hit in
the previous enemy Shooting Step, it may re-roll any failed
attempts to rally Pinned Down platoons.
paRaChute platooN
platooN
HQ Section with:
3 Rife Squads 240 points
2 Rife Squads 175 points
Commandos and paratroopers fought hard together in the
days following the invasion, each gaining a competitive
respect for one another that exists even today. Te arrival
of 1
st
Special Service Brigade, and their position on the left
fank, allowed the paratroopers to concentrate their defences
around Ranville.
gammon Bombs
All Rife/MG teams in a Parachute Platoon carry Gammon
Bombs giving them Tank Assault 3.
Section mortars
Each turn one of the Parachute Platoons Rife/MG teams
may fre as a Light Mortar team fring Smoke.
aiRlaNdiNg platooN
platooN
HQ Section with:
Scout Squad and:
2 Rife Squads 230 points
1 Rife Squad 170 points
Te airlanding troops of 6
th
Airborne Division were delighted
to see the reserves of 1
st
Special Service Brigade reach the
bridges that they had captured D-Day morning.
gammon Bombs
All Rife/MG teams in a Airlanding Platoon carry Gammon
Bombs giving them Tank Assault 3.
Z
Although a Field Battery, Royal Artillery is a single Support
choice, each Gun Troop operates as a separate platoon with
its own Command team. Te HQ Troop Command team
and Staf team are Independent teams. If the HQ Troop
Command team joins a Gun Troop, it becomes the Platoon
Command team.
Although they count as separate platoons for all other
purposes, a Field Battery, Royal Artillery deploys as a single
platoon, all at the same time. For example, both Gun Troops
are treated as a single platoon when calculating the number
of platoons held in Ambush or Reserve.
field BatteRy, Royal aRtilleRy
platooN
HQ Troop with:
2 Gun Troops with 8 OQF 25 pdr 280 points

1 Gun Troop with 4 OQF 25 pdr 170 points
1 Gun Troop with 2 OQF 25 pdr 105 points
optioN
Add 15 cwt trucks and Quad tractors at no cost.
Cautious not Stupid
If a platoon from the 51
st
Highland Division was not hit in
the previous enemy Shooting Step, it may re-roll any failed
attempts to rally Pinned Down platoons or remount Bailed
Out vehicles.
medium BatteRy, Royal aRtilleRy
platooN
HQ Troop with:
2 Gun Troops with 8 BL 5.5 390 points

1 Gun Troop with 4 BL 5.5 225 points
1 Gun Troop with 2 BL 5.5 135 points
optioN
Add 15 cwt trucks and Matador tractors at no cost.
You may not feld a Medium Battery, Royal Artillery
unless you are also felding a Field Battery, Royal Artillery
or Airlanding Battery, Royal Artillery with at least as
many guns.

A Medium Battery, Royal Artillery is organised the same as


the Field Battery, Royal Artillery above, except that they must
replace all OQF 25 pdr guns with BL 5.5 guns and all Quad
tractors with Matador trucks.
Medium Batteries, Royal Artillery count as Field Batteries,
Royal Artillery for the purposes of the British special rules.
Medium Batteries, Royal Artillery may not be deployed
in Ambush.
C
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Z8
Flight
Flight Lieutenant
Flight
Flight Lieutenant
Aircraft
Aircraft Aircraft
Naval Gun Fire Support
Captain
Cruiser
Captain
HMS Diadem Dido Class Light Cruiser
aiRlaNdiNg BatteRy, Royal aRtilleRy
platooN
HQ Section with:
2 Gun Sections 140 points
1 Gun Section 85 points
optioN
Add Jeep teams at no cost.
On the night of 6 June, the 6
th
Airlanding Brigade descended
around Ranville with vital reserves, including the 75mm Pack
Howitzers of the 53
rd
Airlanding Regiment, Royal Artillery.
Tese light guns provided immediate fre support for the
many patrols and incursions conducted by the commandos
of 1
st
Special Service Brigade.
air ForCe and navy support
aiR suppoRt
pRioRity aiR suppoRt
Typhoon 220 points
limited aiR suppoRt
Typhoon 170 points
Naval guN fiRe suppoRt
Naval guN fiRe suppoRt
Naval Gun Fire Support 250 points
aRmouRed platooN
Te tanks of 13th/18th Hussars supplied Sherman tank support throughout the Normandy campaign to the troops in the
airborne salient. Often engaged with the Panzer IV tanks of the 21. Panzerdivision, the resilient tankers of 13
th
/18
th
Hussars
succeeded in halting several German counterattacks.
Use the Sword beach Confdent Trained Armoured Platoon option on page 19 to represent the tanks of 13
th
/18
th

Hussars.
Z9
Armour
Name Mobility Front Side Top EquipmentandNotes
Weapon Range ROF Anti-tank Firepower
medium taNks
Sherman II or III Fully-tracked 6 4 1 Co-ax MG, Hull MG, Tow hook.
M375mmgun 32/80cm 2 10 3+ Semi-indirectfre,Smoke.
Sherman DD Fully-tracked 6 4 1 Co-ax MG, Tow hook, DD tank.
M375mmgun 32/80cm 2 10 3+ Semi-indirectfre,Smoke.
Centaur Fully-tracked 6 4 1 Co-ax MG, Protected ammo, Unreliable.
OQF95mmCShowitzer 24/60cm 2 7 3+ Smoke.
Firingbombardments 48/120cm - 4 5+ Smokebombardment.
Firefy VC Fully-tracked 6 4 1 Co-ax MG, Tow hook.
OQF17pdrgun 32/80cm 2 13 3+ NoHE,Semi-indirectfre.
aRmouRed eNgiNeeRiNg vehiCles
AVRE Fully-tracked 8 7 2 Co-ax MG, AVRE, Protected Ammo, Slow tank, Wide-tracked.
Petardmortar 4/10cm 1 5 1+ Bunkerbuster,Demolitionmortar,Slowtraverse.
Sherman Crab Fully-tracked 6 4 1 Co-ax MG, Overloaded, Mine fail.
M375mmgun 32/80cm 2 10 3+ Smoke.
self-pRopelled aNti-taNk guNs
M10 3 SP Fully-tracked 4 2 0 .50 cal AA MG.
M73gun 32/80cm 2 12 3+ Slowtraverse.
self-pRopelled aNti-aiRCRaft guNs
Oerlikon 20mm SP Wheeled - - -
Oelikon20mmgun 16/40cm 4 5 5+ Anti-aircraft.
Bofors 40mm SP Wheeled - - - Awarkward layout.
Bofors40mmgun 24/60cm 4 6 4+ Anti-aircraft.
self-pRopelled guNs
Sexton Fully-tracked 1 0 0 AA MG.
OQF25pdrgun 24/60cm 2 9 3+ Hullmounted,Smoke.
Firingbombardments 80/200cm - 4 5+ Smokebombardment.
Priest Fully-tracked 1 0 0 .50 cal AA MG.
M2A1105mmgun 24/60cm 1 9 2+ Hullmounted,Smoke.
Firingbombardments 72/180cm - 4 4+ Smokebombardment.
Sherman OP Fully-tracked 6 4 1 Hull MG.
vehiCle maChiNe-guNs
VehicleMG 16/40cm 3 2 6 ROF1ifotherweaponsfre.
.50calVehicleMG 16/40cm 3 4 5+ ROF1ifotherweaponsfre.
Tank TeamS
arSenaL
a
R
s
e
N
a
l
BRitish
J0
Aircraft Weapon To Hit Anti-tank Firepower Notes
Typhoon Cannon 3+ 8 5+
Rockets 3+ 6 3+
Armour
Vehicle Mobility Front Side Top Equipment and Notes
Jeep Jeep - - -
CMP 15 cwt or 3-ton truck Wheeled - - -
Quad tractor Wheeled - - -
Troop, OP or Loyd Carrier Half-tracked 0 0 0
MMG Carrier Half-tracked 0 0 0 HMG Carrier, Passenfer-fred hull MG.
TranSPorT TeamS
aircraft
Team Range ROF Anti-tank Firepower Notes
Rife team 16/40cm 1 2 6
Rife/MG team 16/40cm 2 2 6
SMG team 4/10cm 3 1 6 Full ROF when moving.
Light Mortar team 16/40cm 1 1 4+ Smoke, Can fre over friendly teams.
PIAT team 8/20cm 1 10 5+ Tank Assault 4.
Flame-thrower team 4/10cm 2 - 6 Flame-thrower.
Staf team cannot shoot Moves as a Heavy Gun team.
additioNal tRaiNiNg aNd eQuipmeNt
Teams with Gammon bombs are rated as Tank Assault 3.
infanTrY TeamS
Weapon Mobility Range ROF Anti-tank Firepower Notes
Vickers HMG Man-packed 24/60cm 6 2 6 ROF 2 when pinned down.
Firing bombardments 40/100cm - - -
ML 3 Mk II mortar Man-packed 40/100cm - 2 6 Smoke bombardment.
ML 4.2 mortar Light 48/120cm - 3 4+ Smoke bombardment.
OQF 6 pdr gun Medium 24/60cm 3 10 4+ Gun shield.
OQF 17 pdr gun Immobile 32/80cm 2 13 3+ Gun shield, No HE.
M1A1 75mm pack howitzer Light 16/40cm 2 6 3+ Smoke.
Firing bombardments 64/160cm - 3 6 Smoke bombardment.
OQF 25 pdr gun Heavy 24/60cm 2 9 3+ Gun shield, Smoke, Turntable.
Firing bombardments 80/200cm - 4 5+ Smoke bombardment.
BL 5.5 gun Immobile 32/80cm 1 13 1+ Bunker buster.
Firing bombardments 88/220cm - 5 2+
Naval Guns Of table 112/200cm - 6 1+ Naval Gunfre Support.
gun TeamS

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