historical campaign battle for the juno beachhead This scenario takes place after Canadian troops land on Juno beach and begin to move inland on the 6th of June, 1944. The action takes place over the critical first day of the battle for the Juno bridgehead. Tanks and Regiment de la Chaudière moving along French village road, Normandy Beach head. 6 June 1944. Warning! Although not vital, the scenarios are more enjoyable if the players are not completely aware of their opponent s brief. A referee is not required as each side s scenario briefing contains details of their objectives and information pertinent to their force. Players should expect to be a little bit in the dark when playing these scenarios and should be prepared for the occassional surprise! Just follow your orders, do your job and everything will turn out fine! Copyright Great Escape Games and Darryl Morton 2009. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
battle for juno Juno was the codename given to the landing beach of the Canadian section as part of Operation Overlord, the Allies attempt at regaining a foothold in Europe to strike back at the Germans. It was to be assaulted by the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, which was part of the British Second Army. The main objectives of the 3rd Division were to seize the airfield located at Carpiquet, occupy the road between Caen and Bayeux and to meet up with the British divisions who were assaulting Gold and Sword beaches either side of Juno. In the first wave to hit Juno Beach at 07.45 was 7th Brigade, landing close to Courseulles sur Mer ( Mike sector) with support from the 6th Canadian Armoured Regiment. Simultaneously 8th Brigade was landing on the eastern end ( Nan sector) near to Saint Aubin sur Mer, with support from the 10th Canadian Armoured Regiment. Landing later in the morning at 10.00 was 9th Brigade, supported by the 27th Canadian Armoured Regiment. As with other sectors of the coastline in Normandy, the Germans had created formidable defensive obstacles. However, the Canadians first obstacle was for their landing craft and amphibious vehicles to cross a reef before making landfall. Whilst they waited for the tide to rise, which then obscured many of the beach defences beneath the water, the Americans were already attacking further to the west. The delay in landing meant that the Canadian engineers had difficulty in clearing a path through the submerged obstacles. Consequently, a third of the landing craft were damaged by underwater mines as they approached the beach. Naval bombardment had had little effect against the shore defences, plus the delay in landing the assault teams allowed the Germans half an hour to regroup before the Canadians reached the beach. In Mike sector, the first company of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles were destroyed as they attempted to land because the navy had failed to take out any of the shorebased guns in the vicinity. The infantry and amphibious tanks were able to knock out the shore defences, but engineer units arrived later than planned, causing a considerable delay in clearing exits from the beach. This delay caused congestion on the beach, restricting the ability of the Canadians to move inland as quickly as planned. In Nan sector, 8th Brigade were forced to attack without support from their amphibious DD tanks, which had not been launched due to the rough weather conditions. After the dangerous beach approach, the troops enjoyed a brief respite as they waded ashore, with little opposition from the Germans. However, the interlude was short-lived. As the Canadians advanced through the defences and crossed 100 yards of open beach, the German machine guns brought withering enfilading fire to bear along the length of the beach causing high numbers of casualties. In the first hour of the assault alone, the Canadians suffered a 50% casualty rate. By noon, a foothold had been established and the Canadians started to push further inland. In terrible hand-to-hand fighting, they captured the towns of Courseulles sur Mer, Bernières, and Saint Aubin sur Mer and then advanced inland establishing a vital beachhead for the Allies. By the evening, the 3rd Division had linked up with the British 50th Division at Gold Beach to the west. On the eastern flank, the Canadians were unable to make contact with the British forces at Sword Beach, which left open a 2 mile gap, through which the German 21st Panzer Division counter-attacked. Briefing for Both Players The scenario begins mid-morning on the 6th of June. The Canadian first wave has penetrated the seawall defences and has begun to push inland. The long-awaited invasion of mainland Europe is underway, although there is still a lot of confusion on both sides; the Germans unaware that this is the main landing; the Allies struggling to co-ordinate the massive invasion and achieve their first day s objectives. By mid-morning, the German command has realised that this is the main invasion and starts to bring up reserves towards the coast and to reinforce key positions such as the airfield at Carpiquet and the main roads leading to Caen. The Allies need to gain a foothold in France and hold it until more troops can be brought ashore. Campaign Length The campaign length is 10 campaign turns. Campaign Specific Rules For this campaign, ignore the Supply Lines rules. The battlefield is a small area and the scope of the scenario only covers a day s fighting, so supply issues are not a significant factor. You can also ignore the rules for changing weather. The weather conditions for the duration of the campaign can be regarded as being Good Weather. Agree with your opponent whether you will use the Fortunes of War cards for this campaign. The forces described in the Orders of Battle should be used exactly as defined in this briefing.
Warning! canadian section! Campaign Rules We recommend that this campaign is played with two players per side. Although not strictly necessary, the gaming experience of this campaign is enhanced if players avoid reading the other side s briefing. Campaign Length The campaign length is 10 campaign turns, representing a single day of action. Canadian Objectives The primary campaign objective for the Canadian player is to capture the airfield at Carpiquet in hex B1. There are a number of secondary objectives which can be achieved for extra points. If Canadian units control hexes A5 and F5 in the final turn (to ensure that the beaches remain free for the continued re-supply of the beachhead and to link up with the British forces on Sword and Gold beaches) then points can be scored. A third objective is to control hex F1: the road into the centre of Caen. If this is achieved quickly, then German reinforcements can be prevented from counter-attacking. Intelligence Briefing SHAEF has provided a wealth of intelligence regarding the disposition of the German troops. It is believed that the quality of the 716th Infantry Division, which is the main force in the area, is poor. The defenders are spread widely across the invasion area with roughly half the forces in this sector located along the coastline. An artillery battery has been firing onto the beaches from somewhere between Bretteville and Mathieu, but due to the poor weather conditions early this morning, Royal Navy observers have been unable to pinpoint exactly where the battery is located. In addition to the beachfront troops, there is a reserve garrison in the sector, not far from the beaches. The French Resistance has reported that there are units of the 12th SS Panzer Division, with heavy armour, stationed somewhere between Carpiquet and Caen. Canadian Order of Battle All the Canadian troops count as being Dogged for the first 4 turns of the campaign, so ensure that you establish a strong beachhead by turn 5. You may not take any Elite troops. After concluding your first battle with an element which must take Assault Pioneers, you may elect to use ordinary infantry in subsequent battles we can assume that the engineers have used up their specialist equipment breaching the sea defences. 7th Brigade First Wave The first wave of landing craft has already reached the beach and unloaded its troops. These are represented by 2 elements, which begin the campaign by advancing onto the beach from a sea hex. Use the Canadian Infantry order of battle to field 2 elements, each with a CE of 20. One of the elements must have an Assault Pioneer Section and the other may not take any Divisional Support. 9th Brigade Second Wave The following forces represent the second wave of troops landing at Juno. Use the Canadian Infantry order of battle to field 2 elements, each with a CE of 20. One of the elements must have an Assault Pioneer Section and the other may choose any Divisional Support option. Sherbrooke Fusiliers Second Wave Use the Canadian Infantry order of battle with a CE of 12, plus up to 8 points spent on armour from the Divisional Support choices you may choose up to 2 tanks. Tactical Reserve More soldiers keep pouring onto the beach throughout the day providing the Canadians with a plentiful reserve of fresh troops. The Canadians have a tactical reserve of 20CE. Canadian Deployment The Sea Front There are six hexes directly adjacent to the sea: A5, B5, C5, D5, E4 and F5. First Wave Units At the start of the campaign, the Canadian first wave elements are not placed on the map. You may advance the two first wave elements from the sea into any of the sea front hexes (A5, B5, C5, D5, E4 and F5). Mark your deployment on a map before the campaign begins and then place them on the campaign board in the first turn. Second Wave Units The second wave of landing craft must be deployed from off the map, as described above, and are deployed in turns 1, 2 or 3. Before the campaign begins, write down your orders for the units in the second wave, but don t divulge them until the start of each turn. The second wave units comprise two elements of the 9th Brigade and 1 element of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers i.e. three units in total. It is important that all of the intended orders for second wave units are written down for turn 1 because your opponent may target his artillery at incoming landing craft. If the element doesn t arrive until a later turn, then use the order issued for that element from turn 1, then once they have deployed begin issuing orders in the normal way. At the start of each turn, roll a d6 to see which of your second wave elements arrive: 1: None arrive, but the player may choose which one arrives in the next turn 2-3: One of the 9th Brigade elements arrives 4-5: Sherbrooke Fusiliers 6: 2 elements arrive, player s choice If you get a previously rolled result (inc. 1 ) then you may choose one element to arrive. Canadian Special Rules Amphibious Assault The landing craft in the second wave are moved by issuing an Advance order, moving 2 hexes a turn. For example, a 9th Brigade boat has its orders recorded as Advance A6, A5. In the first turn, the player rolls (as indicated in Second Wave Units above) and an element of 9th Brigade arrives. The player reveals his orders and places the element on the map. When a landing craft reaches a beach hex, the troops may disembark. Troops disembarking take 1 full turn to complete their disembarkation. For example, a landing craft moves onto the map at hex B6 in turn 1. In turn 2, the troops may be disembarked in hexes A5, B5 or C5, but may not move any further during that turn. If they disembark into a hex which contains a German unit, then they must fight a battle immediately using the Hold the Line scenario. Coastal Battering If a landing craft is hit by artillery, as described on pages 14-15 of the Operations & Objectives rulebook, it must test for being damaged, in addition to casualties inflicted. Roll a D6: a 1, 2 or 3 will result in the landing craft being damaged and unable to move in the following turn only. A score of a 4, 5 or 6 will mean that it was a lucky escape. D-Day Confusion To represent the confusion of the D-Day landings, the Canadians have to operate during this campaign with no Headquarters element, so all orders are subject to misinterpretation from turn 2 onwards. Remember to test each turn using the Misunderstood Orders rule from page 10 of the Operations and Objectives book. No Going Back Any Canadian vehicles destroyed by the Germans may not be replaced during the campaign. If the Germans cause a Canadian element to fall back into the sea, then that element is destroyed. However, the Canadians fought with great courage and are subject to the Dogged rule for the first 4 turns of the campaign. This applies to all scenarios played, even when they are attacking! Players will notice that the only initial avenue of retreat for their elements is along the baseline (see Retreat on page 14 of the Operations & Objectives book), some of which is bristling with angry Germans! It is quite possible that an initial defeat could lead to an element s easy destruction, so beware!
battle for juno - campaign map Gold Beach Sword Beach Courseulles sur Mer St Aubin sur Mer Mathieu Bretteville Carpiquet Caen outskirts Scoring Campaign Victory Points - canadian SIDE In addition to scoring campaign points during RoE games (see Scoring Victory Points during Battles, pg 19 Operations & Objectives), the following scoring opportunities exist for this campaign: Capture the airfield (hex B1) at Carpiquet Occupying the route to Gold Beach (hex A5) in the final turn Occupying the route to Sword Beach (hex F5) in the final turn Occupying the road to Caen (hex F1) in the final turn If one side beats the other by 3+ victory points, it scores a Marginal Victory. If one side s victory points double the others, it scores a Decisive Victory. 8 points 2 points 2 points 1 point
Warning! german section! Campaign Rules We recommend that this campaign is played with two players per side. Although not strictly necessary, the gaming experience of this campaign is enhanced if players avoid reading the other side s briefing. Campaign Length The campaign length is 10 campaign turns, representing a single day of action. German Objectives The main campaign objective for the German player is simply to destroy as many of the opposition as possible. Secondary objectives are to hold the road into Caen and to hold the airfield at Carpiquet. A German unit must control hex F1 in the last campaign turn (to protect the road into Caen) and also control the airfield hex to score points. Intelligence Briefing The Abwehr have failed to provide any meaningful intelligence about the area to the west of the Orne River prior to the invasion. By mid-morning, your field commanders have radioed in reports of large scale attacks right along the coast. A large armada stretches as far as the eye can see, so you can expect fresh Allied troops to keep on arriving. There is much confusion, with reports of paratroops dropping in the area as well. In essence, you have no reliable intelligence on how to direct your forces. German Order of Battle You do not have to check whether any of your infantry squads are Low Grade. You may not field any Elite troops. Sea Front Garrisons 716th Infantry Division Use the Grenadiers order of battle to field 3 elements, each with a CE of 16. The sea front garrison units benefit from being Dug In (until they move out of their initial deployment hex). The sea front garrisons may not take any vehicles. Reserve Garrison 716th Infantry Division Use the Grenadiers order of battle to deploy a reserve garrison with a CE of 16. Headquarters Use the Grenadiers order of battle for the Headquarters unit with a CE of 16. Artillery The artillery element is only able to fire upon the beaches and the immediate vicinity (rows 4, 5 and 6). As soon as a Canadian element enters the same hex, the artillery element is deemed to have been destroyed and therefore has no order of battle. The artillery unit may not be moved at all during the campaign. 25th Panzergrenadier Regiment, 12th SS-Panzer Division, Hitlerjugend Harassed by Allied air attacks, many of the heavy tanks have been damaged so this element is below full strength when it finally manages to deploy. Use the SS-Panzergrenadiers order of battle with a CE of 18; you may also take a Panzer IVH or Panther at no additional cost. You must have the correct model to be able to field it on the table though! Due to their fervour, the Hitlerjugend may not be give orders to withdraw from a battle. They must fight on and either win or be broken. All SS troops, except for NCO s, Medics and Officers have an Experience score of 5+, reflecting their youth and inexperience. Tactical Reserve The 716th Infantry Division are spread thinly across a wide area and bear the brunt of the Allied beach attacks. The Germans consequently have a small tactical reserve of 10CE. German Deployment To represent the paralysis and confusion experienced due to the massive scale of the invasion, German elements are not allowed to receive orders other than to Hold, or move in the first campaign turn at all. All elements must be given Hold orders for the first turn. The Sea Front There are six hexes directly adjacent to the sea: A5, B5, C5, D5, E4 and F5. Sea Front Garrisons 716th Infantry Division The 3 seawall garrison elements can deploy in any of the sea front hexes. These elements benefit from being Dug In until they move out of their initial deployment hex. Mark the deployment of each element secretly on a map and then reveal their location during the first turn. Reserve Garrison 716th Infantry Division The reserve garrison element may be deployed in any hex in rows 1, 2 or 3. Artillery The German artillery element can be placed in any hex in rows 2 and 3. It must be marked in secret by the German player and will only be revealed when a Canadian unit enters the same, or an adjacent, hex. Headquarters The HQ unit may be deployed in any hex on the map, except for the sea front hexes. 25th Panzergrenadier Regiment, 12th SS-Panzer Division Stationed near the airfield at Ardennes Abbey, elements of the 12th SS-Panzer Division may be used to counter-attack and provide additional armoured support. To determine in which turn they arrive, roll a D6 and add 3 in the presence of a neutral person. The 12th Panzer deploys onto the map from hex F1. However, if the Canadians occupy hex F1 during the turn in which the 12th Panzer is due to arrive then the German player may not field this unit at all. German Special Rules Coastal Batteries For each turn that the German artillery battery is not destroyed by the Canadians, the Germans benefit from being able to use issue Artillery orders. Artillery may only be called down on hexes in rows 4, 5 and 6. Atlantic Wall The Atlantic Wall was an extensive series of defensive structures that lined the coast of France, constructed to repel the anticipated Allied coastal invasion. The German player may nominate 3 sea front hexes as being part of the Atlantic Wall fortifications. These have the effect of slowing down the Canadian advance off the beach. Any unit moving through an Atlantic Wall hex will have their movement limited to 1 hex per turn. They will incur this penalty when moving out of the hex as well. Any German element deployed in one of these hexes counts as being Dug In until it moves or loses a battle. The hexes must be marked onto the campaign map before the first turn s orders are written down and then revealed during the movement phase of the first turn.
battle for juno - campaign map Gold Beach Sword Beach Courseulles sur Mer St Aubin sur Mer Mathieu Bretteville Carpiquet Caen outskirts Scoring Campaign Victory Points - german SIDE In addition to scoring campaign points during RoE games (see Scoring Victory Points during Battles, pg 19 Operations & Objectives), the following scoring opportunities exist for this campaign: Germans push a Canadian element back into the sea Each artillery hit on a landing craft Holding the airfield in the final turn Holding the road into Caen (hex F1) in the final turn Each Canadian element that is reduced to less than half its starting strength by the end of the campaign 5 points per element 2 points 8 points 3 points 1 point per element If one side beats the other by 3+ victory points, it scores a Marginal Victory. If one side s victory points double the others, it scores a Decisive Victory.