Saint-Lo, France, July 6th-26th 1944 Story : By the end of June, the Allied beachhead at Normandy had been consolidated. But little gains had been made inland. The British 2nd Army to the north was pinned in place by seven German armored divisions. To the south, the farmland with its bocage was proving more than deadly to any American progress. With the capture of Cherbourg, more facilities were been made available for the influx of men and material. A mighty army was forming on the beaches and seeking a way to break free. Though badly battered, German forces still maintained a strong defensive line that extended from Caen to SaintLo. With Patton’s Third Army in the wings to exploit any openings by the First Army, a drive to Saint-Lo began on July 6th. It would involve over two weeks of some of the deadliest fighting of the Western Europe theatre. Once beyond Saint-Lo, the countryside opened up and provided excellent terrain for rapid tank advances. But getting there would not be easy.

U.S. units : 19th U.S. Corps: 

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HQ 3 M4 + 1 105mm M4 + 1 M5 + 1 Jeep 1 Rifle + 2 155mm Gun + 1 105mm Howitzer th 113 Cavalry Group 1 M4A3E8 + 1 M5 + 2 Jeep 29th Infantry Division 2 105mm Howitzer + 1 Engineer 1 57mm AT + 6 Rifle + 2 MG Crew + 1 Panzerfaust th 30 Infantry Division 2 105mm Howitzer + 1 Engineer 1 57mm AT + 6 Rifle + 2 MG Crew + 1 Panzerfaust nd 2 Infantry Division 2 105mm Howitzer + 1 Engineer + 1 Panzerfaust 1 57mm AT + 6 Rifle + 2 MG Crew + 1 M36 9th Infantry Division 2 105mm Howitzer + 1 Engineer + 1 Panzerfaust 1 57mm AT + 6 Rifle + 2 MG Crew + 1 M18 th 35 Infantry Division 2 105mm Howitzer + 1 Engineer + 1 Panzerfaust 1 57mm AT + 6 Rifle + 2 MG Crew + 1 M18 rd 3 Armored Division 3 M12 + 1 M18 + 1 Engineer 2 M5 + 1 M4A3E8 + 2 M4 3 Rifle + 1 57mm AT + 2 MG Crew + 1 60mm Mortar

9th Tactical Air Command:   

354th Fighter Bomber 1 P-47 370th Fighter Bomber 1 P-38 8th Air Force 5 B-17

German units : 2th Fallschirmjäger Korps: 

HQ

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1 15cm Gun + 1 15cm Rockets 3. Fallschirmjäger Division 1 Engineer + 6 Rifle + 1 81mm Mortar + 2 MG Crew + 1 Panzerfaust Kampfgruppe Heintz 1 Hetzer + 2 Rifle + 1 Engineer + 1 105mm Howitzer + 1 MG Crew 275. Infanterie Division 1 SdKfz 234 + 6 Rifle + 2 105mm Howitzer + 1 2cm Flak 1 81mm Mortar + 1 Pak 40 + 2 MG Crew + 1 Panzerfaust 353. Infanterie Division 3 Rifle + 1 2cm Flak + 2 MG Crew + 1 81mm Mortar 266. Infanterie Division 2 Rifle + 1 Engineer + 1 2cm Flak + 1 MG Crew + 1 81mm Mortar 38. SS PanzerGrenadiers Division 1 StuG III + 2 Rifle + 1 MG Crew + 1 2cm Flak 2. SS Division Das Reich 1 Panther + 1 Pz IV H + 1 105mm Howitzer 1 Wespe + 1 Veteran + 1 SdKfz 234 + 1 88mm AT/AA Panzer Lehr 1 Engineer + 3 Rifle + 3 Veteran + 1 10cm Mortar 1 SdKfz 234 + 1 88mm AT/AA 2 105mm Howitzer + 1 Wespe 3 Pz IV H + 1 Panther

Scenario rules : Use the optional rule Mortars as support weapon. The battlefield consists of SW (Swamp), BO (Bocage), CL (Clear), TO (Town), HI (Hills), VI (Village). BO01 BO07 BO13 CL19 CL25 HI16 – Hill 91

19 th U.S. Corps Headquarters BO02 BO03 BO04 BO05 BO06 BO08 BO09 BO10 BO11 BO12 BO14 BO15 HI16 BO17 HI18 SW20 BO21 BO22 TO23 BO24 CL26 VI27 CL28 HI29 CL30 2nd Falls. Korps Headquarters HI18 – Hill 192

TO23 – Saint-Lo

VI27 – Marigny

1.

Turns 10 Turns. Each turn represents 2 days.

2.

Supply The American player receives 25 points at start and 4 supply dices until Turn 6. Then he receives 5 supply dices until the end of the game. The German player receives 25 points at start and 3 supply dices until Turn 6. Then he receives 4 supply dices until the end of the game. Supply points remain hidden during the game.

3.

Special cards Each player has a 42 special cards deck (2 identical cards max.). He must choose them according to the deck restrictions of annex 1. Each player draws 1 free card each turn with the possibility of buying only one other card at the cost of 6 points. Each player takes randomly 5 cards from this deck before the game begins.

4.

Weather The sky is cloudy (-2 to AirFPs and air recon) until Turn 6. Then it becomes clear (no restriction) until the end of the game.

5.

Headquarters

The German Headquarter is south of the CL25 – CL30 line. The U.S. Headquarter is north of the BO01 – BO06 line. Each HQ has no stacking limit. A unit that is not connected to its HQ by friendly units controlling a zone attacks with a doubled cost in supply points and can not refit. 6.

The Vire River The Vire river runs between BO04 and BO05 and south. It is crossable only between BO22 and TO23. The Vire river is, with the Orne river, the biggest river in Normandy and dictated the moves of both armies.

7.

SS units The SS infantry units (38. PzG D. and 2. SS) have +1 Inf, +1 Def.

8.

Others Only assaults and refits need supply points, reinforcements are free and come in play as indicated below.

Set up and reinforcement : Turn 1 : START. The U.S. player begins the game. German: The 2nd Fälls. Korps HQ deploys in TO23. The 3. Fallschirmjäger Division in BO08, BO13 and BO14. The kampfgruppe Heintz in BO07 and BO13. The 275. Infanterie Division in BO10, BO15, HI16, BO22. The 353. Infanterie Division in BO12 and BO18. The 266. Infanterie Division in BO11 and BO17. The 38. SS PanzerGrenadiers Division in BO09 and BO15. U.S.: The 19th U.S. Corps HQ deploys in the 19th Army Headquarter. The 113th Cav. Group in BO02 and the 19th Army Headquarter. The 29th Infantry Division in BO05 and the 19th Army Headquarter. The 30th Infantry Division in BO03, BO04 and the 19th Army Headquarter. The 2nd Infantry Division in BO06 and the 19th Army Headquarter. The 9th Infantry Division in BO01 and the 19th Army Headquarter. Turn 3 : German:The Panther, Pz IV H and Wespe from the 2. SS Division arrive in VI27 or in the German headquarter. U.S. :

The 35th I.D. arrives in BO06 and in the U.S. headquarter. The 3rd A.D. in BO04 and in the U.S headquarter.

Turn 4 : German:

The Panzer Lehr deploys in HI29 and in the German headquarter.

Turn 5 : German: The other units from the 2. SS Division arrive in VI27 and in the German headquarter. Turn 9 : U.S.: The 8th Air Force arrives in the U.S. Airfield Turn 10 : U.S.: The 8th Air Force is withdrawn (at the beginning of the turn). END (at the end of the turn)

Victory The U.S. player wins if at the end of the game he controls three adjacent zones in the most southern zone and he controls Saint-Lo. Any other situation is an American defeat because Operation Cobra will have to be delayed even more.

Annex 1 Below are written the special cards that players can not use in their deck. AMERICAN Weather related cards Cards with the word Hitler written on it Obstacle related cards Conscripts desert Espionage Manpower shortage Omar Bradley Partisan activity Railhead Reinforcements Russian offensive Sabotage Traffic jam Troop convoy Sabotage ammo Assault boats Bazooka team DUKW Flamethrower MG Crew Pontoon bridge Airborne drop Divisional reserve No retreat Critical sector Nude resistance Supplies Supply cache Divisional reserve Armorer’s miracle Sabotaged ammo

GERMAN Weather related cards Cards with the word Hitler written on it Obstacle related cards Fortification related cards Baseplate Blow dam Channel storm Demolition Divisional reserve Erwin Rommel Espionage Monty throws a fit Overextended Railhead Reinforcements Supply strike Pontoon bridge Waffen SS Ferry Flamethrower MG Crew Panzerfaust V2-Strike Wurfrahmen 40 Armorer’s miracle Critical sector Luftwaffe purge Supplies Supply cache Traffic jam

Credits Saint-Lo 1944 for The Last Crusade was created by Florent Coupeau.