The Battle of Normandy

[Fhil]

JUNE 6th, 1944
DAY 1

Situation report.
06:00 hrs

During the night between 5th and 6th June, several thousands enemy paratroopers were dropped behind the Normandy coast, followed by amphibious landings on the local beaches:

[img][/img]

From west to east, situation on 06:00hrs in all sectors:

St.Mere Eglise


[/color]
There are two American airborne divisions dropped here. The 82nd captures bridges across the river Merderet, and by the first light it heads towards another important objective - Etienville, while the 101st dropping behind the coast, isolating all artillery batteries supposed to shell the local beach. There is not much the local units of 91.Luflande Division and those of 709. Infanterie Division can do, situation is pretty chaotic. On the coast, American 4th Infantry Division lands on the beach into local minefields.

Treviers



352. ID reports American forces landing at the beaches against it´s bunkers and pillboxes, with American rangers taking St Piere du Mont objective. There are units from four divisions landing here - 1st, 2nd, 29th and 30th. All artillery units ordered to shell the beaches.

Bayeux



British (50th ID to the left) and Canadian (3rd ID to the right) units landing here against the 716. ID pillboxes and bunkers. Only few local tactical reserves available here to counter this landings.

Caen



Enemy paratroopers dropped here during the night as well, these being identified as the British 6th Airborne Division. They quickly sized an important bridge at Benouville, creating aprox. 10x5 kms wide bridgehead over the Orne river. British 3rd ID lands at Riva Bella and will surely try to make contact with the paras as soon as possible. To the east of Caen, some of the units of 21. PzD are positioned.
Task here is obvious - recapturing the bridge, isolating the paras or at least driving them over the bridge to the western bank of the river. The bridge has to be destroyed then.

[color=#006400] The game begins, let´s say that during the first day, it´s about how long you can hold the Allies on the beaches and how will you handle those paratroopers. For Axis player, most of the units are Fixed, so he has to fight and shoot with all he can and available to inflict as much as damage as possible to the landing units while they are vulnerable on the beaches. Next report will show us the situation in the middle of the day.