Invasion 1944:
Scenario Preview, Part Two
By Mike Bennighof, Ph.D.
April 2021

You actually don’t have to start with Invasion 1944 as your entry point to Panzer Grenadier. It’s a pretty easy system to learn, and over at Panzer Grenadier Headquarters they even have mentors to walk you through the game system and you can find opponents around the world who’re ready to play with you online. Most of the games lead off with a small scenario so you can try things out.

Invasion 1944 is a fine game all on its own, though. The fighting’s intense; if the Germans want to kick the Allies off the Continent, they’re going to have to do it here. Let’s have a look at some more of the scenarios.

Utah Beach
In stark contrast to Omaha, the landings at Utah Beach were the most successful of the day. Luck played a role as the landings occurred more than a mile south of the intended target. This brought the troops ashore at an area which was relatively undefended. Acknowledging that his regiment was not at the planned location, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. merely said “We’ll start the war from here.” Listening carefully, the 8th Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division had the beach cleared in an hour.

The good fortune at Utah had a second payoff. Unlike Omaha where the beach abutted bluffs that needed to be scaled, Utah was separated from the mainland by inundated marshland traversed only by a few causeways. The ability to clear the beach ahead of schedule meant that the causeways to the mainland could be secured quickly and at a minimal cost.
 
It was essential to secure those causeways and push inland as the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions had landed overnight and were terribly scattered throughout the Cotentin Peninsula. German resistance was becoming more organized and the pockets of paratroopers were facing much more lethal opposition as each hour ticked by. The arrival of the 4th Infantry Division meant that those paratroopers could hold onto their gains much more easily and the potential for their destruction began to fade.

There were, however, some additional coastal guns that would need to be silenced if Utah Beach was to become truly secure.

SCENARIO FOUR
South of Sainte Mere Eglise                           
6 June 1944
The 8th Infantry Regiment took General Roosevelt’s direction to heart and after cleaning up the beach raced forward to link up with the paratroopers. The regiment was making good time until they reached a ridge just south of their objective. The “German” troops there had already fought off an attack by American paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division and seemed, and seemed determined to hold their position.

Conclusion
In its serious first action of the war the 8th Infantry Regiment carried out a competent attack but was unable to force the ridge. Once Task Force Raff arrived, they added their strength to the attack but the combined American forces still break the Ostbattalion. Although the German force was comprised of Georgians from the Caucasus who were no doubt confused as to whom they were fighting and why, they fought desperately as they were surrounded by the 8th Infantry and the paratroopers. The 8th Infantry would try two more times to break through without success to the embattled Airborne at St. Mere Eglise. The paratroopers would have to wait another day to link up.

Notes
The Americans have tanks and they have numbers and way better morale; the Georgians have a strong position and that’s about it. Even so, it’s not going to be easy to eject them from it.

SCENARIO FIVE
Crisbecq
8 June 1944
Just north of Utah Beach thick concrete forts blocked the 22nd Infantry Regiment’s way. The fort at Crisbecq housed 210mm guns which had fired with effect at the USS Corry on D-Day. Crisbecq was a massive concrete fort built by the Todt organization to house the coastal battery. In an attack on the 7th, it was found that the defenders had created firing lanes for all their machine guns and the artillery was all preregistered. It was hoped the addition of naval gunfire would make the difference today.  

Conclusion
After the 2nd Battalion started to take some ground they were counterattacked and forced to give up their gains. Meanwhile the 1st Battalion had recovered from being routed yesterday and forced the defenders from the town of St. Marcouf. They continued on to Crisbecq where they wrested control of many of the pillboxes from the defenders. After running out of high explosives they entered the enemy trenches where they engaged in hand to hand combat. The arrival of German reinforcements proved too much and they returned back to friendly lines.

As an historical note, most books covering this action conflate St. Marcouf and the Crisbecq fort. If you haven’t heard of Crisbecq before you shouldn’t be surprised. You will however hear that the St. Marcouf battery (Crisbecq) held out for an entire week.

Notes
The Germans have a fortress bearing huge naval cannon that can’t shoot at land targets (this would seem to be a major design flaw), while the Americans can shoot at it with battleship guns. They also have just plain artillery and better morale, but that fortress is quite tough (people are saying that it held out for an entire week).

SCENARIO SIX
A Little Help from our Friends
8 June 1944
Fourth Infantry Division directed its 12th Infantry Regiment to secure Edmondeville on the invasion’s third day. While the 22nd Regiment attempted to reduce Crisbecq to the east, 12th Regiment was to pass through Edmondeville on their way to Montebourg. Edmondeville consisted of a large number of stone houses that would have to be cleared before that order became a reality. Luckily for the 12th they had U.S. Navy Lieutenant Paul Massa who with a few words over the radio commanded the firepower of two cruisers stationed just offshore.   

Conclusion
That naval gunnery proved to be the difference in the hard fighting needed to take and hold Edmondeville against numerous counterattacks. The first naval salvo targeted the town’s church steeple that Lt. Massa thought would make a great observation post for the Germans. He reported that even the sound of the resulting blast had a great effect when the shells landed. The steeple never had a chance. As the 4th Infantry Division moved up the Norman coast they continued to call on naval bombardment to soften the German positions. Jealous division commanders with inland assignments complained that the 4th was willing to let the Navy do the dirty work.

Notes
Once again, the American player gets those nifty naval guns; the Germans get . . . an 88mm anti-aircraft battery. Which is a pretty awesome weapon in most Panzer Grenadier scenarios. But it’s not a heavy cruiser.

Post Script
The VII Corps now consisted of the 4th, 9th and 90th Infantry Divisions for the initial operations on the Cotentin Peninsula. As the 4th Division moved north towards Montebourg, the 90th and then the 9th Infantry Divisions were thrown forward to try to isolate the northern end of the Peninsula. The 90th completely failed when asked to strike across the Peninsula. Its failure to have any effect led to a juggling of corps assignments and mission objectives for the American First Army. The 90th was turned south to hold the line against weak opposition while the 4th and ultimately the 9th turn towards Cherbourg. We will pick up with the 4th Division shortly.

Notes
This chapter takes place right behind the beach, so the Americans still have to deal with German fortifications and the Germans have to deal with the U.S. Navy which can smash them like bugs if it can hit its target instead of the Americans. Those space lasers are not quite the ultimate weapon.

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Mike Bennighof is president of Avalanche Press and holds a doctorate in history from Emory University. A Fulbright Scholar and NASA Journalist in Space finalist, he has published vast numbers of books, games and articles on historical subjects. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife, three children and his dog, Leopold. Leopold actually wrote most of those.