D-Day: Forces in Normandy, 1944
(FW275)
It started with an Airborne assault, hitting vital defences behind the enemy lines. It was followed by a full-scale amphibious invasion on the beaches of Normandy. Operation Overlord was in full swing, with about 160,000 men crossing the English Channel to land on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day alone.
Facing the Allied Army was the Atlantic Wall, defensive positions that the Germans had spent years preparing.
Behind this Atlantic Wall, a dozen veteran panzer and parachute divisions, rebuilding after desperate battles on the Eastern Front, prepared to throw any Allied landing back into the sea. On D-Day, 6 June 1944, the greatest air and sea invasion of the war crossed the English Channel to land on the beaches of Normandy. Although they were unable to throw the Allies back into the sea, the German forces held back the Allied tide for more than three months in some of the most intense fighting of the Second World War. The battle for Europe had begun in earnest.
Inside You Will Find
Army lists for German, British, and American forces in Normandy, including Armoured, Mechanised, Infantry, and Airborne forces, as well as specialised forces like Commandos and Rangers.
Detailed unit histories to inspire your next projects.
Missions and Scenarios allowing you to recreate the airborne landings, Beach Landings, and fighting in the Bocage.
Inspirational colour photos.
Painting and basing guides
Includes Free Forces Of War Code
Each D-Day: Forces in Normandy book contains a unique code that unlocks all of the books contents in Forces Of War: Forces, Formations, Unit Cards, and Command Cards.
Forces Of War is the online force builder for Flames Of War and is an invaluable tool for building and storing army lists, as well as printing out your Unit and Command Cards ready for battle.
Forces Of War will be updated in the coming days with the option in your Accounts tab to enter a Book Code and redeem your access to these lists.
Includes Free D-Day Catalogue
Shrinkwapped with each D-Day: Forces in Normandy book is a 40-page catalogue detailing all the Flames Of War minatures and accessories featured in the D-Day book.
Use it as a recognition guide to help tell your opponents tanks or to plan out the next additions to your Army.
The D-Day: Forces in Normandy, 1944 book contains all of the previous D-Day books, as well as some new units and formations that we have added for this new edition.
Germans
The first part of the book contains the German section which includes two Forces, the first from D-Day: German with all the Formations and Units from that book.
The second Force is the Waffen-SS forces from D-Day: Waffen-SS and contains all the Formations and Units from that book.
In addition to the above, the German section includes the 21st Panzer Division Formations and Units that were originally a limited release. Now you can easily field the 21st Panzer Hotchkiss Assault Gun Company with its workshop converted assault guns based on captured French Hotchkiss tanks. These are rearmed with 7.5cm PaK40 anti-tank guns and 10.5cm howitzer in an open fighting compartment and provide the 21st Panzer Division with lots of mobile firepower.
The assault guns of the 21st Panzer were not the only troops form the division to use conversions of captured French equipment. The division’s Armoured Panzergrenadiers were mounted U304(f) and S307(f) half-tracks based on captured French transports rebuilt with armoured bodies and used in the same roles as the German Sd Kfz 250 and 251 half-tracks. Some were even converted to carry anti-tank guns and mortars. While other tracked French carriers were repurposed as self-propelled 10.5cm and 15cm artillery, and their own Lorraine Schlepper OP. These two Formations let you field units that will give your forces the authentic flavour of the 21st Panzer Division.
Another new formation in the German section is the a Jagdpanther Tank-hunter Company to represent 654th Heavy Tank-hunter Battalion when it arrived in Normandy in July 1944. These Jagdpanthers, while only in small numbers, caused the British much trouble during Operation Bluecoat between 30 July and 1 August. The Jagdpanther mounts a long 8.8cm anti-tank gun on the Panther hull, combining good armour, mobility, and firepower.
In the support section we have added last production model of the Marder, the Marder III M, of which a number of units saw action in France. The Germans can also take the Panzerwerfer 42 armoured rocket launchers, and the Luchs Scout Troop.
Americans
The American section includes the Formations and Units from D-Day: American.
We have also added a whole new Formation to represent the arrival of the M18 Hellcat tank destroyer with the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion on 18 June 1944. This unit took part in the Cobra Breakout and the Battle for Brittany. The M18 Hellcat combines potent firepower with speed, but to achieve this it is only lightly armoured.
British
The British section contains all the Formation and Units found in D-Day: British.
We have added Challenger 17 pdr gun tanks to the Cromwell Armoured Recce Troop and Desert Rats Armoured Troop. These tanks started to arrive in Normandy in July 1944. They were used to replace the Firefly where they were used with Cromwell units, or to simply to add some more anti-tank firepower to the Cromwell Armoured Recce Troops. Unlike the Sherman based Firefly, the Challenger was able to keep pace with the fast Cromwell, being a lengthened version of that tank which shared much of the same mechanics. The Challenger is armed with the same powerful 17 pdr anti-tank gun as the Firefly.
The British support section has also gained some extra units. We have added the Sexton Field Troop, which is a new plastic kit released with Bulge: British. This lets you take your 25 pdr artillery anywhere the tanks are going to give better fire support. You can also take the self-propelled Bofors SP AA Troop for mobile anti-aircraft cover, or just to use as direct fire support for your Force.
Missions
The final section of D-Day: Forces in Normandy, 1944 contains Airborne Assault rules and missions, Beach Assault rules and missions, and Bocage rules and missions, giving you all the unique Normandy gaming scenarios, environments, and resources you will ever need.
Battlefront Miniatures
