S&T Cobra D+1 Scenario
This is a scenario for the Strategy and Tactics Edition 251magazine game "Cobra", which is itself a remake of the old classic SPI game "Cobra". The original game came with an expansion which covered the actual D-Day landings as well as the build up before the actual Cobra breakout. The magazine game re-presented this expansion in a more integrated format.
The problem with the expansion I have found however was that it was very difficult to get a historical or close to historical result for the landing, usually as a result of the beach combat table being very prone to dice luck (or not) as well as the movement sequence on the first turn not really making the actually allied advance inland on the 6th of June readily possible.
This scenario attempts to portray the situation at midnight on the 6th of June, effectively starting the game at D+1, or game turn 2. This allows for a battle of the build up from a solid historical base. Units are positioned as far as know to there locations at the start of the 7th of June, 1944, with historical loss levels.
The scenario creates the issues and opportunities that both sides faced on the 7th. The germans can hurl the 12 SS at one selected target, either the 6th Airborne lodging, or the Sword beach units and cause potentially considerable damage in spite of naval and air support. However, this risks leaving units to the west dangerously unsupported, and a major danger of a breakout east of Bayeux. In reality the safe course is to break up the panzer divisions and brace the damaged infantry divisions with them.
Around Omaha and Utah, containment is the word of the day, falling back to Carentan whilst trying to bring in more reinforcements.
On the allied side the days aims are to link Sword with Juno and remove the remnants at Douvre, whilst building up the British lodgement and attempting to link with Omaha and strengthen the 6th airborne. Omaha needs to slowly expand to allow more units to land. Likewise Utah needs to consolidate and land fresh infantry divisions to begin the drive to link to Omaha and also cut the peninsula.
Game Start
The game starts with the start of game turn 2. All rules for the expansion (i.e. the Build Up scenario are in effect). Weather for this turn (only) is fixed at Overcast. All invasion beach hexes have been captured by the allies.
Extra Rules
The following house rules I have found work well with Cobra.
14.6.5 Defensive Shore Bombardment
The allies may use defensive shore bombardment to help defend against axis attacks. Shore Bombardment defends at the same ranges as per offensive shore bombardment. However, only 1 shift can be gained from defensive shore bombardment and an NSP expended on defensive shore bombardment cannot be then allocated in the Allied player turn to offensive shore bombardment.
14.5.2 Carpet Bombing The carpet bombing rules in Cobra don't really make sense as they disallow the allies attacking hexes being carpet bombed nor advancing into those hexes in the mechanized movement phase. Serious carpet bombing was almost always accompanied by a subsequent ground attack. The aim of the carpet bombing was to exploit through that area, the problem however being the inherent destruction caused to the road net. Therefore the following replaces 14.5.2
Allied units must attack the hex which is carpet bombed, irrespective of the carpet bombing result. No additional air power points may be used in this attack. In addition, one shift to the left benefitting the defender occurs, simulating difficulties in attacking through the churned up terrain. The allies may advance after combat into the carpet bombed hex if vacated, but no further irrespective of the result. During the subsequent mechanized movement phase, the carpet bombed hex costs 7 movement points for mechanized units or 4 movement points for infantry to leave. In addition, no road if any in the carpet bombed hex exists for that turn into or out of it.
If the the hex being carpet bombed is city hex, no exploitation from the hex is allowed.
Setup
The following lists the setup of units for the Cobra D+1 scenario. Units marked with a * have lost one step. Map B Locations are on the "Invasion" map (i.e. the map with Cherbourg and the landing beaches on it, whilst map A locations are on the "Breakout" map (i.e. the classic Cobra map covering the southern part of Normandy). Maps locations are on the S&T Cobra maps.
US
UK
Canada
German
The problem with the expansion I have found however was that it was very difficult to get a historical or close to historical result for the landing, usually as a result of the beach combat table being very prone to dice luck (or not) as well as the movement sequence on the first turn not really making the actually allied advance inland on the 6th of June readily possible.
This scenario attempts to portray the situation at midnight on the 6th of June, effectively starting the game at D+1, or game turn 2. This allows for a battle of the build up from a solid historical base. Units are positioned as far as know to there locations at the start of the 7th of June, 1944, with historical loss levels.
The scenario creates the issues and opportunities that both sides faced on the 7th. The germans can hurl the 12 SS at one selected target, either the 6th Airborne lodging, or the Sword beach units and cause potentially considerable damage in spite of naval and air support. However, this risks leaving units to the west dangerously unsupported, and a major danger of a breakout east of Bayeux. In reality the safe course is to break up the panzer divisions and brace the damaged infantry divisions with them.
Around Omaha and Utah, containment is the word of the day, falling back to Carentan whilst trying to bring in more reinforcements.
On the allied side the days aims are to link Sword with Juno and remove the remnants at Douvre, whilst building up the British lodgement and attempting to link with Omaha and strengthen the 6th airborne. Omaha needs to slowly expand to allow more units to land. Likewise Utah needs to consolidate and land fresh infantry divisions to begin the drive to link to Omaha and also cut the peninsula.
Game Start
The game starts with the start of game turn 2. All rules for the expansion (i.e. the Build Up scenario are in effect). Weather for this turn (only) is fixed at Overcast. All invasion beach hexes have been captured by the allies.
Extra Rules
The following house rules I have found work well with Cobra.
14.6.5 Defensive Shore Bombardment
The allies may use defensive shore bombardment to help defend against axis attacks. Shore Bombardment defends at the same ranges as per offensive shore bombardment. However, only 1 shift can be gained from defensive shore bombardment and an NSP expended on defensive shore bombardment cannot be then allocated in the Allied player turn to offensive shore bombardment.
14.5.2 Carpet Bombing The carpet bombing rules in Cobra don't really make sense as they disallow the allies attacking hexes being carpet bombed nor advancing into those hexes in the mechanized movement phase. Serious carpet bombing was almost always accompanied by a subsequent ground attack. The aim of the carpet bombing was to exploit through that area, the problem however being the inherent destruction caused to the road net. Therefore the following replaces 14.5.2
Allied units must attack the hex which is carpet bombed, irrespective of the carpet bombing result. No additional air power points may be used in this attack. In addition, one shift to the left benefitting the defender occurs, simulating difficulties in attacking through the churned up terrain. The allies may advance after combat into the carpet bombed hex if vacated, but no further irrespective of the result. During the subsequent mechanized movement phase, the carpet bombed hex costs 7 movement points for mechanized units or 4 movement points for infantry to leave. In addition, no road if any in the carpet bombed hex exists for that turn into or out of it.
If the the hex being carpet bombed is city hex, no exploitation from the hex is allowed.
Setup
The following lists the setup of units for the Cobra D+1 scenario. Units marked with a * have lost one step. Map B Locations are on the "Invasion" map (i.e. the map with Cherbourg and the landing beaches on it, whilst map A locations are on the "Breakout" map (i.e. the classic Cobra map covering the southern part of Normandy). Maps locations are on the S&T Cobra maps.
US
| Unit | Location | Notes |
| 1st Infantry Division | B3319* | Omaha Beach East - Effectively has 1 regiment non-effective after landing |
| 4th Infantry Division | B2215 | Landed Utah - moved inland mainly wheeling north |
| 29th Infantry Division | B3118* | Omaha Beach West - one regiment down due to landing losses |
| 505/82nd Airborne Regiment | B2016 | St-Mere Eglise |
| 507/82nd Airborne Regiment | B1815* | Badly scattered and in swamps |
| 508/82nd Airborne | B1917* | Badly scattered and in swamps |
| 501/101 Airborne Regiment | B2217 | |
| 502/101 Airborne Regiment | B2215* | Badly scattered - Predominantly most of serials landed on northern side of Utah lodgement |
| 506/101 Airborne Regiment | B2218 | |
| 2+5 Ranger Btns | B2816 | Point du Hoc - In reality only a few companies landed here, the majority landed on the west end of Omaha beach. |
UK
| Unit | Location | Notes |
| 3rd Infantry Division | A3602 | Sword Beach - Advanced to Lebisey before successfully fending off 21st Panzer counter attack. |
| 50th Infantry Division | A3002 | Gold Beach - lead elements penetrated as far as the Bayeux-Caen Road before pulling back. |
| 3/6th Airborne Regiment | A3904 | |
| 5/6th Airborne Regiment | A3803 | |
| 6AL/6th Airborne Regiment | A3803 | |
| 8th Armoured Brigade | B3820 | |
| 27 Armoured Brigade | A3501 | |
| 1SS Brigade | B3619 | Advancing on Port-en-Bassin |
| 4SS Brigade | A3903 | Reinforced 6AB lodging after advancing across Pegasus bridge. |
Canada
| Unit | Location | Notes |
| 3rd Canadian Division | B3302 | Juno Beach |
| 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade | B4320 | Juno Beach |
German
| Unit | Location | Notes |
| 1057/91 | B1816* | Attempting to push on St-Mere-Eglise - battles of Chef le Pont causeways |
| 1058/91 | B2015 | Attempting to push on St-Mere-Eglise from North with Stug IIIs. |
| 6FJ/91 | B2119* | Damaged in trying to advance on St-Mere-Eglise and also trying to disengage in early hours of 7th of June. |
| 920/243 | B0811 | West Coast Division - largely did not move on 6th of June |
| 921/243 | B0917 | |
| 922/243 | B2114 | Advanced on 6th to north of Utah. Arrived at night. |
| 914/352 | B2817 | Based between Isgny and Carentan. Belatedly arrived near Omaha beach and partially engaged Rangers at Point du Hoc. |
| 915/352 | A2903* | Spend D-Day chasing phantom paratroopers south of Bayeux before returning northwards late in the day to be badly dealt with by advance from Gold Beach. |
| 916/352 | B3119* | Main defensive unit on Omaha beach. Defended well but badly damaged by end of day. |
| 729/709 | B1807 | Cherbourg Unit |
| 739/709 | B1309 | St Pierre Eglise |
| 919/709 | B2214 | Defended Utah beach in part for probably less than an hour, then northern flank of Utah lodgement |
| 731/711 | A4101 | Advanced from Trouville on D-Day towards 6th Airborne lodgement |
| 744/711 | A4201 | Advanced from Trouville on D-Day towards 6th Airborne lodgement |
| 763/711 | A4301 | Advanced from Trouville on D-Day towards 6th Airborne lodgement |
| 708/716 | A3202* | This appears a misprint as there is no record of a 708th regiment of the 716 Infantry Division. I have tried to place it where elements of the 736/716 were retreated to. |
| 726/716 | B3520* | Elements of the 716 were on most beaches from Sword to Omaha on D-day. This regiment defended the eastern end of Omaha beach through to the Bayeux sector. By the end of the day it appears to have fallen back to the north west of Bayeux after being damage somewhat. |
| 736/716 | B4420* | Douvres fortified area - 736 was split 3 ways. Part was left north of the 6 Airborne lodging, remnants fell back west of Caen, and some parts retreated into the Douvres complex. Basically almost destroyed on D-Day. Hard to place in this scenario. |
| FJT | B1208 | Reserve unit in the Cherbourg peninsula. |
| 1 Flak Regiment | B3019 | |
| 30 Flak Regiment | B1509 | |
| 32 Flak Bataillon | B2618 | |
| 922 Flak Bataillon | B1208 | |
| 100/21 Panzer Regiment | A3603* | Damaged from advance to coast at Lion-sur-Mur in the late afternoon. A combination of 6lb ATGs, Sherman Fireflys and Priest destroyed or damaged 40+ of the regiments tanks. Withdrew to north of Caen at end of day. |
| 125/21 Panzer Grenadier Regiment | A3704 | Recon batallion of 21st Panzer sent against 6th Airborne landing area early on the morning of 6th, drawing in more forces. 125 PzG regiment placed north of Caen facing 6th AB late on the 6th. |
| 192/21 Panzer Grenadier Regiment | A3603 | Advanced to coast with 100th panzer regiment. Took surprisingly few losses. Fell back to north of Caen at end of day. |
| 30 Panzer Batallion | A2402 | Misnomer. Should probably be 30th Regiment or 30th Mobile group depending on sources. Advanced to Bayeux area on D-Day from Coutances area. Elements present near Omaha beach, but not heavily engaged. Location is approximate at best. |
| 12/12 SS Panzer Regiment | A3605 | Road march to Caen on D-Day. Preparing for counter attack on 7th/8th which never happened. |
| 25/12 Panzer Grenadier Regiment | A3404 | Road march to Caen on D-Day. Preparing for counter attack on 7th/8th which never happened. |
| 26/12 SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment | A3807 | Road march to Caen on D-Day. Preparing for counter attack on 7th/8th which never happened. |
| LXXXIV Corp HQ | A1606 | In St Lo. Did not move. |
posted by Ross W Nelson at 11:27 PM
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