This was a Co-op game in which each player commanded one squad or section of 3rd Platoon, Dog Company, hitting the beach during the Invasion of Normandy, June 6 1944. While the basic coastal terrain and the town was mapped out and placed on the table, the players had no idea beach defenses they’d run into until they landed on the beach (using the Amphibious Landing rules from the NUTS! Compendium).
The area they would be landing in was loosely based on Utah Beach, with the beach rising to sandy slopes, behind which was a low laying swampy area and then a small town. The player’s objectives were to clear the beach defenses, then attack across the swampy area and causeway and try to take the town, which had x3 Potential Enemy Forces (PEFs) to clear.
The view from the Town
The View from the Beach
Most of the players weren’t that familiar with NUTS!, so we started them out with one unit each of a Star and the appropriate number of REP 4 Grunts (to make it easy on the dice rolls). Each Star had their own ID card with their Attributes, REP and personal weapons on it. The units were:
- HQ Section under Lt. Dan
- Engineering Section under Cpl Hulka
- 1st Squad under Sgt Toomey
- 2nd Squad under Sgt Johnson
- 3rd Squad under Sgt. Ricci
After the commands were split up (and appropriately, the youngest player given the roll of Lt Dan), each Squad was then placed into an LCVP and ready to hit the beach! At this point Lt Dan determined in which LVCP the HQ and Engineering sections would be, and what the general plan was once they landed. The player running Lt. Dan also rolled for the Beach Defenses (page 39). The Enemy Investment Level starts at 4, so rolling 2d6 against that resulted in a Pass 2d6, so it was a defended beach. Rolling 1d6 to see what kind of defenses led to a roll on the Beach Defensive Position table. The resulting roll (an 8) meant the players would be facing a Bunker, a squad in trenches and two rolls on the Fixed Defenses table — two mine fields.
Oh boy…at this point I called on the players to make their final plans and gave ’em the “30 Seconds!” warning!
Lt Dan rolled for activation, passing more than the German Non-Player Enemy (which was also a default REP 4), and each Sgt in charge of an LCVP rolled on the Beach Landing table (Compendium p. 41) to see if their guys got dropped in the surf or on the beach. 3rd and 2nd squad got a nice ride to the beach, but 1st squad got dropped short, 6″ in the surf and would have to wade to shore under the guns of whatever is in that bunker in front of them.
Turn 1 – Hit the Beach!
Resolving the action from the left side, since 3rd Squad seemed to face no opposition, we see 3rd Squad Fast Move across the beach with one figure straying into a minefield and going Out of the Fight – boom!
2nd Squad piled out of their LCVP and tried to Fast Move, failed, but charged up the beach and spread out, triggering an In Sight test with the German trench line. Sgt. Johnson won the In Sight and the resulting awesome American dice rolls saw many of the German defenders Duck Back, the remaining figures Returned Fire, also causing a few Duck Backs.
1st Squad got the full treatment — wading to shore while under fire from an MG-42 and rifles, immediately causing casualties! Two figures were killed (Obviously Dead) and other OOF, while several other figures Ducked Back behind obstacles. Sgt Toomey took a hit that would also be Obviously Dead, but used his Hard as Nails Attribute to change it to Out of the Fight instead. And here’s where being a Star is useful — he used his Star Power ability to avoid the hit and instead Duck for Cover. Call it being experienced, the Sarge threw himself behind cover to avoid what was surely a fatal hit!
Lt. Dan has the Unlucky Attribute and had to check if the round hitting the figure next to him actually nailed him instead — whew, still missed! Lt. Dan then used his Born Leader Attribute to keep his men moving forward!
1st Squad comes under heavy fire as it hits the beach in front of the MG bunker
In the next few turns, 3rd Squad continues across the beach and moves to put flanking fire on the German trench line. 2nd Squad advances straight at the trench line, laying down heavy fire from the platoon’s .30cal MG and rifle grenadier — amazing US attack attack rolls kill several German figures, and see almost every figure in the trench line forced to Duck Back! That’s a lot of sixes on the attack rolls! With the trench defenders suppressed, the Engineering section moves up ready to attack with satchel charges and flamethrower.
However, 1st Squad is stuck advancing into the meat grinder. An attached Sniper manages to kill a defender in the bunker, but the return MG fire is devastating.
1st Squad advances into the meat grinder
While 1st Squad bogs down in front of the bunker, 2nd Squad drives its assault home on the trench line with a series of accurate grenades and a blast from the flamethrower that effectively wipes out the German defenders. That’s the way to do it boys, fix, flank and finish!!
The Engineering team breaks the trench defenders
2nd Squad moves up to occupy the trenches
As 1st Squad seeks cover on the beach behind anything it can find while trying to suppress the bunker, 2nd Squad, led by the Engineering section assault the bunker from the flank, press on on through rifle fire and unleashing a deadly blast from the flamethrower.
The Engineering section silences the bunker
With the beach defenses neutralized, 3rd Squad pushes forward off the beach and moves into the marshy area to begin scouting the PEFs in the town.
To be continued in Two Hour D-Day – The Town.
