Chindits prepare to blow a bridge, by Peter Dennis © Osprey Publishing Ltd. Taken from Command 20: Orde Wingate.
From the final hectic days of pre-war diplomacy to the jubilant news of the Japanese surrender, the British Army evolved constantly, adding and changing equipment as new and better tanks and other vehicles became available. Organisations and tactics changed too, modified to fit the emerging battlefield situations, and adapting to fit varying terrain and a changing foe.
This section contains 13 Theatre Selectors, which we sometimes refer to simply as selectors. Each Theatre Selector draws from the main Army List to describe a force that is broadly appropriate for a particular theatre or period of the war. For practical purposes we have divided the war into four phases: Blitzkrieg (1939–42), Africa (1940–43), the Far East (1941–45) and Western Europe (1943–45). A number of specific selectors are included for each of these phases.
Before playing a game, the players must decide which Theatre Selector they will use to pick their reinforced platoon from. If they wish, opponents can ‘match-up’ their armies so that they are contemporary with each other, so a British Expeditionary Force army chosen from the 1940 Fall of France list would be fighting a German force from the Battle of France 1940 list. Some of the selectors are very specific, for example Market Garden, which only contains British (or Polish) Airborne units for late 1944; this army could fight against the 1944 – Normandy German army, for example. Experienced gamers with a lot of historical knowledge can also adapt some of these Theatre Selectors to other, similar theatres. To continue this example, the Market Garden list could also be used for the airborne forces that dropped into Normandy prior to D-Day, making the match-up with the 1944 – Normandy list even more apt.
Obviously, there is nothing to stop players fighting battles between forces from different periods and theatres (or even two forces from the same side). Whilst not historically accurate, players often like to try ‘what-if’ type games. In reality, a British army from East Africa in 1940 will have very little chance of beating a late-war German armoured force, such was the rapid development of weapons and equipment. The points values will ensure that such a game of Bolt Action is fairly evenly balanced, but don’t be surprised if you have trouble penetrating the armour of late-war super heavy tanks with a Boys anti-tank rifle!
A few of these Theatre Selectors may include some new special rules to represent unusual weapons, tactics or challenges faced at that time. For example the ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ selector for the Long Range Desert Group forces the player to have enough transports for all of its infantry.
Sten sub-machine gun Mk II
Britain stands defiant!
The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was a small and confident professional force. Its leaders prepared for a war that was expected to pretty much follow the pattern of World War I with troops battling over relatively static lines of defence. The BEF would bolster the much larger and highly regarded French army – the most potent fighting arm in all of Europe – shielded from attack by the impregnable defences of the Maginot line.
The reality of the situation was worse than the allies feared. Blitzkrieg was a new form of warfare, and one for which they had neither training nor effective counter-measures. Time and again, carefully prepared defensive positions were penetrated and strongpoints bypassed. German units ranged across northern France without check, and even as one probe was stopped, another flowed past to cut off supplies and communications. As casualties mounted and the urgency of the retreat increased, ad hoc units were thrown together to try to stem the tide.
Only a rapid redeployment of several divisions and the gallant rearguard action of the French army allowed large numbers of the BEF to escape through Dunkirk. Even the evacuation was fraught with danger. Almost a third of the BEF killed in France died when the ship Lancastria was sunk by German Ju88 bombers as she waited for a destroyer escort.
A British & Commonwealth force for the Fall of France must comprise one or more Reinforced Platoons picked from the following Theatre Selector. Each Reinforced Platoon is made up as follows:
1 Lieutenant – First or Second
2 Regular Infantry sections (early war)
plus:
Headquarters
0–1 Captain or Major
0–1 Medic team
0–1 Forward Observer (either Artillery or Air)
Infantry
0–4 Infantry sections: Regular Infantry sections (early war), Inexperienced Infantry sections (early war).
0–1 Machine gun team
0–1 Anti-tank team: Boys anti-tank rifle team
0–1 Mortar team: light or medium
Artillery
0–1 gun from:
Anti-Tank Gun: QF 2-pdr
Field Artillery: light artillery
Anti-Aircraft Gun: 40mm Bofors gun
Armoured Cars
0–1 Daimler Dingo, Recce Carrier, Morris CS9
Tanks, Tank Destroyers, Self-propelled Artillery and Anti-aircraft Vehicles
0–1 vehicle from: Light Tank Mk VIB, Light Tank Mk VIC, A9 Cruiser Mark I, A9 Cruiser Mark I CS, A10 Cruiser Mark II, A13 Cruiser Tank Mk III, A13 Mk II Cruiser Tank Mk IV, Infantry Tank Mk I Matilda I, Infantry Tank Mk II Matilda II, Machine Gun Carrier
Transports and Tows
0–1 Transport vehicle per infantry unit in the Reinforced Platoon from: Bren Carrier, 15cwt Truck, 30cwt Truck, 3-ton Truck, Utility Car
0–1 Tow from: Bren Carrier, 15cwt Truck, 30cwt Truck, Quad Tractor
• Baptism of Fire: No British & Commonwealth forces can be Veteran
A BEF 2-pdr prepares to meet the coming Panzers
Commandos prepare to launch a surprise attack
Hitler’s planned invasion of England – Operation Seelowe – never happened and Blighty’s green and pleasant lands never fell beneath the heel of the Fuhrer’s jack-booted legions. Nonetheless for many, the months that followed the retreat from Dunkirk were desperate times, as the entire nation prepared to resist a determined and ruthless foe. As most of the Army’s equipment had been lost in France this left the nation’s defenders sadly denuded of heavy weapons, trucks and especially tanks. The solution was to recruit and arm a new army of Home Guard using obsolete and even personal weapons together with a dash of British defiance and a smidgeon of bloody-mindedness. Meanwhile, as the battle of Britain raged across England’s skies, industries geared largely to support aviation and the navy did their level best to produce new weapons and especially new tanks. This selector represents the forces that might have faced a German invasion in 1940, had it come. It is therefore suitable for use in ‘what if’ scenarios, against a 1940 German selector. Although we have called this force ‘Dad’s Army’ it also employs regular army units and can represent a largely professional force if desired.
A British & Commonwealth force for the Dad’s Army must comprise one or more Reinforced Platoons picked from the following Theatre Selector. Each Reinforced Platoon is made up as follows:
1 Lieutenant – First or Second
1 Inexperienced Infantry section (early war) or Regular Infantry section (early war)
1 Home Guard Infantry section
plus:
Headquarters
0–1 Captain or Major
0–1 Medic team
0–1 Forward Observer (either Artillery or Air)
Infantry
0–4 Infantry sections: Regular Infantry sections (early war), Inexperienced Infantry sections (early war), Home Guard sections, up to one Commando section
0–1 Machine gun team
0–1 Anti-tank team: Boys anti-tank rifle team or Blacker Bombard anti-tank team
0–1 Mortar team: light or medium
0–1 Sniper team
Artillery
0–1 gun from:
Anti-Tank Gun: QF 2-pdr
Field Artillery: light artillery, medium artillery, heavy artillery
Anti-Aircraft Gun: 40mm Bofors gun
Armoured Cars
0–1 Armoured Car or Recce vehicle from: Daimler Dingo, Marmon Herrington Armoured Car Mk I, Lanchester 6x4 Armoured Car, Rolls Royce Armoured Car, Morris Light Reconnaissance Car, Standard Beaverette Light Armoured Car Mark I, Recce Carrier, Morris CS9 Armoured Car
Tanks, Tank Destroyers, Self-propelled Artillery and Anti-aircraft Vehicles
0–1 vehicle from: Light Tank Mk VIB, Light Tank Mk VIC, Vickers 6-Ton Light Tank, Cruiser Tank Mk V Covenanter, A9 Cruiser Mark I, A9 Cruiser Mark I CS, A10 Cruiser Mark II, A13 Cruiser Tank Mk III, A13 Mk II Cruiser Tank Mk IV, Infantry Tank Mk I Matilda I, Infantry Tank Mk II Matilda II, Machine Gun Carrier
Transports and Tows
0–1 Transport vehicle per infantry unit in the Reinforced Platoon from: Bren Carrier, 15cwt Truck, 30cwt Truck, 3-ton Truck, Utility Car
0–1 Tow from: Bren Carrier, 15cwt Truck, 30cwt Truck, Quad Tractor
• Baptism of Fire: No British & Commonwealth forces can be Veteran
Winston Churchill was very keen to show that whilst Britain may have lost the battle for France and was besieged on her island home, she was not yet out of the game. With his enthusiasm for all things naval and a keen interest in the irregular forces, he pushed the idea of coastal raids on mainland Europe. These would ensure that the Germans could not rest easy.
In 1940, at Churchill’s request, the Commandos were formed. They were comprised of volunteers alone, and could take their pick of applicants. They were highly trained and motivated soldiers who needed to be self-reliant and resourceful. For the remainder of the war they took part in dozens of raids in every theatre of the conflict and tied down enemy troops far in excess of their own numbers, which were employed protecting sites that might be raided.
Raiding forces could be a mixture of troop types and ranged in size from less than a section to the giant Dieppe Raid or the raid on St Nazaire. They involved the Royal Navy and Royal Marines as well as Commandos, and very occasionally Paratroop units. Most common were small raids of Commandos, delivered to their target and extracted afterwards by the Royal Navy. This is the sort of raid envisaged here.
A British & Commonwealth force for the Raiders must comprise one or more Reinforced Platoons picked from the following Theatre Selector. Each Reinforced Platoon is made up as follows:
1 Lieutenant – First or Second
2 Commando sections
plus:
Headquarters
0–1 Captain or Major
0–1 Medic team
0–1 Forward Observer (Artillery)
Infantry
0–4 Infantry sections: Commando sections, up to 1 Paratrooper section
0–1 Machine Gun team
0–1 Anti-tank team: Boys anti-tank rifle team, PIAT team
0–1 Light Mortar team
0–1 Sniper team
• Been there, done that: All British & Commonwealth forces must be Veteran if the option is available
A Royal Marine Commando 3” mortar team
The fighting in East Africa was part of the empire-building ambitions of Italy’s dictator, Mussolini. The Italian forces attacked Kenya, Eritrea, Somaliland and Ethiopia in their efforts to expand their territory. The soldiers who opposed the Italian army were drawn from a wide variety of Commonwealth nations including many different African protectorates and territories as well as members of the British and Indian armies.
The Italians made early gains and then lost their advantage through a combination of military and political blundering. Unnecessarily harsh treatment of the native populations made them enemies everywhere and pushed even moderate dissenters towards the British camp. The British made good propaganda use of the deposed Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia and he raised a great deal of support for them.
Matilda tanks lead the assault on Fort Nibeiwa, by Peter Dennis © Osprey Publishing Ltd. Taken from Command 28: Archibald Wavell.
On the battlefield the Italians were initially successful, forcing the British entirely out of Somaliland. However, this seemed to sap them of their aggression and they made few subsequent advances, leaving the initiative with the British. Over the course of the next year the combined Commonwealth forces completely routed the Italians, forcing their surrender in May 1941 and the loss of all their East African interests.
A British & Commonwealth force for the East African campaign must comprise one or more Reinforced Platoons picked from the following Theatre Selector. Each Reinforced Platoon is made up as follows:
1 Lieutenant – First or Second
2 Regular Infantry sections (early war)
plus:
Headquarters
0–1 Captain or Major
0–1 Medic team
0–1 Forward Observer (either Artillery or Air)
Infantry
0–4 Infantry sections: Regular Infantry sections (early war), Inexperienced Infantry sections (early war)
0–1 Machine gun team
0–1 Light Mortar team
0–1 Sniper team
Artillery
0–1 gun from:
Field Artillery: light artillery
Anti-tank gun: QF 2-pdr
Armoured Cars
0–1 Marmon Herrington Armoured Car Mk I
Tanks, Tank Destroyers, Self-propelled Artillery and Anti-aircraft Vehicles
0–1 vehicle from: Light Tank Mk VIB, Infantry Tank Mk II Matilda II
Transports and Tows
0–1 Tow from: 15cwt truck, 30cwt truck, 3-ton truck, Quad Tractor, Utility Car
This was one of the first of the crushing defeats that the Axis and Allied forces took turns inflicting on each other in the North African campaigns. In Operation Compass the previously successful Italian 10th army was destroyed by a combined force of British and Commonwealth troops. The Italians lost more than 100,000 men captured as well as large quantities of equipment, while the British advanced 500 miles (partly in captured Italian trucks). However, the Italians were not pushed completely out of North Africa, and reinforcements soon made good these losses. What was even more important was the arrival of the first of the Deutsche Afrika Korps with their commander – Rommel. He would turn the tide again and force the British back to where they had started.
A British & Commonwealth force for Operation Compass must comprise one or more Reinforced Platoons picked from the following Theatre Selector. Each Reinforced Platoon is made up as follows:
1 Lieutenant – First or Second
2 Regular Infantry sections (early war)
plus:
Headquarters
0–1 Captain or Major
0–1 Medic team
0–1 Forward Observer (either Artillery or Air)
Infantry
0–4 Infantry sections: Regular Infantry sections (early war), Inexperienced Infantry sections (early/mid-war), Veteran Infantry sections (early/mid-war)
0–1 Machine gun team
0–1 Anti-tank team: Boys anti-tank rifle team
0–1 Mortar team: light or medium
0–1 Sniper team
Artillery
0–1 gun from:
Anti-Tank Gun: QF 2-pdr
Field Artillery: light artillery
Anti-Aircraft Gun: 40mm Bofors gun,
Armoured Cars
0–1 Armoured Car or Recce vehicle from: Daimler Dingo, Lanchester 6x4 Armoured Car, Rolls Royce Armoured Car, Recce Carrier, Morris CS9 Armoured Car, Indian Pattern Armoured Car
Tanks, Tank Destroyers, Self-propelled Artillery and Anti-aircraft Vehicles
0–1 vehicle from: Light Tank Mk VIB, Light Tank Mk VIC, A9 Cruiser Mark I, A10 Cruiser Mark II, A13 Cruiser Tank Mk III, Infantry Tank Mk II Matilda II, Machine Gun Carrier, 2-pdr Portee
Transports and Tows
0–1 Transport vehicle per infantry unit in the Reinforced Platoon from: Bren Carrier, 15cwt Truck, 30cwt Truck, 3-ton Truck, Utility Car
0–1 Tow from: Bren Carrier, 15cwt Truck, 30cwt Truck, Quad Tractor
Waltzing Matildas – the MkI and MkII were entirely different designs
The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was an unconventional unit that specialised in deep penetration raids and intelligence gathering behind enemy lines. They were formed in 1940 with the express purpose of working unsupported in enemy territory and required extremely high standards of survival and navigation skills on top of the normal fighting abilities. They were used primarily as a covert intelligence gathering unit rather than a conventional combat force, though they did carry out a number of highly successful and widely reported raids and were involved in innumerable small skirmishes.
LRDG units were occasionally used to guide other formations through the desert using their skills to avoid both natural and enemy delays, and this might make an interesting hybrid list (perhaps taking one reinforced platoon from this theatre and another from the Operation Compass or Operation Lightfoot List).
A British & Commonwealth force for the Behind Enemy Lines list must comprise one or more Reinforced Platoons picked from the following Theatre Selector. Each Reinforced Platoon is made up as follows:
1 Lieutenant – First or Second
2 Veteran Infantry sections (early/mid-war)
plus:
Headquarters
0–1 Captain or Major
0–1 Medic team
0–1 Forward Observer (either Artillery or Air)
Infantry
0–3 Infantry sections: Regular Infantry sections (mid-/late-war), Veteran Infantry sections (early/mid-war)
0–1 Machine gun team
0–1 Anti-tank team: Boys anti-tank rifle team
0–1 Sniper team
Armoured Cars
0–3 Armoured Car or Recce vehicle from: LRDG Armed trucks, SAS Jeep
Transports and Tows
0–1 Transport vehicle per infantry unit in the Reinforced Platoon from: 15cwt Truck, 30cwt Truck, Jeep.
• Must Be Mobile: There must be enough transport vehicles in a Behind Enemy Lines platoon for every soldier to ride
Vickers medium machine gun
Operation Lightfoot is better known as the second battle of El Alamein. It was carefully planned and executed by Lieutenant-general Montgomery in a manner that was to become familiar to both his allies and enemies. His careful attention to detail and steady stockpiling of resources had taken time, but when he finally allowed the blow to fall, it struck with irresistible force.
The Germans had massive supply problems, partly due to the situation in the East where the German army was being bled white, and partly due to the North African campaign being an inheritance from the Italians rather than a core plan for the Reich itself. Hitler was not sufficiently interested for it to get priority treatment, even if Rommel was his favourite general. Another serious problem was that the German secret codes had been cracked by the British and they knew when every important shipment was coming in. Allied High Command were careful not to tip their hand by appearing to be too omniscient, but they were able to monitor the flow of supplies to the Afrika Korps, and to intercept enough to restrict their operations.
A final problem was that Rommel himself was sick and had returned to Germany when the attack commenced. When he unleashed his armies, Montgomery was fighting a far less skilful opponent than he had expected.
A British & Commonwealth force for Operation Lightfoot must comprise one or more Reinforced Platoons picked from the following Theatre Selector. Each Reinforced Platoon is made up as follows:
1 Lieutenant – First or Second
2 Regular Infantry sections (mid-/late-war)
plus:
Headquarters
0–1 Captain or Major
0–1 Medic team
0–1 Forward Observer (either Artillery or Air)
Infantry
0–4 Infantry sections: Regular Infantry sections (mid-/late-war), Inexperienced Infantry sections (mid-/late-war), Veteran Infantry sections (early/mid-war), Gurkha sections
0–1 Machine gun team
0–1 Anti-tank team: Boys anti-tank rifle team
0–1 Mortar team: light, medium or heavy
0–1 Sniper team
Artillery
0–1 gun from:
Anti-Tank Gun: QF 2-pdr, QF 6-pdr
Field Artillery: light artillery, medium artillery, heavy artillery
Anti-Aircraft Gun: 40mm Bofors gun,
Armoured Cars
0–1 Armoured Car or Recce vehicle from: Daimler Dingo, Marmon Herrington Armoured Car Mk II, Humber Armoured Car Mk II, Daimler Armoured Car, AEC Heavy Armoured Car Mk I, Recce Carrier, Morris CS9 Armoured Car, Indian Pattern Armoured Car
Tanks, Tank Destroyers, Self-propelled Artillery and Anti-aircraft Vehicles
0–1 vehicle from: Cruiser Tank Mk VI Crusader I & ICS, Cruiser Tank Mk VI Crusader II, & IICS, Cruiser Tank Mk VI Crusader III, Infantry Tank MK II Matilda IICS, Infantry Tank Mk III Valentine, Infantry Tank Mk IV Churchill III, Bishop SP 25-pdr, M3 Stuart I, M3 Grant, Sherman I, M7 Priest, Machine Gun Carrier, 2-pdr Portee, 6-pdr Portee
Transports and Tows
0–1 Transport vehicle per infantry unit in the Reinforced Platoon from: Bren Carrier, 15cwt Truck, 30cwt Truck, 3-ton Truck, Jeep, Utility Car
0–1 Tow from: Bren Carrier, 15cwt Truck, 30cwt Truck, Quad Tractor, Matador Artillery Tractor, Scammel Artillery Tractor
After the Afrika Korps’ defeat at El Alamein and the subsequent pursuit across North Africa, the battered German formations found a solid defensive position in the Tunisian hills. Here, where the British were at the end of a huge supply line, the German caught their breath. Though they were down at present, the pendulum had swung against the British before and there was no reason to doubt that Rommel would find a way to make it so again.
This time he could not find the old magic, and the Germans were cornered. With the newly arrived American divisions, the tide turned inexorably against Rommel and his DAK were battered and then beaten. The entire army was lost and the way was open for the Allied landings in Italy.
A British & Commonwealth force for Tunisia list must comprise one or more Reinforced Platoons picked from the following Theatre Selector. Each Reinforced Platoon is made up as follows:
1 Lieutenant – First or Second
2 Regular Infantry sections (mid-/late-war)
plus:
Headquarters
0–1 Captain or Major
0–1 Medic team
0–1 Forward Observer (either Artillery or Air)
Infantry
0–4 Infantry sections: Regular Infantry sections (mid-/late-war), Veteran Infantry sections (early/mid-war), Gurkha section, Paratrooper section
0–1 Machine gun team
0–1 Anti-tank team: Boys anti-tank rifle team
0–1 Mortar team: light, medium or heavy
0–1 Sniper team
Artillery
0–1 gun from:
Anti-Tank Gun: QF 2-pdr, QF 6-pdr, QF 17-pdr
Field Artillery: light artillery, medium artillery, heavy artillery,
Anti-Aircraft Gun: 40mm Bofors gun
Armoured Cars
0–1 Armoured Car or Recce vehicle from: Daimler Dingo, Marmon Herrington Armoured Car Mk II, Humber Armoured Car Mk II, Daimler Armoured Car, AEC Heavy Armoured Car Mk I, Recce Carrier, Indian Pattern Armoured Car
Tanks, Tank Destroyers, Self-propelled Artillery and Anti-aircraft Vehicles
0–1 vehicle from: Infantry Tank Mk III Valentine, Infantry Tank Mk IV Churchill III, Bishop SP 25-pdr, M3 Stuart I, M3 Grant, Sherman I, Sherman II, M7 Priest, Machine Gun Carrier, 2-pdr Portee, 6-pdr Portee, Deacon, Bofors AA Truck
Transports and Tows
0–1 Transport vehicle per infantry unit in the Reinforced Platoon from: Bren Carrier, 15cwt Truck, 30 cwt Truck, 3-ton Truck, Jeep, Utility Car
0–1 Tow from: Bren Carrier, 15cwt Truck, 30cwt Truck, Quad Tractor, Matador Artillery Tractor, Scammel Artillery Tractor
Lanchester sub-machine gun
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and their simultaneous invasions of several islands across the Pacific, and then Malaysia the following day, the British interests in the region had been put on high alert. The fortified city of Singapore was supposedly invulnerable to assault and many fled there for safety. Unfortunately the defences almost exclusively pointed out to sea where the main threat was imagined to lie. Knowing this, the Japanese simply avoided the great gun batteries by approaching from the landward side. Hasty defences were improvised to bar their route of attack, but the Imperial Army of Japan was more than a match for the defenders. The ‘impregnable fortress’ fell on 15 February 1942.
A British & Commonwealth force for the Fall of Singapore must comprise one or more Reinforced Platoons picked from the following Theatre Selector. Each Reinforced Platoon is made up as follows:
1 Lieutenant – First or Second
2 Inexperienced Infantry sections
plus:
Headquarters
0–1 Captain or Major
0–1 Medic team
0–1 Forward Observer (either Artillery or Air)
Infantry
0–4 Infantry sections: Regular Infantry sections (early war), Inexperienced Infantry sections
0–1 Machine gun team
0–1 Light Mortar teams
Artillery
0–1 gun from:
Anti-tank gun: QF 2-pdr
Field Artillery: light artillery
Anti-Aircraft Gun: 40mm Bofors gun
Armoured Cars
0–1 Armoured Car or Recce vehicle from: Lanchester 6x4 Armoured Car, Rolls Royce Armoured Car, Indian Pattern Armoured Car
• Baptism of Fire: No British & Commonwealth forces can be Veteran
British Bren gun team facing a Japanese Banzai charge, by Peter Dennis © Osprey Publishing Ltd. Taken from Campaign 229: Kohima 1944.
The ‘Forgotten Army’ of the Burma campaign fought the Japanese back and forth through the jungles for the duration of the war, battling the enemy until they were eventually forced to surrender by the attacks on their homeland. The campaign was as much about beating the weather, the disease and the terrain as it was about beating the human enemy. Malaria, cholera and dysentery caused more losses than combat.
A combination of climate and terrain made military campaigns all but impossible for parts of the year, especially during the height of the monsoon. The terrain was largely jungle and the paths and clearings within it. This made for close fighting and sudden ambushes, and cooperation between vehicles and infantry was critical to the survival of both.
A British & Commonwealth force for the Burma list must comprise one or more Reinforced Platoons picked from the following Theatre Selector. Each Reinforced Platoon is made up as follows:
1 Lieutenant – First or Second
2 Regular Infantry sections (mid-/late-war)
or
2 Chindit sections
plus:
Headquarters
0–1 Captain or Major
0–1 Medic team
0–1 Forward Observer (either Artillery or Air)
Infantry
0–4 Infantry sections: Regular Infantry sections (mid-/late-war), Inexperienced Infantry sections (mid-/late-war), Veteran Infantry sections (early/mid-war), Chindit sections, Gurkha sections
0–1 Machine gun team
0–1 Mortar team: light, medium or heavy
0–1 Anti-tank team: Boys anti-tank rifle team PIAT team
0–1 Sniper team
Artillery
0–1 gun from:
Anti-Tank Gun: QF 6-pdr
Field Artillery: light artillery
Anti-Aircraft Gun: 40mm Bofors gun
Armoured Cars
0–1 Armoured Car or Recce vehicle from: Humber Armoured Car Mk IV, Daimler Armoured Car, Daimler Dingo, Recce Carrier, Indian Pattern Armoured Car
Tanks, Tank Destroyers, Self-propelled Artillery and Anti-aircraft Vehicles
0–1 vehicle from: M3 Stuart I/II, M5 Stuart III/IV, M3 Grant, M3 Lee, Sherman I, Sherman III, Sherman IIA, Matilda Frog and Murray, Machine Gun Carrier, Bofors AA Truck
Transports and Tows
0–1 Transport vehicle per infantry unit in the Reinforced Platoon from: Bren Carrier, 3-ton Truck, Jeep.
0–1 Tow from: Bren Carrier, 15cwt Truck, 30cwt Truck, Quad Tractor
Chindit mule team
The Benedictine monastery that forms the iconic centrepiece of this battle stares down from a dominating height over the Liri Valley. Behind it, to the north, rise more mountains blocking any easy route past. It is a perfect defensive position.
The landings at Anzio were supposed to encourage the Germans to abandon the Gustav line and retreat north, but they had other plans and the beachhead had not expanded aggressively at all. The battle of Monte Cassino was really a series of battles that lasted months over the winter of 1943–44. The defensive positions had been well prepared and the colossal bombardment that the monastery suffered ended up making things more difficult for the attackers than the defenders.
The Royal Artillery engage enemy armour over open sights
The Allied attacks were truly international, with the whole spectrum of Commonwealth forces fighting alongside the British and American divisions. It was mainly an infantry battle, in terms of a gaining ground, but the supporting fire from tanks as well as artillery and aircraft was a major factor in making those gains possible.
A British & Commonwealth force for the Monte Cassino list must comprise one or more Reinforced Platoons picked from the following Theatre Selector. Each Reinforced Platoon is made up as follows:
1 Lieutenant – First or Second
2 Inexperienced Infantry sections
plus:
Headquarters
0–1 Captain or Major
0–1 Medic team
0–1 Forward Observer (either Artillery or Air)
Infantry
0–4 Infantry sections: Regular Infantry sections (mid-/late-war), Inexperienced Infantry sections (mid-/late-war), Veteran Infantry sections (early/mid-war) sections, Gurkha sections
0–1 Machine gun team
0–1 Mortar team: light, medium or heavy
0–1 Anti-tank team: PIAT team
0–1 Sniper team
Artillery
0–1 gun from:
Field Artillery: light artillery, medium artillery, heavy artillery
Anti-tank Gun: QF 6-pdr, QF 17-pdr
Anti-Aircraft Gun: 40mm Bofors gun
Armoured Cars
0–1 Armoured Car or Recce vehicle from: Daimler Dingo, Humber Armoured Car Mk IV, Daimler Armoured Car, Humber Light Reconnaissance Car, Morris Light Reconnaissance Car, Otter Light Reconnaissance Car, Humber Scout, AEC Heavy Armoured Car Mk II, Staghound Mk I Heavy Armoured Car, Recce Carrier
Tanks, Tank Destroyers, Self-propelled Artillery and Anti-aircraft Vehicles
0–1 vehicle from: Infantry Tank Mk IV Churchill Mk III, Infantry Tank Mk IV Churchill Mk IV, Infantry Tank Mk IV Churchill Mk VI, M3A1 Stuart III, M5A1 Stuart VI, Sherman I, Sherman III, Sherman IIA, M10 Wolverine, M7 Priest, Sexton, 57mm SP Autocar, 75mm SP Autocar, Machine Gun Carrier, Bofors AA Truck
Transports and Tows
0–1 Transport vehicle per infantry unit in the Reinforced Platoon from: Bren Carrier, 30–cwt Truck, 3-ton Truck, Jeep, Utility Car, M5 Half Track, M3 White Scout Car
0–1 Tow from: Bren Carrier, 15cwt Truck, 30cwt Truck, Quad Tractor, Matador Artillery Tractor, Scammel Artillery Tractor
Once the Allied forces had fought their way off the beaches they quickly found themselves in a type of country known as the bocage. This was an ancient landscape of narrow, winding, sunken roads, bordered by high banks and hedges. These were serious barriers to vehicles and even tanks could often not breach them without special equipment or risking exposing their vulnerable belly armour to a waiting panzerfaust. Once past these hedges, the fields they enclosed were small and irregularly shaped, making navigation difficult and movement slow. The myriad hedgerows, channeled routes of advance and lack of visibility made this part of Normandy a defender’s dream and an attacker’s nightmare.
Of course, the defenders had been expecting an assault for months and so many hedgerows contained bunkers and hides, and what was difficult for attacking forces to bypass posed little problem for units that had prepared tunnels and trench systems well in advance.
On top of the difficult terrain, the Allied forces had to contend with some of the most fanatical and highly skilled units in the German army, namely the Hitler Jugend SS Division and the Panzer Lehr Division. These veteran troops were adept at fighting defensive battles after years of struggle against the Soviets.
Over weeks of intense fighting, the British and Commonwealth forces slowly ground their way forward in a series of set piece attacks backed up by massive aerial and artillery bombardments. Every attack was met by an immediate counterattack, and ground gained was often swiftly lost again. Despite the Allies’ complete superiority in air power, artillery and numbers of every kind of weapon, the Germans held their ground. The battle of attrition could only end one way. With the massive resources available to them, the Allies eventually wore down the German forces until they finally cracked.
A British & Commonwealth force for the Normandy list must comprise one or more Reinforced Platoons picked from the following Theatre Selector. Each Reinforced Platoon is made up as follows:
1 Lieutenant – First or Second
2 Infantry sections: Regular Infantry sections (mid-/late-war), Inexperienced Infantry sections, Veteran Infantry sections (late-war), Paratroop sections, Commando sections.
plus:
Headquarters
0–1 Captain or Major
0–1 Medic team
0–1 Forward Observer (either Artillery or Air)
Infantry
0–4 Infantry sections: Regular Infantry sections (mid- /late-war), Inexperienced Infantry sections, Veteran Infantry sections (late-war), Paratroop sections, Commando sections
0–1 Machine gun team
0–1 Mortar team: light, medium or heavy
0–1 Anti-tank team: PIAT team
0–1 Sniper team
0–1 Flamethrower team
Artillery
0–1 gun from:
Anti-Tank Gun: QF 6-pdr, QF 17-pdr, 3.7-inch QF AA Gun
Field Artillery: light artillery, medium artillery, heavy artillery
Anti-Aircraft Gun: 40mm Bofors gun, 20mm Polsten Cannon
Armoured Cars
0–1 Armoured Car or Recce vehicle from: Daimler Dingo, Humber Armoured Car Mk IV, Daimler Armoured Car, Humber Light Reconnaissance Car, Morris Light Reconnaissance Car, Otter Light Reconnaissance Car, Humber Scout car, AEC Heavy Armoured Car Mk III, M8 Greyhound, Staghound Mk I Heavy Armoured Car, Recce Carrier
Tanks, Tank Destroyers, Self-propelled Artillery and Anti-aircraft Vehicles
0–1 vehicle from: Light Tank Mk VII Tetrarch, Cruiser Tank Mk VIII Cromwell, Cruiser Tank Mk VIII Centaur CS, Cruiser Tank Challenger, Infantry Tank Mk IV Churchill Mk III, Infantry Tank Mk IV Churchill Mk IV, Infantry Tank Mk IV Churchill Mk VI, Churchill AVRE, Infantry Tank Mk IV Churchill Crocodile, M5A1 Stuart VI, Sherman V, Sherman IB 105mm howitzer, Sherman IC Firefly, M10 Wolverine, M10 17-pdr Achilles, M7 Priest, Sexton, 3inch Mortar Carrier, Machine Gun Carrier, Staghound AA, Bofors AA Truck, Polsten AA Truck, Crusader III AA Mk I & Mk II
Transports and Tows
0–1 Transport vehicle per infantry unit in the Reinforced Platoon from: Bren Carrier, 3-ton Truck, Jeep, Utility Car, M5 Half Track
0–1 Tow from: Bren Carrier, 15cwt Truck, 30 cwt Truck, Quad Tractor, Matador Artillery Tractor, Scammel Artillery Tractor, Terrapin Amphibious Truck
Sgt Harry Furness, Normandy 1944, by Peter Dennis © Osprey Publishing Ltd. Taken from Weapon 6: Sniper Rifles.
British infantry alight from their transport
British Armoured Cars scout ahead of the main army
British Airborne light artillery supports the Red Devils’ assault
Operation Market Garden was a bold, or perhaps reckless, attempt to shorten the war by pushing armoured units over the Rhine in 1944. It involved dropping several divisions of British and American paratroopers and glider borne infantry in a corridor that covered the bridges between the British lines and the Rhine crossing at Arnhem. These Airborne units would seize the bridges intact and hold them while the British XXX Corps led an armoured charge down the linking road and over the bridges, to grab a foothold on the German side of the Rhine – all before the Germans knew what had happened. It almost worked.
Nothing on the scale of Market Garden had ever been attempted before, even the drops for D-Day paled in comparison. The window of opportunity was a narrow one and preparations were rushed, but this was not the main problem. Unbeknownst to the British planners, the Germans had positioned two SS Panzer Divisions to refit within a few miles of the final bridge. The Frundsberg and Hohenstaufen divisions were able to respond to the assault within hours, and any chances that 1st Airborne might have had rapidly disappeared. In the end, XXX Corps made it as far as the penultimate bridge before being halted by fierce German resistance.
It was famously described as being ‘a bridge too far’.
A British & Commonwealth force for Market Garden must comprise one or more Reinforced Platoons picked from the following Theatre Selector. Each Reinforced Platoon is made up as follows:
1 Lieutenant – First or Second
2 Paratroop sections
plus:
Headquarters
0–1 Captain or Major
0–1 Medic team
0–1 Forward Observer (either Artillery or Air)
Infantry
0–4 Infantry sections: Paratroop sections
0–1 Machine gun team
0–2 Mortar teams: light or medium
0–1 Anti-tank team: PIAT team
0–1 Sniper team
0–1 Flamethrower team
Artillery
0–1 gun from:
Field Artillery: light artillery
Anti-Tank Gun: QF 6-pdr, QF 17-pdr
Anti-Aircraft Gun: 20mm Polsten Cannon
Armoured Cars
0–3 British Airborne Recce Jeep
Transports and Tows
0–1 Transport vehicle per infantry unit in the Reinforced Platoon from: Jeep
0–1 Tow from: Jeep
• Been there, done that: All British & Commonwealth forces must be Veteran if the option is available
A British Major relays orders via his radio operator
SGT PERCY LAMBSHEAD M.M.
After North Africa and Pantelleria my father invaded Anzio in the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry on 21 January 1944. The 1st KSLI was part of an attack along the Campoleone Road and reached the tip of a British salient 2,600 yds wide and 7,000 yds deep on a ridge overlooking Campoleone Station. The inevitable German counter-attack on 4 February by the 71st Infantry and the 3rd Panzer Grenadiers pinched off the salient, trapping the 3rd Brigade: the KSLI, the Duke of Wellington’s and remnants of the Sherwood Foresters, all but destroyed in the initial attack. The KSLI was ordered to hold the ridge as a rearguard, a forlorn hope, while the other two battalions escaped.
My father had vivid flash memories of them running out of ammunition and fixing bayonets when the Germans laid smoke. The KSLI broke out that night. They left their badly wounded on the ridge to be taken prisoner. The snipers dumped the telescopic sights off their rifles as nobody took snipers alive. Allied artillery shelled their abandoned positions to keep the Germans at bay.
All his life my father had nightmares of crossing a raised road under fire from German tanks. Sixteen of his company made the dash, eight made it to the other side. That was all that he could find from his company.
The second German attack came in on the night of the 7th, another pincer movement by the 3rd Panzer Grenadiers and the 65th Infantry. The North Staffordshires on Buonriposo Ridge to the west of the British position were surrounded and shattered. The only troops left to General Penny as a reserve were the decimated Sherwoods and KSLI. They mounted a forlorn daylight attack in heavy winter rain. The Sherwoods were caught in a barrage and slaughtered on the start line. The KSLI fell into an MG 42 trap.
My father saw the last young, inexperienced officer in his company cut down by machine gun fire as he stood up to urge the men forward. He was now in charge and he gave the order to dig in.
You will read in the histories how all the KSLI company commanders were casualties and the remnants of the battalion were brought back by the senior NCOs. One of them was my father.
John Lambshead
After the breakout from Normandy, the German army had retreated to new defensive lines and held out over the winter of 1944–45. In Holland they had deliberately blown the dykes to flood thousands of acres of land, making combat operations even more challenging. With the arrival of the snows, both sides had dug in for the winter, at least that was what the Allies had thought.
The Battle of the Bulge was a huge shock for the Allied command, though it was quickly contained and the losses sustained by the German army were far more crippling to them then the damage they had inflicted on the American forces. When the spring came, the Allies were well prepared for the final offensive.
The assault on Germany meant crossing the Rhine, which had been the main intent of the Market Garden operation in the previous year and which had so nearly been successful. In the event, it was done by a massive assault, codenamed Varsity. Once across the Rhine, the war on the ground became even stranger. Many of the Germans the British forces encountered had either given up of were such poor quality that a warning shot would cause them to surrender. But every once in a while the lead elements of a division would stumble onto a panzer training school or officers’ academy and they would have a serious fight on their hands. With the end of the fighting clearly in sight, nobody wanted to be the last casualty of the war.
A British & Commonwealth force for the Into the Reich list must comprise one or more Reinforced Platoons picked from the following Theatre Selector. Each Reinforced Platoon is made up as follows:
1 Lieutenant – First or Second
2 Regular Infantry sections (mid-/late-war)
plus:
Headquarters
0–1 Captain or Major
0–1 Medic team
0–1 Forward Observer (either Artillery or Air)
Infantry
0–4 Infantry sections: Regular Infantry sections (mid-/late-war), Inexperienced Infantry sections, Veteran Infantry sections (late-war), up to 1 Paratrooper section
0–1 Machine gun team
0–1 Mortar team: light, medium or heavy
0–1 Anti-tank team: PIAT team
0–1 Sniper team
0–1 Flamethrower team
Artillery
0–1 gun from:
Anti-Tank Gun: QF 6-pdr, QF 17-pdr, 3.7-inch QF AA Gun
Field Artillery: light artillery, medium artillery, heavy artillery
Anti-Aircraft Gun: 40mm Bofors gun, 20mm Polsten Cannon
Armoured Cars
0–1 Armoured Car or Recce vehicle from: Daimler Dingo, Humber Armoured Car Mk IV, Daimler Armoured Car, Humber Light Reconnaissance Car, Morris Light Reconnaissance Car, Otter Light Reconnaissance Car, Humber Scout car, AEC Heavy Armoured Car Mk II, AEC Heavy Armoured Car Mk III, M8 Greyhound, Staghound Mk I Heavy Armoured Car, Recce Carrier
Tanks, Tank Destroyers, Self-propelled Artillery and Anti-aircraft Vehicles
0–1 vehicle from: Light Tank Mk VII Tetrarch, M22 Locust Light Tank, M24 Chaffee Light Tank, Cruiser Tank Mk VIII Cromwell, Cruiser Tank Challenger, Cruiser Tank Comet, Infantry Tank Mk IV Churchill Mk VII, Infantry Tank Mk IV Churchill Mk VIII, Churchill AVRE, Infantry Tank Mk IV Churchill Crocodile, Archer SP 17-pdr, M5A1 Stuart VI, Sherman V, Sherman VB 105mm howitzer, Sherman VC Firefly, M10 Wolverine, M10 17-pdr Achilles, M7 Priest, Sexton, 3inch Mortar Carrier, Machine Gun Carrier, Staghound AA, Bofors AA Truck, Polsten AA Truck
Transports and Tows
0–1 Transport vehicle per infantry unit in the Reinforced Platoon from: Bren Carrier, Jeep, Utility Car, 30–cwt Truck, 3-ton Truck, M5 Half Track, Priest Kangaroo, Ram Kangaroo, LVT 4 Buffalo
0–1 Tow from: Bren Carrier, 15cwt Truck, 30 cwt Truck, Quad Tractor, Matador Artillery Tractor, Scammel Artillery Tractor, Terrapin
British Sherman V
Let them come! A Cromwell and supporting infantry await the inevitable German counterattack
POLAR BEARS
Where and when: Norway, Iceland, France, Belgium and Holland, throughout the war
The 49th Division was in many ways an unexceptional part of the British forces. What is interesting is how fascinating a history such an ‘unexceptional’ unit can have.
The 49th traces its history back to 1907 when it was formed as a Territorial unit. It fought in World War I under the insignia of the Yorkist white rose as the 49th (West Riding) division. World War II saw the division taking part in the abortive landings in Norway in 1940 and the subsequent hasty withdrawal. The action had been driven by politics as much as military sense and the organisation was rushed and inept. Troops arrived only partially equipped, with base plates missing for mortars, ammunition of the wrong calibre and many other problems to compound the fact that they were untried in battle and the Germans were the undefeated masters of Europe.
The division then moved to Iceland to protect it against possible, but unlikely, invasion. Although Iceland is small and only sparsely populated, it was a vital port for oiling ships on trans-Atlantic journeys, and so had a value far outweighing its list of resources. Here the troops trained as a mountain division, then retrained as an Arctic warfare unit, earning themselves a new insignia and a new name: the Polar Bears.
The division was then called back to Britain to retrain yet again, this time as an assault division for the forthcoming invasion. Then, when the invasion came, it was relegated to a support role and the years of training went largely unused. It arrived in Normandy a few days after D-Day and fought thereafter as ‘Monty’s left flank’. In the bocage it faced the SS, which earned the name ‘Polar Bear Butchers’ from the propagandist Lord Haw Haw; it took part in night assaults where RAF raids carpet bombed the flanks of the advancing troops; it lost hundreds of men in the meat grinder battles around Caen.
When the breakout finally came, the Polar Bears fought as part of the Canadian army, spending the final winter and subsequent months of the war among the flooded fields and half-submerged farmhouses of Holland, sending out patrols in small boats instead of on foot. Finally, they liberated Arnhem in April 1945, finding the hastily constructed graves and shattered buildings that were the reminder of 1st Airborne’s gallant stand.
Humber Scout Car
British Tommies advance into cover under enemy fire