29th Infantry Division Assault Company (UBX09) includes Brigadier General Norman 'Dutch' Cota, one Company Command team, one 2iC Command team, four Boat Sections, four Czech Hedgehogs, eight Teller mine stakes, six Small three-hole bases, nine Small two-hole bases & twenty six Medium four-hole bases.

This product is no longer available. You can instead purchase the Boat Section blister pack (US747)...

The men of the 1st & 29th Infantry Divisions are specifically trained, organised and equipped for the Normandy invasion. With mortars, bazookas, flame-throwers and explosives, these men are ready to tackle any threat.

Careful study of the defences along the coast showed them there were weaknesses inherent in its structure, and, if the men had the right equipment and training, exploiting those weaknesses was possible. Any invading force would have to overcome wire, minefields, and bunkers if it was to be successful. Thus the planners set about to create the perfect mix of men, equipment and training.

Birth of the Boat Section The US Army now embarked on a program of reorganising and training the infantry formations that would assault the beaches. After careful study, an organisation began to take shape in the minds of the planners. Starting with the basic infantry company of three combat platoons and one weapons platoon, the force designers sought to create multiple independent organisations. Right: A Command team.

	This organisation had to be able to act on its own without further company level support. Furthermore, it had to be able to fight its way through wire obstacles, overcome enemy infantry and destroy enemy bunkers. However, the most important restriction was the size of the landing craft, which could only hold 31 men in full ‘battle rattle’.  Left: Brigadier General Norman 'Dutch' Cota.
Brigadier General Norman 'Dutch' Cota in Flames Of War Characteristics Cota is a Warrior and a Higher Command Carbine team rated as Fearless Veteran. Cota may join any Assault Company (page 208 of Overlord) for +25 points.

With a standard US infantry platoon being just over 40 individuals it was necessary to change the structure of the platoons to fit in the small boats that would take them to the beach. Thus, the first change was to go from the four large platoons in a normal infantry company to six smaller boat sections in an assault company. In order to deal with all of the expected defences, the planners loaded the boat sections up with weapons and equipment. Right: An LMG team.

Special Rules Get Off this Beach Cota moved up and down the beaches motivating the troops to get up and press the attack to sweep the enemy aside. Cota starts the game off table. In the Starting Step when you would normally roll for Reserves, roll a die for Cota if he is off the table. ■ On a roll of 5+, if Cota has not been Destroyed, he is placed adjacent to the Platoon Command team (if present, otherwise any team in the platoon) of any platoon in an Assault Company anywhere on the table. ■ On any other roll, Cota remains off the table.

	They gave them mortars from the weapons platoon to knock out machine-gun nests, bazookas from the company HQ to take on tanks, and flame-throwers from the Chemical Branch to silence bunkers. For barbed wire, they gave them Bangalore torpedoes, long pipes filled with explosives to blow gaps for the troops. To finish off bunkers, they had demolition charges, plenty of good old TNT to blow things up. There was no quick fix for minefields though—they simply had to take their chances there. Left: A Bazooka team.
Rangers, Lead the Way! When Cota encountered a group of pinned down Rangers he encouraged them to attack and break the German lines. Any platoon led by Cota will pass Motivation Tests on a roll of 3+.
The men of the boat sections not only needed the weaponry to deal with the defences and defenders, but they also needed to carry enough supplies and combat gear for three days on his back.  Since a soldier can only carry 70lbs/32kg (at most), working out what to take and what to leave behind was tricky. The planners solved the problem with a ‘belt and braces’ approach and loaded the assault troops up to the limit. Part of their solution was the assault vest with pockets for much of the extra equipment.
I Won’t be Able to Do it for You Next Time With his job done, Cota moved along to the next beach to help the men pinned down there. In the Starting Step when you would normally roll for Reserves, roll a die if Cota is on the table. ■ On a roll of 3+, Cota remains where he is. ■ On any other roll, Cota has finished what he came to do and moves off to another part of the battlefield. Remove him from the table. Next turn roll for him to return again using the Get Off this Beach special rule.

Training for Combat Even with equipment, an organisation is incapable of acting without training on that equipment. For months before D-Day, the assault regiments practised their craft. Mastering the use of explosives, they became proficient at advancing under fire against a stubborn well-entrenched enemy. Integrating the use of the weapon systems and the new skills they had learned, the infantry platoons become masters of combined arms manoeuvre at the lowest levels.

That’s How It’s Done Cota led from the front, showing his men how it was done to show that it could be done! Cota always hits on a roll of 2+ in an assault combat.

With integrated heavy weapons at the platoon level, they were able to suppress the enemy while parts of the unit manoeuvred to a position of advantage with which to launch an assault. Designed by Evan Allen Painted by Jeremy Painter

Assault Company Special Rules US rifle companies in the first wave assault groups were reorganised into assault companies so that they can fit into the landing craft. This made each boat a small army unto itself with automatic weapons, flame-throwers, bazookas, and plenty of demolition charges. An Assault Company (page 208) uses all of the American special rules found on pages 236-240 of the rulebook. In addition, it also uses the special rules below.

Assault Company An assault company is task-organised for an assault and will always be attacking. Its sole mission is to carry the fight to the enemy, fortifications or not. Once it establishes itself on the objectives then it digs in and fights off any counterattacks. An Assault Company Always Attacks another Infantry Company.

Pioneer Equipment The assault company is fully equipped for the assault with plenty of wire cutters, Bangalore Torpedoes and demolition charges. Not only does it have the equipment, but it also has the training to use it. Rifle teams in Boat Sections and Support Sections count as Pioneer teams when attempting to cross or gap Barbed Wire Entanglements and when assaulting Bunkers.

Clear the Skies On D-Day the situation was so confused and the front lines so close together that ground-attack air support missions were difficult to coordinate. In an effort to avoid killing their own troops the US Army Air Force left the beach defences alone. However, the extensive fighter cover ensured that enemy air support could have little effect either. During the battle only two enemy aircraft managed to buzz the beaches, causing no damage. An Assault Company receives a Ground-attack Aircraft Flight on a roll of 6 instead of the usual 5+. However, its Air Support will successfully intercept enemy Ground-Attack Aircraft Flights on a roll of 5+ instead of the usual 6.

Contents of the 29th Infantry Division Assault Company Box Set

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Brigadier General Norman 'Dutch' Cota Description of Components a. 1x Lunging rifleman figure. b. 1x Brigadier General Norman 'Dutch' Cota figure. Assembling Brigadier General Norman 'Dutch' Cota Simply arrange figures A and B to taste on one of the small two-hole base provided in the box set.

The Company Command Team Description of Components a. 1x Kneeling rifleman figure aiming rifle. b. 1x Kneeling officer figure with hand on helmet. c. 1x Kneeling officer figure holding radio handset. Assembling The Company Command Team Simply arrange figures A, B and C to taste on one of small three-hole bases included in the box set.

The 2iC Command Team Description of Components a. 1x Kneeling rifleman figure holding rifle. b. 1x Kneeling officer figure with carbine & pointing. c. 1x Kneeling NCO figure with SMG & hand up. Assembling The 2iC Command Team Simply arrange figures A, B and C to taste on one of small three-hole bases included in the box set.
Assembling The Boat Sections The box set contains four boat sections; each containing nine teams of various types. The first of these teams is the Command Rifle team which contains an Officer figure and two riflemen figures. The Command Rifle teams are modelled on small three-hole bases. The next type of team is a Rifle team, of which there are four in each Boat Section. Two of these Rifle teams need to contain an NCO figure and three rifleman figures while the two other Rifle teams simply contain four rifleman figures. The next type of team is a Flame-thrower team which contains three rifleman figures and a Flame-thrower figure. The Rifle teams and Flames-thrower teams are modelled on the medium four-hole bases included in the box set. The other team types in each Boat Section is the Bazooka team of which there are two and a single M2 60mm Mortar team. A Boat Section can also contain an optional LMG team. See the text below for more details to modelling these teams.
Note: When assembling the various teams for each of the Boat Section, the Causality or the Bangalore Torpedo figures for example are treated as riflemen for gaming purpose and are included to add some extra realism to the 29th Infantry Division Assault Company.

The Officer Figures Description of Components a. 2x Kneeling officer figures with carbine & pointing. b. 2x Standing officer figures with carbine & hand out.

The Officer Figures Description of Components a. 2x Standing NCO figures with SMG & hand up. b. 2x Kneeling NCO figures with SMG & hand up.

Description of Components

a. 2x Standing BAR figures. b. 2x Kneeling BAR figures. c. 6x Prone Bangalore Torpedo figures. d. 6x Kneeling Bangalore Torpedo figures. e. 2x Kneeling Medic figures. f. 2x Prone Medic causality figures. g. 4x Prone causality figures.

h. 10x Prone rifleman figures. i. 9x Kneeling rifleman figure. j. 9x Kneeling rifleman figure aiming rifle. k. 9x Standing casuality figures. l. 10x Standing rifleman figures loading rifle. m. 9x Lunging rifleman figure. n. 10x Ducking rifleman figure.

The Bazooka Team Description of Components a. 4x Standing Bazooka gunner figures. b. 4x Kneeling Bazooka gunner figures. The Assembling The Bazooka Team Each Boat Section contains two Bazooka teams. The Bazooka team is made up of one Bazooka gunner figure and one rifleman figure of your choice. The Bazooka teams are modelled on the small two-hole bases included in the box set.

The M2 60mm Mortar Team Description of Components a. 4x Kneeling mortar gunner figures. b. 4x M2 60mm mortars. c. 4x Kneeling mortar figures directing fire. The Assembling The M2 60mm Mortar Team Each Boat Section contains one M2 60mm mortar team. To model the mortar teams arrange figures A and C around the M2 60mm mortar on a medium base four-hole base. The third member of the mortar team is made up of a rifleman figure of your choice.

The Flame-thrower Figure Description of Components a. 4x Flame-thrower figures. Assembling The Flame-thrower Team Each Boat Section contains one Flame-thrower team. To model the Flame-thrower team, simply replace one of the rifleman figures from a would-be Rifle team to create the Flame-thrower team.

The .30 cal LMG Team Description of Components a. 2x Prone loader figures. b. 2x .30 cal LMG gunner figures. c. 2x Wooden crates. d. 4x Ammunition belts.
Assembling The .30 cal LMG Team Arrange figures A and B along with a rifleman figure on a medium four-hole base; use the wooden crate as a rest for .30 cal machine-gun. The third member of the LMG team is a rifleman figure of your choosing. Tip: Ensure that the loader is feeding the ammunition belt for the LMG from the gunner's left-hand side.
Note: The LMG team can replace one Bazooka team in a Boat Section. However, you only only field two LMG in an Assault Company.

	The Czech Hedgehogs & Teller Mine Stakes Description of Components a. 4x Single Czech hedgehog leg. b. 4x Double Czech hedgehog leg. c. 4x Teller mine stakes A. d. 4x Teller mine stakes B.
Assembling The Czech Hedgehogs & Teller Mine Stakes These optional extras are used to add some extra realism to your 29th Infantry Division; add them to the bases as you feel fit. Use the painted examples above for modelling inspiration.

The Bases Description of Components a. 9x Small two-hole base. b. 6x Small three-hole bases. c. 26x Medium four-hole bases.