Firestorm Overlord Wintercon 16-17 July 2016, Canberra With Ken Snell A bright and sunny (if somewhat cool) day in Canberra (Australian Capital Territory) saw 26 intrepid warriors line up for the invasion of Europe at Wintercon, including players from Sydney and Newcastle. The campaign was Firestorm Overlord designed locally, but based on the Firestorm campaign system developed by Battlefront.

The campaign was split into two phases:

Phase 1 – The Invasion

This was the invasion in epic proportions based on the Hit the Beach (modified) and Seize and Hold missions – team-based events with a 16-foot Sword Beach, 10-foot Omaha Beach, St Mere Eglise and Pegasus Bridge. The aim was to set the scene and play the invasion games on a grand scale. The results of the invasion games had no bearing on the overall campaign. Some mixed results, but the Allies were making holes in the beaches and the airborne battles were swinging in both directions!

Right: The Battle for Pegasus Bridge.

One notable event on Sword Beach was destruction of a Churchill Crocodile by a one-gun (Reluctant Trained) 88mm battery – talk about lucky shooting! Which was followed by howls and hoots of laughter at the odds involved…

Above: Sword Beach.

Above: Omaha Beach.

One particular action saw a bulldozer ‘charging’ across Sword Beach, bouncing everything thrown at it, just to be destroyed while crossing a minefield.
Right: A brave bulldozer taking on Sword Beach by itself!

Phase 2 – the Campaign

This phase saw the breakouts from the beaches and airborne lodgement zones, and the pendulum began swinging almost immediately in all directions. The Germans were initially under intense pressure with only a few firestorm units available to stem the Allied advance supported by NGFS and Air Support, in Round 1 and fell back towards Caen in the British Sector. In the US sector there were a series of sharp actions around St Mere Eglise and Carentan, while other forces struck north out of Utah Beach towards the deep harbour of Cherbourg.

Above: Generals planning their next round of battles.

	By Round 3, the British were feeling the pressure of newly arrived German reinforcements and in this phase lost Gold Beach to a perfectly timed German attack. This also had the effect of cutting supply between US and British sectors. Things were starting to look hairy at this point – masters of understatement; the British commanders thought they should pay some attention to that.
	Left: Can they still see me?

Approaching the end of the campaign, the last round saw all three British beaches fall into German hands and British forces pushed pack to the coast. Luckily they had plenty of NGFS to protect the deployed forces while they thought about their next blows. In the US sector, rounds 4 and 5 saw consolidation and capture of key towns, including Carentan, St Mere Eglise, Volognes and most importantly opened up the Port of Cherbourg and the ability to pour supplies into the area of operations.

So, at the end of the campaign, British forces had indeed achieved the aim of drawing heavy German armour into their sector and allowing US forces to consolidate and fight through the Bocage country, where they were left ready to launch Operation Totalise ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, with all the knocks the British and Canadian forces had taken, they wouldn't be in a position to launch Operation Goodwood for about three more months!

Right: I'd like someone to explain how the Germans got a Firefly!

All warriors were used during the campaign with a number meeting their glorious demise, including Wittman and von Luck. Despite that many great deeds performed such as: Watching a nine-stand infantry platoon doubling in front of four breakthrough guns for 10 hits; Nine Shermans shooting at a captured Sherman (half with semi-indirect fire) at close range for nil hits; A single lucky Rifle/MG shot killing a German 88 on Sword Beach; Noak joining my Panzer platoon, re-rolling skill tests to cross Bocage and Storm Trooper for the platoon, then assaulting the commandos over Bocage, wiping them out in one go with no losses and consolidating on to the objective – nicely done!

Overall, a tactical German victory. The Allies made their way ashore strongly in the US area of operations, while the British lost their three main beaches, but remained doggedly clinging to a single beach; and with plenty of NGFS and air support available, it won’t be long until they break out again.

Above: How it all ended.

Generals Awards: Rudi Spennemann John Crispin Scott Norwood John McGarry

Painting: David Geddes. Simply exquisite and a clear standout on the day!

Armies – British Sector

British		German
Tom McGoram	British Rifle	Manni Zagas	Buete StuG
(Commander-in-Chief)		(Commander-in-Chief)
Andrew Rutherford	British Rifle	Ray Hilder	Panzer
Peter Jeffrey	British Rifle	Larry Wood	Panzer Lehr
Mark Maskell	British Armoured	Rudi Spennemann	Fusilierkompanie
David Geddes	British Rifle	Adam Langsam	Panzergrenadier
Martin Carrick	British Commando	David Rae	Buete StuG
John Crispin	Lorried Rifle	Warren Leahey	Lehr Panzerpionier

Armies – US Sector

American		German
Matt Dixon	Medium Tank	David Kendall	Fallschirmjager
(Commander-in-Chief)		(Commander-in-Chief)
Andreas Cooper	Ranger (Normandy)	Paul Rutherford	Gepanzerte Panzergrenadier
Sean Ireland	Medium Tank	Dennis Lorenz	Grenadier
John McGarry	Rifle	Shaun Nelson	Gepanzerte SS-Panzergrenadier
Craig Storen	Rifle	Allan Russell	Fusilierkompanie (352)
Jason Mazanov	Medium Tank	Scott Norwood	Panzergrenadier

We made some new mates, and picked up some new players for the group in Canberra! My thanks to all those who participated and contributed terrain, and importantly the vast array of firestorm units. The success of the campaign is truly measured in the team contributions. ~ Ken.