Bucha, Ukraine - 27 Feb 2022 - 15mm
What is WRONG with me?
My God, I think there is something legitimately wrong with me. What kind of fool tries to recreate a legitimate, full-scale, platoon-based, historically “approximate” re-staging of ALL of Omaha Beach?
Well, the map is complete. The initial forces are set up. Just a few special rules to iron out and it’s time to start this apocalyptic game.
The whole map. Almost six miles wide, over three miles deep. At least 5,000 men on the table already. Each hex is a 4x6 15mm table, or three 28mm tables.
A close up of what I'm sure will be the bloodiest sector of a very bloody beach, Dog Green and Dog White, the right shoulder of the Omaha assault zone. 
THIRTY SECONDS! GOD BE WITH YA! A detail of the initial landing waves of Dog Green and Dog White. Note the "Ranger" counters in Dog Green. This is "C" Company, 2nd Ranger Battalion, "Captain Miller's" unit in Saving Private Ryan. They went in with "A" Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Regimental Combat Team at the mouth of the Vierville Draw. Well, you've seen the movie. The reality was horrifically worse. MOVE FAST, AND CLEAR THOSE MURDER HOLES!
German defenses at the mouth of the Vierville draw. Now 726th Rgt was originally a "second rate" unit, part of the 716th Static Infantry Division. But since March they'd been attached to the hardened 352nd, reinforced and re-equipped, and trained largely to 352nd's standards. Furthermore, elements of 352nd had been moved up to reinforce them (916th Grenadier Rgt, specifically). Still, you'll notice that many of the German platoons are still the weaker 2-I-2 "Security" platoons rather than the "3-I-2*" Rifle Platoons. Nevertheless, only the fact that the Americans get another whole wave just like this one every other turn for at least eight turns, plus massive destroyer, cruiser, and even battleship gunfire support (USS Texas), plus massive air support, even gives them a sliver of hope.
Things might go a little easier in 16th RCT / 1st Infantry Division's sector over in Easy Green and Easy Red. 
German defenses are actually extremely brittle. When you make up German units as they actually were, and try to deploy them along a battlefield of the proper scale, you realize how thin they were. True, 352nd Division was reinforced, but they were also expected to defend 33 miles of beach, an absurdly huge frontage for a single division in the field. Here is the limit of their reserves. Couriers on bicycles, empty trucks and horse-drawn wagons, flak troops, and so on. There are some nice regimental 12.0 cm mortars back here, along with the 10.5 cm howitzers of I.Bn/Artillery Regiment 352.
Amazing work! Well done.
You know, we should call the folks that just did the World’s Largest Tabletop Game and get pointers on making this Omaha Beach come to life. No pressure! ??
Again great work Jim!
@templar007 – I would say this Omaha Beach is coming to life, starting perhaps as early as later this evening, just a soon as I smooth out and codify a few special rules regarding tidal drift, German beach obstacles, American naval gunfire support, German “pre-sited” special artillery rules (at least on Beach Hexes) …
…and quantity of American air support.
Spoilers …
… it will be a LOT. 😀 Bring on the P-47s, baby!
My apologies for the statement “come to life”. I know the game you have been breathing life into is alive. Very much so with a look at all the work you’ve put into your map and counters.
I was at work when I posted and was interrupted by concerns that needed my attention. I didn’t consider my words as I posted quickly so I could move on to work duties.
My apologies in turn if I sounded like I was taking that too seriously, @templar007 – I promise I was kidding around. 😀 😀 😀 Re-reading my post, I can see where that might not have been clear. You’re one of our our best and most loyal supporters, I would never think you were disparaging any of my projects or work.
Now if you’ll excuse me, Dog Green is calling … 😮
Nothing wrong with you at all @oriskany ! I pee’d a little when I saw this board! Wow! Were there any DD tanks with the American forces? Or are they being brought in on landing craft?
Thanks, @cpauls1 – we have had some KICKASS Panzer Leader games lately with guys in the UK ( @damon and @brucelea ) – the re-play highlights are now up on our YouTube channel. So I’m not afraid of running “normal” Panzer Leader on the web … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmEM_gfkyjU … it’s mega-games this size. Total American counters (all waves until 12:00 D-Day) = 400 counters. Yeah, it’s crazy. American tanks on Omaha: that’s complicated. The short version: some were landed via LCTs (Landing Craft, Tank). These are the 9-A*-8 four-tank platoons (hence the smaller values) with the dozer blades. These were either… Read more »