SWORD BEACH: British Order of Battle WIP

While I’m waiting for the bases to dry on a reinforced platoon of newly released British infantry (see here for my earlier intro to Fizzer Johnson’s Men of Metal), I’ve some time to review the British order of battle I’m building for Sword beach.

It’s worth mentioning that my current plan is to play this game on an 8×6 table. Focus will be on the assault phase of the landing, with the beach area from WN20 ‘Cod’ at La Breche d’Hermanville across to the Casino & Riva Bella strongpoint at Ouistreham.

Behind the immediate beach area will sit a representation of Hermanville, Morris Battery and the Hillman complex. Time and space permitting, I hope to also develop the area behind Ouistreham. It’s been tough to decide what to have in scope, but I also want to keep some perspective to the table so that Hillman isn’t 6 inches behind the beach for example. On that basis I’m not including any of the Orne river actions. Insert sad face here!

Initial test games will be on a 6×4 mat from Deep Cut Studios, then building up towards the ‘big game’ on scratch-built boards. Part of the learning here will be whether I go with Battlegroup or Rapid Fire Reloaded for the ‘big game’ – both are good rules that offer something very different.

The core of my landing force, referencing the excellent Overlord book for the Battlegroup rules, currently includes:

6 Infantry Assault Platoons
2 Commando Assault Boat Troops
2 Commando Support Teams
2 Sherman DD Troops
1 Centaur Troop
1 Beach Obstacle Demo Party
1 Beach Assault Tank Troop

All of which are at different stages of work in progress.

Enough background, here’s the order of battle as it currently stands, though I’m expecting to include further units as I form them such as artillery, Staffordshire Yeomanry, Kings Shropshire Light Infantry, beach communications party etc.

In the not too distant future I’ll share my full landing table. For now, looking across to my IKEA WIP trays, I have plenty of building and painting to do. Now let’s check on those bases…

Featured image @iwm B 5090