The 6th of June marks the anniversary of the D-Day Landings in Normandy – perhaps the most pivotal moment in World War II, when the Allied forces commenced operations to push the German army back out of France, culminating in the fall of the Third Reich.
This historic day is rich with inspiration for Bolt Action players, from the courageous landings on the Normandy beaches code-named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword, to the daring glider attack on Pegasus Bridge to pave the way for the invading forces, and the subsequent battles as British and American forces pushed inland.
Beach Landing Deals
If you’re up for recreating the landing themselves (and why wouldn’t you after seeing this amazing Omaha Beach board)…
…we have also put together some special deals, and don’t forget our rules for Amphibious Assaults.
Storm the beach with the British D-Day Landing Force, including the Flamethrower and Engineers for free!
The US D-Day Landing Force includes the 30 cal MMG team for free!
The NEW German D-Day Defenders includes the MG42 Machine Gun and an Officer with binoculars for free!
D-Day Firefight – Bolt Action Starter Set
Newcomers to Bolt Action can get straight into the thick of the action with our Bolt Action starter set, D-Day Firefight which contains the rulebook, two forces, terrain and dice:
Pegasus Bridge
And of course our huge Pegasus Bridge battle set and the even bigger Ham & Jam: Pegasus Bridge collectors edition are the perfect way to refight this crucial battle:
These massive sets contains everything you need to recreate the daring raid that paved the way for the Allied D-Day invasion. The main boxed set contains all the fundamental features whilst the collector’s edition adds in loads more goodies.
The Mission
The mission, in the opening minutes of the Normandy landings, was to capture the Bénouville Bridge and the nearby Ranville Bridge in order to prevent German reinforcements from reaching the beaches, where Allied forces were pouring ashore. 180 men, led by Major John Howard, landed close to their targets in gliders. Using the element of surprise, they were tasked with seizing the bridges, and more importantly, hold them against the inevitable German counter attack. Bénouville Bridge was later renamed Pegasus Bridge, in reference to the shoulder emblem worn by the British Airborne forces.
The Battlefield
Using the contents of the battle set, you can really set the scene for this pivotal battle. The centrepiece is a laser-cut model of the bridge itself, accompanied by models of the Cafe Gondree, as well as a pill box, a gun pit and even two telegraph poles! Sarissa Precision have done us proud with these incredible laser-cut constructions and they have to be seen to be believed!
The Forces
Next come the forces themselves – for the defenders, 20 German infantry, backed up with a 5cm KwK 39 anti-tank gun and MG42 machine gun team. The attackers are a 10-man British Airborne squad plus a 2-man PIAT team, and an exclusive model of Major John Howard, which is only available in this set. You’ll also get decal sheets for both the sides to help you prepare your forces for battle.
Collector’s Edition
The Ham & Jam! Collector’s Edition adds even more to the main Pegasus Bridge battle-set – 6 resin sandbag emplacements (which can be put together into 3 machine gun emplacements), 3 more German MG42 machine gun teams, 6 dead livestock models, a resin sandbag emplacement for the top of the control tower, 8 more telegraph poles and 12 resin Dragon’s teeth tank traps. In addition to this are 20 more plastic Germans, a Marder III Ausf. M tank destroyer, and 20 plastic Royal Marine Commandoes led by Lord Lovat and Piper Millin. We’ve even added a copy of Osprey Publishing’s Raid: Pegasus Bridge book to give you even more reference material, giving a full historical account and detailed uniform guides. Phew!
The Rules
Last but not least both boxes includes a scenario booklet that describes how to set up and fight the battle for Pegasus Bridge.
Head over to the store to for the full contents lists and more photos!
Battleground Europe: D-Day to Berlin – Bolt Action Supplement
The Allied liberation of Western Europe, including the battle for Pegasus Bridge – is charted in our ‘Battleground Europe: D-Day to Berlin’ Theatre Book – pick-up your copy today!
Dan Hewitson
Tom Mecredy
Craig Nixon