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Fields of Fire: "Keep Up the Fire!" The 9th US Infantry "Manchus"
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Normandy Missions and Order of Battle:
1. Trevieres - Rubercy, June 8th - 9th, 1944
2. St. Germain d'Elle, June 16th - June 19th, 1944
3. St. Jean des Baisants, July 28th - July 29th , 1944
2nd Infantry Division Normandy Campaign Timeline: began landing June 7th
June 8th - 10th Trevieres Offensive
June 11th - 19th Cerisy Offensive
June 20th - July 10th St. Germain d'Elle-St. Georges d'Elle-Le Parc Defensive
July 11th - 12th Hill 192 Offensive
July 13th - 25th St. Germain d'Elle-Le Croix Rouge-Le Soulaire Defensive
July 26th - August 7th Vire Offensive
August 8th - August 16th Tinchebray Offensive
70 Days in the line, in contact with the enemy. The Division would have four days rest and recovery before being committed to the Brest Offensive.
The 2nd Infantry Division consisted of the 9th, 23rd , and 38th Infantry Regiments. The Division had the 12th (155mm), 15th (105mm), 37th (105mm), and 38th (105mm) Field Artillery Battalions with the 15th (Lt. Col. Cassibry, Commanding) in direct support of the 9th. The Division also had a Combat Engineer and Recon Battalions. The US V Corps had many Field Artillery battalions available as well. Armored support came from the 741st Tank Battalion (Lt. Col. Robert W. Skaggs, Commanding), and the 612th Tank Destroyer Battalion (Lt. Col. Joseph M. Deeley, Commanding). Each battalion had 3 companies of 17 vehicles (M4 Shermans for the Tank Battalions and M10 Tank Destroyers for the 612th). Air defense was provided by the 462nd AAA Battalion (Lt. Col. Norman R. Stultz, Commanding). The 462nd was equipped with 3 batteries of quad .50 cals.
The 2nd Infantry Division would particpate in 5 Campaigns, spend 337 days in action, cover 1.750 miles from Omaha Beach to Pilsen. It suffered 15,066 battle casualties, including 2,999 killed (879 were Manchus), and 10.924 wounded.
The 9th Infantry Regiment was organized as follows:
Colonel Chester J. Hirschfield, Commanding
(Colonel Hirschfield earned two Distinguish Service Cross awards commanding the Manchus during the Normandy campaign to go with the first award he earned in WWI)
HHC (Headquarters & Headquarters Co), Service Co, Anti-Tank Co (57mm AT Guns), Canon Co (105mm M3 Towed Howitzers)
1st Battalion, Lt. Col. H. K. Wesson, Commanding (KIA Oct 15th 1944)
A (Able), B (Baker), C (Charlie) Rifle Companies
D (Dog) Heavy Weapons (8xHMGs, 4x81mm Mortars)
2nd Battalion, Lt. Col. Walter M. Higgins, Commanding
E (Easy), F (Fox), G (George)
H (How) Heavy Weapons
3rd Battalion, Lt. Col. P. V. Tuttle, Commanding
I (Item), K (King), L (Love)
M (Mike) Heavy Weapons
Your Company:
CO HQ, CO XO, CO 1stSGT , 2xRunners (5 Steps)
1st PLT HQ, 1 / 1st PLT, 2 / 1st PLT, 3 / 1st PLT (10 Steps)
2nd PLT HQ, 1 / 2nd PLT, 2 / 2nd PLT, 3 / 2nd PLT (10 Steps)
3rd PLT HQ, 1 / 3rd PLT, 2 / 3rd PLT, 3 / 3rd PLT (10 Steps)
Light Machinegun Section (2 Teams) 1 / Wpns, 2 / Wpns (2 Steps)
Bazooka Section (3 Teams) 1 / Wpns, 2 / Wpns, 3 / Wpns (3 Steps)
60mm Mortar Section (1 Section) (3 Steps)
Total Steps: 43
Basic Communications:
1 SCR300 VHF Radio Battalion Tactical Net
4 SCR536 VHF Radio Company Tactical Net
4 Field Phones + 8 Phone Lines
Pyrotechnics 1 each Red Star Parachute (RSP), Green Star Parachute (GSP), Red Star Cluster (RSC), Green Star Cluster (GSC).
2xWP Smoke, 2xHC Smoke
Basic Load of Ammunition
4xMG per Gun, 3xRkt per Bazooka, 4xMtr for Mortar Section
Note on Ammunition. US Units had a light basic load compared to the Germans. The Germans carried 2 to 3 times the ammunition.
Pyrotechnics and Ammunition are replenished between missions. A basic load of ammo is issued each mission and can be saved up between missions.
SCR536 VHF Radios - Early hand held "handy talky" radios. They allow radio communication in Line of Sight only. They do not work if either user is Pinned or under any sort of Cover marker.
Replacements after each mission 6 steps. (you only get replacements after completing the mission, not on re-attempts)
Taking Prisoners
If any Unpinned US good order unit, Assault Team or Fire Team is in a card and the only enemy units is a Paralyzed Team or Teams at the beginning of a turn, then those Germans surrender. Any one step with a printed VOF may guard any number of enemy prisoners and transport them (move and the prisoners move with you).
Germans also take prisoners in the same manner.