Crowbar! The Rangers at Pointe du Hoc

Design:  Hermann Luttman
Development: Fred Manzo
Artwork: Tim Allen
Publisher: Mark H. Walker
Vassal Module: Nicholas Bell

The graphics used in this module are from the Print and Play PDF version of the game available at the Wargame Vault.

Module Use
Most functions are self-explanatory with the following clarifications:

German units (HKA, MG, Possible Gun Locations, and Grenadier), Incoming Fire Markers, Event Chits and Event Cards are shuffled each time a unit, chit or piece is pulled.  Be sure to return the Incoming Fire, Event Chits, and Event Cards to their decks after their use.

HKA, MG and Grenadier units have blank fronts to enable true random placement when you pull them from their deck.  The rules state these are to be placed face up (simply flip the blank unit to it's full strength side), but leaving them face down until it is necessary to reveal them to due to close combat or open fire adds uncertaintly without compromising the rule system.

Units & Markers includes 2 German units - the Command Bunker and FLAK unit as they are set units, not randomly selected.

Most game functions are activated by right-clicking on units - no need to find and place markers on units.  Ranger unit strengths can be decreased or increased in this manner.

Advance adds a number marker directly to the unit for when you are accumulating movement points to cross an obstacle, rather than rotating the dice.  Control-A will cycle up to 3 and then back to none.

You will need to Decrease the unit strengths to 6 for the Support Units.  Use the Clone Function to create enough Ranger units for each company.

The 1/2 hit and Morale Loss Markers are not likely to be needed and were added for the frequent interruptions and poor memory I suffer.

Likewise, I created a Night/Day Marker to place anywhere on the map as a memory jog for myself after conducting an Open Fire only to realise it was all for naught because it was night and the range is just one.

An artillery explosion marker is provided as a memory aid to mark units getting hit by mortars, naval gunfire and German artillery support.

The marker for the German Counterattack Track flips between all four counterattacks. 

The Destroyed Units panel is provided to hold German units destroyed by gun or artillery fire and there not eligable for VPs.  The icon is the monument from the German War Cemetary at La Cambe about 7 km south of Pointe du Hoc.

Two methods of rolling Movement Dice are provided.  I originally did the toolbar dice thinking I would simply keep track of which die I rolled in the Log window.  I found that various events can quickly fill the Log making it more difficult to track than I anticipated.  Since I could not devise a way to create dice that rolled on the main map screen, I created the 6 card decks found at the bottom of the map.  Everytime you draw a card the deck is shuffled, but don't forget to return the current card before pulling another, otherwise you'll be rolling a 5 sided die!

I included the Kickstarter extra Blue Die because I found the rules for it's use on the Flying Pig Games website.  But, I don't access to what the additional 9 Event Cards look like, so it is only a partial implimentation - sorry.

Please let me know if you discover any bugs or have ideas to improve play.  I hope you enjoy this module.

April 4, 2021
nicholas.bell.59@gmail.com