Well the first thing to say is it was a great day out in a new location with lots of space.
We attended the Carronade Wargame Show with our "revised" Omaha Beach D Day Game on the 6th June 2026. The date also suited the Dumfries Wargaming club they had a fantastic St. Mere Eglise game. The guys at the Falkirk club were great hosts.
So the second thing to mention is we won. Yippee! We won 1st place for the Best Demonstration Game and can make our mark on a shield. Which was great - 1st place (in a tight field).
The game was a massive 12 foot x 12 foot table (with a walk in section for access). It was huge -our largest. There were well over 1,200 28mm figures on the table. It was a logistical nightmare... assembling, painting boxing -up, transporting then unpacking. But we made it happen.
A special thanks to our support troops (Joe, Gavin and Roberta) and also to everyone who came up and had a chat.
Omaha Beach - west side - Draw 1 (Vierville-sur-Mer) and Draw 3 (Les Moulins).
US side - 29th Infantry Division (with a small section of 1st Inf. ) 2nd and 5th Rangers
German Defenders - 352nd Infantry Division
So here is how the game went...
GAME REPORT
So we start with the second waves approaching the beach. D-1 (WN72) gap in at the bottom right of the picture.
We used 2 (6ft x 4ft) sea mats and 2 (6ft x 4ft) beach mats with the hillside made from blue extruded foam board. This takes it to 12 foot x 12 foot. The beach mats were not wide enough for us so we also used sand boards (plywood covered sand) to extend the beach and sit under the bluffs.
Apologies for the amount of pictures ...but it was just ...the longest day. 
Obstacles were barbed wire strips, Czech hedgehogs, log ramps, log posts and Belgium gates (Element C).
We had engineers blowing up gates in the sea.
Below: Getting to the beach was hard - you had to manoeuvre and wait... under fire.
As it was second wave we could use the larger Landing Crafts and Dukws...
And... the swimming tanks DD Sherman tanks. One DD has a collapsed cape in this photo.
Below: The larger Landing Craft we scratch built. No one dare make 28mm one this size..so out came the mdf and plasticard.
But when you land this much 'kit and guys' from one LC - it can have a big impact.
Below: US Navy guy seen giving orders. This lot landed at the Les Moulins Side.
The other side (Verville) had lots of Shermans but held up by obstacles...
Until the Bangalore team showed up.
The Sherman bulldozer ploughed through the obstacles.
This is a good overhead shot of the table
Below: A US Bulldozer arrived and helped to make some headway through the obstacles.. I was able to clear 3 sections of wire with this one unit.
Then it was charge!
Below: Sherman took a hit from WN 72 bunker...
Nearer to the middle the 29th were just taking pot shots at the German 352nd ...I kept the US 29th behind the wall (hard cover) until the MG42 tobruks on the cliff were silenced and we had more numbers.
Below: the Vierville side from the German perspective.
Most of the Germans were in bunkers but the odds were against them although they had the high ground and had scoped it in HMG's and mortars.
As I pushed through to D1 draw with the armour - another Sherman tank took a hit from WN 72 (at almost point blank range). All of the tanks and LC's are numbered for Omaha.
Casualties were mounting at both draws.
More LC's get in...with armour dropped right onto the beach.
The German 50mm in the open casement in front of Les Moulins is about to be overrun along with the MG34 tobruk (bottom left).
Below: This guy finds cover - takes a breath and goes to work with a bangalore.
The captain with a Rangers helmet (might be Capt Millar AKA Tom Hanks)...lol
There's a lot of stuff landing at Les Moulins...view from the house.
Lets Go 29 ers! Over the wall in numbers.
The house is in US hands.
At D1 draw the picture is starting to look similar.
But theres still one German gun firing at Les Moulins...
Below: Engineers strap up the submerged Belgian Gate with TNT.
Below: Another Belgian Gate on the beach is blown away!
Still taking hits on the shore
Below: A small group of the 352nd block the Les Moulins draw
Below: err...did somebody bring a rope with a grappling hook...
"I did...no problem - we will be up here in a flash..."
Danger pops up everywhere..
But it is dealt with...its not so much my good dice rolling - its just lots the US dice to roll!
I have a Cota figure on the table...and he's supposed to be here.. but I haven't seen him lately. LOL
Below: A signalman tells the destroyers which targets to hit...
Keep moving forward
Below: Bangalores take out more seawall...
These guys have all the gear..a weapon, back pack, some with pick axes, bangalore, ammo pouches, canteens, wire cutters, hand grenades, knife (this guy has it on his ankle strap),
On the beach more arrive
Below: A signalman in the water guiding in those Landing Craft - using flags.
Engineers remove the last of the obstacles
At Moulins, on their left the 29ers are on the bluffs looking to take out that last gun.
err did anyone bring the panzerfaust....! I thought you had it! Ohhh No.
I gave it to you!
Below: the 29's locate the last gun
The Germans are flanked.
A Captain gives the command and a grenade is thrown into the gun below ...Kaptut!
Below: In the centre it is all go - take out the HMG and up on onto the top
Below: Then the bunker with TNT
The German does not see what he is up against...behind him the numbers gather and a flamethrower.
The German try to fall back using the trenches.
Its over
Some pockets of small resistance still continue the defence. But its the weight of numbers.
More guys arrive on shoreline to lighter fire.
More and more and more...
The anti tank wall is breached and Sherman Tanks roll up D1 at Vierville
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