D20: World at War

By Tim Stevenson
© 2003

Empty Spaces Studios

Playtesters:
Jon Dakon, Ramine “The Machine” Daneshman, Andrew Grady, Pat
Mackinnon, Steve Meehan, Tony “Toast” Stevenson

1
 Table of Contents:
1: The World at War Appendix A: What If?
Who to Play?
Where to Play?
Appendix B: Documents
The WWII Era
2: New Skills
3: New Feats
4: Equipment
Weapons
Ranged Weapons
Explosives and Splash Weapons
Melee Weapons
Armor
Gear
Vehicles
5: In the Army
Organizing the Military
Military Units
The US Armed Forces
The German Wehrmacht

The British Royal Military

The Soviet Red Army
The Japanese Imperial Army
Infantry Tactics
The Squad on the Battlefield
Offensive Squad Level Tactics
Defensive Squad Level Tactics
Mortar Tactics
Ordinaries
Civilian
Combat Engineer
Combat Medic
Machine Gunner
Partisan/Resistance Fighter
Pilot
Police Officer/MP
Rifleman
Scout
Sniper
Spy
Squad Leader
Vehicle Mecanic
6: European Theater
Europe in Brief
Major Players
Major Campaigns
Missions in the European Theater
German 2nd Fallschirmjäger Battalion at
the Moerdijk Rail Bridge, Holland:
May, 1940
Soviet Guardsmen at the Central Railroad
Station, Stalingrad, Russia: October,
1942
US 2nd Ranger Battalion at Pointe Du Hoc,
Normandy: June, 1944
7: Pacific Theater
The Pacific in Brief
Major Players
Major Campaigns
Missions in the Pacific Theater

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The World
at War
In 1939, Germany, under the
Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler invaded
Poland to spark what would become
the greatest war in the history of the
world. World War II would last nearly
six years and cost the lives of millions
of men, women, and children from
many nations around the globe. This
supplement to the D20 Modern
Roleplaying System allows players to
take part in the largest conflict the
world has ever seen.
This book is more than just a
roleplaying supplement. It is also in
some respects a history text and a
memorial to the brave men and
women who gave their lives for their
countries and fought for what they
believed was right.
Who to Play?
World War II offers nearly
endless opportunities for roleplaying,
however some are much more suited
to the D20 system. Large battles
involving scores of tanks and
hundreds of infantrymen may be
interesting, but in a system like D20,
combat can quickly bog down the
action. For this reason, the players
should probably belong to some sort
of special forces group, some of which
include:
 US Army Rangers
 US Marine Raiders
 Spies
 French Resistance Forces
3
 British Commandos
 Canadian Paratroopers
 German Fallschirmjäger
(Paratroopers)
 German Snipers
All of these groups acted as
relatively small, independent units on
the battlefield, which makes them
excellent for a normal sized
roleplaying group of five or six people.
Some specific actions involving some
of these groups are provided on page
00 of this book.
Where to Play?
Another important aspect of the
game is choosing a theater of
operation for your game to take place.
This book will describe both the
Pacific and European (including North
Africa) Theaters of operation. Both
places provide plenty of material for
roleplaying exciting battles and
missions in WWII.
The WWII Era
When using this supplement, it
is important to remember that many
of the amenities we take for granted
such as computers, cell phones, and
fast food didn’t exist in the 1940s.
Despite the amazing technical
breakthroughs developed through the
course of the war, it was still a bloody
and difficult challenge completely
unlike the faceless, computerized
conflicts fought today. Both the
players and the GM should keep this
in mind while playing and try to avoid
anachronisms.
New Skills
The ranged weapons in this
book cover handguns, longarms,
heavy weapons, and other ranged
weapons like the M1A1 Flamethrower.
The world of WWII is an Handguns and longarms require the
entirely different place from that of Personal Firearms Proficiency feat in
today. For that reason, some order to be used without penalty,
additional skills are required to while heavy weapons require specific
accurately roleplay that period, while Exotic Firearms Proficiency feats,
other skills should not yet be depending on the weapon.
available. Flamethrowers require no feats to
The Computer Use skill should use.
not be available to players, as
computers as we know them today Handguns
had yet to be invented. The following
new skills may be used in addition to The following handguns are
those listed in the D20 Modern available to soldiers in the war. Their
Rulebook: statistics are given in table 0-0:
Ranged Weapons.
Electronics Use
Browning 1935 High Power
Parachuting The Browning High Power has
the distinction of being the only
Skiing sidearm used by both sides during the
war. Produced in both Canada and

New Feats
Belgium, it is in use by British,
German, and Canadian troops, as well
as being the official sidearm of the
Belgian military. It has a relatively
high capacity magazine, making it
preferable to some users.

Equipment Colt M1911

This is the standard US Army
service pistol. It is carried by officers
in an M1936 or M1916
Pistol/Revolver Belt as a backup
Weapons weapon. British and Canadian troops
such as paratroopers are known to
use the Colt .45 instead of the official
“The last war proved that if you hit a German in issue Enfield .38 Revolver for the
the right place with a caliber .30 rifle bullet, he falls over
dead. This is also true in this war. It applies, moreover, to
Colt’s stopping power and
Japs as well as to Nazis.” autoloading action.
- How to Shoot the US Army
Rifle Enfield Revolver No.2 Mk.1
The Enfield Revolver is a .38
caliber revolver and is the official
Ranged Weapons service pistol of British officers and
paratroopers.

4
Flare Projector, Caliber .45 (FP-45)
“Liberator”
The Liberator pistol is a single
shot, smoothbore weapon designed to
be mass-produced and given to
special service agents, guerilla
fighters and partisans. In fact, it is so
easy to produce that a single
Liberator can be made in just over 6
seconds in the factory, which is less
time than it takes to load. The
Liberator is in use in France and
China, as well as other occupied
nations around the world.
Luger P08
The infamous German Luger
pistol was produced from prior to
WWI until 1938, but many are still in
action in the war. It is a common
sidearm for both officers and machine
gun crews.
Nagant Model 1895
This rather antiquated Soviet
revolver design was officially replaced
by the TT-33 in 1930, however many
are still produced for use by the Red
Army.
Tula-Tokarev Model 1933 (TT-33)
The Tokarev pistol is the
standard Soviet sidearm, however it
has not completely replaced the
Nagant Model 1895 revolver. This
pistol borrows features from other
pistols such as the Mauser cartridge
and the Browning recoil design.
Walther P38
In 1938, this pistol replaced the
Luger as the Wehrmacht’s official
service pistol. The P38 is a solid pistol
produced in great quantities by the
Germans.
Longarms
The following list of longarms
contains rifles, submachine guns, and
5
shotguns used in WWII. All of these
weapons require the Personal
Firearms Proficiency to use without a
penalty.
Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
The BAR is a heavy infantry
rifle used extensively in WWII by the
US Army. It uses the same
ammunition as the M1 Garand, but is
capable of firing on full automatic.
The BAR requires large amounts of
ammo to be effective, so an additional
squad member usually carries extra
magazines. Despite its relatively small
clip, this weapon is still considered to
be one of the best ever used by the
US Army.
Carbine, M1
The M1 Carbine is a light
infantry weapon designed by the US
Army to replace the M1911 pistol.
Though the pistol still has its place,
the Carbine sees action as a point
weapon due to its compact size and
greater power.
Fallschirmjägergewehr 42 (FG42)
Production began on the FG42
to answer the German paratroopers’
call for an automatic weapon which
could easily be carried into battle
instead of the heavy MGs. This
weapon is very dangerous but is only
truly accurate in single fire mode.
When using the FG42 in full
automatic mode, the user receives a
-1 to hit penalty.
Garand, M1
The M1 Garand is a semi-
automatic, .30 caliber rifle used by
the United States. This rifle is know to
work well in the field and has a vastly
superior rate of fire to the German
K98 and Japanese Arisaka. This is the
standard rifle for US servicemen in
WWII.
Gewehr 43 (G43)
Called “Hitler’s Garand” by the
Allies, the G43 is a semiautomatic
rifle with a ten round box magazine.
The weapon is plagued by complexity
and hence isn’t as readily available as
the reliable K98.
Grease Gun, M3A1
At the end of 1944, the US
Army began to issue the M3A1 Grease
Gun as an alternative submachine gun
to the Thompson. The Grease Gun has
the advantages of being extremely
cheap and easy to produce, however it
can only be fired on full automatic.
Ithica Model 37 Trench/Riot Gun
The Ithica Model 37 shotgun is
produced as a trench-clearing gun
which can easily be used in close
combat to cover a large area. This
gun has performed admirably in
countless operations.
Karabiner K98k
This is the standard issue rifle
for the Nazi forces in WWII. The K98k
is an accurate, and reliable bolt-action
rifle, and with the addition of a scope,
becomes a dangerous sniping tool.
Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk.1
The Lee-Enfield is the British
service rifle, dating back to the 1800s.
This bolt-action rifle has a ten round
box magazine and can take a “spike”
style bayonet.
Machinepistole 40 (MP40)
This 9mm submachine gun is
constructed mostly of stamped parts,
which are easy to produce during the
war. This effective weapon has been
produced in great quantities
throughout WWII. German machine
pistols were the motivating factor
behind Britain’s development of the
Sten.
6
Mosin-Nagant Model 1891/30
(M1891/30)
The M1891/30 is an
improvement on the original M1891
design. Despite being a grossly
outdated design, the M1891/30 is
cheap to produce, easy to use, and
reliable on the battlefield.
Pistolet Pulemet Shpagin Model
1941 (PPSh-41)
After encountering the
effectiveness of the submachine guns
used by both the Finnish and German
armies, the Soviets called for their
own design. The PPSh-41 is a
devastating close range weapon with
a 71 round drum magazine. Some
later models are capable of only full
automatic fire. They are so plentiful
that sometimes entire units are armed
only with the PPSh-41.
Samozariadnyia Vintovka
Tokareva Model 1940 (SVT-40)
The SVT-40 was developed for
the Soviet army to hopefully replace
the aging M1891/30. This has not
come pass, as the SVT is simply too
complex and unforgiving to be
produced and used in large quantities.
Often, this weapon is used by an
experienced soldier or NCO in a rifle
squad. When fitted with a scope, the
weapon also makes a deadly sniping
platform.
Springfield, M1903A4
The Springfield ’03 is the
standard sniper rifle for United States
troops during the war. This weapon
has a reputation for reliability and is
extremely accurate in the hands of a
trained marksman.
Sten Mk.2
The British answer to the
German MP40, the Sten is a cheap
submachine gun which can be
produced in great numbers. The Sten
is prone to jamming if not kept clean,
and so is not very popular with the
troops. An attack roll of 1, made with
a Sten automatically jams the weapon.
Sturmgewehr 44 (StG44)
The StG44 is the world’s first
assault rifle. First called the MP43, it
was not a popular design with the
Fürer, and Hitler cancelled research
on the weapon. The name was later
changed in order to continue design
and testing under Hitler’s nose, and
the StG44 was sent to the Eastern
Front. This gun can be used as a light
machine gun or a rifle. It has received
mixed reactions from troops, some of
whom enjoy the weapon’s versatility.
Others find that the gun wastes
ammo, of which the specially
designed 7.92 mm short round is in
particularly short supply.
Thompson, M1A1
The Thompson .45 caliber
submachine gun is a devastating close
range weapon, which carries a
heavier slug than both the British
Sten and German MP40. It has
performed well under most
conditions, but has poor accuracy at
long ranges. The French, British,
Canadians, and Australians have all
used the “Tommy Gun” throughout
the war as well.
Heavy Weapons
All heavy weapons require an
Exotic Firearms Proficiency to use
without penalty.
50mm Mortar (50-PM 40)
The 50-PM 40 is the standard
light mortar used by the Soviet forces.
It uses a very small projectile which is
not particularly effective in many
situations.
82mm Mortar (82-PM 41)
7
The heavier 81mm Mortar of
the Soviet army has a greater range
and damage dealing capability than
the smaller 50mm.
Bazooka, M1A1
The Bazooka rocket launcher is
a tube-shaped anti-tank weapon.
Commonly it is used as a team with
one man firing and one reloading.
This American design is so successful,
that it is believed to be the inspiration
for the German Panzershreck.
Bren Mk.1
The Bren gun is the standard
British light machine gun. Although it
doesn’t have quite the amazing rate of
fire of the MG34 or MG42, it is lighter
and more accurate, allowing it to
carry out a more tactical role.
Boys Anti Tank Rifle
Britain’s final attempt at using
anti tank rifles is the Boys. This gun is
quite ineffective and by 1942 most
troops abandoned them altogether.
Browning, M1917A1
This heavy machine gun is very
accurate and has a respectable rate of
fire. It is used by the American Army
mainly for defense and vehicle
mounting due to its weight.
Browning, M1919A4
The .30 caliber 1919 Browning
is the standard light machine gun
used by US ground forces in WWII.
Although less accurate and with a
lower fate of fire than its big brother
the 1917 model, the 1919 is
significantly lighter and more
maneuverable.
Degtyaryev Pakhotnyi (DP)
The Red Army’s standard light
machinegun is the DP. This gun uses a
49 round circular magazine, however
it should not be loaded with more
than 47 rounds to prevent
malfunctions.
Granatenwerfer 34, Schwerer
The heavy 81mm
Granatenwerfer 34 is a large German
mortar. Much heavier than the 36
model, this version is more often used
by heavy weapons platoons rather
than by regular rifle platoons.
Granatenwerfer 36, Leichter
This 50mm mortar is the
German Heer’s main light mortar.
Capable of causing significant
destruction, it is a respected weapon.
Machinegewehr 34 (MG34)
The MG34 was first used in the
Spanish Civil War and many remain in
service despite the introduction of the
MG42. It is a light tactical machine
gun with a very high rate of fire.
Machinegewehr 42 (MG42)
The MG42 is perhaps the best
weapon in service in the war. It is a
frightening weapon to face due to the
distinctive sound created by its rate of
fire which is so high that individual
rounds cannot be heard when the
trigger is squeezed. The MG42 cannot
make a Burst Fire attack because of
its extremely high rate of fire.
Mortar, M1
The US M1 81mm Mortar is a
heavy infantry mortar, which can be
carried into battle and used to
devastating effect.
Mortar, M2
The 60mm M2 Mortar is a
lighter alternative to the much
heavier 81mm M1. For this reason, it
is more often used by assault troops
like Rangers and paratroopers.
Panzerbuchse 39 (PzB 39)
8
Before the invention of the
Panzerfaust and Panzershreck, the
PzB 39 anti tank rifle had been the
German’s main anti tank weapon for
infantry. Like other rifles of this type,
it is almost completely ineffective.
Panzerfaust 30
This one-shot German anti-tank
rocket launcher was in heavy use until
the production of the reloadable
Panzershreck. After being fired, it
must be discarded.
Panzerfaust 60
This version of the Panzerfaust
anti-tank rocket launcher has greater
range and penetrating power than the
model 30. Like the 30, it can only be
fired once.
PIAT Mk.1
The Projector, Infantry, Anti-
Tank is the standard British anti-tank
launcher. It uses a spring mechanism
to propel the round, and so it can only
be used at very short ranges. It is
most often used in tandem with a
loader. Because of the PIAT’s design,
it requires two full round actions to
reload.
PTRD 1941
This is the latest development
in anti-tank rifle technology. The
Soviets are the only nation not to
dispense with this antiquated design
of weapon for dealing with tanks. It
stands very little chance of doing any
damage to a Panther or Tiger.
Pulemet Maksima Model 1910
(M1910)
The Russian M1910 heavy
machinegun is a water-cooled design
based on the Maxim gun of WWI. It is
extremely heavy and needs to actually
be wheeled into position rather than
carried. It is very reliable, but difficult
to produce in the numbers required
by the Soviets.
Raketenpanzerbuchse 43
“Panzershreck”
The German
Raketenpanzerbuchse 43, commonly
known as the “Panzershreck” which
translates to “tank terror” is a
personal anti-tank rocket launcher
based on the American M1A1
Bazooka. Like the bazooka, one man
fires the weapon while another loads
the ammunition.
Stankovii Pulemet Goryunova
Model 1943 (SG43)
The SG43 is the Soviet army’s
replacement for the aging M1910
machine gun. It is air cooled, and
significantly less heavy, however it is
just as difficult to produce and so has
not truly replaced the M1910.
Vickers Mk.1
The Vickers Mk1. heavy
machine gun is the heart of the
British infantryman’s fire support. It
is a heavy, water-cooled veteran of the
First World War that continues to see
service.
Other Ranged Weapons
The weapons below do not
require any specific proficiency to
use.
Flamethrower, M1A1
The trusty flamethrower has
seen some use in Europe for defeating
bunkers, but has been put to
extensive work in the Pacific. These
weapons are particularly effective
against enclosed areas, but can be
dangerous to the user, should a stray
bullet hit the volatile gas tank.
Flammerwerfer 35
9
The German army has used
flamethrowers to good use against
armored fortresses in Belgium and
France during the initial Blitzkrieg.
On the defensive, however, the
flamethrower is of much less use.
ROKS-2
This Soviet flamethrower has
seen use in the intense city fighting of
the Eastern Front.
Type 100 Flamethrower
The Japanese Type 100
Flamethrower is of good use in the
cramped quarters of the Pacific
Theater. However, as the war drags
on, and the Japanese find themselves
more and more on the defensive, it
becomes much less effective.
Protective
Equipment
"Casualties many; Percentage of dead not known; Combat
efficiency; we are winning."
- Colonel David M. Shoup
(1943)
Armor
Helmet
Following the devastating
losses due to artillery bombardments
during the early stages of WWI,
almost every major nation developed
head protection for their troops in the
form of metal helmets. Although not
designed to protect against bullets,
they will help in the event of an
overhead explosion. A character with
a helmet on may add +1 to his reflex
save against the effects of explosives
such as mortars, artillery, and
grenades.
Misc.
Equipment
"The battle we are now approaching demands a colossal
measure of production capacity. No limit on rearmament
can be visualized. The only alternatives are victory or
destruction.”
- Reich Marshal Hermann
Göring, Commander-in-Chief of the
Luftwaffe (1936)
Obstacles
Barbed Wire
Barbed wire can be a huge
obstacle to an advancing force, and
must be dealt with quickly. Jumping
over or shimmying under barbed wire
requires a reflex check, DC 15 or the
character in question takes 1d4
damage. Cutting out a 5’ gap in a
barbed wire emplacement requires
wire cutters and is a full round action.
Military Units
In the armies of the nations of
WWII, various amounts of men and
equipment were organized into units
which could act cohesively on the
battlefield. The basic unit of any force
is the rifle squad or section. A typical
rifle squad consists of nine to twelve
men, depending on the country. Two
to four rifle squads along with a
headquarters element make up the
next type of unit, the rifle platoon.
Three of these platoons along with a
command unit make up the rifle
company. Finally, three rifle
companies plus support and
headquarters elements make up the
infantry battalion.
The US Armed Forces
The United States in World War
Two was instrumental in victory over

In the Army both Germany and Japan. On the

ground, the Marines fought in the
Pacific while the Army battled across
Europe.
This section will describe
certain aspects of the major military US Army Ranks:
powers during World War Two. Here The ranking system of the US
you will find information on ranks and Army is as follows:
insignia, uniforms, military
organization, and examples of typical
Enlisted: Officers:
soldiers.
Private 2nd Lieutenant
Organizing the Private 1st Class
Technician 5th
1st Lieutenant
Captain

Military
Class Major
Corporal Lt. Colonel
Technician 4th Colonel
Class Brigadier General
Each of the major powers Sergeant Major General
involved in WWII had its own military Technician 3rd Lt. General
structure, ranks, insignia, and Class General
equipment issues. Understanding Staff Sergeant General of the
these things will help greatly in Technical Army
properly roleplaying any part of this Sergeant
conflict. Master Sergeant

10
First Sergeant
The US Army Rifle Squad:
A typical US Army rifle squad
battling in Europe or North Africa in
WWII consisted of a squad leader and
his assistant (these started out as a
Sergeant and Corporal, but became
Staff Sergeant and Sergeant by 1944)
five riflemen, two scouts, an
automatic rifleman, his assistant, and
an ammo carrier, for a total of twelve
men. Except for the automatic
rifleman who was issued a BAR, all of
the other men in the squad were
issued M1 Garand rifles. Often, the
squad leader would replace his M1
with an M1 Carbine, Thompson
submachine gun, or M3 Grease Gun,
and he and his assistant may have
acquired additional handguns. An
additional Thompson or Carbine for
the scouts or assistant squad leader in
place of their M1s would have also
been fairly common. Each rifle
platoon also had one M1903A4
Springfield rifle equipped with a
sniper scope to be assigned as the
platoon leader saw fit. Each company
had three bazookas (this increased to
five bazookas and six additional BARs
after D-Day) which the company
commander could assign as necessary.
The standard issue for grenades was
three fragmentation grenades and one
smoke grenade per man.
The Rangers made up the
special forces element of the Army.
The typical Ranger squad had an
identical layout to the standard Army
squad. Some squads, particularly later
on, adopted the assault squad layout
in which the squad was divided into
two smaller elements called fire
teams. The assault fire team consisted
of five riflemen while the machine gun
fire team included the assistant squad
leader, machine gunner, assistant
machine gunner, and two ammunition
11
bearers. A sergeant served as the
squad leader in charge of these two
five man teams.
The Airborne squads, expected
to be much more self-sufficient than
the average infantry squad, also had
to pack a much bigger punch. To do
this, these squads were issued the
M1919A4 Browning light machine
gun in place of the BAR. Originally,
each man was also issued a Colt
M1911 .45 Caliber pistol. Issue of
these pistols was stopped, but many
paratroopers kept them or bought
their own sidearm incase they were
separated from their main weapon
during the jump. Airborne troops
were also issued a wide variety of
switchblade knives, knuckle knives,
and trench knives. Although all of the
soldiers in the squad besides the
machine gunner and his assistant
were issued M1 Garand Rifles, there
were several Thompsons, Grease
Guns, and special airborne M1
Carbines with folding stocks available
for distribution at the platoon level.
These tended to gravitate toward the
squad leaders, assistants, and scouts.
Airborne troops were also issued
more grenades than the average
soldier and each carried three to six
fragmentation grenades, one white
phosphorus grenade, two smoke
grenades, and one Gammon Bomb. In
addition to this, each man also had a
Hawkins anti tank mine.
The glider infantry element of
the Army had squads identical to
those of the regular infantry, but with
only two such squads per platoon.
Armored infantry squads had
the luxury of riding into combat in an
armored halftrack. They did not
contain the BAR team of the regular
infantry squad, but made up for this
by having the driver of the halftrack
provide support fire from the mounted
M1917A1 Browning heavy machine
gun while the squad advanced.
 Table 0-0 shows the typical team used. By 1944, the Marines
makeup of many common US squads decided on the thirteen man Series F
in WWII. squad by splitting the squad into
three smaller units called fire teams,
The US Army Tank Platoon: each consisting of a team leader, a
Tanks, just like infantry soldiers rifleman, a BAR man, and an assistant
are organized into squads, platoon, BAR man. These three teams of four
companies, and battalions. The US were all lead by a squad sergeant.
Army fielded both light and medium Grenade issue would have been
tank platoons, each of five tanks (M3 similar to the US Army with three
Grants for the light platoons and M4 fragmentation grenades and one
Shermans for the medium platoons.) smoke grenade per man.
Each platoon was then divided into a Marine Raiders, the US Marine
light squad of two tanks and a heavy Corps special forces of their time, had
squad of three tanks. A platoon several different squad configurations
commander (1st Lieutenant) led one depending on the mission at hand. A
squad while the platoon sergeant typical squad might consist of a squad
commanded the other. leader, assistant squad leader, three
riflemen, three automatic riflemen,
US Marine Ranks: and a sniper. This type of
The ranks for the US Marines configuration had a great deal of
were slightly different than those used firepower and versatility on the
by the Army: battlefield. Another configuration
breaks the squad into three fire
Enlisted: Officers: teams. Two of the teams would have a
leader and two riflemen with an M1
Private 2nd Lieutenant Garand and two submachine guns,
Private 1st Class 1st Lieutenant while the third team would have the
Lance Corporal Captain squad leader with submachine gun, a
Corporal Major rifleman with M1, and a BAR man.
Sergeant Lt. Colonel This team had immense close range
Staff Sergeant Colonel
fighting ability, making it perfectly
Technical Brigadier General
Sergeant Major General suited to the jungle fighting of the
Gunnery Sergeant Lt. General Pacific islands.
First Sergeant General Table 0-0 below shows some
Sergeant Major typical US Marine squads fielded
Sergeant First during the war.
Class
Master Sergeant The US Marine Tank Platoon:
The US Marines in WWII
The US Marine Rifle Squad: fielded much lower numbers of tanks
The US Marine Corps fighting than their Army counterparts. Those
in the jungles of the Pacific in WWII fielded in the Pacific jungles tended to
organized their rifle squads in a be more of the light tanks as opposed
slightly different manner than the to the M4s. Their organization would
Army. They began with the nine man have been similar to that used by the
squad called Series D. As the war Army.
progressed, they decided to move to
the twelve man Series E squad,
doubling the number of BARs the

12
The German leader, assistant, seven riflemen, a
machine gunner, assistant machine
Wehrmacht gunner, and two machine gun ammo
carriers. The weapons of choice for
Between 1919 and 1945, these soldiers were a machine pistol
Germany managed to produce one of for the squad leader, MG34 and Luger
the most powerful and technologically or Walther pistol for the machine
advanced military forces in the world, gunner, and a pistol for the assistant
known in German as the Wehrmacht. machine gunner. All other men
Some of the most talented and able received Karabiner 98k rifles. As one
fighters in the German Military were can see, this squad puts much more of
the Waffen-SS. This military branch of the importance of the squad’s
the infamous Schutzstaffel was at the firepower on the machine gun as
forefront of many of Germany’s great compared to the US versions which
military actions. But, as the war display a more evenly distributed
dragged on supplies, men, and structure. By 1940, this squad had
manufacturing became scarce, and dropped to ten men by losing two
this would have its greatest impact on riflemen and an ammo carrier. By the
the nation’s military. For the Third desperate years of 1943 to the close
Reich, it seemed that war on two of the war, the squad lost its final
fronts was simply impossible to win. ammo carrier, putting it down to just
nine men. There was also an attempt
German Heer Ranks: to replace some of the bolt action
The rank system used by the K98k rifles with the new G43
German Army (“Heer” in German) is semiautomatic rifle. To accomplish
similar to that used by most other this, nineteen G43s were issued at the
armies of the time: kompanie (company) level, ten of
which were fitted with telescopic
Enlisted: Officers: sights. These were to be distributed to
the men as the kompanie commander
Schutze (changed Leutnant saw fit. Initially, German soldiers
to Grenadier in Oberleutnant could expect to call upon large
1942) Hauptmann numbers of PzB39 anti tank rifles for
Oberschutze Major dealing with tanks, however these
Gefreiter Oberstleutnant
were largely abandoned by 1943.
Obergefreiter Oberst
Stabsgefreiter Generalmajor Later, at the bataillon (battalion) level,
Unteroffizier Generalleutnant eighteen Panzerschrecks would have
Unterfeldwebel General been available, meaning that about
Feldwebel Generaloberst one in every two gruppen could have
Oberfeldwebel Generalfeldmarsc been equipped with one. The one shot
Stabsfeldwebel hall Panzerfaust launchers were much
Stabswachtsmeist more common and each gruppe would
er have access to several if the need
arose. Each man would also have
The German Heer Gruppe: been issued two to four
The German Army organized Steilhandgranates as well as one
their infantrymen into rifle squads smoke grenade.
called gruppen. At the outset of war in Like their US counterparts,
1939, each infantry gruppe consisted armored Panzer Grenadier gruppen
of 13 men. These were the gruppe rode into combat in a halftrack. In

13
both the twelve man version used These gruppen were simply poorly
prior to 1943 and the ten man version trained boys and old men organized
used to the end of the war, these into hastily constructed battalions.
squads could bring to bear the Volks Grenadier gruppen were
staggering firepower of three MG34 organized in the same way as the
or MG42 machine guns. These types ordinary rifle gruppen. The German
of squads were given the important Heer even attempted to field several
role of guarding the vital German Volks Grenadier bataillone riding
Panzers (tanks) from infantry assault. bikes. The second idea was the sturm
Fallschirmjägers, or or assault gruppe. A sturm gruppe
paratroopers, were part of the was made up of a normal nine man
German Luftwaffe (Airforce) and infantry squad or ten man Panzer
played a major part in Germany’s Grenadier squad all armed with
initial success of the Blitzkrieg. The MP40s. The Wehrmacht hoped to
traditional Fallschirmjäger gruppe is outfit these squads with the new
a twelve man unit consisting of a Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifle,
gruppe leader, assistant, six riflemen, however this rarely happened due to
two machine gunners and two small production numbers. In a sturm
assistant machine gunners. This zug (assault platoon) two such armed
configuration allows the gruppe to be gruppen would be accompanied by a
divided into two fire teams each third gruppe armed with the normal
consisting of a leader, three riflemen, assortment of rifles and machine
and a machine gun team. Later, this guns, supported by a heavy weapons
gruppe lost one of its riflemen, and gruppe.
the Fallschirmjäger zug (platoon) Table 0-0 shows several typical
went from three gruppen to two. types of German gruppen fielded in
Later on in the war, a new weapon, Europe in WWII.
the FG42 was developed with the
intention of arming the squad entirely Waffen-SS Ranks:
with this fully automatic rifle. Very Because it was not technically
few of these weapons were actually part of the Wehrmacht, the Waffen-SS
produced, and those that were used its own system of rank:
suffered from the inability to aim
when firing on full automatic. Enlisted: Officers:
Fallschirmjägers would have been
equipped with more grenades than SS-Schütze SS-
their regular infantry brothers, and SS-Oberschütze Untersturmführer
each would have also been issued a SS-Sturmmann SS-Obersturmführer
light anti tank grenade or mine. These SS-Rottenführer SS-
soldiers were also issued a gravity SS- Hauptsturmführer
Unterscharführe SS-
knife in addition to their bayonet, for
r Sturmbannführer
the purpose of cutting themselves SS-Scharführer SS-
down, should they get caught in a tree SS- Obersturmbannführ
on the jump. Oberscharführer er
Near the end of the war, with SS- SS-
the jaws of the allied war machine Hauptscharführe Standartenführer
closing in around them, the Germans r SS-Oberführer
invented two last ditch efforts which SS- SS-Brigadeführer
they hoped would hold off defeat. The Stabsscharführe SS-Gruppenführer
first was the Volks Grenadier gruppe. r SS-
SS- Obergruppenführer

14
Sturmscharführe SS-
r Oberstgruppenführ
er
Reichsführer-SS
The Waffen-SS Gruppe:
The gruppen of the Waffen-SS
were structured in the same manner
as their Heer counterparts, albeit
with, on average, better trained and
more well equipped troops. Although
the SS did not have priority in being
assigned new weapons and
equipment, they often received better
equipment than that issued to the
normal Wehrmacht.
The Waffen-SS fielded a variety
of different units including their own
Fallschirmjägers and Panzers. Many
foreign volunteers entered the service
of the Waffen-SS, even units of
Kosaken, or Cossacks who were
ardent anti-communists.
Table 0-0 shows the typical
Heer gruppen, which are identical to
those used by the Waffen-SS.
The German Panzer Zug:
At the beginning of the war,
each German panzer zug (tank
platoon) consisted of either four
medium tanks or five light tanks.
Later, this was changed to five
medium tanks and all of the light
tanks were moved to the bataillon
(battalion) level to be used as
reconnaissance vehicles. The heavy
Tigers and King Tigers were
organized into four tank züge and
were not mixed with other panzer
bataillone. Each zug would have been
commanded by a Leutnant (Heer) or SS-
Untersturmführer (Waffen-SS) with an
additional NCO.
The British Royal
Military
15
The British army of the late
1930s was largely unprepared for the
Nazi blitzkrieg into Poland and
France, and as a consequence, was
quickly routed, an action which ended
in the famous departure from
Dunquerke. As the war progressed
however, Britain’s Army evolved into a
lethal foe for the beleaguered German
Reich. Moreover, it was not just
England that joined the fight in
September 1939, her commonwealth
nations mobilized as well. India,
Australia, South Africa, and many
other smaller nations added their
resources to the war effort. Canada
provided to the Allies as many men
and materials as Italy did for the Axis.
Because the commonwealth nations
used similar tactics and equipment to
Britain proper, they will be included
briefly in this section.
British Army Ranks:
The following is the rank
structure used by the British Army in
WWII:
Enlisted: Officers:
Private 2nd Lieutenant
Lance-Corporal Lieutenant
Corporal Captain
Sergeant Major
Sergeant-Major Lieutenant-
Warrant Officer 1st
Colonel
Class
Colonel
Brigadier
Major-General
Lieutenant-
General
General
Field Marshal
The British Army Rifle Section:
The typical rifle squad (known
in the British Army as a “rifle
section”) for British and
Commonwealth forces was
commanded by a section corporal and
his assistant (a lance-corporal)
equipped with either a Lee-Enfield
rifle, Sten submachine gun, or an
American Thompson submachine gun.
Under their command were six
riflemen armed with Lee-Enfields, a
light machine gunner with a Bren
gun, and an assistant machine gunner
with a Lee-Enfield who toted the Bren
ammunition.
A variation on the standard rifle
section was the much more mobile
carrier rifle section. This section
consisted of section corporal, section
lance corporal, one rifleman, two Bren
gunners, two assistant Bren gunners,
a two-inch mortar gunner, assistant
mortar gunner, and a driver. This ten-
man squad would ride into battle on
board a Universal Carrier. These
lightly armored vehicles were initially
developed as a mobile trench from
which machine gunners could fire
their Bren guns. However, like many
other pieces of equipment, the
Universal Carriers were adapted to
carry an entire squad into battle with
relative speed and protection.
The British airborne troops also
used the ten man squad and
presented an available amount of
firepower somewhere between that of
the rifle section and carrier section.
The paratrooper sections carried one
Bren gun and a two-inch mortar, and
in 1944 added a Lee-Enfield equipped
with a telescopic sight, moving one
rifleman specifically into a sniper role.
The British commandos used an
11 man section made up of a five man
rifle group lead by a corporal, a three
man Bren gun group commanded by
another corporal, and a sergeant to
organize the section as a whole.
Table 0-0 below shows the
layout of several typical British
infantry sections used throughout
WWII.
The British Army Tank Squadron:
16
British tank platoons (call
squadrons) in WWII consisted initially
of five groups of three tanks each.
These were either infantry tanks or
cruisers, and the two were not mixed.
Later, the cruiser squadrons were
bolstered with an additional tank and
redeployed into four groups of four.
Although the tank squadrons
used by the British initially consisted
entirely of vehicles made by the
British themselves, by 1943 these had
been almost completely replaced by
American models. Perhaps the best
example of the two nations showing
cooperation was the use of the
Sherman Firefly. This tank was a
typical American Sherman tank, but
replaced its relatively ineffective
75mm main gun with the British 17
pdr main gun which was much more
suited to taking out the heavily
armored Panzers. By 1944, one of the
four tanks in British Sherman cruiser
groups was a Firefly.
The Soviet Red Army
In 1917, in the midst of the
greatest conflict the world had seen
up to that point, the people of Russia
revolted against their Czar and
became the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics. When, in 1929, Joseph
Stalin solidified his strangle hold over
the Soviet Union, he brought a new,
cruel dictatorship upon the world. In
1939, Stalin and Hitler agreed to sign
a non-aggression pact and secretly
divided Europe between Germany and
Russia. The forces of the Soviet Union
poured over the Polish border and
unsuccessfully attacked Finland in a
conflict known as the Winter War. But,
as often happens in pacts made
between thieves, Hitler backstabbed
Stalin and attacked Russia in 1941.
Pushed back to the gates of Moscow,
Stalin gave the order that any man
retreating was to be shot as a traitor
to the Soviet Union. Somehow, taking even more terrible losses. Each
through sheer determination and an squad was once again raised to eleven
uneasy partnership with the Allied men in strength, but the total number
Powers, the Soviet Army managed to of squads in each battalion suffered as
bring itself out of the path of a result. The new battalion would be
annihilation and fought its way to less than half the size of that used at
Berlin. the beginning of the war. In many
squads, a single rifleman may have
Soviet Army Ranks: been armed with an SVT-40 or
The following is the system of M1891/30 fixed with a telescopic
military ranks used by the Soviet scope, allowing him to perform a
Army in World War Two: sniper role.
In 1942, the Soviet army
Enlisted: Officers: allocated each regiment a company of
one hundred men armed entirely with
Krasnoarmeyet Lyetenant submachine guns. These were split
s Yefreitor Starshy Lyetnant into ten man squads and a command
Mladshii Kapitan section. The intent of these assault
Serzhant Major squads was to put immense close
Serzhant Podpolkovnik range firepower into the hands of the
Starshy Polkovnik regiment. In addition to this, the
Serzhant General Major PPSh-41 submachine guns given to
Starshina General these troops were far easier to
Mladshii Leytenant produce than the M1891/30 rifles
Lyetenant General used by the rest of the army. These
Polkovnik squads would see some of the most
General Armiyi bitter fighting of the war and take
Marshal huge losses in the process.
Sovetskogo Of particular note within the
Soyuza structure of the Soviet army are its
motorized infantry squads. Motorized
The Soviet Army Rifle Squad: squads of other nations were each
The evolution of the Soviet allocated a halftrack or similar vehicle
infantry squad is clearly a case of inside of which they could ride into
desperation in the face of terrific battle. Soviet motorized squads often
losses. At the start of the war, the had no such luck. The USSR never
typical Russian squad consisted of developed its own armored personnel
eleven men. A squad leader and carrier throughout the entirety of the
assistant armed with rifles led two war and so the eight-man motorized
scouts with submachine guns, five squads often had to rely on other
riflemen, a light machine gunner, and means. The US did send the Soviets
assistant machine gunner. As the some M3A1 Halftracks which these
casualties mounted and replacements squads could use, however many had
never came, the official solution was to find captured German halftracks to
to reduce the operating size of each use or had to ride on top of tanks. The
rifle squad. The new nine-man squad Russians even went so far as to create
lost a rifleman and a scout and gave motorized assault squads with no
the squad leader a PPSh-41. intention of giving them
Eventually, the Soviets pushed the transportation, requiring them to ride
Germans out of Russia, but not after on top of the tanks they were

17
assigned to protect. To supplement
their motorized squads, the Soviets
also made use of large numbers of
cavalry throughout the entire war.
These squads would have had similar
numbers of men to the standard
infantry squads but were mainly
armed entirely with the PPSh-41
submachine gun like the assault
squads.
The Russians also had elite
groups of highly trained soldiers
called the Soviet Guardsmen. These
men were fanatically loyal to the
cause of Communism and the
protection of Russia. On average,
these units would have been better
trained and equipped than typical
infantry squads, but would have used
the same organization.
Table 0-0 below shows the
configurations of several infantry
squads used by the Soviet Army in
WWII.
The Soviet Army Tank Platoon:
Like the rifle squad, the Soviet
Army tank battalion saw many
makeshift changes as the Germans
pushed farther into the motherland.
At the platoon level however, it
remained largely unchanged. Each
light and medium platoon consisted of
three such tanks while heavy platoons
had only two tanks. Light and medium
companies had three platoons plus a
command tank for a total of ten
vehicles with the heavy company
having only two platoons with a
commander making only five tanks
total. All three types of tank
regiments contained twenty tanks in
total. As the war raged, remnants of
battalions were formed into ragtag
mixed battalions of all makes. The
Soviets also made good use of
captured German Panzers, Panthers,
and Tigers as the Nazi losses began to
pile up.
18
The NKVD:
In the 1930s and 1940s, the
Soviet equivalent of the German SS
would certainly have been the NKVD.
The philosophies of both the
Communists and Fascists of the time
allowed for no room when it came to
political dissent. As the war
progressed, the ideas of national
pride, belief in the cause, and faith in
the nation leadership became even
more important for two nations
caught in a death grip. Often,
however, tactics changed from
instilling a sense of bravery and trust
to one of sheer terror.
Where the SS performed its
atrocities on the “partisans” and Jews
of conquered territories, the NKVD
was used on the Russian soldiers
themselves. These “political soldiers”
were given free reign to dole out a
death sentence to anyone believed of
showing even the smallest lack of
belief in the cause. Soldiers who had
been taken prisoner by the Germans
were to be considered traitors to the
Motherland, a crime punishable by
death. Retreat was considered
cowardice, another capitol offense.
Most Soviet soldiers were more afraid
of the NKVD than of the Germans.
The NKVD also helped Stalin
rekindle a deep-seated racial hatred
of the Germanic people. The SS used
the same tactic on the German army,
instructing the soldiers about the
“barbaric Slavs” who would show
them no mercy if captured. Both sides
blew stories of rape and pillaging out
of proportion and, although these
things did occur, they were used to
great advantage of the political
machines of both the Communists and
Nazis. At its height, for both sides, the
“Great Patriotic War” turned into a
virtual war of racial supremacy.
The Japanese Imperial
Army
During WWII, Japan was a
nation devoted to a strict code of
honor. Although the ordinary Japanese
soldier was forced to use terribly out
of date weapons and equipment, they
often made up for this with bravery
and fanaticism. In some cases,
suicidal attacks were launched at
enemy positions with no hope of
success. No other nation involved in
the war actively pursued this as a
viable battle tactic. Many Japanese
soldiers also considered their nation
as not being part of the Geneva
Convention, and as such ignored the
rules of war pertaining to the
treatment of prisoners and combat
medics.
Japanese Imperial Army Ranks:
The following table shows the
ranks used by the Japanese Army
during the war:
Enlisted: Officers:
Nitto Hei Sho-I
Itto Hei Chu-I
Heicho Tai-I
Gocho Shosa
Gunso Chusa
Socho Taisa
Jun-I Shosho
Chujo
Taisho
Gensui
The Japanese Imperial Army Rifle
Squad:
The Japanese army saw a few
variations in its forces made to reflect
first the vast amounts of captured
territory which needed to be
occupied, and later the escalating
losses at the hands of US Marines.
Prior to 1941, the typical squad
19
consisted of thirteen Nitto Hei, or
privates, one Gocho, or corporal as
assistant squad leader, and one
Gunso, or sergeant as squad leader.
All men in the squad were armed with
Type 38 rifles except the machine
gunner who carried the squad’s single
Type 96 light machine gun. In combat,
the squad would split itself into a ten-
man rifle team and a five-man
machine gun team. By 1941, the
squad was reduced to thirteen men.
The new squad would use the Type 99
rifle and Type 99 light machine gun to
replace their grossly outdated
weapons. The only anti-tank weaponry
the ordinary soldier had at his
disposal was the Type 97 anti-tank
rifle, which would have been issued at
company level. Although this
remained the official squad
configuration until the end of the war,
reality was slightly different. As
casualties mounted, reinforcements
were often limited or simply
nonexistent. Losses had to be
compensated for with unofficial, on
the field assignments of men and
equipment.
The Japanese Imperial Army Tank
Platoon:
The Japanese army deployed
vastly fewer numbers of tanks than
any other army in the war. The jungle
fighting on the islands of the Pacific
rendered these vehicles useless in
many situations, but even so the
Japanese did have some battalions of
light and medium infantry tanks. The
Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank and
Type 95 Ha-Go light tank were the
most common and were deployed in
platoons of three tanks each. Tanks
were not mixed within companies in
order to simplify maintenance. The
Japanese also made use of many
captured US M3 and M4 tanks taken
from the capture of the Philippines
and Burma.

Infantry Tactics
At their core, the infantry
tactics used by the different countries
involved in WWII were very similar.
This section will discuss how these
tactics were used at the squad level in
both offensive and defensive actions.
The Squad on the
Battlefield
Typically, infantry squads in the
Second World War used one of several
configurations. The standard
configuration split the squad into two
parts: the base of fire team and the
maneuver team. Both of these parts
had a very specific job to do on the
battlefield to ensure the survival of
the squad. The second configuration
divided the team into two or more
equally sized fire teams. Other
configurations such as the split base
of fire configuration and the assault
configuration were used as well.
The Squad Leader:
The squad leader had perhaps
the greatest amount of responsibility
in the infantry squad. He was their
tactician, their equipment manager,
and the keystone holding the unit
together.
As a tactician, it was vital for
the squad leader to keep the squad
organized for their efforts to be most
effective. Combat can often devolve
into a free-for-all in which scared men
act hastily, without thinking in terms
of strategy. The squad leader had to
direct his men as a fighting force, and
had to avoid the temptation to simply
open fire from rifle range. For this
reason, squad leaders often adopted
short-range submachine guns in the
place of a rifle.
20
The leader also had to keep
track of ammunition usage and
availability within the squad. He had
to prevent his men from firing off all
of their ammo at once, and to
distribute ammunition stores among
them.
The squad leader’s final job was
to act with bravery and to lead his
men into the final and inevitable close
assault of the infantry attack. He was
responsible for the lives of his men
and had to lead them through their
ordeal. For this, his submachine gun
came in handy again, giving him
devastating close range firepower.
An assistant always helped the
squad leader in his duties. In combat,
the squad leader would always
accompany either the base of fire
team to direct the machine gun or the
maneuver team to get in close with
the enemy. The assistant would then
typically head up the other team.
The Standard Configuration:
The focus of virtually every
infantry squad in WWII was the light
machine gun. Compared to the bolt-
action rifle carried by most men, this
weapon could throw out a veritable
wall of steel. It was vital to the
survival of the squad that the machine
gun be properly positioned and
protected. In the standard squad
configuration, the base of fire team
consisted of the machine gunner and
any assistants or ammo carriers he
had and was almost always controlled
directly by the squad leader or
assistant squad leader.
The maneuver team was
essentially all of the ordinary riflemen
in the squad and was lead by either
the squad leader or his assistant.
Most of the time, this part of the
squad had a proportionally larger
number of men than the base of fire
team. The maneuver team’s main
objectives in combat were to protect
the machine gun and eventually make
a close assault on enemy forces.
The Fire Team Configuration:
The fire team configuration
could only be used in squads which
were given access to additional light
machine guns. In the fire team
approach, the squad would split up
into equal sized teams, each with a
light machine gun, some riflemen, and
a leader. This layout made the squad
very balanced, and each fire team was
capable of giving the others an equal
amount of supporting fire.
The Split Base of Fire
Configuration:
Split base of fire is another
layout requiring multiple light
machine guns. Using this
configuration, the squad would be
split into three groups: two base of
fire teams and one maneuver element.
The maneuver team would have been
lead by the leader or assistant while
the other man would be positioned
between the two base of fire teams to
direct both of their efforts.
The Assault Configuration:
One of the most desperate and
outright untraditional tactics of the
war was to arm entire squads only
with submachine guns. These squads
had devastating close range potential
but were very limited at longer
ranges. Both the Soviet Union and the
German Reich fielded assault squads.
They acted as single units and had to
be supported by other rifle squads to
be truly effective. The German
attempt to provide their sturm squads
with the Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifle
could have made this type of unit
much more viable on the battlefield,
however the new weapons arrived too
late to make much of a difference.
21
Offensive Squad Level
Tactics
The infantry squad is a
carefully constructed instrument of
warfare designed for specific tactical
purposes. Of all types of squads
available, the meat and bones of an
army were its rifle squads. These
units were capable of performing
many different actions, however the
tactics of the attack they used varied
from one country to the next.
The Fire and Movement Tactic:
The concept of fire and
movement involves different parts of
the infantry squad providing
supporting fire for each other during
the advance. This type of movement is
most often used with the standard and
fire team squad configurations. When
used with the standard configuration,
the base of fire team is responsible for
providing the initial supporting fire
while the maneuver team moves in
toward the enemy. The fire provided
by the machine gun helps the
maneuver team to close distance, but
it also has the negative effect of
exposing the machine gun team’s
position to return fire. The base of fire
team must then move quickly to a new
position while the maneuver team
covers this movement. The squad can
use this alternating pattern of fire and
movement to get the maneuver team
into close combat range to engage the
enemy at their most deadly. In the fire
team configuration, both fire teams
have an equal amount of firepower,
allowing the teams to support each
other equally. This system of attack is
favored by the British and US forces.
The Marching Fire Tactic:
Using this method of attack, the
entire squad closes in on the enemy
en masse. The key with this tactic is
overwhelming manpower and
firepower provided by automatic
weapons. Marching fire has the
advantage of being a much faster
attack than the fire and movement
approach. The squad can advance in a
lightning quick assault and overrun
their enemy. However, should the
assault become bogged down, the
squad can quickly lose momentum,
stranding the team in no man’s land
with little or no covering fire.
Marching fire requires the squad to
rely on supporting fire provided by
mortars, heavy machine guns,
artillery fire, or aerial bombardment
from outside of the structure of the
squad in question. This tactic is a
favorite of the German, Russian, and
Japanese armies.
Assaulting Tanks:
Against tanks, infantry squads
during WWII had few options. Initially,
anti tank rifles were used. These
could only penetrate the armor of
very light tanks and armored cars, so
a new solution was needed. For the
British, Germans, and Soviets, if
artillery or air support could not be
called in, this meant either using
mines or an infantry assault. The
British developed the Hawkins mine
for dealing with tanks. The Germans
and Russians had their own anti tank
mines, but also devoted energy and
resources into the development of
anti tank grenades which had to be
used at much closer ranges. The
Germans also developed a method to
attach several of their
steilhandgranates together for use
against tanks. By relying on a heavier
explosive charge rather than
fragmentation, these grenades could
actually do some damage to the
underside of a tank. Makeshift
explosives such as Molotov Cocktails
and ignited gasoline canisters were
also used. Most of the time, these
22
weapons needed to be carried to
within only a few meters of the tank
to be effective. To do this, the initial
assault would be screened by the use
of smoke grenades. Later in the war,
rockets and other types of bombs
were placed in the hands of the
ordinary infantryman, giving him a
much better chance of taking out a
tank at a significantly longer range.
The Soviets however, never developed
these types of weapons during the
war, and continued to use the
dangerous methods described above.
Defensive Squad Level
Tactics
Digging In:
On the defensive, most
countries used very similar tactics.
For the infantryman, the first and
most important step to preparing a
defense was digging his foxhole.
Almost inevitably, every attack in
WWII began with an artillery or aerial
bombardment. The best way to defend
against this initial attack is by hiding
in the defensive cover of a trench.
Even when a squad was only expected
to stop for a few hours, the men
learned to begin digging their
positions immediately. Most often,
each foxhole was suitable for two or
three men. The squad’s light machine
gun would be positioned in such a
way as to catch attacking troops in
the flank to create confusion and
deadly crossfire.
Each two or three man trench
would ideally be situated to provide
supporting fire to its neighboring
trenches. Advance trenches in front of
the main line were prepared to
confuse the enemy, and often times
these were mined. Fallback trenches
were also dug to help in the case of a
retreat.
The Second Machine Gun:
Squads using the split base of
fire or fire team configurations had
the advantage of an additional
machine gun making them even more
deadly in defensive roles. The guns
would be placed to cross their fire on
the most probable lane of enemy
advance. Often, German squads would
keep one machine gun carefully
hidden, opening up only when the
enemy had reached optimum range,
creating havoc and surprise.
Camouflage:
The German army used the art
of camouflage perhaps to a greater
extent than any other in the war.
German doctrine even went so far as
to stress the importance of
camouflaging a position before
digging in. Tree branches, leaves,
grasses, straw and all types of other
natural material could be used to
provide camouflage for the
infantryman’s trench. Painted boards
and colored netting were often used
to hide machine gun nests, artillery
positions, and even tanks.
Mortar Tactics
Forward Observers:
Unlike any other weapon in the
hands of the typical infantry platoon,
the mortar has the distinct advantage
of being able to be used without
seeing the enemy. Mortars can fire
over buildings, trees, and hills with
ease. However, to have any real effect
on the battlefield, someone must be
able to see where the mortar’s shots
are hitting and be able to relay that
information back to the gunner. This
is where forward observers come into
play. A mortar platoon will usually
establish an Observation Post (OP)
somewhere in front of their position
from which they can spot the enemy
and direct the mortars using radio
23
communication. Even farther forward
is a Mobile Fire Controller (MFC) who
can move from one position to the
next to help the mortars engage
targets of opportunity.
Ordinaries
In a typical game of World at
War, the PCs will run into countless
enemy soldiers, helpless farmers and
tradesmen, friendly troops, supply
officers, cooks, and any number of
other minor players. These NPCs are
just ordinary people with ordinary
skills and abilities and without that
special something that makes either a
hero or villain. The following list
contains templates for ordinaries
which are particularly useful when
playing D20: World at War. Every
person the PCs run into will not
conform exactly to these templates,
but they make a good starting point
and are excellent for quickly putting
together an enemy squad or coming
up with the combat statistics for a
resistance fighter. They are organized
by both profession and challenge
rating.
Civilian
Civilians are noncombatant
workers, farmers, and trades people.
There are countless ordinary civilians
who were drawn into World War Two,
so basic statistics are given here for
first level civilians. Each type of
civilian could perform any of several
different roles, although those
detailed below have specific strong
points.
Strong Civilian Farmer (Strong
Ordinary 1):
CR 1/2; Medium-size human; HD 1d8;
hp 4; Mas 14; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.;
Defense 12, touch 12, flat-footed 11
(+1 Dex, +1 Class); BAB +1; Grap +3;
Atk +3 melee (1d3+2 nonlethal,
unarmed strike); Full Atk +3 melee
(1d3+2 nonlethal, unarmed strike), or
+2 ranged; FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5
ft.; AL any; SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will
+0; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 15, Dex 13, Con
14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 12.
Starting Occupation: Rural
(bonus class skills: Handle Animal,
Ride; bonus feat: Brawl)
Skills: Climb +3, Handle
Animal +5, Profession (farmer) +2,
Read/Write Native Language, Ride
+3, Speak Native Language, Swim +4
Feats: Animal Affinity, Athletic,
Simple Weapons Proficiency
Possessions: various items.
Fast Civilian Cab Driver (Fast
Ordinary 1):
CR 1/2; Medium-size human; HD 1d8-
1; hp 3; Mas 8; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.;
Defense 15, touch 15, flat-footed 13
(+2 Dex, +3 Class); BAB +0; Grap +1;
Atk +1 melee (1d3+1 nonlethal,
unarmed strike); Full Atk +1 melee
(1d3+1 nonlethal, unarmed strike), or
+2 ranged; FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5
ft.; AL any; SV Fort -1, Ref +3, Will
+2; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 13, Dex 15, Con
8, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 12.
Starting Occupation: Blue
Collar (bonus class skills: Craft
(mechanical), Drive, Repair)
Skills: Bluff +2, Craft
(mechanical) +5, Drive +7,
Knowledge (current events) +2,
Knowledge (popular culture) +2,
Listen +2, Read/Write Native
Language, Repair +5, Speak Native
Language, Spot +2
Feats: Alertness, Simple
Weapons Proficiency, Vehicle Expert
Possessions: various items.
Tough Civilian Mechanic (Tough
Ordinary 1):
24
CR 1/2; Medium-size human; HD
1d10+2; hp 7; Mas 15; Init +0; Spd
30 ft.; Defense 11, touch 11, flat-
footed 11 (+0 Dex, +1 Class); BAB
+0; Grap +1; Atk +1 melee (1d3+1
nonlethal, unarmed strike); Full Atk
+1 melee (1d3+1 nonlethal, unarmed
strike), or +0 ranged; FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.;
Reach 5 ft.; AL any; SV Fort +3, Ref
+0, Will +1; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 13,
Dex 10, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 8.
Starting Occupation: Blue
Collar (bonus class skills: Craft
(electronic), Craft (mechanical),
Repair)
Skills: Concentration +4, Craft
(electronic) +7, Craft (mechanical)
+7, Knowledge (current events) +2,
Knowledge (popular culture) +2,
Read/Write Native Language, Repair
+7, Speak Native Language
Feats: Builder (Craft
[electronic] and Craft [mechanical]),
Gearhead, Simple Weapons
Proficiency,
Possessions: various items.
Smart Civilian Businessman
(Smart Ordinary 1):
CR 1/2; Medium-size human; HD 1d6;
hp 3; Mas 10; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.;
Defense 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10
(+1 Dex, +0 Class); BAB +0; Grap -1;
Atk -1 melee (1d3-1 nonlethal,
unarmed strike); Full Atk -1 melee
(1d3-1 nonlethal, unarmed strike), or
+1 ranged; FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5
ft.; AL any; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will
+3; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 8, Dex 12, Con
10, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 13.
Starting Occupation: White
Collar (bonus class skills: Diplomacy,
Knowledge (business))
Skills: Decipher Script +6,
Diplomacy +4, Gather Information
+2, Intimidate +2, Investigate +4,
Knowledge (business) +7, Knowledge
(current events) +6, Knowledge
(technology) +2, Profession
(businessman) +4, Read/Write Native
Language + 1 other, Language,
Research +6, Sense Motive +2, Speak
Native Language + 1 other
Feats: Educated (Knowledge
[business] and Knowledge [current
events]), Simple Weapons Proficiency,
Studious
Possessions: various items.
Dedicated Civilian Nurse
(Dedicated Ordinary 1):
CR 1/2; Medium-size human; HD 1d8;
hp 4; Mas 10; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.;
Defense 12, touch 12, flat-footed 11
(+1 Dex, +1 Class); BAB +0; Grap -1;
Atk -1 melee (1d3-1 nonlethal,
unarmed strike); Full Atk -1 melee
(1d3-1 nonlethal, unarmed strike), or
+1 ranged; FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5
ft.; AL any; SV Fort +1, Ref +1, Will
+3; AP 0; Rep +1; Str 8, Dex 12, Con
10, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 14.
Starting Occupation: Doctor
(bonus class skills: Knowledge (earth
and life sciences), Treat Injury)
Skills: Concentration +2,
Knowledge (earth and life sciences)
+5, Knowledge (current events) +4,
Listen +2, Profession (nurse) +4,
Read/Write Native Language, Sense
Motive +2, Speak Native Language,
Treat Injury +7
Feats: Medical Expert, Simple
Weapons Proficiency, Surgery
Possessions: various items.
Charismatic Civilian Merchant
(Charismatic Ordinary 1):
CR 1/2; Medium-size human; HD 1d8-
1; hp 3; Mas 8; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.;
Defense 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10
(+1 Dex, +0 Class); BAB +0; Grap +0;
Atk +0 melee (1d3 nonlethal,
unarmed strike); Full Atk +0 melee
(1d3 nonlethal, unarmed strike), or
+1 ranged; FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5
ft.; AL any; SV Fort +0, Ref +2, Will
+1; AP 0; Rep +2; Str 10, Dex 12, Con
8, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 15.
25
Starting Occupation:
Entrepreneur (bonus class skills:
Diplomacy, Knowledge (business))
Skills: Bluff +6, Diplomacy +7,
Gather Information +6, Intimidate +4,
Knowledge (business) +4, Knowledge
(current events) +4, Knowledge
(popular culture) +4, Profession
(merchant) +4, Read/Write Native
Language, Sense Motive +4, Speak
Native Language
Feats: Deceptive, Simple
Weapons Proficiency, Trustworthy
Possessions: various items.
Combat Engineer
Tough/Smart
Combat Medic
War is a bloody business, and it
is the job of the combat medic to put
the pieces back together. The combat
medics are often on the very
frontlines of combat, doing their best
to keep men alive. Most combatants
in the war respected the rules of the
Geneva Convention making medics
noncombatants, however many
medics carry pistols just in case.
Before the war, many medics had
been medical students or doctors.
Low-Level Combat Medic (Smart
Ordinary 1 / Dedicated Ordinary
1):
CR 1; Medium-size human; HD 1d6
plus 1d6; hp 7; Mas 10; Init +1; Spd
30 ft.; Defense 12, touch 12, flat-
footed 11 (+1 Dex, +1 Class); BAB
+0; Grap -1; Atk -1 melee (1d3-1
nonlethal, unarmed strike), or -1
melee (1d4-1, knife); Full Atk -1 melee
(1d3-1 nonlethal, unarmed strike), or
-1 melee (1d4-1, knife), or +1 ranged
(2d6, pistol); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5
ft.; AL any; SV Fort +1, Ref +1, Will
+4; AP 0; Rep +2; Str 8, Dex 13, Con
10, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 12.
 Starting Occupation: Doctor
(bonus class skills: Knowledge (earth
and life sciences), Treat Injury)
Skills: Concentration +2,
Diplomacy +2, Drive +2, Investigate
+2, Knowledge (earth and life
sciences) +6, Listen +4, Read/Write
Native Language + 1 other, Search
+5, Speak Native Language + 1 other,
Spot +4, Treat Injury +8
Feats: Medical Expert,
Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple
Weapons Proficiency
Possessions: Pistol (M1911
[US], P08, P38, or High Power
[German], Enfield, M1911, or High
Power [British, Commonwealth],
Nagant or TT-33 [Soviet Union], or
Type 14 [Japanese]), 50 rounds pistol
ammunition, combat knife, uniform,
medical kit, various other items.
Mid-Level Combat Medic (Smart
Ordinary 3 / Dedicated Ordinary
3):
CR 5; Medium-size human; HD 3d6
plus 3d6; hp 21; Mas 10; Init +1; Spd
30 ft.; Defense 14, touch 14, flat-
footed 13 (+1 Dex, +3 Class); BAB
+3; Grap +2; Atk +2 melee (1d3-1
nonlethal, unarmed strike), or +2
melee (1d4-1, knife); Full Atk +2
melee (1d3-1 nonlethal, unarmed
strike), or +2 melee (1d4-1, knife), or
+4 ranged (2d6, pistol); FS 5 ft. by 5
ft.; Reach 5 ft.; AL any; SV Fort +3,
Ref +3, Will +7; AP 0; Rep +2; Str 8,
Dex 13, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha
12.
Starting Occupation: Doctor
(bonus class skills: Knowledge (earth
and life sciences), Treat Injury)
Skills: Concentration +4,
Diplomacy +2, Drive +2, Investigate
+9, Knowledge (earth and life
sciences) +12, Knowledge (physical
sciences) +5, Listen +9, Read/Write
Native Language + 1 other, Search
+9, Speak Native Language + 1 other,
Spot +9, Treat Injury +12
26
Feats: Educated (Knowledge
[earth and life sciences] and
Knowledge [physical sciences]),
Medical Expert, Personal Firearms
Proficiency, Simple Weapons
Proficiency, Surgery
Possessions: Pistol (M1911
[US], P08, P38, or High Power
[German], Enfield, M1911, or High
Power [British, Commonwealth],
Nagant or TT-33 [Soviet Union], or
Type 14 [Japanese]), 50 rounds pistol
ammunition, combat knife, uniform,
medical kit, various other items.
High-Level Combat Medic (Smart
Ordinary 5 / Dedicated Ordinary
5):
CR 9; Medium-size human; HD 5d6
plus 5d6; hp 35; Mas 10; Init +2; Spd
30 ft.; Defense 17, touch 17, flat-
footed 15 (+2 Dex, +5 Class); BAB
+5; Grap +4; Atk +4 melee (1d3-1
nonlethal, unarmed strike), or +4
melee (1d4-1, knife); Full Atk +4
melee (1d3-1 nonlethal, unarmed
strike), or +4 melee (1d4-1, knife), or
+7 ranged (2d6, pistol); FS 5 ft. by 5
ft.; Reach 5 ft.; AL any; SV Fort +4,
Ref +6, Will +9; AP 0; Rep +2; Str 8,
Dex 14, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha
12.
Starting Occupation: Doctor
(bonus class skills: Knowledge (earth
and life sciences), Treat Injury)
Skills: Concentration +7,
Diplomacy +3, Drive +2, Investigate
+13, Knowledge (earth and life
sciences) +16, Knowledge (physical
sciences) +9, Listen +13, Read/Write
Native Language + 1 other, Search
+13, Speak Native Language + 1
other, Spot +13, Treat Injury +16
Feats: Educated (Knowledge
[earth and life sciences] and
Knowledge [physical sciences]),
Lightning Reflexes, Medical Expert,
Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple
Weapons Proficiency, Surgery
 Possessions: Pistol (M1911
[US], P08, P38, or High Power
[German], Enfield, M1911, or High
Power [British, Commonwealth],
Nagant or TT-33 [Soviet Union], or
Type 14 [Japanese]), 50 rounds pistol
ammunition, combat knife, uniform,
medical kit, various other items.
Machine Gunner
Strong/Tough
Partisan/Resistance
Fighter
Tough/Dedicated
Pilot
Fast/Dedicated
Police Officer/MP
Strong/Dedicated
Rifleman
At the core of every fighting
force is the rifleman. Without him,
land cannot be captured and
occupied. The low-level rifleman
below is a typical eighteen to twenty-
five year old recruit of good physical
condition, probably just out of basic
training, while the higher level
versions have already seen some time
on the field.
Low-Level Rifleman (Tough
Ordinary 1 / Fast Ordinary 1):
CR 1; Medium-size human; HD
1d10+2 plus 1d8+2; hp 15; Mas 15;
Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 16, touch
16, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +4 Class);
BAB +0; Grap +1; Atk +2 melee
(1d3+1 nonlethal, unarmed strike), or
+2 melee (1d4+1, knife); Full Atk +2
melee (1d3+1 nonlethal, unarmed
strike), or +2 melee (1d4+1, knife), or
+2 ranged (2d8, rifle); FS 5 ft. by 5
27
ft.; Reach 5 ft.; AL any; SV Fort +3,
Ref +3, Will +1; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 13,
Dex 14, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10.
Starting Occupation: Military
(bonus class skills: Climb, Swim,
bonus feat: Personal Firearms
Proficiency)
Skills: Climb +3, Hide +2,
Move Silently +2, Read/Write Native
Language, Speak Native Language,
Search +1, Spot +2, Swim +2
Feats: Advanced Firearms
Proficiency, Brawl, Personal Firearms
Proficiency, Point Blank Shot, Simple
Weapons Proficiency
Possessions: Rifle (M1 [US],
K98k or G43 [German], Lee-Enfield
No.4 [British, Commonwealth],
M1891/30 or SVT-40 [Soviet Union],
or Type 38 or Type 99 [Japanese]),
100 rounds rifle ammunition, bayonet
or combat knife, uniform, various
other items.
Mid-Level Rifleman (Tough
Ordinary 3 / Fast Ordinary 3):
CR 5; Medium-size human; HD
3d10+6 plus 3d8+6; hp 42; Mas 15;
Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 18, touch
18, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +6 Class);
BAB +4; Grap +5; Atk +6 melee
(1d3+1 nonlethal, unarmed strike), or
+6 melee (1d4+1, knife); Full Atk +6
melee (1d3+1 nonlethal, unarmed
strike), or +6 melee (1d4+1, knife), or
+7 ranged (2d8, rifle); FS 5 ft. by 5
ft.; Reach 5 ft.; AL any; SV Fort +5,
Ref +5, Will +3; AP 0; Rep +2; Str 13,
Dex 15, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10.
Starting Occupation: Military
(bonus class skills: Climb, Swim,
bonus feat: Personal Firearms
Proficiency)
Skills: Climb +5, Hide +4,
Move Silently +4, Read/Write Native
Language, Speak Native Language,
Search +2, Spot +4, Swim +4
Feats: Advanced Firearms
Proficiency, Brawl, Personal Firearms
Proficiency, Point Blank Shot, Precise
Shot (or Double Tap), Simple Weapons
Proficiency
Possessions: Rifle (M1 [US],
K98k or G43 [German], Lee-Enfield
No.4 [British, Commonwealth],
M1891/30 or SVT-40 [Soviet Union],
or Type 38 or Type 99 [Japanese]),
100 rounds rifle ammunition, bayonet
or combat knife, uniform, various
other items.
High-Level Rifleman (Tough
Ordinary 5 / Fast Ordinary 5):
CR 9; Medium-size human; HD
5d10+10 plus 5d8+10; hp 60; Mas
15; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 20,
touch 20, flat-footed 18 (+2 Dex, +8
Class); BAB +6; Grap +7; Atk +8
melee (1d3+1 nonlethal, unarmed
strike), or +8 melee (1d4+1, knife);
Full Atk +8/+3 melee (1d3+1
nonlethal, unarmed strike), or +8/+3
melee (1d4+1, knife), or +8/+3
ranged (2d8, rifle); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.;
Reach 5 ft.; AL any; SV Fort +5, Ref
+5, Will +3; AP 0; Rep +2; Str 14,
Dex 15, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10.
Starting Occupation: Military
(bonus class skills: Climb, Swim,
bonus feat: Personal Firearms
Proficiency)
Skills: Climb +7, Hide +6,
Move Silently +6, Read/Write Native
Language, Speak Native Language,
Search +3, Spot +6, Swim +6
Feats: Advanced Firearms
Proficiency, Brawl, Personal Firearms
Proficiency, Point Blank Shot, Precise
Shot (or Double Tap), Simple Weapons
Proficiency, Weapon Focus (rifle)
Possessions: Rifle (M1 [US],
K98k or G43 [German], Lee-Enfield
No.4 [British, Commonwealth],
M1891/30 or SVT-40 [Soviet Union],
or Type 38 or Type 99 [Japanese]),
100 rounds rifle ammunition, bayonet
or combat knife, uniform, various
other items.
Scout
28
In the typical infantry squad, a
scout armed with either a carbine or
submachine gun advances in front of
the marching order. These men had to
train their sight and hearing to detect
any enemy presence and keep their
squad out of an ambush.
Low-Level Scout (Fast Ordinary 1 /
Smart Ordinary 1):
CR 1; Medium-size human; HD 1d8
plus 1d6; hp 8; Mas 10; Init +2; Spd
30 ft.; Defense 15, touch 15, flat-
footed 13 (+2 Dex, +3 Class); BAB
+0; Grap +1; Atk +1 melee (1d3+1
nonlethal, unarmed strike), or +1
melee (1d4+1, knife); Full Atk +1
melee (1d3+1 nonlethal, unarmed
strike), or +1 melee (1d4+1, knife), or
+3 ranged (2d6, carbine or
submachine gun or 2d8 rifle); FS 5 ft.
by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; AL any; SV Fort
+0, Ref +3, Will +3; AP 0; Rep +1;
Str 12, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 13,
Cha 8.
Starting Occupation: Military
(bonus class skills: Hide, Move
Silently, bonus feat: Personal Firearms
Proficiency)
Skills: Balance +4, Escape
Artist +4, Hide +4, Listen +4, Move
Silently +4, Read/Write Native
Language, Search +4, Speak Native
Language, Spot +4, Survival +4,
Swim +4
Feats: Advanced Firearms
Proficiency (or Point Blank Shot),
Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple
Weapons Proficiency, Track
Possessions: Rifle,
Submachine Gun, or Carbine (M1,
M1A1, or M3 [US], MP40 [German],
Sten [British, Commonwealth], PPSh-
41 [Soviet Union], or Type 44
Carbine, Type 38 Rifle, or Type 99
Rifle [Japanese]), 100 rounds
ammunition, combat knife, uniform,
various other items.
Mid-Level Scout (Fast Ordinary 3 /
Smart Ordinary 3):
CR 5; Medium-size human; HD 3d8
plus 3d6; hp 24; Mas 10; Init +3; Spd
30 ft.; Defense 18, touch 18, flat-
footed 16 (+3 Dex, +5 Class); BAB
+3; Grap +4; Atk +4 melee (1d3+1
nonlethal, unarmed strike), or +4
melee (1d4+1, knife); Full Atk +4
melee (1d3+1 nonlethal, unarmed
strike), or +4 melee (1d4+1, knife), or
+7 ranged (2d6, carbine or
submachine gun); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.;
Reach 5 ft.; AL any; SV Fort +2, Ref
+6, Will +5; AP 0; Rep +2; Str 12,
Dex 16, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8.
Starting Occupation: Military
(bonus class skills: Hide, Move
Silently, bonus feat: Personal Firearms
Proficiency)
Skills: Balance +8, Escape
Artist +8, Hide +8, Listen +10, Move
Silently +8, Read/Write Native
Language, Search +8, Speak Native
Language, Spot +10, Survival +8,
Swim +8
Feats: Alertness, Advanced
Firearms Proficiency (or Point Blank
Shot), Burst Fire (or Double Tap),
Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple
Weapons Proficiency, Track
Possessions: Rifle,
Submachine Gun, or Carbine (M1,
M1A1, or M3 [US], MP40 [German],
Sten [British, Commonwealth], PPSh-
41 [Soviet Union], or Type 44
Carbine, Type 38 Rifle, or Type 99
Rifle [Japanese]), 100 rounds
ammunition, combat knife, uniform,
various other items.
High-Level Scout (Fast Ordinary
5 / Smart Ordinary 5):
CR 9; Medium-size human; HD 6d8
plus 6d6; hp 40; Mas 10; Init +7; Spd
30 ft.; Defense 20, touch 20, flat-
footed 18 (+3 Dex, +7 Class); BAB
+5; Grap +6; Atk +6 melee (1d3+1
nonlethal, unarmed strike), or +6
melee (1d4+1, knife); Full Atk +6
29
melee (1d3+1 nonlethal, unarmed
strike), or +6 melee (1d4+1, knife), or
+9 ranged (2d6, carbine or
submachine gun); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.;
Reach 5 ft.; AL any; SV Fort +2, Ref
+7, Will +6; AP 0; Rep +3; Str 12,
Dex 16, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 8.
Starting Occupation: Military
(bonus class skills: Hide, Move
Silently, bonus feat: Personal Firearms
Proficiency) Skills: Balance +12,
Escape Artist +12, Hide +12, Listen
+14, Move Silently +12, Read/Write
Native Language, Search +12, Speak
Native Language, Spot +14, Survival
+12, Swim +12
Feats: Alertness, Advanced
Firearms Proficiency (or Point Blank
Shot), Burst Fire (or Double Tap),
Improved Initiative, Personal
Firearms Proficiency, Simple Weapons
Proficiency, Track
Possessions: Rifle,
Submachine Gun, or Carbine (M1,
M1A1, or M3 [US], MP40 [German],
Sten [British, Commonwealth], PPSh-
41 [Soviet Union], or Type 44 , Type
38 Rifle, or Type 99 Rifle [Japanese]),
100 rounds ammunition, combat
knife, uniform, various other items.
Sniper
The sniper is the quiet assassin
of the battlefield. Unlike most other
soldiers who fire at some dark shape
on the horizon, the sniper looks into
the very face of his enemy through his
rifle scope. Many snipers, like the
example below, come from a life as a
hunter, woodsman, or guide. These
people have grown up with a rifle in
their hands, and their talent earned
them the position of sniper. Most of
the time, snipers were under the
control of either company or battalion
headquarters to be dispatched as
necessary.
Low-Level Sniper (Strong Ordinary
1 / Fast Ordinary 1):
CR 1; Medium-size human; HD 1d8+1
plus 1d8+1; hp 11; Mas 12; Init +2;
Spd 30 ft.; Defense 16, touch 16, flat-
footed 14 (+2 Dex, +4 Class); BAB
+1; Grap +3; Atk +3 melee (1d6+2
nonlethal, unarmed strike), or +3
melee (1d4+2, bayonet or knife); Full
Atk +3 melee (1d6+2 nonlethal,
unarmed strike), or +3 melee (1d4+2,
bayonet or knife), or +3 ranged (2d8,
sniper rifle); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5
ft.; AL any; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will
+1; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 15, Dex 14, Con
12, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 10.
Starting Occupation: Rural
(bonus class skills: Climb, Swim,
bonus feat: Personal Firearms
Proficiency)
Skills: Climb +2, Hide +4,
Move Silently +4, Read/Write Native
Language, Speak Native Language,
Search +4, Spot +4, Swim +2
Feats: Dead Aim, Far Shot,
Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple
Weapons Proficiency
Possessions: Sniper Rifle
(M1903A4 [US], K98k or G43
[German], Lee-Enfield No.4 [British,
Commonwealth], M1891/30 or SVT-40
[Soviet Union], or Type 38 or Type 99
[Japanese]) with telescopic rifle scope,
100 rounds sniper rifle ammunition,
bayonet or combat knife, uniform,
various other items.
Mid-Level Sniper (Strong Ordinary
3 / Fast Ordinary 3):
CR 5; Medium-size human; HD 3d8+3
plus 3d8+3; hp 33; Mas 12; Init +2;
Spd 30 ft.; Defense 18, touch 18, flat-
footed 16 (+2 Dex, +6 Class); BAB
+5; Grap +7; Atk +7 melee (1d6+2
nonlethal, unarmed strike), or +7
melee (1d4+2, bayonet or knife); Full
Atk +7 melee (1d6+2 nonlethal,
unarmed strike), or +7 melee (1d4+2,
bayonet or knife), or +7 ranged (2d8,
rifle); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; AL
30
any; SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1; AP
0; Rep +1; Str 15, Dex 15, Con 12, Int
8, Wis 13, Cha 10.
Starting Occupation: Rural
(bonus class skills: Climb, Swim,
bonus feat: Personal Firearms
Proficiency)
Skills: Climb +2, Hide +7,
Move Silently +7, Read/Write Native
Language, Speak Native Language,
Search +7, Spot +7, Swim +2
Feats: Dead Aim, Far Shot,
Personal Firearms Proficiency, Point
Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Simple
Weapons Proficiency
Possessions: Sniper Rifle
(M1903A4 [US], K98k or G43
[German], Lee-Enfield No.4 [British,
Commonwealth], M1891/30 or SVT-40
[Soviet Union], or Type 38 or Type 99
[Japanese]) with telescopic rifle scope,
100 rounds sniper rifle ammunition,
bayonet or combat knife, uniform,
various other items.
High-Level Sniper (Strong
Ordinary 5 / Fast Ordinary 5):
CR 9; Medium-size human; HD 5d8+5
plus 5d8+5; hp 55; Mas 12; Init +3;
Spd 30 ft.; Defense 21, touch 21, flat-
footed 18 (+3 Dex, +8 Class); BAB
+8; Grap +10; Atk +10 melee (1d6+3
nonlethal, unarmed strike), or +10
melee (1d4+3, bayonet or knife); Full
Atk +10/+5 melee (1d6+3 nonlethal,
unarmed strike), or +10/+5 melee
(1d4+3, bayonet or knife), or +12/+7
ranged (2d8, rifle); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.;
Reach 5 ft.; AL any; SV Fort +5, Ref
+7, Will +1; AP 0; Rep +2; Str 15,
Dex 16, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 10.
Starting Occupation: Rural
(bonus class skills: Climb, Swim,
bonus feat: Personal Firearms
Proficiency)
Skills: Climb +2, Hide +12,
Move Silently +12, Read/Write Native
Language, Speak Native Language,
Search +10, Spot +10, Swim +2
 Feats: Dead Aim, Far Shot,
Personal Firearms Proficiency, Point
Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Simple
Weapons Proficiency, Stealthy
Possessions: Sniper Rifle
(M1903A4 [US], K98k or G43
[German], Lee-Enfield No.4 [British,
Commonwealth], M1891/30 or SVT-40
[Soviet Union], or Type 38 or Type 99
[Japanese]) with telescopic rifle scope,
100 rounds sniper rifle ammunition,
bayonet or combat knife, uniform,
various other items.
Spy
Fast/Charismatic
Squad Leader
Tough/Charismatic
Vehicle Mechanic
Strong/Smart
European
Theater
Europe in Brief
The war in the European
Theater in WWII begins with Hitler’s
1939 invasion of Poland, prompting
France and Great Britain to declare
war on Germany. The fighting here is
focused in Europe and North Africa.
Later, Germany attempts to invade
Russia, with disastrous results.
Finally, the United States enters the
war, and the Allies invade occupied
France at Normandy, and close in for
the kill.
Major Players
31
Allies:
Canada
France – Occupied by Germany June,
1940
Great Britain
Poland – Occupied by Germany
September, 1939
US
Axis:
Germany – Occupied by Allies May,
1945
Italy – Occupied by Allies June, 1944
Other:
Soviet Union
Major
Campaigns
The following is a timeline
showing the major military actions of
leading up to the war and ending with
the final surrender of Germany in May
of 1945:
Italian forces take Ethiopia – May,
1936
Spanish Civil War begins – July, 1936
Nazis invade Czechoslovakia – Oct,
1938
Nazis take Czechoslovakia – March,
1939
Spanish Civil War ends – March, 1939
Nazis invade Poland – Sept, 1939
Soviets invade Poland – Sept, 1939
Soviets attack Finland – Nov, 1939
Nazis invade Denmark and Norway –
April, 1940
Nazis invade France, Belgium,
Luxembourg, and The
Netherlands – May, 1940
Soviets invade the Balkans – June,
1940
Battle of Britain Begins – July, 1940
Italy invades British Somaliland –
Aug, 1940
Italy invades Egypt – Sept, 1940
Germany invades Romania – Oct,

Pacific
1940
Italy invades Greece – Oct, 1940
Britain takes Italian Somaliland – Feb,
1941
Britain invades Greece – March, 1941
Nazis invade Greece and Yugoslavia –
April, 1941
Theater
Britain invades Egypt – May, 1941
Allies invade Syria and Lebanon –
June, 1941

Appendix
Germany attacks the Soviet Union –
June, 1941
Britain occupies Syria – July, 1941
US invades North Africa – Nov, 1942
Allies take Tunisia – May, 1943
Allies invade Sicily – July, 1943
Germans invade Sicily – Aug, 1943
A: What If?
Allies invade Naples, Italy – Oct, 1943
Soviet Union invades Poland – Jan,
1944
Allies invade Anzio, Italy – Jan, 1944
Allies invade Normandy, France (D-
Day) – June, 1944
Appendix
B:
Allies invade southern France – Aug,
1944
Soviet Union invades Romania – Aug,
1944
Paris liberated – Aug, 1944
Allies invade Holland – Sept, 1944
Allies invade Germany – March, 1945
Documents
Germany surrenders – May, 1945

Missions in the
European
Theater
German 2nd Fallschirmjäger
Battalion at the Moerdijk Rail
Bridge, Holland: May, 1940

Soviet Guardsmen at the Central

Railroad Station, Stalingrad,
Russia: October, 1942

US 2nd Ranger Battalion at Pointe

Du Hoc, Normandy: June, 1944

32