DAK in greatcoats

Tunisia was very wet and cold during the winter 1942/43, lots of photos show Germans troops in greatcoat.

Sorting through various boxes I find i had some 40 unpainted Germans of various types, among them were a selection of guys in greatcoat, I also re-painted several Volksgrenadiers to make a full platoon.

Various manufacturers - Elheim, Britannia, Wargames Supply Dump and finally a lone Kelly's Heroes Kriegsmarine figure.

More 10th Panzer Division gear

Early Marder III with Russian 76.2mm gun

Panzerjager-Abteilung 90 had nine of these in its 1st Kompanie

Britannia model with a mixed crew

Panzer IIIN (short 75mm) of 501st Schwere Panzer Abteilung

Another Britannia model with an AB Figures commander

Sdkfz 252 light armoured supply vehilce with trailer

A di-cast model bought off ebay and repainted & based

Groupe Blinde sud Tunisienne

Formed in Feb 1943 from armoured/mobile elements of the French 19th Corps. 
The unit took part in several actions - Gafsa (17 march), Tebessa, Le Kef,
Siliana, Pont-du-Fahs and Zaghouan and helped the 8th Army, coming from the south, to cut the Cape Bon peninsula.

The main elements of the Groupe blinde were -

3rd escadron du 5RCA (Chasseurs d`Afrique) with Valentine III tanks (maybe 20 tanks) [5RCA were given these by the British, rather than their old D1s]
1st escadron du 12RCA with 23 Somua S35s
Detachement du 4th escadron, 9RCA with 6 x GMC75 half-tracks [supplied by the Americans]
Light tank company (US) with 17 x M3 tanks [attached]

I`ve been slowly, building/painting units for a while now -

Recce (5RCA)

Alby Laffly 80AM, Empress motorcycle troops with various M/C combinations

Motorised infantry (46th Colonial regiment)

Latil and Laffly field cars (S&S and Skytrex) various figures and crew from - Blitz, Friend or Foe, EWM, Warmodelling, FAA and Tumbling Dice

SP `75s (9RCA)

Guns by S&S and Sgt`s Mess; crews from Blitz & FAA

Somua S35s (12RCA)

Pre-painted di-casts with an old Heller model (AB Figures commander)

US Light Tank Company

Matchbox kits with added parts, stowage and commanders

Valentine IIIs

Tanks by 20mmzone, the commanders are AB Figures & Skytrex

 

5 Kompanie, Panzer Grenadier Regiment 69

Now complete -

HQ

1st platoon (with mortar section behind)

2nd platoon

3rd platoon

MMG section

Mortar section

The whole thing

Sdkfz 250 halftracks

Kompanie command vehicle for 5/II 69 PG

Minimi Sdkfz 250 with SHQ 250/3 conversion kit, an old Alby officer and various stowage

Platoon vehicles for 1st platoon, 2nd Kompanie, Kradschutzen Battalion 10

Combat Miniatures Sdkfz 250 with added stowage, one has a sustained fire MG42

251/2B with Wurfrahmen 40 (28cm rockets)

Based on this photo and clever spotting  It turns out each company in II/69 Panzer grenadiers mounted 28cm rockets onto their two mortar carriers 

A very old Fujimi 251B with SHQ 28cm rocket set, the mortar is also SHQ, various stowage, crew by AB Figures with a very old Matchbox mortarman