1944-45 German Army
Inspired by stuff posted on Facebook and various forums, I finally plucked up the courage to sort out my entire late-war NWE Germans.
Built around a 2-battalion Volksgrenadier Regiment with support plus an ad hoc armoured kampfgruppe.
As always I have used our chosen time served version of Charles Grant`s "Battle" rules when building the units.
10 figs = a platoon
3 platoons + a HQ = a company
3 companies plus support elements and a HQ = a battalion
This collection contains figures which are over 30yrs old among them! I have lost count of the number of manufacturers used - SHQ, TDQ, Britannia, Kellys Heroes, Matchbox, Esci, Airfix, Fujimi, Revell, AB, Combat Miniatures, EWM, Raventhorpe, Elheim, Skytrex, Under Fire Miniatures, MMS, Minimi, Battlefield/Blitz, PSC, FAA.....
Volksgrenadier Regiment
Based on the 2-battalion organisation
First Battalion
183 figs plus vehicles, guns, horses, bikes and wagons
2nd battalion
175 figs plus vehicles, guns, horses, bikes and wagons
Battalion HQ plus assets
54 figures plus equipment
1st battalion detailed pics
3 infantry kompanies
3 x 10 figs each plus a 4 fig HQ. Each platoon has a panzerfaust & LMG
Battalion Pioneer & Panzerjaeger platoons
battalion Fusilier platoon (mtd and dismounted)
Mortar platoon
Battalion supply/transport
MMG platoons
Lt gun company
Hvy gun company
Battalion HQ (inc medical section)
Battalion HQ security/replacement platoon (inc a AA machine gun)
2nd Battalion detailed pics
3 infantry kompanies (as 1st battalion)
MMG platoons
Mortar platoons
Lt gun company
Hvy gun company
2nd battalion HQ inc medical and reserve platoon
Supply/transport
Fusilier platoon (mtd & dismounted)
Pioneer platoon
Panzerjaeger platoon
Regimental HQ
HQ group inc comms section
Regimental aid station
Transport and supply
Kitchen
Regimental anti-tank assets
Field police
Extra panzershreck platoon
Regimental security platoon
Replacements, cooks, drivers, etc
Mounted Recce company
just for fun
Artillery & flak assets
88 battery (only one tow), 2 x single 20mm, 1 x quad 20mm, sdkfz 10/4
Welfer battery
105mm battery
Armoured Kampfgruppe
Aufklärungsabteilung
Pioneer platoon
Armd infantry company
Motorised infantry company
Hvy Company
Sdkfz 11 mitt 20mm, sdkfz 250/7, sdkfz 250/8, Pak 40 plus tow
Armd car companies
sdkfz 250/9, sdkfz 233, sdkfz 232, sdkfz 222, Pzspw P204(f)
HQ
Includes a panzershreck section
Panzergrenadiers
A 4 (10 fig) platoon company (each with a panzerfaust and LMG) plus 251 transport plus a (6 fig) company HQ (in 251/10)
Support provided by: Sdkfz 251/2, Sdkfz 251/9, Sdkfz 251/21
There is also a (6 fig) command element with a sdkfz 251/3
And a sdkfz 251/7 (without a pioneer platoon at the moment)
Stug III battery
Well 2 stugs and a StuH
Needs a crew
Panzer IVH
Panzer IVF2 & Panzer IIIJ
Beutepanzers Sherman Firefly, Somua S-35
Big Cats and their little cousin Panther G, Tiger I & Aufklärungspanzer 38(t)
580 figures
123 vehicles (including wagons and limbers)
19 guns
35 motor cycles/bikes
30 horses (not including wagons and limbers)
Great work here. It must have given you many hours of joy to build. One qustion:generally I post once a week the result of that week's work. Did you do the same here 😜?
ReplyDeleteHa, ha, ha.............
DeleteSome of these must be 30yrs old at least.
This is the first time ever I`ve had a big enough area to lay them all out together :)
That is avery impressive collection Richard. Should give you many happy gaming hours.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Pete.
Cheers Pete, I`ve never had a table big enough or time to actually get them all out together - quite a shock! We are now just about settled and i may be able to start thinking about setting up games soon. Solo at first with Chris busy with his college work and alex back in Swansea, but you never know :)
DeleteHow are you, I hope this finds you and the family well and safe?
Well done Richard, quite an impressive achievement.
ReplyDeleteHope you get to play many a game with them in your new Spanish den.
CarlL (sotcw)
Cheers Carl, I have started planning my first game today.
DeleteExcellent mate, a great looking collection mate
ReplyDeleteCheers
Matt
Thank you Matt, some pieces I`m pleased with, others not so much - but it is functional and adaptable for most settings within NWE/Italy.
DeleteHello Richard, this is a fabulous collection. I am in awe; you could refight just about D-day to Berlin with this lot, excellent.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned above (and sometimes in earlier posts) that you use your version of Charles Grant's "Battle" rules. Perhaps you might post more about your version of these very interesting rules in the future? I'd love to know more. I actually use Gavin Lyall's "Operation Warboard" rules - because I wanted to use aircraft and Grant didn't.
More info please - your blog is very inspring.
peter, that is very kind.
DeleteThe main alteration from Grant`s original is our expanded orbats, I decided I wanted company HQs which Mr Grant didn`t use. We also then expanded those orbats to include weapons not used in the original rules - added panzerfausts for the Germans, BAR as part of the US platoon organisation, etc. We added a rule for snipers too :) Aircraft in a ground support role we stole stuff directly from Rapid fire! :)