Baber on wargames

Friday, 6 November 2020

1944-45 German Army

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)

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)

Panzers

Stug III battery

Well 2 stugs and a StuH

Wesp battery

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)

Rough totals

580 figures

123 vehicles (including wagons and limbers)

19 guns

35 motor cycles/bikes

30 horses (not including wagons and limbers)

Friday, 30 October 2020

Finished tow

Cheap German tow

The Germans made use of whatever transport was available.

There were large quantities of Dodge, Fargo, Ford and Chevy trucks all over Europe, many built in licensed factories

This is a bit of a fudge as the model is actually a 1947 one, but I think It will look OK at 4ft across a tabletop :)

New wheels, raised wooden sides, bench seating, a rifle rack behind the cab :) and loads of stowage.

The crew are a mix of S&S, SHQ and MMS

My plan is to use it as a tow for my Volksgrenadier Regiment, so here it is with a 75mm IG

Sunday, 18 October 2020

Chevy tow WIP

I don`t usually bother with WIP as I work pretty fast, but now I`m retired I have time to plod along.

Here is that di-cast Matchbox 1947 1/4 ton Chevy

My plan is to alter it to look like a 1930s model which has been field modified by the Germans as a tow.

New wheels, raised wooded sides, seating, a rifle rack behind the cab and stowage. Pictured here with the selected crew all before undercoating and painting.

Saturday, 3 October 2020

I`m a lucky boy

Present for a good boy

Went to town this morning with Debbie, usual shopping, etc.

Called into a craft/cheap store called Tedi and among the stuff was a pile of Matchbox di-cast cars @ 1 Euro a piece, because I`d been a good boy Debbie let me have a reward

A 1947 1/2 ton Chevy, which with a bit of work and paint will join my late war German transport

I am a lucky boy

Monday, 28 September 2020

French Command Vehicles

French Command Vehicles

A few days work, plodding along

I don`t as a rule decal my vehicles as they tend to be used as and where required, I`ve painted these a standard green so they can be used in France `40 or elsewhere if i so choose.

Shellhole Scenics Renault A.D.H 2.5 Ton Radio Van

Shellhole Scenics 1937 Chevrolet Ambulance

Which I have painted up as an office van for my French HQ

Group shots with my other French HQ vehicles

A repurposed and stowed up Lledo di-cast and a S&S Citroen C2

Friday, 18 September 2020

7/4e RCA Tunisia

Char D1s of 7th Squadron, 4th Regiment Chasseurs D`Afrique

7th squadron of 4RCA had 15 of these in Tunisia at the time of the German landings, they immediately joined other French units as part of the now combined allied armies trying to defeat the Germans/Italians.

The unit was at Medjez-el-Bab; Hir Moussa and Kasserine (where they claimed a Panzer IV!)

These are 20mm by Early War Miniatures (one has an AB Figures commander)

I`ve tried by best to use the camouflage as illustrated in Sicard & Vauviller, but I`ve left the aerials in place (all research says they had been removed, but not why??) because I like them :)