Chain of Command - 15mm Panzergrenadier Platoon

Time for something different, both smaller and more modern than my usual stuff. Finally finished a platoon for Chain of Command for myself. And it only took a year, too...

For theme, I elected to go with a platoon from the 21st Panzer Division in Normandy, because they have some fascinating vehicles and because I enjoy reading Panzer Commander (by Hans von Luck, who would be in command of the 125 Panzergrenadier regiment of the 21 Panzer during Normandy).

The main platoon, with HQ group and 3 squads, as well as Patrol Markers (with several village names from around Caen, some of them well known).

Each squad consists of a junior leader and two teams with 4 and 5 men each, as well as 2 MG42s (and an extra man for carrying the squad allocated panzerfausts, he can be replaced by an ordinary rifleman once those are used up).

And of course the platoon HQ, with the Lieutenant (more often a senior sergeant at this time of the war...) and two men with a Panzerschreck (do not apply armour to a panzergrenadier platoon, they have plenty of counters...)

For support, there is a fourth squad of Panzergrenadiers from another platoon, but otherwise similar to the in-platoon squads (except they don't count as platoon casualties in campaigns, gamey but might be necessary... and more men on the ground is always useful).

There is of course also a second senior leader (either this platoon were lucky and had two men competent enough, or there's some support from the company... or it's two understrength platoons working together, the justifications are endless). In any case, provides some welcome extra command and control of the battle.

Thematically, it feels wrong to not have a heavy machine gun available. Might not always be the most necessary (not when you have 6-8 LMGs available), but eh.

When you need some heavier firepower, you call in the regimental mortars (or any of the other artillery available). And hope you have a spotter who can actually call them in.

 
And, in case on Panzerschreck team wasn't enough, here's a second. Because screw tanks.

And in case you want something with more range, there's also a 5cm PaK38. Its small size would make it easy to hide, and while it might not have enough punch to take out enemy tanks from the front, lighter armour will do best to stay away.

What's better for getting around than a car? Two cars! (One Kubelwagen, and one heavier Steyr, but gamewise the same).

... or there is the Sd.Kfz.250/9, a halftrack converted for recce purposes. A 2cm autocannon generally hits the right point between cheap and lethal when the main fight is infantry vs infantry. And being (nominally) armored itself isn't a bad thing.

For your heavier anti-tank needs, there is always the mobile bush... I mean the S307(f) PaK40. More mobile than towed anti-tank guns, and at least somewhat armoured. The bad point is that it is taller and harder to hide, but hopefully liberal application of bushes should help there.

Last I checked, there were no rules for this vehicle in Chain of Command. I could of course stat it up, but for quick play and ease of use, I will probably run it as a counts-as Marder.

Finally, there's a Panzer IV, because how can you have germans without the workhorse of the Panzer arm?

With some extra bushes for protection and hiding from the ever-present allied air forces. Not as much as some other vehicles (*cough*S307(f)PaK40*cough*), since it has to be mobile (or prepared to be mobile), but hopefully enough.

"Please think I'm a bush, please thing I'm a bush..."

All in all, a decent force with plenty of options. Doesn't make it worse that Panzergrenadiers are generally considered the strongest platoon for their force rating in Chain of Command, borderline broken if you ask some... time to get some games in and figure out how to use them (and maybe how to counter them). Just need to get a Lorraine Schlepper or two for maximum HE power too.

Bases were washers, 15mm for ordinary soldiers, 20mm for leaders and MG teams (the latter with gunner and loader on the same base), 25mm for the larger guns. Squads and teams are denoted by "pixel pearls", with one color being unique for each of the larger squads (giving Green, Yellow, Orange and Blue squad), another color for HQ (Light Green) and smaller support choices occasionally sharing (pink for anti-tank choices, red for primarily anti-infantry).

Oh, and I accidentally painted a pair of bunkers at the same time... I have no idea what to use these for, but since I had them, might as well paint them, I guess.

/Fool Out