This article focuses on low-grade German infantry formations from 1944-45. Though specifically created for “Rules of Engagement”, the following Order of Battle can be modified for any platoon based skirmish game. In the RoE rulebook there are orbats for Grenadier (Infantry), Panzergrenadier, Volksgrenadier, Fallschirmjäger and Waffen SS platoons. This Order of Battle is designed to allow players to use rear echelon troops thrown together as front line infantry. It may be used to represent scratch construction units, kriegsmarine, “ear and stomach” platoons or under-equipped Luftwaffe field formations. Following disastrous reverses at Stalingrad, Tunis and Kursk (where whole armies of up to 100,000 men and their equipment were destroyed) and with another front approaching in France, the Wehrmacht’s manpower problems reached critical. The political meddling in Germany’s war effort also took its toll, with the rise in prominence of ‘private armies’ formed by factions within the Nazi leadership. The most well known, the Waffen SS, received the lion’s share of equipment, quality recruits and supplies to the detriment of the Heer. The ill-conceived and largely useless Deutsche Volkssturm, championed by Martin Bormann, diverted resources and effort that were desperately needed by front line troops. With crippling losses, especially on the Eastern Front, the Wehrmacht had been massively expanded but had become too unwieldy logistically. Reductions hit all branches but the infantry felt the strain most of all. By 1943 manpower had been reduced significantly with an increase in automatic firepower as compensation. Increasingly on the defensive, the mid-1944 Grenadier organisation removed more men from the rifle companies to serve support weapons. With reinforcements failing to cover losses all branches were scoured for replacements. From 1942 redundant Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine personnel were formed into infantry divisions. Increasingly, under-trained and/or under-equipped formations were thrust into front line combat. Landeschützen (Home Defence) personnel were reformed into infantry divisions and new infantry divisions (Volksgrenadiers) were formed from people not previously fit for front line service. Many of these new formations (such as some of the 700 series divisions) performed well but others were ill-trained and of little value in combat operations. Many of the weak divisions raised to stem the tide late on in the war saw only one battle, the one in which they were destroyed! This article and the presented Order of Battle does not cover Wehrmachtsgefolge formations, the armed forces auxiliaries, such as Organization Todt, and the Deutscher Volkssturm. Volksgrenadiers are covered in the RoE rulebook. Players may wish to field well performing troops as Grenadiers as indicated in the RoE rulebook. Many types of formations may be represented by the Low-Grade Infantry Order of Battle and many are briefly detailed below. Rear Echelon Units In 1944/45 front line infantry divisions consisted of (on paper at least) a headquarters, three infantry regiments, an artillery regiment and combat support. In additional to its regimental HQ, the infantry regiment comprised of two (sometimes three) infantry battalions, an infantry gun company and an anti-tank company. The artillery element was composed of three light battalions (each of three batteries of three 105mm guns) and a medium (three batteries of three 150mm guns). A Pioneer, Recce and anti-tank battalion (consisting of anti-tank and self propelled guns) and an anti-aircraft company completed the division. At times some of these rear-echelon personnel would find themselves thrown into combat as a result of losses or being overrun. Battalions from Construction Divisions were propelled into front line combat on many occasions on the Eastern and Western Fronts. Static/Fortress Divisions 719th Infanterie Division was comprised of over-age men and posted to Brittany in the winter of 1941/42 as a static division. It moved to the Netherlands late in 1942 and remained there until seeing action against the British in the summer of 1944. It fought well but was badly mauled in the Battle of the Scheldt and, following its rebuilding, fought in the Saar. Its guns were so old and diverse that its artillery battalion was nicknamed “the Artillery Museum of Europe.” Luftwaffe Field Divisions Hitler authorised the formation of Luftwaffe Field Divisions from redundant ground personnel. It led to the commitment to battle of poorly trained divisions, mostly on the Eastern Front, that performed inadequately. 16th Luftwaffe Field Division replaced Panzer Lehr in the line on July 2nd and lost 75% of its men within hours of the British offensive against Caen. The survivors were attached to 21st Panzer. Training and Security Divisions There are many accounts of training units being thrust into battle, such as elements of the 526th Replacement Division at Aachen. 325th Security Division was organised to occupy Paris and control all local defence forces in the city. At the time of the liberation of Paris, it had a strength of up to 30,000 men but very few were quality combat troops. After escaping from Paris before it fell, it was disbanded in August 1944, its troops distributed among other units that had suffered heavily in the Normandy campaign. 285th Security Division was involved in anti-partisan operations from May 1942 until it took part in the Leningrad withdrawal. It was largely destroyed facing Soviet forces at the time of Operation Bagration. Wargaming with Low-Grade German Platoons GERMAN LOW GRADE PLATOON
Transcript
This article focuses on low-grade German infantry formations from 1944-45. Though specifically created for “Rules of Engagement”, the following Order of Battle can be modified for any platoon based skirmish game. In the RoE rulebook there are orbats for Grenadier (Infantry), Panzergrenadier, Volksgrenadier, Fallschirmjäger and Waffen SS platoons. This Order of Battle is designed to allow players to use rear echelon troops thrown together as front line infantry. It may be used to represent scratch construction units, kriegsmarine, “ear and stomach” platoons or under-equipped Luftwaffe field formations.
Following disastrous reverses at Stalingrad, Tunis and Kursk (where whole armies of up to 100,000 men and their equipment were destroyed) and with another front approaching in France, the Wehrmacht’s manpower problems reached critical. The political meddling in Germany’s war effort also took its toll, with the rise in prominence of ‘private armies’ formed by factions within the Nazi leadership. The most well known, the Waffen SS, received the lion’s share of equipment, quality recruits and supplies to the detriment of the Heer. The ill-conceived and largely useless Deutsche Volkssturm, championed by Martin Bormann, diverted resources and effort that were desperately needed by front line troops.
With crippling losses, especially on the Eastern Front, the Wehrmacht had been massively expanded but had become too unwieldy logistically. Reductions hit all branches but the infantry felt the strain most of all. By 1943 manpower had been reduced significantly with an increase in automatic firepower as compensation. Increasingly on the defensive, the mid-1944 Grenadier organisation removed more men from the rifle companies to serve support weapons. With reinforcements failing to cover losses all branches were scoured for replacements. From 1942 redundant Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine personnel were formed into infantry divisions. Increasingly, under-trained and/or under-equipped formations were thrust into front line combat. Landeschützen (Home Defence) personnel were reformed into infantry divisions and new infantry divisions (Volksgrenadiers) were formed from people not previously fit for front line service. Many of these new formations (such as some of the 700 series divisions) performed well but others were ill-trained and of little value in combat operations. Many of the weak divisions raised to stem the tide late on in the war saw only one battle, the one in which they were destroyed!
This article and the presented Order of Battle does not cover Wehrmachtsgefolge formations, the armed forces auxiliaries, such as Organization Todt, and the Deutscher Volkssturm. Volksgrenadiers are covered in the RoE rulebook. Players may wish to field well performing troops as Grenadiers as indicated in the RoE rulebook. Many types of formations may be represented by the Low-Grade Infantry Order of Battle and many are briefly detailed below.
Rear Echelon Units
In 1944/45 front line infantry divisions consisted of (on paper at least) a headquarters, three infantry regiments, an artillery regiment and combat support. In additional to its regimental HQ, the infantry regiment comprised of two (sometimes three) infantry battalions, an infantry gun company and an anti-tank company. The artillery element was composed of three light battalions (each of three batteries of three 105mm guns) and a medium (three batteries of three 150mm guns). A Pioneer, Recce and anti-tank battalion (consisting of anti-tank and self propelled guns) and an anti-aircraft company completed the division. At times some of these rear-echelon personnel would find themselves thrown into combat as a result of losses or being overrun. Battalions from Construction Divisions were propelled into front line combat on many occasions on the Eastern and Western Fronts.
Static/Fortress Divisions
719th Infanterie Division was comprised of over-age men and posted to Brittany in the winter of 1941/42 as a static division. It moved to the Netherlands late in 1942 and remained there until seeing action against the British in the summer of 1944. It fought well but was badly mauled in the Battle of the Scheldt and, following its rebuilding, fought in the Saar. Its guns were so old and diverse that its artillery battalion was nicknamed “the Artillery Museum of Europe.”
Luftwaffe Field Divisions
Hitler authorised the formation of Luftwaffe Field Divisions from redundant ground personnel. It led to the commitment to battle of poorly trained divisions, mostly on the Eastern Front, that performed inadequately. 16th Luftwaffe Field Division replaced Panzer Lehr in the line on July 2nd and lost 75% of its men within hours of the British offensive against Caen. The survivors were attached to 21st Panzer.
Training and Security Divisions
There are many accounts of training units being thrust into battle, such as elements of the 526th Replacement Division at Aachen. 325th Security Division was organised to occupy Paris and control all local defence forces in the city. At the time of the liberation of Paris, it had a strength of up to 30,000 men but very few were quality combat troops. After escaping from Paris before it fell, it was disbanded in August 1944, its troops distributed among other units that had suffered heavily in the Normandy campaign. 285th Security Division was involved in anti-partisan operations from May 1942 until it took part in the Leningrad withdrawal. It was largely destroyed facing Soviet forces at the time of Operation Bagration.
Wargaming with Low-Grade German Platoons
GERMAN LOW GRADE PLATOON
“Ear and Stomach” Divisions
The 70th Infanterie Division was known as the “Weißes Brot” (“White Bread”) division because its 7,500 landsers had stomach ailments; it was deemed easier administratively to group them into one unit where their special dietary needs could be supplied! It defended Ghent and Walcheren Island and fought well against Canadian, Polish and Commando attacks during Operation Infatuate in November, 1944. The division held out defiantly for eight days before being forced to surrender.
Non-German Units
Special Employment Division 136 was formed in the spring of 1944 in France to control battalions consisting of mainly Soviet POW’s who volunteered to serve in the German Army. It was utilised in Brittany in anti-Maquis operations before taking part in the retreat to Belgium and disbanding in September 1944. Ost (East) Battalions served within infantry regiments in the German Army, notably on the Western Front. Ost Battalion troops fought against the Normandy landings (even three Koreans were taken prisoner!) but they were regarded as inadequate opponents.
Kriegsmarine
The 1st Marine Division was created by order of Grand Admiral Dönitz in 1945. In March it was turned over to Army Group Vistula and assigned defensive positions on the Oder River. The term “marine” was not any indication of its quality as was the case with U.S. marines. The division was made up of sailors and was of little value in combat – it was destroyed in its first and only battle in April 1945, as the Red Army made its final thrust to Berlin. Naval units also saw action against the Allies during Operation Market Garden.
Optional Rule for Low Grade Formations in RoE
“Old Men and Boys”: Allied commanders reportedly used this description of the troops their men were about to face, most famously before Operation Market Garden. Sometimes this was entirely inaccurate but sometimes low-grade formations were encountered. The performance of these “old men and boys” and other poorly regarded troops varied from determined to hopeless. The player may roll a dice to determine the composition of his troops:
1/ Infirm: The platoon is comprised of older veterans, some past the normal age for military service, some medically unfit following wounds suffered. All members of the platoon have an Experience Score of 4+. However, their CQ value is reduced to +2.
2/ Jugend: The platoon consists of enthusiastic youngsters, hastily trained and ignorant of danger! The Shoot value of Infantry Squads is 5+. In addition, if any troops (not including the Platoon Command) in the platoon are given Advance or Run orders, they suffer a -1 penalty for EXP tests until their next Orders Phase! As the platoon is expected to take horrendous losses, it may field its optional under strength third squad at no cost!
3/ Stomach Battalion: The unit is part of a division with stomach ailments and special dietary needs. It may even have a nickname, such as the “Whipped Cream Division.” When given Advance orders, troops subtract 5cm from their movement. When given Run orders they add nothing to their movement. All units have the Motivated special rule and one Unteroffizier in the platoon has a Discipline score of 3+.
4/ Ear Battalion: No units can claim the +1 bonus for platoon officer being in command range. Troops that have spotted enemy may only communicate to friendly units within 10cm, instead of the normal 20cm.
5/ Unmotivated: The platoon is composed of inducted Poles manning defensive positions on the Western Front or poorly trained air force ground personnel. The Shoot and Discipline value of Infantry Squads is 5+. Many men were forced, ordered or induced into fighting units, so it may field its optional under strength third squad at no cost and surrender in droves!
6/ Rear Echelon: The platoon is used exactly as presented in the Order of Battle.
GERMAN LOW GRADE PLATOON
A platoon must include a Platoon Command and at least 2 Infantry SquadsA platoon may include 1 Divisional Support choiceA platoon may include 1 Company Support choice for each Infantry SquadExcept for HMG Teams, no more than 1 of each Company Support choice may be selectedUp to 2 HMG Teams may be selected as Company Support choices
Additional Equipment
The Leutnant may distribute the additional equipment amongst the Platoon as detailed on page 106 of the RoE rulebook. The number of Requisition Points is equal to the Combat Effectiveness of the force -6.
German Low Grade Platoon
All models in a German Low Grade Platoon benefi t from the following special rule as described in this article or on page 40 of the RoE rulebook:
“Old Men and Boys”Tactically Flexible
Strategy Rating: 1Combat Effectiveness: 8
GERMAN LOW GRADE PLATOON
Order of Battle
A German Low Grade Platoon must include a Platoon Command Squad.
1 Gefreiter 20cm 4+ +3 5+ 4+ MP40 or Kar98k & AP Grenades NCO
2 Riflemen 20cm 4+ +3 5+ 4+ Kar 98k, AP Grenades
May add 3 Riflemen armed with Kar 98k & AP Grenades who are added to the Rifle Section (+1 Support Points).
A German Low Grade Platoon may select one Company Support choice for each Infantry Squad.
UP TO 1 GRENADIER, VOLKSGRENADIER OR FALLSCHIRMJAGER SQUAD (VARIABLE SUPPORT POINTS)
Chosen from the relevant Order of Battle. The squad may be under strength and Recon if desired. The Squad uses the special rules from its parent Order of Battle but ignores the Reinforcements rule.
1 Gefreiter 20cm 4+ +3 5+ 4+ MP40, AP Grenades NCO1 Gunner 20cm 4+ +3 5+ 4+ 2cm FlaK Quad Mount AA
Gun, Pistol
2 Loaders 20cm 4+ +3 5+ 4+ Kar 98k
A German Low Grade Platoon may select one Divisional Support choice. Divisional Support is selected from the section on page 131 of the RoE rulebook or below.
* SR indicates the weapon’s effectiveness at Short Range, within 30cm.**uses the Cumbersome and Support Weapon rules (page 33 of the RoE rulebook) and has a gun shield that counts as Hard Cover from the front, if present on the model.
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