Spring:1944 - German Unit Guide

Germany

Throughout the first half of the war, Germany's armed forces, the Wehrmacht, were undeniably the most effective and powerful in the world. Throughout the 1930s as Germany re-armed they experimented with new technologies, tactics and strategies which saw them comprehensively defeat Allied forces in Poland, France, and Russia. But by 1943 Germany's armies had suffered many losses, and began cutting back on training and utilizing the sub-par armed forces of allied nations in an effort to shore up their small numbers. In France inparticular, the bulk of their forces facing the Allied invasion of Normandy consisted of concripted "slave-soldiers" from captured territories, units made up of older conscripts, and under-strength units brutalized by fighting on the Eastern Front. Even more damning, the Allies had successfully adapted Germany's innovative tactics and strategies and compounded them with their industrial superiority; while Germany in 1940 was able to amass no more than 400 medium tanks for the invasion of France, the Allies in Normandy would eventually field tens of thousands of them, supported by thousands of aircraft of all types and sizes.

Still, Germany held the technological edge in several fields, most notably their armour. The Allies never did match Germany's superiority in armour; they fielded tanks far superior to that of its enemies, although in much lesser numbers. Their infantry, too, are somewhat well-trained, averaging superior to American and Soviet infantry forces.

Infantry

Infantry Types

Because infantry are built in squads which varying composition, we'll start by noting the specifics of each individual infantry unit. German infantry generally have moderately good health and accuracy. They are more expensive than US and Soviet infantry.

Kar 98K Rifle

Long range, medium accuracy and damage, low rate of fire. Armed with secondary grenades.

MP40 Submachinegun

Short range, medium accuracy and damage, high rate of fire.Armed with secondary grenades.

MG42 Machinegun

Medium range, medium accuracy and damage, high rate of fire. Excellent at pinning troops. Can fire when not deployed. When deployed, range, rate of fire and pinning ability increase, as well as defense from forward attacks.

Scout

Short range, good accuracy, light damage, low rate of fire. Has large line-of-sight radius, can move around undetected.

Sniper

Long range, excellent accuracy, excellent damage, low rate of fire. Very effective at pinning troops at long range. Can usually kill with one hit. Can remain undetected when firing.

Panzerfaust Anti-Tank

Short range, medium accuracy, high damage, low rate of fire. Excellent at destroying vehicles; it will kill most with a single hit. Can also be used like a short-ranged bomb against enemy infantry. Can move around undetected.

Panzerschrek Anti-Tank

Medium range, medium accuracy, high damage, low rate of fire. Most powerful infantry anti-tank weapon. Can kill anything in one hit. Not effective against infantry. Can move around undetected, although less effectively than Panzerfaust (larger detection radius).

GrW 34 Mortar

Long range, low accuracy, high damage, low rate of fire. Very effective at pinning troops at long range. Can fire over obstacles and terrain. Can also be effective against light vehicles (if they hit).

HQ Section Squad

6-man squad comprised of 4 riflemen and 2 submachinegunners.

The HQ squad is meant to bolster German infantry forces. With four Kar 98K bolt-action rifles and two MP40 submachineguns it provides a well-rounded infantry force.

Rifle Platoon

12-man combat section deployed from Barracks, containing 10 riflemen and two submachinegunners.

The Rifle platoon is the mainstay of the Wehrmacht's infantry forces. A platoon consists of 10 men armed with the highly-accurate, moderately-powered Kar 98K bolt-action rifles, and two MP40 submachinegunners. These riflemen have better range, power and accuracy than riflemen of the US or Soviet Union, but are slightly less skilled than British riflemen.

Assault Platoon

12-man combat section armed with submachineguns.

Assault Platoons are armed with the MP40, a highly-accurate, high-powered submachinegun with a good rate of fire and good range. The MP40 was one of the best quality submachineguns readily available during the war, but was somewhat pricy to produce and harder to maintain in the field.

Machinegun Squad

3-man squad armed with MG42 medium machineguns.

The MG42 is a highly versatile machinegun, able to fill the roles of both a medium and heavy machinegun. Supported by a bipod, it is light enough to be handled and fired by a single infantryman. When mounted on a tripod, its range and accuracy are greatly increased.

Scout Team

3-man Scout squad armed with pistols.

Scout Teams, or reconnaisance sections, are forward observers, armed with pistols and binoculars. Their sole purpose is to sneak around the battlefield, revealing enemy positions while remaining hidden. When caught, they are usually quickly killed.

Sniper Team

A Sniper team, containing one Sniper rifle and one recon infantryman.

Sniper teams operate in two-man teams, with a gunner and a scout. While the scout hurries ahead to spot enemy targets, the Sniper can sit back away from harm and pick off the enemy.

Anti-Tank Squad

Three-man team, armed with two Panzerfausts and one Panzerschrek.

The Panzerfaust is a simple device which launched a large shaped-charge warhead which is easily able to defeat most armour. The Panzerschrek is more of a recoilless rifle, launching a smaller but higher-velocity warhead. The Panzerschrek has much greater range and accuracy than the Panzerfaust, but is larger and more unwieldly, and is not quite as powerful as the Panzerfaust.

Mortar Team

Three-man mortar team equipped with three 81mm mortars.

Mortars provide infantry with a very valuable tool; the ability to attack enemy infantry and armour from great distances, over intervening terrain and other obstacles. Mortars, quite simply, launch high-explosive warheads high into the air, which then fall on the enemy. They are inaccurate but in numbers can saturate a large area with explosives. Because of the demoralizing nature of high-explosives raining down upon them, mortars are great for suppressing and pinning enemy infantry.

Light Vehicles

Opel Blitz Truck

Utility truck which is capable of transporting a platoon of infantrymen (12 men) and can deploy into small supply piles.

The Opel Blitz is the workhorse of the Wehrmacht. When infantrymen need to travel over long distances, the Opel Blitz is capable of loading up to a platoon of them and moving them across the battlefield with haste. Once at their destination the Blitz can unload some supplies, deploying into a small supply stockpile which nearby units can use to re-arm. The Blitz is weak, however, and prone to everything from small-arms to high-explosives and has no defensive armament.

Sd.Kfz. 251 Halftrack

Lightly-armoured halftrack, armed with a single 7.62mm MG42 and able to transport up to a platoon of infantry.

The Sd.Kfz 251 is a development of an unarmoured utility halftrack. Like the truck, it is able to transport a platoon of up to twelve infantry, providing them with protection from smallarms and fire support from its MG42 medium machinegun. Halftracks make excellent infantry support vehicles for these reasons.

Sd.Kfz. 250 Halftrack

Lightly-armoured halftrack armed with a 20mm automatic cannon and coaxial machinegun.

Germany lacks a light combat vehicle armed with a medium-caliber cannon like the Daimler or Greyhound. Instead, they have adopted the Sd.Kfz. 250, a design similar to the Sd.Kfz. 251, and armed it with a 20mm automatic cannon and coaxial machinegun. Although it is not able to penetrate medium armour, it is still easily capable of engaging lightly-armoured vehicles, and its automatic cannon is superior against infantry. The 250 also has limited capability against enemy aircraft, as its main armament is based on an anti-aircraft gun.

Panzerjager Marder

Lightly-armoured tank destroyer armed with a 75mm anti-tank gun.

The Marder is a series of interim vehicles modified from captured and overhauled combat vehicles. All were armed with the 75mm anti-tank gun (of various subtypes) and are lightly armoured, susceptible to even small-arms fire. However, they provide Germany with valuable anti-tank firepower at low costs, and are best used in conjunction with the Sd.Kfz. 250, as the Marder lacks any high-explosive ammunition for use against infantry.

Artillery

7.5cm PaK 40

Medium anti-tank gun.

The PaK 40 uses the standard 75mm ammunition type common in the Wehrmacht. The Marder, StuG III and Panzer IV are armed with this weapon (or versions of it). It is highly effective against enemy medium armour, but lacks high-explosive ammunition.

10.5cm LeFH 18

Medium-caliber howitzer.

The 105mm is the most common medium-caliber artillery type for most armies. 105mm howitzers have good range, good power, and a moderate rate of fire.

15cm Nebelwerfer 41

Large-caliber, six-barrelled rocket launcher.

The Nebelwerfer is a large-bore, six-barrelled rocket launcher which is capable of launching a barrage of 6 rockets onto enemy targets in very short order. Rocket artillery is often preferred over conventional artillery because of its high-rate of fire and ability to quickly saturate a large area with explosives. Its range is generally much shorter than standard artillery of similar caliber, however, and it requires a long reload time after each salvo.

Armor & Tank Destroyers

Pzkpfw III Ausf G-L

Light tank armed with a 50mm cannon and coaxial machinegun.

The Panzer III began the war as Germany's premier combat tank. Over the course of the war, it was upgunned with a 50mm cannon to replace its original 37mm, but its role was quickly superceded by the Panzer IV. It was still fielded, however, as even with its smaller cannon it is more than a match for comparable light tanks from other countries. It is also relatively highly armoured for a tank of this class.

StuG III Ausf G

Medium assault gun armed with the 75mm tank gun.

The StuG was one of the most numerous combat vehicles in the Wehrmacht. Germany largely pioneered the development and use of assault guns -- turretless tanks which bore a resemblence to tank destroyers but were usually armed with both support and tank combat in mind. The StuG is armed with the same 75mm gun as the Panzer IV and is capable against medium armour. It is lightly armoured, however, and its lack of turret makes it less versatile in combat, better suited for defensive roles.

Pzkpfw IV Ausf G-J

Medium tank armed with a 75mm cannon and coaxial machinegun.

The Panzer IV began the war in a similar role as the Churchill - an infantry support tank armed with a short-barrelled 75mm gun. As the war progressed, however, the need for a larger combat tank able to match the Soviet T-34 and newer British tank designs was needed and the Panzer IV was upgunned and upgraded. This version was armed with the very capable 75mm PaK, making it more powerful offensively than medium tanks of other nations, though its armour is somewhat lacking, being not much more resilient than the Panzer III and slightly inferior to the T-34 and Sherman.

Jagdpanzer IV/70(V)

Medium tank destroyer armed with a long-barrelled 75mm gun.

The Jagdpanzer is a formidable medium-class tank destroyer. Armed with the same long 75mm gun as the Panther, it is lethal to enemy armour, and has better protection than the Panzer IV on which it is based. However, like all turretless combat vehicles, it suffers from lack of maneuverability and is best used defensively.

leFH 18 auf Wespe

Lightly-armoured vehicle with a hull-mounted 105mm howitzer.

The Wespe was simply a merger of a light tank chassis with the 105mm howitzer. It is incredibly lightly armoured, susceptible to all forms of attack, but is a suitable mobile platform for the 105mm gun.

Pzkpfw VI E Tiger

Heavy tank armed with the infamous 88mm tank gun and coaxial machinegun.

The Tiger needs little explanation. When first fielded it was a shock to Allied tankers and remained a formidable foe throughout the war. Few tanks fielded by the Allies could match the Tiger on equal terms. Its powerful high-velocity 88mm gun was highly accurate and had excellent range, able to pick off enemy armour at ranges where the enemy's guns were completely ineffectual. It was slow, however, and not suited for the often quick pace of tank combat, being better suited at picking off the enemy from range.

Pzkpfw V Panther

Heavy tank armed with a long-barrelled 75mm gun and coaxial machinegun.

The Panther was designed after German forces encountered the Soviet T-34. It could be thought of as of the design lineage of the Tiger, though superior in many ways. It has excellent speed and maneuverability, thick and well-sloped armour, and a dependable long-ranged gun which, at shorter ranges, outperforms the 88mm. The Panther is more than a match for most armour thrown at it.

Pzkpfw VI B K�nigstiger

Super-heavy tank armed with a long-barrelled 88mm gun and coaxial machinegun.

The Konigstiger, or Tiger II, was the one piece of German armour the Allies had no answer to. It was extremely well-armed and well-armoured, boasting up to 180mm of armour. It's 88mm gun was a long-barrelled version of the original Tiger's, with even longer range, better accuracy and more destructive power. In a face-to-face confrontation, the Tiger II is capable of defeating any Allied armour, and all but the most powerful anti-tank guns fail to even dent it from the front. It is incredibly slow, however, and easily outmaneuvered, where enemy tanks can take shots at its weaker side and rear armour. Its biggest vulnerability however is to enemy attack aircraft.

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