Tale of 2 Cities (Week One): Tom's Panzergrenadier Lehr Kompanie

Tom's Panzergrenadier Lehr Kompanie

Tom here.

I've always had a thing for German half-tracks -- they look wicked sleek, they're fast, and they can throw a satisfying mass of MG dice.

The Panzergenadier Lehr list is a variant of the standard Gepanzerte Panzergrenadier list.  It represents the Lehr "demonstration" or "teaching" division on the western front.  (Think our word "learn.")  The Lehr division got all the new cool, toys -- as a model of what all the Panzer divisions should look like eventually.  Of course, they never did.  The Germans couldn't build enough equipment, fast enough.



The Core

In game terms, the Lehr is distinguished by bigger Panzergrenadier platoons and more anti-tank guns.  Each full platoon has four half-tracks, 6 MG teams, 3 Panzershreks and a Panzerfaust.  That's 10 stands!  So my first move is to take two of them.  I'd like three, but I don't think I can fit that much into 1650 points and still take my tanks.  However, I can always Kampfgroup one squad from each of the core platoons to create 3 squads of 7.

I also want the weapons platoon.  The HMGs aren't so useful -- the Lehr has plenty of half-track MGs already.  But I do want mortars, so I take those.  They are cheap and come with three half-tracks too.

The Big Guns

Let's face it.  Part of the fun of playing the Germans in FoW is their superior armor.  There's nothing so enjoyable as just being better than the competition and making them sweat it.  So I'm taking three Panthers.  Yeah, they're expensive.  Yeah, their Top Armor isn't so good.  But they have a damned awesome gun and nigh-invulnerable front armor.    Boom!

A StuG by Any Other Name, Smells as a Sweet

It has been my experience that a FoW infantry company needs two armored choices if it is to survive.  So, for my last selection, I want three Tank-Hunters.  These are a funky choice.  The Jadgpanzer (not panther) would later go on to sport a massive gun on the eastern front.  But in Normandy they had the same gun as the Panzer IV.  Statistically, they are identical to StuGs, but they look a bit different, and that's cool.

Tactics
How I play this list will depend on my opponent.  Against infantry, I will almost always attack.  The tanks are there to destroy enemy armor.  Then my Half-Tracked Panzergren squads can machine-gun and/or assault their infantry.  Against enemy armor, the infantry can dig in and use their plethora of Fausts and Shreks to discourage assaults, while the Panthers and Jadgpanzers play shoot and scoot and engage in a battle of attrition. The mortars will try not to die and put smoke where I need it.

Panzergrenadier Lehr Kompanie Armoured Infantry Demonstration Company

German Late-War

Platoon	Qty	Unit	Points
Headquarters
Panzergrenadier Lehr Kompanie HQ  p.103	2 3 1	Cmd Panzerfaust SMG team Sd Kfz 251/1 Panzerschreck team	120
Combat Platoons
Panzergrenadier Lehr Platoon  p.104	1 3 4 6	Cmd Panzerfaust SMG team Tank-hunter team Sd Kfz 251/1 MG team	290
Panzergrenadier Lehr Platoon  p.104	1 3 4 6	Cmd Panzerfaust SMG team Tank-hunter team Sd Kfz 251/1 MG team	290
Panzergrenadier Lehr Heavy Platoon  p.104	1 1 1 1 2	Cmd SMG team Sd Kfz 251/1 Observer Rifle team Kubelwagen Sd Kfz 251/2 (8cm)	100
Divisional Support
Panther Lehr Platoon  p.100	3	Panther A	560
Tank-hunter Lehr Platoon  p.116	3	Jagdpanzer IV	285
Company Points:			1645

Source document: Earth & Steel (D-Day)

Arsenal Tank Teams Name Mobility Front Side Top Equipment and Notes   Weapon  Range ROF Anti-tank Firepower Tanks Panther A Fully-tracked 10 5 1 Co-ax MG, Hull MG, Wide tracks.   7.5cm KwK42 gun 32"/80cm 2 14 3+ Infantry Guns (SP) Sd Kfz 251/2 (8cm) Half-tracked 1 0 0 AA MG.   8cm GW34 mortar 24"/60cm 2 2 3+ Hull mounted, Portee, Smoke, Minimum range 8"/20cm.   Firing bombardments 40"/100cm - 2 6+ Smoke bombardment. Tank-hunters Jagdpanzer IV Fully-tracked 7 3 1 Hull MG, Protected ammo, Schürzen.   7.5cm StuK40 gun 32"/80cm 2 11 3+ Hull mounted. Infantry Teams Team Range ROF Anti-tank Firepower Notes MG team 16"/40cm 3 2 6+ ROF 2 when pinned down. Panzerfaust 4"/10cm 1 12 5+ Tank Assault 6. Cannot shoot in the Shooting Step if moved in the Movement Step. Panzerschreck team 8"/20cm 2 11 5+ Tank Assault 5 Rifle team 16"/40cm 1 2 6+ SMG team 4"/10cm 3 1 6+ Full ROF when moving. Tank-hunter team 8"/20cm 1 11 5+ Tank Assault 5 Transport Teams Vehicle Mobility Front Side Top Equipment and Notes Trucks Motorcycle & Sidecar or Kubelwagen Jeep - - - Optional Passenger-fired hull MG. Armoured Personnel Carriers Sd Kfz 250/1 or 251/1 half-track Half-tracked 1 0 0 Hull MG, Passenger-fired AA MG. Vehicle Machine-guns   Weapon  Range ROF Anti-tank Firepower   Vehicle MG 16"/40cm 3 2 6 ROF 1 if other weapons fire.

Panzergrenadier Lehr Heavy Platoon - p.104
Panzergrenadier Lehr Heavy Platoons may make Combat Attachments to Combat Platoons.

Panzergrenadier Lehr Kompanie HQ - p.103
The Company HQ of a Panzergrenadier Lehr Kompanie may use the Mounted Assault special rule.

Panzergrenadier Lehr Platoon - p.104
Panzergrenadier Lehr Platoons may use the Mounted Assault Special rule.