German Volksgrenadier Infantry Platoons

T13A

Captain

Posts: 399

Re: German Volksgrenadier Infantry Platoons

« Reply #15 on: 15 January 2020, 08:30:53 AM »

Hi Mark

I was thinking 28 Infantry Division if the same OOB could also be used for the Hurtgen Forest fighting (I appreciate that might not be practical because of casualties) or perhaps the 99 Infantry Division?

Cheers Paul


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steve_holmes_11

Lieutenant Colonel

Posts: 910

Re: German Volksgrenadier Infantry Platoons

« Reply #16 on: 15 January 2020, 09:48:06 AM »

A bit late to the party here, and unqualified to comment on the rules end of the question.
Bayonetstrength.uk is my go to for details of organisation.

http://www.bayonetstrength.uk/GermanArmy/GerInfBn/OrgGerInfBn-headerpg.htm

It looks as through the automatic armed platoons were called machinepistol platoons until November '44 when they were renamed sturm platoons.
This appears to be when the Assault Rifle appears on the paper strength.

I noticed that the MP / Sturm platoon has a single squad with an LMG (The other two are exclusively equipped with automatic personal weapons).
Within the rifle platoon, each squad has 2 assault rifles and an LMG, the remainder carry rifles.


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sultanbev

Playtester
Major

Posts: 615

Re: German Volksgrenadier Infantry Platoons

« Reply #17 on: 15 January 2020, 10:06:09 AM »

Yep, came across the document German Infantry Battalion organization 1938 to 1945 in my research, great detail. What it doesn't highlight enough though is that the original KTsN for Sept 1944 for VG companies didin't differentiate between SMG and MP44, simply calling them MP platoons - from a post on Axis History it is clear that this was sloppy book keeping at the time, and it was intended to be MP44 platoons all along. Hence the confusion initially between me saying they were most likely to be SMG armed platoons due to shortage of MP44, and Paul thinking they were definitely MP44 armed.

Turns out there was two KTsN for Volkgrenadier companies, the original from September with "MP platoons", which is the one I had picked up on years ago for my army lists; then there is the November KTsN which clearly states MP44 platoons. However we also know now that most units (2/3rd of them) had to replace them with rifles anyway due to shortages of MP44.

But the document German Infantry Battalion organization 1938 to 1945 is superb. As well as organisational details, it lists ammo allocations for most infantry weapons and heavy weapons.
Interestingly late war, 20 rockets per Panzershreck,
36 panzerfausts per infantry company,
18 panzerfausts per HW company, so even your MMG teams and mortar crews can be given Panzerfaust upgrades.
IG37 infantry guns with 24 rounds of HEAT.
12cm mortars with no smoke ammo allocated.
20 rifle-anti tank grenades per launcher in VG Companies.
and so on.

Mark