Translating WWII Tank Armour Into Tabletop Wargaming: How Realism Meets the Table

In WWII, tank warfare was deadly, complex, and evolving at a breakneck pace. From the lightly armoured early-war Panzer IIs to the hulking late-war Panthers and IS-2s, both offensive firepower and armour protection saw radical changes. Real tank crews didn’t just rely on thick armour—they used tactics like angling their vehicles, going hull-down behind terrain, or positioning to encourage glancing blows. But how do we, as wargamers, bring those layers of complexity into our miniature games?

That’s exactly the question explored in my latest YouTube video. We look at how several major WWII wargames approach the representation of tank armour, including Flames of War, Rapid Fire!, What-a-Tanker! and Chain of Command. Each of these games takes a different stance on how armour is modelled—some use it as a “save,” others calculate penetration directly, and some abstract the whole process for the sake of fast, cinematic play.

We also dive into the history behind real-world tank armour innovations, like sloped armour, side-skirts, and spaced plating. Understanding these developments can not only enrich our gameplay but deepen our appreciation for the tank crews who risked everything during the war.

Whether you're a seasoned tabletop tactician or just starting out in historical gaming, this video offers a thoughtful and engaging look at how we recreate tank warfare on the tabletop. It’s packed with hobby discussion, rules comparisons, and respectful historical reflection.

Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf N

The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf N was the last production model of the Panzer III and the only version to be armed with the 7.5 cm L/24 gun. The gun had been used on earlier versions of the Panzer IV and fired a much more effective high explosive round than the longer barrel guns fitted to earlier versions of the Panzer III. Only 700 Ausf N's were made and all used chassis from earlier versions of the Panzer III, most based on the Ausf J, L and M. 

The Ausf N had frontal armour of 50mm and side armour of 30mm so it wasn't as well protected as its larger cousins. However, it had a maximum road speed of 40 km per hour with an average speed of 20 off-road making it's relatively 'nippy'. Its theoretical range was 155 km on roads and 95 km off-road and like all German armour towards the end of the war was limited mostly by fuel supplies rather than spare parts. As well as the main gun it could carry 64 rounds of a mix of 7.5cm armour piercing and high explosive shells, and 3750 rounds of a 7.92 mm machine gun rounds, belted in 150 round bags. 

It looks fairly small compared to the Mark IV and of course Panthers and Tigers. At just two-and-a-half meters high and weighing in at about 23 metric tons, it was a lightweight compared to the heavy vehicles that we are used to seeing. However, its ability to ford 60cm deep water, cross a 2.3 m wide trench and obstacles up to 60 cm tall (and climb a 30 degrees slope) made it an ideal infantry support vehicle. In the Russian campaigns, they were fitted with Schurzen to protect the sides from anti-tank rifle fire. This practice also provided some limited protection against bazookas and PIATs later in the war. The Ausf  N saw service in Russia, North Africa and Europe and the Germans even gave some to their allies in Hungary. 

Production ended in 1943 but some of these were still in use 1944, albeit in very small numbers, continuing in their role as infantry support tanks. However, by this time most surviving Pzr III's were being taken back to be converted into the turretless Sturmgeschütz III.

M5 Light Tank from Skytrex

One thing that quickly becomes clear when looking at American tanks in WWII is that the nomenclature is often very very confusing. The M5 Light Tank was a modified version of the Earlier M3 (sometimes known as a 'Honey' to the British). The M5 was originally designated the M4 Light Tank but that was changed to M5 to avoid confusion with the M4 Medium Tank (the Sherman). Meanwhile the British just gave up trying to understand American designations and called it the Stuart VI. 

The M5 grew out of the fact that by 1941 the Americans were looking ahead and expected a shortage in radial engines (which were needed for aircraft) and started looking around for alternatives to power their tanks. They naturally looked at the automobile industry and so the M5 was powered by twin Cadillac V8 engines. The result was a tank that was lighter, roomier and cooler, and the automatic transmission also made crew training simpler. 

The hull was all-welded and the designers moved the glacis armour out slightly making more room for the drivers. They had their own hatches (enlarged on later models) and in the later M5A1 even had access to a hull escape hatch behind the assistant driver's seat. This feature was only possible because American tanks put their track wheel suspension on the outside of the tank in easily replaceable vertical volute spring arrangements. The Germans, on the other hand, used a much more sophisticated torsion bar arrangement that traversed the underside of their vehicles. Arguable the German solution made for a smoother ride but repairs were much more difficult and of course, there was no room for a floor escape hatch. The American approach fitted their philosophy perfectly; vehicles could be replaced easily, highly trained crews could not. 

The M5's turret was essentially the same as in the earlier M3A1, but its lower height (due to new transmissions and driveshafts) meant the turret traverse mechanism could be attached to the underside of the turret basket. This gave the turret crew more room and as any modern tanker will tell you, good ergonomics in a tank is worth its weight in extra ammunition! As already indicated there was a later version, the M5A1 (also called the Stuart VI by the British!) which incorporated a new turret design with a distinctive radio bustle on the rear. The .30cal AAMG mounted on the new turret was moved from the rear of the turret to its right side. 

My model came from Skytrex and the moulding was really good with very little clean up needed. I needed to do a little work drilling and epoxy glueing the MG to the Turret in the hope that the resulting bond can survive handling in a game!  Next week I'll be showing off a Panzer that I've not painted before.  

War and Peace 2019

Saturday I went to the War and Peace Revival show at Paddock Wood in Kent. This time I accompanied the Veterans and saw another side of the show that I haven't encountered before. I'm normally straight into the Living History areas of the show or hastening to the arena to see some armour in action. This time my day started with a service of remembrance surrounded by some highly decorated veterans.

Don and Albert look through a book of D-Day photo's. 

Inside the Veterans Marquee

Parade of heroes. Some very decorated men and women in this lineup

The drumhead remembrance service was very moving

John and Don have a 'little' snifter! 

As the service came to an end, so did the rain so we headed out for a very quick look around the showground. Luckily I've been here many times and I knew to wear some waterproof shoes! Let's just say the roads around the side had gone from plain old mud to mud-coloured soup with the passage of thousands of visitors and hundreds of military vehicles.

This replica StuG is often seen at living history events. 

This excellently restores Sherman is still covered with battle damage, shrapnel slash marks and impact scars. 

Dust wasn't an issue...the mud looked like it could swallow up a person. 

A mock-up of a WWII field hospital. 

Did I mention the mud? Lucky my walking shoes are water proof. 

This Marder II (Ausf M) is a rare example. The open-topped fighting compartment is mounted on the chassis of the Czech Panzer 38(t). About 80% original parts the remainder has been sensitively restored by the owner, but he's always on the lookout for original parts. 

The same owner also has this original StuG III Ausf D. It was one of only three sent to North Africa and was captured by the allies, this one being returned to Britain. 

Myself and my Brother in Law Ray. 

A fine example of a restored Volkswagen Schwimmwagen

This M3 Grant tank still bears the scars of years as a range target. A testament to the simplicity and durability of this vehicle the new owner put a new engine in it and runs it in its current 'swiss cheese' condition. 

I've always wanted a Bren Carrier... it's on my shopping list should I ever win the lottery! 

Another excellent restoration, a rare Valentine DD tank. The inflatable screen is very similar to those fitted to Shermans for the D-Day landings. 

A classic Sherman. There were a few of these roaring around the site. 

Two Hetzers owned by Kevin Wheatcroft. One has been restored and the other (from a Swiss range) is about to begin restoration. 

Want to buy some track for your Tiger I? At £550 a link it could prove expensive!

Or a Panther wheel at £350... you need deep pockets if you're a collector. 

A wonderful and typically wet day but a good one despite some exhibitors going home early the day before. I guess the bad weather had them worried about their armour getting rusty!

Two Pzkfw IV Ausf J painted twice!

I nearly finished these tanks last week but in the end, I cleaned and re-primed them and started again...let me explain the madness. I decided to give these vehicles a different colour scheme, opting for something called Ambush Camouflage. This is a hard-edged camo that started to appear on German tanks in August 1944. It consisted of the usual Green and Red/Brown stripes over Dunkelgelb with dots of opposing colours over the top. A bit complex, but considering I don't have an airbrush I thought it would be a good alternative to my previous attempts at soft-edge camo. Initially, I was reasonably happy with it, although the dots were a bit bigger than I liked. Then I made a massive tactical error. 

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I usually apply an ink wash to my models to darken shadows and, in the case of vehicles, deepen the recesses around hatches and engine grills etc. This time, for reasons even I don't understand I didn't use my normal ink but opted for Army Painter Strong Tone instead. And frankly, that ruined the models. They were way too dark and unlike regular ink, I couldn't clean away the dried excess with a wet brush. The models looked absolutely terrible and I couldn't bring myself to submit them for judging. In the end, I decided to start over so I stripped and re-base coated them. Heartbreaking, but utterly necessary!

A rather poor photo of some awful looking tanks! I couldn't submit these and just had to restart them from scratch. 

The second time around the results are much better. I have applied a much simpler hard edge camo design and my usual ink wash (Peat Brown Winsor and Newton Calligraphy Ink watered down 40%) and I am much much happier with the end results. As much as it killed me to restart these I just couldn't bear to present them in their former state. And the lesson folks is that even an experienced model painter can f-up occasionally!

The Panzer IV was an important tank, not because it was the best, but because it had such a long service life. It was continually able to be up-gunned and modified meaning it saw service through the whole of WWII in various iterations. These are the Ausf.J, the final production versions of the Panzer IV. In many ways, it was simpler than the earlier Ausf F version, in large part to speed production in the face of heavy battlefield losses against the Russians. The Ausf J was armed with the 7.5 cm KwK 40 L/48 gun and had 80mm rolled homogeneous armour on the front and 30mm on the sides. One innovation fitted to some, but not all, J's (and not on these models) was the move from solid Shutzen side plates to Drahtgeflecht Schürzen (Steel Mesh) which obviously saved weight but was found to be just as effective against shaped charge projectiles like Bazookas.

Having to clean and repaint these was a hard choice, but I was so unhappy with my first attempt I just couldn't bring myself to enter them in the Painting Challenge. I'm much happier with the second attempt and they are now ready for use.

Quick visit to the Mucklebrough Collection

The Family and I went away last week as it was the school half term break. Thankfully it wasn't as cold as it could have been for the time of year and we managed to make the most of the trip, despite the fact that many of the museums I wanted to visit were closed for the winter! Fortunately, the Mucklebrough Museum was open and I was given a day pass by the wife to visit it while she and the youngling went to a nearby zoo.

Concentrating while taking a selfie! I'm very happy in this picture...honest. 

Russian T34 & T55 tanks with a British A34 Comet

The Artillery Hall

The museum also has an excellent gallery of models and military diorams

88mm FLAK37 German Anti-Aircraft gun

Canadian 'Grissley' Sherman

If you are ever in the area this place is well worth a visit. Some of the exhibits are a little cramped but the collection is very impressive none-the-less. 

Sturmgeschütz III

(Saturday DRAFT) From LeeH - Battle hardened Sturmgeschütz III (8pts)

The Sturmgeschutz series of Assult Guns was based on the proven chassis of the Panzer III and was probably one of the most effective weapons in Germany's armoured divisions. Initially designed as assault artillery its role developed as the war progressed. After encountering Soviet T24's and KV tanks the role of tank destroyer, with it's by now upgraded and powerful forward facing gun, became more important. 

Another factor in the success and utility of the StuG's was probably not something the Nazi regime would have liked to trumpet. They were relatively cheap to build and Germany was increasingly short on resources. 

By 1944 the StuG III had been upgunned with the 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/48 gun making it a much more deadly weapon. The final version of the series was the StuG II Aust G saw service right through the Normandy campaign and beyond. Its superstructure had been widened and it was slightly taller allowing more room in the fighting compartment for the crew, and for ammunition stowage. From May 1943, side hull spaced armour plates (Schürzen) were fitted, initially to protect against Russian anti-tank rifles, but they later also proved effective against hollow-charge ammunition. 

My StuG is battle hardened and covered in camouflage and mud, making it very hard to spot when placed in a good position. 

Da Vinci's Fighting Vehicle

Renaissance Italy was a patchwork of warring city-states, each constantly looking for an advantage over the other. Rich in coin but poor in manpower the states employed large mercenary contingents into their armies. Not, you would have thought, ideal territory for a jobbing artist and inventor such as Leonardo. However, when he was looking for a new patron instead of offering his sword arm in return for payment he offered the fruits of his prodigious mind.

One potential employer was the Duke of Milan and Leonardo tempted him with a new and innovative weapon of war. Writing to the Duke in 1487, Da Vinci stated: 

"I can make armoured cars, safe and unassailable, which will enter the close ranks of the enemy with their artillery, and no company of soldiers is so great that it will not break through them. And behind these, the infantry will be able to follow quite unharmed and without any opposition.”

Suitably impressed, the Duke of Milan employed the renaissance polymath.

Leonardo da Vinci's fighting vehicle employed a sloped wooden cover to deflect incoming shots and would have been armed with up to a dozen small cannons. The 'crew' of the vehicle would have been very busy indeed, propelling the tank using a massive hand crank and manning the guns once in position.

The actual design has some 'obvious' flaws in it, such as the crank system which would have turned the wheels in opposite directions. Scholars believe this was deliberate so that his design could not be stolen and used by someone else. The size of the narrow wheels would also have made the ground pressure very high meaning it would have been useless on anything other than flat firm ground. While the practical application his design may have been lacking, the concept was certainly way ahead of its time. 

Battle of the Poppy Field

On Sunday I joined the Rejects for a very special commemorative game. Stuart called me about this a couple of weeks ago and I immediately said I was available. Most  of the guys were able to make it for this game and Postie asked me to make the arrangements for us to participate in the silent reflection scheduled for 11am. A full write up of the game with pictures is below but as this was a commemorative game I would like to start with a couple of dedications. 

Stuart in particular dedicated this game to the memory of his Great Grandfather, Private James Till of the Royal West Kent Regiment. Private Till died at the young age of 30 somewhere on the Western Front in France in July 1917 and Stuart is very fortunate to have some family memento's that provide a very direct link to the war that ended exactly 100 years earlier. 

Embroidered silk postcards were one of the most popular ways for soldiers to send their love back home. Originally hand-embroidered by women in France and Belgium, the postcards provided not only much needed income for local civilians but also a beloved keepsake for troops and their families. Postie has several examples sent by his Great Grandfather to family back home in England, all with penciled messages written on the reverse.  

Possibly Private Till's wife or maybe his mother, the message on the reverse is unclear. 

Condolence cards like this were common at this period and Stuarts family have kept the card for Private Till in amazing condition. 

These were an amazing and very touching reminder of a young man who gave everything fighting for his country. I think we were all very humbled to have seen and handled these, particularly on the 100th anniversary of the Armistice. We spent a considerable time talking about the ceremonies taking place across the country that day and sharing stories of our own families from that time.

I'd also like to add a dedication to my Great Grandfather, Private George Henry Woodward, Royal Army Service Corp. He died 10th October 1917 at the Kalamaria Supply Depot in Greece. Georges death certificate revealed that he was not killed in action, nor did he die of wounds. Instead he fell ill with Dysentery which eventually killed him. For me this is all the more tragic and I know that his loss still effected my Nan many years later when she asked me to look up any information about him. She knew he died in Greece but the details of his death and the site of his burial were unknown. Thanks to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website we now know that George is buried in the Mikra British Cemetery south of Thessaloniki, in the municipality of Kalamaria, Greece. Not far from where he was stationed.

Now it was time to begin our commemorative game. 

The Setup

The British map - Grossly Inaccurate is the only
way I can describe this!

Stuart set our game right towards the end of the war when the fighting and the killing were still happening, despite the knowledge that the end was clearly in sight. Fighting continued right up to the 11am ceasefire and these are even tales of last minute assaults by over eager commanders determined for a last dash of glory before everything came to an end. 

Ray and I were to play the British side with Mark and Surjit on the German side. As expected this meant they were defending a hastily built trench line while we were attacking with mass tanks supported by an inadequate number of infantry. Both sides were given maps of the battlefield indicating objectives and the game started with a heavy smokescreen having been laid down by the British to cover the advance of the tanks. This meant they started the game in an advanced position (anywhere from 18 to 36 inches in the table) determined by dice roll for each vehicle. Thereafter they would crawl towards the enemy lines at an agonising 4" per turn for the Mk IV's and 6" for the Whippets... if they didn't break down or were destroyed by enemy guns. 

The Order of Battle

British (C/O Lee, 2iC Ray)

13 Male/Female MkIV Tanks

5 Whippet Medium Tanks

1 Field Gun

2 Battalions Infantry

1 HMG

1 LMG

1 Staff Car and Commander

1 Flamethrower

1 Rolls Royce Armoured Car

1 Sopwith Camel Biplane

German (C/O Mark, 2iC Surjit)

1 A7V Heavy Tank

2 Captured British Mk IV Tanks (1 Male, 1 Female)

1 Lorry with AA Gun

2 Trench Mortars

2 Field Guns

2 HMG

2 LMG

2 Battalions Infantry

1 Unit Stormtroopers

1 Brigade Commander

2 Flamethrowers

1 Fokker DR1 Triplane 

The initial moves were performed with screens down to hide the other sides dispositions. This represented the smokescreen and meant that both sides had to rely on the maps provided by Postie.

We had completed this initial stage and raised the screens just before 11 am and were now ready to start the game. 

Remembrance 

At 11 am precisely a Bugle began playing the Last Post* and we all stopped what we were doing and prepared to pay our respects. After the Last Post, Stuart read out the Exhortation:

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them"

We then remained head bowed for the traditional Two Minutes Silence, ended by the playing of the Reverie and Stuart reading 

"When you go home tell them of us and say - For your tomorrow we gave our today"

We may have been just a bunch of silly, aging wargamers standing in a shed but I can honestly say it was one of the most moving remembrance ceremonies I have every taken part in. I had a lump in my throat and the hairs stood up on the back of my neck as the last post began, and the two minute silence was reverently and solemnly observed by everyone present.  

(*The British Legion have a 4 minute MP3 download specifically for use at remembrance ceremonies. It times the Last Post, Exhortation, Silence and Reverie perfectly and I used it as an alarm on my phone so we were able to take part in the national commemorations precisely in line with the rest of the country).

The Game

With the remembrance ceremony concluded we were now ready to start our game. As already indicated the British side (Myself and Ray) started almost half way across the table having advanced under cover of smoke. As the smoke cleared however we were dismayed to find that the maps we had been given before the game were less then accurate.  

A wave of British Tanks trundle slowly across the open fields
before the hastily dug German trenches. Breakdowns and
lack of reliability has already thinned the armoured attack. 

The French town that was the primary focus of my assault by a mixed force of heavy and medium tanks, an armoured car and a Battalion of infantry. The town is significantly larger and more ominous looking than it was on our maps. This may prove a tough objective...especially as the Germans have a captured British Mk IV 'Male' tank! 

Although the Germans produced their own tank (the A7V) they relied heavily on captured and repaired British tanks. Repainted with the German Cross and driven by novice crews they were none the less effective, especially in a static defensive role like this where mechanical reliability would be less of an issue. 

And to prove the point the very first shot from the German hits and destroys my only 'male' tank on this side of the table. This is a disaster and not only do I now not have any artillery here, the wreck is also blocking the road. My infantry will have to advance in the open now. 

Turn two and our Sopwith Camel arrives in the sky above the battle. It's still too high to effect any ground troops but one of our victory objectives is 'Mastery of the Sky' so all we have to do is keep this plane flying. 

The German A7V is an ungainly looking vehicle and wasn't very good over rough ground but it bristles with guns and has a crew of at least 18 men. It was an early priority target for us and fortunately Ray takes it out in the second turn. 

Meanwhile my assault on the town is a disaster, My objective is to get a British unit off the table via the road down the right in this picture but I have lost three of my four vehicles before they even reach the barbed wire. To make matters worse a hidden sniper is picking away at my infantry and I can' locate his position to fire back at him. 

Our Sopwith Camel heads towards the German lines. Our pilot is a novice but the few hours training he received should be enough, shouldn't it? 

I turn my second tank group toward the less guarded side of the French town. I'm hoping to provide some much needed support to my troops attacking front on. Unfortunately the sneaky Germans have put an artillery piece inside a concrete bunker and start firing at my tanks as they move slowly (oh so slowly) across its field of fire. 

Meanwhile in the town the Germans reveal an AA truck and begin trying to shoot down our aircraft. Fortunately their aim is terrible and most of their shells are duds! 

I get an 18 pounder Artillery piece come on to support my attack on the town and immediately open fire on the captured Mk IV that has been playing havoc with my tanks. I destroy it with my first fire and I breath a deep sigh of relief. 

Now the Germans bring on an aircraft. This time a Fokker DR1 and it is piloted by an Ace. However Surjit decides he'd rather not risk the plane in a dogfight and ignores our Sopwith in favour of strafing my infantry. 

Having destroyed one captured Mk IV the Germans now bring forward another! Fortunately this one is 'just' a Female tank but its multiple machine guns could play havoc with my infantry once it gets clear of the french streets. 

The Fokker DR1 drops in altitude and strafes my infantry. As an Ace he can fire three bursts per turn but has a limited number of bursts per game. He's using up his ammo fast but is also doing a lot of damage. 

Turning towards my artillery he kills some of the crew, but
not enough to put the gun out of action. With his ammo gone
Surjit turns his plane for home and safety. 

Meanwhile our novice pilot is getting through his ammo more
slowly and we realise all we have to do is keep him in their air
to achieve one of our objectives 'Mastery of the Sky'

Elsewhere Ray's tanks have breached the German wire and one 
of his Whippet Tanks is making a dash for the back edge of the 
Table. If it can avoid being destroyed by the German Artillery 
in the nearby bunker we may achieve another of our objectives!

Victory may be in sight but our infantry have taken heavy casualties and many of our tanks have either broken down or been destroyed. The casualty clearing stations are busy today. 

Another one of Ray's tanks has reached the wire. If we can reach the trench line we will have three of our four objectives secured. All this time the German troops in the trenches have kept their heads down. We know there are a lot in the trenches, even after out Sopwith staffed them. The battle is not over yet. 

Amazingly one of my tanks has reached the wire and begins to rube through it. A burst of gunfire from the German MkIV kills the driver and brings my tank to a temporary halt. 

The German captured MkIV female is out of the town. However my now nearly all my infantry have fallen. 

Ray's Mk IV gets bogged trying to cross the German trench but its reached its objective. Infantry poor down into the German Trench and begin trading fire with the defenders. 

The Dead driver is replaced and my Mk IV moves forward again smashing through the barbed wire and rubble. 

Meanwhile another of my tanks has cross the wire to the left of the town. They don't have any infantry support but there is little left that the Germans can throw at them now. 

With British troops in the German Trenches the games comes to a close.

Conclusion

The British achieved three of their four objectives which was a solid British win. However with the massive loss of tanks and infantry it felt like a hollow victory, particularly as this battle was set less than two weeks from the end of the war. Sadly fighting in WWI continued right up to the eleventh hour. The Armistice documents had been signed shortly after 5am but the ceasefire was set for 11am to allow time for the news to reach front line units. This delay is estimated to have cost the lives of nearly 3,000 soldiers in the final hours of war. Some commanders saw the terms of the Armistice as soft on the Germans and still believed that they had to be severely defeated at a military level to effectively ‘teach them a lesson’. Consequently many attacks planned for the 11th went ahead, even when their commanders knew about the 11am ceasefire. One last act of madness in a war that few today can truly comprehend.