Let's start with something exciting: the Panzer Division (I hope one can follow this: I'm copying this over from an EXCEL file, and I haven't quite got the hang of formatting it so that it transfers across neatly).
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1 Each vehicle or gun represents a squadron, company or battery.
2. Each strength point represents about 5 vehicles or guns.
3. AFVs are classed by gun power and protection. So although the PzIV Battalion's 4 companies have 4SPs (representing 22 AFVs in each) and the Panther Companies just 3SP (representing 17 AFVs per company), the latter's heavier front armour and more powerful gun should outweigh the PzIV extra numbers.
4. AT and Ar(mour) classes will modify the number of dice rolled in combat. The provisional rule will run as follows (this using the Hexblitz/ Megablitz combat system, in which each side rolls for damage to one's own side):
- The number of dice rolled in combat is equal to the current SP value.
- Add 1 to the number of dice if your AT class is higher than the enemy's armour class
- Subtract 1 from the number of dice to be rolled if your AT class is lower than the enemy's armour class
- Add 1 to the hit score if attacked in flank or rear OR armour class is less than enemy's AT class
- Subtract 1 from hit score if your armour class is greater than enemy's AT class.
At the moment the AT and Armour classes envisaged are: Light, Medium, Heavy, Extra Heavy.
For an example of how this might work, imagine a tank battle against a fresh PzIV Battalion (6SP)
attacking a regiment of IS2 (2SP - actually a bit generous, as I think the Red Army heavy tank regiments comprised just 20-odd AFVs - barely even the size of a PzIV company!).
Let us suppose that both sides will take hits on a standard score of 5 or 6 (this is not 'per rule set', but used to illustrate the effects of the system proposed here).
To determine the effect of incoming,
For an example of how this might work, imagine a tank battle against a fresh PzIV Battalion (6SP)
attacking a regiment of IS2 (2SP - actually a bit generous, as I think the Red Army heavy tank regiments comprised just 20-odd AFVs - barely even the size of a PzIV company!).
Let us suppose that both sides will take hits on a standard score of 5 or 6 (this is not 'per rule set', but used to illustrate the effects of the system proposed here).
To determine the effect of incoming,
- The PzIV battalion rolls 2 dice, +1 for the IS2 gun being a higher class than the PzIV armour - 3 dice in all. The PzIV also adds 1 to each score to determine the effect, so will lose 1 SP for each 4, 5 or 6 rolled. The panzer battalion can 'expect' to lose 1.5 SPs
- The IS2 regiment rolls 6 dice, less 1 for the IS2 armour being heavier than the PzIV AT gun class - 5 dice only. The IS2 also subtracts 1 from each score to determine the effect, so will lose 1 SP for each 6 rolled only. The IS2 regiment can expect to lose 5/6 of a SP.
- Methinks the Panzer Battalion has caught a Tartar - possibly quite literally!
Although outnumbered three to one, the IS2 regiment will be no
pushover for the panzer battalion!
I feel I'm on to something here, but it is looking as if I might have to make considerable changes to the Hexblitz/ Megablitz combat systems to get it to work!
| Panzer Regiment ('Army Level' OOB). The single StuG stand represents the various vehicles of the panzerjager abteilung. |
| German Panzer Division 1944-5 - Army Level | ||||
| Command: | 1SP | |||
| HQ: | 1SP | |||
| Supply: | Supply Column | 1 x Lorry with trailer | 6LOG | |
| POL Column | 1 x Lorry or tanker | 4LOG | ||
| Recon Abt: 1 x Armoured Car (8 rad) | 1SP | Recon | ||
| 1 x Recon infantry stand | 1SP | Recon | ||
| 1 x Light Armoured half track | 1SP | 1T, Recon | ||
| Panzerjager Abt: | ||||
| 1 x Towed PaK40 with | 1SP | MdAT | ||
| 1 x SdKfz11 | 3T | |||
| OR 1 x StuG III G | 1SP | MdAT/ MdAr | ||
| OR 1 x Marder II or III | 1SP | MdAT/ OT | ||
| OR | ||||
| 1 of the above alternatives @ 3SP | 3SP | |||
| Pioneer Battalion | ||||
| 1 x Engineer SMG stand | 1SP | Eng | ||
| 1 x Bridging half-track | 1T | Eng | ||
| AA Battalion: | ||||
| 1 x 88L56 FlaK + SdKfz7 | 2SP | 3AA | ||
| OR | ||||
| 1 x 37L98 SP AA | ||||
| OR other SP AA vehicle | ||||
| Panzer Regiment: | ||||
| Panzer Battalion | 1 x PzV Panther | 5SP | HvAT/ HvAr | |
| Panzer Battalion | 1 x PzIVG-J | 6SP | MdAT/MdAr | |
| Panzer Grenadier Regiment (gepanzert) | ||||
| 4 infantry stands | 4SP | |||
| 1 armoured half-track | 4T | |||
| Panzer Grenadier Regiment (motorised) | ||||
| 4 infantry stands | 4SP | |||
| 1 medium or 2 light trucks | 4T | |||
| Artillery Regiment: | ||||
| 1 of: | ||||
| Wespe | 3SP | Lt or Md HE | ||
| Hummel | ||||
| 105L28 howitzer | ||||
| 150L30 howitzer | ||||
A few things to note.
1. Each vehicle or artillery model represents a battalion, unless otherwise stipulated.
2. Every 2 infantry stands represents a battalion, usually depicted with a rifle stand and some support weapon stand (MMG, Mortar or infantry armed with an anti-tank launcher). However, unless stipulated in the ORBAT, battalions (much less companies) have no separate identity or existence. The 4-stand German regiments represent units comprising 2 battalions (c.f. the 6 stands that represent 3-battalion regiments in the Red Army, or the 3-battalion Commonwealth brigades).
3. My Strength Point regime follows the Bob Cordery/ Tim Gow system so far as AFVs and Artillery is concerned (1SP to 15 AFVs or 12 guns). For infantry, I have settled upon 1 SP per stand.
4. Morale, training, troop quality or technical differences are not subsumed in this SP system (here I depart from the Cordery/Gow systems, whilst acknowledging this will add a layer of complexity to the game system). Those differences will determine the number of dice rolled in combat, and their effect. Apart from a brief glimpse earlier, how I see this working I'll leave for another time.
5. AFVs will be classed by weight of anti-tank firepower, and weight of protection (armour).
In the above list, you will observe that the PzIV battalion is given 6SP, the Panther battalion only 5. This would translate as 90 PzIV tanks in their battalion (establishment was actually 98, as of June 1944), and 75 Panthers in theirs (est. 78). But the heavier (front) armour and more powerful tank gun should outweigh the difference in numbers.
By the way, 21st Panzer Division on 5 June 1944, had just the one panzer battalion present; the other having been sent to Germany for re-equipping with Panthers (not to rejoin 21st Panzer for more than 6 months). I suggest the remaining PzIV battalion be given 7SP, or even 8SP, representing the 112 or so tanks available. I don't know whether the French AFVs with which the absent battalion had been 'equipped' were retained or abandoned.
Next time, I'll add in something at the other end of the excitement and 'cool kit' scale: the Luftwaffe Field Division. Well, it does have the 8.8cm FlaK, which is not nothing!
1. Each vehicle or artillery model represents a battalion, unless otherwise stipulated.
2. Every 2 infantry stands represents a battalion, usually depicted with a rifle stand and some support weapon stand (MMG, Mortar or infantry armed with an anti-tank launcher). However, unless stipulated in the ORBAT, battalions (much less companies) have no separate identity or existence. The 4-stand German regiments represent units comprising 2 battalions (c.f. the 6 stands that represent 3-battalion regiments in the Red Army, or the 3-battalion Commonwealth brigades).
3. My Strength Point regime follows the Bob Cordery/ Tim Gow system so far as AFVs and Artillery is concerned (1SP to 15 AFVs or 12 guns). For infantry, I have settled upon 1 SP per stand.
4. Morale, training, troop quality or technical differences are not subsumed in this SP system (here I depart from the Cordery/Gow systems, whilst acknowledging this will add a layer of complexity to the game system). Those differences will determine the number of dice rolled in combat, and their effect. Apart from a brief glimpse earlier, how I see this working I'll leave for another time.
5. AFVs will be classed by weight of anti-tank firepower, and weight of protection (armour).
In the above list, you will observe that the PzIV battalion is given 6SP, the Panther battalion only 5. This would translate as 90 PzIV tanks in their battalion (establishment was actually 98, as of June 1944), and 75 Panthers in theirs (est. 78). But the heavier (front) armour and more powerful tank gun should outweigh the difference in numbers.
By the way, 21st Panzer Division on 5 June 1944, had just the one panzer battalion present; the other having been sent to Germany for re-equipping with Panthers (not to rejoin 21st Panzer for more than 6 months). I suggest the remaining PzIV battalion be given 7SP, or even 8SP, representing the 112 or so tanks available. I don't know whether the French AFVs with which the absent battalion had been 'equipped' were retained or abandoned.
Next time, I'll add in something at the other end of the excitement and 'cool kit' scale: the Luftwaffe Field Division. Well, it does have the 8.8cm FlaK, which is not nothing!
| German Regular Infantry Division of 1944-5. The 3 assault gun and SPAA vehicles could instead have been subsumed into a single Marder or StuG at 3SP. |