Models & More...

Continuing on from last night, I've hit the "Fortress Europe" book of army lists to define what models I need to purchase (it paying to always have an idea as to what you want to get to avoid wasting money on impulse purchases etc).

Firstly I am working from source material based upon the series of books by historian John Dugdale "Panzer Divisions... Ardennes & Nordwind: Their Detailed & Precise Strengths & Organisations Vol 1 (Parts 1-3, 4a & 4b)" published by Military Press. Whilst I don't have these books myself, and they are both hard to find and overly expensive to actually purchase, I was able to find a listing of forces fielded by 11th PD on 1st September 1944. So this is what I will be using for my army basis. The division had taken some losses during August whilst withdrawing up the Rhone Valley defending the rear of the German 19th Army, these were a good portion of its panzers and self-propelled guns, but the division managed to withdraw with most of its APC's and heavy weapons intact. Prior to "Operation Dragoon" (2nd Allied invasion of the French mainland in August '44) the division had been brought up to full strength. I cannot find any listing of that other than that it was to the standard 1944 T/O&E.

This is the list I have to work with (I have left out segments of the division that I don't intend modelling at all in this time-frame) from Dugdale.

15th Panzer Regiment
Stab w/ 7 Panzer IV's and 7 Mobelwagons
1st Battalion (Panther)
Stab w/ 4 Panzer V's and 2 SdKfz 251/8
1 Kp. w/ 5 Panzer V's
2 Kp. w/ 6 Panzer V's
3 Kp. w/ 7 Panzer V's
4 Kp. w/ 8 Panzer V's
2nd Battalion (Panzer IV)
Stab w/ 1 Panzer IV and 4 Panzer III
5 Kp. w/ 8 Panzer Iv's

(There are 3 other companies but at this point were without tanks)

110th Panzer Grenadier Regiment
Stab w/ 11 SdKfz 251
Inf Gun Kp. w/ 2 Grilles and 2 SdKfz 251
Engineer Kp. w/ 5 SdKfz 251
1st Battalion
Stab w/ 2 SdKfz 251/3 and 3 SdKfz 251/1
1 Kp. w/ 1 SdKfz 251/3, 2 251/2, 2 251/9 and 8 251/1
2 Kp. w/ 1 SdKfz 251/3, 2 251/2, 1 251/9 and 7 251/1
3 Kp. w/ 1 SdKfz 251/3, 2 251/2, 2 251/9 and 6 251/1
4 Kp. w/ 1 SdKfz 251/3, 5 251/1 (4 towing 12cm mortars) and 4 251/9

(2nd Battalion had just trucks and cars, 111th Panzergrenadier Regiment had few armored vehicles)

11th Panzer Aufklarungs Abteilung (Recon Battalion)
Stab w/ 3 Sdkfz 231, 10 222, 3 223, 3 251/3, 4 251/1 and 1 250/3
1 Kp. w/ Light and medium cars
2 Kp. w/ 2 SdKfz 250/3, 3 250/10, 19 250/1, 2 250/8 and 2 250/7
3 Kp w/ 1 SdKfz 250/3 and 10 251/1
4 Kp. w/ Light and medium cars
5 Kp. w/ 1 SdKfz 251/3, 4 251/9, 3 251/2 and 3 251/1

(11th Recon seems to have been one of the more elite units within the 11 PD - although the entire PD was considered to be of veteran status)

61st Panzerjager Abteilung (Armored Panzerjager)
Stab w/ no armored vehicles
1 Kp. w/ 1 Stug III, 4 Marder II and 4 Marder III
3 Kp. w/ 9 towed PaK40's

(This unit had staff away training awaiting the deilvery of 21 Jagpanzer IV's which arrived in November. I may take some poetic licence here and include them anyway. There is some mention of the unit also having another 8 StuG III's, but I cannot source this to my satisfaction historically at present)

119th Panzer Artillery Regiment
Stab w/ no armored vehicles
1st Battalion
Stab w/ 4 Panzer III and 2 SdKfz 251
1 Btty. w/ 4 Wespe
2 Btty. w/ 4 Wespe
3 Btty. w/ 3 Hummel

(The other 2 battalions had various 100mm - 150mm cannons and howitzers of the towed variety)

209th Panzer Pioneer Battalion
Stab w/ 8 SdKfz 251
3 Kp. w/ 20 SdKfz 251

(1 & 2 Kp both had trucks only)

Also of note was the flak battalion

277th Heers Flak Abteilung
Stab w/ no armored vehicles
1 Btty. w/ 5 towed '88 Flak Guns and 2 SdKfz 10/4 2cm
2 Btty. w/ 5 towed '88 Flak Guns and 3 towed 2cm Flak Guns

(It is noted that these '88 Flak Guns were of the latest variety and newly acquired by the unit. They were to play a large role in aiding the 11PD in slowing the Allied advance up the Rhone Valley).

Whilst I do have an Order of Battle for the 11PD for its full strength, the same OOB does not specify vehicle types. Based on this above listing of the 1 Sept condition, and descriptions of unit actions and photos, I should be able to make a fair approximation of its full strength if I wish.

Anyway, with the above list in mind - which will be like a foreign language to most people (and even just learning to read/understand it myself!), I can now look at units to buy and paint.

I already have:

1 Armored Panzer Grenadier Headquarters Box
2 Armoured Panzer Grenadier Platoon Boxes
1 Panther Platoon Box
6 Panzer II "Luchs"

Now just to sort out the list of what else I'd like to get that fits both the list above, AND the army lists within Fortress Europe that I mentioned yesterday. Obviously the Luchs won't fit in at all, but they are "cute" little tanks, and given that I already have them I am going to practice my chosen paint scheme on those.

As well as figuring out just "how" I am going to paint them, camo schemes etc etc. (I was mulling over something winter camo wise, but guess I can always go over that later.) All guaranteed to keep me busy for a while yet.