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Panzer Lehr Sprues!

Panzer Lehr Sprues!

Good news! The Panzer Lehr test shots have passed the...erm...test! Going into production shortly. We will let everyone know when they will be released in the near future. 30 figure set for $34.95/£25. 

Sprue Front:

Sprue Back:

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Comments

Sean Clark - February 3, 2022

Silly question maybe… But how do these fit in with other WW2 plastics?

Tony Rieger - September 25, 2021

The very fact you guys have made BOTH ‘left hand throwing, pistol and right arm, throwing, pistol’ arms has me PUMPED. This is something I have always wanted ‘other’ plastics companies to DO! And WGA ….DID IT! Top notch right there. I hope this is a trend within the future kits too. It makes the choices for posing, and modeling so much better! Thank you!

Lerdou-Udoy Pierre - August 16, 2021

That’s right… but only partially correct.

Can I advise you to read : “Combat – Panzergrenadier versus US armored infantryman” (Steven Zaloga) or “La Panzer-Lehr-Division” (Jean-Claude Pergault : in french, with a lot of various photos)? Several “Osprey MAA” also deal with the German army and its equipment.

The Panzer-Lehr-Division was made with the PZ-Lehr-Regiment 130, the PZ-Gren. Reg. 901 and 902, the Artillerie-Reg. 130, plus recon’, Panzerjäger, pioneers, Flak and divisional services… including a veterinary company : but where are the horses on the photos?

The photographers of the Propaganda service especially insisted on the armored vehicles and their crews, at the beginning of the action. In battle, they were crushed by Allied (US) air and material superiority.

The motorized assault infantry (Panzergrenadiere) is less well known, but they held the ground with bravery on the “bocage”.

So we had various types of soldiers in the PZ-Lehr:
1. tank-crewmen (an mechanics) in black uniforms, without special combat individual equipments. They lived, fought and died on their vehicles;
2. artillery and fire-support vehicles crews with field-grey uniforms, whose combat posts was on board (no infantry equipment). They are the ones you mention, I believe;
3. a majority of soldiers (Panzergrenadiere) transported in vehicles, but whose combat posts were outside. Those men had to hold or conquer a position, as assault infantry, just like their comrades of the Heer (Grossdeutschland) or Waffen-SS (LSSAD, HJ). We all know hundreds of fotos of armored and motorized divisions grenadiers : in combat condition, they always wore the infantry assault pack (more or less complete).
PZ-Grenadiere moved in vehicles but fought on foot, just like today (ie. modern Bundeswehr infantry, green piping)!

I know at least 4 photos showing PZ-Grenadiere of the PZ-Lehr-Div. with the infantry assault pack. The most famous (Bundesarchiv – Foto Grimm Arthur – Juni 1944) shows a group of 9 men in Normandy, along the wall of a rural house, equipped for an assault (grenades, Panzerfaust). The MG-gunner, a senior corporal (Obergefreiter) is in profile and shows clearly the full combat equipment, with gas-mask box and shovel too!

The real question is : how do you know who is wearing infantry combat gear on a photo? The answer is : see if the soldier is wearing suspenders or not.
To see suspenders (and others accessories, headgears, uniforms…): www.wehrmachtlexikon.de > Heer > Waffen und Ausrüstung > Ausrüstung > Tragehilfen für das Rückengepäck > Koppeltrag(e)gestell (suspenders).

As with their other historic lines, I hope that WA will be working on this assault infantry combat gear in the future.

Best regards.

JTam - August 15, 2021

The Panzer Lehr Division was fully mechanized. When dismounted to fight the infantry would leave all excess kit (gas mask canisters, assault packs, etc.) on the vehicle. Try and find an original photo of a PLD Soldier with a gas mask canister or assault pack.

Pierre Lerdou-Udoy - August 8, 2021

I get the point of view and I agree…
I am also sure that with his inventiveness, a little more experience and research, the WA Team can become one of the leaders of the market.
They are apparently honest, hard-working and open-minded guys : they will progress by advancing, for sure.
Mon salut amical…

Mark - August 7, 2021

By Jove I can’t decide which button counters are worse WW2 or Napoleonic. Toys for tabletop and the alternative are monopose metals. Typical wargamer whinging instead of being pleased someone is actually making them in plastic.

Pierre Lerdou-Udoy - August 7, 2021

By Jove! the kit could have been perfect. But where are the basic infantry combat equipments* (Sturmgepäck = assault pack)?

*ie. : canteens, shovels, bayonets, gas mask tubular boxes, rolled up tent elements… and at least a map and compass satchel (Kartentasche) for the squad leader.

For the MG-team : where are the maintenance kit (Zubehörtasche), the spare barrel(s) (Laufschützer) and the ammunition strips ?

Too many machine guns, submachine guns and not enough ammunition… even for sentries or rear veteran soldiers. Panzer-lehr : elite soldiers or operetta soldiers ?

In 1944, short of tanks, motor vehicles, planes and gazoline, the German combat doctrine was that every small combat group had to be fully equipped, autonomous and bold, with some pretty impressive firepower. 15-16 years old boys were able to get off a tank : US and Russian veterans remember it !

We will have to find the complements.

William Ings - July 30, 2021

These guys look great. I can’t wait for the WW2 skirmish game you guys are helping with.

On another note. Could we get more dogs in some kits? I think they would fit the sentry troops you guys are making.

robert nijkamp - July 30, 2021

I’m missing parts here to turn some of these into Funker and Sanitater as an HQ option

Luca Lacchini - July 30, 2021

Guys, I need an approximate date on the Afghan Cavalry set! I NEED them for my Sludge War project ;-D

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