Panzer Lehr Project.


  • So with the Panzer Lehr on its way I started working on a project, I have been working on a paint scheme for the future release.

    My current plan is simple, A 1000 point BA Panzer Lehr army. For this I will be using 2-3 boxes of panzer Lehr, 1 box of Warlords Grenadiers and Im thinking 1 sprue of winter germans from warlords. I also plan to trade the regular grenadier bodies with people for more zeltbahns. I also hope to get more iron crosses and bread bags etc to increase the detail on my Panzer Lehr as the WGA kit doesnt come with Bread bags/shovels or entrenching tools sadly.

     

    Concept:

    Colours arent exactly correct as this is more a colours pre dry brushing and washes etc. I made these concepts by editing and redrawing the art made by TheHandGernadeDivision for his awesome videos on german uniforms.

     

     

    I plan to update this project as I make progress, Im moving at the end of the month so I havent bought any of the stuff I need yet but once in the UK I will be starting and will be updating progress here to hopefully inspire  you all!

     

    [Also I plan to do some experimenting to show how the panzer lehr could be used to make kriegsmarine uboat commanders for those wanting to make Kriegsmarine squads for bolt action.]



  • Very cool project.  Looking forward to watching the project log progress.

    Do you have a tentative 1000 point list already?


  • @Cole Lassell  I will be watching with interest. I am particularly interested in your ideas on how to convert to Kriegsmarine.


  • @JTam Not an exact list, I gotta see how well the parts mix for this kit and the WL kits cause things like snipers and pioneers would be nice.


  • @Cole Lassell 

    You may find the compatibility better with Warlord's "German Infantry plastic box set."  It's an older Warlord kit which means the figures aren't as THIC as the newer kits.  There's a lot breadbags, canteens, etc on the sprue.  That set also has seperate weapons sprue, which includes a scoped Mauser.  Combine with a WGA PLD body for a super quick and easy Panzer Lehr sniper conversion.

    The Warlord Pioneer kit SURPRISE! is full of useful Pioneer bits (to include a Goliath) that could be used with the WGA Panzer Lehr bodies.  The base sprue for the Pioneer kit is Warlord's Blitzkrieg Germans.  They all have gas sheets on their chests so the bodies won't work for you.  But being a slightly older Warlord kit the arms, etc, should work fine with WGA's Panzer Lehr bodies.

    The Warlord plastic Winter Germans and Panzer Grenadiers are newer and consequently ultra stocky/THIC/heroic.  Arms may not jibe with the WGA Panzer Lehr. 


  • @Cole Lassell 

    Really like your concept art/sketch. 

    I will mention that camouflage pants for Heer Soldiers seems to have been VERY thin on the ground based on photos.  


  • @JTam yeah again it will be easier to see once I have the models. For now Im just doing some research on the Panzer Lehr division for fun. I plan to share some of the cool finds I have soon!

     


  • @Cole Lassell 

    Looking forward to anything you can dig up about the Panzer Lehr Division.


  • So Im still digging but this is one very interresting part of the panzer Lehr Ide like to share and that is the "Panzer Kompanie 316FKL". FKL=Funklenk which is in reference to the radio controlled demolition vehicles used by this unit. 

    This unit was originally issued 10 Stug3 control tanks on 1 April 1943, There is one thing I want to note though, the original organization of this unit called for 3 platoons of 4 control tanks with 9 Borgwards and 2 company command tanks. This would mean the unit would have required 14 tanks, I could not find reference as to why but I feel the next note may hint at the over all issue in supplies all units suffered. In september 3 Tiger control tanks were handed over to the unit with the intent of equiping the entire 316 with tigers 1 or 2s.

    When the Panzer Lehr division was sent to Hungary to take part in operation Margarethe the 316FKL was asked to give its 10 Stug3s to PanzerJager Abteilung 130 because they had not yet recieved there jagdpanzer4s.

    After leaving Hungary and entering france at somepoint the stug3s are returned to the unit. At the start of D-day operations the 316 reports having 3 tigers and 9 stug3s in working order. In july they reported having 7 Stugs and all tigers destroyed.  I could not find any reports on if any of the Borgwards had been able to make it into combat or were even attempted to be used. The reports from the Divisions over all fighting in june to july is horrific with the unit being decimated over all.

    WIP

     

    So now onto what I know about the control vehicles, From my understanding the Stug saw minor changes with the ammo being lowered to fit the additional radio equipment.

     

    The Tiger saw the adding of a new operating equipment and radio mounts in the loaders section of the turret. The Coaxial MG was also removed along with 28 rounds from the Haul to fit a Generator for the new equipment. A new anttena was mounted to the right side of the turret and a plug was welded in the COAX MG slot. 

    There tigers could completely operate as normal tanks and I believe they may have tanken part in the fighting north of CAEN.

     

    One last Fact. Following with the plan to reequip the unit with Tigers/King Tigers, 5 King tigers with the early production turret were sent for 316 but by prior to D-Day the King tiger was found to be suffering from an insane amount of mechanical issues and was planned to be trained back to germany for reworking. 

    After D-Day began it was realized they would not be able to send them back and they were dug in at the town of "châteaudun". I cant confirm who actually ended up crewing these 5 king tigers but an interresting fact was that the surviving pictures of King Tiger #11 is that it seems to have been knocked out from a unit that flanked the city of châteaudun.

     

    Ok thats all I got for now on the 316 I plan to cover other parts of the Lehr soon. If you have anything  you want to know on the 316FKL that I  may have not included please ask!

     


  • @Cole Lassell 

    Great stuff.  Really like the details on the Tiger modifications to act as a control vehicle. 

    Question.  Did the 316 operate Borgwards or Goliaths?  I thought Goliaths?

    Question.  From here:

    https://wargamesatlantic.com/community/xenforum/topic/45824/panzer-lehr-expansion-set-panzerschreck

     


  • @JTam so I'm on my phone atm but I can grab you the definitive source on my laptop tomorrow. Basically I too thought the 316 was a Goliath unit unit I read into it more. The fkl units refer only to those using remote controlled devices and not wire guided. 

     

    I plan to do another post on the pioneers of the Lehr who if I remember what I glanced at already for them that they were issued Goliaths.

     

    As for the uniform of the 316 it's hard to know. They would have started out in stug3s so the would have all had the standard assualt gun jacket similar to the Lehr PZgren but with 3 crews going into tigers I'm unsure. I'm also unsure if the stugs would have worn black also but I'll check my source for uniforms and see if it may have a definitive answe.

     


  • @Cole Lassell 

    The FKL with specially modified armored vehicles only using the remote control devices makes sense.   

    I do have a reference or two referencing Goliaths in conjunction with the PLD, but as you said, they may have been Pioneer operated.  

    Stug crewman would have worn the gray assault gun uniforms.  


  • @JTam "Stug crewman would have worn the gray assault gun uniforms." See I agree that is the most likely answer but as with other weirdness of the german army Im not sure 100%

     

    so my primary source for all this is the book "Elite panzer strike force-Germanys panzer Lehr division"

    Im hoping to find more details on the pioneer unit soon.


  • @Cole Lassell 

    Stug CREWMEN in an assault gun unit would wear the gray assault gun jackets.  However, your right, this is a FKL unit using Stugs as a mother vehicle... so anything is possible.  

    I did like the part in that book where a German Soldier encounters a German remote controlled vehicle of some sort on the battlefield and assumes it's allied.  


  • @JTam Yeah reading up on the vast amount of friendly fire and just weird stuff around the area the Lehr was operating is wild. A big thing to consider also is the unit had been on stand by for hours prior to both its major moves that lead to high casualties. Both these were due to the very rigid chain of command the germans were forcing units to follow by this time and the lack of command level authority. 

     

    So one could easily imagine 2 Panzer lehr units getting confused and think each other was the enemy. 


  • UPDATE

    As of March 3rd 2022

    I have made my move to scotland and placed my order for 3 boxes of panzer lehr :P.

    Im also ordering all the other stuff I need from other sources, debating what comany I should get my tiger tank from tho as I really want a Tiger control tank after all the reading i did on them.

     

    I will be doing more work on gathering info on the Division going forward, Im really running into a dead end on the golaiths but will keep digging. Im gonna probably do the jagers or grenadiers next as they have alot of info on um.


  • @Cole Lassell 

    REF:

    While fratricide was no doubt happening on both sides, the incident I was referring was more benign.  German troops discovered an abandoned remote vehicle and assumed it was Allied.  It's on page 61-62 of Kurowski's "Elite Panzer Strike Force."  

     

     


  • @JTam Its also possible they mistook a Universal Carrier for a allied version of the borgward. Anything is really possible with the fog of war tho.



  • Ive been dead for abit. but Ive seen lists like that and I cant trust them, the panzer lehr is rarely properly documented but the majority of this list does match what Ive seen. 

    My issue is with the "6x tigers + 2x damaged" where did the 9th go lol.


  • @Cole Lassell 

    Hi Brother, glad you resurrected.

    Reference the missing Tiger:

    Shipped to Germany, or somewhere else in France for depot level repair or rebuild?  Just a guess.


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