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Author Topic: German Bolt Action Force for Unternehmen Merkur (Crete 1941)  (Read 2083 times)

Offline von Lucky

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German Bolt Action Force for Unternehmen Merkur (Crete 1941)
« on: January 07, 2018, 04:03:05 AM »
Like many of us, at this time of the year I think about wargaming projects for the year ahead. Since Christmas I have finished a DBA army for Cancon, and I have still a Tribal army of Maori to paint (which I should be painting as I type this...), but there's other things that are already distracting me.

One of these is completing a 28mm German Bolt Action army. There's no deadline as such, so it'll be slow-burn.

The bulk of the miniatures I bought on eBay in September 2006(!) and I bought the rest over Christmas. The last choice was making a proxy for a motorcycle with MMG sidecar.

I decided to be a little whimsical and use a mule with a spare MG34 infantry figure. I think the mock up works:


Next step will be gluing it together, Greenstuff, etc. The rest of the army is ready to be undercoated. Probably in February though, as Cancon is at the end of January.

You can read more about the army composition here:
https://donnerundblitzenwargaming.blogspot.com.au/2018/01/fallschirmjager-in-crete.html

I'll update this thread if I don't get too distracted.
- Karsten

"Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Blog: Donner und Blitzen

Offline Poiter50

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Re: German Bolt Action Force for Unternehmen Merkur (Crete 1941)
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2018, 04:17:01 AM »
The Rubicon MC with sidecar would be good for that. I thought BTD had a FJ MC as well.
Cheers,
Poiter50

Offline von Lucky

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Offline Poiter50

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Re: German Bolt Action Force for Unternehmen Merkur (Crete 1941)
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2018, 05:07:25 AM »
 ;) but I do like the idea of the mule with the LMG gunner. Gebirgsjagers would have used that in their ops.

Offline flatpack

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Re: German Bolt Action Force for Unternehmen Merkur (Crete 1941)
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2018, 06:59:08 AM »
Did the donkeys get parachuted in, or travel by glider ?
Only joking.
Good call on using the pictures and info you have found, to add a bit of character to the game.
Flatpack

Offline Truscott Trotter

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Re: German Bolt Action Force for Unternehmen Merkur (Crete 1941)
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2018, 07:20:38 AM »

Offline flatpack

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Re: German Bolt Action Force for Unternehmen Merkur (Crete 1941)
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2018, 08:25:58 AM »
Love it. Wicker wings.  lol

Offline carlos marighela

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Re: German Bolt Action Force for Unternehmen Merkur (Crete 1941)
« Reply #7 on: January 08, 2018, 04:47:10 AM »
Like many of us, at this time of the year I think about wargaming projects for the year ahead. Since Christmas I have finished a DBA army for Cancon, and I have still a Tribal army of Maori to paint (which I should be painting as I type this...), but there's other things that are already distracting me.

One of these is completing a 28mm German Bolt Action army. There's no deadline as such, so it'll be slow-burn.

The bulk of the miniatures I bought on eBay in September 2006(!) and I bought the rest over Christmas. The last choice was making a proxy for a motorcycle with MMG sidecar.

I decided to be a little whimsical and use a mule with a spare MG34 infantry figure. I think the mock up works:


Next step will be gluing it together, Greenstuff, etc. The rest of the army is ready to be undercoated. Probably in February though, as Cancon is at the end of January.

You can read more about the army composition here:
https://donnerundblitzenwargaming.blogspot.com.au/2018/01/fallschirmjager-in-crete.html

I'll update this thread if I don't get too distracted.

Dunno how Blot Akshuns 'army' lists run but AFAIK, fallschirmjäger platoons throughout the war were based on 2X LMG per squad, not one, save possibly for those smaller groups deploying by glider which, of course, actually had another LMG,  available to the pilot upon landing.

Here's the relevant KStN (TO&E) from 1939:

https://www.wwiidaybyday.com/kstn/kstn5223L1jun39.htm

Two LMGs per squad is also what's shown in the 1944 KStN so it's reasonable to assume that in 1941 they also had two.

You might want to bookmark this, it's a very useful guide to German organisation.

https://www.wwiidaybyday.com/kstn/kstnmain.htm

Love the donkeys, especially the winged variety.
« Last Edit: January 08, 2018, 04:51:52 AM by carlos marighela »
Em dezembro de '81
Botou os ingleses na roda
3 a 0 no Liverpool
Ficou marcado na história
E no Rio não tem outro igual
Só o Flamengo é campeão mundial
E agora seu povo
Pede o mundo de novo

Offline Poiter50

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Re: German Bolt Action Force for Unternehmen Merkur (Crete 1941)
« Reply #8 on: January 08, 2018, 05:32:35 AM »
My understanding is that one of the section LMGs was used as armament for the glider. Once landed it was used dismounted.

Offline carlos marighela

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Re: German Bolt Action Force for Unternehmen Merkur (Crete 1941)
« Reply #9 on: January 08, 2018, 05:55:01 AM »
My understanding is that one of the section LMGs was used as armament for the glider. Once landed it was used dismounted.

There were one or two MG-34s fixed to the side of the DFS-230, I'm not sure whether they were the section's organic weapons stored there or intrinsic to the glider's own armament. The pilot or a passenger had access to an MG-15, which is a dedicated air weapon that was carried at the rear of the cockpit.

I think it's more a case of the section's using the glider's weapons rather than the other way round.

Here's a photo showing the stowed MG-34. Looks like a standard MG-34.

There's also an illustration alleging to show how it was fired whilst fixed.
« Last Edit: January 08, 2018, 12:49:33 PM by Westfalia Chris »

Offline carlos marighela

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Re: German Bolt Action Force for Unternehmen Merkur (Crete 1941)
« Reply #10 on: January 08, 2018, 06:02:48 AM »
Subsequently found a photo of the inside  of a crewed DFS-230, which shows an MG-34 stowed inside. So it appears I was wrong. There were two MG-34s available to glider sections/squads as well. plus the pilot could, in theory give covering fire from the glider with the MG-15.

Offline von Lucky

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Re: German Bolt Action Force for Unternehmen Merkur (Crete 1941)
« Reply #11 on: January 08, 2018, 11:08:20 AM »
Thanks for the links Carlos. Luckily I can read German ;) I originally bought the miniatures for Disposable Heroes & Coffin for Seven Brothers, where they reflect that structure well.

Frustratingly in Bolt Action you can only get one in a 10-man squad (it starts as a 5-man squad with an LMG option and an option to purchase an extra 5 infantry). Alternatively I can field two 5-man squads, but these are tactically useless in game.

Offline Westfalia Chris

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Re: German Bolt Action Force for Unternehmen Merkur (Crete 1941)
« Reply #12 on: January 08, 2018, 12:51:13 PM »
There's also an illustration alleging to show how it was fired whilst fixed.

Honestly, that looks like the sort of sillyness that would feel right at home in Bolt Action.  lol

Offline von Lucky

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Re: German Bolt Action Force for Unternehmen Merkur (Crete 1941)
« Reply #13 on: January 09, 2018, 10:09:18 AM »
Yeah, and I think I'll add a few BV 40s to the force too.

Offline carlos marighela

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Re: German Bolt Action Force for Unternehmen Merkur (Crete 1941)
« Reply #14 on: January 09, 2018, 11:06:27 AM »
Honestly, that looks like the sort of sillyness that would feel right at home in Bolt Action.  lol

Further proof, if anymore were needed, that the popular trope that Germans are a humourless people is demonstrably false. :D

 

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