New Blog - Festung Breslau 1945 - Updated 1/3/17 - Fallschirmjager!

[The_Wanderer]

Hi guys,

I've recently started a new blog based around the progress on my new German Last Levy army which is based around the Siege of Breslau in 1945. The first few posts have looked at painting German armour using colour modulation and weathering techniques.

http://breslau1945.blogspot.co.uk/



Thanks for looking

Matt

[von Lucky]

Nice painting and the muddy track technique is effective.

[The_Wanderer]

Here's the next unit I've been working on - some Fallschirmjager. There's some more information and background through the blog link below



http://breslau1945.blogspot.com/

[huevans]

Tiger I's were obsolescent by 1945 and would be replaced with Tiger II's. Panther G's, not D's or A's. By 1945, they would likely be in "ambush" scheme IIRC.

But you have a dandy Normandy or Poland 1944 force!

[The_Wanderer]

Tiger I's were obsolescent by 1945 and would be replaced with Tiger II's. Panther G's, not D's or A's. By 1945, they would likely be in "ambush" scheme IIRC.

But you have a dandy Normandy or Poland 1944 force!

From what I've read online Tiger Is were still being used in 1945 - for example there is the famous photo of one of the last operational ones in front of the Brandenburg Gate following the Battle of Berlin



I believe there were no Tigers present in Breslau during the siege (though there are some references) but I'm not going for a completely historically accurate force, more of a theme. As far as the camo scheme you're probably right - however I've gone for this scheme as it enables the Tank to fit with more theatres (like my Normandy Germans for example). I won't be using the Panthers in this army; they're more for my Tank War force 

[Arlequín]

I don't think the Germans paid too much attention to what we now consider to be 'obsolete' by '45. There is even a book about a Pershing - Tiger I duel at Elsdorf in Feb '45, as well as a few photos of them in other places. Same is true of other tanks too.

The inventory of April 1945 still shows 142 Panzer IIIs serviceable. (http://www.panzerworld.com/panzerlage-april-1945), as opposed to just 69 Tigers of both types. It makes for an interesting read unless you don't want to know that by far the most common vehicles were Stug IIIs and Hetzers, with the Panzer IV taking 3rd place just ahead of the Panther.

Okay losses between January - April are not available, but given the vulnerability of the older models, you might expect their losses to be greater during this period.

[The_Wanderer]

I don't think the Germans paid too much attention to what we now consider to be 'obsolete' by '45. There is even a book about a Pershing - Tiger I duel at Elsdorf in Feb '45, as well as a few photos of them in other places. Same is true of other tanks too.

The inventory of April 1945 still shows 142 Panzer IIIs serviceable. (http://www.panzerworld.com/panzerlage-april-1945), as opposed to just 69 Tigers of both types. It makes for an interesting read unless you don't want to know that by far the most common vehicles were Stug IIIs and Hetzers, with the Panzer IV taking 3rd place just ahead of the Panther.

Okay losses between January - April are not available, but given the vulnerability of the older models, you might expect their losses to be greater during this period.

Thanks for the link, Arlequin; I hadn't seen that before. Very interesting reading. That's certainly the impression I get of the Late War German army - basically using whatever vehicles were left or available due to manufacturing shortages and combat losses.

[Eclaireur]

I've read a few accounts of detachments from training schools being sent out to fight, once the allies were on German soil. Sometimes they literally drove out the academy gates, an hour up the road, and into the battle. Some vehicles that had been sent back for major repairs at workshops were also suddenly committed to the fight.
I would imagine the Panzer III's mentioned by Arlequin came from training bases and it's entirely possible there would have been a few Tiger 1s about either from similar schools or repair workshops,
EC 

[Arlequín]

Sure some vehicles were training vehicles, but not all of them. The Tiger I at Elsdorf was apparently part of Schwere Panzer Kompanie 'Hummel', which had been created in '44, sent to Arnhem and subsequently became the 4th company of the otherwise Tiger II 506 Heavy Tank Battalion. 504 Battalion (Tiger I) near Vienna received 15 Tiger I in February '45 instead of a planned upgrade to the Tiger II, which never happened. 510 Batt also never received a single Tiger II before the surrender.

There are a few more, Tigers in particular have a lot of Internet devoted to them, so the ubiquity of the Tiger II is fairly easy to challenge. Numbers and models of the other types is not easily apparent, but I imagine everything still had its part to play. Deliveries of the latest models however, was not as quick nor as numerous as some people imagine.

Apologies too BTW,  I forgot to say well done on the Fallschirmjager. 

[The_Wanderer]

Apologies too BTW,  I forgot to say well done on the Fallschirmjager. 

Thanks very much 

[Ballardian]

Very nice paintwork on the FJs.