 Field Marshal  | 29 Jun 2012 5:20 p.m. PST |
I am putting together a scenario to try out the new Disposable Heroes "Point Blank rules.
MY plan is a German supply convoy being ambushed by SAS and French Resistance.
What kind of vehicles would escort such a convoy? Old tanks like 38Ts?
I plan on a few Opel truck which will have supplies and German troops on board. FM |
 Fonzie | 29 Jun 2012 5:42 p.m. PST |
Captured french tanks such as the old FT17 would be cool. They were used for such duties if I'm not mistaken. Fons
MMPS |
| The Gray Ghost | 29 Jun 2012 5:57 p.m. PST |
I would use all captured stuff for the escorts. |
| 79thPA | 29 Jun 2012 6:11 p.m. PST |
I know FT 17s were used for anti-partisan operations and rear area security, but I doubt that they were used as dedicated convoy escort vehicles. I think trucks full of soldiers would be the norm, along with a kubelwagon for the convoy commander. Maybe a light armored car. There were simply too many convoys on the roads at any one point in time to dedicate armor assets for their protection. If the person dispatching the convoy is worried about ambush, maybe an extra A/C for some light armor support and a couple of M/Cs or M/Cs with sidecars for route recon. If you must get an FT 17 on the table, I would suggest a convoy with an infantry truck or two. After the shooting starts determine when elements of a German police battalion (here is where the FT 17 comes in) respond to the sound of the guns. |
| spontoon | 29 Jun 2012 6:18 p.m. PST |
Try the Kubelwagen with MG turret. |
 Mal Wright   | 29 Jun 2012 6:44 p.m. PST |
Wahhaaaaaaaaa….Having an FT along with ensure the convoy took forever to get anywhere! Very slow. But I have seen one on the back of truck and that would make it good as an escort! |
| Garand | 29 Jun 2012 8:17 p.m. PST |
Agree. Captured stuff. Things like Panhard armored cars, or Italian AB-40s would be appropriate, depending on the date (obviously the AB-40 wouldn't be available in numbers for the Germans until after '43). If this is in France, also consider a bunch of Universal Carriers, repainted and remarked in German colors. A number were captured after DUnkirk and pressed into German service. Damon. |
| tuscaloosa | 29 Jun 2012 10:24 p.m. PST |
If you really want to get FT-17s into battle, Romanian forces still had a handful of them for city and rear area security in late 1944. At the same time, the Luftwaffe flak division assigned to Ploesti conducted a fighting withdrawal against the Romanian army. The Luftwaffe division included a number of Pz II's that were used for point defense. So Pz II's could well have fought FT-17's… |
| The Gray Ghost | 30 Jun 2012 6:36 a.m. PST |
Why a FT17? I would go with a Hotchkiss or a SOMUA |
| bsrlee | 30 Jun 2012 6:42 a.m. PST |
For 'regular' convoy duty, no tracked vehicles at all – they rapidly wreck the roads, and no area commander worth his bread would allow a road he was using for convoys regularly to be damaged, and road repair/maintainance was low priority in occupied areas. So, indeed, trucks with troops – possibly hidden in fully enclosed backs (unlike Hollywood, you don't want the ambushers to pick which trucks to hit first), 4 wheel armoured cars, a few motor cycles as recce. 6 and 8 wheel A/C's would only be used if trouble was expected as they used more fuel than the smaller vehicles |
| Field Marshal | 30 Jun 2012 3:21 p.m. PST |
Thanks guys…I am goign to go woith a kubel wagen with mg turret…i like the idea of the bikes as recce, an excuse to get some! |
 Ditto The Abdominal Snowman | 30 Jun 2012 4:39 p.m. PST |
Kubelwagon with a turret? I've never encountered this before, the only reference I have found is in Wiki which indicates a mock up. Any other information on this beast?
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Tim |
| Etranger | 30 Jun 2012 5:02 p.m. PST |
Tim link I don't have the orginal book referenced to check the details. |
| Ditto The Abdominal Snowman | 30 Jun 2012 5:11 p.m. PST |
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