"commandos vs fallschirmjager?" Topic

My roommates and I have been playing Bolt Action. I have Commandos, and my roommate is painting up a fallshirmjager force, among many other German armies.

I much prefer historical based scenarios over straight points matches, so are there any engagements involving these forces I can read up on for scenarios? WW2 is by no means my specialty, so input is most appreciated!

Layforce provided the rearguard for the evacuation of Crete……..

Sicily. Commandoes vs. Hermann Goering Div.

Hermann Goering Division was not Fallschirmjagers … they were a Luftwaffe Panzer Division.

Now that's an odd thing … why would the airforce have it's own armored division? But many odd things happened in Nazi Germany.

For gaming purposes, I believe SS figures would be a better representation of HG troops than Fallschirmjagers. At least from what I've seen, the uniforms and helmets were more in the style of the SS formations, particularly in 1943/44.

Could be wrong, though. Been known to happen.

-Mark
(aka: Mk 1)

The HG did have 1,000 SS smocks issued to them when they were in Sicily , the only non SS unit to have received them but by 1944 they were mostly long gone.The HG did wear the same smock as the Luftwaffe Field divisons, which isn't really like anything the SS wore, but nobody has ever made those in 28mm

They may have worn helmet covers but they would have been in splinter pattern. They were a Luftwaffe unit because Goeing had pretensions. That is why the FJ wer eluftwaffe, intially army but as they flew in planes they were luftwaffe. Same thing with the aircraft carrier that neve r quite was.

Must never have seen "Patton." I saw the movie as a youngster and that was the first time I ever heard of the Herman Goering Division. I'm surprise the Kriegsmarine didn't have their own armored division.

I thought the deal with the aircraft carrier was the Kriegsmarine would be in charge of the ship but the Luftwaffe would have the aircraft. The Navy quite naturally disagreed and thus no aircraft carrier. That is the way the Nazis ran everything. Let them fight it out and see who wins. Most inefficient form of government ever.

Unless you count the Japanese. The Navy and the Army each had their own aircraft carriers. Both the Army and Navy started independent atomic bomb programs. Extreme inter-service rivalries.

Now that's an odd thing … why would the airforce have it's own armored division?

I would presume that the Allied military intelligence must have been wondering about the same issue.

To be fair, one could also ask why the US navy's army needs its own airforce…

Sicily Malati Bridge 13th to 14th July 1944: Landing No.3 Commandos took the bridge against Italians, German Fallschirmjaeger, 15th Panzergrenadierdivision and a Tiger. Last is disputed some say it was only a Panzer IV.

The Malati Bridge was the bridge the British had to take before reaching the more known Primosole Bridge where British Airborne fought against German Fallschirmjaeger.

The HG Division was technically a "Fallshirm-Panzer Division," though, of course, not at all capable of dropping from airplanes or even being transported in them.

For a first-hand account of the 3rd Commando's encounter with it, see "Storm From the Sea" by Peter Young.

Sicily sounds like a lot of fun. time to take down a Tiger. God Save the King!

and Crete seems like its got some good scenarios in it. Cut off, bombarded from the sky, hardly any commandos get out alive: sounds like just another day.

thanks!

I thought the deal with the aircraft carrier was the Kriegsmarine would be in charge of the ship but the Luftwaffe would have the aircraft.

The Luftwaffe manned the anti-aircraft guns on the ships; dual purpose armaments did not feature in ship design.

As well as infantry divisions the navy did field the 1st Marine Panzerjaeger Regiment so might be close to an armoured division but not much is known about it.

to be fair, one could also ask why the US navy's army needs its own airforce…

Because it is the only way to be sure that air support is there when it is needed. We'd have our own navy if we could, too.

Sergeant Paper
formerly a sergeant in the USMC

Not sure ther were any FJ at the Malati bridge DIRECTLY involved against N°3 Commando.
Must be checked….

to be fair, one could also ask why the US navy's army needs its own airforce…

Because it is the only way to be sure that air support is there when it is needed. We'd have our own navy if we could, too.

Sergeant Paper
formerly a sergeant in the USMC

And the US Army has a pretty big flotilla of landing ships and landing craft. Sheer hull numbers-wise, I think it's bigger than the US Navy.

Greenleader, the US Navy's army needs it own airforce to go with the Navy's Armored Divisions. ;-) The US Department of Navy is basically a microcosm of DOD – we have a little of everything…

But back to the land of Bolt Action, can someone also cite some Para vs Para battles for US/UK and Germans / Italians? I have all of these and they would like to historically rumble.

Thanks!

LostPict;

Carentan, as seen in BoB, of course. b

But the most interesting is probably the battle for the Primosole bridge between the british 1st Airborne and the german 1st FJG Div in Sicily.

There are plenty of sceneri around, including one for Rapid fire and one from Fire and Fury which is plenty of details. On a platoon scale, you can reduce your focus and play the fight for the control of the extremity of bridge itself for example.

Regards.