"15mm M41DK1 Tank Needed for Cold War " Topic

Not sure if anyone out there is interested in producing a new 15mm vehicle for the Cold War era, but I'd love to see the Danish M41DK1, for some hypothetical Warsaw Pact engagements.

It really is a very nice looking design, which would be good for some tabletop battles:

As for troops, looks like the West German figs from QRF can be used for their mechanized infantry units, since they used G3s, and MG3s.

I suspect a few others would like these too, in order to oppose Polish, East German, or Soviet Naval Infantry.

Wow! I have never seen that before! Makes the old Bulldog into some pretty bad ass kit!

Yep, it definitely does, and I always like the M41 anyway, but this one looks a bit more high-tech.

Yes, the M41DK is one of my favourite Cold War AFVs.

My mate has converted a few from the QRF M41 (he's very good at that sort of thing). Yes, you can use West Germans for the regular troops (Home Guard used Garands and MG42s). Uniforms and helmet covers were plain olive green, though the Danish flecked camo started appearing in the late 80s.

Danish Leopard DK1s were the angular 1A3/1A4 type produced by QRF.

Centurions are available from a number of manufacturers, so no problem there, though they went through a 'DK' upgrade programme concurrent with the M41DK – the main visual difference being the laser-sighting box above the gun (which is easy to add from spare bits).

M113s again are easy to find. Note that the Danes didn't use the M577 command variant, instead using a command version of the basic M113 (identifiable by additional radio antennae).

Danish vehicle camouflage is very similar to British – wide bands of black on an olive green base. However, the Danish green is quite a bit brighter than the British equivalent. Some recce tanks (M41DK and Leopard 1DK) also appeared in an all-black scheme.

Thanks for the info, and tips on kit and paint.

I will definitely have to work on a Danish force, even if it ends up being only Leopard 1A3s and M-113s.

Would love to get some M41DKs though, for a desperate defense of Bornholm, and/or some of the other islands.

Yes, it would be a great one for QRF or someone to do. My mate would probably be willing to convert some M41s for you, but I don't know what he'd charge.

I seem to remember that the Bornholm Independent Armoured Squadron was uniquely equipped exclusively with M41. All other Danish armoured units were equipped with Leopard or Centurion, with M41 being normally found only in recce units.

I wouldn't mind a M41DK at all! The more 15mm nordics, the merrier.

I'm holding out for an early Leopard (1A1 or 1A2) turret and an NM135 Stormpanservogn (M113 with 20mm turret) to do the Norwegians.

Yes, and early Leopard, especially with the rear turret basket, and spaced armor would be very nice indeed.

A plain, Leopard I, with turret basket, but without spaced armor would be nice as well.

Yes, in an ideal world I'd like:

Leopard 1A1/1A2 (the cast-turret model – for Norwegians, Belgians and more options for the West Germans)

Leopard 1A1A1/1A2A1 (the same with applique armour – West Germans).

Leopard 1A5 (advanced version of the Leopard 1 used by the West Germans in the late 80s, with applique armour and more advanced fire control/imaging kit).

No suggestions on the tank but you can absolutely use west Germans for Danish. G3 rifles, MG3 machine guns and the uniforms look pretty similar as well.
I bought the QRF fig's for much the same purpose :)

As a note, unlike some of their infantry packs, the west german ones do not include MG's in the rifle man packs, so make sure to buy both.

Here's a Danish M41 from the early-mid 1980s, prior to the DK1 upgrade programme (which happened 1986-88 if I recall correctly). It still looks pretty cool:

If anyone's interested, I've done an extensive update of my 1980s Danish orbats here:

PDF link

They're designed for Battlefront: WW2 (Modern mod), so each infantry stand represents a section and each gun/vehicle represents 2-3 actual items.

Excellent!

Thanks for sharing that pic, and your PDF.

A lot of the gaming I want to do is prior to the mid-late 1980s, so I shall have to press some standard M41s into service, after all.

Now, just need to determine if I want standard Danish, or West German M41s first.

Yeah, me too. I'm pegging my gaming in 1984.

The West German M41s were long-gone by then; they replaced them in recce battalions with Leopard 1s in the late 60s.

The only NATO countries still using M41s in the 1980s were Denmark, Belgium, Greece, Spain & Turkey.

Incidentally, the full list of orbats is here: link