"Panzergrenadier Trucks" Topic

My Panzergrenadiers now need transport. The armoured companies are straightforward with a choice of various halftracks. However, I wonder what the most common type of wheeled truck was being used by Panzergrenadiers in motorised companies by 1944. Anyone able to offer advice?

I have a big box of Opel Blitz trucks that I press in to service for any particular needs.

I just finished reading "Sand & Steel", seems like the Germans used whatever was available and from every source imaginable. Logistics were a mess.

Like Extra Crispy said, you can't go wrong with Opel Blitz trucks!

You can use pretty much any trucks. French ones…British ones..Opels…maybe even Russian

As noted whatever they could get (in 1944 21st Panzer mostly used French kit) but I use Opel Blitz trucks – the Plastic Soldier Company has some nice ones

By late war they were generally using larger trucks (Opel etc) rather than the early war Krupp Protze types.

In combat, rather than road marches, they were generally absent. As one 10th SS Panzergrenadier near Caen ruefully noted "Our trucks drove away and we never saw them again for the rest of the campaign".

'By late war they were generally using larger trucks…' That seems a key quote. Many thanks for all the information. looks like a fleet of Opel Blitz trucks and similar in the offing.

All the KStN of the time say for the Motorised Panzer Grenadier Platoon is '2-ton truck, open', which should provide plenty of room for manoeuvre!

Gary

Much of the captured equipment would have been lost in Russia by 1944, captured, destroyed or most, perhaps, simply due to mechanical failure.

Good point advocate.

While I would concentrate on Opel Blitzes, including one or two other types might give the column a slightly irregular look.

Grelber

There is a lot of footage from Normandy and Malaise of heaps of dead German trucks.
Watch the Normandy episode of "World at war".
Plus "after the battle" magazines etc.

auction
link

link

etc.

Good wishes for your project

martin

From what I have read, DAK's truck park consisted 80+ pct of captured British vehicles by late 1942.

A bit hard to believe, but so it was claimed.

B

"There is a lot of footage from Normandy and Malaise of heaps of dead German trucks."

Perhaps the latter were just having a lie-down?

They were all under maintenance with overrun problems.

Whole motorized units went into Barbarossa entirely equipped with foreign vehicles.

But the question was about late war. As Gary noted, the later KStN stipulates 2 ton trucks. Carrying a single squad in a 3 ton truck would be a waste of capacity, though nothing to say they didn't double up.

I believe single squad vehicles would be lighter trucks where available or possibly even field cars.

What Martin said.

Could you get a whole section in a Protze? Even if so, I don't think that I have seen many in pictures of troops in 1944.

If you're doing 15mm, I highly recommend Gaming Models (gamodls.com) for trucks. You cannot beat the price.

If you're thinking about the Kfz70 as being the Protze, that was expected to seat 7 or 8 men, hence the need for two per Squad in the older KStN, with a strength of 13, later 12 men, plus drivers. The slimmed down 1943-44 KStN cut the Squad to 12 men, which included a driver, all to be carried in a single truck. The Opel Blitz does seem to take all the attention but as noted, the German Army had a very cosmopolitan vehicle park, including many separated from their former owners.

link

The above link is probably the most comprehensive listing of German wheeled vehicles I've seen for 1939-45.

Gary

What a great source. Thanks Gary.

Blutarski, if you ever find a source for that one, please let us know. (Mind you, that would be the high point, after taking Tobruk.) It would also be helpful to know the percentage of Italian equipment--and how much the British were using captured German and Italian gear at different points in the Benghazi Handicap. I've seen German memoirs which discuss putting captured British gear into service--and shooting up a "British" unit which turned out to be Italians who'd done the same thing. This was in that confused period between Crusader and Gazala.

Try the Steyr 1500, Mercedes L4500, German 1938 3T, German 1942 Ford 3T, German 2.5 T and various French trucks. You can also get various buses for HQ units, medical and communications. Also available are heavier trucks but more for supply. A quick search of Tracks & Troops will help you find all the above as plastic kits and some more. You may find resin kits but I have found they are very fiddly and not to strong on the gaming table.

Fantastic source. Thanks Gary!!!