Volksturm - Village Defense

[JasonC]

This is a little examination of an underused German force type, the Volksturm (VS), along with an AAR of a simple outing vs. the AI with them.

The VS are militia, late war home defenders. They should be played with "low" force quality and the "infantry" force type. Realistically they belong in village or urban fights in the last three months of the war, but occasional fights in other terrain, or earlier but on German soil, are possible. They should generally be used in small defense scenarios, with the Germans getting 1000 points or less.

They get no tanks, no vehicles, no towed guns, and no artillery support either (although Jabos are still possible). No bunkers or pillboxes, but the rest of the fortifications are still available. There is only one infantry force type, available in platoon, company, or (giggles) battalion strength. And the only support items available are light and heavy MG teams, schrecks, and sharpshooters. There is a certain elegant simplicity to these poor fellows.

The dominant feature of the VS is their incredible infantry AT weapons load-out. Each platoon comes with 4 schrecks, and each of its 4 squads, in the late months of the war when they are meant to be used, will add 2 faust-100s each. A company has 3 such platoons, and thus 12 dedicated AT teams and 24 fausts.

You generally want to buy them as greens. The conscripts may be more realistic in some respects, but in CM the gap between "conscript" and "green" is extreme. Greens can fight, though a bit brittle. Conscripts tend to miss everything and run. With all the schrecks to pay for included, the VS run 469 for a company as greens. But you'd pay 570 to get VG regulars, with as many schrecks added.

The individual squads are even smaller than the VG - 7 men per. But the weapons load-out is excellent. Each squad gets 1 MG-42, 1 MP44, 3 MP40, and 2 K98. A company with the HQs included thus gets 12 MGs and 57 SMGs. That compares with 5 MGs and 58 operable SMGs for a VG company. Thus, a VS company has as much close-in firepower as a VG company, but spread over more shooting units. And with nearly twice the LMGs, some rifles, and some of the SMGs the MP44 type, it also retains better firepower at medium range.

Organizationally, you can construct a 4th platoon out of the 4th squads of each of the line platoons, putting them under the company HQ. To increase the ranged firepower, it is also a good idea to add some HMG teams, preferably one per platoon, but at least two for a company. Sharpshooters aren't such a good idea with only green quality, though. And you will already have all the schrecks you need. A few cheap LMGs for deception or outpost warning might be sensible, but generally speaking you will be better off with the more robust HMG teams, especially because of their far higher ammo.

When spending the rest on obstacles, remember that your infantry anti-tank ability is already superb. There is not much need for roadblocks or daisy chains, when your fausts and schrecks will stop vehicles anyway. Hidden AT mines are mostly the same story. But AP mines are useful, because they provide an "area fire" effect. Without artillery of any kind, that can be a useful addition.

The main story, then, is that you get lots of schrecks, deadly SMGs and faust-100s, good MGs supplimented with added HMG teams, and the ground under enemy infantry goes boom. It is not easy to run a defense based purely on those aspects of the late-war German force and tactical techniques. But it can be fun to try, and you will hone your infantry fighting and ambush skills.

The short range, high effectiveness of both the SMGs and the AT weapons tends to create an "owned zone" ahead of the VS. Their biggest headaches come from enemy artillery, ranged fire, and vehicles standing off a long way. The reach of the schrecks is effectively extended by their sheer numbers, however. You can afford to take marginal shots with them, since there are 60 rockets in a company and 11 other shooters if a team gets KOed. But far enough a way, they still have little ability to touch things.

How to fight with them nevertheless? First of all, by stealth and fire discipline, and use of platoon HQ infantry ambushes. Lots of hiding until the right moment. Second, by "back" or "down" deployments, that only let the enemy draw into view at close ranges. Third, by occasional sorties, risking a team or a platoon to get off shots, then withdraw. Fourth, by making the most of the HMGs - typically from second stories but also along diagonals from flanks - to cover open areas, and the AP minefields to deny cover or block approaches.

Here is an AAR about a village defended by a company of VS in March 1945, against as it happens a British combined arms force, which foolishly tried to attack at night. Visibility turned out to be around 180 yards. Clear skies and dry ground, but dark.

The 900 point Brits were all regulars, and had 1 Sherman, 1 Stuart, 2 halftracks, a company of infantry plus a few extra 2" mortars and PIATs, 1 Vickers MG, and 4.5" gun artillery support. The 600-point VS had a company, 1 HMG, 2 Sharpshooters (a 2nd HMG would have been much better), and 8 AP minefields.

Notice right off that the VS got infantry parity merely from the economy of not buying anything else. In place of tanks, halftracks, and artillery support, they just had 12 schrecks and 8 AP mines. It proved quite sufficient. Of course, the AI helps - a lot LOL.

The map had a standard village but with a slight twist. A big stone building at the crossroads had only a minor flag, while the major one was on a lateral road south of the crossroads, in the open. The area behind that major flag was almost completely open, with a few scattered light buildings near it, only.

There were three obvious routes "in". Along the left/south edge, patches of woods led up to a pair of low wood buildings south of the large objective. Over on the right, a tall wood inn was masked to the northwest by a patch of dense pines, with a road slanting in toward them and scattered trees on the other side of that road. And in the center, a line of buildings led to the crossroads with occasional gaps, and just south of a pair of them a block of woods with rough ground east of them gave covered access into the first buildings.

I put one weak platoon on the left along the edge, blocking the tree route there, and put 3 AP mines dead ahead of them. One low wood building sat opposite this position, but I figured it was close enough that 2 schrecks could, if necessary, make it rather hot. The shrecks in this patch could also look north/right to cover part of the open ground leading to the large objective.

Right/north of that 60-yard minefield, I left a gap perhaps 60 yards long far out in the middle of an open field. Then the mines resumed, covering the exits from the center wood-and-rough "approach block", and "ceding" two houses near that. The mines stretched the rest of the way over to the road, so that an attack up the chain of houses would hit mines, but one hooking a litte farther north and clear of the mines, would be in the middle of the main east-west road.

The main position, built from a full strength platoon and the HMG, was at the crossroads behind the center approach route. One schreck was left forward in the first houses to spot the enemy and give warning, and if possible bag something.

Over on the right, another platoon held the pine woods masking the "inn", with the HQ and a small reserve back in the buildings proper. A schreck outposted the slanting road off to the northwest. Behind the center, the company HQ was deployed with a reserve "platoon" made of 2 squads pulled from the left-hand position, and 1 from the right. They could thus swing either right or left of the main crossroads position, depending on where threats developed. The two sharpshooters each got isolated low wood buildings north and south of the crossroads respectively, crossing their fields of view at the center crossroads.

It is always fun to listen to the night sounds as the ambushes wait, and the clueless AI leads with its light armor - LOL. Sound contacts, sound contacts. One infantry unit spotted by the forward schreck on the main road, but he keeps his head and stays down. A Stuart runs into view, down the main road. The ambush marker is out at 70 yards, and the shot hits at 60 yards, and the dead tank rolls to a stop 45 yards away. Too easy.

The schreck sneaks around and repositions, comes back for another try. The bailed crew briefly considers the house the schreck is hiding in for its own hiding place, then thinks better of it. A Sherman crawls into view, with swarms of infantry around it by now. The schreck team actually hits it, with a loud bang, but the tank seems undamaged. I did not discover until the end that this hit had damaged the gun on the Sherman. The first schreck is soon routed and tears back past the mines to the first held building, drawing fire. Did a heck of a job - even if it was stupid AI tricks, LOL.

Next what looks like about a platoon of infantry approaches by the northern entryway - the pine woods. One squad advances to within 30 yards of my positions before a whole platoon lights it up. One survivor is soon scurrying back for the trees farther west. His mates soon have their fill too - a dead PIAT team is left in the open - and the attack shifts to the center.

There the bulk of the British company pours into the woods-n-rough area, and reaches the first buildings. Any move past them soon draws fire from my center and right. They are pinned back into the cover. The forward building only provides cover for 1 squad to fire forward, and any lone squad there is soon outshot and broken. So instead, the Brits cower behind the first building, in the second, and build up a base of fire in the rough.

Then their two halftracks come foward, poking around the sides of that rough. Meanwhile the Sherman is still operational, though looking "shocked", and begins suppressing the flanking fire from the pine woods with its MGs, staying a respectable distance away. With all the schrecks available, it is not long before shots are lined up, and both 'tracks are KO'ed at ranges of 120-150 yards, fired at from several directions.

Even at low-value targets and with 15% chances to hit, the VS can afford to let fly, and will fire enough to get the job done. Only the Sherman remains alive, as 4 shrecks rounds in succession miss at ~150 yards, and it backs up to 180, while breaking a shreck with its MGs. But with limited night visibility, it effectively takes itself out of the battle - pretty much - by doing so.

The Brits foolishly try to get farther, once their base of fire is built up. Some cross the road toward the pine woods, and some head over the open toward the few buildings around the main objective. The former run into fire from three sides and quickly break. The latter rush into the minefields, halt, and take fire from their front and left flank. The reserve comes up left of the crossroads into those buildings, adding its fire and sending the survivors fleeing back into the rough in considerable disorder.

The fight is basically won by then, with about half of the 25 minute clock gone. But the Brits have one more trick up their sleave. Heavy arty begins to fall on the left, and about a platoon heads for that route. One squad's foxhole is basically clear of the barrage, letting it fire on the enemy in the open. And the secondary minefield there does its work. The left flank platoon eventually loses half its strength to the barrage despite rushing clear of the first blast area and hiding at the bottom of their foxholes. But the attempt to get through on that side is repulsed.

Instead, they keep trying in the center and by slipping north from the center, across the road. But there is no chance there really, after the losses they have sustained and with all of their heavier support neutralized or used elsewhere. A couple of squads make it to the pine forest, and one holds out in a foxhole there (cleared by the Sherman's MGs, and a Vickers team back in the firebase center). But as the whole platoon on that side comes up to 15-20 yards range in pines, the SMGs do their thing and it too evaporates.

Overall, the Germans took 14% losses, nearly half of them from the artillery and some of them from mistaken friendly fire in the dark. The Brits lose over 60% of the attacking force.

The Germans were never in any serious danger, mostly because the AI handled its vehicles poorly, dropped the arty on a target the FO could see instead of the pine woods where it might have done more serious damage. The AI also lost more heavily than it need have by pushing into the open in places it plainly had no business attempting it. But that was after is was effectively stopped.

It got to the terrain I planned to "cede" when I set up the mine wall, but it got no further, as the mines and the open ground around that "allowed" area, made further advance ruinous. Firefighting from 150 yards away at night was not going to dislodge whole platoons from stone buildings. Getting closer meant giving shots to the SMGs while in the open, or running over mines, or both.

I hope this is interesting.

[ 06-01-2001: Message edited by: JasonC ]

[MrSpkr]

Good AAR. Any screenshots?

[JasonC]

Sorry, I didn't think to take any. Silly of me. I will try to remember such things next time.

[Grunto IV]

i have a scenario with mixed vgd and vs over at manx' combat missions website. it's called, 'rp duke on the heimat.'

andy

[Panzer Leader]

That was a really interesting AAR. I love the volksturm, and have used them occaisionally. I would be interested in seeing how that defense g=faired against a live opponent.

Incidentally, I am not convinced that all Volksturm should be considered green, for various reasons. They were defending their homeland and had been engaging in war for a very long time. Many of them were veterans of past wars, and all the young soldiers had had trianing in school.

Also, they saw a great deal of battle, and most of them had known war for many years, from bombings to the first enemies to reach German soil. Many of them were also convalescent soldiers, and even disbanded soldiers from other divisions, scooped up to fill holes.

Plus, as for command, living under martial law for so long, they were accustomed to stern rule and heavy-handed authority, so all in all, between their familiarity with war, their training, their rigid structure, and their fanatic resistance, I would say that "regular" and even occaisional "veteran" is not out of the question.

That said, I would still buy green in a QB if I could, since the cost is less.

[SenorBeef]

Thanks for the AAR. I really haven't played around with them a whole lot, but they look like an interesting bunch.

[BloodyBucket]

There is nothing as annoying as losing a tank to those plentiful 'fausts. Good AAR.