Battalion sizes

[YankeeDog]

In my ignorance, I'd thought the Wespe was a relatively commonplace piece of kit, at least across the war as a whole. Is it just vanishingly rare in the West, or at the end of the war, or have I just gotten the wrong end of a stick? Again.

Depends on what you mean by "commonplace." Compared to what the Allies were able to field by mid-1944, The Germans never had a heck of a lot of SP Arty of any model. Less than 700 Wespe total were ever built, which is far less than the number of M7 Priests and Sextons running around.

Still, this is more than the total number of King Tigers built, and I'm sure King Tigers will show up in CMBN sooner or later (likely with the Commonwealth Module). Then again, the King Tiger is far more suited to the type of engagement that CM tries to depict than the Wespe. 95% of the time, you'd represent Wespe in CMBN with an off-map 105mm battery.

I don't know exactly how many were deployed to Normandy, but they were there. Given their vulnerability to air attack, I suspect they had a short average life expectancy in the theater. Some may have survived long enough to be thrown into direct-fire fights with Allied forces as an act of desperation, though.

[JonS]

I don't know exactly how many [Wespes] were deployed to Normandy, but they were there.

Somewhere on the order of 120, I should think. Hummels would be similar, maybe a little less.

[Field Marshal Blücher]

95% of the time, you'd represent Wespe in CMBN with an off-map 105mm battery.

This is, for me, the most important issue. I'm honestly (pleasantly) surprised that we have the Priest and the sIG.

[Battlefront.com]

We look at relative numbers of x vehicle as used in a typical CM setting as the relevant number to pay attention to. There might have been more Wespe made than King Tiger, but 95% of the Wespe probably never saw direct fire combat while probably 95% of King Tigers did (or were at least supposed to make it to the front!). Same thing with a vehicle like the Puma. Were there more Hummel's in Western France than Pumas? Yes, but the Puma was supposed to be at the front and the Hummel not.

Remember, the Wespe and Hummel vehicles were issued only to Panzer Divisions and in extremely small numbers. sIG and leIG were issued to every Grenadier Batallion the Germans fielded UNLESS they had been replaced by mortars. Other formations also had sIG and/or leIG as well. Therefore, the statistical chances of running into one compared to a Wespe or Hummel, is vastly greater. Plus, look at the name INFANTRY GUN and that kinda tells you there's a little difference between it and ARTILLERY

Steve

[Peregrine]

It is shame that everything isn't in but if Wespe's and what not were in you would probably realise that in a CM scale battle they are virtually useless.

Can't remember CMBO/CMAK Wespes but CMBB Wespe's the best way to use them was to find a well sheltered scatterring of light trees out of LOS of everything and park them in it.

The trees would protect them from air attack usually and not having LOS to anything would protect them from everything else. Trying to use them pretty much gets them killed immediately.

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[normannobrot]

Does anyone know the numerical breakdown of a standard US and German Infantry Battalion in CMBN ?

Or is it basically going to be exactly the same as in CMAK and CMBO ?

Noob..

Have you ever checked out the table top war game called flames of war?..

they have details in their books of several companys..which would be easy to add up or build the full battalion, as its roughly 3-4 companys per battalion.

if you fancy it, i can scan some sample pages of the book, well, if it will fit in me weee scanner,

but theyve roughly got it detailed as,

1 X HQ platoon

3 X COMBAT PLATOONS

1 X HVY WEAPONS PLATOON

as one company, as ive read earlier on this thread, your main problem would be things like yer mechanised artillery for yer battalion support.

hope it helps

regards bubba

[noob]

Noob..

Have you ever checked out the table top war game called flames of war?..

they have details in their books of several companys..which would be easy to add up or build the full battalion, as its roughly 3-4 companys per battalion.

if you fancy it, i can scan some sample pages of the book, well, if it will fit in me weee scanner,

but theyve roughly got it detailed as,

1 X HQ platoon

3 X COMBAT PLATOONS

1 X HVY WEAPONS PLATOON

as one company, as ive read earlier on this thread, your main problem would be things like yer mechanised artillery for yer battalion support.

hope it helps

regards bubba

Thank you, a scan of the book you mentioned would be most helpfull

[normannobrot]

bear with me dude, and i'll get on to it for you..

[Magpie_Oz]

Again Chapter H of ASL had all this. I wonder if they will ever release it separately ?

But this link http://niehorster.orbat.com/000_admin/000oob.htm is a ripper it shows everything from the King down.

Keep clicking on the mil symbols and it takes you right down to battalion level