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Later Panzer IIIs
Late Model Panzer IIIs
with Steven MacLauchlan
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With the release of the new Italy Compilation books
, I finally took the opportunity to knock out a Hermann Göring
Panzerkompanie. (Disclaimer: My Panzer IIIs with the long barrel are Ls
and they should be Ms, but what’s one letter and a different exhaust
between friends?). So I snapped up as many Panzer IIIs as I could find,
and went to work! |
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I used the same painting method outlined in my two recent articles on WWPD (part one , part two
) and had these guys finished up in fairly short order. I spent a lot
of time trying to make them worn out. Truthfully, it’s probably a bit
overboard- the schürzen looks like it’s been through hell and back, but I
think the exaggerated style tells the right story for the company.
I wanted to be able to use these for the later part of Mid War as
well as the Hermann Göring Panzerkompanie, and am quite pleased with the
result. In Mid War the later Panzer III is a solid workhorse of a
tank. Well rounded, and capable. With front armor 6, protected ammo,
stormtrooper, and schürzen these Panzer IIIs can fill a variety of
roles. They are a bit expensive for Mid War, but their veterancy and
decent stats make them worth it. |
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In Late War, they’re effectively light tanks. Their gun doesn’t scare
much, and their armour doesn’t stop much, but you can get a lot of
them! I prefer mixing Ns and L/Ms in my combat platoons, and that
structure (2x2) clocks in at 270 in Late War.
My general strategy with these guys is to quickly get into position,
and then capitalize on the high ROF of the L/M to dig the enemy out. On
the move, the N has the option to fire smoke rounds to keep pesky enemy
armor or AT guns at bay. Stationary, a platoon of four can put a real
hurting on enemy guns and infantry, especially when paired with some
recce. |
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They definitely lack in anti-tank in the Late War period, so I suggest
pairing them up with some tank hunters or big cats. Treating the Panzer
III like a light tank is a great approach to utilizing them properly.
Below, I’ve put together my proposed Hermann Göring Panzerkompanie. |
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Hermann Göring Panzerkompanie (Confident Veteran)
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HQ
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with 1x Panzer III N, 1x Panzer IV H, and Sd Kfz 9 recovery half-track
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160 points
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Combat Platoons |
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HG Panzer Platoon |
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with 2x Panzer III N, 2x Panzer III M
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280 points
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HG Panzer Platoon |
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with 2x Panzer III N, 2x Panzer III M
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280 points
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HG Panzer Platoon |
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with 4x Panzer IV H
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370 points
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Support Platoons
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HG Heavy Panzerspäh Platoon
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with 2x Sd Kfz 231 (8-rad)
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80 points |
Rocket Launcher Battery (Heer)
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with 1 Launcher section and 3 15cm Nebelwerfers and trucks
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110 points
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Assault Tank Platoon (Heer)
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with 3x Brümmbar
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210 points
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Total Points: |
1490 points |
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It’s got lots of Veteran tanks, mid-range anti-tank with the Panzer
IV Hs, recce, and smoke. It’s a solid list against historical
opponents, though it will certainly suffer in an open environment where
blue on blue or cross-theater games are possible. In those cases, I’d
likely try to fit some Hornisse in to help with the heavy lifting rather
than the Brümmbar, but I'd have to think about what to shift around.
~ Steven.
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