DAK Kradschützen Platoon (GBX49)

DAK Kradschützen Platoon (GBX49) with Kradschützenkompanie HQ section, Kradschützen Platoon HQ section with Anti-tank Rifle team & three Schützen Squads. The true tip of Germany’s armoured spear-thrusts are the motorcycle companies and their supporting armoured cars. Fast and mobile they often fight alongside the panzers. Kradschützen companies outmanoeuvre the enemy, speeding through gaps in their lines to capture key objectives. Check out the DAK Kradschützen Platoon in the online store here...

"Members of the DAK Kradschützen Platoon are Reconnaissance Platoons while mounted."

In 1941 15. Panzerdivision had a Kradschützen, or Motorcycle Reconnaissance, battalion as part of 15. Schützen Brigade, while both the 15. Panzerdivision and 21. Panzerdivision had Kradschützenkompanies as part of their respective Aufklärungs or Reconnaissance Battalions. Their role is to reconnoitre ahead of the main body, seeking the enemy and investigating the terrain ahead, critical in the North African desert conditions. Although they would later prove unsuitable in the desert conditions and be replaced, at the beginning of the North African campaign the most prevalent motor vehicle in the Deustche Afrikakorps was the motorcycle, with 21. Panzerdivision alone having almost 1000 of them in December 1941. Designed by Evan Allen & James Brown Painted by James Brown

"Teams in a Kradschützenkompanie HQ use the Motorcycle Reconnaissance rules on page 14 and are Recce teams while mounted."

The Kradschützenkompanie HQ Section

Motorcycles were used in North Africa in large numbers by the Germans and Italians. Their speed makes them perfect for leading the way during the long desert advances. Motorcycle Reconnaissance teams are Infantry and Gun teams prefixed with the word Motorcycle. Motorcycle Reconnaissance teams do not have separate motorcycle Transport teams. Instead, they are Cavalry teams combining both riders and vehicles into the same team. As such they have a 3+ Infantry Save. Note: Motorcycle and Sidecar teams are still Transport teams just like a Kfz 15 field car or any other commander’s vehicle. As Transport teams they have a 5+ Unarmoured Vehicle Save.

Basing Motorcycles Because each motorcycle can only carry two soldiers in addition to its driver, most teams have two motorcycles, one carrying a machine-gun and the other carrying the rest of the crew and extra ammunition. Motorcycle Command teams, Anti-tank Rifle teams and Light Mortar teams are carried on a single motorcycle or motorcycle and sidecar based on a medium base facing the narrow end. All other Motorcycle infantry and gun teams are carried on two motorcycles or motorcycles and sidecars based on a large base facing the narrow end.

Kradschützen Platoon HQ Section

Move as Jeeps The biggest advantage of motorcycle-mounted infantry is their speed of movement across good terrain, but they are better off fighting on foot in rougher terrain. Motorcycle Reconnaissance teams move as Jeep teams rather than as Cavalry teams.

Motorcycle Reconnaissance Motorcyclists quickly learned to use their speed and reconnaissance skills to survive. Motorcycle Reconnaissance teams are Recce teams and Motorcycle Reconnaissance platoons are Reconnaissance Platoons while they are mounted on their motorcycles. When a Motorcycle Reconnaissance platoon dismounts, it stops being a Reconnaissance Platoon. If the platoon was Reorganizing after having Disengaged last turn (see the Flames Of War rulebook), it continues to Reorganize when it dismounts.

Dismounting from Motorcycles Motorcycle reconnaissance units move mounted, but dismount to fight, sending their vehicles to the rear. Motorcycle Reconnaissance teams may dismount and send their vehicles to the rear at the start of your Movement Step. If they do so, replace all Motorcycle teams in the platoon with the equivalent Infantry teams placed anywhere under the area covered by the Motorcycle team it replaces. As an example, a Command Motorcycle SMG team would dismount as an SMG team and a Motorcycle MG team would dismount as an MG team. Motorcycle Reconnaissance teams may only dismount if you have Infantry or Gun teams for the dismounted soldiers to replace them with, otherwise they must stay on their vehicles. When a Bogged Down Motorcycle Reconnaissance team dismounts, it immediately ceases to be Bogged Down. German Motorcycle Reconnaissance teams can also dismount at the start of a Stormtroopers move. Italian Motorcycle Reconnaissance teams can also dismount at the start of an Avanti move.

The Schützen Squads

Starting Dismounted When motorcyclists are called on to defend their gains, they dig in and send their bikes to the rear. You may start the game with all of the Motorcycle Reconnaissance teams in a platoon dismounted by replacing each Motorcycle team with the equivalent dismounted team.

Shooting from Motorcycles Machine-gun-armed motorcycles mount their weapons on the sidecar allowing the gunner to fire on the move. Motorcycle Reconnaissance teams have a field of fire extending 180 degrees across the front of their base. Unlike horsed cavalry, German Motorcycle MG, Rifle/MG, and SMG teams can fire at full ROF while mounted and fire at full ROF when moving. German Motorcycle HMG teams fire as MG teams (ROF 3) while mounted. Italian Motorcycle MG, Rifle/MG, SMG, and Rifle teams may not shoot at all unless they remain stationary, but then fire with their full ROF. Italian Motorcycle Mod 37 HMG teams fire as MG teams (ROF 3) while mounted. Unlike Cavalry, Motorcycle MG, Rifle/MG, SMG, Rifle, and HMG teams can shoot up to their full Range while mounted.

Dismount to Assault Motorcycles are designed for speedy advances, not for assaults. Motorcyclists dismount before assaulting. While mounted, Motorcycle Reconnaissance teams cannot Launch an Assault and must Break Off if assaulted.

The DAK Kradschützen Platoon Scout Out An Enemy Position