21st Panzer Panzergrenadiers

21st Panzer Panzergrenadiers

21st Panzer Panzergrenadiers
One of the two formations available in 21st Panzer Division is the unique Panzergrenadier Company kitted out with the U304(f) half-tracks. An iconic feature of the 21st Panzerdivison, the U304(f) offers players some slightly different options when fielding a Panzergrenadier force, with its own benefits and drawbacks to be considered when list-building.

Click here to see the U304(F) Half-track in the online store...

U304(f) half-tracks, being earlier French designs, come with a few drawbacks when compared to the Sd Kfz 251 used by the regular Panzergrenadiers of other divisions. To start, the 21st Panzer U304(f)s are slower and less well armoured than their German-manufactured counterparts, owing to their being produced between 1935 and 1940, years earlier than their would see their famous service with 21st Panzer.

The 21st Panzer half-tracks also have a slightly reduced mounted assault rating on account of their limited capacity- one team per vehicle, so launching a mounted assault with them is a slightly more risky proposition.

Where the U304(f) shines is in terms of pure rate of fire. A D-Day: German Armoured Panzergrenadier platoon is outfitted with four Sd Kfz 251s for 3 points, offering a combined MG ROF of 16. In contrast, a 21st Panzer Panzergrenadier platoon has to take a half-track per infantry team, meaning a top end total of seven U304(f)s for 4 points, and a combined MG ROF of 28. When you consider that every infantry team in a 21st Panzer Panzergrenadier Company gets their own Half-track, the numbers start to add up. That’s a lot of bullets.

21st Panzer Panzergrenadiers

Not that one would ever throw so much lead down range, but theoretically, a 21st Panzer Panzergrenadier formation with an HQ, three full Panzergrenadier Platoons and a full-strength sMG34 Machine Gun platoon would have at their disposal 27 half-tracks with an eye-watering combined ROF of 108.

21st Panzer Panzergrenadiers

As Black Box support, a 21st Panzer Panzergrenadier Platoon makes for an effective mobile infantry force, with the same stand-to-stand assaulting capabilities as their D-Day: German counterparts but with all the extra suppressing power of 7 half-tracks.

Added to a more traditionally aggressive Tank force, a platoon of Panzergrenadiers from 21st Panzer would make a great MG platform for pinning and dislodging dug in defenders.

Though not able to be added to a separate force by way of Black Box support, the S307(f) gives another example of 21st Panzerdivision’s thrifty repurposing of French half-tracks. This PaK40 mounted half-track started life as a French gun tractor, now in the hands of 21st Panzerdivision, it serves as a mobile anti-tank platform with AT 12 and a lot more speed of movement than a stationary gun. More lightly armoured than a dug in PaK40, the S307(f) Tank-Hunter Platoon relies on its mobility to keep it out of trouble. It is best suited to avoiding any and all opposition and instead firing from a concealed position to tag any armour it can and then maneuvering to a new concealed position to cut off the enemy’s advance or to provide overwatch to your advancing panzergrenadiers.

You can turn your already painted D-Day: German Panzergrenadiers by simply swapping out the 251s for U304(f)s.

Check out the spotlight for the Panzergrenadier Platoon (Plastic) here...

21st Panzer Panzergrenadiers