Volkssturm Platoon (GE828) Contains nine K98 rifle teams with Panzerfaust (including one HQ team), one optional MG08/15 LMG team, one Small three-hole base, nine Medium four-hole bases & one Hole plug sprue. With the tide of war now against Germany, the Volkssturm (People’s Militia) represents its last line of defence. The Volkssturm was drawn from ranks of the population previously considered unfit for military service, including younger boys (aged 13-18) and older men (many of whom were veterans of World War I). Check out the Volkssturm Platoon in the online store here...

Berlin: German In January 1945 the German Ardennes offensive in the west failed to force the Allies to the negotiating table. The British and Americans are ready to cross into Germany. The newly-raised Panzerdivision ‘Clauswitz’ and troops from the schools and training battalions are thrown into the fight. Every fighting man is utilised in the defence of the Reich. In the east, the Germans traded ground for time, falling back into western Poland and east Prussia and establishing Festerplatz, or fortress cities. An eerie calm settled in for the first few weeks of the new year as both sides prepare.

After being called up, the units received only rudimentary military training, and their equipment was a motley collection of standard-issue German equipment and simplified weapons designed for militia use. Above left & left: The Command Panzerfaust Rifle team. Designed by Evan Allen Painted by James Brown