Leopard gets new spots with Wayne Turner
It’s 1985 and the Cold War just got hot!
Hauptmann Müller watched from his turret as the Soviet T-72s emerged from the village. ‘Wait’ he thought to himself as more enemy tanks moved beyond the cover of the village houses. The Soviet tanks keep coming, he counted eight, no nine, but more kept coming. They spread out slowly into line abreast, unaware that Müller’s company of Leopard 2 tanks were watching them from the forest just 1500 meters away.
Müller could wait no longer. “FIRE,” he ordered and the world around the Soviet tanks erupted in flame and destruction.
Check out WWIII: West German in the online store here…
Formations and Units
World War III: West German allows you to build twelve different fighting companies. You can field three different tank companies including the new Leopard 2A5 Panzer Kompanie. This formation fields the up-armored Leopard 2 with its distinctly angled spaced armor on its turret front, as well improved side armor. These improvements make it one of the most heavily armored tanks available with its Front 22, Side 12, and Top 2. This is further enhanced by sophisticated Chobham Armour giving it further protection from HEAT (High Explosive Anti-tank) weapon commonly used by infantry anti-tank weapons and guided missiles. On top of this it is armed with the powerful 120mm L/44 gun (Anti-tank 22) with an advance stabilizer, making it just as effective stationery or on the move (ROF 2 Halted or Moving).
World War III: West German is the latest supplement for World War III: Team Yankee. It introduces the forces of West Germans to the turbulent battles of World War III from 1985. World War III: West German and the West German range of Team Yankee models contains everything you need to hold back the red menace.
Inside you will find background on the West German Bundeswehr (armed forces) and Heer (army) and their role in the initial stages of World War III. You will also find the stories of Panzer Division 1 and Kampfgruppe Müller as they fight to defend their country from the invading communist forces
The Leopard 2 Panzer Kompanie is based around the excellent Leopard 2 main battle tank. This tank does not have as much armour (Front 18, Side 7, Side 2) as the Leopard 2A5, but is still at the cutting edge of modern weapons technology. It is armed with the same excellent gun as the Leopard 2A5. The West Germans also fielded large number of Leopard 1 tanks. These usually provide the Panzergrenadier Brigades with their tank element. The Leopard 1 is armed with a 105mm L7 gun (Anti-tank 19) that is fully stabilised giving it a ROF of 2 whether stationary or moving. The Leopard 1 is lightly armoured (Front 9, Side 5, Top 1) and is quite mobile.
The Leopard 2, Leopard 2, and Leopard 1 tanks’ parent Panzer Kompanie formations are adaptable. In each Panzer Zug unit can be swapped with one of the different types of Panzergrenadier Zug. This gives the company an integrated infantry element. These Formations also contain various units from the division as part of a battlegroup that includes Jaguar 1 tank-hunters armed with the powerful HOT anti-tank missile (anti-tank 23), Luchs Späh Trupp (armoured car patrol) to advance ahead of your force, discovering the enemy, Gepard anti-aircraft tanks to sweep the sky of Soviet aircraft, and M109G self-propelled guns to prepare the enemy’s positions before an attack. The Leopard 2A5 and Leopard 2 formations also get access to the M109A3G. This self-propelled artillery vehicle is updated with the longer 155mm howitzer improving the bombardment firing range out to 112”/280cm!
World War III: West German contains three different Panzergrenadier Kompanie formations representing the mechanized infantry of the Heer (Army) of the Bundeswehr (Federal Armed Forces).
The Marder 2 Panzergrenadier Kompanie lets you field the Marder 2 infantry fighting vehicle. This vehicle was designed, but never adopted by the West German due to the end of the Cold War. However, the alternative World War III: Team Yankee timeline it made a logical addition to the arsenal of the Heer. The Marder 2 was one of the most heavily armoured and armed infantry fighting vehicles to be designed. It is designed to replace the Marder 1 (see below), taking the same number of passengers (2). However, the Marder 2 IFV is well armoured (Front 6, Side 4, Top1) with the addition of composite layered armour giving it Chobham (Front and Side Armour 16 against HEAT weapons), making it near invulnerable to a weapon like Soviet RPG. It is also uniquely armed with Rh 503 autocannon which can be either 35mm or 50mm caliber. Both calibers have ROF 3/3 and Advanced Stabilisers and Laser Range Finders. The 35mm is AT 11, FP 4+, while the 50mm is AT 13 and FP 4+. The Marder 2 can also mount a Milan anti-tank guided missile with the Milan Mount rule. You can also field a Marder Panzergrenadier Kompanie with the older Marder 1 IFV. The Marder adds additional firepower to the Panzergrenadiers with its 20mm Rh 202 gun (ROF 3 halted, 2 moving). The third type of Panzergrenadier Kompanie formation is mounted in M113 armored personnel carriers.
he Panzergrenadier Zug units are small but well-armed. Its three MG3 teams (ROF 3 halted, 2 moving) are additionally armed with Panzerfaust 44 anti-tank rockets (Anti-tank 15). The Zug also comes with two Milan anti-tank missile teams, or three in the case of the units mounted in the roomier M113 APC. The Milan is a powerful European developed anti-tank weapon more than capable of taking out most Soviet tanks (Anti-tank 21).
Like the Panzers, the Panzergrenadiers often swapped one of their three Panzergrenadier Zug units for a Leopard 2A5, Leopard 2, or Leopard 1 Panzer Zug. Panzergrenadier Kompanie formations are also well supported by attached units from the brigade and division. As well as the Panzergrenadiers and Leopard tanks, you can field M113 Panzermörser 120mm self-propelled mortars to provide immediate fire support. Anti-tank fire support comes from Jaguar 1 or Jaguar 2 tank-hunters. The Jaguar 2 is armed with an American Improved TOW missile (Anti-tank 21). The Panzergrenadiers are also supported by Luchs recon, Gepards anti-aircraft, and M109G artillery.
The third type of formation you can build is the reconnaissance troops. There are three different Panzeraufklärungs Kompanie. These troops come from the Panzer Division’s Panzeraufklärungs Bataillon, or armoured reconnaissance battalion. As the testbed for both the Leopard 2A5 and Marder 2, Panzerlehrbrigade 9 has formed an experimental Panzeraufklärungs Kompanie armed with Leopard 2A5 or Leopard 2 and Marder 2 IFVs. The Marder 2s are organized into Späh Trupp units of two vehicles with the Scout and Spearhead rules.
The Leopard Panzeraufklärungs Kompanie is built around the mixed company of the battalion and contains Luchs armored cars and Leopard 1 tanks. The Leopard 1 tanks are an older model of main battle tank build for maneuver and firepower over armor and many are still in service with the West German Heer in 1985. The Leopard 1 tank’s role in the Panzeraufklärungs Kompanie is to provide heavy firepower while the Luchs armored cars advance ahead. The Leopard 1 is armed with a 105mm L7 gun (Anti-tank 19), a weapon that can cause problems for any Soviet spearhead.
The Luchs itself is an impressive vehicle. It’s as long as a Leopard and is 8-wheel drive giving it fast on-road performance and excellent cross-country capabilities. It is armed with a 20mm RH 202 gun. The Luchs Späh Trupp has both the Scout and Spearhead rules, allowing them to fulfill their role with skill, pushing to the edge of the enemy’s positions and then quickly escaping when the fireworks start. The Panzeraufklärungs battalion has its own infantry for clearing and reconnoitering terrain such as dense woods and villages in support of the Luchs.
The Fuchs Panzeraufklärungs Kompanie represents the infantry element of the battalion. The Fuchs Panzeraufklärungs Zug is mounted in Fuchs 6-wheeled armoured transports. They are organized much the same as the Panzergrenadiers but only have one Milan anti-tank missile team. The rest of the formation is made up of Luchs Späh Trupp units and options for Gepard AA tanks and Leopard 1 tanks.
World War III: West German also contains three infantry formations. The first of these is the Fallschirmjäger Kompanie. These troops give West German a helicopter-borne infantry element. A Fallschirmjäger Kompanie comes with three Fallschirmjäger Zug unit, each containing five MG & G3 teams (Range 16”/40cm, ROF 2/1, AT 2, FP 5+) with Panzerfaust 44 anti-tank rockets (Range 12”/30cm, ROF 1/1, AT 15, FP 5+, HEAT, Slow Firing). The unit also has a Milan ATGM and can be mounted in two UH-1 Huey helicopters. The Fallschirmjäger also has its own light armor, the Wiesel. This light tracked vehicle comes in two variants, the Wiesel TOW armed with the Improved TOW ATGM, and the Wiesel FK 20mm armed with the 2cm Rh 202 anti-helicopter cannon.
You can also field a Gebirgsjäger Kompanie (Mountain Infantry Company). This formation has four Gebirgsjäger Zug units as well as their own tanks, recon, mortars, and anti-aircraft weapons. Each Gebirgsjäger Zug has five to seven MG & G3 teams with Panzerfaust 44 anti-tank rockets and one or two Milan ATGMs. These troops have the Mountaineers rule allowing them to scale cliffs and similar impassable terrain.
Finally, we have the Heimatschutzbrigade (Homeland Security Brigade) Jäger (Light Infantry). The Jäger Kompanie formation contains three Jäger Zug units, a M113 Jäger Panzermörser Zug, and either a Kanonenjagdpanzer Zug or a Heimatschutzbrigade Leopard 1 Panzer Zug. All these Heimatschutz troops are reservist troops with less Skill (4+ instead of the normal West German 3+) and have lower Rally and Remount ratings (4+ instead of 3+), but retain the West German Morale rating of 3+. The Kanonenjagdpanzer Zug contains 3-4 Kanonenjagdpanzer assault guns armed with 90mm guns (Range 32”/80cm, ROF 2/1, AT 16, FP 2+, Forward Firing, HEAT). They have enough armor to protect them from lighter weapons (Front 6, Side 3, Top 1).
Support
All these formations have access to supporting forces that include rocket artillery, artillery observers, anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank helicopters, and ground attack aircraft. The LARS Raketenwerfer Batterie (LARS Rocket Launcher Battery) is armed with two to four truck-mounted LARS (Leichte Artillerie-Rakuten-system, light artillery rocket system). Each LARS truck mounts two 18 tubes 110mm rocket pods and can fire all 36 rockets within 18 seconds giving you a devastating SALVO template.
The West Germans also field the heavier 227mm MARS Raketenwerfer Batterie (MLRS in US service). This weapon system has a longer artillery range and uses the MLRS rule that sees each launcher count as two weapons when firing a SALVO bombardment. Both the LARS and MARS can fire optional Minelets, allowing them to drop a minefield on an enemy position during the battle. The M113 OP observation post can act as an observer the LARS, MARS, M109Gs, M109GA3s, or Panzermörser mortars.
To supplement the firepower of Gepard anti-aircraft tanks is the Roland FlaRakpanzer Batterie (Roland anti-aircraft rocket battery). Like the Gepards, you can take 6, 4, or 2 Rolands in your battery. The FlaRakpanzer is armed with the Roland 2 anti-aircraft missile with excellent range (56”/140cm) and is guided (no To Hit penalty for range over 16”/40cm). Additional anti-aircraft troops can be added to your force with the Fliegerfaust Gruppe. This unit can only be added to your force if you already have Gepards or Rolands. It added 2 to 6 Redeye teams to your force. The Redeye is an American man-portable guided surface-to-air missile (range 48”/120cm).
The PAH (Panzer-Abwehr-Hubschrauber, or anti-tank helicopter) is a light and highly maneuverable Bölkow Bo-105P helicopter armed with six HOT anti-tank missiles. The PAH pops above the trees to fire its guided missiles, before dropping back down into concealment. The powerful HOT missile easily cuts through most armored vehicles.
Air support comes from the Tornado Strike Flight. The Luftwaffe (air force) operates Tornado Interdictor Strike (IDS) aircraft. These come in low and fast before dropping their KB44 bomblet payload from their MW-1 submunition dispenser (SALVO, anti-tank 8, Firepower 3+).
Main Changes to Note from Leopard
The main changes those of you with Leopard will notice are the additional Formations and Units. We have added six new formations; Leopard 2A5 Panzer Kompanie, Marder 2 Panzergrenadier Kompanie, Leopard 2 Panzeraufklärungs Kompanie, Fallschirmjäger Kompanie, Gebirgsjäger Kompanie, and Jäger Kompanie. World War III: West German now also includes the three Formations from the Panzertruppen booklet; Leopard 1 Panzer Kompanie, M113 Panzergrenadier Kompanie and Fuchs Panzeraufklärungs Kompanie.
We have added options for an additional Marder transport and an M3 team in the Marder Panzergrenadier Kompanie HQ, while the Panzergrenadier Zug can add a Carl Gustav team to the Unit (Range 16”/40cm, ROF 1/1, AT 17, FP 3+, Assault 5, HEAT, Slow Firing). We have also reorganized the Panzer Kompanie formations into three Panzer Zug units with up to four tanks in each Panzer Zug unit.
We have also broken up the Gepard FlaKpanzer Batterie into more options, so now you can take 6, 4, 3, 2 Gepards in your Unit. We have done the same thing with the M109G and M109A3G Panzerartillerie Batterie units. However, the Luchs Späh Trupp units have gone up and they now cost 2 points per Unit, which is still good value for a very handy Spearhead unit.
We have updated the Milan Mount rule to be more flexible. Instead of having to commit your Milan team to be removed from the game to have its missile mounted on its Marder, you can now fire the Milan from the Marder as long as the Milan team is a Passenger. Once the Milan team dismounts the Marder can no longer fire a Milan weapon.
Scenarios
World War III: West German also contains three scenarios to test your skills with your West German force.
The first scenario, ‘At the Forward Edge of Battle’, pits a Marder Panzergrenadier Kompanie against the initial wave of the Soviet attack. You must delay them before withdrawing to your next delaying position.
The second scenario, ‘Delaying Attack’, sees a Leopard 2 Panzer Kompanie advancing to head off a Soviet attack, delaying it until their fellow units can prepare positions in another location.
The third scenario has a Leopard 2 Panzer Kompanie advancing to attack a surprised Soviet force that has advanced beyond its immediate reserves.
Painting Guides
World War III: West German also contains a detailed painting guide to help you prepare your West Germans for combat. You will find details on what colors to use, with options for the three-color NATO scheme or simple one-colour Gelboliv (Yellow Olive) scheme. It also contains guides for painting and basing your panzergrenadiers.
New Models
The key new models to come out with World War III: West German are:
TGBX18 Leopard 2A5 Panzer Zug (x5 Tanks) (Plastic)
TGBX19 Marder 2 Zug (x5 IFVs) (Plastic)
TGBX17 UH-1 Huey Transport Helicopter (x2 helicopters) (Plastic)
TUBX24 M109 Field Artillery Battery (x3 SP guns) (Plastic)
TUBX25 M270 MLRS Rocket Launcher Battery (x3 SP rocket launchers) (Plastic)
TGR703 Panzergrenadier Zug or Panzeraufklärungs Zug
TGR712 Fallschirmjäger Zug, Gebirgsjäger Zug, or Jäger Zug
TGR001 Wiesel FK 20mm Flugabwehr Zug (3x Wiesel FK 20mm)
TGR002 Wiesel TOW Panzerabwehr Zug (4x Wiesel TOW)
TGBX16 Kanonenjagdpanzer Zug (4x Kanonenjagdpanzer)
Plus all the other great models you need to build a West German force for World War III; Team Yankee.
~Wayne