DAK, On Review

In a couple of weekend's time, I’ll be down at Battlegroup South at Bovington Tank Museum to take part in the Battlegroup Tobruk campaign weekend. This weekend will see each player play three games for his side, Axis or Allies, to earn campaign victory points towards the overall winner. They are great fun days, always a big highlight of my wargaming year and getting to play, rather than run the event, is a treat and worth the five hour drive to Dorset. (I’m at Tankfest the weekend before too, so I get do it all twice!).

This year, we’ll be using the new Battlegroup Tobruk book, so lots of sand… with German and Italian forces taking on the Brits, somewhere in Libya, in late 1941.

For a change, I’ll be playing on the German’s side, so I thought it was time to get my DAK forces out, review them, mend any damage, touch up paintwork and see if their was anything new I’d need for the upcoming battles. I still have 2 weeks to get any last minute units finished.

Whilst the army was all out of it storage boxes, I took some pics… so here is my full DAK force in detail, as an example of a Battlegroup collection. Quite what I’ll use at at the weekend I’m not yet sure, I’ll probably change my force for each battle and try to get everything some table time. Time for list building later, first get the models sorted.

Here they are, ready for Rommel’s inspection, before storming off to smash the British… I hope! Can’t wait.

HQ Assets: Forward HQ SdKfz 265 (First to Fight kit), Forward Signals Unit, SdKfz 263 (Roden), Luftwaffe Air Liaison Officer (Ace car, Brittannia miniatures)

Infantry Assets: Schurzen Platoon Headquarters and 1st Zug  

(mixed SHQ, Britannia, Foundry and a few Caesar plastics)

2nd and 3rd Zugs (same manufacturers) 

Platoon Support Weapons, 80m mortar, HMG, 50mm mortar and AT rifle team (all Britannia)

The infantry's soft-skin transports (mostly pinched Italian trucks)  

(Britannia Dovunques and a converted diecast SdKfz 7 with AB passengers)

Tank Assets: 1st Panzer III Zug (PSC kits with extra Valuegear stowage)

2nd Panzer III Zug (as above)

Panzer II Zug (Revel kits)

Other tanks, a Pz IV and captured Matilda (PSC Pz IV and Lancer Miniatures Matilda)

Artillery Assets: Observer Teams, guns off-table (Britannia and SHQ)

Recon Assets: The armoured cars, gone a bit mad on 222s (Airfix kits) 

 and a SdKfz 232 (Altaya diecast)

Kradschurtzen Zug and 2 x snipers (all Britannia) 

Logistics Assets: Two supply trucks (Fujimi and PSC kit)

 

 Special Support Assets: Pak-38 battery (PSC guns, SHQ crew and Altaya diecast tow). 

I'm missing the other tow... which I have, must find it. (I did, in another box, SdKfz 10 mis-stored)

Panzerjaeger I (old Esci kit with AB crew) and Flak 38 with captured British tow 

(Altaya diecast gun, SHQ crew and Airfix tow - gun went to the Brits).

88, must have, it's the law. (Revel kit, AB crew and Airfix kit for the on-tow version)

Converted Flak Vierling, not for this time, but it'll come in useful in my planned 1943 Tunisia games. (Converted PSC truck, diecast gun and AB crew)

 Additional Fire Support Assets: Stuka, what else? (Hobbyboss kit)