Manda (Amachan) goes to the Eastern Front

Today I am going to have a look at squad sizes and if I can make them more realistic on tabletop. Technically it is the base size that matters in Flames of War not the amount of models on it, so I feel like I can do it if I have enough models. So let’s do some basic maths.

The infographic above shows the panzergrenadier squad layout for late war, but it was very similar if not almost identical in 1942. The included MG34 assembly instruction says: “MG34 teams combine a machine-gunner with either two riflemen and an NCO, or three riflemen, on a medium base.” This doesn’t say that one of those riflemen it wants you to add is a machine-gun loader which is kind of odd. The info on the Flames of War website is a ton better, although this lists the same team as an MG42 team but with an far better idea of what each model is and what how they should be based. Now here is a minor rant, why are the models I got to make an MG34 team modelled with MG42s? A minor thing I now, both weapons served the same battlefield role and in the grand scale of things it really isn’t going to matter. So let’s get down to how many models I got.

1 PzGren sprue contains:

• 11 K98 Riflemen
• 2 NCOs
• 3 MG42 Machine-Gunners
• 3 MG42 Machine-Gun Loaders
• 1 Officer
• 4 Panzerfausts

I have a total of 4 of them.

1 German Grenadier HQ sprue contains:

• 1 Radioman
• 1 NCO
• 1 Panzerschreck Gunners
• 1 Panzerschreck Loaders
• 2 Officers

And I have 1 of those. So leaving out the panzerfausts and panzerschrecks as they are too late for the period I am building things for, I have:

• 44 K98 Riflemen
• 9 NCOs
• 12 MG42 Machine-Gunners
• 12 MG42 Machine-Gun Loaders
• 6 Officers
• 1 Radioman

From this I am building 2 platoons of 7 MG34 teams each. In each platoon 1 of those teams is the platoon command, so in total I need to make 12 MG34 teams. The infographic above shows the squad perfectly divided in 2 fire teams, so that is what I want to go for for each team. So for the 12 MG34 teams or 6 full squads I am going to need:

• 42 K98 Riflemen
• 6 NCOs
• 12 MG42 Machine-Gunners
• 12 MG42 Machine-Gun Loaders

For the commanders and unit leaders the Flames of War building instruction that were included tell me: “Base Formation and Unit Leaders on a small base with an Officer, NCO and a rifleman.” I am inclined to agree with that for the platoon leaders, but not for the company HQ. So for the 2 platoon leaders I am going to need:

• 2 Officers
• 2 NCOs
• 2 K98 Riflemen

Since I can’t find a good source of what the company HQ would look like, I am going with a slight twist to the Battlefront approach. 2 small bases with each 1 officer, 1 NCO and on 1 base a rifleman and on the other the radioman. Since in game they are listed as a MP40 SMG team if I have a spare or can get a model with an MP40 I will replace the K98 riflemen with one of them. So in total for the company HQ I am going to need:

• 2 Officers
• 2 NCOs
• 1 K98 Rifleman or model with MP40
• 1 Radioman

So in total I am going to need:

• 45 K98 Riflemen
• 10 NCOs
• 12 MG42 Machine-Gunners
• 12 MG42 Machine-Gun Loaders
• 4 Officers
• 1 Radioman

So in all I am short 1 rifleman and 1 NCO, I most likely can use an officer as an NCO model and I am pretty sure I can find some 15mm models to buy somewhere on the interwebs. Since it such a small shortcoming this is what I am going for with the Germans.

As manpower was becoming a problem for the Soviet Union in the latter half of 1942 the basic rifle squad was reduced in size from an 11 man squad to a 9 squad team. I want to represent the 9 man squads on the tabletop. Let’s get the elephant in the room out first, there are no SVT-40 riflemen on the sprues from Battlefront. Why not? I don’t know. I also can’t seem to find any out there either. Anyway let’s move on not try to get distracted by SVT rifles….. The DP MG and M1891 rifle teams, which I am now just going to call rifle teams because there aren’t any other rifle teams in the Easter Front Mid-War book, according to Battlefronts included instruction are build like this: “DP MG and M1891 rifle teams combine an NCO or DP machine-gunner with three riflemen on a medium base.” So that is 4 man a team and thus 8 a squad. Why is the SVT rifleman being left out? They also don’t have an assistant machine-gunner model, but I can kind of excuse that one as he wouldn’t really have much different equipment apart from maybe carrying a spare magazine or 2. So I want to add the SVT rifleman to the base of the NCO to make 2 team s 1 full squad. So let’s get over the models that I got:

So 1 LW Strelkovy sprue (That is what is written on the sprue) contains:

• 14 M1891 Riflemen
• 3 NCOs
• 2 DP MG Machine-Gunners
• 2 Officers
• 1 Komissar
• 1 Maksim HMG team

I have a total of 5 of these sprues so that gives me a total of:

• 70 M1891 Riflemen
• 15 NCOs
• 10 DP MG Machine-Gunners
• 10 Officers
• 5 Komissars
• 5 Maksim HMG Teams

So I want to make 2 hero rifle companies which in total contains 18 rifle teams split in 2 different fire teams, so 9 each. Team 1 contains the NCO, the senior riflemen with the SVT-40 and 3 other riflemen. Team 2 consists of the DP MG machine-gunner and 3 riflemen of which one will be counted as the assistant machine-gunner. So in total I am going to need:

• 54 M1891 Riflemen
• 9 SVT Riflemen
• 9 NCOs
• 9 DP MG Machine-Gunners

Each rifle company includes a komissar team as well and Battlefronts included instructions tell me: “Base the Komissar team on a small base with a Komissar and a rifleman or NCO.” To me having the komissar together with an NCO makes more sense so that is what I am going with. I need to make a total 2 komissar teams so for them I will need:

• 2 NCOs
• 2 Komissars

For the commanders and unit leaders Battlefronts included instructions tell me this: “Base Formation and Unit Leaders on a small base with an Officer, NCO and a rifleman.” Since the company leader does count as a DP MG and M1891 rifle team in game, I prefer an higher rate of fire rifle for the riflemen. So I will replace the normal riflemen with a senior riflemen with an SVT-40. I have 2 companies so I am going to need 2 teams and for that I need:

• 2 SVT Riflemen
• 2 NCOs
• 2 Officers

And then the teams for the battalion HQ count as just an M1891 rifle team and thus I will have normal M1891 riflemen, but otherwise the same as above. The battalion HQ consists of 2 teams and for those 2 I am going to need:

• 2 M1891 Riflemen
• 2 NCOs
• 2 Officers

And at last the Maxim HMG team. I plan to make 4 teams and the included Battlefront instructions tell me: “Base the Maxim HMG gunner and his weapon along with the loader and a riflemen on a medium base.” So to make 4 teams I am going to need:

• 4 M1891 Riflemen
• 4 Maxim HMG Teams

So in total I am going to need:

• 60 M1891 Riflemen
• 11 SVT Riflemen
• 15 NCOs
• 9 DP MG Machine-Gunners
• 2 Komissars
• 4 Officers
• 4 Maxim HMG Teams

So if I want to make them like this I am short 11 SVT riflemen and If I were to replace the SVT riflemen with the M1891 riflemen if can’t find any I would be short only 1 M1891 riflemen. So I am going to look for and explore my options for SVT-40 rifles, but may have to go with M1891 rifles sadly.

Can I get some respect for the SVT riflemen who seem to be sadly lacking in 15mm….. Honestly, why can’t I find any? Am I just expecting too much from 15mm?

I am going to do my best to make my squads as realistic as possible.

I have throughout the project been careful with listing my sources, but for these I really can’t seem to find where these images come from. I found most of them just randomly on the internet.