German Forces 1944 - 1945
Defence of the Reich
My late 2014 project is to refurbish my NW Europe German forces for 1944-45. These are some of my very first models and conversions and it shows. The models just now are in a variety of shades of grey paint, unpainted plastic and some in sand, green and brown. Not a very uniform appearance at all.
The quality of build and painting is even more varied. Some were bought and built way back when I got half a crown a week pocket money! I decided upon a generic approach using Humbrol acrylic Sand, Green and Red Brown. Not the most realistic versions of the actual German colours but readily available and close enough for my purposes.
A "standard" look was intended right from the start so the vehicles were all painted in Humbrol Sand with irregular blotches of green and red brown then washed with thin black, thin earth brown or a mix of black/earth brown. Finally dry brushed with Coat d'Arms Linen. Markings were kept to a minimum so that a generic appearance was maintained though some sport crosses and turret numbers.
Lufwaffe Helferin (female FlaK Auxiliaries) with Airfix 88mm FlaK guns
Armed secretaries and the League of German Girls (Bund Deutscher Mädel - BDM) was the girls' wing of the Nazi Party Youth movement, the Hitler Youth. Mainly Caesar plastics.
The Hitler Youth - various 20mm metals and Matchbox (now Revell) Afrika Korps (1/76)
Nazi Party Leader with Hitler Youth and propaganda team
Volkssturm - various metal, Caesar and Matchbox plastics
SturmAbteillung (SA) - Matchbox Afrika Korps
Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS (SD) with its Film unit.
The Funklenk Company (Airfix Tigers, Matchbox SdKfz 251, Britannia (Grubby Tanks) Borgward BIV)
Panzer Regiment HQ (Airfix PzBefWg IV, Eidai FlakPz IV, Matchbox Panther converted to Bergepanther)
Panther Battalion (Matchbox Panthers, Converted BergePanther, Eidai FlakPz IV)
The full strength unit 4 companies of 3 tanks allows me to field any combination though usually 4 companies of 2 tanks is more usual.
Heavy Tank Battalion (Airfix Tigers, Eidai Wirbelwind, Airfix conversion to BergeTiger)
Later war Heavy Tank Battalion (same tanks as above with 1st Company replaced by 2 x Fujimi Tiger II with Henschel turrets for 1944)
Panther Battalion equipped with Infra-red night fighting equipment.
(Matchbox Panthers with scratch built IR equipment, Eidai Wirbelwind, Matchbox SdKfz 251 converted with IR searchlight and night driving equipment, Revell infantry with Vampir IR sights)
SturmGeschutz Brigade (Airfix StuG III and three converted to StuH, Frontline PzIII converted to BergePz III)
Two Anti-tank Companies (Esci Hetzers)
Armoured Artillery Battalion 1 (Millicast Hummel, Matchbox Wespe, Matchbox BeobPz II and BeobPz III conversions)
Armoured Artillery Battalion 2 (Millicast Hummel, Matchbox Wespe, Matchbox BeobPz II and BeobPz III conversions)
Motorised Artillery (Airfix Gun Tractors and Caldercraft 10.5cm leFH18, converted 15cm sFH18 and Altaya SdKfz 250 observation posts)
Heavy Artillery (Airfix gun tractor with scratch built 10cm K18 and Eric Clark heavy gun tractor and scratch built 17cm gun)
The 17cm gun - scratchbuilt from card, balsa and scrap plastic and wheels.
Heavy FlaK - all Airfix
Light FlaK - ESCI, Nitto, Eidai, Altaya etc
Self Propelled FlaK - Eidai
Recce - Frontline AufKlPz 38(t)
Anti-tank (ESCI JagdPz IV L/48 and L/70 and Marders)
Heavy Anti-Tank (ESCI Elefant, Matchbox JagdPanther)
Anti-Tank (Converted Matchbox PzII)
Deception Unit - Matchbox conversions
Flame thrower tanks - Frontline PzIII
Frontline Pz III
Engineer Tanks (Frontline Pz III converted to PiPz III)
British Softskins and Artillery
German VolksGrenadiers, VolksSturm and horse drawn vehicles