WWIII West Germans at a glance
Guest article by Jing Hao. Enjoy this review article by our resident West German expert! ~Ed.
First there was Leopard, and then Panzertruppen followed. Now with the third book for the West Germans in Battlefront’s World War III Team Yankee, the Bundeswehr unleashes the steel of the Rhine upon those who dare to snatch democracy from the people of West Germany!
This article will touch on some new units of a faction known for its ‘elite’ status, with small but capable unit sizes as well as some of the best anti-aircraft and mortars in the game. Boasting the Leopard series of tanks as well as a capable Skill 3+ across the board, the West Germans are on paper, a formidable force to deal with.
With the release of the new books under the World War III: Team Yankee title, the current West German lists have seen a drop in competitiveness in recent times. Be it their units lacking the critical mass to survive attrition, or the hard stats of West German MBTs unable to match up the new US, British and Soviet armor, we believe that these issues shall be a thing in the past as the new book unleashes the power of Rheinmetall upon the tables of Team Yankee.
PREORDER THE NEW WEST GERMANS NOW!
Brief History
After the miracle of 1955, West Germany under Chancellor Konrad Adenauer has aligned itself early with NATO, securing its position within an alliance to prevent possible aggression by the Soviets after the lessons of the Korean War.
As the backbone of NATO’s defence in Central Europe, the Bundeswehr was touted as ‘perhaps the world’s best army’ by historians, even with it being smaller than the standing armies of France and the United States. Conscription was mandatory during these times, when the need for rearmament and a standing army was of utmost importance for West Germany.
The German Army, known as the Heer, went through several restructures throughout the Cold War. Heeresstruktur IV increased the versatility of the Heer brigades, allowing mechanized companies to carry a tank platoon, and for tank companies to be supported by an infantry platoon. The German infantry was categorized into specialist units, with paratroopers and mountain infantry being prominent forces in the defence of West Germany.
German military technology followed their traditions since the Second World War, with the Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Main Battle Tanks developed over time to match their Soviet counterparts. Together with the MBTs, West Germany also boasted their indigenous Infantry Fighting Vehicles. The Marder series of vehicles, although with a small carrying capacity, provides decent fire support as would be proven in real-world scenarios.
In the air, the Luftwaffe deploys a mix of European and American aircraft. While the F-4 Phantoms took on the role of fighters, the swept-wing Panavia Tornado is responsible for tactical ground support, either cratering rear-line logistical supply chains, or direct airstrikes upon armoured columns.
However, it is 1985, and nuclear weapons are still a choice to use should the Cold War go hot. Thus it is up to the will of the West Germans and their technological prowess to prevent Central Europe from being nuked. Thus on the morning of August 4th 1985, with the Soviet 3rd Shock Army approaching the German 1st Corp, the battle for not only Democracy, but for their homes and families, began.
The New West German Force Diagram
An expanded and refreshing take on the West German forces, the Panzergrenadiers are now beefed up with the Fallschirmjagers and Gerbirgsjagers specialized troops of the Heer. Also joining in the fray are the reservists, the family men of the Bundeswehr. Known as the Heimatschutzbrigade, they introduce a new tactical touch into the game, deviating away the traditional view of the ‘Elite’ West Germans into a style of play not unlike their East German counterparts.
Turning the hype in the Team Yankee community into reality, the Leopard 2A5 has finally entered the fray! Giving the West Germans an option other than the much maligned Leopard 2A4, the new book gives players an even more expensive unit to field, but with much better hard stats to compete against the new releases till date.
DEFENSE IN DEPTH
Thematic to the doctrine of the Heer, West Germans possess the capability to deploy the Jaguar Tank Destroyers with their Forward Defence rule in Defence missions. They are also given the MLRS in the form of the MARS, boosting their artillery options. The venerable Gepard retains its place as one of the best AA units in the game, with Radar playing a huge role in keeping it competitive.
“The family men of West Germany know that to fall back is to run away from their homes. However even the resolve of Man has its bounds”
The Heimatschutzbrigade consists of a company of Jagers, the standard riflemen of the German Heer. This brigade introduces a radical new style of play for NATO forces, and West German players in particular.
Core differences from the standard West German statline includes a worse Skill and Remount/Rally value, and the change of To Hit from 4+, to 3+, and this change affects every unit under the Jager Kompanie.
“Sie sind das Essen und Wir sind die Jaeger!”
The jagers, or riflemen of the Heimatschutzbrigade consist of reservists, men who have finished their obligatory conscription and hold full-time jobs outside the military.
Armed with a mix of G3 and MG3 small arms, this lightly armed Zug comes at a pittance, and ride on the back of M113 transports into the field. With one Milan and slower ROFs compared to the Panzergrenadiers of Leopard, the drop in firepower can be felt when holding out against an assault.
Coming with a larger mass than the standard 5-men platoon, the susceptibility to being hit by artillery and repeat bombardments may put them in an unenviable position unless well protected with smart positioning.
Introducing the Cannon-armed Tank-Destroyer, the Kanonenjagdpanzer makes its appearance in Team Yankee as a low-cost, lightly armoured vehicle toting a relatively big gun.
Available at a cheap and cheerful cost, the Kanonenjagdpanzer is a true ‘glass cannon’ with only one purpose – defeating advancing APCs which lack any form of advanced anti-HEAT protection. A moving ROF of 1 means that they are meant to be kept either in ambush, or in a static position to minimize movement.
GEBIRGSJAGERS
The Mountain Infantry of the German Army returns to the fighting along the mountainous regions of Central Europe. An infantry-centric formation, they boast the capability to bring in more platoons than the standard Kompanie, with optional support from Leopard 1s to provide dedicated anti-tank fire.
The Gerbirgsjagers are the alpine troops of the Heer, moving into battle with skis and mountain gear instead of M113s. They share the traditional West German statlines, as well as boasting the larger platoon size of the Jagers.
Their large platoon nearly double the cost of the Jagers albeit with an additional Milan, while the smaller only 1 point more, one might consider more smaller platoons rather than fewer large ones for the sake of the point economy.
Die Fallschirmjagertruppe
The highly mobile Fallschirmjagers of the Luftlande (Air-Land) Division comes in a light but versatile formation. With three platoons of airborne infantry, their positioning across the map cannot be underestimated.
The Fallschirmjagers also introduce the new Wiesel Armoured Weapons Vehicle (AWC) into the game. This small carrier of dangerous weapons could actually perform decent anti-tank or anti-air duties, supporting the airborne infantry with their superlight combat weight.
The Fallschirmjagers come solely in small platoons of 6 teams including 1 Milan missile team. Similarly equipped as the Gerbirgsjagers, the paratroopers are lightly armed with rifles and MGs, making them a more static force of infantry. The option to add Hueys as airmobile transports allow them to move about the battlefield quickly, and possibly have the helicopters provide support in other ways.
“When you wanna wiesel your way out of a tight situation”
The new Wiesel is introduced with the paratoopers. This small tankette possesses virtually no armour but a hard skin, preventing it from being pinned by artillery. The TOW variant provides cheap AT21 stationary shots, with Thermal Imaging giving them the best ability to fight at night or through smoke.
They are not trained as Scouts or Hammerheads however, so careful deployment of them is of utmost importance.
The 20mm armed Wiesel brings a flurry of light firepower to the field. Able to combat transports and recon vehicles, don’t expect them to perform against either entrenched infantry or heavier units. While the 20mm gun possesses decent AT Values against FA3 and below, the firepower of 5+ against units of good remount values mean that the Wiesel would most likely get shot back unless a confirmed kill was dealt.
WRAPPING UP
That’s it for the first article on the upcoming West German book for World War III: Team Yankee!
We touched on the new specialized infantry as well as the Heimatschutzbrigade, and the new Wiesels which came with the Fallschirmjagers. Exciting times ahead as these versatile and larger formations would give existing West German players much needed critical mass against their opposing counterparts!
Something lurks in the distance. Stay tuned for the next article where we will tackle the Leopard 2A5, Marder 2 and more!
