The Commander Series Forum

Not sure if this is the correct place for this, but it seems like it might be as it is miniature related.

If you see my other posts I have 2 GHQ combat command boxes: Commonwealth Western Desert 1941 & the Afrika Korps 1941.

I want to buy more! But, I also want to make the purchase effective. I could go and do something else, a different couple of sets or something to expand my two forces. I am going for the second option.

So, bolstering the two forces for desert warfare. Double up on what I already have, buying the same again and risking redundancy? Or picking specifics and risking buying something totally out of kilter with the forces as they stand as I am really not well versed in these things?

What do? Perhaps the questions should be: Where can I find information on creating these two forces accurately (within the realms of a gameable set of armies)? I look here: http://www.ghqmodels.com/pages/military/squadgames.asp But it's a case of knowing what I am looking at.

I am such a newb at this. Apologies.

The alternative is to buy up something else and change theatre. But then I am expanding my need for additional scenery, buildings, stuff. It all starts to mushroom out from there. Damn you hobby!

I'd be inclined to add to the Germans. The box has 3 each Pz II, III and VI - right? In '41 the DAK Pz bttns were made up of 3 companies - 2 of Pz II/III and one of Pz II/IV with more Pz II at BHQ and RHQ. NOTE: this is only true for 8th Pz Regt (15th Pz Div). 5th Pz Regt (21st Pz Div) still had Pz I, though I'm not sure of exact proportions. I'd be thinking about a Pz Bttn of 4-5x PzII, 6 PzIII and 2-3 PzIV.

I'd also add some of the smaller AT: mostly 37mm, with 50mm starting to appear and a few 28mm if GHQ make 'em.

You've got enough recce with 3x Sdkfz 222!

For the Brits the presence of Valentines really points to a late '41 force. But none of the 3 tanks they provide would be in the same regt.

I'd be inclined to go for a Crusader regt of (in BKC terms) 12x Crusaders and 1x Crusader CS plus HQ stands. That way you go can jump forwards to Gazala by adding a Sqn of 3x Grants instead of 4 of the crusaders (ignoring the crusader I / II differences!)

If you go for an A13 regt just remember that there's no such thing as the A13 CS tank - they had to make do with A10 CS!

The valentines would be from an infantry tank brigade - so build it up with more valentines and Matildas? Again there was no Valentine CS - they used CS Matildas.

Get some 2pdr AT guns - towed and portee.

3x Marmon Herringtons is ample - but add a couple of Daimler scout cars for options.

... and don't change theatre - the desert is the most interesting. No Behemoths!

Just sourcing the appropriate models now. However, if I am not careful this could get silly! Pz IIs, IIIs, and IVs at 5 per pack. Add in 60+ infantry, 50+ heavy weapons, AT weapons I have a whole lot of models going on.

Next up the Brits. Oh! This looks handy: http://www.desertrats.org.uk/equipment.htm

Thanks for that. I love the desert. Not sure why. Maybe I tire of green baize?

GHQ, under their "Free Stuff" button, has a good selection of tables of organization & equipment (TO&Es) for both the Germans and British in the North African desert. In the British listings, picking the TO&Es from early-1941 to mid-1942 should get you what you need considering the organization of the British combat team box.

http://www.ghqmodels.com/pages/military/sq...

That's how I expanded my organization from those two boxes to what eventually will be the British 4th Armored Brigade Group and 11th Indian Brigade and the German 5th Light/21st Panzer Division.

The Nafziger order of battle collection at the US Army Command and General Staff College has a large number of OBs for both sides during the North African desert operations.

http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/CGSC/CARL/nafz...

Jim

I'm not cross posting or filling the forum with random threads, so I will post this here as it is semi-related.

Before I got into the desert, I picked up a few random GHQ blisters. I got Weasels, some recce Stuarts and these towed ATs:


Except, just like before I hadn't anticipated using them for a WW2/real world game. I had imagined sci-fi but moving forward things obviously change.

So, what do they look like? The packet is long gone. My research tells me they aren't Russian or Soviet as the ZIS-2/3 didn't have a gap in the shield. I am stumped. Is it a discontinued GHQ line? I attempted to sign-up with the GHQ forum but the register link is dead. If I can recycle them into a WW2 desert game I would like that, but as something specific rather than a proxy for something they are not.

Ideas?

They wouold appear to be US 3" guns.

IanS

GHQ US111 M1 155mm howitzer
http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/US111.html

AT guns have a curved/angled shield. Too small for 105. Model may have been revised since they were purchased.

At that scale, if you choose to model the guns in pits covered with camo netting you can have them represent a number of gun types to suit your scenarios.

Re the pictured guns. As IanS pointed out.These are US 3 inch At guns. They were originally fitted into the carriage of the 105mm Howitzer with a straight shield. Later all were replaced with angled shields. Howitzer models unless the specifically towed version have their guns facing upwards.