German Infantry Mortar Platoon - 1944

[SteveKrieg]

G'day all...


With the SAS Jeeps and Tiger done and dusted, it's time to plan for next year and first cab off the rank is a complete German infantry mortar platoon circa Normandy 1944 where the Germans - considered masters of mortar fire - incurred an extraordinary 75% of casualties upon Allied ground units.


The Germans were able to direct their fire at a moments notice and the slow flight of the 8mm shells made them almost inaudible until they hit which meant than any Allied unit caught by such fire often got next to no warning until it was too late.


The 81mm mortar was the most common in-use by the German army during the war and an infantry mortar platoon consisted of six tubes. So the plan is to repaint the six mortars and assign crews to each alongside a platoon HQ and several Kettenkrads in the background that were used to transport the mortars and their ammo. Such is the dream. Enjoy, Steve

 

[SteveKrieg]

Forgot to add that I intend to set-up the platoon in a nearby pine forest where baby pines should provide an ideally-scaled diorama setting. I'll need to figure out a way of recreating a mortar "stonk" where a couple of 81mm rounds can be seen leaving from the tubes (without a trail too visible)...any suggestions most welcome.


Cheers, Steve

 

[rivetcounter]

A mortar zug will be an impressive diorama, for the rounds exiting the barrel you could use thin fibre optics

 

[Squidley]

Very impressive project! Look forward to seeing you set it up.

 

[Panzercommander HOH]

I approve of your ammo stockpile, Steve!

Can't wait to see 'em finished. They will be quite impressive - especially shot outside!

As for rounds leaving the tubes: Photo Shop, followed by a thin wire or fishing line.

Good luck!

Fred

 

[Old Tanker]

I'm curious about the table of organization you used for this unit. I'm familiar with panzergrenadier organization which had two 8cm mortars per infantry company and a 12cm platoon (four tubes) at battalion level. Did you combine three infantry company mortar sections into one "adhoc platoon" to increase "throw weight" at one particular target, or was this a formally established organization for a particular light infantry unit?

 

[SteveKrieg]

G'day 'Old Tanker'...


Your assumption of 'throw weight' is correct with regards to the aim of my diorama which is circa Normandy 1944 and the infantry (grenadier) platoon of six tubes will be posed laying down a 'stonk' on an unsuspecting Allied position (which is out of the scope of the diorama). Being Heer, all figures will wear a mix of uniform but all will be fitted with a zeltbahn helmet cover and smock of sorts.


Organisational tables that I've referred to (from a variety of sources) invariably state a strength of 1 officer and 53 other ranks for a 1942-43 (mid-war) period German grenadier mortar platoon and though there was an increase in the number of other ranks allocated for the 1944 model, such increases were rarely met as the war ground-on and it was not uncommon to have five men per baseplate with others providing all-round defence, comms and fetch/carry of ammo and this is what I'll work on for my diorama.


The fit-out of six medium tubes per battalion was (and still is) a common approach to infantry support fires doctrine with a section of two mortars allocated to each of the battalion's three companies or concentrated for a battalion-level action... so a very flexible asset indeed.


The Germans often concentrated their mortar fire as part of their defensive strategy during the Normandy campaign giving the ability to cover a wide area which probably explains the high casualty rate incurred on the Western Allies by this weapon as the Allies struggled to deploy in the tight confines of the French 'Bocage' during the June/July battles.


Another reason why I've chosen an entire platoon (dug-in somewhat) in-action is, well...I can't help myself when it comes to big scenes. Cheers, Steve

 

[Old Tanker]

Looking forward to your finished product. Hasty firing position, or prepared (dug in, bunker, etc.)?

 

[Old Tanker]

Hey, have you given some thought to the powder charges on the mortar rounds. One thing I've noticed about Dragon/Cyber Hobby mortar ammo is that they are missing any powder charges - I believe in a previous career we referred to them as "donuts" or "cheese slices". Looked like square slices of cheese that wrapped around the mortar round base/stem/tail. Hole in the middle like a donut (modern US 81mm and 4.2 inch). In WWII I think they looked more like a square tea bag that wrapped around the base of the round. You could adjust the range of the round by deleting or adding these charges to the round.

 

[SteveKrieg]

G'day 'Old Tanker',


With regards to your queries, yes, I plan to dig a shallow shell scrape for each of the six mortar positions (hastily dug-in to illustrate a temporary 'baseplate' position).


I like your idea regarding the 'donut' charges. I've attached a period pic to illustrate how they were attached to the shell. After some additional research, based on your suggestion, the Granatwerfer 34 could propel its shell (at a 45 degree angle) out to 540m whereas with three added charges (the most that could be attached to the shell) the range increased significantly to 2,400m.


As with artillery pieces, the use of additional charges impacted on the service life of the mortar's barrel but, unlike artillery pieces, a mortar is easier to move around on the battlefield and could be employed close to the target often negating the use of charge bags though this is dependant on the situation where such positions were usually not fixed making it difficult for counter-battery fire by the Allies to be employed effectively as the position was usually abandoned after several salvos.


Thanks for the idea, I'll have to employ some scratch-building in order to realise your suggestion. Cheers, Steve

 

[SteveKrieg]

G'day all,


Has been a while since my last post so here's some update pics. I've been a bit slack 1/6th-wise so far this year but now back into it with the hope of finishing the platoon and photoshoot with appropriate backdrop by mid-March. The platoon has been assembled save for the addition of hands and weathering of boots. Two of the early version 34's (denoted by their rectangular baseplate) have been weathered/detailed and assembled (four to go) and the unassuming buttons will become the perfectly-scaled charge bag tins (plastic card will be used to make the 'donut' charges). The MG34 sight cases will become R.A 35 dial sight cases for the mortars. Around five ammo crates will be used for each mortar with a couple of discards around the pits whilst several more will be placed in one of the infantry carts and other crates being carried by mortar crewman from the carts to the pits. In addition to the six mortar pits, two additional pits will have MG34s for protection on the flanks and a central command pit with have a two-man Torn D radio. Next update will be the platoon photo complete. Enjoy, Steve

 

[Trilla]

where did you get so many crates?

 

[SteveKrieg]

G'day Trilla, I've amassed the ammo crates over the past couple of years off websites that specialise in selling 1/6th bits and pieces ('Monkey Depot' and 'Wartoys' predominantly) with the intent of one day doing the mortar platoon. To date, I'm almost done with final weathering of the crews up next prior to taking the whole lot out to a suitable site, digging them in, setting them up and getting some (hopefully) great photos of the platoon in action. Here's a couple of pics of all six mortars, crates and accessories. The versatile German IF 8 Infantry carts were used, in the case of this diorama, to haul ammo from the supply trucks (often situated further to the rear in-case of counter-battery fire on the position) to the pits. Enjoy, Steve

 

[HDHSVI]

Steve
Those pics are nice! Some real nice work getting all that together and put all right!

Cya
Hankster

 

[viaad]

I love your dedication! Not to mention, your work! That's a great collection and it's even better to see that it will form an entire unit. Create some aiming posts to go with each mortar. They could be broken down and stored in pouches. Every mortar used them. Amazing work!

 

[SteveKrieg]

G'day all,


I was hoping to have some fine shots of the Heer Infanterie Granatwerfer Zug in action putting rounds down range (circa Normandy - late June 1944). However, we've had some shocking weather over the past week and whilst the old Army adage of "If it ain't rainin'- it ain't trainin' might be food for thought for us humans, it is not so advantageous for 12" inch scaled figures (who'd probably just float away). So I'll have to wait 'til the weather improves for such a photoshoot but here's some pics in the meantime of the whole Zug (platoon) in standard '44 pattern composition - six tubes which could be split into three sections (each of two teams) each supporting a battalions three fighting companies. I've taken the advice (cheers muchly) and scratch-built some direction aiming stakes (Richtstabe) in red and white (it's worth noting that Allied forces used black and white striped). I've added two MG34s as, given the proximity of the Allied forces and the nature of the terrain (the bocage) during this period, such units began to incorporate point defence just in-case either forward of the position or flanking. As such, mortarmen not being utilised for either the mortars nor as ammo farriers would rotate on the guns. Enjoy, Steve

 

[SteveKrieg]

And a couple more...

 

[Ostfront43]

What a massive undertaking! The group shot in your last post shows how much gear, ordinance and soldats a platoon really is. Looking forward to a photo shoot of your platoon. Great job.

 

[rdjmchris]

Wow. How exactly did you make the cheese charges?

 

[SteveKrieg]

G'day all,


Sorry to keep everyone in suspense on this one but I've yet to set-up the platoon as desired (distractions) but now that I've been reminded (cheers for that), I'll get right on that this week. In answer to recent questions, the 'Donut' ring charges were quite simple to produce. I simply found an example image on the internet, downloaded the image and reduced to the required 1/6th scale size and multiplied the image a number of times using powerpoint then printed in colour. I then cut each one out and glued them to a thin sheet of plastic. The plastic was then cut to shape - dada - 'Donut' charges. Cheers again, Steve