German reinforcements

After my last game in the Flames of War, Seelowe Nord campaign, it became obvious that the Germans would need some heavier firepower as they advanced into Yorkshire. The Matildas in particular are difficult to stop with German army's 'doorknocker'.

So this week I have painted up a platoon of Pkw38t and an 88mm flak, poised for the ground role. The Pkw38's are from Forged in Battle and the 88 is from Battlefront.

The Pkw 38 started as the Czechoslovak army LT vz.38 built by Skoda and was taken over by the Germans after the occupation. Around 1400 Pkw 38's were produced in 8 different variants with various modifications, improved armour protection and armed with Czech made 37mm Skoda A7 vz.38 guns, designated by the Germans as 37mm KwK 38(t) L/48 (L/47.8). They were used by the 6th, 7th and 8th Panzer Divisions during the invasion of France and by the 8th Panzer Division in the Balkans. So it is entirely likely they would have been present has Sealion gone ahead.

The chassis was used for the later Hetzer and Marder SPGs. The tank was also also exported to German allies including Romania (50), Slovakia (90), Bulgaria (10) and Hungary (102). As well as neutrals in South America and Sweden.

I didn't get a chance to deploy them at the club today. We played FoW but I was using an 8th Army rifle company in Sicily against a German panzer company. My anti-tank guns failed badly on the left flank leaving both objectives exposed. However, my opponent pushed his command tanks forward to plug a gap my infantry were creating in the centre and they were both destroyed. So Monty rolls on to Messina! Good game and I learnt a bit more about the rules.