Vorsprung Durch Technik* – West Germans in Checkpoint Charlie

The West Germans are the final NATO nation in this first release of Checkpoint Charlie.  But how do they differ from their Team Yankee equivalents?  Let’s take a look.

Tank Formations

The West Germans have two tanks in Checkpoint Charlie.  The M48 and the new Leopard 1 (the M47 that still resided in inventory are ignored).  Both have a very similar formation consisting of:

• A 1-2 tank HQ platoon and two-three platoons of the same tank model
• The third tank box can also be a Panzergrenadier platoon mounted either in IFV or M113 APC
• An anti-tank box with AS.11missile firing Raketenjagdpanzers
• A recce box with Spz.11-2 Kurz scout tanks
• A M109G battery.  This is the original short barrel version in a 3 gun or 6 gun battery.

This makes for a very self-sufficient formation, though the TY in-formation Gepards are sorely missed.

The M48, actually the M48A2CGA1 with a revised M41 90mm gun and West German style smoke launchers, is much like its US equivalent, just with the benefit of the West German’s 3+ skill and 3+ remount.  It’s a decent baseline tank benefiting from large platoons of 3-5 tanks.

The 90mm is showing its age, but is backed up by the AT21 missiles from the Raketenjagdpanzers, allowing the formation to deal with heavy hitters l;like the T-10M or T-64.  This handy anti-tank vehicle fills the same role as the Jaguar 1 in TY, providing long range anti-tank effects.  The missile carrier has the “Forward Defence” tag so can ignore deep reserves.

The Leopard 1 was a novel solution to the problem of the rise of anti-tank missiles. Considering that armour could not keep up with the capabilities of HEAT warheads, the Leopard 1 simply went for a bare minimum of armour, sufficient to stop most autocannon fire. But it combined this light armour with a 800bhp engine, torsion bar suspension, and a stabilised L7 105mm main gun.  The end result was a nimble medium tank, able to dart from cover to cover, choose its shot and nail the enemy with a powerful 105mm round.

In game terms, we get the (true) tank with the lightest armour in the book (FA8), but a blistering 28” cross-country dash, 2+ cross and a halted AND moving RoF2 105mm.  The last point is probably a bit more fitting for the mid-70’s Leopard 1A1 and its new stabiliser and FCS, but it does make the Leopard 1 play very differently from the M48.  It’s also one of the cheapest tanks with a 105mm in the game and will likely be a popular choice because of it. 

Whilst not strictly a tank, there is a third “tank” formation; the Jagdpanzerkompanie.  That’s right, everyone’s favourite post-war flat panzer, the Kanonenjagdpanzer gets its own list!  Relegated to support in Team Yankee, here the Kanonenjagpanzer gets to thrive.  Sure, its 90mm gun is struggling to get reliable kills against a T-55 (and can’t even scratch the paint on a T-64 or T-10M), and its armour is definitely not stopping any return fire.  However, it’s cheap and also has the “Forward Defence” tag meaning it avoids a mandatory reserves bench seat in missions with Deep Reserves.  This makes it a rare beast; a defensive tank formation!

Its formation is much like the tank formations, including having the third optional tank box also allow an infantry platoon, but it lacks the Raketenjagdpanzer box, so the formation doesn’t have much of an answer for the heavies.

Infantry Formations

The West Germans have two infantry formations that really only differ in one point, the transport type.  The “Panzergrenadierkompnie” is basically the IFV formation and rides around in either the new Marder or the older Hotchkiss.  The “M113 Panzergrenadierkompanie”, as its name suggest, rides around in M113 APC. 

Each formation has the same structure:

• A single HQ stand with the mount of choice
• Two infantry platoons
• A third optional infantry platoon, or one of the three tanks from the previous section.
• An anti-tank box with AS.11missile firing Raketenjagdpanzers
• A recce box with Spz.11-2 Kurz scout tanks
• A M109G battery
• A Schutzen-Panzerkanon platoon that uses the Kurz as a fire support vehicle
• An M113 mortar battery with 3 or 6 120mm mortar carriers.

The infantry platoons all have the same basic layout:

• A large platoon with 5 IFV/APC, 5 MG3/Pzfaust 44 teams, 4 Carl Gustav teams
• A medium platoon with 4 IFV/APC, 4 MG3/Pzfaust 44 teams, 3 Carl Gustav teams
• A small platoon with 3 IFV/APC, 3 MG3/Pzfaust 44 teams, 2 Carl Gustav teams

The MG3 team is your standard MG team with a RoF3 static shot, dropping to 2 when moving or pinned and able to fire an impressive AT15 heat round out to 12”.  The Carl Gustav is a two man team and bolsters the Panzerfaust 44 with an AT17 shots and a useful FP3+.  Combined with being functionally Fearless (only the counterattack and seldom-used Courage is 4+) and skill 3+ (though only 4+ in Assaults), the infantry is as punchy as they ever were.  Tanks are going to have to sit back outside of Carl Gustav range, as only the heavies can start to think of trying to rush a platoon without whittling them down.

When it comes to the mounts, all three have their strengths.  

• The M113 packs a reasonable armour and decent mobility.  It saves a good few points over the IFV platoons which, in the West German force, all adds up.  It’s just a shame they re-gunned it with a MG3!
• The SPz 1203 Lang is the original West German IFV and can make the claim of being the first such vehicle, beating the BMP-1 to service by a good few years.  However, first isn’t always best and the Lang proved troublesome in service.  It sports some of the best armour for an APC in the game, but its mobility is distinctly average and the 20mm autocannon is somewhat underpowered.  It does allow the platoon to have a 106mm recoilless rifle on the HQ track, which does further bolster the platoon’s anti-tank capability.
• The Marder entered service in the early 70s and, whilst sporting less armour than the Lang, it is quicker on its feet and has a stronger 20mm autocannon.  Some players may also say it has the advantage of a plastic kit to lessen the hit on the wallet too!

Personally, I lean towards the M113 as being the way to go.  It lacks the firepower boost of the IFV, but the points saved can buy that firepower in other ways.

One such way is the Schutzenpanzerkanon Zug.  This uses the “Kurz” scout tank as a fire support vehicle.  It loses Scout and Spearhead but you can take up to seven of them for next to no points and put out 21 20mm shots a turn!  AT6 FP5 isn’t huge but it’ll still whittle down a BMP company.

Cavalry Formations

Talking about the “Kurz” its the star of the show in the next formation, the PanzerAufklarungskompanie.  Combining 2-6 platoons of two Kurz scout tank with 1-3 Heavy Scout Troops, plus a HQ troop, operating two M41 Waker Bulddogs and a single Kurz, this provides the Cavalry formation for the West Germans.  The Kurz sports the same 20mm as the Lang IFV but on a shorter, lighter, more nimble chassis.  Two-tank platoons are never great but tend to be more permissible for scouts.

The Walker Bulldog should be familiar from ‘Nam.  With a fearsome turn of speed, it’s able to put its AT14 76mm into threatening places on the enemies flanks, but is definitely a glass cannon.  It’s just a shame that it has to bring a Kurz along, rather than a third M41.

Support

Despite being in most of the formations, the West Germans can bring another box each of M109 and Raketenjagdpanzers, which is good news for the Cavalry who lack both, and the Jagdkanons who can certainly benefit from the missiles.  

There is also an anti-aircraft box that can field either the M42 Duster or the Gepard.  I wasn’t expecting the latter as it didn’t reach units until after the time period, 1976. The Duster is more than adequate, but its 40mm is lacking a radar to guide it which means it can struggle versus fast jets.

Talking of Fast jets, the F-4 returns!  No doubt saving BF having to make a FIAT G.91 model, the Luftwaffe was a major user of the F-4 and here it is much like the USAF version, albeit lacking the Napalm option.

A Helicopter box for the AH-1 Cobra and a OP box rounds out the support.

Dusting Off the Collection

Porting a TY West German force to Checkpoint Charlie can be surprisingly tricky.  The Gepard and Panzermorser are easy carry overs, as is the M109G if you opted for the short barrel version.  Similarly the M113 and Marder can be reused but the real trick is having enough given the infantry platoon has grown in size!  The infantry figures are also the same, but I imagine most West German platers are short of Carl Gustavs!

The tank situation is more tricky.  Most West German players are unlikely to have more than one Jagdkanon platoon and the Leopard 1 are going to be the later uparmoured version (which may or may not bother most people).

Thankfully, the West Germans probably have one of the best of the four new starters.

Ten Leopards makes for either a 2 tank HQ with two four-tank platoons, or a single tank HQ and three-three tank platoons. You also get a full strength infantry platoon in Marders and three M109G, 84pts worth of an army. Throw in some dusters and some Raketenjagdpanzers and you have a decent force!

Conclusion

The West Germans feel like they are going to play the most like a traditional Team Yankee force.  The high mobility of the Leopard 1 will allow it to pick its shots and control the pace of the battle, whilst the infantry, with its bigger squads, have only got better at being a stalwart holder of the line.

It’s a shame that units like the reservists and Fallschirmjäger have not been carried over to Checkpoint Charlie, but hopefully we will see these in the future.

*whilst we associate that phrase with the 80’s Audi adverts, it actually first appears in a 1967 advert for the Ro80 made by one of Audi’s predecessors; so perfect for Checkpoint Charlie!