Austrian Panzer Grenadier Bgde

Here is the first unit that I have done for FFT3 and my Moderns project (OK not completely finished, but its on the desk – honest!).

Why Austrian? I’m not sure but I’ve always liked the more obscure armies and when I visited the H&R stall at Salute this year I saw that they had released the 4K-4FA and the SK-105 so just thought, why not and you have to start somewhere.

It is a PanzerGrenadier Bgde, modelled on the early 90’s TO&E, (all TO&E’s in this project will be gleaned from MicroMark’s fantastic series available at Wargames Vault) and all vehicles are H&R. I’ve gone for the early 90’s version to give them ATGM as they weren’t allowed them during the Cold War due to Treaty restrictions but they can easily be used for the 80’s by just changing the infantry bases and dropping an APC stand per company – really need to add another PzGren Btln but I’ve managed to get them on the table a couple of times to fight Cold War scenario’s and they have done well both times, it is actually a nice balanced force.

So in FFT3 terms it has:

PzrGren Bgde

HQ
- 1 Cmnd 4k-fu
- 1 M60a3
- 1 M88 arv
SP Art Btln
- 1 4k-fu FOO team
- 3 M109a5
Recon Coy
- 2 recon teams (ar, Pzf-3)
- 2 Jeep/hmg (will be Pandur when model available!)
AD Coy
- 3 Mistral manpad teams
- 3 4k-4f-G1

Pzr Grenadier Btln

HQ Coy
- 1 Cmnd 4k-4FA-G2
- 2 4k-FA-Gw81 sp 81mmM
4 Coys
- 3 4k-4FA-G1 (12.7)
- 1 4k-4FA-G2 (20mm)
- 3 PG (4 AR, 4 lmg, 4 Pzf-3)
- 1 PG ATGM (3 AR, 3 Pzf-3, 3 Bill atgm)
PzrJgr Coy
- 3 Sk-105

Panzer Btln

HQ Coy
- 1 M60a3
4 Coys
- 3 M60a3

So here’s the big picture – Panzer Btln on the left, PanzerGrenadiers in the middle and Bgde HQ on the right.

The Panzer Btln – These lads have quite a few tanks knocking around in Coy and Btln HQ’s so I’ve given them 2 stands in the HQ coy to reflect this rather than include them in the platoons. EDIT – now changed this to 1 command tank due to realising a mistake!

The PzGren Btln – Again the 4k-4f APC is a nice model and a great release from H&R as they are used by quite a few armies round the world. I need to do a Btln Cmnd stand which is on the desk and waiting for a new base to turn up from Warbases. With their SP 81mmM and Sk105 Kurassiers in the support Coy they have a nice level of support. I went with 4 stands per company as the platoons are really large and it allows the ATGM to be put into one stand – I figured it works ok. By the way, the BILL ATGM the Austrians use is a great bit of kit – as it is a top attack missile it attacks the side armour in FFT3 which makes it quite a potent weapon, and a nasty surprise to ones opponents!

Bgde HQ – At the moment: only the M60a3 stand, with 2 attached M42 Duster for AD and a PzrJager Coy from Corp HQ. I’m just finishing this off, waiting on a few bits from H&R for the Recon coy (Jeeps) and need to finish painting the Artillery Btln and the Bgde Manpad Coy. I’ll be doing an attached Engineer Coy too.

One of the good things about this unit is that it can split into 2 balanced combat teams, and even without the ATGM they have quite a good AT punch – the infantry also have good close in AT capability too with their Pzf-3’s.

I’m just waiting for a delivery to arrive to start on an attached Landwehr Battalion – complete with 85mm ATG’s – which will be grown into a Brigade and hope that someone makes a Pandur soon so that I can get started on a Jager Bgde and upgrade the Recon companies.