Schützen Platoon and Company Command SMG team and 2iC Command SMG team of the Schützenkompa­nie HQ

Until they earned the more famous name Panzergrenadier in Russia in 1942, the Panzer divisions’ infantry were known as Schützen, or riflemen, and wore the same pink Waffenfarbe on their epaulettes as the Panzer crews. The connotations of Schützen are of mobile light infantry or dismounted cavalry.

Schützen Platoon

A Schützen platoon is smaller than the standard German infantry platoon by about ten men. More importantly, unlike much of the German Army, the entire Schützen Bataillon is fully motorised. The platoon commander is provided with a light Kfz 15 field car, while each Gruppe, or squad, is transported in Kfz 70 trucks with another for the light mortar team. This degree of motorisation allows the newer Panzer divisions to equip their Schützen with two machine-guns per Gruppe instead of just one like normal infantry.

Panzerschützen Platoon

A Panzerschützen platoon is mounted in half-tracked Mittlere Gepanzerte Mannschaftskraf­twagen (Sd Kfz 251) Ausf A medium armoured personnel carriers. While the Panzerschützen of 1., 2. and 10. Panzerdivision are still only equipped with a single MG 34 per squad, their Sd Kfz 251 half-track mounts an additional MG34 machine gun to give them covering fire once they dismount. The other Panzer divisions have nearly twice the firepower, with two MG34 machine-guns per squad in addition to the one mounted on their half-track.

The Models

Contains all the miniatures to make the infantry teams for a Schützen Platoon or Panzerschützen Platoon, and a Company Command SMG team and a 2iC Command SMG team of the Schützenkompanie or Panzerschützen­kompanie HQ.

Just add the transports as indicated on page 75 for the Schützen or page 79 for the Panzerschützen in Blitzkrieg.