Contains: 4x Wirbelwind (2cm Quad) or Ostwind (3.7cm) Anti-aircraft Tanks, 1x Decal Sheet

Kit contains the option to build 4x Wirbelwind (2cm Quad) or Ostwind (3.7cm) Anti-aircraft Tanks, and Decal Sheet

The Wirbelwind (Whirlwind) anti-aircraft tank replaces the fold-down sides of the older types with a proper armoured turret mounting quadruple 2cm FlaK38V guns.

The Ostwind (East Wind) has been designed in 1944 as a successor to the Wirbelwind. Armed with a 3.7cm FlaK43 anti-aircraft gun, it has better range and hitting power than the Quad 2cm AA gun of it's predecessor.

Both tanks are excellent dedicated AA guns capable of engaging all Allied Planes. And in other circumstances, their guns can be turned on infantry in the open to devastating effect, clearing the way for armoured support and Panzergrenadiers to punch through the gaps created.

includes two MP40 SMG Teams, one Sd Kfz 251 Half-track Sprue, one Half-track Crew Sprue and four Unit Cards.

The SS armoured panzergrenadier companies were the division’s strike force. Fast and armoured, their half-tracks allowed them to keep up with the panzers in mobile operations. The same traits made them equally good as rearguards. Once they halted the enemy advance with their massive firepower, they could quickly withdraw to the next defence line, protected from enemy artillery fire.

includes four plastic Panzer III (Late) tanks, three plastic Panzer IV (Late) tanks, two plastic Tank Commander sprue, three, 15cm Nebelwerfer guns, three plastic Gun Crew sprues, one mini 4th Flames Of War rulebook, two Decal sheets and seven Unit cards.

Hartmann wiped sweat and dust from his forehead with a muttered curse.

'Hold here,'
he called down through the open hatch and braced himself as the panzer slowed to a halt in the grass of the steppe. He peered up the slope ahead, seeing tan dust rising to meet the gathering clouds from beyond the crest.

'Turret, front – fifteen degrees. Get a bead right on the top of that ridge'.

Looking ahead he saw the other tanks in his platoon had halted. He thumbed the transmit button on his microphone.
'Loaders, ready with reloads. That’s a lot of dust so look alive.

In 1944 the war in the east had become critical for the Germans. Determined defence, reinforced with local counterattacks, typified their fighting all along the front. Panzer division ‘fire brigades’ were rushed from one hot spot to another. German Generals such as von Manstein, Hube, and von Saucken showed expert skill holding back the Red Army against overwhelming odds, extracting their forces from encirclement, holding Soviet breakthroughs, and delaying the enemy advance at important bridgeheads. Fighting erupted all along the front as the Soviets launched Operation Bagration. From Narva in the north, through Byelorussia where the Red Army wedge hit the hardest, down to Romania and Hungary, the German fought for every inch of ground.

Bagration: German is the third German themed book in the Flames Of War Late-war series of army handbooks (after D-Day: German and D-Day: Waffen-SS). It is also the second of the Bagration series, bringing you German Eastern Front forces fighting against Soviet Operation Bagration as featured in Bagration: Soviet.

Bagration: German covers the German forces fighting all across the Eastern Front from Finland in the north to Romania and Hungary in the south from January 1944 to January 1945.

There is a great variety of formations and units available to field, from tanks and armoured infantry to grenadiers and tank-hunters.

Grenadier Company
The first formation you will encounter is the Grenadier Company. These are hardened Eastern Front veterans with the full array of support weapons including machine-guns, 8cm and 12cm mortars, 5cm and 7.5cm anti-tank guns, 7.5cm and 15cm infantry guns, anti-aircraft guns, and scouts.

These confident troops also have Third Reich, giving them Last Stand 3+. They are Veterans so they pass Skill related Movement Orders on a 3+ and Hit On 3+ in Assaults. The teams of the Grenadier Platoons are armed with Panzerfausts (Limit 1), allowing them to use one team each Shooting and Assault step as a Panzerfaust anti-tank weapon.

Storm Grenadier Company
If you like the sound of the veteran Grenadiers, you can go one step further and take the Storm Grenadiers of the 78th Sturm Division. These troops have a support listed above, but with twice as many 7.5cm anti-tanks guns and machine-gun platoons. The Storm Grenadier Platoons themselves are the same ratings as the Grenadiers, but have twice as many MG42 machine-guns in their platoons making them MG42 teams with Rate of Fire 3 stationary and 2 while moving. Like the Grenadiers the Storm Grenadiers are automatically equipped with Panzerfaust (Limit 1).

StuG Assault Gun Battery
The 78th Sturm Division had its own assault gun battery permanently attached to the divisions, the 89th Assault Gun Battalion. As well as being equipped with both StuG (7.5cm) and StuH (10.5cm) assault guns, the battalion also had its own tank escorts, or tank riders, to protect them from enemy infantry. These troops are armed with new StG44 assault rifles. Assaults rifles have a longer range than SMGs, but a similar firepower, so when combined with the assault guns own machine-guns, are able to keep any aggressive infantry at bay.

Other assault gun battalions also fielded tanks escorts, as well as becoming semi-attached to particular divisions, so this formation is not exclusively representing the 78th Sturm Division.

Hetzer Tank-hunter Company
A very common tank-hunter to begin making its appearance on the Eastern Front during 1944 was the Hetzer. This tiny ball of power is armed with the same gun as the StuG, but based on widened Czech Panzer 38(t) tank chassis. It has the same level of protection as the StuG. However, it is overworked due to the position of the gun and general lack of space in the fighting compartment. As a tank-hunter its primary role is ambushing enemy tanks so does need to be rushing about the battlefield.

The Hetzer will come out as a new plastic kit which will make the Hetzer tank-hunter, as well as he Marder tank-hunter (the Marder III M, for us rivet counters).

Tiger Tank Company
To represent the Tigers fighting on the East, we have also included a Tiger Tank Company. You field up to three Tiger Tank Platoons and one of four different anti-aircraft options (more about those further down).

Panther Tank Company
With the Bagration Panther Tank Company we have introduced a few additional options over the ones found in D-Day: German. Your second black box unit can be chosen from five different options; Panther Tank Platoon, Panzer IV Tank Platoon, Panzer IV/70 Tank Platoon, Tiger Tank Platoon, or an Armoured Panzergrenadier Platoon. This combined with the other one to two Panther Tank Platoons and the AA Tank Platoon options lets you create a battle group feel to your force

Panzer IV Tank Company
The Panzer IV formation lets you do something similar with the second black box letting you select from Panzer IV Tank Platoon, StuG Tank Platoon, Panther Tank Platoon, Tiger Tank Platoon, or an Armoured Panzergrenadier Platoon. While the Panzer IV formation lets you have one to three additional Panzer IV Tank Platoons.

Panzer IV/70 Tank Company
Late 1944 saw the widespread introduction of the Panzer IV/70 tank/tank-hunter. This low-slung assault gun is a development of the Jagdpanzer IV tank-hunter and was often issued straight to tank battalions. It has thick armour and the gun of the Panther tanks, making it rather nose heavy impeding its ability to deal with tough terrain.

This is another new plastic kit coming out with the release of Bagration: German. It will also allow you to make the Jagdpanzer IV tank-hunter.

AA Tanks
All of the above tank companies will also be able to field the new Wirbelwind and Ostwind AA tanks. Of course you will still be able to field the already available Möbelwagen AA tank, as well as the Sd Kfz 7/1 Quad AA half-track.

The Wirbelwind and Ostwind AA tanks are also new plastic kits. You can build either of these kits as it comes with a turret frame letting you build both turrets. These fit on the plastic Panzer IV hull that also comes with the kit.

Armoured Panzergrenadier Company
Representing of the infantry of the panzer divisions you will find several options in Bagration: German. The first of these is the Armoured Panzergrenadier Company representing the armoured half-track mounted infantry of the panzergrenadier regiment. Keeping with our battle group theme you can take a tank unit instead of a Panzergrenadier Platoon as your first grey box option being either: Panther Tank Platoon, Panzer IV Tank Platoon, StuG Tank Platoon, or Panzer IV/70 Tank Platoon. On top of the main infantry options, the formation can also take a variety of half-track mounted weapons including 8cm mortars, 7.5cm guns, and Flame-throwers, as well as towed or self-propelled 15cm infantry guns, 7.5cm anti-tank guns and anti-aircraft.

Panzergrenadier Company
The bulk of the panzergrenadier infantry in a panzer division were mounted in motorised transports for travel, but fighting on foot when the enemy was engaged. However, as the battles to hold back the Soviets intensified all along the front they were often grouped with tanks for fighting. With a Bagration Panzergrenadier Company you can field tanks as part of your formation taking a Panther Tank Platoon, Panzer IV Tank Platoon, StuG Tank Platoon, or Panzer IV/70 Tank Platoon instead of your third Panzergrenadier Platoon. Though slightly less numerous than in the Armoured Panzergrenadier Company, the formation can take a number of armoured half-track mounted weapons as well as towed guns and weapons.

Reconnaissance Company
The bulk of the panzergrenadier infantry in a panzer division were mounted in motorised transports for travel, but fighting on foot when the enemy was engaged. However, as the battles to hold back the Soviets intensified all along the front they were often grouped with tanks for fighting. With a Bagration Panzergrenadier Company you can field tanks as part of your formation taking a Panther Tank Platoon, Panzer IV Tank Platoon, StuG Tank Platoon, or Panzer IV/70 Tank Platoon instead of your third Panzergrenadier Platoon. Though slightly less numerous than in the Armoured Panzergrenadier Company, the formation can take a number of armoured half-track mounted weapons as well as towed guns and weapons.

Support
As mentioned above, support includes both the Marder Tank-hunter Platoon and the Jagdpanzer IV Tank-hunter Platoon, both now available as plastic kits.

For heavier self-propelled tank-hunting capabilities you can take either the Elephant Tank-hunter Platoon, of the Hornisse Tank-hunter Platoon. Both are armed with the powerful long 8.8cm anti-tank gun. The Hornisse is on a lighter chassis with just 2 front armour, while the Elephant in heavily armoured with front armour 16!

You can also field the 8.8cm Tank-hunter Platoon with the 8.8cm gun (Pak43). This has AT17, allowing it to knock out almost any tank.

If you are looking for a multipurpose gun that can know out tanks as well and aircraft you can always go for the 8.8cm Heavy AA Platoon with its AT14 and Self-defence AA abilities. Both of these guns are available as plastic kits.

There are plenty of choices for artillery, with the Wespe, Hummel and 10.cm Artillery Batteries. If you like to make a bigger splash on the table you could also go for the Salvo template bombardments of the 15cm Nebelwerfer Battery or the Panzerwerfer 42 Battery. These rocket launchers saturate a large area with their rockets, hitting it with a 10”/25cm x 10”/25cm bombardment delivering Firepower 4+. The Panzerwerfer 42 provides mobility for relocating as well as providing armoured protection against light weapons. The Panzerwerfer 42 is a new model for Bagration: German.

Other support includes both Panzer III OP and Sd Kfz 250 OP Observation Posts, a Brummbär Assault Tank Platoon, anti-aircraft platoons, and Ju 87 Stuka Dive Bomber and Tank-hunter Flights.

Painting, Basing and Terrain Guides
The book also contains colour guides for painting your models, guides for basing your infantry and guns, and a table guide to Eastern Front terrain.

Campaign and Missions
In the Bagration Fortified City Battles section we introduced a Linked campaign using the Missions in the book as well as some form the Flames of War rulebook.

The Missions include a Fortified Defence Mission called Onslaught that uses Bunkers, Nests, Barbed Wire and Minefields. The second Mission, Hammering the Line, has the defender less prepared with their flanks threatened. The final Mission sees the defend withdrawing ahead of the enemy attack, delaying them long enough to move back to their next defensive line.

All these Missions and the card fortifications needed to play Onslaught are all available in the River Assault Terrain Pack. Also available is The Race for Minsk Campaign, a narrative-driven system where players get to create their own heroes and fight on the marches of Eastern Europe and beyond.

The back of the book contains a comprehensive catalogue highlighting all the pack you need to field a force from Bagration: German.

Whether you are already playing a German Force, or just beginning, I’m sure there is something inside Bagration: German for you.

The Third Reich's Last Stand
Berlin: German is a book that covers a wide variety of Formations that saw fighting in the last months of the war as the Germans attempted to hold back the Soviet juggernaut from their doorstep. They were also trying to hold back the combined onslaught of the Canadian, British, American and French forces coming from the west.

Inside you will find background on German forces on the Western and Eastern Front from January 1945 to May 1945, instructions on how to build a Panzer Battle Group, a Clausewitz Panther (IR) Tank Company, a Clausewitz StuG Assault Gun Company, a Clausewitz Panzersturm Company, a Heavy Tank Training Company, a Tank Training Company, a Berlin Fallschirmjäger Company, and a Berlin Battle Group. In addition, there is a comprehensive Painting and Basing guide, two new Missions and expanded Night Fighting rules.

Panzerdivision Clausewitz Formations: Clausewitz Panther (IR) Tank Company, Clausewitz StuG Assault Gun Company, & Clausewitz Panzersturm Company

The first formation you will find in Berlin: German is the Clausewitz Panther (IR) Tank Company. This formation represents other night fighting equipped Panther tanks that equipped several companies of both the Panzerdivision ‘Clausewitz’ and Panzerdivision ‘Müncheberg’. Clausewitz is an unusual division that was assembled from a number of orphaned, replacement, and training units from around northwest Germany. Clausewitz was made of troops from 106. Panzer-Brigade ‘Feldherrnhalle’, Panzerschule ‘Putlos’, Panzergrenadier-Regiment ‘Feldherrnhalle’, Panzergrenadier-Regiment 42, Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung ‘Elbe’ and Panzerjäger-Abteilung ‘Grossdeutschland’. A number of new units were formed from various sources including Panzerartillerie-Abteilung 144 and Panzerpionier-Bataillon 144. Despite being formed as a whole division, due to shortages in motor transport Clausewitz fought as three Kampfgruppen (Battle Groups), with the armoured infantry and armour divided into two mobile groups, while the infantry and artillery, who were without motor vehicles, fought from defensive positions.

We decided to focus on two mobile groups of Clausewitz, Kampfgruppe Wallenberg and Kampfgruppe von Benningsen with the Clausewitz Panther (IR) Tank Company, Clausewitz StuG Assault Gun Company, and Clausewitz Panzersturm Company. These two battlegroups were armed with a mix of tanks. Kampfgruppe Wallenberg is based around a core of Panther tanks and StuG G assault guns with further back-up from its own platoon of Jagdpanther tank-hunters. These are further supported by panzergrenadiers, and various weapons platoons like 12cm mortars and FlaK half-tracks. Kampfgruppe von Benningsen also has a core of Panther tanks, supplemented by Panzer IV tanks, and Panzer IV/70 tank-hunters, as well as panzergrenadiers, armoured cars, anti-tank guns, and assault guns. To reflect the desperate nature of the situation we have rated these troops’ Motivation as Reluctant, but due to their experience, their Skill is rated Veteran and Hit On Careful 4+.

They can also use a new set of equipment to give them an advantage over the enemy: Infra-red night fighting equipment! By this time in the war, most Panzer schools were training new Panther tank crews to use new Infra-red scopes to locate the enemy in the dark. These were dispatched to a number of units in the field and saw action. In northwest Germany a number of British accounts recount encounters at night when British tanks came under fire from unknown enemy locations, so we decided to add the option to field Infra-red equipment. You can add this to your Panthers and Jagdpanthers, as well as equipping these platoons with an Uhu Infra-red spotlight half-track to further increase the range of vision for your Infra-red-equipped troops. In addition to the tanks, Panzersturm infantry were also issued with Infra-red equipped StG44 assault rifles and half-tracks.

If a Force with Night Fighters is the Attacker in a mission without the Meeting Engagement rule, the player may attack at night. If they do so, Night Fighting Dawn rules (page 109) are in effect at the start of the game.

If an Infra-red-equipped Formations with the Night Fighters rule is the Attacker in a mission without the Meeting Engagement rule, the player may attack at night. This negates the artillery and aircraft advantage of the Allies, allowing the Nachtjäger (or Night Hunters) to close with the enemy and take the attack to them. Berlin: German contains infra-red and other night fighting special rules.

Of course, there are other units that received night vision equipment, such as Panzerdivision Müncheberg who fought in the battles for Berlin against the Soviet Berlin Offensive.

Panzer Battle Group
Many of the Panzer Regiment of the German Armoured Forces in 1945 had a mixed bag of whatever replacement tanks or assault guns were available to replace losses. Most of the time the Formations that saw combat were Battle Groups (Kampfgruppen) rather than companies that could have everything from Panther and Panzer IV tanks to StuG assault guns and Panzer IV/70 tanks hunters, and even Tiger I tanks and attachments of Hetzer tank-hunters. At the same time, the official organisation of the Panzer Troop in 1945 led to leaner tank formation and the addition of Begleit (escort) infantry to provide the tanks with additional protection against enemy infantry.

The Panzer Battlegroup has access to some of Germany’s finest tanks and tank-hunters. You, as the commander, will be able to construct a tailor-made battlegroup to suit your tactical style and to deal with the many challenges you may face on the battlefield.

Heavy Tank Training Company and Tank Training Company
In March 1945, an emergency plan went into effect to mobilise every last panzer, self-propelled gun and vehicle in Germany’s tank training schools (such as Paderborn and Bergen) into combat units to oppose the Red Army and the Western Allies.

With the threat to Germany increasing each day, these schools organised their assets into Panzer Ausbildungs Verbände (Replacement Tank Forces). These had a very interesting variety of tanks and equipment, ranging from old Panzer II F light tanks to refurbished Tiger II tanks.

With these formations, you take on the role of a panzer instructor and lead your students into battle. You will have a wide selection of training tanks. Though old, these are still lethal fighting machines.

To represent the training school formations we have given the Headquarters Units the same ratings as regular Panzer troops (Confident 4+, Veteran 3+, Careful Hit On 4+) to represent the experienced instructors, but the Formation Units have lower ratings (Confident 4+, Green 5+, Aggressive 3+ Hit On). However, the HQ has the Old Hand special rule which allows the Formation Commander if in 6”/15cm to improve a Unit’s Tactics rating by 1 (to 4+ for the Tank Training Units).

These formations include a variety of heavy, medium, and light tanks, as well as infantry and, for the Tank Training Company, anti-aircraft half-tracks.

Berlin Fallschirmjäger Company
Hermann Göring, as the head of the Luftwaffe (Air Force), rapidly expanded the number of Fallschirmjäger divisions in 1944 and 1945. One of the last formed with 9. Fallschirmjägerdivision. This division saw extensive combat in the defence of the approaches to Berlin and inside the city itself. However, these are not the elite troops to see combat in North Africa, Italy, and Normandy. Their training was not as comprehensive as those that had gone before and only a few veterans transferred from other divisions had earned their parachute wings. Recruited mainly from excess Luftwaffe crew, they still had a high esprit de ’corps and their veteran NCOs installed a level of tenacity in them. They are rated Fearless 3+, Green 5+ but with Assault 4+, and Aggressive 3+ Hit On.

These troops are equipped as any other Fallschirmjäger. In addition, their anti-tank battalion was issued with Hetzer tank-hunters.

Berlin Battlegroup
The chaotic and ad-hoc nature of the last months of fighting in Germany and finally Berlin led to the defence being based around the auxiliary troops like the Volkssturm, RAD (National Youth Labour Organisation), and police, reinforced by small groups of well-trained watch troops and Luftwaffe anti-aircraft gunners.

Added to this were several divisions who became embroiled in the battle for Berlin only due to the fact that they had retreated into the city after the battles along the Oder River. These divisions, which included 11. SS-Panzergrenadierdivision Nordland, 9. Fallschirmjägerdivision, Panzerdivision Müncheberg, 18. Panzergrenadierdivision, and 20. Panzergrenadierdivision, were allocated to sectors of the city as they arrived in the city. There were also a number of smaller units that either made their way to the city, like the French, Spanish, and Latvian SS battalions, or arrived along with larger units like the Tiger II heavy tanks of Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 503 (503rd Heavy SS Tank Battalion).

Rather than make a special briefing for each unit, we looked at how they were used during the fighting for Berlin, which was mostly in mixed battlegroups, and set about designing a single briefing that would allow you to create a force based on any of these groups. We aimed to allow the players to re-create a German force from any of the clashes inside Berlin they may have read about.

So, what does all this result in? In the Berlin Battle Group, you get one Infantry Formation, but with many options. The Berlin Battle Group has the usual structure of a Headquarter Unit, two compulsory Units and optional Units that include more infantry, machine-guns, mortars, infantry guns and anti-tank guns.

As most of the Kampfgruppen (battle groups) were led by experienced officers, the Berlin Battel Group HQ is rated Fearless 3+, Veteran 3+, Careful 4+ Hit On. The HQ also has the Old Hands special rule allowing the Formation Commander who is within 6”/15cm of a Formation Unit to let it roll Tactics on a 3+.

However, your Formation Unit can be selected from any combination of different Units with a variety of different ratings available. There are Panzergrenadier (Late) (as seen in Bulge: German) and Ardennes SS Panzergrenadier Platoons (also from Bulge: German). You can also field Fallschirmjäger Platoons (from the Berlin Fallschirmjäger Company), Hitlerjugend Platoons, Volkssturm Platoons, and Volksgrenadier Assault Platoons. You can field whole companies of any of these or any mix of them you desire.

With a number of Panzer, Panzergrenadier and independent battalions in the city there was also a wide variety of weapon options. These include Heer or SS machine-gun platoons, 8cm mortars, 7.5cm infantry gun artillery, 15cm infantry gun artillery, and 7.5cm tank-hunter platoons.

Apart from ratings, the other key difference between these platoons is they also have different equipment and upgrade options. The Panzergrenadier (Late) Platoon represents the veteran panzer and watch troops, while the Ardennes SS Panzergrenadier Platoon represent the Waffen-SS troops from the likes of the Nordland SS Division. The Panzergrenadier Platoon is made up of MG42 teams with panzerfaust anti-tank (Limited 2) with a high rate of fire and excellent anti-tank capabilities. These troops can also be armed as StG44 assault rifles, using the Limited 5 rule to allow up to five teams to fire with ROF 3/3 Range 8”/20cm for better-moving rate-of-fire, making them excellent assault troops with great close-range firepower on the move.

Hitlerjugend
Large numbers of Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth) were organised into fighting units when it became clear that the Red Army was closing in on Germany. Many of the Hitlerjugend fought with great bravery, mostly only armed with Panzerfaust anti-tank weapons. This platoon is either made up of Panzerfaust anti-tank teams, or if they are lucky enough to get rifles as well, K98 rifle teams with Panzerfaust (Limited 2). Though because of their limited training, they don’t use the Stormtrooper special rule.

Volkssturm
The Berlin Battle Group can also take Volkssturm Platoons. The people’s militia are usually armed with old, reserve, and captured equipment. The teams of these platoons are K98 rifle teams with Panzerfaust (Limited 2) and can have one team upgraded to an MG08/15 LMG team (ROF 5/2). They have their own Local Militia rule (as does the Hitlerjugend Platoon) which means they are always deployed on the table and are never held in reserve and count as 0 points for calculating reserves. The Volkssturm also don’t use the Stormtrooper special rule.

The German Berlin Battle Group formation will allow players to create a wide variety of infantry forces with good support to recreate any of the forces they care to model from the Battle for Berlin.

Berlin: German Support
The Force Diagram allows for Support Units from SS, Fallschirmjäger, and Waffen-SS units. As well as compulsory black box Formation Support from other Formations in Berlin: German there are also support units of Tiger II heavy tanks, Jagdtiger, Elefant, Jagdpanther, Hetzer, Marder, and 8.8cm tank-hunters, Army and Luftwaffe anti-aircraft, 10.5cm, Wespe, or Hummel artillery, rocket artillery, and Army and SS armoured cars. New weapons of note include some new and unusual equipment like the Kleinpanzer Wanze (Small-tank Bedbug) and 8.8cm Waffenträger (8.8cm PaK43 Weapons Carrier).

The Bedbug (Kleinpanzer Wanze) was a conversion of the Sd Kfz 301 Borgward B IV demolition carrier rebuilt as a tank destroyer. It was armed with six Panzerschreck rocket launcher tubes in a pod on a swivel mount. The intention was that they could be used for street fighting where they could quickly move from cover to fire their rockets, before slipping into concealment to reload.

The 8.8cm Waffenträger (88mm PaK43 Weapons Carrier) was part of a German program to design light self-propelled mounts for a variety of artillery and anti-tank guns. It was loosely based on the Panzer 38(t) chassis, but wider with the engine repositioned to the front of the vehicle. Some prototypes are meant to have seen action in or around Berlin, most likely in the western suburbs. A number also saw service with the Twelfth Army’s Ulrich von Hutten Division.

The Luftwaffe troops in particular have a wide variety of anti-aircraft guns at their disposal, including the 8.8cm AA gun (FlaK37), 3.7cm AA gun (Flak43), and Quad 2cm AA gun (Flakvierling 38).

Missions
Berlin: German also included two new Missions. The first is Blood on the Streets designed to recreate the city fighting that occurred in Berlin, Vienna and many other German cities in the last months of the war. When the enemy is determined to hold a city, the attacker must ferret out each pocket of defenders, block by block, street by street until each sector is secured.

This Mission is designed to be used with city terrain with buildings, rubble and streets making up the bulk of the terrain.

Blood on the Streets featured asymmetrical forces, Obstacle rules, off-table artillery, and fortifications.

The second mission, Night Attack, recreates a German armoured night attack against a confident Allied force in a desperate attempt to hold back their advance. The enemy has been advancing continuously for days. The general has ordered you to make a counterattack to disrupt the enemy advance. You have chosen to attack under the cover of darkness to catch them by surprise and to take advantage of some new equipment that may just give you the upper hand.

This mission lets you take advantage of the night fighting capabilities of the Clausewitz Formations with Infra-red equipment featured in the book. As well as the mission, Berlin: German also includes expanded night fighting rules covering choosing a random time of day, games at Dusk, in Darkness, and at Dawn, as well as suggestions on other missions to play with the night rules.

History and extras
Scattered throughout Berlin: German is background covering the Eastern Front in 1945, the Battle for the Rhine, Operation Solstice, Panzerdivision ‘Clausewitz, Panzerdivision ‘Müncheberg’ and the Seelow Heights, Training Tank Units, 9. Fallschirmjägerdivision, the Halbe Pocket, and the Battle for Berlin.

The book includes a basing and painting guide, a terrain guide, as well as a comprehensive catalogue to aid you in collecting your Berlin: German force.

If you’re adding to an existing German force, or looking for something new, Berlin: German is sure to have something of interest.

100p A4 HC

Contains 52 cards to enhance your force, field iconic warriors and customise your units.

Command Cards allow Flames Of War generals to field iconic warriors, build new types of units, field new types of equipment, enhance your commander’s capabilities, and bring new tactics and stratagems to the battlefield.

Unit Cards will be available for each Flames Of War Late War book. The packs will contain one of each Unit Card that relates to their book. The packs have been designed to assist existing players that have already bought our miniatures and built their armies under previous editions and want cards to help transition to V4.

104 cards

The new Bulge: German book covers German forces in the west from the end of the battle for France in August 1944 into February 1945. Its background and history covers the Lorraine fighting in September 1944, the German defence during the Allied Market Garden offensive in the Netherlands, as well the German Ardennes Offensive that became known as the Battle of the Bulge, and Germany’s last major offensive in the west, Operation Nordwind in Alsace-Lorraine in early January 1945.

Background on German Army and Waffen-SS forces on the Western Front from September 1944 to February 1945.

Instructions on how to build:
a Panther (late) Brigade Tank Company
Panzer IV Brigade Tank Company
Brigade Armoured Assault Company
Brigade Armoured Panzergrenadier Company
Brigade Panzergrenadier Company
Tiger II SS Tank Company
Panther (late) SS Tank Company
Armoured SS Panzergrenadier Company
Tiger II Tank Company
Panther (late) Tank Company
Armoured Panzergrenadier Company
Volksgrenadier Company
Jagdpanther Tank-hunter Company
Jagdtiger Tank-hunter Company.

A Painting and Basing guide.

Peiper’s Charge Scenario.

Panzer Brigade Formations
This period sees the introduction of a variety of innovations to the German forces as they try new ideas to turn back the Allied tide. One of these was the new Panzer Brigades, designed for fighting on the Eastern Front where panzer divisions’ armoured battle groups had proved successful in cutting off and destroying Soviet spearheads. These new purpose-built battle groups were the Panzer Brigades. Organised with a panzer battalion (Brigade Panther (late) Tank Company, Brigade Panzer IV Tank Company) and an armoured panzergrenadier battalion (Brigade Armoured Assault Company, Brigade Armoured Panzergrenadier Company, Brigade Panzergreandier Company) equipped with the latest equipment like the Panzer IV/70 tank-hunter, the new Panther (late) (Panther ausf G, with Front armour 10), as well as tried and tested Panzer IV tanks and StuG assault guns.

Bulge: German Spotlight
The Panzer Brigade’s infantry component could be either the Brigade Armoured Assault Company with troops armed with the StG44 assault rifle (Range 8”/20cm, Halted and Moving ROF 3) mounted in Sd Kfz 251 armoured half-tracks. This hard-hitting infantry is backed up with plenty of firepower from their half-track FlaK Platoons, armed either Sd Kfz 251 (2cm) or Sd Kfz 251 (Triple 15mm) half-tracks. The company can also call on half-track mounted 8cm mortars, 7.5cm guns, and Flame-throwers, as well as a 12cm Mortar Platoon. The formation can also include Panzer IV/70 tank-hunters.

The Brigade Armoured Panzergrenadier Company has a similar organisation, but instead of the infantry being armed with StG44 assault rifles this infantry is more conventionally armed with MG42 teams, giving them longer range, but with almost as good firepower.

Some of the Panzer Brigades were not mounted in Sd Kfz 251 half-tracks, but in trucks. These are represented by the Brigade Panzergrenadier Company. Much like the armoured equivalent above, they are equipped with MG42 teams with Panzerfaust, have the ground mounted machine-guns, 8cm mortars, 5cm and 7.5cm anti-tank guns, and 2cm AA guns.

All of the troops of the Panzer Brigade, being hastily formed, are Motivation Reluctant 5+, but with Third Reich Last Stand 4+, Skill Trained 4+, and Is Hit On Aggressive 3+. Though they have lesser rating than the Waffen-SS or other Panzer troops, they allow you to get an excellent selection and number of troops and weapons into your chosen points value.

Both these types of infantry are armed with Panzerfausts for anti-tank defence, but now in much larger numbers. These teams Panzerfausts are Limited 2, meaning they can use up to two of their Units teams as Panzerfaust weapon in Shooting and in Assaults.

Waffen-SS Formations
Bulge: German also adds more to the Waffen-SS troops available already in D-Day: Waffen-SS, adding three more Formations. The first of these formations is the Tiger II SS Tank Company. The Tiger II (8.8cm) heavy tanks of 501th SS Heavy Tank Battalion (Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 501). This formation can be field purely as Tiger II heavy tanks, or a mix of Tiger IIs, Tiger Is or Panthers, and infantry, creating a mixed Kampfgruppe (battle group).

The Tiger II is a massive beast. It has Front armour 16 and is armed with the long 8.8cm gun (Range 48”/120cm, ROF 2/1, AT 17 and FP 3+).

Out second SS formation is the Panther (late) SS Tank Company, giving them the new Panther (late) with its Front armour 10. The new Panther retains all the other features of the Panther from D-Day: German and Bagration: German. This formation can also be fielded as solely Panther (late) tanks or a mix of Panther (late), Tiger II and infantry.

Both these armoured formations can also field their own anti-aircraft tanks, taking either Wirbelwind (Quad 2cm) or Ostwind (3.7cm).

The last SS formations is the Ardennes Armoured SS Panzergrenadier Company, which is a Sd Kfz 251 infantry formation. The panzergrenadier teams are MG42 teams with Panzerfasut, but now have Limited 2 on their Panzerfaust weapons, so two team per Unit can be use it in Shooting and Assaults. The formation can also include armour in one of its compulsory black boxes from either Tiger II, Panther (Late), Panzer IV or Panzer IV/70. The Formation can include anti-aircraft tanks, machine-guns, armoured 8cm mortars, 7.5cm anti-tank guns or armoured flame-throwers.

Like in D-Day: Waffen-SS, these troops are well-motivated, but require skilled input from their commander (Fearless, Trained, Aggressive). The Old Hand rule gives units within range of their commander Tactics 3+ on Skill based Movement Orders.

Heer (Army) Panzer Divisions Formations
These Formations represent the armoured power of the German Heer (Army) concentrated in the west for the Ardennes Offensive. Topped up with the latest equipment if available, none of these divisions would be as powerful again for the rest of the war. Panzer IV, Panther (late), StuG, Panzer IV/70, and Jagdpanthers all fought to make the Ardennes Offensive a success. These formations are all well supported with infantry, artillery, armoured cars, anti-tank, and anti-aircraft.

The first Formation is the Tiger II Tank Company, like the SS already mentions, the Army Heavy Tank Battalion began to also field the Tiger II heavy tank. This heavily armoured (Front 16, Side 8, Top2) and armed (long 8.8cm gun, AT 17), the Tiger II is a formidable foe for any Allied force. As well as the Tiger II heavy tanks, you can also take one Unit as Tiger I tanks and Wirbelwind or Ostwind AA tanks.

The second formation in this section introduces the Panther (late) tank for the experienced Panzer troops. The Panther (late) Tank Company can take two or three Panther (late) Tank Platoons, with the third Unit having options for infantry as well. The fourth Formation Unit is a Wirbelwind or Ostwind AA Tank Platoon.

The Ardennes Armoured Panzergrenadier Company lets you take Sd Kfz 251 (MG) half-tracks with one half-track replaced with the new Sd Kfz 251 (2cm) to give your panzergrenadier transports a bit more firepower with its ROF 3/2, anti-tank 5, and Firepower 5+. The platoon itself is equipped with MG42 teams with Panzerfaust anti-tank weapons with the new Limited 2 special rule. The formation’s third infantry option can be a third Ardennes Armoured Panzergrenadier Platoon, or a Panther (late), Panzer IV/70, or Panzer IV tank unit. The Formation can also have machine-guns, armoured 8cm mortars, armoured 7.5cm gun, Grille (late) 15cm gun, armoured flame-thrower, 7.5cm tank-hunter and light AA platoons.

The panzer troops are well-disciplined and trained (Confident, Veteran, Careful).

Volksgrenadiers
Another important element in the German forces after Normandy was the Volksgrenadier (People’s Grenadier) Divisions. These were the rebuilt infantry divisions from Normandy and the Eastern Front, given a new name and a new organisation. A Volksgrenadier Company has three combat units and the usual selection weapons support you would expect from a German infantry company, machine-guns, 8cm and 12cm mortars, 7.5cm tank-hunters, and Scout. They also have up to two 7.5cm Gun Platoons, which along with the mortars, provides them with substantial artillery assets.

However, the combat units are divided into two Volksgrenadier Assault Platoons and a Volksgrenadier Rifle Platoon. The Assault Platoons are equipped with StG44 assault rifle teams. Like SMGs these weapons have a ROF 3/3, but with an extended range of 8”/20cm. On top of this they have MG42 and Panzerfaust, both with Limited 2. This means that two teams per Shooting or Assault phase can use MG42, giving them extended shooting range (16”/40cm) to provide fire support to rest of the Unit. Another two teams each turn can fight as Panzerfausts, great for anti-tank defence and offence.

The third unit is conventionally armed with MG42 & K98 rifle team with Panzerfaust, offering further longer-range fire. Because they are refreshed with mostly raw recruits with only limited training times the Volksgrenadier Company is rated Motivation Reluctant 5+, but with Third Reich Last Stand 4+. Their Skill is Trained 4+ and they are Aggressive Hit On 3+.

Heavy Tank-hunters
Bulge: German contains two heavy tank-hunter Formations. The first of these is the Jagdpanther Tank-hunter Company that is primarily armed with the Jagdpanther tank-hunter. Like the Panther is has good front armour (Front 9, Side 5, Top 1), but is armed with the same long 8.8cm gun as the Tiger II with its long 48”/120cm range and anti-tank 17.

This formation can also field Hornisse, Panzer IV/70 tank-hunters or StuG assault guns. The Hornisse is worth a special mention as it is now a new plastic kit along with the Hummel (see more below). The Hornisse is armed with the same formidable gun as the Jagdpanther, but is a more tradition tank-hunter formation in a open top fighting compartment is just Front armour 2.

The second formation is the mighty Jagdtiger. This is on the same hull as the Tiger II, but with more armour and a bigger gun. The Jagdtiger is virtually invulnerable from the front with Front armour 17. It gun is a 12.8cm gun, with rounds so big it them come in two parts and require two loaders. The guns has a long range of 48”/120cm, Rate of fire 2/1, Anti-tank 18 and Firepower 2+. It is also had Brutal, making Infantry and Gun teams reroll their saves. It is Slow Firing, giving its moving ROF +1 to the score required to hit.

Like the Jagdpanthers, this Formation can also take other armoured units, in this case Panzer IV or StuG Tank Platoon.

Both the Jagdpanther and Jagdtiger formations can also have a Wirbelwind or Ostwind AA Tank Platoon.

These specialist troops are well-disciplined and trained (Confident, Veteran, Careful).

Support
The support section in divided into three parts, SS, Volks and Heer. The SS Support Units include a Sd Kfz 250 SS Scout Troop, a Sd Kfz 234 SS Scout Troop which can be either the Sd Kfz 234 (2cm) (Sd Kfz 234/1) or the Puma (5cm) (Sd Kfz 234/2).

The Grille (Late) SS Gun Platoon is a little unusual, as these vehicles are usually fielded in pairs. However, during the Ardennes Offensive the 1st SS group theirs together in a battery of six to concentrate their firepower.

The Volksgrenadier Divisions and the Volks corps troops provided all branches of the German armed forces with support. You can take Volks Hetzer Tank-hunter Platoons, Volks StuG Tank-hunter Platoon and Volks 10.5cm Artillery Battery, all the same ratings as the Volksgrenadiers. Due to shortage of artillery specialist to command the batteries, Volks 10.5cm Artillery Batteries have six guns instead of four, but there are less batteries in regiment.

The Heer Support Units make up the bulk of the available support. There are armour cars, self-propelled and gun tank-hunters, 10.5cm and 15cm artillery, rocket launchers, observers, anti-aircraft and aircraft. A few key units to take note of are the Hetzer Flammpanzer Platoon, Sturmtiger Assault Howitzer Platoon, Hummel Artillery Battery, and ME 262 Fighter-Bomber Flight.

If you have out Hetzer model already you may have noticed the parts to the Hetzer Flammpanzer it comes with. Now you can field it in the Hetzer Flammpanzer Platoon. The Hetzer Flammpanzer is equipped with Flame-thrower with a Range 4”/10cm, ROF 4/4, AT 2, FP AUTO. The Flame-thrower rule means hit Infantry Gun and Unarmoured Tank teams reroll successful Saves and are automatically Pinned Down. Armoured Tank team must make their Save against their Top Armour.

Another weapon design specifically for use against building and fortifications is the Sturmtiger, a rocket howitzer mounted on the hull of a Tiger I with even more armour than it (Front 15). It is armed with a 38cm rocket that is fired as artillery with range 56”/140cm, AT 4, FP 2+. It is Brutal and has the Bunker Killer and Rocket Howitzer rules. Bunker Killer allows it to target Nest and Bunker teams despite being an Artillery Bombardment. Rocket Howitzer allows it to fire its Bombardments without the normal penalty for have only 1 or 2 weapons firing and gives it one ranging in attempt for each weapon in the bombardment.

As mentioned earlier the Hummel is getting a new plastic model. The Hummel Artillery Battery provides some hard-hitting fire power. Its artillery bombardment has Range 80”/200cm, AT 3 FP 2+, while its direct fire is Range 16”/40cm, ROF 1/-, AT 11 FP AUTO and Brutal.

The Me 262 Sturmvogel (Storm Bird) was used during the German campaigns for late 1944 and early 1945 for ground attack. It was felt its size and speed would allow it to get through where larger German bombers could not. As a fast moving Jet it is Hit On 6. It is armed with two 30mm cannons (Range 6”/15cm, ROF -/2, AT 6, FP 5+) and a pair of 500 kg bombs (Range 6”/15cm, ARTILERY, AT 4, FP 2+, Bombs).

Peiper's Charge
The book also includes the Peiper’s Charge Scenario. This scenario pits Kampfgruppe Peiper against the defending American as they try and stop 1. SS-Panzerdivison and their push across the Ardennes. The game can be played as three separate parts, playing each of the three table setups one after the other. Or you can play it with you gaming friend is one big game over three tables.

Contains: 2x Elefant (8.8cm) Tank-hunters

The Elefant is an improved version of the Ferdinand tank-hunter that made its debut during the battle of Kursk. Like the Ferdinand, the Elefant had 200mm of front armour, 80mm on the sides and rear and 30mm on the top. It was very hard to knock out with conventional anti-tank guns, and now with the added visibility of the commander and the hull machine-gun infantry could be seen off.

includes five plastic StuG Assault Guns, one plastic Tank Commander sprue, one Decal sheet, and four Unit cards.

The StuG (short for Sturmgeschütz, or assault gun) mounts the same 7.5cm gun as the Panzer IV tank, making it effective at both knocking out machine-guns to assist the infantry to advance and knocking out enemy tanks.

includes four plastic 7.5cm Gun sprues, two Fallschirmjäger gun crew Teams and three Unit Cards.

Although they only have a handful of anti-tank guns, the newly-equipped Fallschirmjäger have been issued the latest 7.5cm PaK40. This powerful gun is often mistaken for an '88' by fearful Allied tankers.