Panzergrenadiers

Zaeh wie Leder, Hart wie Kruppstahl!

"Roses are red,Violets are blue, I'm stuck on the eastern front again, AND SO ARE FUCKING YOU!"~Wermacht soldier,company of heroes 2

In Team Yankee

Panzergrenadiers:Panzers which throw grenades.

The modern Panzergrenadier Zug (Armoured Infantry Platoon) is a small but well-trained, motivated, and equipped, unit armed with MG3 machine-guns, G3 battle rifles, as well as the Panzerfaust 44 anti-tank rocket. Unlike the US mechanized infantry, their role is to SUPPORT the armor, rather than exclusively closing with and destroy the enemy. This is reflected in their unit size; notably smaller than their British and US counterparts. The loadout of Milans and Panzerfausts puts them in a strange role; with half the unit only usable at range while the other half need to close with the enemy to use their weapons to good effect.

The Panzerfaust is an oddly statted weapon as well; inferior to the Carl Gustav yet marginally superior to the LAW. With an AT in the middle ground of 15, it will automatically penetrate most vehicles from the front; apart from tanks forcing a bail unless you manage to kill it on a 5+. However, most tanks would comfortably survive side shots (BDD armor boosts sides to 13; meaning that your grenadiers will have to rely on Milans to take them out while the rifle teams take out infantry; which is something they do VERY well! With the range of British infantry and the 5+ firepower of US riflemen (presumably, the MG3 has firepower equivalent to a barrage of grenades).

Marder panzergrenadier platoons are sized at 2 riflemen, 1 Milan, and 2 Marders or 3 bases of riflemen, 2 Milans, and 3 Marders, so do not rely on them to do anything in particular apart from holding objectives. Rather, their versatile (if odd) loadout means that they can perform any role as needed, if not optimally. They cost 4 and 7 points respectively.

M113 panzergrenadier platoons get 2 or 3 teams of riflemen and Milans each, costing 4 and 7 points respectively, with an M113 for each full squad. While suffering from the same fundamental problems as Marder-grenadiers, the additional Milan does mean that the platoon has more staying power on the defensive.

Effectively, you are choosing between Marders or M113s and an additional Milan team. While extremely similar in their profiles, the Marder is far more comfortable destroying vehicles with its AT7 autocannon, or infantry in the open with a 7.62mm machine gun (the same MG3 as the infantry, IRL). A higher dash speed means that Marders could thrust forward through gaps in your opponent's lines and wreak havoc on rear-echelon forces like a miniature blitzkrieg. Conversely, the M113 would be a superior option if you use your transports to engage infantry and vehicle targets of opportunity, arguably the safer but more competitive choice due to the vulnerability of APCs and IFVs favoring infantry.

As with all other German units, they boast 3+ skill meaning that you should be using orders regularly to make use of their advantages. 3+ morale allows them to comfortably stay in the fight, even after being hit with artillery which is especially nice for your Milan teams!

IRL

Can we go back? Its cold here.

Legendary for their iron discipline and the raw firepower a single squad could put out, the Panzergrenadiers were among the most influential troops of World War 2. With mediocre armaments complimented by a machine gun, a squad of Panzergrenadiers could comfortably engage superior numbers of Soviet peasants or British Guardsmen and have a solid chance of prevailing. Even in defeat, the legacy of the Panzergrenadiers lives on. With the modern infantry squad now motorized and equipped with a machine gun, almost everyone in the world had organized their infantry around the foundations laid out by the Germans.

While lacking the fanaticism of their Fascist grandfathers, Cold War troops knew that they would be among the first to bear the brunt of the Soviet hordes. With the East Germans seeking to crush capitalism and unite Germany under a Socialist system, it was a choice between fighting to the last or surrendering then working in gulags to the last.

Despite the Germans' reputation for technological superiority, the riflemen of the day were equipped with G3s, similar to the M14 and L1A1. While hardly a terrible weapon, it was definitely showing its age on the modern battlefield compared to the US M16 or the Soviets' AK47. Fortunately, machine gun technology has hardly advanced since the days of World War 2. Rather than reinventing the wheel, the MG3 is merely a modernized MG42 with improvements to its reliability.

The Bundeswehr's frontline infantry is split into two main groups; the Panzergrenadiers and the Jagers. While Jagers specialized in rough terrain like forests and swamps, both have similar armaments, though the Jagers carry slightly lighter weaponry (possibly fewer panzerfausts). Panzergrenadiers specialized in supporting armor; meaning urban combat and reconnaissance. Jagertruppen could easily be represented by the M113 Panzergrenadiers, considering the similarities!