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Germany Assault Pioniers were skilled at building all manner of fortifications, communications lines, tank traps and minefields. In addition to building useful structures, they were adept at the destruction of similar enemy positions, blowing railway lines and making roads unsafe for the enemy to travel along.
The German soldier was a formidable opponent in World War II. Tough, well-trained and politically indoctrinated they fought on all fronts achieving great feats of arms that only the best trained and motivated troops can accomplish. Daring in attack and stubborn in defence the average German Landser was a dangerous foe for the Allied armies to face.
The world’s first paratroopers to be used in large numbers, the German Fallschirmjager were at the tip of the spear when war broke out in 1939. They led daring assaults on strategic targets, such as the fortress at Eben Emael, enabling the following panzers to overrun Europe.
Tough, lavishly equipped and politically indoctrinated, SS troops formed over 38 divisions and numerous other regimental and battalion-sized units, totalling nearly a million men under arms.
Sent to bolster their beleaguered Italian allies facing the combined forces of the British Commonwealth in North Africa, the Deutsches Afrika Korps proved a dangerous opponent. Commanded by the legendary Erwin Rommel, the Afrika Korps fought a series of ferocious battles in Egypt and Libya as each side pushed the other to breaking point.
Adolph Hitler’s aggressive campaigns across the world ensured his troops would face the enemy in all environments and climates. None were more unforgiving than the harsh winters on the Eastern Front or in the Italian hills and mountains.
Representing the classic image of the German infantryman during World War II, these miniatures are equipped with knee-high jackboots, unadorned 'coalscuttle’ helmet and a martial discipline that took them to almost complete dominance of mainland Europe.
Originally developed as an anti-aircraft weapon, the Flak 37 8.8cm (or Eighty-eight as it became known by Allied troops) had a high muzzle velocity to allow it to reach the higher ranges modern bombers were capable of at the time. This would make it an exceptionally deadly anti-tank weapon as many Allied tank crews would learn to their peril. The 88 could also be deployed as a conventional artillery piece – as one infantryman noted, the 88 was 'anti-everything’…
Originally developed as an anti-aircraft weapon, the Flak 37 8.8cm (or Eighty-eight as it became known by Allied troops) had a high muzzle velocity to allow it to reach the higher ranges modern bombers were capable of at the time. This would make it an exceptionally deadly anti-tank weapon as many Allied tank crews would learn to their peril. The 88 could also be deployed as a conventional artillery piece – as one infantryman noted, the 88 was 'anti-everything’…
Germany, like many nations, made use of existing tank designs to make self-propelled guns and tank destroyers. The Jagdtiger was a colossal example of this practice – the Germans wanted to upgrade the much-feared Tiger II by mounting the 128mm Pak 44 cannon into a purpose-built armoured casement atop the lengthened King Tiger Chassis. 150 units were ordered to tackle the ever-encroaching Soviet armour – the Pak more than capable of tearing through Allied armour.
The Königstiger (officially named the Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B or Sd.kfz 182) more commonly known as the ‘King Tiger’ or ‘Royal Tiger’ by Allied troops, was a development of the fearsome Tiger I tank. Its introduction to hostilities in 1944 caused significant problems for the Allies but ultimately it saw action too late and in tew fewer numbers to have a game-changing impact on the war.
Specialist training bred hardened fighters and the Gebirgsjäger (mountain infantry) were regarded as elite alongside Fallschirmjager. Gebirgsjäger originated from the Alpenkorps of WWI, where they were used to defend the mountain passes from their Italian equivalent, Alpini.