WWII – Painting the Panzer Lehr 18OCT2016

Panzer Lehr Uniforms – Note Panzer Wrap Tunic and Camouflage Helmet covers

I have slowly amassed a large number of WWII minis and vehicles, but had never found a set of late war Germans that interested me until I learned about the intriguing Panzer Lehr.  This unit was very well equipped, fought in Normandy, the Ardennes, and in Germany over 1944 and 1945, has very interesting uniforms, and is an elite unit not associated with the infamous SS.

My lads

Pretty much lousy pictures but you can see the basic paint job of their uniforms.  The photos are a little greener than the actual minis, but it is close.  They are looking away so that you cannot see that they are faceless Soldats.

Here are some of the more specialized troops with Panzershreck, MG-42, etc.

Quasi-available Minis

Artizan Designs made four different blister packs of Panzer Lehr which I understand may be out of production:

SWW091 – Panzer Lehr Command

SWW092 – Panzer Lehr Riflemen

SWW093 – Panzer Lehr SMG

SWW094 – Panzer Lehr LMG

I need to add some support weapons and more NCOs so I supplemented these with some of the Late War Germans in Panzer Wraps or Smocks (handwavium caveat: I realize that the smocks may be ahistorical from the pictorial record, but beggars can not be choosers):

SWW028 – Sustained Fire MG42 Team

SWW029 – Late War German Infantry A.T. Weapons

SWW030 – Late War German Command II

SWW031 – Late War German Infantry with MP44s

SWW036 – Late War German Mortar Team

Painting

Here is the painting scheme I used for their uniforms and their camouflage helmet covers (and smocks)

1. Prime with Krylon Gray
2. Base coat 50/50 Vallejo Gray Green / Vallejo German Uniform
3. Boats, webbing, belts, cartridge pouches, canteen covers , slings – Reaper Adamantine Black
4. Bread bag,  Mess Kit & Gasmask container – mix lot of Vallejo Luftwaffe Green, Vallejo Russian Green, Vallejo German Uniform, Vallejo Gray Green, Reaper Adamantine Black
5. Canteen – Vallejo Brown
6. Flesh – Vallejo Flesh
7. Rifle Stock – Vallejo British Uniform
8. SMG / Rifle Barrel / Binoculars – Reaper Adamantine Black with dry brush of Vallejo Gunmetal Gray
9. Panzerfaust – Vallejo Yellow Ochre
10. MG Belt – Vallejo Gunmetal Gray
11. Great Coat – Vallejo Gray Green
12. Gaiters – Vallejo Green Grey (Vallejo 886
13. Helmet Covers – Splittermuster 41
    1. Base Grey – Vallejo Light Grey 70.990 or Deck Tan 70.986
    2. Camo splotches – Vallejo Luftwaffe Camo Green 70.823
    3. Camo splotches – Vallejo German Camo Black Brown 70.882

Equipment

One of the more alluring attractions to the Panzer Lehr is the heavy armor assets they enjoyed.  No one walks in my unit.  Everyone gets Sdkfz 250 and Sdkfz 251 half-tracks.  Our scouts receive Sdkfz 234 Pumas to sniff out targets for our Pz IV / Sturmgeshutz tracks in Normandy or the Pz VI Panthers and Jadgpanthers of the Ardennes and final battles in Germany.  Smoking hot big cats!

More Later!