Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Dreaded 88

It was at the high watermark of the BEF's attack that Rommel is reported to have employed the 88mm anti-aircraft gun as an antitank weapon for the first time, easily defeating the heavily armored Matilda, and halting the attack.

I wrote the above quote believing that this was indeed the momentous occasion in which the 88 became the dreaded weapon of the Germans. However, it is apparently not so. 88s were pressed into anti-tank service in Poland and possibly even Spain. I'm looking for more info on this.

OOB for Rommel's Ghost Division

7th Panzer Division

Armor
25th Panzer Regiment (of three battalions)
1.Abt. 44 x Pz II, 19 x Pz IV
2.Abt. 44 x Pz II, 19 x Pz III
66.Abt 44 x Pz 1, 19 x Pz III

37th Panzer Reconnaisance Battalion
2 x 75mm how
3 x 37mm anti-tank
3 x 81mm mortar
48 x armored cars

Infantry
6th Rifle Regiment
1.Btl. 8 x heavy m.g., 6 x 81mm mort.
II.Btl 8 x heavy m.g., 6 x 81mm mort.

7th Rifle Regiment
1 Btl. 8 x heavy m.g., 6 x 81mm mort.
II.Btl. 8 x heavy m.g., 6 x 81mm mort.

s. Inf. Gesch. Kp.705
2 x 75mm ho
3 x 37 mm anti-tank

7th Motorcycle Battalion
54 x light m.g.
15 x heavy m.g.
9 x 50mm mortar
6 x 8 mm mortar

Engineers
58th Pioneer Battalion

Artillery
78th Field Artillery Regiment
Battalion x three four-gun batteries
Battalion x three four-gun batteries
Battalion x three four-gun batteries

42nd Antitank Battalion