100. Panzer Ausbildungs und Ersatz Abteilung

Panzer marsch! Intrepid members of 100. Panzer Ausbildungs und Ersatz Abteilung go full throttle to attack the Americans and throw them back into the sea. Together with the brave grenadiers of the 91st Luftlande Division, the Wehrmacht has everything under control south of Cherbourg.

Ever since I read about the action of the 82nd Airborne at La Fere I have wanted to create a platoon of panzers from the 100. Panzer Ausbildungs und Ersatz Abteilung. This hardy group of panzer commanders in training were forced to use discarde French tanks from the 1940 campaign as their training vehicles. While the 21st panzer Division converted their stock of obsolescent tanks into more useful models, the 100. Panzer Ausbildungs und Ersatz Abteilung motored along with their stock of 14 R 35, 8 Hotchkiss H-39, 1 Somua, 1 Char B2 and even a Pz III. While Battlefront makes R-35s in their Italian range, I wanted to have at least one Hotchkiss tank to make the ersatz panzer platoon look even more ersatz. I Quality Casting tanks bought the tanks from warweb.com. The models are nice enough, but look too small compared to the "normal" size of Battlefront infantry, so I mounted the tanks on bases to raise their height. I didn't spend an awful lot of time camouflaging them, as I envisioned that the tanks came straight from the training ground to the battlefield. I also don't expect them to last very long when there is any serious opposition. Or even any opposition.