SS Panzer Grenadiers

It’s a valid question.

A funny way to answer would be that it depends on what miniatures you use. Table 12-1 of the v3 Rules states that Infantry Class is “Any unit represented by a soldier (infantry, marine, militia, airborne, etc.)”. In our game, we use HBG’s Axis minor soldier with a Panzerfaust, so it’s definitely an Infantry unit!

However, the SS Panzer Grenadiers are clealry in the Specialist Infantry class, as you rightly point out, on the Germany National Reference Sheet (v.3.3), same as the other specialized infantry units for Japan (SNLF), FEC (Ghurka), USA (USMC) or the Commonwealth and Italy (Colonial inf.).

They are a elite infantry unit. The fact that they only become available with Advanced Mechanized Infantry seems to me like a game mechanic to delay their arrival on the battlefied, not a definition of their unit class. In reality, the Panzer Grenadiers units were organized in combined arms formation, so there is also a logic to the fact that they cannot be build before you have obtained that technology. They would really be overpowering otherwise.

In addition, if they are not infantry-class, I believe that they would have been listed under the Tech Advances table, just like the Katyusha Rocket Artillery for USSR that requires Advanced Artillery.

The +1 attack bonus that is given by Artillery pairing applies to all infantry-class units under Rule 12.2. I see no reason exclude the SS Panzer Grenadiers from this, just as it could benefit Mountain, Marine, Airborne Infantry, Colonial Infantry, Ghurkas, SNLF and USMC.

However, Motorized and Mechanized Intantry are in the Vehicle class, as per Rule 12.2. You question makes me realize that they should not benefit from being paired with artillery despite their name.

Finally, Naval Transports can carry either two infantry-class units or one infantry-class unit and one other land or air unit (who does that for air units?). It should transport two SS Panzer Grenadiers, same as two Marines.

They are considered Advanced Mechanized Infantry according to the German sheet, as shown by them not being accessible without first researching Advanced Mechanized Infantry.

The rules state at 7.8 that Advanced Mechanized Infantry are “Mechanized Infantry for all purposes except as follow: Improved attack and defense values may pair 2:1 with blitzing with armor (e.g. 2 Advanced Mechanized may accompany one blitzing armor).”

So we know from that they are consider Mechanized Infantry. So from there, the Mechanized Infantry at Table 12-1 are categorized as Vehicle Class.

Hope that helps!

PG had motorized transport and related equipment, so some type of half track unit should be used

The correct answer is…“It’s complicated.”

The designation Panzergrenadier did not exist until 1942. In 1942, when Infantry Regiments were renamed as Grenadier Regiments by Hitler as a historical homage to Frederick the Great’s Army, the Schützen regiments (and the soldiers in them) began to be redesignated as Panzergrenadier regiments, as did Motorized Infantry units and soldiers. Most of the units had motorized infantry and a few of them had mechanized infantry. Aside from wheels vs tracks the other obvious difference between the 2 was that mechanized didn’t dismount to fight and motorized used trucks for transportation but then dismounted to fight. Panzergrenadiers were quite simply the infantry that accompanied tanks in battle. A unit was not one specific thing but had various elements just as an infantry division, a tank division, or any other type of division did. A Panzergrenadier unit also included tanks, artillery, heavy weapons, MG’s, and all of the various support troops you would find in other types of units.

For the purposes of this game, they are designated an infantry unit. The delay in purchasing them and the need to develop advanced mechanized infantry technology reflects the complicated nature of their development and purpose in combat. Clearly they work like a mechanized infantry unit but rarely did they use half-tracks. They were shock troops and had to be highly mobile to keep up with the tanks and that’s why they have the ability to blitz.

Thanks for the answer! I would not have guessed that!

HBG just posted a FAQ Sheet :

Q: Are German SS Panzergrenadiers Infantry Class units?

A: No. (they are Vehicle class, like regular Mech. Infantry)

@noneshallpass That’s good. I was told infantry class earlier in 2020 but I think that this is the right choice to make them vehicle class. They could have been either but it seemed to me that they were more of a vehicle class unit.

@generalhandgrenade said in SS Panzer Grenadiers:

They could have been either but it seemed to me that they were more of a vehicle class unit.

Agreed!