Leopard 1 and 2 Panzer Kompanies in Heeresstruktur 4

Leopard 1 and Panzer Kompanies in Heeresstruktur 4

Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Panzer Kompanies in Heeresstruktur 4
With Wayne Turner
During its history,the structure and organisation of the Heer (Army) or the Bundeswehr went under a number of changes as ideas and concepts on the best employment of equipment and troops changed. In 1982 Heeresstruktur 4 (Army Structure 4) was introduced setting the number of tanks in a Panzerkompanie (Tank Company) at 13 tanks, whether they were Leopard 1 or 2 tanks. In the early 1990s another structural change was introduced as Heeresstruktur 5. At the company level the most important change was the number of Zugs (platoons) in a panzer Kompanie, which changed from three to four, but retained the same number of tanks in a panzer Kompanie (13).

When we made Leopard we went with four panzer zugs of three tanks (Heeresstruktur 5). We like to think of it as a wartime expediency to achieve better tactical flexibility.

However, if you would like to field your Leopard 1 or Leopard 2 Panzer Kompanie under Heersstruktur 4, simply field your tanks in Panzer Zugs of four tanks, but only field a total of three Panzer Zugs in your Panzer Kompanie.

You can also apply this to Panzer Zugs within a Panzergrenadier Kompanie.

It is that easy. Points remain as the cards for individual tanks, so a four tank Leopard 1 Panzer Zug will cost 12 points, and a four tank Leopard 2 Panzer Zug will cost 44 points.

Pictured Right: The Leopard 2 

Leopard 1 and Panzer Kompanies in Heeresstruktur 4

Leopard 1 and Panzer Kompanies in Heeresstruktur 4

Pictured Left: The Leopard 1

This is an alternative organisation for your West German Panzer Kompanie or Panzergrenadier Kompanie if you want to use it. The organisation with three tanks in each Panzer Zug in a Kompanie of four units, as found in Leopard and Panzertruppen, are still perfectly valid. 

Note that the Leopard 1 Panzer Zugs in an Panzeraufklärungs Kompanie (they never had the Leopard 2) are in units of three tanks only, and this did not change between Heeresstruktur 4 and 5.

Enjoy
~Wayne


Last Updated On Monday, December 10, 2018 by Wayne at Battlefront