Operation Dauntless

Unit Preview: 2nd Battalion, 12th SS Panzer Regiment

No other German armored formation in Operation Dauntless has its hands in the action quite like

the 8th

Company, 2nd

Battalion, 12th

SS Panzer Regiment. This company is equipped with panzer

IVh tanks.

Below: A Panzer IVh of 8th Company, II./12th SS Panzer Regiment.

The painted ID indicates that this panzer belongs to company 8, platoon 3, and it is vehicle

number 3 (as indicated by the "7"). The Germans started numbering from 5 rather than 1 in order

to "mask" the platoon leader's vehicle.

Here are my homemade playtest counters for these guys. These are only for my personal

playtests - they are not final versions!

Banner by Rodger MacGowan.

The 8th Company panzers are featured prominently throughout the scenarios featured in Op

Dauntless. These guys saw a lot of action!

The majority of German tanks faced by the British in Operation Dauntless are panzer IVh types

like this one, although the Panthers come in a very close second.

The game OOB for the 12th SS Panzer Regiment looks like this:

12 SS Panzer Regiment

Regimental HQ

1x Panther section (represents 2x Panther D, single-sided)

1x Panzer IVh section (represents 2x Panzer IVh, single-sided)

1x Panzer IVG platoon (represents 5x Panzer w/75mm L/43 gun- assume IVG)

Regimental Flak

4x SP Flak (each represents 3x Flakpanzer 38t, with 20mmm guns)

Below: The flakpanzer 38t.

I. Battalion (Jürgensen)

I. Panzer Battalion HQ

1x Panther platoon (representing 4x Panther)

1x SP Flak (represents 3x Wirbelwind with quadruple "Flakvierling" 20mm guns)

1. Kompanie

3x Panther platoon (each counter represents about 4.3x Panther A)

2. Kompanie

3x Panther platoon

3. Kompanie

3x Panther platoon

Note: The Panther Battalion will be covered in detail in a future unit preview.

Below: An older ‘D’ model Panther.

II. Battalion (Prinz) (representing roughly 60-65 total Pz IVs)

II. Panzer Battalion HQ

1x Panzer IVh platoon (represents 3x Panzer IVh)

1x SP Flak (represents 3x Wirbelwind, as above)

Below: A Wirbelwind of 2nd Battalion. This quadruple 20mm AA gun mounted on a Panzer IV

chassis was developed by Karl-Wilhelm Krause for the 2nd Battalion of the 12th SS Panzer

Regiment.

Below: Another view of a Wirbelwind self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle.

8. Kompanie, 12th SS Panzer Regiment (equipped with PzIV's)

3x PzIV platoon (about 4-5 vehicles per platoon). Starting in or near Fontenay.

All remaining companies of II. are available as Variable Reinforcements (VRs):

6. Kompanie, 12th SS Panzer Regiment

3x Panzer IVh platoon

5. Kompanie, 12th SS Panzer Regiment

3x Panzer IVh platoon

7. Kompanie, 12th SS Panzer Regiment

3x Panzer IVh platoon

9. Kompanie, 12th SS Panzer Regiment - near Carpiquet

3x Panzer IVh platoon

Below: A destroyed panzer IV tank of 8th Company, 12th SS Panzer Regiment. Note that this

vehicle appears to be the same panzer shown in the above photograph - 3rd vehicle, third

platoon, 8th company. Here it is being towed by a British recovery vehicle. The second

battalion of 12th SS Panzer Regiment lost a large number of panzer IV tanks during the June

battles (details to follow).

Some Miscellaneous notes pertaining to this Battalion:

The 9th Kompanie, 12SS Pz Regiment, would likely be the last to make an appearance in the

game. Historically, it was west of Carpiquet airfield (just west of Caen), well off-map to the east

of our play area. Thus it is available to German player only as a rather expensive Variable

Reinforcement.

Below: Playtest counters for 9th Company, II. Battalion, 12th SS Panzer Regiment.

II. Battalion comprised roughly 60-65 panzers, best case scenario, during June '44. Dividing this

between 5 companies with 3 platoons each, we get about 4 tanks per average platoon. Earlier

counter stats were based on 4 companies and 3 platoons per company; they needed to be redone

(CS and RAS increased slightly) in light of rather compelling evidence that there were actually 3

platoons per company and five companies operating at the time of Op Dauntless (see notes

below). As a result, I’m now using 4.0 tanks per platoon for calculation of the panzer stats.

The researchers on feldgrau.net have suggested that there may have actually been 4 platoons,

with fewer tanks per platoon. I believe this conclusion was mainly based on the numeric vehicle

ID's found on the tanks themselves, as visible in photographs.

There is an account in H. Meyer's book from a platoon leader of 5th Coy on June 27, near

Cheux, who says "I announced Bando's death to... the two other platoon leaders" which strongly

infers only 3 platoons per company at this time, or at least within 5th Company.

From summer '44 onward (if not sooner), the 4th platoons of 5th through 8th Companies may

have been concentrated into the unauthorized 9th company for greater tactical flexibility and less

burden on the young company commanders for companies 5-8. From summer '44 onward, TOE

panzer strength went from 22 to 17 to even 14 in some cases.

On the eve of Operation Epsom (June 26th, 1944), 12th SS Panzer Regiment had a total of about

58 MkIV's and 44 Panthers. Obviously, they had even more than this prior to Operation Martlet

(aka Operation Dauntless, June 25th, 1944) since the Brits knocked out several on June 25th,

from the accounts of both sides.

Per Niklas Zetterling: On June 1st, the 12SSPD had 91 combat ready panzer IVs, with 7 in short-

term repair.

By June 16th this had dropped to 52, then 26 on June 17th, 45 on June 18th.

The number then increased to 59 on June 20th, 55 on June 23rd, 58 on June 24th. Presumably

this was due to tanks previously listed as being in short-term repair being reintegrated into their

units; the regiment enjoyed no proper tank reinforcements during these battles.

At the time of Operation Epsom (June 26th) the number of panzer IVs was back up to 60, but

then dropped to only 32 (with 22 in short-term repair) by the next day! It remained at 32 on July

2nd.

For reasons mentioned previously, I am assuming that by the time of the mid-late June battles,

II./12SSPR was already fielding an additional (9th) panzer company, meaning that platoons had

been reduced to 3 per company in order to create the additional company. The unit counters and

counter stats are based on these assumptions. Taking 60 panzers as "top strength" for the period

June 16th - June 30th (see Zetterling), dividing this number by 5 companies yields an average of

12 panzers per company. Dividing this by 3 platoons, we get an average of 4 panzers per platoon.

Other German tanks in Operation Dauntless: While all the "true" panzer companies were Mk

IVs, the Germans also had Panthers and Tigers in or near Fontenay at the start of Martlet. The

Panthers belonged to 1, 2, or 3 companies of I. Battalion, 12SS Panzer, and the Tigers were from

101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion. The 1st battalion (I/12SS Panzer - the Panthers) was an

operational reserve kept near Noyers.

Below: Playtest counters for the Tigers of 101st Heavy Panzer Battalion. These units are only

available to the German player as Variable Reinforcements, and they are rather pricey!

The 8th Company panzers begin in support of the panzergrenadiers in Fontenay. These guys saw

A LOT of action. Just follow them throughout June and early July!

Of the remaining panzer companies, only the 6th Company starts on the map, but they are be in

an inactive state (VRs which require VP expenditure to activate).

Below: Playtest counters for 6th Company, II. Battalion, 12th SS Panzer Regiment.

As Epsom begins, these units (6, 5, 7, and 9 Company panzers) are withdrawn to deal with the

threat. Thus the German player can (optionally) commit them to the battle for a very short time

in order to conduct a strong counterattack, but then must remove them from play.

Below: The remaining companies, II. Battalion, 12th SS Panzer Regiment.

While the Panzer IVh did not have quite the punch or popularity of the Panther, it was work

horse of the German army in 1944. This was also true for the Waffen SS units, which typically

had marginally more Panzer IV tanks than Panthers. It is worth noting that the other most

common type of German AFV in Normandy in June '44 was the StuG III. However, the 12th SS

Panzer Division did not have any StuG IIIs; the nearby Panzer Lehr Division did have StuGs.

Below: Presented as a comparison, here is a Panther A of I. Battalion, 12th SS Panzer Regiment.

The dreaded "pink panthers"! More on these guys coming in a future Unit Preview…

Below: A panzer IV of 5th Company, 2nd Battalion.

Below: A British Sherman tank destroyed by Panzer IV's of II. Battalion on June 7th. The name

"Blondie" can clearly be seen on the side of the tank.

Below: A panzer IV of 6th Company. The name "Wilma" can be seen on the turret. Wilma was

the name of the commander's girlfriend.

Below: A destroyed Panzer IV.

I would like to extend a sincere thank you to A. Verspeeten and Vincent Lefavrais

for their kind assistance in researching this topic.

Thanks for looking! More Operation Dauntless unit previews coming soon…

Banner by Rodger MacGowan.