By William Sariego and Wayne Turner UPDATED ON 15 SEPTEMBER 2014 1 General Franco owed his position as dictator to Benito After a month of training the division entered the German Mussolini and Adolf Hitler due to their support for the army as the 250. Infanteriedivision and began its long march Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). to the front, where it was to be assigned to von Kluge’s During that same conflict, the Union of Soviet Socialist Fourth Army in Army Group Centre. Problems with dis- Republics had supported his Republican enemies. cipline continued, and the division was often paraded and marched pointlessly to get them used to the German way of Hitler had previously attempted to entice Spain into the war doing things, which of course included not fraternizing with after the fall of France. The Generalissimo was unimpressed, local women. and Hitler said he would rather have a tooth pulled than meet with Franco again! However, some Falangists in the Forced to undergo such a parade in Grodno, an entire Spanish government and military wanted to participate in company marched with condoms stretched across their rifle “Crusade against Bolshevism“, having no love for the USSR. muzzles. On the road to Minsk the Germans had enough. The idea of a volunteer division was a compromise solution. While still on route the division refused to yield right of way to some members of von Kluge’s staff. He refused the When the volunteers first mustered, the men wore the blue Spanish unit, after which they were forced to march north to uniforms of the Falangist Militia, hence the nickname of the join the Sixteenth Army in Army Group North. “Blue” division. General Munoz Grandes, a hero of the Civil War and an officer known for his pro-Axis sympathies, was Attached to the 39th Corps, in October and November the chosen as commander. unit participated in successful attacks on Soviet positions, im- pressing General Busch (CO 16th Army) who once observed Arriving in Germany during July 1941 for training, problems them in combat. On 13 January 1942 the Soviets counterat- began to develop. Some were quite basic such as the different tacked and routed some units of the 39th, yet the Spanish dietary preferences of the Spanish soldiers and their German held onto their hedgehog around Novgorod for over two hosts. Others were cultural, reflecting the Germans disdain months without retreating until the Soviet attacks ceased. for what was seen as ill discipline in the Spanish troops. The The division held its defensive positions until August, when latter resented the methodical German approach to combat. it was pulled out of line to re-equip and join von Manstein’s Fraternization with local females was also an issue. Eleventh Army for an assault on Leningrad. 2 During the see-saw battles over the next few months the Soviet losses vary, but place the number between 7,000 and Blue division gave a fine account of itself, often out per- 11,000. The Spanish casualties were less than 2,500. The forming German units stationed on its flank. In December, Soviets had gained a devastated ghost town and a few kilo- the division was dealt a blow when Grandes was recalled to metres of trenches. Spain. Franco feared his popularity with the Germans and For the balance of 1943 the mission of the unit became in- did not want to risk Spain being dragged further into the creasingly questioned in Madrid. The war was clearly turning conflict. His replacement, Esteban Infantes, was not liked by against the Axis and Franco did not want to risk alienating the Germans, but proved a capable leader, even if not up to the United States. Grandes ability. The division continued to fight and hold the line, but morale The Soviets had finally relieved the siege of Leningrad at the was starting to suffer, as most of the original line officers were end of January 1943. In an effort to expand its slender lifeline, dead and replacements were not up to par. On 1 October amounting to a five mile corridor, the Soviets attacked on 1943 Francisco Franco officially announced Spanish neutral- February 10, hitting the Spanish at a town known as Krasni ity and the division prepared to withdraw. Bor. This would be the Blue Division’s finest hour, and its death knell. Attacked by three Soviet divisions (43rd Rifle, Still wanting to appease Hitler, as the Blue Division was 72nd rifle, and 63rd Guards), supported by nearly 400 artillery being repatriated, a “Spanish Legion” was being formed in and 60 tanks, the Spanish were threatened with encirclement Madrid. With an initial strength of 1,500, this unit was and destruction. back in the line in December. Quality was poor, with some former Socialists and other left-wingers volunteering only to The battle raged all day and night, with requested German desert once in the Soviet Union. In May 1944, this rump reinforcements not arriving until the waning hours after unit was withdrawn under political pressure. Some diehard midnight. The battle was brutal, fought at close quarters, anti-Communists stayed on, joining the SS. They would be more reminiscent of the Great War than WWII. As dawn present during the final fighting for Berlin. rose on the morning of the 11th, fighting continued sporadi- cally as both sides were too battered to continue. Sources on 250. INFANTRY DIVISION ORGANISATION, 1943 XX III III III III II II III Grenadier Grenadier Grenadier Artillery Tank-hunter Pioneer Reconnaissance Regiment 262 Regiment 263 Regiment 269 Regiment 250 Battalion 250 Battalion 250 Battalion 250 I, 1-4 I, 1-4 I, 1-4 I, 1-3 (10.5cm) 1 PaK 1 1 II, 5-8 II, 5-8 II, 5-8 II, 4-6 (10.5cm) 2 PaK 2 2 III, 9-12 III, 9-12 III, 9-12 III, 7-9 (10.5cm) 3 PaK 3 3 13 (IG) 13 (IG) 13 (IG) IV, 10-12 (15cm) 14 (PaK) 14 (PaK) 14 (PaK) The Spanish Blue Division was trained and equipped by SUERTE, VISTA Y AL TORO the Germans. A Spanish Blue Division Grenadierkompanie Suerte, Vista y al Toro is Spanish for ‘Good luck, watch out uses all the German special rules on page 241 to 245 of the and go for the bull’. The men of Division Azul are not afraid Stormtroopers rulebook except . Instead they gain the follow- of a fight and had a preference for hand-to-hand and close ing special rule. fighting. German Heer and Luftwaffe support platoons use all the When Spanish platoons test their Motivation to normal German special rules on pages 241 to 245 of the Counterattack in Assaults, you may re-roll the die and rulebook. apply the re-rolled result to all Spanish platoons that failed on the original roll. 3 (INFANTRY COMPANY) HEADQUARTERS You must field one platoon from each box shaded black and may field one platoon from each box shaded grey. 5 HEADQUARTERS Grenadierkompanie HQ INFANTRY ANTI-TANK ARMOUR 11 Panzer Platoon 5 Grenadier 7 Grenadier Platoon Anti-tank Gun Platoon ANTI-TANK 9 COMBAT PLATOONS COMBAT Anti-tank Gun Platoon INFANTRY RECONNAISSANCE 12 SS-Anti-tank Gun Platoon 7 5 PLATOONS SUPPORT DIVISIONAL REGIMENTAL SUPPORT PLATOONS SUPPORT REGIMENTAL Grenadier Scout Platoon INFANTRY 12 Grenadier Platoon German Grenadier Platoon 14 Luftwaffe Feld Platoon INFANTRY INFANTRY 15 Fallschirmjäger Platoon 8 5 Pionier Platoon Grenadier Platoon INFANTRY 8 Pionier Platoon MACHINE-GUNS ARTILLERY 10 Artillery Battery Grenadier 6 Machine-gun Platoon ARTILLERY 10 Cannon Battery WEAPONS PLATOONS WEAPONS MACHINE-GUNS 13 Rocket Launcher Battery 6 ANTI-AIRCRAFT 13 Grenadier Heavy Anti-aircraft Gun Platoon Machine-gun Platoon Luftwaffe Heavy 14 Anti-aircraft Gun Platoon ARTILLERY ANTI-AIRCRAFT Luftwaffe Light Anti-aircraft 15 Gun Platoon Grenadier 6 Mortar Platoon AIRCRAFT 15 ALLIED PLATOONS Air Support A Grenadierkompanie can have SS, Fallschirmjäger and Luftwaffe as support options. Remember that these platoons retain their own rules and ratings, and count as Allied Platoons (see page 70 of the rulebook). However, German Heer troops are not Allied Platoons, even though they retain their own rules and ratings, because the Spanish division is officially part of the German Army. 4 SPANISH BLUE DIVISION G MOTIVATION AND SKILL RELUCTANT CONSCRIPT RENADIERKOMPANIE The Spanish troops of Division Azul were all volunteers with a strong will to fight com- CONFIDENT TRAINED munism. A Spanish Blue Division Grenadierkompanie is rated as Confident Veteran. FEARLESS VETERAN HEADQUARTERS GRENADIERKOMPANIE HQ HAUPTmann HEADquARTERS Company HQ 45 points HAUPTMANN OPTIONS Company Command 2iC Command • Replace either or both Command SMG teams with SMG team SMG team Command Panzerknacker SMG teams for +5 points Company HQ per team. Unteroffizier Unteroffizier • Add Anti-tank Rifle team for +20 points. • Add Mortar Section for +50 points. 8cm GW34 8cm GW34 • Add horse-drawn wagons at no cost. Anti-tank rifle team mortar mortar • Add up to three sniper teams for +50 points per Anti-tank team. Rifle Section Horse-drawn Horse-drawn wagon wagon Mortar Section grenadierkompanie HQ COMBAT PLATOONS GRENADIER PLATOON PLATOON Leutnant Leutnant Unteroffizier HQ Section with: 4 Grenadier Squads 200 points Command Rifle/MG team Light Mortar team 3 Grenadier Squads 155 points HQ Section 2 Grenadier Squads 110 points Mortar Squad Unteroffizier Unteroffizier OPTIONS • Replace Command Rifle/MG team with a Command Panzerknacker SMG team for +5 points. Rifle/MG team Rifle/MG team Rifle/MG team Rifle/MG team • Replace all Rifle/MG teams with SMG teams at no Grenadier Squad Grenadier Squad cost. Unteroffizier Unteroffizier • Add Light Mortar team for +15 points. Rifle/MG team Rifle/MG team Rifle/MG team Rifle/MG team WHITE PIONEERS Grenadier Squad Grenadier Squad If your Grenadierkompanie has three Grenadier Platoons, you Grenadier platoon may upgrade the smallest Grenadier Platoon to a Grenadier Pioneer Platoon for +15 points per squad.