Fuhrer Begleit Brigade-West Front

**Big Ivan** · 11-02-2009, 11:06 PM,

Good Day Blitz Members.

The Fuhrer Begleit Brigade (FBB) participated in the Bulge Dec'44. I am looking for either a org file in WF or a good TO&E structure of this unit. I see the unit represented in EF but not Dec'44.
It was part of Gen. der Pz. Luttwitz XLVIII Panzer Corps at the center of the Bulge and I've read where there were some changes to this unit just before the Bulge. Data indicates it was committed to battle on 12/17/44.

I've confirmed it did have Mark VI's and StuG-III's but I can't find good data on the infantry or towed guns within the unit. Apparently the unit was hastily thrown together around Hitler's former HQ guard and had equipment borrowed for Division GrossDeutschland.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Ivan the Big

Pip Roberts · 11-03-2009, 05:50 AM,

The Fuhrer Begleit Brigade which fought under von Manteuffel's 5th Pz Army near Bastogne had 2 companies of Panthers and one of Jagdpanzers. Other units included a Panzergrenadier battallion, a Fusilier battalion and a bicycle battalion. Its original artillery complment was provided by the flak guns of the Fuhrer Flak battalion but by the beginning of December these had been reinforced by
a Sturmgeschutz detachment and 2 battalions of half track towed 10.5 cm guns and 15cm field howitzers.
The OIC was Generalmajor Otto-Ernst Remer

Kuriltai · (This post was last modified: 11-03-2009, 07:32 AM by Kuriltai.)

Not sure they had Panthers and I presume you meant MkIV not MkVI
I did a quick search and found this:
http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=4889
This of course would be their initial strength at the start of the battle,not at their commitment at Bastogne.The Brigade was first commited at St. Vith to reduce the fortified Goose Egg.Not sure how involved they got there.
IMHO this unit would be more elite than thrown together as the Armor and Infantry would be better than average being GD fillers and cadre.
The Brigade caused problems with allied intel when prisoners from Gross Deutchland Div were taken,Allied intel promptly worried the Div was part of the offensive when it was supposed to be (and was) on the Eastern Front.
Back to the Panthers,perhaps they were added between St Vith and Bastogne?

Von Earlmann · 11-03-2009, 10:40 PM,

I think they had a MK IV battalion attached from the GD division........? I think the confusion may be with the Feuhrer Grenadier Brigade which also participated in the bulge and I think engaged one of Patton's divisions near Ettelbruck?

**Big Ivan** · 11-04-2009, 05:46 AM,

Thanks gentlemen for the informative replies.

I found a decent site where they give good data on the FBB & FGB.
www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=4889

I'm inclined to go with the Mark IV's and StuG's. There was also some info out there that the brigade possessed some bicycles along with 88mm flak and towed 105mm.

If I get this unit nailed down I'll send you guys the org file from WF.
Thanks again!

Ivan the Big

Pip Roberts · 11-04-2009, 07:45 AM,

Thanks to all for their contributions to this interesting research. I will be very interested in the final result and the sources
My source is Panzergrenadier Divisions by Chris Bishop which gives fine details of quite obscure PZG divisions and their fates. It was published in 2007 so should still be available.
The data I gave was on the Fuhrer Begleit Brigade as committed in the "Wacht am Rhein" offensive with von Manteuffel's 5th Pz Army

The Fuhrer Grenadier Brigade (also an offshoot of the great but heavily used Grossdeutschland Division) had a mixed battalion of MkIV's and Panthers. It numbered some 6,000 men from the reinforcement pool of the GD. " These men were hand-picked from the younger classes of recruits but at this stage of the war the German Army had little chance to give them thorough training and they were thrown into battle nearly raw. This brigade fought against Patton's III corps relief force from the south. It was sent in piecemeal and suffered particularly heavy losses.

Pip Roberts · 11-04-2009, 07:46 AM,

Thanks to all for their contributions to this interesting research. I will be very interested in the final result and the sources
My source is Panzergrenadier Divisions by Chris Bishop which gives fine details of quite obscure PZG divisions and their fates. It was published in 2007 so should still be available.
The data I gave was on the Fuhrer Begleit Brigade as committed in the "Wacht am Rhein" offensive with von Manteuffel's 5th Pz Army

The Fuhrer Grenadier Brigade (also an offshoot of the great but heavily used Grossdeutschland Division) had a mixed battalion of MkIV's and Panthers. It numbered some 6,000 men from the reinforcement pool of the GD. " These men were hand-picked from the younger classes of recruits but at this stage of the war the German Army had little chance to give them thorough training and they were thrown into battle nearly raw. This brigade fought against Patton's III corps relief force from the south. It was sent in piecemeal and suffered particularly heavy losses.

**Big Ivan** · 11-04-2009, 10:37 PM,

Hello again Gents,
Thanks to all especially you Pip for your excellent pros on the subject. The FBB was one special unit and I learned a lot in this research. Most of the FBB was destroyed by the Russians in April'45. But since the inception of the unit-FBB, it seemed to have a sterling history.

Attached is my rendition of the FBB as supported by the org files in WF. It's based on the data as described in axis history.com. I toned the flak down a bit. Apparently according to this data the unit had an over abundance of SP & towed flak units. I also had a time figuring out what a "Grille" is or was per the designation Sdkfz-138/1. The closest thing that comes to it in the WF org files is an sIG-38(t) but in real life it was desgnated an sIG-33. I used the 38(t)'s to represent them. There was also a lot of civilian trucks, cross-country cars and civilain cars not to mention support motorized units extra to the unit that I didn't include for the sake of not cluttering the unit beyond its combat TO&E.
Anyone please feel free to use the file in any kind of design your own scenarios. I think it's usable as a good tool for the FBB. Embelish it to suit your own tastes.

The file is in JTCS Campaign Series zipped in Vista. If you can't open it I can always send it direct by e-mail.

May success follow your flag!
Ivan the Big:smoke:

Pip Roberts · 11-05-2009, 05:28 AM,

From von Senger und Ettelin's great book "German tanks of World War II" the Grille (cricket) family was an SP chassis built by Krupp. The aim was to have a chassis that would carry larger calibre guns up to 128 and even 170 cm ! This was only done with wooden models.
One was made with an 88mm Flak41 in 1944 but it never reached production.
I note with interest that you did not make and include bicycle troops.
I would be grateful for a copy of your final work.

**Big Ivan** · 11-05-2009, 11:04 AM,

Thanks Pip for the data on the "Grille". The info I was working from was Wilkapedia search on the grille and it points to an sIG-33.

In the axis history.com data they did not list bicycles except in the name of the battalion 928. I did notice a large amount of motorcycles indicated in that TO&E from axishistory so I went with that instead of a pure bicycle battalion unit. However for the diehards I do believe I included one company of bicycles in the 928 battalion. Company 1 I think?

For game playability sake in the snow and mud of the Ardenne I would think the bicycles are useless for movement. In any scenario with this unit, I would probably load my bicycle platoons on tanks and leave the bikes off in the woods to rust.

Finally, the org files is out there for gamers to use and change as they see fit. If one wants pure bicycles they are more than welcome to add them. The final copy of my work is attached in my previous post.

Thanks
Ivan the Big