"Luftwaffe ready to respond!"
Luftwaffe Ground Forces are an Axis infantry division for the Panzer Elite featured in Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts.
Game Info
Luftwaffe Ground Forces or the Luftwaffe Infantry Field Division are a group of Luftwaffe Combat Pioneers from the Panzer Elite that are called in once the Luftwaffe Tactics reinforcement is used. Made up from a squad of 5, they look similar to the Volksgrenadier Squad of the Wehrmacht. But make no mistake, they are highly trained light combat infantry capable of building one of the Axis most fearsome Defensive Structures- The 88mm Flak 36.
Armed mostly with the Kar 98 rifle, they have combat capabilities similar to the Panzer Grenadier of the Panzer Elite. Capable of tackling the Allies's infantryman such as the Infantry Section, Riflemen Squad, Sappers and Engineer Squad, thier true abilities come from the ability to construct Luftwaffe Defensive Structures to aid the Panzer Elite war effort. Like normal combat engineers, they can construct light defense such as sandbags and barbed wire. But more importantly, they can also build the 20mm Flak 38 and fearsome 88mm Flak 36. Luftwaffe Ground Forces are also capable of 'advanced repairs' that require no special upgrade (which is good when advanced repair has not been researched yet).
Luftwaffe Ground Force in combat action.
Since they are vulnerable during construction, it is best to provide them support and protection from attack, as they will take more casualties during building or repairing of any structures & vehicles. Axis Commanders are also advised to deploy up to 2 squads of Luftwaffe Ground Forces to speed up the construction or repair process. Their superior numbers and good combat capacities also enable them to fight along with the other Panzer Elite infantry and overwhelm the enemy. Unlike the Volksgrenadier Squad, Luftwaffe Ground Forces are capable of handling capturable light weapons, so it is best to allow them to pick up dropped weapons to further increase thier combat effectiveness. Overall, Luftwaffe Ground Force are well trained pioneers that can respond to most tactical situations.
Weakness
Although well trained, they are light infantry and are vunerable to fire from weapons such as a Thompson SMG and enfilade fire from heavy machine guns, as they become supressed fairly easily. They are also take casualties relatively easily. Luftwaffe Ground Force are most vunerable during construction and repair duites, A Allied commander will likely to take the advantage by charging the Luftwaffe Ground Force with infantry to eliminate an expensive unit. Unlike Volksgrenadier Squad, they are unexpensive (260 manpower) to deploy and reinforce. TheAxis Commander is advised to protect them and provide nessasary support to allow them to survive and continue service in combat.
Prerequisites
Luftwaffe Ground Forces are only available under the Luftwaffe Tactics Company Commander. They are the first choice on the Air Defense tree and require 1 Command Point.