Minsk 44' OOB error?

[Elxaime]

Playing Axis side in Minsk 44' V.2.03 Gold, scenario 0623_02: Operation Bagration, I had some turn 87 German reinforcements (2./Pz-Zerst-Btl.474) show up with companies that had only 8 men!  I assume this was an error?  If so, was it fixed in the WDS version 4.0?  Many thanks.
J.

[ComradeP]

The scenario notes are not very detailed, unlike notes for recent titles.

Maybe the unit was refitting after being nearly wiped out and it is intended that it recovers/replaces lost manpower during the scenario. Or it's still being formed and thrown into combat.

Based on a forum post on another forum, those infantry tank destroyer battalions were being formed from September 1943, but Heeresgruppe Mitte could not initially form them due to a lack of Panzerschrecks.

[Liebchen]

One thing for sure, that soldier sure doesn't have much to grin about.

[Indragnir]

It's likely they were designed as AT guns first and then changed to Infantry. If you do so and don't change Strength that's the kind of things you see.

[Elxaime]

Not sure if this was what ComradeP was referring to, but found this on Feldgrau.net:

***
On 8.9.1943 OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. issued an order to the army groups on the Eastern Front to form a total of 10 Pz.Zerstörer-Bataillone. Personnel was to be taken from Pz.Jg. units of infantry divisions that could not be refitted with a/t guns in the forseeable time due to production shortages. These battalions were to be equipped with the new 8,8 cm Raketenbüchse 43 "Ofenrohr" which would become available in larger quantities during September and October 1943.
H.Gr. A had to form 1 Pz.Zerst.Btl. H.Gr. Süd, Mitte and Nord each had to form 3 Pz.Zerst.Btl.

A Pz.Zerst.Btl. was to consist of a battalion staff and 3 companies. Each company should have had a total of 54 'Ofenrohre' with 540 rounds of ammunition available. Another 54 'Ofenrohre' plus 540 rounds of ammo were kept as reserve by the 'Gerät- und Munitionsstaffel' with the battalion staff. Motorization of these battalions was not planned. Means of transport had to be provided by the higher command it was tactically subordinated to. For short distance movement each company had 12 horses for pulling so called 'Infanterie-Karren (Jf 8)' modified to carry 'Ofenrohre' plus ammo.

On 5.10.1943 OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. determined the final designations for the battalions as:
H.Gr. A: Pz.Zerst.Btl. 470
H.Gr. Süd: Pz.Zerst.Btl. 471, 472, 473
H.Gr. Mitte: Pz.Zerst.Btl. 474, 475, 476
H.Gr. Nord: Pz.Zerst.Btl. 477, 478, 479

Production delays and other problems hampered the formation of the battalions and by 30.11.1943 the overall situation looked like this:

H.Gr. A:
Pz.Zerst.Btl. 470: Formation currently not possible due to lack of personnel [Was later cancelled]
In lieu of that OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. had already ordered the formation of Pz.Zerst.Kp. 480 and 481 back in the 'Reich'

H.Gr. Süd:
Pz.Zerst.Btl. 471: Ready by 10.12.1943, 25 'Ofenrohre' and 190 'Panzerfaust' available
Pz.Zerst.Btl. 472: Formation completed, 25 'Ofenrohre' and 500 'Panzerfaust' available
Pz.Zerst.Btl. 473: Stab and 1. Kp. ready, 84 'Ofenrohre' and 140 'Panzerfaust' available
[Note: Looks like H.Gr. Süd supplied some means of transport since 471 is later shown as (mot.) and 472, 473 as (teilmot.)]

H.Gr. Mitte:
Pz.Zerst.Btl. 474: Not ready, no a/t weapons available
Pz.Zerst.Btl. 475: Not ready, no a/t weapons available
Pz.Zerst.Btl. 476: Not ready, no a/t weapons available

H.Gr. Nord
Pz.Zerst.Btl. 477: Formation completed, 30 'Ofenrohre' available, unit also has Pak mot.Z. [7,62 cm Pak 36]
Pz.Zerst.Btl. 478: Formation completed, 30 'Ofenrohre' available, unit also has Pak mot.Z. [7,62 cm Pak 36 and 7,5 cm Pak 40]
[Note: By order of H.Gr. Nord these two battalions consisted of 4 instead of only 3 companies.]
Pz.Zerst.Btl. 479: Formation currently not possible due to lack of personnel [Was later cancelled]

In addition to the Pak mot.Z. the Pz.Zerst.Btl. 477 received 8 Pak 40/4 auf RSO sometime between 20.2. and 20.3.1944. Battalion was disbanded in early April 1944. Pak 40/4 auf RSO were handed over to Armee-Pz.Jg.Abt. 752.
In addition to the Pak mot.Z. the Pz.Zerst. Btl. 478 received 30 Pak 40/4 auf RSO sometime between 10.2. and 20.2.1944. 5 lost during last decade of April 1944. Battalion disbanded in mid May 1944. No records about fate of the Pak 40/4 auf RSO found yet, but the surviving ones were probably returned to an ordnance depot because of poor performance.

***

So, if this is right, then Pz.Zerst.Btl 474 was basically just a shell. I assume the designer of Minsk 44' felt the Axis was in dire enough straights that even a reinforcement of 8 men would be appreciated! They can somewhat build up, but only 80 or so turns left in the scenario. The Axis have a Recovery rate of 1 and a Replacement rate of 1. Can a math genius tell me, if I left those 8 men to multiply for around 60 turns, how many I might expect to have by then? Might be worth it...

[Green]

I am no maths genius but I believe on average you would have around 65 men if you left them for 60 turns. The numbers recovered slows over time as recovery is based on losses remaining.

[Ricky B]

One of the 1 percents is based on full strength, the other lost strength. So the unit will always get around 1 percent per turn, until full strength. Based on 130?? man full strength, that would be 1.3 men per turn for that, or around 78 men recovered in 60 turns. The other 1 percent would drop each turn on average. Harder to estimate that, would have to setup a spreadsheet. But it would have to put total strength at 100 or more.

[Green]

Yes, I missed the fact that there was a 1% replacement rate. That would give around 125 men after 60 turns. The replacement rate reduces the men received via recovery as it reduces the losses that the recovery rate is applied to.

Edit: And having now checked the OOB, these units are not designated to receive replacements so the original answer based only on recovery, was correct.