From my point of view the PE Faction represents generic KampfGruppen, regardless of their TO&E, OKW affiliation or political associations. PE does not deal exclusively with Market Garden but also with The Normandy Campaign (around St Lo and Caen in CoH and OF) and Remagen (CoH).
The poem cited below almost certainly refers to THe Ghost Division of 1940. Rommel was particularly known for relentless advances and for being out of communications. He frequently broke his LOC deliberately when he received an order he wished to circumvent. 200 miles in a day? Poetic licence. Maybe the MC battalion could do 200 miles in a day but no other equipment had near that range of operation. Eight hours in the saddle would most certainly hurt the Heinies Hineys big time as well.
Danger Will Robinson! Rant alert!
- Panzer Lehr: A teaching and demonstration unit. I agree with Lord Rommel's assertion about Lehr being a commander but how found no documentation to support this. Panzer Lehr is frequently referred to as an Elite Unit. Given its hodge podge of equipment and success in combat this designation is dubious. Lehr WAS one of the hardest fighting units on the western front. It was broken up into KampfGruppe organizations time and again: In Normandy, Market Garden and Wacht am Rhein: where three different "Lehr" KGs faced off against the 2nd Armor, (Dinant), 28th Inf,(Goose Egg), 101st Airborne, (Bastogne) and 4th Armor, (Werden). THe commander of Lehr until 6/7/1944 and during the Bulge was Fritz Bayerlein. Commander of the DAK at Alam al Halfa, 8/31/42.
- "Rommel's Circus": I have never come across this term Sommarkatze but I believe it must refer to Rommel's tenure as Commander of Army Group B in France 1944. Many of the units in Normandy in early 1944 were 2nd rate Garrison troops and Battered Line units. Garrison units were frequently comprised of foreign nationals equipped with obsolete weaponry. Units reassigned from the Eastern Front most often left their Heavy Equipment behind. LordRommel mentioned the decimated SS divisions in Normandy and Market Garden. Of course nobody would consider the 12 SS and Michael Wittman 2nd Rate. (No Tigers in PE though). Much of the TO&E for the units in Normandy during June and July of 1944 was captured equipment. Some like the French R35s were overdue to be "gotten rid of". Some however:
(http://www.achtungpanzer.com/images/firefly_3.jpg)
- The 21st Panzer division should be included in Rommel's Circus. Originally sent to North Africa as a collection of Ad Hoc units, (aka KampfGruppen). It was brought up to strength and renamed the 21st Panzer Division. Perhaps the most famous German Division of the war. The leader of the Recce battalion Von Luck was a master of Kampfgruppe tactics. He employed his AC's in conjunction with the 88s of the Flak Battalion to devastating effect time and again. As the rear guard of the DAK after El Alamein he can be credited with saving the Africa Korps in the long march to Tunisia. The Africa Korps (Panzer Armee Afrika), surrendered May 15(?) 1943.
- The 21st Panzer was reorganized in France July 15, 1943. It was in the Normandy sector in MAy 1944. At that time its TO&E was mostly captured French equipment: H35's, H39s and Lorraines. There were 2-3 companies of Pz IIIs and Pz IVs,(31 total). The only organic unit of the Division was the Flak Battalion(sic): It contained 3 Kos of 88s mounted on HTs, (There is a reward unit for you); 2 Kos of Sdkh 10/20mm and two battalions of Hummels. On D-Day the 21st Panzer was the only Panzer Division to engage the Allies on D-Day. KampfGruppe VonLuck nearly drove the Commonwealth Forces into the sea. It is said that Rommel himself supervised the action. I believe he was out of country at his wife's birthday party.
Well Sommarkatze; thats my take on what the PE faction is supposed to represent. I hope it was entertaining.