About the 116th - 116th Panzer Division Windhund

The 116th Windhund Division - A Band of Wargamers

Introduction

The 116th Panzer Division, Der Windhund™, is a multi-wargaming clan. Our core focus is WWII and contemporary RTS/FPS/MMO wargames. Leadership consists of many former clan leaders from games such as Planet Side, Battlefield Series including Project Reality and Desert Combat, Fallen Earth, and World in Conflict.

The 116th's Mission

To achieve our Full Potential as Wargamers via Training and Teamwork.

(We also like to have a good time while doing so)

Wargames we are deployed in.

We are a multi-gaming clan because experience has taught us that most Wargames fade away but the Warrior in all of us never dies. We want The 116th Panzer division to last a long time, to build strong relations amongst our current members and welcome new ones with an open hand.

1. World of Tanks. Deployment Date: December, 2010.

We are deployed on the US and EU servers and have over 100 active tankers. Strong leadership with Battle League experience. Training system tailored for new and experienced tankers focusing on teamwork.

2. Company of Heroes. Deployment Date. September, 2010.

Our leadership consists of many commanders who have reached the top 100 in the Leaderboards on Company of Heroes Online. We have migrated back to vCOH due to the closure of COHO.

3. IL2 Sturmovik Cliffs Of Dover

Blackjack the JG116 leader was a key member of the team that won the 2009 world championships for IL2 with a record of 38-0. We have a training system for new and ace pilots alike. The 116th is looking forward to being deployed in IL2 for many years to come.

4. Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad

A small tight knit group of original RO players constitutes our membership base in RO2.

6. Battlefield 3

The 116 is deployed on both the North American and European communities. We look at BF3 as a high growth franchise for the 116.

7. SWTOR

Currently 30 members on the EU and North American sides are the core leadership preparing to expand and deploy to SWTOR upon release.

Knowledge and Rules

If you are considering joining we have some concepts you must either know or be willing to learn and some rules to abide by.

1. Be on teamspeak when you are playing. If you are playing on squad night its mandatory you are on teamspeak and involved in the squad night activities.

2. Be respectful of other members.

3. We are role models in the wargame communities we are apart of. We must set a high standard so others may follow.

4. Only discharge your weapon if you are firing at an enemy.

5. Communications, Command, Control and Intelligence are not merely words but a way of operating, a way of moving the battle to the enemy, a way of executing the operation to and through the enemy. They are the foundation of our maneuver warfare tactics.

6. Patience is a virtue. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

7. Change is the only constant we are never finished, never perfect, we only strive for it and make a lot of mistakes getting there.

8. Our anger and frustration is the greatest weapon our enemies have.

9. We are serious about the game and serious about having fun. When we execute a mission well you should experience a sense of accomplishment. If you do not you are in the wrong clan for the wrong reasons.

Why do you play the bad guys?

After years of playing "the good guys" we needed a change of pace. We specifically chose the 116th Panzer Division due to they were a army and military focused unit that did not have strong Nazi sympathies, relatively speaking. The German military of the day developed a new kind of war, the Blitzkrieg, that was a combination of the advanced technology, tactics, and strategy of the day. Its interesting for members to take a step back in history and walk in someone else's shoes even if we don't agree with their philosophy.

Disclaimer

Neither this page or anyone involved in its creation, or members of the 116th Panzer Division, are in anyway affiliated with real, radical political organizations (i.e., KKK, Aryan Nation, American Nazi Party, etc.) and do not embrace the philosophies and actions of the original NSDAP (Nazi party), and wholeheartedly condemn the atrocities which made them infamous. May the victims of this unspeakable horror rest in peace.

As we portray the German WWII military theme, we are only interested in our understanding of the training, equipment, tactics and at the same time having fun reliving history. We honor the men (and women) who really experienced the war, and we salute their courage and loyalty to put their lives on the line in defense of their native soil, no matter what nationality or government.

Copyright © 2010-2011 116th Panzer Division Der Windhund™

History of the real 116th Panzer Division

The 116th Panzer Division was formed in March of 1944 to defend the Western Front. Although, formed late in the war The 116th distinguished themselves for fighting in every major battle on the Western front after the invasion of Normandy. The 116th was composed of several older military units that had seen action on the eastern front and their experience was demonstrated by their combat record despite the challenges faced by the Germans in the later war years. A key characteristic of the 116th was Knight's Crosses were often awarded to enlisted personnel not only officers providing some insight to the egalitarian leadership style of its commanders. Unlike many SS units, and even fellow Wehrmacht Heer units, the 116th had very little to do with war crimes or hardline Nazi ideology. Rather it seems the 116th leaders were fulfilling their duty as army officers trying to command and look after the troops to the best of their ability with the hope of returning as many soldiers home by the inevitable war's end.

The 116th and its predecessor units are steeped in rich history. However, much of that history remains a mystery. There are two key resources on the internet for those interested in finding out more about the 116th Panzer Division Windhund.

Feldgrau.com is one, if not the preeminent, source for research on the German Military from 1918 to 1945.

Windhund.org.uk is a re-enactment group portraying The 116th. Where Feldgrau is based on documentary research Windhund pedagogical interest is modeling historical-anthropological aspects of The 116th.