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Another small battle, as I can knock it out quickly.

 

June, 1944, and the Russians are starting to shove the Germans back from whence they came. Operation Bagration is coming, but in order to destroy the invading sausage-eaters, we must know where they are!

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi1setup.jpg

In perfect conditions for a battle, I'm to lead my recce force of 5 T-70 tanks to find the enemy and perhaps give them a bit of a slap. Three flags, two small and one large, to capture, over 18 turns.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi3overhead.jpg

The T-70 is a compact little beast.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi2t-70.jpg

Armed with a 45mm main gun, and a coaxial machine gun, it can't slug it out against real tanks, but is at the heavier end of the spectrum for light armoured vehicles. Got a decent ammo load for the main gun, but not much MG ammo. It's also fairly nippy, so shoot and scoot will be the order of the day.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi4t-70stats.jpg

The terrain is fairly hilly (trees off for a clear view).

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi5terrain.jpg

This means lots of getting hull down and not getting blown up, hopefully. I'm going to race for the closest flag, then set up two tanks covering and three leapfrogging forward to capture the large central flag. Only if things go really well will I try for that last flag. With only five tanks and no reserves at my disposal, I'm going to have to be like Alice, only cautiouser and cautiouser.

 

Turn 1. My column advances down the road, fast as they can.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi6turn1.jpg

No sign of any enemy. I had expected to at least receive a little bit of fire from infantry in the town, but perhaps the opposing force is arriving at the same time as I.

 

A good illustration of hull down.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi7hulldown.jpg

The T-70 is only exposing its turret, a small, well-armoured target. Any tanks advancing into sight will be exposed.

 

Turn 3.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi8hunadvance.jpg

German forces must be close, both flags have just changed.

 

First contact!

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi9firstcontact.jpg

My commanders, their delicate shell-likes a-twitch, detect the smooth purr of well-tuned German engines.

 

Turn 4. Enemy front!

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi10puma.jpg

The Puma is a fast, hard-hitting vehicle. Being wheeled, it's faster across nearly all terrain, and the 50mm gun is quite capable of taking on real tanks. Armour is a bit on the thin side though. :(

 

Time for a bit of shot-swapping.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi11shotswap.jpg

Not only is my T-70's armour thicker, it's more steeply sloped. Less penetration, and more ricochets per shot. Which is lucky, because with only 2 crew, a T-70 taking even one casualty becomes almost useless. That armour flaking isn't a good sign either, because even that can lead to casualties through spalling. Spall liners? You must be having a giraffe.

 

Oh God why don't I just SHUT MY MOUTH.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi12spallkill.jpg

One down, four to go! :cool:

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- Lt. Kirpichnikov...

- Yes, Comrade General ?

- It is a lovely day, is it not?

- Most assuredly, Comrade General.

- That is no doubt why you and three remaining comrade tank Commanders insist on sunbathing at the top of your vehicles...

 

::

 

Well, I drink to you, my braves; or in your memory, perhaps...

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That was (apparently) the best way to command a tank, and I know the Germans trained that way, with a substantial percentage of their tank commanders being killed precisely because of such exposure. If you hid in the turret, the loss of so much situational awareness, even when you had a cupola, was considered to be unconscionable; so most commanders, except when being explicitly shot at, would rock out with their heads out.

 

Revenge is sweet!

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi13revenge.jpg

The Puma dies, with its smoke dischargers failing to give cover. Too bad.

 

Despite being hull down, Umurzakov takes a couple of rounds from unknown enemies in reply.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi14shot.jpg

One of the nice things about Russian kit is that it seems more robust. It can take hits, and even when the shells penetrate, the tank can keep on rolling.

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No infantry to be had, just my tanks. :cool:

 

Their firing reveals two enemies, tentatively identified as 'armoured cars' with the default 20mm gun, but I think they'll be pumas with 50mms.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi15pumas.jpg

Time to retreat, and let them advance into the guns of my other tanks.

 

Umurzakov takes too long reversing, and gets shot up.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi16deafo.jpg

He was lucky the first few rounds, but after that, lost his main gun, and then got KO'd. Superb.

 

Turn 7. Quite obviously, I'm going to need to pull something out of the hat here, and preferably not a bloody rabbit. Big flanking move, that should do it.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adit17urn7flank.jpg

They're still hammering Umurzakov, because they crew haven't bailed out. This is one of the most frustrating/most amusing things about tank warfare. If the crew haven't bailed out, and the tank hasn't brewed up, how do you know the tank is dead? Because you hit it? So what. Because the shot penetrated? Big deal. You have to be sure, or it'll shoot you, so you have to keep shooting it.

 

Eremin gets there safe.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi18ereminsafe.jpg

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A Puma edges into view and pops off a round. Note the sparks from the ricochet, and the shell itself in the air above Mostavenko's tank.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi19mostavenkoshot.jpg

Again it goes to shot swapping.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi20shotswap2.jpg

And another Puma slips into view. Not looking good for Mostavenko.

 

In order to take some of the pressure off Mostavenko, Eremin gets a shoot and scoot order. This marries good accuracy with mobility. The tank moves to the first waypoint, stops, shoots, and then scoots off to the second waypoint. Perfect for moving out of cover, getting a round off and then ducking back in.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi21shootnscoot.jpg

 

Mostavenko comes off second in the Second Shot Swap Chamionship. Eremin spots an enemy vehicle crossing his front, but fails to get a shot off at its sleekly machined rear, wasting the shoot and scoot order.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi22mostavenkodead.jpg

And Kirpichnikov joins Mostavenko in death. It is turn 9. Of 18.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi23kirpichnikovtakenout.jpg

No real word for that other than embarrassing. Hull down, static, turret pointing in the direction of the enemy, and he gets whacked.

 

My last surviving tank, Eremin, does his best Road Runner impression.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi24ereminruns.jpg

I'm going to come around that wood, advance into their rear, and kill them violently from behind.

 

He's one step ahead of that Puma.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi25ereminonestepahead.jpg

 

Kirpichnikov, covered in the blood of his driver and huddled under the shell of his tank, gives the Puma commander a nasty surprise with his Tokarev pistol.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi26kicrew.jpg

 

An audacious move for Eremin, putting him right behind the two Pumas.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi27ereminrearatk.jpg

Hopefully he won't bugger it up.

 

It's looking good! Eremin slews to a halt hull down, and lets the Puma have it in the arse. So to speak.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi28ereminshoots.jpg

He's only in view of that Puma, so it's mano a mano.

 

Thank you Eremin, you utter failure.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adi30secondslater.jpg

I guess this means that mobility and firepower do win out over slightly better armour after all. Dur.

 

Results.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM/ADI/adiresults.jpg

 

Well, seeing as I'm on a roll, what would you like to see me fail at next? Any particular nationality, operation, stage of the war, infantry, mechanised, armour, attack, defence, etc?

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Quite the bang-up job there with Ze Hermans, FA... :(

 

Despite the apparent fumble in tangoing with the Pumas it's important to note that the Combat Mission series of games is all about accurate battlefield _simulation_, and not at all your average strategy "game".

 

For instance, Early Russian (and late German) tanks suffered from poor quality steel used in their construction, and this brittleness is actually modeled in this game, counting for hit and kill probabilities in calculations.

 

Shot traps (defects in design that allow the deflection of AP rounds into weaker parts of the armor) are modeled on the vehicles. Optics are utilized, particularly on the German side. German optics were considered among the best in the world and their advantage over the Soviets is factored in the game.

 

In the historical conflict itself this was probably the biggest reason the Germans had success against Allied armor.

 

Or so I've heard...

 

::

 

It seems to me, also, FA is really an infiltrated Axis agent, managing to send allied forces to their early graves with great proficiency... :cool:

 

Well, for a fresh outlook I'd suggest something different - how about putting you in control of, say, some Finns, in a defensive role this time, late 1942, mixed infantry and armour, something between 15 and 30 turns?

 

Maybe you can get your hands on some StuG IIIG?...

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/StuG_III_Ausf._G.jpg/800px-StuG_III_Ausf._G.jpg

 

:(

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Aye, all true, Thorondor. Armour and armour defects are modelled, with thickness and slope, quality of steel, shot traps, shell penetration and composition and all sorts of stuff coming into play. Hit location and so on also plays a part. Different crew members can get killed, different parts of the tank damaged, etc.

 

Tank Men by Robert Kershaw is a great read about the development of tanks, their units, training and tactics, ets.

 

German optics are generally better than the Soviet types, especially at long range, and of course it doesn't hurt that the Germans had some of the best all-round tanks in the war. The development of things like the Panther and the T-34/85 brought the whole main battle tank concept into being.

 

The Finns are in there, yep, I'll see what I can find. There is one great operation for them that I can remember, but it's huge and it's 60+ turns. I'll have a look for a shorter one. :cool:

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Classy as usual, chaps. :cool:

 

The Puma had his rear to me, but the advantage of a turret is that they can turn independently of the vehicle. Even as he moved on, he rotated to shoot at me, so the front of his turret was facing backwards, towards me.

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If I had managed to put a shell into the rear of the Puma's hull, certainly. That's where the armour is thinnest. A hull shot can also kill the driver, which will at the very least stop the vehicle for a while, until they can haul him clear and another crewmember can take his place.
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If I had managed to put a shell into the rear of the Puma's hull, certainly. That's where the armour is thinnest. A hull shot can also kill the driver, which will at the very least stop the vehicle for a while, until they can haul him clear and another crewmember can take his place.

That would be quite a feat though, hitting the driver at the front of the tank from the rear.

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AP doesn't really have a problem against anything less than armour. Shells will quite happily plough through anything in a tank's interior, including the engine, and even if the shell doesn't hit anything, there's always spalling and other behind-armour effects to cause crew casualties.
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