Scipio Africanus
Posts: 76
Joined: 6/21/2000 From: Somerville, Ma, USA Status: offline
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I often find that concentrated .50Cal fire combined with mortar strikes (even just ~80mm) goes a long way toward slowing a tank platoon down- If they're slow, then they're not doing what tanks do best- moving, exploiting etc.
I discovered the real effect of .50Cal on armor in an email game in which I found a pair of Panthers moving rapidly on my right flank- I wasn't in good position to stop this advance, so I threw everything I could at the tanks - a pair of Dshk's and an 81mm mortar. The Dshk's slowed the tanks down so that it became much easier to get the mortars on target, which in turn further slowed the Panthers by suppressing them.
It took around 10 turns to actually land a mortar on one of the tanks with killing power, but I would have been fine even had this not happened- The Panthers were tactically eliminated from the engagement by a pair of Dshk's and a mortar (I concentrated my fire on one- the second tank moved away into a treeline very early)- this was a bit of luck, but when in trouble and unable to move one unit, often players will try to move another to safety (especially a valuable tank)- he didn't know what else I had in the treeline, and the 50Cal's were putting on a good show.
Anyway- the 50cal is very useful against tanks- if you concentrate your fire and combine it with artillery, you will get tank "mission kills" and stall your opponents advances. The Germans don't have the 50cal- or a decent troop halftrack: two things oft overlooked that seriously inhibit their effectiveness.
Cheers,
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Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus
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Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus
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