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AT Gun Tactic: "The Orange Peel"

 
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AT Gun Tactic: "The Orange Peel" - 6/11/2002 2:00:32 AM   
gainiac

 

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Joined: 3/20/2002
From: Bronx, NY
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Just thought I'd share one of my favorites with you.

I LOVE anti-tank guns. Why? Imagine the look on your opponents face when you've knocked out a platoon or more of Panther V's with a few lowly 57mm anti-tank guns.

It's a beautiful thing.

Here's what I call "The Orange Peel".

It's called the "Orange Peel" because one set of guns when egressing after coming into contact with, shooting at(hopefully destroying AFV's in the process), and being spotted by the enemy, will "peel away" into an overwatch position behind it's covering guns, summarily reversing roles, call it a fade away, rolling delay, whatever.

For this tactic to work you'll need the following:

1- 4 medium/heavy AT-guns (57mm, 3inchDP, 90mm AA, for the Yanks). I prefer the 3inchDP's and 57mm's cause they have a movement of one or better, but the 90mm is the gun of choice versus Tiger's.

(Note: Hunting Tigers in any fashion is a notoriously dangerous endeavor at best, I prefer to deal with anything that big using arty supression, smoke, and close quarter infantry assaults.)

2- Transport for each (prime mover/ heavy truck)

3- Infantry support like a LMG and maybe a Recon patrol per gun (Jarhead LR Patrols are GREAT for this!!!)

4- Dedicated support artillery that can shoot smoke, enough to cover two guns being extracted simultaneously.

OK Here goes;

Assumptions:

You'll need a very good idea what the inbound threat axis is of the enemy armor, this tactic is basically an overlapping set of ambushes in which the intent is to use surprise as a force multiplier. (A "cascading" ambush if you will)

RECON, RECON, RECON!!!! You absolutely must find the bad guys armor before they find you.

Using info gathered from your recon predict the route of enemy AFV's ingress.

Setting up the ambush:

Now, look at the geography and visualize shooting ducks in a barrel, your looking for a corridor in which you can place your guns IN GOOD COVER at opposite sides from each other, in pairs where you'll be able to get good side armor shots at range 8 or less. Place each guns transport behind their respective guns position along the route of egress. It is IMPERATIVE that the transports don't get spotted and destroyed, without them your guns are an OP-kill, soon to be a real kill.

A height advantage isn't necessarily good, because if you can spot more of the enemy more of them can spot you, all your gun needs is a LOS semi-perpendicular to the AFV's line of ingress.

Set up your infantry support for each gun in a similiar fashion, but never in the same hex as the gun. They need to be able to see and supress whatever infantry that may have the same ability to supress the AT gun. This is going to be rather simple if the gun is in good cover and has a fairly narrow FOV.

Now plot smoke to arrive 1.1 turns later where the target hex is between the predicted AFV's position and the targeting AT-gun.
Why 1.1 turns? This way if your guns get spotted you'll have covering smoke dropped on .1 of the following turn. You HAVE to replot this EVERY turn in order to bring it back up to 1.1, unless of course your gun gets spotted and you need the smoke barrage.

Set up the second pair of AT-guns the same way plus the following conditions:

They must be able to cover the first pairs route of egress and be within the enemy AFV's one turn combat movement radius. Your counting on some psychology here, an enemy whose been shot at by ATG's tend to pursue said ATG if it has been spotted and is egressing. You want to lead them, with your egressing ATG's into the second set of emplaced guns.

Shooting:

Never take OPfire against same turn spotted AFV targets. Wait.

You want high 40% and greater first shots. One shot one kill is really nice but doesn't happen all the time, but if you at least rattle his hull with a richochet you'll get some well needed suppression. If you don't get 'im with 2-3 shots from the same gun you've got one pissed off TC on your hands. Egress that gun and set it up in a covering position for it's equivalent in the second pair of guns. Remember that your guns MUST operate in pairs whether it's the covering gun or it's opposite in the ambush.

This is a fluid tactic, I've tried to explain the basics as best I could here, this post does not intend to account for all the variables possible, adapt and employ as the situation dictates,but better yet DICTATE the situation.

Have fun,

Marty
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- 6/11/2002 2:31:56 AM   
WhiteRook

 

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From: Minneapolis, MN
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Now here's a man with a plan! Very nice tactics gainiac. You have spent some time developing this I take it??

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When you play enough of WBW's scenario's - 6/11/2002 3:32:41 AM   
gainiac

 

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From: Bronx, NY
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You tend to anticipate flanking armor and prepare accordingly.

:):):)

Yup, I've tried to hone this to a science....

Marty

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Right ON - 6/11/2002 5:08:36 AM   
Rune Iversen


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What you have described, is actually how Tank Destroyers operated in WW2 (and still do today).

-Set up in Ambush, preferably flanking.
-Fire a few rounds
-Change position
-Repeat Ad Nauseam:cool:

Well done, you get a salute from me, for actually using TACTICS! (instead of just loading up and going hell for leather over the nearest hill:D )

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Rune...... - 6/11/2002 5:53:07 AM   
gainiac

 

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From: Bronx, NY
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Cool......

It's nice to have something confirmed by historical practice.

Marty

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- 6/11/2002 6:51:58 AM   
Goblin


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Juicy!!

Goblin- A Goblin licks his chops:p

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Re: Rune...... - 6/11/2002 2:31:39 PM   
Camylarde

 

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From: Olomouc, Czech republic
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by gainiac
[B]Cool......

It's nice to have something confirmed by historical practice.
[/B][/QUOTE]

Just make sure you use historical practice of winning forces :D and try to avoid anything of the nazis. It's road to hell.

Just mentioning here cause fascism is once again on the screen with all those Haiders of Austria, LePens of France and in my country there are some forces too too spread into the common folks.

Just make sure the ww2 and its horrors will never happen. (not mentioning other big conflicts only for this is ww2 phorum and game)

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In the Desert - 6/14/2002 5:22:38 AM   
Capt. Pixel

 

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I read somewhere that Rommel used a similar tactic against the British.

He'd set up a series of AT ambushes, then send his precious tanks forward to bait the English. When the British force was contacted, he'd retreat those tanks back through his ATG screen, in hopes of drawing the British tanks on.

By the time the Brits saw the AT guns, they were already receiving flank shots. And, of course, the German tankers would then turn to engage the confused Brits.

Apparently this worked several times. :rolleyes:

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Rommel was a genius..... - 6/15/2002 4:15:36 AM   
gainiac

 

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From: Bronx, NY
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I don't think there has been a General since that is as tactically brilliant.

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- 6/18/2002 12:14:24 AM   
challenge

 

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From: Austin, TX
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Interesting historical note:

During the Indian wars in the SW US, the Apache used a place called Dog Canyon south of Alamogorgo, NM for the same trick. A band of Apache would bait a Cav troop and ride into the canyon; when the cav followed more Indians on the upper ridge line on both sides would fire down on them as the bait stopped to fire at the front of the troopers.

They reportedly pulled this trick three or four times before the Cav wised up.

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- 6/18/2002 2:17:26 AM   
Grenadier


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Very well written. I am currently finishing a scenario for the Arsenal that has the Germans outnumbered by the Soviets 5 to 1 but with effective use of the AT guns the German player can negate the Soviet superiority. The guns are set up in a checkerboard pattern and the player has to have a lot of patience and not OP fire too much.

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