Surviving crews - live and let live, or die?

[molset]

Gentlemen!
During the course of the Utha to Rhine campaign I began wondering about a thing.
I get a lot of kills from finishing of bailed out crews. In fact I make a hobby out of this, since its worth its share towards increasing experience. Thats how my recon teams get their thrills and kills!
The AI dont seem to be as cruel. In fact it behaves more chivalrius along the line "having survived the ordeal a burning tank inferno, who am I to play good".
Just a question: Whats the practice of fellow warriors ot there?
I suppose "Ol blood and Guts" would strip me of all rank for even think morals of this sort.

Regards
Molset
"Jakki er ekki frakki nema sidur se"

[Pack Rat]

Kill em,this is but a game.

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Good hunting,
Pack Rat

[David F. Wall]

I shoot at them till they run away, and shoot at them some more if they get heroic.
Otherwise, they're low priority targets, and only get shot at if the hit chance is good and there's nothing else around.

DFW

[Nikademus]

i cannot tell a lie. I often slaughter all the crews within range. But here's where the guilt really comes in....my main motivation is because it makes the battlefield look neater. Having all those little red dots all over the place (on the strategic map) can get tedious when trying to distinquish between active enemies and KO'd teams.


historical wise though, it was a fairly standard practice to follow up AP rounds on knocked out tanks with an HE round to destroy the crew. George Forty's US Tanks in action transcripts quoted actual tankers specifically stating this (following up with HE to destroy the crew)

[Dave_R]

I tend to ignore crews, unless they get in the way. The exception to this is crews that abandon a damaged tank, if they get their act together they will often remount, so those poor shmucks become a high priority target!

[halstein]

I let it depend on circumstance. Are there more dangerous targets near by, I rather fire at them. I also vary it to theatre of operations. If I play UK vs DAK, I often let the crews go. If it is USSR vs Germany, I usually kill the Facist Swines/Bolsjevik Subhumans on general principle.



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Halstein

[The MSG]

I can only tell you what Swedish tankers are taught to do (in real life)... Machinegun ´em.

After all, a trained crew is harder to replace than a tank. Usually a knocked out tank only need to be hosed down, get some internal stuff replaced and the engine cleared, and then throw in a crew and roll of towards battle.


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The MSG

[This message has been edited by The MSG (edited November 02, 2000).]

[Tankhead]

Hi All!

I can't lie so I kill everything in sight when it comes to the enemy. I've seen crew hiding in building and doing assault on anything that comes around. In a Campaign more so it really hurt the enemy, if you don't kill the crew he will come back in the next battle with a new tank and maybe put an end to your favorite hero with 30 kills, then you will cry and say I should of finish him off in the previous battle.



Tankhead

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Rick Cloutier rcclout@telusplanet.net
Coordinator: Tankhead's SPWAW Resources
http://tankhead.home.icq.com

[Hauptmann6]

My artillery tends to get the crews if not my recon anvil gets them as they retreat!!! Or if I have nothing better to shoot at and ammo to do it with, I use them for ISU 152 target practice... hehe

[Don]

You are right, Tankhead, you've got to kill them all. For one thing, you then get 2 kills for every tank (tank + crew), which can really up your total. Secondly, I've had those crews really get in my way when I'm going for that far V-hex.

Here is a demontration of how I do it:


Don

[mogami]

You must close their eyes in online games or other player knows where to place arty. also they report your movements. Some of those guys are pretty good shots with those pistols too. Given a choice between a crew or a formed squad of course I would shoot sqd.

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I'm not retreating, I'm attacking in a differant direction!

[Don Doom]

I can not tell a lie. I use them as grease for my tank treads, when I can other wise just blow them up.
Don

[Mr.Ed]

Bah kill em' all, there are no war crimes tribunals in SPWAW

[Anzac Rambo]

They have of course declined to honorably surrender and deserve what ever comes their way.

[Fredde]

Originally posted by The MSG:
I can only tell you what Swedish tankers are taught to do (in real life)... Machinegun ´em.

After all, a trained crew is harder to replace than a tank. Usually a knocked out tank only need to be hosed down, get some internal stuff replaced and the engine cleared, and then throw in a crew and roll of towards battle.

Agreed, the loss of a trained elite crew must be much more painful and costful then the enemy then the loss of the hardware they ride. Building a new tank in the factory is much quicker (even cheaper?) than training new men. Cynical, yes

[Skandranon]

Heh, I say gun them down... it is just a game. And there's even arguments for doing it IRL (as the gentleman from Sweden pointed out), however ignoble that might be.

Personally, I just destroy them since they can rally and assault an oblivious, expensive vehicle, and equally important - they seem to count toward the overall casualties/morale of the opposing side. More units destroyed, more chance the whole force will collapse and retreat.

[Viriato]

Hello all , Kill'EM ALL , they were riding their big tanks or their At guns shooting our nice top units and infantry right ? so now that they lost their toy they want to say " ok you got me , take me home and feed me " . No way . Shaka Zulu had one line I like " Only a dead enemy will not rise and attack you again "......
This is were we got to play God , we don't have to be nice or polite or honorable , when you have some squads hiding in a ville , do you think of the poor people who live there and are hidding terrified in the cornors of the houses ? no you dont , you hit the houses with everything you have , right ?...........
Tip - Use your AA units to wipe out the crews , they'll get experience and shoot down more planes

besides... relax , it's just a game ;O)

[Tortfeasor]

First i shoot the objekt and then i Flame it then i strip the crew and i let them go.
That mens i dip them in tar and hunt them with flares.
If it`s winter then it dos not matter if they get away in the deap deep cold finnish forest.

It`s the Unknown soldiers way.

[silentsurfer]

Definately kill 'em, kill 'em all. I often use my low kill/experience troops for this. They gain valuable points for later in the campaign with minimal risk to the unit. Another reason is, as mentioned before, neatness. The crew can also cause suppression in your troops that are trying to advance on a hex and get stopped because some hero is shooting at you...boy do I make 'em pay for that one. I think we should have a "slow death" icon..you know, shoot 'em in the knees, arms, thigh, earlob, than deliver the final blow. That'll learn 'em

Surfer

[This message has been edited by silentsurfer (edited November 05, 2000).]

[Warrior]

Originally posted by molset:
Gentlemen!
During the course of the Utha to Rhine campaign I began wondering about a thing.
I get a lot of kills from finishing of bailed out crews. In fact I make a hobby out of this, since its worth its share towards increasing experience. Thats how my recon teams get their thrills and kills!
The AI dont seem to be as cruel. In fact it behaves more chivalrius along the line "having survived the ordeal a burning tank inferno, who am I to play good".
Just a question: Whats the practice of fellow warriors ot there?
I suppose "Ol blood and Guts" would strip me of all rank for even think morals of this sort.

Regards
Molset
"Jakki er ekki frakki nema sidur se"

Like insects, if they don't bother me, I'll ignore them. But if they shoot or impede my advance - adios.