A Question About Wrecks

[Panzer Capta]

We all know that certain types of terrain provide varying degrees of defensive cover. Do destroyed vehicles provide such cover? Furthermore, and i may be dead wrong, but it appears that infantry units do not enjoy the benefit of cover when moving behind vehicles (i.e., the line of site is not blocked by a tank even if the attacking unit is in front of the tank and, presumably, could not see the infantry unit). As we all know, this was a common practice.

[Panzer Capta]

This is perhaps a scale issue (i.e., given the per hex scale, it is not possible for a unit to be directly behind another so as to block LOS).

Perhaps asking too much, but it would be interesting if a given unit could occupy slightly different positions in the same hex. For instance, if a unit was designated as occupying the edge of a hex directly behind a tank, it would indeed be in a "shadow of protection" offered by the tank.

[USMCGrunt]

This makes an interesting point. The practice of advancing behind tanks was widely used throughout WW2 especially when assaulting fortifications. I can't count the numbers of pictures I've seen of this tactic, mostly in the "Island Hopping" campaigns of the Pacific Theater. Although it's a bit dated now (I for one would NOT stand anywhere near the rear of an M1. 3rd degree burns are not my idea of a good time)it was a valid tactic at the time. I realize it may be a limitation in the SPWAW engine, but I for one would love to see this included in the game.

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USMCGrunt

-When it absolutely, positively, has to be destroyed overnight.

[troopie]

We were taught to never advance while directly behind an armoured vehicle. AFVs were precious in the SADF and if say, an Eland ran into something it thought it couldn't handle, T-62 or better, it would put itself in reverse and run right over the poor bugger behind it.

troopie

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Pamwe Chete

[Igor]

If memory serves, the game engine treats advancing behind the tank as a newbie mistake. According to the manual, troops in the same hex as an AFV being attacked with HE munitions make an experience check *not* to be anywhere near it at the time.

This doesn't, however, explain why those experienced looking troops stuck so close to that self propelled 150mm infantry gun during the pre-battle cut scene the German player comes to know so well...

[Kluckenbill]

I remember that in the old SP1 the smoke from burning wrecks blocked line of sight. A silly but often successful tactic was to let the enemy shoot up kamikaze jeeps and advance your tanks behind their smoke. I was in for a rude awakening the first time I tried this in SPWAW.

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Target, Cease Fire !

[gebo]

Think this is a very good idea! Hope i can cover my infantrie in v 4.6 behind my tanks!

Marder

[Tommy]

OK Igor,

You got my attention! What "pre-battle cut scene the German player comes to know so well..."?

I've always read that infantry bunching together behind a tank was a mortar man's dream.

Tommy

[Igor]

In one of those pre-battle movie scenes, you see a brief glimpse of someone shooting out of a building during some urban fighting (it appears to be Belgium or Germany). Then we see a SP 150mm IG come rolling on up. It rocks back on it's suspension, and half a second later the front of the building evaporates. The scene ends with the gun starting to advance, and clustered behind it are half a dozen to a dozen German infantry advancing in it's cover.

That scene.

[rfox]

I could be wrong, Igor, but I think that might be the 150mm infantry gun's crew. There are perhaps three guys manning the gun and maybe two running behind it. There certainly isn't a column of infantry following behind the gun. I'm playing a German campaign right now and I've seen that footage more times than I can count.

Again, I could be wrong.


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Rob

[This message has been edited by rfox (edited January 23, 2001).]