Early 42 -Managing Soviet Medium Tanks

[rmonical]

It's T33. It looks like medium tank strength is at 100% in all of my tank units. I have over 200 in the pool. Truck strength 40K over requirement right now. I did start a batch of 10 tank battalions, but all 10 only consume a weeks worth of T34 production (and I just moved the Stalingrad factory).

Should I keep building battalions? Brigades (I have 100)? Let the tanks build up? I see the 42a tank corps only needs 40 medium tanks so it is not until July when the Soviets get a strong tank unit.

This appears to be a case where the TOE is not keeping up with the facts on the ground as it appears medium tank production recovered more rapidly in this game than historically.

With armaments recently going positive, my only constraint now is manpower.

[Bozo_the_Clown]

Why would you want to build tank battalions? I would just ignore the pool surplus. If I were you I would concentrate on infantry. It looks like you had a bad 41 and should think about surviving 42. As soon as you can you should upgrade to infantry corps and fill those up with sappers. Once you survived 42 you can think about building tank corps. But I would only build a handful.

[lastkozak]

I often wonder whether it is better to have a series of additional Tank Battalions for support, than to have large Tank brigades or divisions, when defending? However, I cannot find a way to create some as there is no spot far it through Stavka.

[Blutch]

You defend with tank brigade ?
I only use them to keep my fortifications. [&:]

[hfarrish]

ORIGINAL: rmonical

It's T33. It looks like medium tank strength is at 100% in all of my tank units. I have over 200 in the pool. Truck strength 40K over requirement right now. I did start a batch of 10 tank battalions, but all 10 only consume a weeks worth of T34 production (and I just moved the Stalingrad factory).

Should I keep building battalions? Brigades (I have 100)? Let the tanks build up? I see the 42a tank corps only needs 40 medium tanks so it is not until July when the Soviets get a strong tank unit.

This appears to be a case where the TOE is not keeping up with the facts on the ground as it appears medium tank production recovered more rapidly in this game than historically.

With armaments recently going positive, my only constraint now is manpower.

I would avoid mass building of tank regiments or other support type units to drain the pools. These have major truck costs that really add up as you build them out, which becomes a far greater limiting factor than the tanks themselves, IMO. Same is true with Tank Corps at least in 42. You need 5-15 of them but nothing more...

[Mehring]

IIRC, historical Russian tank production is based on 50% evacuation, so if you pull factories intact and relocate on good manpower/railyard cities, you will certainly outstrip historical numbers.

If you have plenty of trucks, yes, build tank battalions to add beef to your corps. You will find, however, that jousting on the steppes, an experienced Axis player can kill 500-800 tanks a week, turn after turn after turn. Most of these will be the light types but losing 300 T34s a week for protracted periods is quite possible. Not sure as I'm still trying to get my old opponent's pass to study his economy, but you may need those tank pools yet.

[rmonical]

..... an experienced Axis player can kill 500-800 tanks a week, turn after turn after turn

Wow! Come July, T34 production will be 248/week increasing one per week to 310. LL will be 56 and light tanks will be 216/week. So production will be right at 500/week when the Axis get rolling this summer.

[Mehring]

ORIGINAL: rmonical

..... an experienced Axis player can kill 500-800 tanks a week, turn after turn after turn

Wow! Come July, T34 production will be 248/week increasing one per week to 310. LL will be 56 and light tanks will be 216/week. So production will be right at 500/week when the Axis get rolling this summer.

Just wondering, are you sure you get that many T-34s? I don't think the T-50 factory builds to the same size as the others, maybe wrong, but you may top out at around 250?

[morvael]

There can be up to 5 factories of T-34, each produces 62 tanks (of the M1942 type).

[Mehring]

Jeez, thanks.

[rmonical]

Up to 2700 medium tanks in the pool and 1200 light tanks. Should I keep building tank battalions? I'm up to 75 and I probably have another 10K trucks to spare.

[M60A3TTS]

What do you mean that you have 10k trucks to spare?

[Michael T]

Those tanks are costing you a ton of Arm points to produce. You will always be short of Arm points even if you don't lose a single Arm factory. If you have an excess like you do I would move some of those factories. They will then stop producing for some time. Thus saving the Arm points for other purposes and allowing the pools to run down. You can do the same for any factories where you have a big pool of tanks/aircraft. It adds up.

[darbycmcd]

AFV don't use ARM, only supply. Manual, 21.1.7

[Denniss]

It'S always wise to keep some hundred tanks in pool, you also might want to check for possible TOE upgrades calling for higher number of tanks in the near future.

[M60A3TTS]

I'm still waiting to hear on what basis he has 10k spare trucks.

[Michael T]

AFV don't use ARM, only supply. Manual, 21.1.7

Yes my mistake. Its Supply that you save by limiting Tank and A/C production. You can do this if you are short on Hvy IND moving in to 43+. You need to stockpile a load of supply. Having produced 1000's of AFV's that just sit and rust in the pools is a waste of supply that you will need later on.

[hfarrish]

Don't tanks and A/Cs produce regardless of what you do (i.e. not on demand like artillery, etc.)? In other words, you an have 1000s rusting in the pools or units, but they will be there regardless.

[rmonical]

ORIGINAL: hfarrish
Don't tanks and A/Cs produce regardless of what you do (i.e. not on demand like artillery, etc.)? In other words, you an have 1000s rusting in the pools or units, but they will be there regardless.

I can move the factory again.

[rmonical]

I'm still waiting to hear on what basis he has 10k spare trucks.

Good question - I have about 25K over requirement right now and it seems to be holding in good weather. I know they'll start dropping again come bad weather but the critical fight for me is this summer. Toide is kicking me all over the steppe.