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Regarding tank crews: As an ex- tank commander and platoon leader (1976-80) we were trained to work our way to the company rear, and eventualy to the battalion trains if our tank was destroyed. The plan was to use the crews from destroyed tanks to re-man new tanks and ones that had been repaired of battle damage. FWIW, I was also a Battalion S4 in 1979 and we did actually have plans to get the repaired and replacement vehicles into action. I believe that this was also the plan in WW2, at least in the US Army (see "Death Traps".) I can't imagine any intelligent army wasting trained tankers by having them fight as infantry, when they are ill trained and equipped to do so.

On the overall issue of the dificulty in killing infantry, I'm far less sanguine than others in this forum. I think that the strength of the infantry has made the game nearly unplayable unless you make some changes to the toughness settings. The problem for me is that it takes so long to kill enemy infantry that I have to refight the Somme in every battle. I have not been able to advance through the victory hexes in anything like the time frame available unless I have enormous amounts of artillery to suppress the enemy infantry prior to my attacks. I just can't understand why this didn't come up during play testing.

The "permanent pinned" can become a "permanent retreating".

Crews are trained to run back so they can fight tomorrow more effectively.

If you need to use your crewmen as infantry, well, in my opinion you are just delaying your sure defeat by another turn, maximum.

Make those crews (and severely decimated, non elite, infantry) run back for their lives.

What's in the Field Manual anyway?

Sinner in reality I agree tank crews probably aren't much use unless they find another tank,but here in the game I find them useful,if only to make the enemy troops
keep there heads down or just marching onto a victory hex and claiming it for you side...

The thing is they are able to repair thier vehicle on occasian and bring it back into action.

This is a good thing.

I agree that most the remains of any tank crew that has to bail out should move to the rear, with certain qualifiers.

(1) The type of shot that killed the vehicle should have a direct bearing on how many men get out alive. IE: the shot that took out Whittman's Tiger blew the turret off and vaporized the crew - no one lives, A shot to the engine, kills the tank but effectively leaves the crew intact. Amount of damage and loss of personel would have a direct effect on the morale and combat effectiveness of the remaining crew.

(2) The crew that bails from a damaged vehicle should have a chance to re-enter the vehicle when their courage comes back. So no forced retreat.

Just a note .... keep a few unloaded halftracks around for fast egress of your experienced / dismounted crews. Pop some smoke - move in the halftrack - load up the crew - sprint for a protected area. I've lost to many good crews to artie.

Originally posted by Brummagem:
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Just a note .... keep a few unloaded halftracks around for fast egress of your experienced / dismounted crews. Pop some smoke - move in the halftrack - load up the crew - sprint for a protected area. I've lost to many good crews to artie.

I use vehicles that have lost their armament (through hits or jams) as taxis for crewmen.

Wait for 5.4!

It is much improved. This is the one we needed!

WB

I have found, after many battles, that the best weapons against infantry (small and big) are always flamethrowers (best if tank mounted), so i buy at least a couple of them in my core force and often I'm going to buy more as addictional force
Hope this could help
bye