Matrix Games Forums

I'm wondering, if 'transport' is mentioned, shouldn't we see trucks instead of halftracks then?

Hi Templer,

Transport encompasses both trucks and halftracks in the game.

Halftracks are something that could go either way but I've opted to put them in transports rather than tanks.

Cheers,
Cameron

When someone talks about transportation, trucks, no halftrack, comes to you mind.
I can‘t remember a single historical image (or movie clip), were you can see a halftrack as a transport platform.

But of course, you can move goods, supplies and many more things with a halftrack too.

From the National WWII Museum:

The M3 Half-track was designed to transport soldiers as part of an armored advance. Its sides were lightly armored for protection against shell fragments. A back door provided easy entry and exit. Half-tracks were armed with .30 or .50 caliber machine guns, which could provide fire support during an assault. These vehicles were also used to haul supplies, evacuate the wounded and act as mobile communication bases.

Sounds like transport to me.

Yes, I know that US forces are not involved here.

If you've ever played a serious tactical wargame you'll know that fighting from a halftrack is a non-starter. Anything with the punching power of a 50 caliber machine gun will kill one. The rule of thumb is that soft vehicles like trucks can't approach the fighting area at all, and halftracks can only approach the outer edge of the battle area. You can fight from them in casual wargames like Battle Academy or in certain rare situations in more serious games, but they're very vulnerable and the damage you would take from losing a halftrack loaded with infantry or mortars simply isn't worth it.

They're transport. The difference is that you can't get close to the fighting in a truck and you also stay on the roads, while you can get a bit closer in a halftrack and can even go cross country a bit. I wouldn't try fighting from one unless you were dealing with troops who were already broken and on the run. A squad in a halftrack has more protection than tank riders, and if your halftrack has some kind of armament (as opposed to some of the spw models that were essentially light weapons platforms) you can even stand a couple of hundred meters back from the front line and lay down supporting fire. Because of their open tops they're vulnerable to direct hits from mortars, whereas trucks are vulnerable to near misses.