Soviet Anti-Tank Battalions

[Dereck]

In the build new units screen I noticed an Anti-Tank Battalion that looks like it is available from June 1941 thru the end of the game. Apparently one can build a lot of them since it doesn't show a limit.

Two part question:

Has any Soviet player built these and put them in DIVISION sized units?

and

If I'm using auto-deployment of support units will the AI move them around if I manually put them into divisions?

[Teo41_ITA]

I never build any battalion-sized SU. I go for regiments or brigades, as they pack a bigger punch. Additionally, I send to the NF every battalion-level SU I find in my OOB.

Regarding your second question, the AI will only shuffle around units at the HQ level. Those attached to divisions remain there until the CU is destroyed or the player actively detach them.

[Dereck]

I never build any battalion-sized SU. I go for regiments or brigades, as they pack a bigger punch. Additionally, I send to the NF every battalion-level SU I find in my OOB.

I'm considering putting one in as many division level units as I can so I can damage/destroy as many Axis tanks as possible. Since they will be in the combat unit they will always be committed.

[Wiedrock]

I never build any battalion-sized SU. I go for regiments or brigades, as they pack a bigger punch. Additionally, I send to the NF every battalion-level SU I find in my OOB.

I'm considering putting one in as many division level units as I can so I can damage/destroy as many Axis tanks as possible. Since they will be in the combat unit they will always be committed.

Check your "Production -> Ground Elements Map" [Dead Manual, page 413f. (bottom right)] window first whether you have sufficent numbers of AT-Guns in storage, if not then your normal Divisions or bigger AT-SUs with more stuff (as said by Teo) will just keep missing Guns.

[rickwarintheeast]

My comments come from playing STALINGRAD-to-BERLIN.

With the war teetering in the balance, I need to snap the jaws shut at Stalingrad and force the Germans back from Moscow, while reopening rail lines to Leningrad. Beyond that, I need to reshape the Red Army to either take Operation CItadel away from the Germans entirely, or severely reducing the impact.

Since tank-on-tank is a terrible idea, adopting a porcupine defense with stacked infantry formations (divisions and brigades first, then stacked corps to win the game), with as much AT as I can get my hands on.

Right at the top of my shopping list are AT regiments and TD brigades. Since I start out with many RDs without much in the way of AT, I deploy every AT unit I can. Once I can equip most hexes with regiment or brigade AT, I phase out the battalions.

Prior to summer 1943, I go hunting for Axis Allied infantry units, not just because they are easy to kill. Sometimes, shattering them creates opportunities for limited breakthrough, which, if patient enough, will eventually lead to mini-encirclements of a half-dozen units or so, with more than a few being German. Once forced to surrender, the Germans take a long time to come back, resulting in an even thinner German line...raising the prospect of some big encirclements. When big German panzer units appear to try and retake the initiative, I spike the line in front of them with RCs and AT...then attack the flanks and see if any of the mobile units become trapped. The Ukrainian steppes offer these possibilities over and over.

Later, I often stick regimental sized AT with TCs and dare the panzers to attack...while I still take greater losses, I rob them of the initiative.

If I'm willing to expend more men than the Soviets historically did (I know, hard to imagine), at some point I'm trading losses with the Germans at one-to-one. Measuring OOBs of VISTULA-to-BERLIN with some I played, I've spent an additional half million men to reduce the Germans by a similar number...making an assault on Berlin by Christmas 1944 possible.

All brought to you by those hardworking people at the ACME corporation Anti-Tank Division, working day and night to equip Wiley Coyote with the very best in Soviet hardware.

***
I maytry the campaign game one day as the Soviet, but I haven't the heart for that just yet.

Regards,

Rick