Matrix Games Forums

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.

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.

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.

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

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...

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 !

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

Marder

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

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.

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).]