Gen. J-sun

Patch 1.01 running a gun test the cannon crew all listed as "deploying" the gunner payed them no mind and openned up. Save available.

http://www.scalewerke.com/images/k59/Marder%20IIIM/C005-Left-inner-armour-02.JPG http://mysite.verizon.net/res6tvm7/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/marder_iii_005s.jpg http://www.millionhappiness.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/bigger_blog_image/tank%20commander%20and%20loader.jpg All of those pic contain an MG rack and show a crew as armed, it may not be an AA rail mount but they do attempt to defend themselves.

The MP40 isn't usable until after the vehichle has been destroyed so it doesn't matter.

I did post a thread where the crew where using their personal weapons on the 37mm half track. Which I think is reasonable; what does everyone expect an exposed crew to do when confronted with the enemy?

Tactical error doesn't justify non-inclusion, in real life better tactics are used by-and-large they managed to see a need to include the gun. The Sherman includes a 12.7mm AA gun but if the Luftwaffe showed up something would obviously be wrong. It's also hard to imagine that a crew wouldn't procure something to defend themselves with regardless of whether it's the MG34 or not. Especially in bocage where it would be easy to be flanked even accidentally I wouldn't think they'd want to be caught with their pants down, a certain percentage of Tigers include an MP40 because of the MP40 racks it seems logical to include a self defense weapon at some probability, heck CMSF crews are fully armed on the US side and I can't contemplate where all four crew can house M4s and 500 rounds in the M1.

Perhaps they don't have mounts but this isn't proof that crews wouldn't have a weapon for their own defense.

Ad-hoc units. When two units take 50% casualties I just as soon merge them together and act as one. Not looking for a super merge of two squads but say a support team takes a hit I'd rather put them back with the HQ rather than have a 1 man bazooka team running around.

I recently confronted a 37mm armed halftrack, to my chagrine the gunner drew his personal weapon and cut down my rifle grenade team. I can replicate this behavior with the 37mm halftrack but none of the others, the shooters also step through the front of the vehichle and seem impervious to a large volume of fire power until they attempt to use their 37mm cannon at which point they are cut down.

I ran an unrelated test on mortars and noticed that some mortar rounds hit the gun tube the gun then turned and opened fire on the mortar team. Is it possible at some point to include gun damage on artillery at some point or is the pipe better armored than I thought?

Yes I excluded that, I thought it was a result of them being fanatic. I tested with a height advantage and had very limited success but these shots came from the spotter firing rapidly, the snipers hit low depite being even with the TC.

Ran a test on the subject with 4 Snipers at varying distances in front of Sherman M4A1s and Tigers, fanatic crews regular experience. The snipers were unmodified, no automatic weapons were used to demonstrate that aimed shots are incapable of killing a TC on level ground ran the test 3 times with each tank no casualties scored at all. The test continued until all ammo was expended (123 rounds x 4). Out of nearly 3000 rounds no injuries of any sort, although the game does claim that rounds hitting the commanders coupla as "Front Turret Penetration". I plan on rerunning the test as the TC's 50 may have afforded him significant protection although based on the results of the Tiger it doesn't seem to matter much anyway.

It wasn't a direct test I was running a different test about mortars vs light vehicles at minimum range the gunners fired and I noticed this after a few turns of no casualties. It seems the automatic weapons compensate with the spread but I doubt they are taking aim.

I've been running a few tests on various armor, I've noticed the unbuttoned crews suffer fewer casualties as the attacking troops aim center-mass (into the armor) as opposed to firing at the exposed crew, this is painfully obvious when using non-automatic weapons. Or am I going crazy?

How aggressively did mortar teams behave in the field, it seems that the 60s are distributed as a platoon weapon. Were they left bag 100m firing at HQ discretion or did they push with the troops and use direct fire more often?

Ah I see, the UI names it an M7 not being an expert I thought that was a modified version of the Garand itself. The gunner was firing the M2 30 cal rounds and cycling the bolt between shots.