Vet Question - Tank infantry cooperation

[sburke]

1 hour ago, Bud Backer said:

You can achieve the same effect by dropping your knickers with your bum in the window. That “flash” will allow your men to storm the place effectively. 

The ptsd for the enemy pixeltruppen is a lot more severe though. 

[Michael Emrys]

2 hours ago, c3k said:

There goes my plan to poke a tank gun muzzle into a building's window, pull the trigger, and then storm in with my troops. 

Quite a few years ago I read a book by a sergeant who commanded a platoon of M48s in Vietnam. On of the things he described was his technique for bunker busting, which was to order his driver to drive right up to the bunker until the muzzle of the cannon was up against the firing slit of the bunker and then to fire a round. Anybody inside the bunker not killed by the muzzle blast was probably finished off by the shell (I don't recall whether it was a HEAT round or a HESH).

Michael

[Kinophile]

Ballsy. 

[jtsjc1]

4 hours ago, Michael Emrys said:

Quite a few years ago I read a book by a sergeant who commanded a platoon of M48s in Vietnam. On of the things he described was his technique for bunker busting, which was to order his driver to drive right up to the bunker until the muzzle of the cannon was up against the firing slit of the bunker and then to fire a round. Anybody inside the bunker not killed by the muzzle blast was probably finished off by the shell (I don't recall whether it was a HEAT round or a HESH).

Michael

That has to be very uncomfortable for a tank crew especially with the widespread use of RPG's in Nam. All it takes is one round at that range.

[Michael Emrys]

The author made no mention of the number of occasions where that tactic was employed. It's inclusion may have been more along the line of "Look what we could do!"

Michael

[panzersaurkrautwerfer]

Generally as a tanker:

1. We don't like infantry close by.  If something happens and I need to move the tank, I don't want to think about if I'm going to run over friendly forces.  Moving close was also something we avoided, as infantry was safer in the terrain, while we were often safer where we could maneuver (like not open, but think rolling terrain that you can get some hull down on).  Generally we practiced the push-pull method, whoever could best handle the terrain went first, and "pulled" the other unit behind them.  So like infantry would move into the village and clear a path for friendly armor, if the armor needed to come forward, the infantry protected and guided the tank to a position to support them, vs the tank literally moving with the infantry, while tanks moving across open desert would set up in a support by fire to allow the infantry advance into a small village.

Supporting doesn't have to mean close, just so long as we can still put fire on similar targets.

2. In terms of infantry close, it does happen sometimes.  our rule of thumb was third road wheel back was "safe.  for main gun operations.  I feel this was likely conservative, but noone likes bleeding from their eardrums so that's pretty okay.  Behind the tank, to include literally standing behind the tank, or head out when the gun was in action from the TC's hatch had no adverse affects.  

So yeah, space is helpful, and lets you get things.  You don't want your infantry hugging you because it slows you down and makes your life difficult.  When operating close additional coordination is also usually required in as far as making sure friendly locations are known (by markings or things like phase lines). 

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Noted in my CM:SF II 'Tips & Tactics' jotter.   

PS - A couple of first hand anecdotes on the subject of muzzle blast in this thread:

http://sturgeonshouse.ipbhost.com/topic/97-afv-coax-thread/?page=3

Edited April 24, 2018 by Sgt.Squarehead

[MOS:96B2P]

15 hours ago, panzersaurkrautwerfer said:

Generally we practiced the push-pull method, whoever could best handle the terrain went first, and "pulled" the other unit behind them.  So like infantry would move into the village and clear a path for friendly armor, if the armor needed to come forward, the infantry protected and guided the tank to a position to support them, vs the tank literally moving with the infantry, while tanks moving across open desert would set up in a support by fire to allow the infantry advance into a small village.  Supporting doesn't have to mean close, just so long as we can still put fire on similar targets.  

Interesting information.  Thanks for posting.  +1