ASL Veteran

I want Combat Mission: Star Trek.
Gimme Bajoran resistance fighters against Cardassians. Or Starfleet against the Dominion. Or the Borg. That way you won't have to worry about "Borg spotting" 

Try over at The Few Good Men
THE FEW GOOD MEN – WHERE WARGAMING AND HISTORY COLLIDES
or The Blitz
Index - TheBlitz
and you should find someone reasonably quickly

Yes, there is always Cold War to wait on as well.  At least with that we can all agree which direction everyone was climbing over the wall.

Yes, there is always Cold War to wait on as well.  At least with that we can all agree which direction everyone was climbing over the wall.

On the bright side though, when Steve gets chatty like this it usually means ....

On the bright side though, when Steve gets chatty like this it usually means ....

On the bright side though, when Steve gets chatty like this it usually means ....

In Kelly's Heroes, Clint Eastwood clearly states that the inf support for 3 Tiger tanks is a full platoon.  So, that is definitive.

I seem to recall Steve saying that Panzershreks were not normally available to Panzergrenadier formations by TO&E, but rather that Panzershreks were distributed amongst leg infantry units instead.  I'm just going from memory and I haven't looked at the TO&E for Panzergrenadier formations or anything like that, but if what I'm remembering is accurate then that's why Panzershrek teams wouldn't be available in the Armored Infantry category.
Incidentally the teams are functionally identical no matter what category you are choosing them from, so if you want Panzershrek teams with your Panzergrenadiers then just grab the team from the Infantry category.  Nobody will know the difference.

I don't know if this means anything or not, but I heard this song playing in BFC's offices as I walked past - draw your own conclusions. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIuYQ_4TcXg
 

I don't know if this means anything or not, but I heard this song playing in BFC's offices as I walked past - draw your own conclusions. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIuYQ_4TcXg
 

here is an instance where the turret crew bail out and the driver and radio operator remain fighting in the tank.
So anyway, the long and the short of it is that people can quote regulations and from that derive opinions of what tank crews are supposed to do or act, but the reality can be something entirely different.  The only way to know for sure what really happens is to read first hand accounts - lots of them because one veteran's experience will not always be the same as another veteran's experience, but you can sort of get a picture of what is probable and what isn't by sifting through the accounts collectively.  Some of the ways reality differs from the game is
1. If a tank takes a casualty the tank retreats off the battlefield.  There is no crew swapping of positions or anything like that.  If the driver is dead or otherwise incapacitated then the tank is immobilized.  If the driver is okay then he drives off the battlefield if any crewmember is killed or wounded.
2. If a tank takes a penetrating hit and actually notices it (sometimes they don't even know it), but no crewmembers are killed or wounded they will typically withdraw off the battlefield.  Taking a penetrating hit and just sitting in place never happens unless the crew doesn't know that they took a hit.
2a.  If a tank takes a non penetrating hit that causes damage to the vehicle it is likely that the vehicle will withdraw off the battlefield although this isn't 100 percent and it is situationally dependent.  For example, a Tiger took a turret hit that knocked the turret MG back inside the turret which then knocked the gunner out cold.  The tank withdrew from the battlefield.  Another Tiger took a hit on the turret and the gunner's eyepiece was driven into his eye and blinded him so the vehicle withdrew from the battlefield.  I guess that also falls into category 1 above.
3. If a tank crew bails out of a tank the crew retreats to friendly lines and counts themselves as lucky to have survived.  They are lucky to have a pistol if they are armed with anything at all.
4.  Just as many tank crewmen are killed in the process of bailing out of the tank due to jammed or blocked hatches or other complications as are killed when the tank is destroyed.  In CM everyone gets out of the tank as there are no jammed or blocked hatches.  A big offender in this is the PzIV with the turret skirts - if the turret is turned the skirts can block the driver and radio operator hatches.  The Panther commander's hatch is also an offender since it apparently has some sort of a screw mechanism and can be difficult and time consuming to open in an emergency even if the hatch wasn't damaged.
5. A tank crew typically won't recrew a tank that they bailed out of, although it does happen on occasion it's relatively rare.  I've never read an account where a recrewed tank immediately rejoins the fight though or recrews the tank when it is under fire with the intent of engaging the enemy.  Usually there is time spent away from the vehicle and when it seems the situation has changed they might recrew it.  Certainly no crew would jump back into a tank that wasn't theirs if the enemy is nearby since there is no way for them to know what the situation is with the tank mechanically if it's just sitting abandoned in a field somewhere.
That's all I can think of at the moment, but generally speaking tank crews in CM are already supermen in many ways.  They don't need any additional morale boosters in the game.  The problem is that if tanks acted the way they really act players would complain about it because their tanks aren't doing what they want their tanks to do so some compromises are to be expected.
 

here is an instance where the turret crew bail out and the driver and radio operator remain fighting in the tank.
So anyway, the long and the short of it is that people can quote regulations and from that derive opinions of what tank crews are supposed to do or act, but the reality can be something entirely different.  The only way to know for sure what really happens is to read first hand accounts - lots of them because one veteran's experience will not always be the same as another veteran's experience, but you can sort of get a picture of what is probable and what isn't by sifting through the accounts collectively.  Some of the ways reality differs from the game is
1. If a tank takes a casualty the tank retreats off the battlefield.  There is no crew swapping of positions or anything like that.  If the driver is dead or otherwise incapacitated then the tank is immobilized.  If the driver is okay then he drives off the battlefield if any crewmember is killed or wounded.
2. If a tank takes a penetrating hit and actually notices it (sometimes they don't even know it), but no crewmembers are killed or wounded they will typically withdraw off the battlefield.  Taking a penetrating hit and just sitting in place never happens unless the crew doesn't know that they took a hit.
2a.  If a tank takes a non penetrating hit that causes damage to the vehicle it is likely that the vehicle will withdraw off the battlefield although this isn't 100 percent and it is situationally dependent.  For example, a Tiger took a turret hit that knocked the turret MG back inside the turret which then knocked the gunner out cold.  The tank withdrew from the battlefield.  Another Tiger took a hit on the turret and the gunner's eyepiece was driven into his eye and blinded him so the vehicle withdrew from the battlefield.  I guess that also falls into category 1 above.
3. If a tank crew bails out of a tank the crew retreats to friendly lines and counts themselves as lucky to have survived.  They are lucky to have a pistol if they are armed with anything at all.
4.  Just as many tank crewmen are killed in the process of bailing out of the tank due to jammed or blocked hatches or other complications as are killed when the tank is destroyed.  In CM everyone gets out of the tank as there are no jammed or blocked hatches.  A big offender in this is the PzIV with the turret skirts - if the turret is turned the skirts can block the driver and radio operator hatches.  The Panther commander's hatch is also an offender since it apparently has some sort of a screw mechanism and can be difficult and time consuming to open in an emergency even if the hatch wasn't damaged.
5. A tank crew typically won't recrew a tank that they bailed out of, although it does happen on occasion it's relatively rare.  I've never read an account where a recrewed tank immediately rejoins the fight though or recrews the tank when it is under fire with the intent of engaging the enemy.  Usually there is time spent away from the vehicle and when it seems the situation has changed they might recrew it.  Certainly no crew would jump back into a tank that wasn't theirs if the enemy is nearby since there is no way for them to know what the situation is with the tank mechanically if it's just sitting abandoned in a field somewhere.
That's all I can think of at the moment, but generally speaking tank crews in CM are already supermen in many ways.  They don't need any additional morale boosters in the game.  The problem is that if tanks acted the way they really act players would complain about it because their tanks aren't doing what they want their tanks to do so some compromises are to be expected.
 

here is an instance where the turret crew bail out and the driver and radio operator remain fighting in the tank.
So anyway, the long and the short of it is that people can quote regulations and from that derive opinions of what tank crews are supposed to do or act, but the reality can be something entirely different.  The only way to know for sure what really happens is to read first hand accounts - lots of them because one veteran's experience will not always be the same as another veteran's experience, but you can sort of get a picture of what is probable and what isn't by sifting through the accounts collectively.  Some of the ways reality differs from the game is
1. If a tank takes a casualty the tank retreats off the battlefield.  There is no crew swapping of positions or anything like that.  If the driver is dead or otherwise incapacitated then the tank is immobilized.  If the driver is okay then he drives off the battlefield if any crewmember is killed or wounded.
2. If a tank takes a penetrating hit and actually notices it (sometimes they don't even know it), but no crewmembers are killed or wounded they will typically withdraw off the battlefield.  Taking a penetrating hit and just sitting in place never happens unless the crew doesn't know that they took a hit.
2a.  If a tank takes a non penetrating hit that causes damage to the vehicle it is likely that the vehicle will withdraw off the battlefield although this isn't 100 percent and it is situationally dependent.  For example, a Tiger took a turret hit that knocked the turret MG back inside the turret which then knocked the gunner out cold.  The tank withdrew from the battlefield.  Another Tiger took a hit on the turret and the gunner's eyepiece was driven into his eye and blinded him so the vehicle withdrew from the battlefield.  I guess that also falls into category 1 above.
3. If a tank crew bails out of a tank the crew retreats to friendly lines and counts themselves as lucky to have survived.  They are lucky to have a pistol if they are armed with anything at all.
4.  Just as many tank crewmen are killed in the process of bailing out of the tank due to jammed or blocked hatches or other complications as are killed when the tank is destroyed.  In CM everyone gets out of the tank as there are no jammed or blocked hatches.  A big offender in this is the PzIV with the turret skirts - if the turret is turned the skirts can block the driver and radio operator hatches.  The Panther commander's hatch is also an offender since it apparently has some sort of a screw mechanism and can be difficult and time consuming to open in an emergency even if the hatch wasn't damaged.
5. A tank crew typically won't recrew a tank that they bailed out of, although it does happen on occasion it's relatively rare.  I've never read an account where a recrewed tank immediately rejoins the fight though or recrews the tank when it is under fire with the intent of engaging the enemy.  Usually there is time spent away from the vehicle and when it seems the situation has changed they might recrew it.  Certainly no crew would jump back into a tank that wasn't theirs if the enemy is nearby since there is no way for them to know what the situation is with the tank mechanically if it's just sitting abandoned in a field somewhere.
That's all I can think of at the moment, but generally speaking tank crews in CM are already supermen in many ways.  They don't need any additional morale boosters in the game.  The problem is that if tanks acted the way they really act players would complain about it because their tanks aren't doing what they want their tanks to do so some compromises are to be expected.
 

here is an instance where the turret crew bail out and the driver and radio operator remain fighting in the tank.
So anyway, the long and the short of it is that people can quote regulations and from that derive opinions of what tank crews are supposed to do or act, but the reality can be something entirely different.  The only way to know for sure what really happens is to read first hand accounts - lots of them because one veteran's experience will not always be the same as another veteran's experience, but you can sort of get a picture of what is probable and what isn't by sifting through the accounts collectively.  Some of the ways reality differs from the game is
1. If a tank takes a casualty the tank retreats off the battlefield.  There is no crew swapping of positions or anything like that.  If the driver is dead or otherwise incapacitated then the tank is immobilized.  If the driver is okay then he drives off the battlefield if any crewmember is killed or wounded.
2. If a tank takes a penetrating hit and actually notices it (sometimes they don't even know it), but no crewmembers are killed or wounded they will typically withdraw off the battlefield.  Taking a penetrating hit and just sitting in place never happens unless the crew doesn't know that they took a hit.
2a.  If a tank takes a non penetrating hit that causes damage to the vehicle it is likely that the vehicle will withdraw off the battlefield although this isn't 100 percent and it is situationally dependent.  For example, a Tiger took a turret hit that knocked the turret MG back inside the turret which then knocked the gunner out cold.  The tank withdrew from the battlefield.  Another Tiger took a hit on the turret and the gunner's eyepiece was driven into his eye and blinded him so the vehicle withdrew from the battlefield.  I guess that also falls into category 1 above.
3. If a tank crew bails out of a tank the crew retreats to friendly lines and counts themselves as lucky to have survived.  They are lucky to have a pistol if they are armed with anything at all.
4.  Just as many tank crewmen are killed in the process of bailing out of the tank due to jammed or blocked hatches or other complications as are killed when the tank is destroyed.  In CM everyone gets out of the tank as there are no jammed or blocked hatches.  A big offender in this is the PzIV with the turret skirts - if the turret is turned the skirts can block the driver and radio operator hatches.  The Panther commander's hatch is also an offender since it apparently has some sort of a screw mechanism and can be difficult and time consuming to open in an emergency even if the hatch wasn't damaged.
5. A tank crew typically won't recrew a tank that they bailed out of, although it does happen on occasion it's relatively rare.  I've never read an account where a recrewed tank immediately rejoins the fight though or recrews the tank when it is under fire with the intent of engaging the enemy.  Usually there is time spent away from the vehicle and when it seems the situation has changed they might recrew it.  Certainly no crew would jump back into a tank that wasn't theirs if the enemy is nearby since there is no way for them to know what the situation is with the tank mechanically if it's just sitting abandoned in a field somewhere.
That's all I can think of at the moment, but generally speaking tank crews in CM are already supermen in many ways.  They don't need any additional morale boosters in the game.  The problem is that if tanks acted the way they really act players would complain about it because their tanks aren't doing what they want their tanks to do so some compromises are to be expected.
 

I found a couple of Japanese accounts so I figured I would post those.  I could probably post a different account every day for the next couple of months, but I think I'll just put these Japanese ones up and leave it at that.  These Japanese ones can probably be characterized as extreme behavior relative to what could be expected from tank crews for most armies.
Here is another one
and one more
Not really sure what this piano wire stuff is.  Apparently it was used by either the Mongolian or Soviet troops and it doesn't seem to be like normal barbed wire.  Piano wire is the only way they describe it in the book "Nomonhan" so (shrug)

Okay, well maybe one last one just because it's so ridiculous for a tank to be taken out by a tree but odd things can happen I guess
 

I found a couple of Japanese accounts so I figured I would post those.  I could probably post a different account every day for the next couple of months, but I think I'll just put these Japanese ones up and leave it at that.  These Japanese ones can probably be characterized as extreme behavior relative to what could be expected from tank crews for most armies.
Here is another one
and one more
Not really sure what this piano wire stuff is.  Apparently it was used by either the Mongolian or Soviet troops and it doesn't seem to be like normal barbed wire.  Piano wire is the only way they describe it in the book "Nomonhan" so (shrug)

Okay, well maybe one last one just because it's so ridiculous for a tank to be taken out by a tree but odd things can happen I guess
 

So here is a Soviet account
So obviously I wasn't there so maybe everything happened exactly as described but I have my doubts.  Was the tank hit by fire and did he bail out?  More than likely.  Did he spend several minutes inside a burning tank gathering extra SMG ammo, first aid kits, camouflage cloaks, and removing a machine gun?  Unlikely.  Did they spend time hiding under a burning tank?  Unlikely.  Did he make his way back to friendly lines - more than likely.  Did he encounter a German sentry and get past him by using the 'Fascist salute' (I guess clicking his heels, raising his arm, and saying Heil Hitler?)  Seriously?  That's almost like it was pulled from a comic book.  So anyway, take it for what it's worth.  Like I said though - there are some good Soviet accounts, but I think the best are probably not from prominent 'Heroes of the Soviet Union' or perhaps stuff written after the 1980s.

I actually have collected numerous first hand accounts of what tank crews do when the tank is hit and typed them into a word document for these kinds of discussions.  In the case of an immobilized vehicle it's probably around 50/50 as to whether the crew bails or not (in general).  If the crew knows or suspects that there is a gun capable of destroying their vehicle they will bail out of it as soon as it's immobilized because an immobilized tank is a sitting duck.  If the tank is in a relatively safe environment or they don't think they are in immediate danger they tend to remain mounted.  The only case I have ever read where a tank crew will remain in a burning / immobilized vehicle under all circumstances are accounts of Japanese tank crews who, needless to say, would take things well beyond what most would consider rational behavior.  On the opposite side of the spectrum there are accounts of Soviet crews that bailed from a moving vehicle when taking hits from guns that didn't penetrate, but there is no way to know what experience level those crews were - not sure if any 'booty' Ukrainians were used as tank crews or not, but if they were their motivation levels would certainly be suspect.  I also seem to recall something with an American tank crew bailing after a rifle grenade hit.
When reading first hand accounts of tank crews you have to read a lot of them before you get any sort of a decent picture of what may have happened on average.  Some of the Soviet accounts that I've read come across as a little suspect relative to what I have read from other armies (which tend to paint a similar picture), although certainly not all of the Soviet accounts fall into that category.  I would just recommend branching out beyond just Soviet accounts if you want a fuller picture.
I have made numerous suggestions to BFC at various times about how I think tank crews should act, but I'm pretty sure players would not look upon more realistic tank crew behavior as an improvement to their gaming experience. 😉 

I actually have collected numerous first hand accounts of what tank crews do when the tank is hit and typed them into a word document for these kinds of discussions.  In the case of an immobilized vehicle it's probably around 50/50 as to whether the crew bails or not (in general).  If the crew knows or suspects that there is a gun capable of destroying their vehicle they will bail out of it as soon as it's immobilized because an immobilized tank is a sitting duck.  If the tank is in a relatively safe environment or they don't think they are in immediate danger they tend to remain mounted.  The only case I have ever read where a tank crew will remain in a burning / immobilized vehicle under all circumstances are accounts of Japanese tank crews who, needless to say, would take things well beyond what most would consider rational behavior.  On the opposite side of the spectrum there are accounts of Soviet crews that bailed from a moving vehicle when taking hits from guns that didn't penetrate, but there is no way to know what experience level those crews were - not sure if any 'booty' Ukrainians were used as tank crews or not, but if they were their motivation levels would certainly be suspect.  I also seem to recall something with an American tank crew bailing after a rifle grenade hit.
When reading first hand accounts of tank crews you have to read a lot of them before you get any sort of a decent picture of what may have happened on average.  Some of the Soviet accounts that I've read come across as a little suspect relative to what I have read from other armies (which tend to paint a similar picture), although certainly not all of the Soviet accounts fall into that category.  I would just recommend branching out beyond just Soviet accounts if you want a fuller picture.
I have made numerous suggestions to BFC at various times about how I think tank crews should act, but I'm pretty sure players would not look upon more realistic tank crew behavior as an improvement to their gaming experience. 😉 

I actually have collected numerous first hand accounts of what tank crews do when the tank is hit and typed them into a word document for these kinds of discussions.  In the case of an immobilized vehicle it's probably around 50/50 as to whether the crew bails or not (in general).  If the crew knows or suspects that there is a gun capable of destroying their vehicle they will bail out of it as soon as it's immobilized because an immobilized tank is a sitting duck.  If the tank is in a relatively safe environment or they don't think they are in immediate danger they tend to remain mounted.  The only case I have ever read where a tank crew will remain in a burning / immobilized vehicle under all circumstances are accounts of Japanese tank crews who, needless to say, would take things well beyond what most would consider rational behavior.  On the opposite side of the spectrum there are accounts of Soviet crews that bailed from a moving vehicle when taking hits from guns that didn't penetrate, but there is no way to know what experience level those crews were - not sure if any 'booty' Ukrainians were used as tank crews or not, but if they were their motivation levels would certainly be suspect.  I also seem to recall something with an American tank crew bailing after a rifle grenade hit.
When reading first hand accounts of tank crews you have to read a lot of them before you get any sort of a decent picture of what may have happened on average.  Some of the Soviet accounts that I've read come across as a little suspect relative to what I have read from other armies (which tend to paint a similar picture), although certainly not all of the Soviet accounts fall into that category.  I would just recommend branching out beyond just Soviet accounts if you want a fuller picture.
I have made numerous suggestions to BFC at various times about how I think tank crews should act, but I'm pretty sure players would not look upon more realistic tank crew behavior as an improvement to their gaming experience. 😉