Pushing Tanks

[Fed]

I have a tank that has lost its treads. I was wondering if another tank can push it into a different position. I have not tried it, because this is in a game against a human opponent.

Thank you for your help,

Fed

[umlaut]

The short answer is: No, you can´t. There are long threads about this, of you want a detailed explanation as to why - try searching.

Cheers

[Fed]

I did try searching. I didn't find anything. Could you please point me to the thread that you are talking about?

[ASL Veteran]

I did try searching. I didn't find anything. Could you please point me to the thread that you are talking about?

I don't know what thread is being referred to, but the answer is that pushing tanks isn't modeled in the game. In fact, I think you can pass right through them if I'm not mistaken. From a reality standpoint I'm not certain how simple it would be to push another tank if it had lost a track or something. Sure, tanks of similar weight could tow another tank if it was in working order but just ran out of fuel or something. The Germans used to do that all the time. With a missing track or a damaged road wheel it could very well be impossible to move a tank.

I recently read a first hand account of an immobilized Elefant where it tried to turn around on a slightly elevated road and got partially stuck in a ditch. The idler arm was bent and an attempt to pull it out with towing pintles resulted in snapped towing pintles because the wheels wouldn't turn. They decided to return at night with a wooden block that they could place on the damaged road wheel that the mechanic had hand carved in order to make another attempt to tow it, but that ended in failure as well.

[Michael Emrys]

With a missing track or a damaged road wheel it could very well be impossible to move a tank.

Not quite impossible, but probably not workable if attempted by another tank. I have photos of tanks without treads that have been winched up onto transporters. Evidently they just rolled on the road wheels. You couldn't move it very far that way and not at all except over a very firm and even surface would be my guess.

Michael

[umlaut]

I did try searching. I didn't find anything. Could you please point me to the thread that you are talking about?

Here you go:

http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=99809&highlight=pushing+vehicle*

http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=104143&highlight=push+tank

[DasMorbo]

@ ASL Veteran:

If you are interested in some background, here you go.

Moving tanks witout threads or with damaged road wheels is much easier than expected on a hard and even surface. The tank is just rolling on its road wheels so there is no drag from the threads (lots of greaseless joints).

But when ouy try this on soft ground that's a different story. Because the thread, that is distributing the ground pressure, is missing the tank bogs down at first chance.

By the way:

the tank towing tank practice of the Germans based on desperation. It was strongly forbidden by regulations for it caused seriuos transmission wear on the townig tank. But because of the utter absence of towing vehicles in most situations, tank units often had no other choice.

@ Fed:

It's only realistic to not implement this in the game.

Pushing tanks out of the way has occured in combat situations, but very rarely. It was strongly forbidden because when you push a disabled tank with the noes of another one, the threads and more important the drive sprockets bump and grind into the other tank. Thus they wear down like hell. And because the complete drive chain is connected to the drive sprockets (absorbing the bumps), you are in fact ruining the whole drive system (or at least the gearbox) of the pushing tank. So in short order you have two disabled tanks blocking the way.

Hope a little background info doesn't bother you.

If this is boring to you folks, just let me know.

Best regards

Olf

[Fed]

That is great guys! Thanks!

[Badger73]

DasMorbo says it well.

Vehicle recovery is a non-combat operation. Reference all the accounts of Allied tank units in Italy attacking through narrow mountain valleys or crossing swollen rivers. Once the Germans took out a leading vehicle, the remainder stayed stuck or constrained for the duration of that engagement.

CMx2 is too low level a tactical game to deal with disabled vehicles. The reality is (and was) that shot up trucks, tracks, and tanks are combat obstacles; dangerous ones at that.