My epic Stug III fail

[John1966]

Just returned to CM after many years but I thought I used to be quite good at. Knew what I was doing at the very least.

Find myself playing a scenario as the defender where I was expecting "some tanks". Turned out to be the entire 7th Armoured Division by the look of it but hey-ho. We like the challenge.

Not sure how to handle this but two Stug IIIs turn up as reinforcements. I quickly locate them behind a high-walled farm, one pointing north, the other south. They're protected and ready to take out the Cromwells as they storm past the farm. And storm they do.

First a Cromwell speeds past the northern Stug. It's at less than 300m and a side shot so it's doomed. Except it isn't. It's going so fast and crossing the LOF at ninety degrees that when the Stug fails to take the shot immediately, it has to track the target. But it's moving faster than the Stug can turn. After being in LOS for a over 300m, it goes out of sight.

While that was happening a Cromwell appeared to the south of the farm. Right it front of the second Stug, point blank range. But the Stug doesn't get the shot off. The Cromwell just passes it and the Stug tries to turn. The Cromwell then shoots the first Stug in the rear for a kill then rotates it's turret at a leisurely pace to take out the still turning second Stug it just passed.

Both Stugs lost in a minute without firing a shot.

I hit ceasefire.

What's the best way to handle these SP guns?

I must admit I love it when the opposition has them as they seem so easy to take out for the above reasons. I remember doing a scenario many years ago where the designer had put a Stug defending a crossroad. Which way to point? He opted for diagonally which might have hedged his bets but it guaranteed my lead Sherman got at least two shots off whichever way we approached it from.

The Germans made a lot of these so I'm sure they were better than I'm seeing.

[MikeyD]

I recall long ago reading the translation of a German report stating that concluded Stugs were a failure in Normandy. The problems you're having with them are the same problems the Germans were having. The combination of low mounted gun with high berms, limited traverse with short LOS. Normandy ain't exactly the open steppes.

[John1966]

6 minutes ago, MikeyD said:

I recall long ago reading the translation of a German report stating that concluded Stugs were a failure in Normandy. The problems you're having with them are the same problems the Germans were having. The combination of low mounted gun with high berms, limited traverse with short LOS. Normandy ain't exactly the open steppes.

Yes, I can see they'd be alright in long range encounters, ones longer than any they're likely to encounter in northern France.

[Vacillator]

On 7/28/2020 at 4:18 PM, John1966 said:

Find myself playing a scenario as the defender where I was expecting "some tanks". Turned out to be the entire 7th Armoured Division by the look of it but hey-ho. We like the challenge.

@John 1966 this is Holy Ground right, as per the other posts we exchanged?  I put my Stugs behind the walled farm as well, but a lot of the Cromwells never made it that far thanks to my stalwart infantry, so I didn't have the same issue.  And at the end I was able to manueouver the Stugs across to the other flank and take out the last two pieces of pesky Allied armour.  Great stuff and kudos to the scenario designer CW (I would link but not sure which user to link to)!

[John1966]

Yes, it was Holy Ground. It only took a couple of Cromwells (well one in the end) to get through to wreck the Stugs even though they were "surprised" by their presence. The Cromwells just moved too fast for the Stugs to get a shot off.

[A Canadian Cat]

On 7/28/2020 at 11:18 AM, John1966 said:

What's the best way to handle these SP guns?

Ouch that's quite a story. Those Cromwell tanks are fast!

Key hole is the way to handle those turret less guns. They need protection on both sides and and a nice narrow cone to cover. Longer range also helps - even those Cromwell tanks can't cover those distances fast enough. Of course  you don't always get that opportunity so you have to make do.