How to use pintle mounted .50cal MGs on Pershing and later war Shermans?

[MikeSinn]

I'm really enjoying the module for Final BlitzKrieg but have a question on whether the pintle mounted 50cal MGs on the Pershing and some late war Shermans are usable.  I've run several tests trying to get the 50cals to fire.  I've tried target light with tank unbuttoned, buttoned, and even a squad of tank riders.  In all cases, no graphic of the 50 cal firing nor does the 50cal ammo count ever decrease.  Are these unusable currently or am I just doing something wrong?

  

[David Jaros]

yea you are right only few early version of Shermans are able to use 50cal and on rest  of them it is only use it as  decoration and Pershing too haha

Edited January 29 by David Jaros

[Brille]

Most of these MG are placed at unfavorable positions to actually use them against enemies or would need a crewmen to step outside the tank to fire it.

And while they were used to some degree in reallife, the usage is not properly or just partially modelled in CM.

For example the MG on a M10 tankdestroyer is usable under certain circumstances. However this would be far from being practical ingame.

Edited January 29 by Brille

[slysniper]

Rotate the turret away from the target, then try light fire and see if you can get them to fire the 50 cal, 

Its been too long to remember, but I recall this is the only way to get the rear mounted  guns into action is if the target is to the rear of the turret.

[Thewood1]

Its very similar to the rear-firing MGs on Soviet tanks.  As stated above, you used to be able to rotate the turret with back towards the enemy unit.  I know in Soviet tanks, at one time, if the main gun was engaged and infantry were spotted to the rear, the rear turret machine gun would open up.  I think the M10 MG is similar.  I am pretty sure that if the main gun isn't engaged, the unit will just rotate its turret with main gun to the rear.

[Halmbarte]

13 hours ago, MikeSinn said:

I'm really enjoying the module for Final BlitzKrieg but have a question on whether the pintle mounted 50cal MGs on the Pershing and some late war Shermans are usable.  I've run several tests trying to get the 50cals to fire.  I've tried target light with tank unbuttoned, buttoned, and even a squad of tank riders.  In all cases, no graphic of the 50 cal firing nor does the 50cal ammo count ever decrease.  Are these unusable currently or am I just doing something wrong?

  

Will tank riders fire the .50? 

H

[Erwin]

I have this vague memory that the MG's on top of tanks get used by the Tac AI at its discretion.  Can't recall if one has to have the tank opened up.  But, there have been so many updates that it's hard to know these days.

[Centurian52]

16 minutes ago, Erwin said:

I have this vague memory that the MG's on top of tanks get used by the Tac AI at its discretion.  Can't recall if one has to have the tank opened up.  But, there have been so many updates that it's hard to know these days.

I'm sure the tank has to be opened up. I don't think remotely operated MGs were a thing yet. I don't normally see the 0.50s on my Shermans firing, since I usually keep them buttoned up. But the few times I did see them firing, they were opened up. The commander is usually firing the pintle mounted MG without any specific target orders on my part. I haven't tried to see if there is a way to use it intentionally, with a target command.

[Brille]

3 hours ago, Centurian52 said:

I'm sure the tank has to be opened up. I don't think remotely operated MGs were a thing yet.

The Hetzer and later Stug III variants had an mg that the crew/the commander could operate from inside of their tank.

 

4 hours ago, Halmbarte said:

Will tank riders fire the .50? 

As far as I know: No.

It is not modelled in the games.

Infantry can only operate vehicle based weapons in something like a jeep, APC and such. Some M5 halftracks for example have a rear facing MG that they can use and fire once inside it. And while you probably will have a hard time actually using it, the MG will fire once enemy infantry or soft skinned vehicles will come into their arc.

[jtsjc1]

I'm pretty sure I've seen tank commanders fire the .50 I don't remember what tank it was. I think if it is a usable weapon (which it is) it should be able to be fired by a crewmember. Especially in tight spots where the turret could not be rotated to use a CMG.

[user1000]

23 hours ago, MikeSinn said:

I'm really enjoying the module for Final BlitzKrieg but have a question on whether the pintle mounted 50cal MGs on the Pershing and some late war Shermans are usable.  I've run several tests trying to get the 50cals to fire.  I've tried target light with tank unbuttoned, buttoned, and even a squad of tank riders.  In all cases, no graphic of the 50 cal firing nor does the 50cal ammo count ever decrease.  Are these unusable currently or am I just doing something wrong?

  

Forget using open up command you'll get mp40 sniped.

[MikeSinn]

I appreciate all the feedback and am somewhat surprised by the lack of consensus on this issue.  I thought I was just missing some basic command or process but appears it is far more nuanced.  @jtsjc1, I've seen tank commanders fire their 50cals but only on tank models where the MG is located in front of, or on the side ofm the commanders hatch. 

I've run a few more tests using scenarios with in the game (don't have enough functioning brain cells left to try and tackle the editor...) and have not been able to get any rear-mounted pintle .50cal gun to fire.  Would be great to hear from anyone that has a "reliable" way of getting these MGs to fire.

 

Thanks,

Mike

[Erwin]

2 hours ago, MikeSinn said:

Would be great to hear from anyone that has a "reliable" way of getting these MGs to fire.

As mentioned, unless an update changed the features, these MG's get used by the Tac AI.  I can't recall any situation where one can manually target them.

[slysniper]

OK, just tried all sorts of ways to get the top mounted 50 cal to fire. and I did manage to do it only one way.

The tank  must be unbuttoned, there must be a target in the line of sight from the commander to the mg gun and then to the target, I was using a infantry target.

Then I had the main gun or turret MG firing at something in their present direction or area firing in their present direction.

 

If the turret guns are presently focused on other targeting, then the commander will fire the top MG if by chance he has a target in the general direction that is in line with where the gun is mounted to him.

So how often will you have that, where just by chance the enemy just is at the 7 oclock position at the same time you are firing  straight ahead.

Also the graphics  are screwed up when it did work, but I have reported that to BF already

[Erwin]

11 hours ago, slysniper said:

then the commander will fire the top MG if by chance he has a target in the general direction that is in line with where the gun is mounted to him

Right...  AI controlled.

[A Canadian Cat]

What @slysniper describes sounds a lot like how I got an M10 .50 cal to fire:

 

[Sakai007]

I use the ammo carried as a guide. The M24 has a .50 mounted in 3D model but no .50 ammo carried, so is just for show. If ammo is carried there is at least an edge case where the .50 will fire.