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COMBAT MISSIONS : Armour Tactics - M18 Hellcat


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Thank You - to those who took time-out to share their thoughts and experiences with the Lynx. The Pz IIL page is now up.

The next vehicle to be featured is the M18 "Hellcat" Tank Destroyer. Please share your thoughts on this particular AFV - focusing primarily, on it's performance and role within CMBO.

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Manx - COMBAT MISSIONS

Resources for Big Time Software's "COMBAT MISSION"

[This message has been edited by Manx_CM (edited 04-03-2001).]

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The Hellcat is the most extreme case of American tank design- very fast with a fast turret, but with almost no armor. To use it, don't ever slow down. Keep moving fast, dashing from cover to cover to flank enemy tanks. Once you have a flanking shot, you've won, because your turret can rotate fast enough to get off two shots in the time it takes a tiger to rotate to fire one.

It may be tempting to go head to head against German armor, because you have the 76mm gun and usually a tungsten round or two, but don't try this. Your armor is paper thin, and a hit from a 20mm shell and up will kill you.

Your biggest threat is not the big uber armor, but light tanks, flak guns, and light AT guns. Even the 20mm can penetrate your frontal armor with ease at short range, and the multiple bursts fired ensure that they will hit before you do. If you encounter 20 or 37mm armed AFVs, it's best to back off and let a sherman with heavier (!) frontal armor take them out.

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Wyatt Earp's idea of armored combat. First to the draw. Let infantry scout for you, staying behind cover. Do not prowl around looking for a target. You go kill a target after it has been located, from whatever angle looks good, no matter how long the path. Go ahead and tackle the big guys, if you have T rounds or a flank - you can kill anything there is from a flank. Just don't approach from a turret's current angle. Reverse to cover immediately after your kill, relocate, then play it again.

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Flank the enemy, this is the role for this tank, its fast, really fast, you should go full speed to the flank and the shoot. I have seen this baby kill 2 tanks in one minute turn while it was moving. Cheap enought to buy a couple. I usually buy 4 of this babes and put 2 on my left flank and 2 on the right flank, this way i always outflank the enemy in on side or the other.

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Of the three American tank destroyers the Hellcat is my favorite. Why? Speed. Although the gun is weaker than the Jackson's it still has the oomph to kill just about anything the Axis can field. But it's armor sucks. With armor this poor speed (and big hills) are your only defense. I don't believe it's necessary to flank with the Hellcat. I prefer to keep it in cover and then fast move perpendicular to the enemy's exposed AFV(s) If you can keep it on a road you will be rewarded with even higher speed. ALWAYS plot your move so it will stop in full defilade. Using these cover to cover perpendicular high speed dashes you should be able to net a few kills per Hellcat before a Puma or flak gun takes you out. If you want a 76mm gun in your force then buying a Hellcat is a good cost effective way to get it. Think of it as a highly mobile AT gun. And don't stay in the same place for more than a turn lest the arty fall on your open topped head!

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