COMBAT MISSIONS: Unit Tactics - SPW 250/251

[Manx]

For those of you who may be new to the forum - i am attempting (with the help of the forum), to put together a compilation of the various tactics that players use with the vehicles that are found in Combat Mission. So far i have managed to do about 8, so there's plently more to do The units already covered can be found at the COMBAT MISSIONS site.

Right, time to move on to a new vehicle - the German SPW250/251 Series Halftracks.

Sharing YOUR tactics and battlefield experiences with these units in CMBO, would be much appreciated.

TIA

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COMBAT MISSIONS - Resources For Combat Mission

COMBAT MISSIONS

[GriffinCheng+]

If I can pick troops in QB, I always pick at least 1 Sdkz-251/9. A descent 75mm gun with a good load of hollow charge (HEAT) for AT purpose. I usually use them as infantry support AFV and travel just behind my fornt line men. Or as rear-guard to counter nasty "Armor-car at the back door" tactics.

Griffin.

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"When you find your PBEM opportents too hard to beat, there is always the AI."

"Can't get enough Tank?"

[Guest Mr. Johnson-<THC>-]

Lets see, the 20mm armed HTs are good for popping enemy HTs and can be used like a mobile HMG on PCP. But be very careful with it. Those cheap 75mms are the big equalizer in QBs where allies have armor advantage, even if they are a short range weapon. Its still longer then your Panzershrecks. The mortar halftracks have all the ammo you could ever want in most fights. The Puma is not that great, flank security is about all its good for until you have armor superority. The German Halftracks are great when you need as many guns firing as possible. They make a great mobile reserve.

[Warmaker]

I'm not that great with the SPW's but trying to learn. As far as harsh lessons learned, just like armor, keep the infantry forward and use the SPWs as support. Even the normal transport variants have MG34's so there's use for that to lay down suppressive fire. If ATG's are present beware, and keep them out unless you can fire from their flanks/rear. With Mortars be also careful but I find if you're sprinting/moving fast from cover to cover and blocking their LOS it helps. Yes they can do indirect fire, but they won't be as precise without the LOS/spotting. Tanks? Don't even try it unless you have an AT variant and in highly favorable defensive conditions: ambush or a rear/flank shot. Even with the flank shots it depends naturally on the tank you're facing. M26? Forget it.

I love the flamethrower SPWs. But it is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL to lay down suppressive fire on the target since the flamethrower is a shortranged weapon. MG's do this nicely of course. Once you feel you have enough suppressive fire layed down I usually sprint my SPW in oblique angles towards the target then burn the poor allies out and let the covering MGs rake their ranks. Flamethrowers even work on tanks so remember this too. Example: I've taken out a M26 Pershing(without my armor/ATG) with a flamethrower SPW. I used MG42 fire to force them to button up as it was trying to destroy my HMG's position. With it buttoned I rushed my SPW to the flank at close range of the M26. Before it could turn to destroy the tin can half-track a few good flamethrower bursts pursuaded the tank crew to change their profession to bail the burning tank and run. Then I burned them also. Proper use of flamethrowers are visually well rewarding.

Mortar SPW's, I usually keep them far back. Sometimes though if some of the grunts need effective fire ASAP I'll move in to a distant spot with an LOS on the target and bring precise mortar fire on the target with a dozen or so rounds then back out before their own arty bears down on you. With all SPWs their open topped so be extra careful about artillery.

With transport variants I'm undergoing lots of self-training. In meeting engagements or similar missions I've started to be daring with SPWs if you have Panzergrenadiers a few LMGs and Panzerschrecks. I'll send the platoon or whatever to be mounted at the start of the battle and make a mad dash for the objective (depending with terrain speed/course varies naturally) to prepare secure the objective and set up hasty defenses/ambushes. But the whole key thing is to get your infantry to the desired dismounting areas FAST and in safe condition or with little enemy fire. Don't get them into suspected killzones and dismount. There's nothing more shameful than seeing a whole motorized/armored platoon massacred from an AT ambush before even dismounting then getting blasted by MG fire. Lost a crack PzGren. platoon that way and it still hurts. I stress again that the transportation speed is the factor for the SPWs usefulness then infantry support at safe distances in almost all conditions.

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"Uncommon valor was a common virtue"-Adm.Chester Nimitz of the Marines on Iwo Jima

[This message has been edited by Warmaker (edited 01-18-2001).]

[Wisbech_lad]

There are four/ five variants:

Transport, plus MG, huge ammo load. Use to move teams/ squads/ guns quickly where they are needed, then support the attack with long range MG fire. The three or four needed to move a platoon are devastating if used en masse. Of less use in defence, where a large mobile MG is easy meat to attacking tanks – in this case an HMG team is more useful, with a truck standing by if you need to redeploy quickly.

Armed with 20mm cannon – good value A/C alternative, much cheaper than a PSW234. Yes, it has low ammo, but as both have thin armour and a low life expectancy this is not a big problem. Used for scouting/ harassing enemy infantry at range/ defending flanks against allied uber light vehicles.

Armed with 75mm – nasty. Good value assault gun on the attack, or mobile defence unit, especially useful once both sides’ armour has neutralised each other. Again, low ammo load is not a huge problem because they are either kept as reserve (on defence) and/or will die quickly anyway.

Armed with flamethrower – for toasting infantry. Not as useful as the Wasp, as the short range (50m) means having to get just that little bit closer in. Devastating in QB’s involving a rush to a village/ town flag. Again, cheap.

Armed with mortar – pointless on the map as indirect fire not modelled. Use a 75mm HT or a 81mm FO instead.

All types are vulnerable to the 0.50 HMG, and I find that regular crews are quick to abandon the vehicles in the face of a superior threat. I usually play against them, rather than with them. In CM universe, the transport versions are not great value, and rarely bought unless assigned by the AI. The support versions are all cheap, mobile and fragile and tend to appear in numbers!

[Mattias]

Doing a very good job, even as an surrogate AT gun.

Especially considering that the HL © ammo used is CM right now is considerably less effective than the one historically available..

Or can it be shown that these units did not fire Gr38 HL/C (100mm at 30 degrees) at this time?

M.

[Guest tero]

>Armed with mortar – pointless on the map as indirect fire not modelled. Use a 75mm HT or a 81mm FO instead.

Not necessarily THAT useless. If used from a concealed position over an area of good LOS it can lay suppressing fire effectively and even kill HT´s and other pesky little things. Better than the regular mortar as it can shoot and scoot better.

[Vanir]

I use the 20mm armed HT for supporting my leading half-squads on the attack. They are good for springing AT ambushes ahead of your more valuable armor because they are so damn cheap. The 20mm is great for poping Allied light armor as well, so flank security is a good job for them.

The 75mm armed HT (the 251/9, not the 250/8)is a terrific inf. support vehicle if you can keep it alive for a while. It has a surprisingly large ammo loadout (54 rounds!)so it has some real staying power if you take care of it. Well worth the points.

All the other German half tracks are pretty much worthless IMO. Note that 234s are not half tracks.

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You've never heard music until you've heard the bleating of a gut-shot cesspooler. -Mark IV

[deanco]

I'm a big fan of what I call the Heavy Halftrack. Back when I was playing the Germans I would always score a 250/9. You get an infantry shredder AND a light HT killer in one easy to use package. And the 20mm goes thuga thuga thuga thuga too, very distictive gun sound. I've had these guys rack up amazing numbers of kills. Mobile too for when things go wrong... way useful. Anyway, from a game standpoint, I think the 250/9 is one of the best 'pieces' in the game.

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DeanCo--

CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/

so many games...so little time

[Peachy]

I support all of the above but find all HTs hugely vulnerable to Artillery and Mortars and if you dont keep them spread out and mobile they have a habit of become a mass of abandoned and immobilised vehicles.

[Guest wwb_99]

The 20mm versions are very handy, epecially when ground conditions deteriorate and wheeled with wheeled vehicles slowed off-road in 1.1. The only thing which a Psw 234/1 can do that it can't is carry a team.

I really don't like the 75mm armed versions on the defensive, they have too little staying power. I'd rather have a pair of 50mm atgs and an HMG.

As someone pointed out above, Mortar HTs are hamstrung by their inability to deliver indirect fire spotted by HQs. I have never seen one survive long enough to even really get into its ammo loadout. (Hint, Hint BTS)

I find flamethrowers are a waste of points in general, as they often die before getting into range. If I am going to buy a mobile one, I would just spring for a Flammheltzer.

The transport variant is superior to its alled counterpart in almost every respect except one: ammo. While 57 is a generous load of 7.9mm rounds, it is not an inexhaustable supply. Still, a well handled company of panzergenadiers mounted on SPW 251/1s is almost unstoppable, at least until one brings 155mm VT into play.

WWB

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Before battle, my digital soldiers turn to me and say,

Ave, Caesar! Morituri te salutamus.

[M. Bates]

I have found that the 75mm German halftrack is good for destroying buildings. However, it is not as maneoverable as the Allied halftracks and armoured cars, and these German halftracks usually end up as fodder for my AT guns.

That said... a 75mm vehicle which is NOT in the "Armor" list cannot be ignored - In games of 1,250 pts and more, I would recommend the purchase of a 75mm halftrack to carry out the dirty work, while keep your more valuable tank assets out of harm's way.

[Schugger]

Oh! German HTs, my favorites .

From the 250 variants I only take the Ausf. 9 with the 20mm Thud gun. Of course they could be killed with anything larger than a fly-swapper and burn through their ammunition very fast, but they are so cheap that you could by nearly two of them instead of one 8-wheeled 231/1 ACs.

If you're lucky and get a flank shot at TD's you'll almost end up with a sure kill and they could take on M8 Greyhounds and Daimler ACs frontally with a good chance of winning due to their higher ROF which also results in high accuracy ( 90 percent hit probability and up ). Stay away from anything which mounts the dreaded .50 MG, that means allied HTs or your little bugger ends up looking like Swiss cheese ( Ok, TDs also mount a .50 MG but I take the deal if the opportunity arises ).

The other HT I like is the 251/2 with the 81mm mortar simply for it's large ammo loadout compared to the "leg" equivalent.

However, they could not use indirect fire unless targeting a TRP and they are as vulnerable as any other German HT, so use them with care.

Make sure that you do not crest a hill when enemy armour has LOS to that position. Hold them back until you've located the enemy and then move it up to a position with a very limited LOS.

I do not like the 251/9 with it's 75mm gun, I have to admit. I would prefer the 231/3 simply for it's better speed and frontal armour and not being open topped. Ammo loadout is nearly equal between this two vehicles and the 231 only costs 5 points more.

It is important to keep your HTs constantly moving ( i.e.: constantly changing their position ) to avoid nasty indirect mortar fire which takes out your vehicles quite easily.

[Schugger]

Psychomanic Posting Syndrome, I fear.

[This message has been edited by Schugger (edited 01-19-2001).]

[Guest wwb_99]

I forgot one really, really good reason to use SPW 250s and 251s: Fernando's awesome mod schemes make the German HTs some of the most gorgeous vehicles in the game. Thanks Fernando.

WWB

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Before battle, my digital soldiers turn to me and say,

Ave, Caesar! Morituri te salutamus.

[Schugger]

Nevermind

[This message has been edited by Schugger (edited 01-19-2001).]

[Fred]

Well,

the german halftracks are my fav toys, even if they are very vulnerable.

To counter this, there are two maneuvers you could use.

1. Keep them out of harms way. Wait until all major threats( to a halftrack) are either identified and engaged or destroyed. Then (usually in the second half of the battle) use them to hunt down infantry or to lay suppressive fire with their MGs (or other weapons). A mobile, light armored MG platform is a nice thing and you can afford to loose one or two.

2. Move them fast from cover to cover in concert with your tanks. Use them as they were planned to be used: as infantry carriers with enough armor to protect the soldiers from small arms fire to take them to the hot spot.

Anyone remebers Fionns famous "dash'o'death"? Shooting at a fast moving halftrack while there are tanks around( that are probably firing at you) is difficult.

Fred

[Terence]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Fred:

Well,

(snip)

Move them fast from cover to cover in concert with your tanks. Use them as they were planned to be used: as infantry carriers with enough armor to protect the soldiers from small arms fire to take them to the hot spot.

Fred<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes indeed. Combined with a big smokescreen and some tank suppression fire, this can be a game winning move. Suddenly lots of german troops and a nifty mobile machine gun are right there in your face, shooting like crazy.

However, if you do this, don't make my mistake and have the HTs unload their troops in front of the buildings that have enemy troops in them.

It works much better when you shoot right by the defenders and unload behind a building or something -- whatever you want really-- as long as out of LOS of well entrenched defenders. That way you can get organized and assault in a coherent way, not get mowed down as soon as you get out of the HT.

[This message has been edited by Terence (edited 01-19-2001).]