Assaulting Armor, or Follow that Tank!

[CombinedArms]

I know I must be slow, but I just figured out how to issue the "follow armor" order to attacking infantry. You issue the assault order (not advance) to an infantry unit, then click on a nearby enemy tank. The "Follow Armor" message pops up at that point. I'd heard about this but never figured out how to do it and couldn't find it in the manual.

Anyway, I discovered it sort of by mistake in an urban battle vs. the AI last night and I was amazed at how well it worked. I had a platoon of Soviet infantry in rubble near a Tiger in a adjacent street and they kept after that thing for two turns until one of the squads killed it. It helped that I also had three T-34/85s that advanced on the Tiger at close range (this was a night/urban battle). I think one of my tanks damaged the Tiger's gun, then an inf. squad immoblized it (with a "hit") and later another squad killed it (with another "hit").

My original idea was that the infantry with the follow order would simply distract the Tiger so that my T34/85s could get a shot in, but those soldiers were quite tenacious. They just kept hammering the Tiger, along with my tanks, till it was dead. Was I just lucky here, or have others had similar positive experiences?

[tabpub]

Yes, as long as there is nothing else there to "help" the target. Nothing is funnier than a STGIIIB crawling thru some woods buttoned up with 3 units of infantry banging on the hatches.

Or an arty prime mover taking a molotov! whoosh!

Now, AFAIK, you can issue most any order and get the "follow" result, as long as you are within about 50m of the vehicle. Move, run and advance are all viable. Assault also, but remember that some troop quality comes in to play, like greens out of command, conscripts, etc. The main difference in the orders would then be; 1)ability to advance under fire, 2) delay time differences, and 3)speed of the attack.

[CombinedArms]

I finally found it in the manual and you're right--other move orders besides assault will work, as long as you're within 50 meters.

My attack on the Tiger was a lone tank w/ no infantry support in an urban setting--probably ideal for this particular order. BTW, the squad credited with the kill was down to grenades and didn't seem to throw any that turn. Meanwhile, my molotovs, thrown earlier, sailed comically over the tank and landed a good 40m beyond. At least a 60m chuck--not bad even for the NFL!

[SgtMuhammed]

Yes it always seems that you can miss farther than you could ever throw.

So far my guys seem to just like following armor, as in all over the map. Oh, and occationally lighing its way with a helpful molotov or two.

[Silvio Manuel]

Originally posted by sgtgoody (esq):

Yes it always seems that you can miss farther than you could ever throw.

That's CM's visual abstraction... that molotov "really" landed anywhere in the 20x20m tile you saw it land on.