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Pioneers assualting armor


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Pioneers are fabulous against any AFVs when you get them close enough.

Once you are roughly 70 meters from an AFV, what have you found to be more successful in approaching: "run", "withdraw",or "advance/assualt"? Terrain, tanks mgs, and enemy small arms fire play a significant role in how to approach, but let's assume it is simply 3 pioneers squads against a stug.

You want to rush Stug like the MG nest in _Saving Private Ryan_. You must overwhelm its ability to defend itself so you've got to get there FAST! "advance/assualt" is too slow, "withdraw" is too dangerous, and with "run" you are vulnerable (although I've had success with run).

Any experts with pioneers to advise on this?

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As you said there are a lot of other factors involved. If I do want to just get there I will use fast (speed is armor) especially if someone else can cause the Stug to button up and it has no other support. I usually don't like to rush AFVs unless the situation is very favorable but rather prefer to set ambushes.

The way they took out the MG in PR was idiotic. They had a sniper that never missed and several covered routes, there was no need to turn it into a shooting gallery.

[ January 08, 2003, 03:35 AM: Message edited by: Sgtgoody ]

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Assault has actually seemed pretty quick in general, at least to me. That's what I'd go with in the open. If cover is available, I'd sneak as close as possible or, against something like a KV parked next to the woods with its ass to you, just use Move to Contact with a covered arc - but don't count on your opponent being this boneheaded!

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I had a situation in a scenario where a platoon of pioneers held a small village. I had them all hid in buildings and instead of assulting the attacking T-34's as they came into range I waited for them to get as close as possible. To make sure none of the squads opened fire too hastily I put their cover arcs pointing in the opposite direction to that of the approaching T-34's. After waiting through some very tense moves I let the pioneers squads loose. I had all my target tanks ranged between 15-30 meters. The end result was five knocked out T-34's.

This approach although very successful is dependent on the tank platoons maneouvring close to your squads and your squads having the good sense to keep their heads down until the right moment.

In the same scenario earlier on I did try to sneak one squad around and behind a T-34 that was passing by, but despite sneaking and being in scattered trees the squad was discovered and eliminated.

I would not be so keen on any sort of assault/flanking attack on any tank that was to be carried out by infantry alone. I 'd much rather play the waiting game and hope for a good ambush..

Just the reflections of a naive irish lad.....

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granted these fellas weren't Pioneers, but i had a whole bloody platoon of a motorized squad running after a Mk IV using the follow command in a city battle. The TC was injured so the tank was buttoned up, and they threw about 5 or 6 Molotovs and got him. i was extremely pleased and entertained to see this herd of Russians running the streets after a tank

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Once you are roughly 70 meters from an AFV, what have you found to be more successful in approaching: "run", "withdraw",or "advance/assualt"?
Why the heck would you want to withdraw towards an enemy tank? Since they will auto panic where ever they withdraw to. I don't see this as an option when assualting armor. The withdraw command is basically a "get the hell outta dodge" move. However ive never tried this. Has anyone tried withdrawing to assualt armor? If so what were the results?
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Originally posted by MeatEtr: Why the heck would you want to withdraw towards an enemy tank? Since they will auto panic where ever they withdraw to. I don't see this as an option when assualting armor. The withdraw command is basically a "get the hell outta dodge" move. However ive never tried this. Has anyone tried withdrawing to assualt armor? If so what were the results?[/QB]
It may be *gamey*, but if you have veteran troops they recover from the "panic" mode quickly, sometimes within a few seconds of reaching their endpoint.

If you are out-matched in the armor department (i.e. KV in '41, or later german uber armor), than you have to overwhelm and kill quickly with your poineers. Sometimes the best moment to do so arrives just a little too early/late, and you have to be drastic. "withdraw" towards the tank is instant, and even if it instantly routs one squad, the tank mg suppresses another, the third has a reasonable chance of making the kill (all else being equal).

Anyway, I know my tactics. I'm looking for more developed alternatives. Someone said "assualt", but this is too slow!!

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Roger that tigger, whatever floats your boat or more importantly whatever works for you. Actually, i think i might try this option when i have at least 3 or more squads assaulting a tank. But then again when you assualt a tank with any amount of squads your gonna take some casualities regardless of the method you use.

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