newbie help

[terrakota]

Hi,

can you give me some help with defensive AT guns? a link or article maybe?

I'm trying the CMBB demo and i'm having a nightmare defending the kursk with the AT guns against all the 13 panzers comming,

1 more thing, i dont see my AT guns attack the panzers they just attack if i give an arc command or directly aim a tank they dont start to shoot by default when tanks are in range??

I'm missing something maybe I'm using the wrgon stance?

please excuse my poor english and thanks for any help

[JasonC]

You aren't "limbered", don't worry about that. They are holding their fire because they think their chance of hurting the target it low at that range, facing that side of the tank. In the demo scenario, the guns you have are 45mm ATGs - quite small weapons. The German tanks have strong front armor, compared to what those guns can penetrate.

Basically you need a side shot if the range is moderate or long. A flat one, meaning close to 90 degrees from the direct the tank is facing. At 500 meters, about 30 degrees off the side might work - at 1000 meters, you need zero side angle, practically (a right angle to the tank's facing).

From the front, your only real chance of penetrating them is T ammo - special "sub-caliber" tungsten core rounds, also known as Armor Piercing Composite Rigid or APCR. And those still need very close range - like 200 meters - and little side angle. If you get a front turret hit on the Pz IVs - or a lower front hull hit on the Pz IIIs - the range can be a bit longer.

In practice, this means the 45mms work by crossfire, and letting the Germans get close enough that they are coming between separate nests of ATGs. While they are still at their far end of the map, they can readily present their thick fronts to all your guns. Don't even try to hurt them then.

Instead, when they get closer, they will start to pass some group of guns. Aim for the tanks you can see from the side. When those guns of yours open up, the Germans may turn to face them. Then open fire with other guns that wind up with side shots as a result of those turns.

-----Tanks------

--45*-------45--

----------------

----------45----

For example the * gun or guns opens up when they see the side of the tanks. When the tanks turn right to face these, the other two sets open fire.

If they don't come between you, they have to come straight over you. Hold your fire until very close range if that is happening. Then open fire with a gun that has some T ammo. Put those up front and in middle positions in your scheme. Pick the tank most nearly facing you - you want zero side angle. And fire at 100 meters, point blank range.

The most effective fire is the stuff delivered from the side at long range, after a turn. Because, at 800m to 1200m or so, they often won't see you even when you are firing. They get a "sound contact", but not the exact position of the gun. This means you can keep firing without being knocked out by their replies.

In the demo scenario, it is also a good idea to concentrate on knocking out the Pz IVs in particular, with your 45mm guns. If you get most of those, your own tanks have a much longer life expectancy. Keep your tanks out of sight until your guns have had a chance to kill his IVs. The IVs are much more dangerous to a KV than a III is - though the IIIs can still get you if they are close enough.

One other tip - if you sight from one of your guns with the LOS tool and put the end of the LOS line on an enemy tank, you will get a read out next to the tank that tells you how far away it is, the percent chance of hitting it with the next shot, and the likelihood of killing it if you do hit it. With the 45mm, you want that likelihood to read "low" or better ("OK" is a good shot). Not "rare" or "none". "Very low" is usually not good enough to open fire, but is worth it if you have already been spotted.

I hope this helps.

[ April 15, 2005, 04:51 PM: Message edited by: JasonC ]

[terrakota]

didn't know all that factors affect this game,

thanks for your grat help JasonC