halftracks disobeying commands

[DunkopfJaeger]

I was playing "Der Manstein Kommt". I prepared laboriously a quick rush across a bridge with numbers of loaded halftracks (Fast command) to consolidate my bridgehead won at some cost by my tanks across the river. My loaded troops were then to fan out quickly to cover. I prepared smoke to cover them and timed it to coincide with the rush. My halftracks were to end in reasonable cover behind empty buildings in an area behind my defending tanks. As my carefully prepared move unfolded, my lead halftrack copped a little machine gun fire and stopped on the bridge! Due to a wreck on the bridge there was only a single lane and a traffic jam ensued and all my troops started to unload on the bridge whereupon they were panicked by a little small arms fire and started running off the bridge into open ground and ice. Then to top it all off a light AT gun started blowing up my STUPID STUPID halftracks that would at that stage have been sipping a little Shnapps in safety had they just listened to my orders!! How would others approach such a situation to avoid this debacle?

[Treeburst155]

I've run into this many times before. Halftracks are timid. If they take fire that can hurt them (MGs could do it if close enough), or if they spot something like a tank or an AC, they get out of LOS. Remember, just about anything can kill a halftrack.

I've had some luck by buttoning the HTs. This way they don't spot something dangerous so easily. They're more likely to "run the gauntlet".

Treeburst155 out.

[lucero1148]

I would have sent 1 or 2 halftracks out to cross the bridge and have the rest hang back for overwatch and covering fire.

All best Patrick

[junk2drive]

OTOH had they followed your order and been knocked out on the bridge, you would have the same situation.

Big targets are easier to see. You may have been better off walking the troops across the bridge.

I find HTs on both sides to be a pain unless you are in total control of an area.

See the other recent thread on HTs.

[DunkopfJaeger]

Wow, three answers in not much more than 3 minutes! Thanx guys! Its all very helpful.

Im not sure if walking would have worked, I would have thot the small arms fire should affect inf more than HT although I agree with you on larger MG's etc. Also the scenario is heavy snow and extreme cold and my troops fatigue when they scratch their ears, let alone advance, hence the need for HT's or other transport. Im not sure I buttoned the HT's, i dont think I did and I should have. I wondered if the "move" command would have worked better than "fast"? I did have some overwatch with a couple of recons and a tank or two but I could have done with more, also knocking out a bit more opposition and perhaps a little more smoke. Where is the thread on HT's you are referring too junk2drive?

Thanks again everybody. This is my first posting after being an avid player and lurker for a couple of years.

[junk2drive]

I do the work for you this time

Tips and Tricks click here

But at the top of the page is a search button. It isn't always easy to go through all the results but sometimes you get more than the three posts here.

[DunkopfJaeger]

well, I redid the move and simply allowed my tanks to defeat more of the opposition and then experimented with walking troops across or single HTs or a group. Pretty much the most successful was single HTs and getting them to reverse into cover as soon as they dropped off the squad. The walkers got very tired exposed to the blizzard. So the HTs were very useful and resisted a little small arms fire quite well.

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SPOILER

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in Der Manstein Kommt it is very interesting because the severe weather effects force you to abandon usual operational practice and the dictum of advancing troops first through towns from cover to cover. Troops "advance" for literally 10-20 meters before tiring and to move them you have to "walk" them... Using AFV's followed by HT's is mandatory to advance in this operation after the first couple of battles.

[junk2drive]

Sounds like you learned a lot. Guessing that you are new to the games, you will find out lots of little changes in gameplay based on weather.

Night battles add a whole other dimension. And fear of friendly fire from behind.

Come on over to the proving grounds and have a look at the new learning tips.