Halftracks "How to"

[Major Rags]

I will only use a Halftrack if I'm Allied and need to move mortars quickly. Then you might as well get a mortar HT most of the time. They can't hide as well as mortar crews, but they have a lot of rounds. The Allied small AT's can be towed with a jeep and if I need big guns I get an Airborne howitzer that can be towed with a jeep. If I'm German, I buy gun tractors for hauling heavy weapons and guns behind the front line.

Squads walk or ride tanks.

[George MC]

Half tracks on the CM quick battle/small scenarios arena don't seem to have much of a half life. However once you get into playing large scale actions e.g. maps several Km across then H/Ts come into their own.

For sure you have to provide very good support for them, tanks they ain't but when the enemy infantry and A/T defences have been suppressed/smoked you can move infantry into place very quickly for an assault, finish of that group of enemy, mount up and move on. Thats where I have had most success.

On small scale battles, as has been said best to dismount infantry in cover then assault on foot. As a side note in Patrick Agte's biography about Jochaim peiper and the Blowtorch battalion there are several passages where SPW tactics are discussed - you'll all like this next bit quote Peiper himself -"...The SPW battalion used to attack Russian villages like a cavalry unit: From all sides at full speed, firing evrything we had..."

I would assume that A/T defences, tanks and what have you are not in the picture

[markl]

If I remember correctly the old "King Of The Hill" scenario that used to be at Boots and tracks was a good scenario for truck use and I think half track use. If playing the allied side you start off in the centre of the map occupying the hill.

The enemy spawn in at least two places behide you and I found trucks and I think Half tracks good for transferring troops around to the correct areas. I even used tanks to clear the way for truck mounted troops to get behind the main axis front to fight from behind.

This was a classic scenario that allowed for a lot of varied atttacks. Should have been more like it. It was advertised as best for PBEM but against the AI I thought it was ok as well. It came with two varients easy and hard.

I think one problem with half tracks in CM is the scale of the maps. They are too small to need moving troops around. A lot of battles start where the half tracks would have dropped the troops off.

If it is at the depot give it a go and try mooving your troops around as the allies.

Cheers MarkL

[Panzer Aufklarung]

Expendable recon assets to draw fire and die.

Ditto to all of no_one's input. Smoking is the habit to have if you want to keep them alive as APCs in an assault. Don't even consider them in the same category as AFVs or modern Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs).

[flamingknives]

Actually, the 251 and 250 series are quite comparable to the BMP1 and BMP2. Vulnerable to anti-materiel rifles of the day and HMG fire and will be obliterated by any serious AT weaponry.

The BuMPs have better guns though.

[JasonC]

Improper use of HTs (1) - put two platoons in 8 HTs, recreate Pickett's charge. Reason it is improper - "sir I have no division".

Improper use of HTs (2) - drive one empty straight through enemy positions until it dies. Reason it is improper - you drive.

Improper use of HTs (3) - park at rear of map, admire latest mod, ignore. Reason it is improper - you coulda had vets (i.e. it wastes points).

Proper use of HTs (1) - carry mortars and HMGs to back side of cover they are to use. Reason it works - infantry heavy weapons are powerful but slow, and highly vulnerable if caught in the open.

Proper use of HTs (2) - keyholed between two buildings with LOS only to a single enemy infantry unit, hosing him with MG fire. Reason it works - you only need one target. If most of the map can't see you, most AT weapons can't hurt you. AT weapons aren't very mobile, tanks don't park in buildings, ATRs sting but you generally have time to clear out.

Proper use of HTs (3) - in the last ten minutes with enemy AT badly weakened, moved aggressively to cut off open routes between bodies of cover and see into previously dead ground. Reason it works - the enemy has little AT left and if he reveals it your tanks know what to avoid. His infantry is paralyzed when it can't reposition. You only have to fight a piece of him at a time. An live, armored MG nest with ammo remaining, that moves, is a huge asset after turn 30.

Germans SPW 251/1s are good for this. M3 Scout cars are good for this. (Ammo, thicker front than M3-M5 series HTs). MG carriers are good for this. You only need about enough to lift half your infantry heavy weapons. Even just having 2 can give you weapon repositioning options you will not get otherwise.

[Dschugaschwili]

Originally posted by JasonC:

Proper use of HTs (2) - keyholed between two buildings with LOS only to a single enemy infantry unit, hosing him with MG fire.

I got good results with the German 75mm gun halftracks in this role lately. Better firepower, but no carrying capacity. If you are careful enough to keep them alive, those halftracks can give you the mobile firepower that your limited armor budget does not allow you to buy.

Dschugaschwili

[Krautman]

Believe it or not, i once had one of these take out a T-34. Some PzIIILs in the front line drew the T-34's fire, and the HT popped up in the flank and got a hit with hc ammo. What a good luck...

[Denwad]

the stummel are really great to have in a pinch, but they are no substitue for real armor.

if you try to use them like tanks, they will die.

instead of 2 (or 3? or 4?) 75mm armed hts I'd rather take a STuH