T-38 tactics

[Sergei]

I think it's time to start discussion of what tactics apply the best to each vehicle. As a starter, I'll use T-38 and T-38M2, of which the latter has a more powerful engine but otherwise identical.

These tankettes have an all-around 9mm armour, but here's a nice tip for you all: front hull is at 18 degree angle, but rear upper hull has a 25 and lower hull 60 degree angle. So, to bring your strongest armour towards the enemy, you should reverse toward him, with a cover arc in the direction of advance so the turret faces the right way. With this little tip your T-38 becomes a nearly indestructible killer! (This also applies to the T-40.)

So what's your favourite T-38 tactic, then?

[Thompson]

Sorry to say this, but that sounds gamey. YMMV.

[Sergei]

Well I have to agree, but buying T-38's (in particular the M2 variant, not even to begin with the T-40) is obvious cherry picking, anyway, so at that point it doesn't really matter.

To prove that my tactic works, I tested it in the scenario editor. A 37mm Pak36, at 3500m, has a 'fair' chance to kill a T-38 from the front, but only 'low' from the back.

[Joachim]

It is not gamey but moviey - to get out of any trouble as fast (or even faster) as it got into trouble.

BTW-what is the Hit prob for the PaK (with and without TRP)

Gruß

Joachim

[Kanonier Reichmann]

I would imagine not good at 3.5 km's!

Regards

Jim R.

[Thermopylae]

So, basically..it doesn't freakin matter.

[Pugilist]

[ April 28, 2004, 04:26 PM: Message edited by: Konstantine ]

[tar]

Actually, I think that vehicles in CMxx are just a little too nimble when reversing. Especially tanks. What kind of view did a typical tank driver have to the rear? Even unbuttoned, it doesn't look like it would be particularly conducive to high-speed driving.

[Oddball_E8]

the commander would be guiding him as his eyes so to speak... however this would dramatically decrease spotting since the commander was now the "driver" too...

[Sergei]

Just so that no-one would feel betrayed, while the facts stated were true, the findings based on those were merely a joke about that the Russian tankettes have 'better' armour in the rear than in front. Still, 9mm is 9mm is 9mm. At 60 degree angle it might be enough to deflect HMG fire, but otherwise even a 7.92mm Panzerjägerbüchse will kill it at conventional ranges, if not otherwise then through the turret. And 3.5km is just silly distance, how often do you come up with such ranges in CMBB? Even if you did, you wouldn't want to reverse instead of moving fast...

Seriously though, has anyone ever found these tankettes useful? T-38M2 is pretty quick, but can be killed with a pointed stick. I have only once had them in a PBEM, and one actually survived to the end of the match mainly because I was super-careful with it and only used it to suppress enemy infantry in their foxholes in support of my infantry. Another one died while scouting ahead of my main force, probably was killed by a German ATR or then by artillery, I can't remember.

So I think their main use would be as a supporting weapon for attacking infantry when Maxim's are too slow to follow. Just minimize exposure to enemy ATR's and HMG's by use of key hole positions.

Used properly, they are much better than T-34's or KV's!!!!!!

[Joachim]

Originally posted by Sergei:

Used properly, they are much better than T-34's or KV's!!!!!!

Sure. Especially the shock effect. Glad CM is not RT. In a PBEM you have enough time to recover from the T38's feared ROTFL-effect. In TCPs they are probably terrible weapons, rendering the enemy helpless for several turns.

Gruß

Joachim

[Sergei]

It is well known that in 1941 the official Soviet tank doctrine was "Shock and Amuse" (aka. "T-34 and T-26").

[37mm]

The German doctrine of trying to 'win the hearts & minds' of the Soviet people never went too well did it.