Help! Will a wirblewind fire when driving?

[SturmSebber]

Hi,

I am advancing a couple of tigers and one wirblewind in open country. The enemy aircraft made an (unsuccesfull) run on them, and the driving wirblewind never shot at them!! My question is, should i stop the wirblewind for the next turn in order for it to fire on aircraft?

Thanks in advance!

Ps.: Is this a good way to protect your heavy tanks against aircraft? I also have some flak, but i tought it best to have something to accompany my tanks.

[MrSpkr]

Good question on the driving bit. I dunno the answer, but you could just game out a scenario and see what happens. Make it a 25 turn scenario, clear weather, daylight, very dry ground, Americans defend from German Attack.

Make a sample scenario map -- a large one. Set an impassable cliff across the center of the map, blocking all visions, etc. Put a patch of woods next to the edge on the American side -- everything else is clear terrain.

For the Germans, buy ten wirbelwinds.

For the Americans, buy an infantry platoon. Set it up in the woods (to help avoid friendly fire). Buy as reinforcements 6 planes (regular) se4t to come in on turn 2.

Now, play your scenario. On turn one, have 4 of the Wirblewinds go fast in circles; Have 3 'move' in circles; have two 'reverse' in circles; have one 'hunt' in circles (make sure you plot out enough movement waypoints and distance for the movements to be stretched out over several turns).

Play the turns out and note who fires and what kind of move they had.

Let us know the results.

(Lord I am bored at work today).

Steve

[Kingfish]

Originally posted by SturmSebber:

Ps.: Is this a good way to protect your heavy tanks against aircraft? I also have some flak, but i tought it best to have something to accompany my tanks.

Since the majority of CM maps are well within the range of German light flak, having a mobile Flak unit accompaning the tanks is unnecessary. Have them lay back in overwatch, with occasional short hops as the action moves forward. Putting them in the front line risks exposure to enemy tank / AT fire (which they aren't built to withstand).

[WWB]

As for tanks and aircraft attack, generally I ignore the threat. There are very few battles which feature enough airpower to take out a platoon of tigers, or even mark IVs. Hitting a small target such as a tank with a bomb in the days before termial guidance and computer assisted targeting is not an easy feat.

But I would worry about my HTs and other open-topped vehicles. Once lost a whole platoon in a single pass.

WWB

[Col Deadmarsh]

I think the Wirblewind has to be unbuttoned to fire at opposing aircraft, doesn't it?