Nippy Posted September 23, 2002 Share Posted September 23, 2002 Man, that AI is a tricky SOB. I desided to try my hand at Urban defence with a short 20 turn QB in a built up town. The Battle was 1500 points. I played as the defending Germans and the AI as the Attacking Americans with their force leaning towards armor. Normally the Computer doesn't like to buy tanks from some reason. So all I bought for Anti-Armor was 2 Elite Hetzers, One Elite PZ IV/70, a 50mm PAK, and a few Panzerfausts. Cheap, but accurate. It should be able to handle whatever the Americans throw at me, right? Like I said, damn AI tricked me: 10 M4 Shermans of various types 1 M10 TD 2 Half-Tracks And a piss load of Infantry I was screwed...or so I though till my little buddy the Hetzer showed up. The PAK and the First Hetzer took a few tanks and inf with them before being knocked out. Then the double team of the PZIV/70 and the second Hetzer started to go to work. Shermans brewed left and right of me. Allied inf ran in fright away from "the tiny terror". With the PZIV/70 watching his back, the little lowly Hetzer racked up this kill score (and lived to tell about it): 32 Inf casutilies 1 destoryed Mortor 6 Destored Shermans And the Battle result? Total Axis Victory! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul T. Gardner Posted September 23, 2002 Share Posted September 23, 2002 Nice little AAR. You mean you didn't know the value of the mighty little Hetzer? Relatively cheap, with well-sloped armour that is surprisingly resistant, and a not too shabby 75mm PaK 39 (L/48) gun. It is modelled pretty well IMHO, and Combat Mission does it the justice it deserves. In Real Life , the Hetzer was more akin to Guderians' concept of a capable tank destroyer for use by infantry units than the larger, improvised Jagdpanzers. Used properly, it was effective, though it was surprisingly unpopular with its crews. Although well designed externally, it had even less traverse in its gun mounting than many other Panzerjaeger/StuGs. Apparently, the loader/gunner arrangement was somewhat akward also. And as usual, it was too little too late... Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Radley Posted September 24, 2002 Share Posted September 24, 2002 I've changed a few opponents minds about the Hetzer. I've found it to be a tough little tank that shrugs off a lot frontal hits and if you can get it on higher ground than your enemy, it'll just sit there and take out opposing tank after tank. I always buy one or two when making my choices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nippy Posted September 24, 2002 Author Share Posted September 24, 2002 Originally posted by Boo_Radley: I've changed a few opponents minds about the Hetzer. I've found it to be a tough little tank that shrugs off a lot frontal hits and if you can get it on higher ground than your enemy, it'll just sit there and take out opposing tank after tank. I always buy one or two when making my choices.I just got done with another QB using a few Hetzers going hull down against Brit Cromwell and Churchill tanks. One Hetzer took 10 frontal hits at 500 meters and only lost the main gun. I have to say, the little buggers are tough. I can't wait to try them out in CMBB. ...now the Marder series on the other hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Schultz Posted September 25, 2002 Share Posted September 25, 2002 I love the little cockroaches. Give a hetzer or two some flank protection with Lynxs or PSWs to keep the M8s/Stuarts away and it really shines for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Björn Eriksson Posted September 25, 2002 Share Posted September 25, 2002 Hetzers are IMHO the absolutely best tank destroyers the germans have in CMBO. In one QB versus the AI, a single Hetzer destroyed 2 Churchill VIII's in two turns. They both came into its view at the same time and they shot at each other for a entire turn, neither side got any penetrations. In the next turn, the veteran Hetzer crew first took out the gun of the first Churchill, knocked out the second one and then turned back to set the first one on fire. Since then, I've always taken at least two of these cuties to all of my PBEM battles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Radley Posted September 25, 2002 Share Posted September 25, 2002 Originally posted by Nippy: ...now the Marder series on the other hand. I just finished a PBEM where I took out my opponent's Marder with 60mm mortar fire. He was not pleased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvio Manuel Posted September 25, 2002 Share Posted September 25, 2002 Originally posted by Nippy: Marders are OK in CMBO, you can buy a lot of them to overwhelm enemy tanks w/ better numbers. They should really be sweet in CMBB, w/ their optics (guessing here) and also at decent range they should outshine inferior Russian tank guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevsharr Posted September 26, 2002 Share Posted September 26, 2002 The problem with the hetzer was the gun had to be positioned as far to the right as possible therfor the driver,gunner and loader were all lined up in a row on the left side with the loader having to reach across the gun to reach the safety switches and under or behind the gun to reach the majority of the ammunition supply.Also the only mean's of escape for the three of them was the hatch at the rear of the superstructure.The commander was isolated from the rest of the crew by being stationed in the right rear on the other side of the gun.When buttoned up it was virtually blind on the right side.But even with these shortcoming's it was a usefull design.Interestingly enough it was supposed to be formed into panzerjager unit's for the infantry division's to give them better organic anti-tank capabilitiesbut were eventually assigned to independent panzer-jager units and parceled out where ever needed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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