Taking out AT Pillboxes

[Frunze]

I've played the "Valley of Trouble" scenario against the AI a lot, both sides. There's a 75mm AT gun vs. Shermans.

With multiple Shermans it's not hard to take it out, even at long range. The AI does a trick I haven't been able to get my tanks to do, though. The tank will move up, fire once, then move back out of LOS to reload, usually putting smoke right in front of itself.

[Ozzy]

Originally posted by Gyrene:

Sharpshooters tend to get bored (it seems) and will start to target infantry if there are no other better targets around, wasting valuable ammo. The thing to do is to "Hide" the sharpshooter until something better turns up, then unhide the him and let him do his job.

[/QB]

Another handy trick to prevent them from firing on their discretion is HIDE them and place and AMBUSH marker on a stupid place where no enemy presence is likely, e.g. when sharpshooter is in base level of a building, place the ambush marker in the upper store, when placed in a woodline, place the ambush into the woods, etc.

[Stixx]

Originally posted by Frunze:

I've played the "Valley of Trouble" scenario against the AI a lot, both sides. There's a 75mm AT gun vs. Shermans.

With multiple Shermans it's not hard to take it out, even at long range. The AI does a trick I haven't been able to get my tanks to do, though. The tank will move up, fire once, then move back out of LOS to reload, usually putting smoke right in front of itself.

This is most likely the TAC AI pulling back the tank and should work the same for you as it does for the AI.

Try giving your tank orders to "move" to a hull down position but in LOS of the pill box, and a reverse order down from the hull down position.

Normally he will have just enough time to get a shot off before he reverse back out of LOS.

[Frunze]

Thanks, Stixx. That works; I think my mistake earlier was using "hunt."

Using this method, two Shermans in different positions, and a flamethrower unit as distraction, I can usually take out the pillbox without losing either tank, or even the flamethrower unit. I don't think pillbox gun size would make much difference, either, since it usually couldn't get any kind of hit.