Tanks with 'anti-climb' paint?

[xian]

Are there plans to allow teams or pairs of soldiers to ride on the backs of tanks like in CM1?

[Holman]

That's said to be coming with the Eastern Front game. In the West, tank-riding was apparently seldom used near battle conditions, so it is not included here.

It's a choice between allowing for the 0.5% of the time it might have occurred and the gaminess of everybody using tanks as battle taxis all the time.

[Barkhorn1x]

Well, they rode tanks in "Kelly's Hero's" - I saw it!

Cmon BF, put some realism in CMBN.

[MikeyD]

It not that they don't want it in, its more that they also want a dozen things besides. So some projects take precedent. Should Charles be using his valuable programming time working on flamethrowers, tank riders, or really cool undefined feature X? The man's only got eight arms.

[dieseltaylor]

Actually it was a new tactic for the US in Normandy. Well documented too. However I suppose design decisions have to be made.

[Holman]

Actually it was a new tactic for the US in Normandy. Well documented too. However I suppose design decisions have to be made.

But was it used near the point of contact with the enemy? If I'm remembering what little I've read, tank riding was used for mobility outside of combat conditions. Given that few CMBN maps can offer any real distance to travel before reaching the battle area, I think tank riding would be unrealistic at this scale.

Of course I may be wrong, as often.

[MikeyD]

Germans of course had the small problem of the troops likely getting scoured off the top of the tank by a surprise Thunderbolt straffing run. U.S. docrine, I believe, had infantry unloading from their HTs a good 8-900m from the forward line for fear of enemy fire. I'd hate to be perched 8 feet in the air on top of a Sherman when a hidden MG42 opens up on me.

[xian]

Yes, good point, I guess I did just use them as convenient taxi service for my troops.

[Cymru]

Well, they rode tanks in "Kelly's Hero's" - I saw it!

Cmon BF, put some realism in CMBN.

And used paint shells: I want those DayGlow beauties in my tanks!

[dieseltaylor]

By 25 July, CCA of the 2d Armored and the 22d Infantry had developed a novel way for tanks and infantry to cooperate during fast-moving operations: the infantry rode on the back decks of tanks and only dismounted when the attack met stiff enemy resistance. The overall tactical plan developed by Brigadier General Maurice A. Rose's CCA and the 22d Infantry called for units to attack in three assault waves. The first echelon consisted solely of tanks and relied on its own mobility and firepower, along with supporting artillery, to eliminate enemy positions. A second wave of tanks and infantry closely followed the lead elements. Eight infantrymen rode on the back deck of each Sherman in the second wave. The infantry had two main purposes. They provided tanks in the second wave with local security, and whenever the tanks in the first wave encountered stiff resistance, the infantry dismounted and worked with the lead tanks to conduct a coordinated combined arms attack. The third echelon also consisted of tanks and infantry and had the mission of eliminating positions bypassed or not detected by the leading elements.69

Infantry units learned how best to mount, dismount, and ride on tanks and taught their soldiers how to use the new external telephones mounted on most of CCA's tanks. Infantrymen also found ways to camouflage themselves with vegetation while riding on Shermans. Leaders generally found that infantrymen easily adapted to the new tasks involved in working with armor.70

On the morning of 26 July, the day after the saturation bombing that marked the opening of the Cobra offensive, CCA, applying some of its new techniques, conducted a forward passage of lines through the 30th Infantry Division and attacked southward (see map 4). General Rose's mission was to seize high ground in the vicinity of Hill 193 and le Mesnil-Herman and then establish defensive positions to repel German counterattacks aimed at American follow-on forces. CCA's attack was the type of action most preferred by American commanders, a highly fluid situation in which mobile forces overran or bypassed enemy resistance.71

As a result of their new tactics and the intensive prebattle training period, CCA and the 22d Infantry made spectacular gains during the attack. The combined arms team worked closely together. Artillery observers rode in the lead tanks and brought accurate, indirect fire down on the enemy. Infantry battalion commanders with manpack radios rode in command tanks to better coordinate tankers and riflemen. The commander of the 22d Infantry reported that his soldiers were enthusiastic about riding the Shermans "Russian style." The infantry found that riding on tanks gave them several advantages. The height of the tanks put the riflemen above grazing fire and gave them better observation. Riding on tanks that moved at irregular speeds also made the infantry more difficult targets. In two days, CCA penetrated more than six miles into the German Seventh Army's sector. Cobra's preparatory bombardment, sporadic German resistance, and the coordination and swift execution of CCA's attack resulted in light casualties for the Americans. By nightfall of 27 July, General Rose was on his objective, having lost only 3 tanks and less than 200 men.72

Doubler

http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/resources/csi/doubler/doubler.asp

Reasonably at the pointy end of the fighting.

[Ankh Morpork]

That's said to be coming with the Eastern Front game.

Proberbly been mentioned before...but for me Eastern Front was news! Very good news since I concider CMBB to be the best game i've ever played!

[dan/california]

The thing is, its a high cost feature to add. Their are a lot on animations, modeling, and AI tweaks to make this work. Then it all has to be tested and debugged. When it has to be done , it will be.

[Sequoia]

Yeah I'd rather see Flamethrowers/Flame vehicles and AA arty first.

[ChrisND]

Not aimed at anyone in particular:

Whenever you want a new feature, especially one that is rather exotic and unnecessary for the setting, always ask yourself: "What am I willing to sacrifice for this?" The game isn't developed in a time vacuum. If one thing gets added, then something (or multiple somethings) else has to be left out, at least for the time being.

[Ankh Morpork]

Not aimed at anyone in particular:

Whenever you want a new feature, especially one that is rather exotic and unnecessary for the setting, always ask yourself: "What am I willing to sacrifice for this?" The game isn't developed in a time vacuum. If one thing gets added, then something (or multiple somethings) else has to be left out, at least for the time being.

Ofc - but atleast in CMBB I used this option loads to get my units forward fast

[gunnergoz]

Something else to note: the armored infantry battalions of the US armored divisions were much more closely aligned and trained with their tank battalions, making this sort of "desant" cooperation feasible. Recall there was a 1:1 ratio of infantry battalions to tank battalions in 14 of the 16 US armored divisions, the 2nd and 3rd being the exceptions with 3 infantry battalions to 6 tank battalions.

On the other hand, the 9 infantry battalions in the infantry divisions had only one tank battalion to share among themselves and they did not get as much time training and working with them.

[Sitting Duck]

...Whenever you want a new feature...always ask yourself: "What am I willing to sacrifice for this?"...

+1

BTW - Is there a list of what could be sacrificed?

Without a list all we can do is discuss on a forum and hopefully get the agreement of the community - and then the product team.

I'm voting for cooperative multi-player. You know, where each leader/team can be controlled by a different human player. What can we sacrifice for THAT?!

[dan/california]

Ofc - but atleast in CMBB I used this option loads to get my units forward fast

And BFC has stated repeatedly that it will be for the Ostfront tile when it finally sees the light of day.

[Ankh Morpork]

And BFC has stated repeatedly that it will be for the Ostfront tile when it finally sees the light of day.

Ehh yes? I've never claimed anything else. He said "Whenever you want a new feature, especially one that is rather exotic and unnecessary for the setting,".

I just pointed out that its not unnecessary.

[ChrisND]

Ehh yes? I've never claimed anything else. He said "Whenever you want a new feature, especially one that is rather exotic and unnecessary for the setting,".

I just pointed out that its not unnecessary.

I was referring to CMBN.

[Ankh Morpork]

Ofcourse you were - this is CMBN's forum.

You seem to miss the point. I do know we get it with Eastern Front, Im just saying that using tanks as a ride for infantry is something I used alot on CMBB.