Tiger I vs 2xT34/85 - do or die?

[RNL Tiger]

I recently played a QBME, written up in the AAR section, where I was losing the battle. The armour battle had been fought down to these last three tanks: Tiger I [crack] vs 2 x T34/85 [veteran].

The Tiger is just about to knock out a T34/85 leaving two more just behind it still in action:



Given the state of the battle if the Tiger could knockout the last two T34s the battle would swing back to the Axis side - in this do or die situation would you go for the kill?

[Der Kuenstler]

Luck rarely works for me - If I had time I would be safe and back the Tiger into a hull-down postion somewhere as bait and make the T-34s pass through a gauntlet of schreks and hiding squads with grenade bundles to get to it.

[herroberst]

Only hope for T-34/85s is flank or rear shot or very close range frontal shot so situation not optimum for Russians. Guess I would sit tight with the T-34s with covered arcs and open hatches and hope the Tiger comes around that corneror you could check to see if you could shoot through those woods. If you have infantry move it up to keep the Tiger buttoned and you can destroy the Tiger with grenades given a few turns with infantry next to it. If the Tiger doesn't cover his arc against the T-34s and turns to engage infantry then consider a quick sortie to get on the Tiger's flanks.

[Soldier]

My answer to your question is, Yes!!
The T34/85's are showing their left side and partially the rear, to your Tiger tank.
I give the Tiger tank an order to turn right, in order to face the two T34/85's head on (no time delay for this order) and place a narrow blue marker over the T34/85's as well.. no chance for distractions due to closer proximity enemy infantry, etc. etc..
In my opinion, you don't have the time to reverse the Tiger out of harms way anyway.. :-)

[RNL Tiger]

Only hope for T-34/85s is flank or rear shot or very close range frontal shot so situation not optimum for Russians.

Oh, I wish that were really true. I have just written up an AAR [https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards...?tid=43128] where I lost two of my beloved tigers to the T-34/85. One was at 300m, where the paper tiger was nearly front-on and another was at just over 500m front-on. Yes, that second one was really unlucky but the result was the same - two dead tigers...

[herroberst]

Well, I consider 300-500m to be pretty much point blank.

As has been stated it is probably best to leave the Tigers back on overwatch than to join a melee in complex terrain.