Vehicle recovery

[Weasel]

Well as an ex-zipper head I can tell you even an easy track break...is not easy. You have to knock the track pin out with a torpedo (not submarine) just to break the track to get good ends. Then if the track break is on top, which it never is it is always on the bottom, you have to roll the vehicle backwards to access the track and replace it. Then put the track back over the drive sprocket and move forward and put the pin back in. This is just a brief, not exact summary but you get the idea.

BTW - time to change a tire on a 21/2 ton truck (if outer) is about 1 hour, inner easily doubled.

All of this requires standing and hammering with a sledge hammer etc. With someone shooting at you, you would be dead. The time is hours, even on an M113.

[Vesku]

So the comment I've read from a German panzer ace obviously is not valid. Sorry about that.

[Walrus]

Now, now...

You said
"I remember reading somewhere that one broken piece of track could be repaired by the crew on field in just 15 minutes."

Chris seems to be talking from personal experience as a tanker.

Horse's (or Weasel's) mouth vs vague recollections from an un-named book.

Which would you give the most credence

[Imp]

So the comment I've read from a German panzer ace obviously is not valid. Sorry about that

Not trying to dis just putting into context, as in yes perhaps possible but thats just one part of the procedure as Weasel said & you can only start it if not under fire. Also if running gear took any damage as is likely if shot at or mine thats it. Another report from German Tiger Ace sorry forget name but credited 80 plus kills he threw a track the previous day, thats just a thrown track not due to fire. It obviosly did not take that amount of time to fix it but was not safe to attempt till then so they had to defend the tank till then or destroy it.
The modern link I posted mentioned in dispatches for recovery under fire, not chastised for the fact 9 hours later they had only recovered it not repaired it. I would therefore say you do not attempt repair recovery normaly unless you control the battlefield.
I have no doubt the Germans were trained to do minor repairs fits with their doctrine & from what I have read had there handsfull keeping stuff going anyway often with a third of Pz Co under repair on the Eastern Front. The likes of Russians most of the time training on using the tank was inadequate let alone fixing it in my view.
I have no military training but feel overal the game designers choice is right based on what I have found & the confines of a relativly simple game engine.
This also applies to the other WAW thing of fixing vehicle equipment, would you really try unless not in the front line. Someone has got to stop his job & fix it so you are now not firing another weapon or 1 man short keeping an eye out for the enemy & stationary so he can fiddle with it, sounds reckless to me.

[Weasel]

So the comment I've read from a German panzer ace obviously is not valid. Sorry about that.

Maybe it was only a broken track pin so only part of the track separated, then it is just a matter of forcing the ends together and driving in a new pin. But once again, with a sledge hammer and you have to be standing up.

"Broken" can be anything from needs new batteries to recycle it time. If they said the track broke in two and they had to do as I said above, I would say BS to the story. But then again, with bullets coming at you, you may just be inspired enough to do it in 15!!

[klanx171]

Im agreeing with all the mechanical fixing stuff but if a vehicle is just stuck there might be chance that it can get itself out without the crew getting out, just rocking back and forth to climb the bank or shift some ground etc.

Bags not to be the one who gets out under fire to do repairs.:whis:

[Weasel]

Im agreeing with all the mechanical fixing stuff but if a vehicle is just stuck there might be chance that it can get itself out without the crew getting out, just rocking back and forth to climb the bank or shift some ground etc.

Bags not to be the one who gets out under fire to do repairs.:whis:

I actually did this. We were on a live battle run and we had just jockeyed position when my crew commander called for a forward hard left. Well I did as he asked and ended up with one track six feet down touching the ground, and the right track six feet in the air and the tank was on a pivot point. He drove me into a hull down position from the drop off end. I heard my gunner telling him "that isn't his fault, he can't see what is 5 feet in front of him"(blind spot extends to about 15 feet in front). Anyway, we were stuck and thought we were out of the battle run but then I said screw it. I floored the pedal and starting shifting gears from reverse to forward without letting off on the gas. That bitch was jumping all over the place but after a few minutes the track finally dug in enough to move us forward. Glad it was a loaner tank from the Lord Strathacona's because I am sure that transmission was toast.

[Imp]

klanx171 Wrote:
Im agreeing with all the mechanical fixing stuff but if a vehicle is just stuck there might be chance that it can get itself out without the crew getting out, just rocking back and forth to climb the bank or shift some ground etc.

Bags not to be the one who gets out under fire to do repairs.

Agree but again game engine restrictions, differentiate between mine & say terrain or even diffrent types of causing it, mud stream stuck rough lost a track possibly. Also as another unit cannot assist needs a time restriction of say 3 turns. If you have not freed yourself by then you are probably in a worse position than you started in or maybe its just my driving. If you really want can build your own recovery vehicle, give it a carry cap of 255 (250 cant remember same as landing craft). This will only work if vehicle is still crewed & it actually picks it up so if destroyed lose both. Now if another vehicle in the same hex could interact with & push opens things up but would really need a formula to work out chance based on diffrence in weights tracked or wheeled etc.
The game sort of tries to cover the bases by making you drive slowly through sticking terrain so think of as that lost time was nearly stuck & stuck is stuck. Slightly botched because you might have lost the MP the previous turn driving upto but not on it.

[klanx171]

I was just thinkin like the old SPwaw, if it was a simple terrain imob there was a chance that it might get out after time, sometimes 5 or more turns. Im hopin that wont screw the code up too much.:rolleyes:

[klanx171]

Im agreeing with all the mechanical fixing stuff but if a vehicle is just stuck there might be chance that it can get itself out without the crew getting out, just rocking back and forth to climb the bank or shift some ground etc.

Bags not to be the one who gets out under fire to do repairs.:whis:

I actually did this. We were on a live battle run and we had just jockeyed position when my crew commander called for a forward hard left. Well I did as he asked and ended up with one track six feet down touching the ground, and the right track six feet in the air and the tank was on a pivot point. He drove me into a hull down position from the drop off end. I heard my gunner telling him "that isn't his fault, he can't see what is 5 feet in front of him"(blind spot extends to about 15 feet in front). Anyway, we were stuck and thought we were out of the battle run but then I said screw it. I floored the pedal and starting shifting gears from reverse to forward without letting off on the gas. That bitch was jumping all over the place but after a few minutes the track finally dug in enough to move us forward. Glad it was a loaner tank from the Lord Strathacona's because I am sure that transmission was toast.

Now that would be fun to watch, bags not fixing it...:whis: