Tips from the Frontline

[RNL Tiger]

Evaluation of performance

From the original AAR I had noted some tips:
• Armour – must be selected to match its strengths and weaknesses to the battle conditions, especially the terrain and weather. Exploit the armour fully in both its key functions during a meeting engagement: knocking out enemy armour and blasting the enemy infantry. In using armour to attack enemy armour try to determine where all of the enemy armour is to prevent unwanted surprises

I selected the armour based on the slightly more open terrain and in particular I tried to exploit the strengths, strong armour and powerful gun, of the Stalin tank. However, my attempt to exploit these strengths was frustrated by the poor spotting and gunnery that the Stalin tanks demonstrated during this battle. I made more use of HE against infantry by purchasing and using the SU-76M and I also used HE area-fire against enemy armour just out of LOS. I also chose to split the armour onto the left and right flank and that had the desired effect of keeping the Axis armour looking in two directions but it must be said that the execution of the tactics left a little to be desired when movement orders did not exploit the terrain properly. I am undecided as to whether I should have kept all of the tanks together or at least on the same flank… “If there's just one piece of advice I'd give to anybody it’s - operate your tanks in packs. Think simple mathematical odds all the time in CM and always confront enemy tank groups with a bigger group or you don't stand a chance unless your tanks are better. You split into 2 groups of 2 tanks each to attack my bigger groups so the odds were against you. I'd have kept a tight group of 5 (2xStals, 2x T-34s and an SU) because a 5-tank group packs quite a punch. But instead you sent a single T-34 on a suicide mission over the hill and he was cut to pieces by my group, he had no chance. You could have sent the SU-76 over with him as a 'fighting pair' to improve the odds slightly. Your later Stalin attack was better, they attacked as a tight pair, I clubbed one to death with a flurry of partial pens but his mate killed a panzer in return. See, if you have a group of at least 2 tanks it means a buddy will usually survive to give payback.”

• Infantry – mass sufficient infantry firepower to attack a single point and win the fire-fight, usually a 2-1 or greater advantage is needed. Spreading the infantry too thinly across the map means that they are tactically dispersed and consequently weaker. It is also harder to manoeuvre them into new positions once the engagement has started, which makes their initial deployment and movement all the more important

I deliberately kept the infantry force together and this was even more important given that I could only purchase a single Company given my other choices. I decided to attack the outside flag with two platoons rather than one and also combined that with artillery preparation via the SU-76M. This was done deliberately to gain a numerical advantage, hopefully 2-1 infantry and to soften up the defence first with an artillery barrage. The attack was successful but could not be exploited given the armour situation

• Tactics – test any changes to the plan by asking why is the plan being changed and is it better than the original plan. As in chess, any move has its strengths and weaknesses is the balance right. Flanking moves that are made with surprise in mind must be especially tested because if the movement is observed then there is no surprise. Achieving coordination between infantry units and between infantry and armour is difficult. Take time to prepare the engagement by getting into the right positions and to get the timing right about when to initiate the fight. Without that preparation the attack is more likely to be piecemeal and defeated in detail

I felt that I had made much better use of tactics. First, in trying to win the armour fight; second in setting a trap; third in redeploying armour to both the left and right flank [with the same caveat as above]; fourth in massing infantry for the attack

• Miscellaneous - always check the battlefield carefully for spotted enemy units and results of engagements, there may have units that can be saved or redeployed. If needed, test the armour or a unit’s expected performance in the Scenario Editor

I made a slight oversight in that I missed the soft ground until after I had moved my armour forward but fortunately I did not land them in any bogs. I did notice some gaps in the tree cover and my Stalin tanks in particular should have bagged more Axis armour. The fact they did not was down to chance in war and not any tactical mistakes that I am aware of. [Whilst their behaviour was somewhat strange I am assigning it to: poor spotting and Allied crews thinking HE was enough to kill a Panzer IV and so saving the AP for something harder. I still have no idea why it moved forward when engaged - I assume a temporary loss of LOS]

I made two bad mistakes on LOS and each time it cost me a tank. The first lost was a T34 after the initial engagement and where the LOS was blocked by the burning tank. However, what was not blocked was the LOS at the side of the road and when my tank reversed through that it got hit. The second time was just on the reverse slope of the crest of a hill and the T34 stopped just right for a panzer to execute it. Both mistakes were entirely avoidable if more care was taken when moving armour and checking for LOS. I made another LOS mistake when rushing the Stalin tanks into the village because they had LOS onto the Panzers behind the woods in the centre. If they had hunted at that point they may have bagged a couple of Panzers