Using and Killing 88's

[Huib Versloot]

This reminds me of a tactical puzzle I was putting together a while back.

There is a 4SP 88 in a bunker on a slight rise with full view in all directions. Visibility is 20. You can have any three platoons of 2 tanks each. What tanks do you take and what do you think your chances of success are?

umbro

If the gun is in a wooden bunker, I'd take Churchill VIIIs, or faster Cromwells with infantry guns (to close the 20 hex gap faster). If it's in a concrete bunker, I'd take Fireflies. Those guns will be dead in one or two turns in any case. IMO you cannot rely on OP fire with any of the AT guns. Fire once, load up and relocate...

Edit: Ofcourse I had to try it. Here are the results, hotseat game only shooting, no assaults, no smoke:

3x 2sp Cromwells CS against wooden bunker with 4 sp 88: Cromwells all lost in 4 turns for no loss of 88s
3 x 2sp Churchills VIII against wooden bunker with 4 sp 88: Churchills kill last 88 after 7 turns for the loss of 2 tanks
3x 2spSherman 105 against wooden bunker with 4 sp 88: Shermans are destroyed after 7 turns for the loss of 1 88

Lastly 3 x 2sp Fireflies against a concrete pillbox with 4 sp 88: 88's destroy last Firefly after 20 (!) turns for the loss of 3 guns.

I guess I underestimated the power of the 88 :bow: