Surviving IS-2s ???

[Mike Abberton]

Playing Combat Mission made me much more aware of the overall armor scheme on tanks. In fact, Panthers in CM are generally not that difficult to kill as long as you use the right tactics. Attack them from multiple separated points and you will eventually get shots at side armor or the side of the turret (which is well sloped but fairly thin). So even though all your tanks are in what CS considers the "front arc", you don't have problems penetrating given a little bit of time (but still in what CS considers a turn or two).

Also read Don Fox's book on the 4th Armored division. When properly used, the 4th's tank regiments (and attached TD battalion) were able to handle Panthers at very sustainable loss ratios (i.e., in the US' favor as often as not). The Panther in particular was not an unbeatable opponent from the "front".