Armor strength disparity on Hummel vs. Rhino?

[Jim von Krieg]

Greetings Ed,

There are always room for more opinions... There is usually more than one way to skin a cat (so to speak)...

I just gave what I consider the base doctrinal usages of SPARTY and SPAT. However, more experienced players will develop what I term advanced techniques.

One advanced technique that I developed for SPARTY is to roll with the armor, but not near the front of a formation. They are back out of range of enemy tank guns. I used them in a direct fire mode to clear exposed enemy infantry so my armor can focus on pounding enemy armor. Hummel's in DF mode are devastating to enemy infantry.

I used this technique in a scenario built around the relief of Vilnius later in the war AND it was very effective. I fired along long lines of site so that my SPARTY was never in danger to enemy counter-fire. A scrimmage line of Panthers would absorb the attention of the Russian tanks. Flanks were locked in by terrain and I had an infantry scrimmage line in the low ground along the avenues of approach such that my SPARTY was under no enemy threat.

It was like having a laser cannon as it pretty much annihilated the enemy infantry scrimmage line screening the IS-2's... my foe's infantry didn't have the benefit of good terrain and were exposed...

You can do the same thing with the SPAT. Just like the SPARTY, keep the SPAT back to utelize its long range fire to reinforce your tank gun line OR to guard an exposed flank.

When I do these things, I need to have good reconnaissance so that I generally know what is around me and to ensure that there are no surprises lurking out there. I like to lock in my flanks with terrain OR with mobile light forces to screen my flanks.