Need some advice on tank combat

[Wolfleader]

I've decided to try my hands at playing the allies in CMAK and need some help and advice on tank combat using Shermans in flat terrain with light tree coverage. My opponent is using Marders, gun halftracks and PzIII's and PzIV's so tank quality wise it's pretty even (they can knock my tanks out but I can easily knock theirs out as well.) I'm thinking I should just go for an all or nothing slugfest against them but I have a bad feeling that doing so would result in either me losing all of my tanks or having my tank forces so severly depleted that I won't have enough to help support my infantry at the end.

So any advice on how I should proceed with this situation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[freightshaker]

You could try to draw his armor into yours, so that you can take shots while not moving and advancing you infantry at the same time to give his armor something else to think about. Don't know if your on the offense or defence.

[Redwolf]

Generally, since you Shermans have more anti-infantry capability you should seek to destroy his infantry first.

If you have standard Shermans don't underestimate how bad they move in difficult terrain.

[Wolfleader]

Apologies, I forgot to mention that i'm playing an assault map just to clear things up.

I'm wondering but how effective are scattered trees when it comes to preventing your tanks from getting hit. Does it give a bit of a bonus (ie: the tree trunks and folliage preventing the enemy from seeing the entire vehicle) like when your vehicle is in the hull down position?

[Redwolf]

I'm wondering but how effective are scattered trees when it comes to preventing your tanks from getting hit. Does it give a bit of a bonus (ie: the tree trunks and folliage preventing the enemy from seeing the entire vehicle) like when your vehicle is in the hull down position?

No such bonus. I don't think it even helps against spotting.

[Doctor Sinister]

A full-on charge at his position, guns blazing as you go!!

Combat Mission Health Warning - use of "The Doctor Sinister Charge" is not recommended under any circumstances as it doesn't even work for him.

Dr. S.

[freightshaker]

A full-on charge at his position, guns blazing as you go!!

Combat Mission Health Warning - use of "The Doctor Sinister Charge" is not recommended under any circumstances as it doesn't even work for him.

Dr. S.

Sounds like you use alot of Tommy Cookers in your battles boss.

[BigMik1]

My friend are there any hull down positions near your tanks? You can not go head to head with your Tommy Cookers!!

BigMik1

[The Purist]

Try to find some hull down positions or complete defilades, then try "Shoot and-Scoot". The map should not be completely flat and there should be some folds and bumps around.

Use smoke (artillery) to cover your advance. Try to kill the Marders first as they have the most powerful guns and are thin skinned.

Or,...hang back at long range. A Sherman will still penetrate a Marder at long range while the 76mm on the Marder may bounce at ranges greater than 1000 yards (check the stats for penetration and range). The Mk IIIs should not be much of a problem for a Shermans if you keep the range open. The Mk IVs have thinner armour than the Mk IIIs so range could be your friend here as well.

Then again,...praying to the Gawds would not hurt.

[KG_AGCent]

I would line up HMGs on the Marders and blasting away with a couple .50s and .30s and try to get the crews to bail. They will at least move away from the fire taking them effectively out of action from that angle.

[KG_AGCent]

Apologies, I forgot to mention that i'm playing an assault map just to clear things up.

I'm wondering but how effective are scattered trees when it comes to preventing your tanks from getting hit. Does it give a bit of a bonus (ie: the tree trunks and folliage preventing the enemy from seeing the entire vehicle) like when your vehicle is in the hull down position? My experience is that tanks can hide in scattered trees provided they are fairly deep in the woods patch. Tanks will be harder for an air-strike to find and attack. I don't know about any protection other than concealment. Tanks will definitely be more prone to tracking in scattered trees.

[KG_AGCent]

Well? Did you try any of the suggested? Did they work for you? FEEDBACK man, FEEEEEEDBACK!

[Wolfleader]

Well? Did you try any of the suggested? Did they work for you? FEEDBACK man, FEEEEEEDBACK!

Ayup it did. In a nutshell I kept my tanks mobile and use the Sherman's ability to shoot fairly accurately on the move and also using shoot and scoot fairly often. Turns out that the Purist was right, there were some small folds and such in the terrain though it was pretty tough and time consuming finding those and I'm somewhat dubious about their protection and cover qualities since there was still quite a bit of tank sticking out. Still took quite a bit of armoured casualties though in the end worked quite well.

[KG_AGCent]

Ayup it did. In a nutshell I kept my tanks mobile and use the Sherman's ability to shoot fairly accurately on the move and also using shoot and scoot fairly often. Turns out that the Purist was right, there were some small folds and such in the terrain though it was pretty tough and time consuming finding those and I'm somewhat dubious about their protection and cover qualities since there was still quite a bit of tank sticking out. Still took quite a bit of armoured casualties though in the end worked quite well.
The StuG works well with those folds as it has the lowest profile rating in the game. Good sights, low-profile, decent armor and a quality main-gun.

[Wolfleader]

The StuG works well with those folds as it has the lowest profile rating in the game. Good sights, low-profile, decent armor and a quality main-gun.

Just finished a quick 1000 point defence right now where I'm suspecting that those same hull down rules may also apply to AT guns as well. I positioned my AT guns behind hills with only the barrel and the upper half of the gun shield sticking out and very little of the shots fired by the enemy armour managed to hit close to the AT guns.

[KG_AGCent]

Just finished a quick 1000 point defence right now where I'm suspecting that those same hull down rules may also apply to AT guns as well. I positioned my AT guns behind hills with only the barrel and the upper half of the gun shield sticking out and very little of the shots fired by the enemy armour managed to hit close to the AT guns.
Hull down is one of the "golden eggs" of CMBB. If you can find yourself a nice little fold that overlooks a good portion of the battlefield, you may have half the battle won in just that! I remember parking a Tiger on the side of a fairly steep hill right at the fold in the ground and he owned the game. I lost every other piece of armor but that Tiger won the game for me.

[The Purist]

...I'm suspecting that those same hull down rules may also apply to AT guns as well. I positioned my AT guns behind hills with only the barrel and the upper half of the gun shield sticking out and very little of the shots fired by the enemy armour managed to hit close to the AT guns.

Against direct fire the shells have to land close enough to actually effect the gun and crew. Being in 'reverse slope' uses the ground in front like a massive sand bag, only a very accurate shot would have an effect. Even MG fire would have to be fairly accurate.

Mortars or OBA on the other hand,...

[KGPanzerschrecK]

Dont under estimate the long barreled 50mm guns that are on mid to late model PzIII's, those tanks, if used properly, can kick the snot outta shermans. :shock:

Also, fear all stugs. Those guns combined with the low profile are the most underrated German AFV's in the game {especially when in a hull down position}. There was a reason why stugs had more tank kills than any other german AFV type in the war... :salute:

[KG_AGCent]

Dont under estimate the long barreled 50mm guns that are on mid to late model PzIII's, those tanks, if used properly, can kick the snot outta shermans. :shock:

Also, fear all stugs. Those guns combined with the low profile are the most underrated German AFV's in the game {especially when in a hull down position}. There was a reason why stugs had more tank kills than any other german AFV type in the war... :salute:
I have found that the Pz3j, L, and M perform wonderfully as long as you can engage them 2 or 3-1 against T-34s and the T-70s don't even stand a chance with that series' bolt-on and Schurzen armor upgrades as well as their relatively high rate of fire.

[JungleFox]

With the Ronsons it doesn't matter what you do, you're going to take losses against German armor.