How to Play the Early War Russians in CMBB

[KG_Jag]

The Battlefront forum hosts a very interesting and informative discussion on this topic. It is especially useful for inexperienced CMBB players and those who rarely play early war games. While not quite as "stunning" as some the posts on this part of the forum, I believe that many will fine it even more informative and valuable. Make your own call after checking it out here:

Battlefront.com Discussion Forums: Playing as early war Russians (http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=23;t=011977)

[Mad Russian]

Don't know about QB's but a good Operation Barbarossa scenario with the right mix of either the Russian light tanks or the early war T-34's and KV-1's with no AP rounds and only a half load of HE can get pretty hairy. I agree with Enigma's comments that the 1941 Soviet tank force is anything but toothless.

The problem they have is the time delay for no radios and that will make you learn to do some planning in your gaming quick!!

Good Hunting.

MR

[KG_Cloghaun]

Thank you for the "direct-link". Very informative!

[Poor Old Spike]

TACKLING THE T-34 IN 1941
Four models of T-34/76 are around in 1941 (plus the /57 model) to give the Germans a hard time, all have excellent green-class front hull armour but their fatal weakness is their thin turret front, note its only yellow-class except for the Model 42 (far left) which is slightly green.

(main pic is the Model 40, its gun is slightly weaker than the rest)
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/34.jpg



Below is a chart compiled from exhaustive live-fire tests I did showing the capabilities of German weaponry against the T-34 in 1941. (Blue lettering=Tank Guns, black= towed guns)
Number to the left of each weapon is its penetration rating against 30-degree sloped armour at 100 metres.
The weapons are divided into three bands..

TOP BAND -These are T-34 killers, can penetrate hull front, but be prepared to see some ricochets or partial pens by weapons with pen ratings in the lower 70's.

MIDDLE BAND - Can penetrate turret and hull sides + rear, but usually not the hull front

LOWER BAND - Useless, can't penetrate the T-34 at all from any angle, not even through the thin turret until some of them get hollow-charge ammo(HC) in Dec 41 which skyrockets them into the top band.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/Tackling.jpg

[Bertram]

That is a lot of good information based upon hours of research. Thanks for sharing!

[Poor Old Spike]

TIMELINE SUMMARY
The T-34 rules the roost making mincemeat of all German tanks until Dec 41 when the PzIII-long arrives which has a reasonable chance of penetrating the front hull at close range.
Also in Dec 41 German PzIV-shorts and Stug-shorts get hollow-charge ammo which also have a fair chance of penetrating the front hull (if the computer gives them any HC in QB's)
But not until March 42 do German tanks at last equal the T-34 when the PzIV-long and Stug-long arrive, backed up in April by the arrival of cheap but powerful Marders..

The captured T-34 can be used but its very expensive in QB's.

Tungsten is poor against the T-34 because of its sloping armour, so although the PzIII-long and a few guns get some tungsten later on, you'll notice the crews usually won't use it against T-34's.
However they will use it with devastating effect against the slab-armoured KV-1 and 2..



http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/ExIS/t34designer.jpg



http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/ExIS/stamp-kur.jpg
(1973 stamp commemorating 30th anniversary of battle of Kursk)

[Nemesis Lead]

The T-34 is an amazing tank in CM. The HE loadout is incredible. It is cheap. It is light and fast with protection coming from armor slope instead of the weight of armor. It is well armored on the sides and rear. It does not bog or imob much. It has cannister rounds and you can get flame variants.

If that tank could carry smoke, it would be the best tank ever.

Keep your Panthers and Tigers--I will take my T-34 thank you!