Section Leaders:
Madmatt & Fionn
Kelly
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Combat Mission Scenarios and Operations
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Maastricht-Tough
Tanker (Tank Only Version) by:
Wild Bill Wilder |
Download Scenario HERE
Axis
Tactical Tips
by Fionn Kelly
Your
force comprises:
3
Panthers
2
Panzer IV Js
2
StuG IIIs
At
first glance this looks like an extremely strong force but, if you look
at a little more closely you will see that this force actually has one
Achilles Heel in common. This Achilles Heel is the inability to bring
fire to bear on a target which suddenly appears to the flanks of the
vehicles concerned.
The
StuG is a turretless Assault Gun so it is, obviously, extremely
vulnerable to flank attack. The Panzer IV J has no electrical turret
traverse and so its turret traverses extremely slowly. Any half-decent
Sherman or Stuart tank crew should get 2 to 3 flank shots off before
the Pz IV J can traverse its turret to engage. The Panther also suffers
from a slow turret traverse mechanism.
We
must expect that the enemy WILL dispose a number of 76mm-armed Shermans
interspersed with the more numerous 75s. The Panther is proof to
frontal 75mm fire but the StuG and Pz IV are acutely vulnerable to
frontal penetration by both the 75 and 76mm-armed Shermans.
Since
you are expected to advance down a road which is in clear view of a
hill (offering superb hull-down positions for enemy tanks) you should
expect to come under some enemy fire. For this reason it is imperative
that you advance with your Panthers in the lead, Pz Ivs next and StuGs
last. Be SURE to advance with HUNT orders. There’s nothing worse than
watching your StuGs moving FAST into the teeth of an enemy ambush with
absolutely no chance at all to fire back.
The
above picture shows the rough shape which any American
attack might take. American strategy will HAVE to involve
searching for and exploiting your flanks. I haven’t and won’t
consider the possibility of an American attack straight down the middle
of the map working since, if such an attack works, you really should be
taken out and shot. 3 Panthers should crush any straightforward enemy
attack. Any good American player will go for the flanks. The ONLY
American players who won’t go for your flanks are either poor
American players ( whom you should beat easily on your own) or
especially brilliant players ( whom no amount of tutoring will help you
beat in a scenario such as this).
The
key to stopping the Americans is to deny them the ability to easily
penetrate your flanks. I suggest a three-pronged approach to the
American threat.
1.
The first task force you create should be designed to move out
along your right flank and move in such a way that it can attack into
the flanks of any US forces which attempt a short pincer movement
whilst running headlong into any US forces which try a deeper pincer
movement. The path I’ve outlined above will do so.
I
would allocate 1 Panther and both Pz IV Js to this group. The Panther
should lead while the Panzer IV Js follow closely behind. Once any US
thrust along this flank is either destroyed or ruled out the Panther
and Panzer IV Js should begin advancing cautiously into enemy
territory. The slow advance should prevent any US player from hearing
the tanks advancing until it is too late but be warned that any GOOD US
player will put some form of ambush defense in place at a choke point
with a view to killing some of your tanks and preventing you from
sneaking up on his main body.
2.
The second force should consist of the two other Panthers and
should simply move down the main road and take up positions near the
stone wall so as to dominate the entire centre of the map with their
75mm L70s. They are the anvil that will pin the enemy in place AND
hopefully take all of his attention. The first force is the hammer that
will smash him while he is focused on the two Panthers in plain view.
3.
The third force consist of your two StuGs. These vehicles are
useless in close combat but also intensely vulnerable to 75 and 76mm
fire SO my advice would be to preserve them as a reserve. If one or
other of your main force Panthers gets knocked out these StuGs will be
worth their weight in Gold. I suggest placing them in the slight dip in
the ground in amidst the scattered trees. By placing them at the
leftmost extremity of the trench they will be able to guard the left
flank of the Panthers whilst being only metres away and in perfect
reinforcement positions. I’d recommend leaving one StuG in position
in HIDING as an ambusher of any US tanks which try to flank your left
flank.
You
have seven tanks. I propose that you basically hide two, use two to
grab the enemy’s attention and use the other three to deliver a
knockout blow. Certainly you should be willing to let an
over-aggressive enemy come to you whereupon simply establishing a
killing zone in front of your position will suffice to win. Against a
good player however you will have to set up flank defenses,
misdirection and flank thrusts as I have outlined above.
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