4 replies to this topic

[Dan Lewis]

Our infantry is dug in in trenches.We've no anti-tank weapons and armored cars are approaching from the distance. If they get close enough they'll hammer us relentlessly. 

 

But wait, my medium machine gun can reach ranges of 36". The bullets bounce off the armor but their tires aren't bullet proof. I'll just shoot all their tires out so they can't close with our position. 

 

Do we have rules for aiming at tires or tracks when the target can't otherwise be defeated due to armor? 

[Phil Callcott]

 How WW II run-flat tyres worked:

• Run-flat inserts: 

  Some armoured cars used a hard polymer or metal insert inside the pneumatic tyre. If the tyre was shredded, the vehicle could drive on this rigid insert. 
• Foam-filled tyres: 

  Other armoured vehicles would have their pneumatic tyres filled with a dense foam instead of air, providing support even when the outer rubber was damaged. 
• Self-sealing tyres: 

  While less common, some systems could also include an automatic inflation system that would try to maintain pressure in a punctured tyre. 

   

   

  Head on to the firer the tyres are a narrow target protected a bit by bodywork, also the thick treads would be difficult to penetrate.

   

  Meanwhile the AC and his mates have closed the range and are pelting the MMG.

   

  So basically, rifle calibre bullets would not easily stop a WW II armoured car.

   

   

  Phil

[Kenny Noe]

Mein Panzer does not have hit location rules.  The kill table allows for 1) 1 or 2 pts damage(kill) 2) immobilize suppression (mobility kill (ie track, engine or tyre).  OR you can roll dice and maybe a Critical Hit will happen.  This will add +10 to your weapon system OV and pretty much "kill" an armored car.

 

** Note - Critical Hit =  Any time a nat "1" is rolled the player needs to roll the <+"To-Hit" number to confirm the actual "critical" nature of the lucky hit.

[Dan Lewis]

Alright alright....you have to rain on my parade now don't you. Round and round we go, where the Armored Car stops, nobody knows. 

[Mark 1]

My own experience -- MGs can (and will) be a risk to armored cars.  To wit:

This from a battle conducted more than a few years ago ... not exactly the case we are discussing, but close enough in it's core components.

 

I was driving up a road with my little Italian L3 leading a company of infantry in trucks. I enter the town and find a French AMD-178 armored car blocking my path.  I spray him with my dual MGs, and both suppress him (note the suppress marker) and immobilize him (I use black smoke emerging from under his hull to mark the mobility kill).

This gave me time to get out of the road with my soft and squishy targets, to drop some artillery on him, and to move my infantry up through the buildings for a close-assault. All of this done in quick succession, the A/C was destroyed before I could even bring up my mighty M11/39 tanks to engage with their cannons.

 

A perfect example of "I can't penetrate his armor with my MG, but I'll still shoot away at him just to see if I can fnck him up a bit". 

 

But that is not to say that small arms fire can easily dominate opposing light armor. Far from it...

 

In that same battle my L3s went on to provide brilliant service suppressing French infantry in the first line of houses of the town. I did this by staying back, out of close-assault range, and bringing enough MGs to bear that he really had no choice but to either pull back, or watch my infantry form up and advance into lethal range.  As he had no anti-armor weapons in that area he really was over matched by light armor with MGs.

 

Very satisfactory game play, in my experience.

 

-Mark
(aka: Mk 1)