Tanks as transport?

[leci]

Infantry of all nations and in every theatre used tanks as rapid/supporting transport. Such provided coherent joint support for both infantry and tanks while also allowing tank units/forces to exploit tactical opportunities.

The only drawback is that an individual tank could only transport small numbers of infantry - not sure of infantry numbers per unit in BA. Given a limit, could not the parameters allow a BA infantry unit be split across a 2 or 3 tanks in adjacent tiles?

Good to see this capability embedded within BA.

Leci

[random27]

Very good idea, an other idea could be to add pilots when tanks are destroyed but i think merr has already done that in a mod

[alex0809]

1 infantry unit on 1 tank would make transports basically useless. Splitting infantry wouldn't be a good solution either . So I just don't see it working.

[morge4]

I don't think they would be made useless...when a transport or truck gets destroyed...it would be nice to have something else they could jump on and ride.

[alex0809]

Why would you enter the transport in the first place if you can just ride on a tank which has way more armour? Unless of course it is possible to allow targetting of the infantry sitting on the tank...

[GottaLove88s]

Infantry of all nations and in every theatre used tanks as rapid/supporting transport. Such provided coherent joint support for both infantry and tanks while also allowing tank units/forces to exploit tactical opportunities.

The only drawback is that an individual tank could only transport small numbers of infantry - not sure of infantry numbers per unit in BA. Given a limit, could not the parameters allow a BA infantry unit be split across a 2 or 3 tanks in adjacent tiles?

Good to see this capability embedded within BA.

Leci

Leci, You can do this easily by switching 0 to 1 in the Transport column of squads.csv, for the unit types that you want to adapt... One problem is that this will permit that unit type to carry all units which are flagged CanBeCarried... including infantry (sitting on the engine at the back), AT guns (towed?), and mortars (no idea where)... Have fun experimenting

[leci]

Thanks Gotta. I play via an iPad so cannot change the files. However changing the parameter would be too far ranging anyway. You do see newsreels of tanks transporting a wide range of stuff on the back deck, but in the main it was infantry hitching a lift or intentionally been transported to the front.

In terms of engagement heuristics, it would tactically be up to the player to drop infantry off at an advantageous position - otherwise destroying a tank would also kill the 'passengers'.

Still like to see this a realistic option within BA.

Leci

[GottaLove88s]

Of course, if one were to mod this accurately, it's a very quick discovery that one side's tanks were rather better designed to support rapid movement of infantry squads... No prizes for guessing which, lol

Panther.jpg (128.08 KiB) Viewed 2449 times

Sherman.jpg (12.14 KiB) Viewed 2449 times

[morge4]

In terms of engagement heuristics, it would tactically be up to the player to drop infantry off at an advantageous position - otherwise destroying a tank would also kill the 'passengers'.

Leci

It terms of that...passengers in trucks/HT will be dismounted if the transport gets destroyed...why should it be different for armor?

[leci]

Good point

[Old_Warrior]

While infantry did ride into combat on armor they usually dismounted soon after arriving into the battlefield area. You NEVER found infantry riding tanks right through a village for instance.

In BA you must remember that unless the carrier is destroyed the transported unit is not damaged. Thus I would leave well enough alone ... it would distort the intention of the rule.

Watch the episode from Band of Brothers (Holland) where they are riding the Sherman but once battle was joined they jumped right off.

[k9mike]

One thing I dont understand is why the infantry dont take any hits when a carrier is destroyed when there in it?? You figure if a truck got destroyed while troops where in it....many would be toast..Right?? figure there would be some kind of table of hits and would give varying destroyed infantry units as well...Anyone?

[Old_Warrior]

That was explained to me by Pip or Iain as being something that they didn't want to get into. Yes, you could end up having it lose men but it is Suppressed and pretty vulnerable to fire once it bails out. It has zero APs and pretty much can get shot up. Most of the infantry units that bail out end up taking at least 2 casualties.