French Tank

[RussWell]

Fun question, has anyone seen or have an example of an AAR with where France builds a Tank over winter of 39-40?

I just noticed France starts out with what seems the best armr tech in the game, which I'm finding somewhat comical.

[Falcon1]

I've never built anything other than a garrison for the French but my experience is still limited.

Really though, some French tanks were OK and could hold up against an equal number of PzIIs or PzIIIs (probably not PzIVDs). The difference was tactics (and radios). I think the French would just sprinkle tanks among the infantry units, which is not the best use, that is better served by AT guns. France was still using WWI tactics.

Interesting question - I wonder if people would consider tactics as part of technology?

[bensand88]

Without over thinking a reply - of course tactics and technology are directly linked! A new technology requires a change in tactics to compensate. The failure to compensate spells disaster. WWI was defined by the generals being unable to understand that the machine gun and rapid firing artillery had changed the battlefield forever. Just to name a couple of course. Millions paid the price.

The French had some great tanks but did use them poorly. The Char B1 was a heavy tank that held up well in direct confrontations with Germany's Panzer Is, IIs and IIIs during the battle of France. It was slow so couldn't keep up in mobile situations. There is one story of a single Char B1 taking out 13 Panzer IIIs and IVs and returning to it staging area having 140 hit scars where the lighter German guns failed penetrate.

I am not a historian so am only reporting what I have read. Poor tactics and a failure to recognize the changes technology introduced in the interwar period sunk the French. They were prepared for WWI all over again, but were sadly disappointed. And defeated.

[richardsd]

its not the tank its the tactics, thats why they have 2 MECH's, it represnts CORPS supported by Tanks

there was much discussion about this on the development of V2.0

[Peter Stauffenberg]

Tactics is partly represented in the tech Organization. Germany has tech 3 in organization. That means their units have a higher efficiency. This simulates their superior tactics when the equipment was about the same.

The values of the generals also show their tactical skills. That is why generals like Guderian and Manstein have high values while the French generals have low values.

[Falcon1]

That's more what I was referring to when I mentioned tactics and tech. Of course new technology will influence tactics, but what I was questioning is that would new tactics alone be considered as a tech improvement?