Tanks
are rather good against infantry, if you use the correct tactics!.
It is
not the job of an AFV to close to knife range on enamy infantry. It is the
infantrys task to do so.
If you charge in to sabre range with tanks, you will be firing from a bouncing moving target. Any enemy infantry left within 1 hex, may well rally and assault you in thier turn for your temerity
If you have infantry targets to engage with tanks, then stay at least 2 hexes away and within about 3-500m, and engage
halted. Even a panzer 1, with its TMG used this way is a real killer for infantry. It is a nice stable, mobile pillbox which the infantry have no real reply to.
Always try to engage infantry with tanks from outside any anti-tank range the infantry have.
Do not expect "Hollywood" instant evapouration of the infantry, you will need a turn or 2 do deal with a rifle section. More if the enemy is dug in.
But the tanks engage the infantry from the halt, and supress or rout them. Your accompanying infantry can then close with the enemy, and if any are still around on the engagement line when these arrive, they can execute the survivors. Or if the enemy infantry is retreating or routed - simply gun them down while halted and stable, do not try to close with a "cavalry charge". The "charge" uses MP, which uses up shot opportunities, and the movement will tend to make these fewer shot opportunities at close range less accurate, and the act of closing can put you into danger from any of the infantry that happen to rally, or you may trip over previously unseen infantry or inf-AT. far better to stay halted and fire 6 rounds of CMG while halted at any infantry in LOS.
Meanwhile, as you have located enemy infantry, call in some mortars on the position. If they are still fighting back when these rounds arrive, they will help your task. if the enemy is departing when they arrive, mortar fire is an excellent way of killing off routers,or encouraging such to keep on going.
If you need to close, then your infantry skirmish line (one or 2 hexes in front of the tanks) should advance 1 hex a move (max), with your tanks advancing behind at a similar slow rate. The infantry should lead onto the objective and clear the route for the armour. Your artillery of course should prepare the position for your grunts as they do so. Remember that in real life (as opposed to Hollywood
, an attack is done in slow-slow time, and
not as a wild "cavalry charge".
It is
very rare for armoured forces to charge into the middle of an objective area. The only time to contemplate doing so is if you can
guarantee that the enemy is
100% neutralised (retreat or worse), and you should really only do this with APC or tank rider infantry which will dismount and "take names". If any tanks join this charge - then they should remain behind the infantry line, or at least, share the same hex as the tank-desant infantry. About the only time you can be reasonably sure of such neutralisation is when running into the impact zone of a batallion (16 - 24 or so guns) of field arty, and even then if one or 2 squads have kept thier heads, this can be a recepie for disaster. Better to dismount on the forward edge of the beaten zone and fight through the objective cautiosly (1 hex a turn movement, max), while continuing the arty support on the area to be traversed, and tanks 1 hex behind the infantry skirmish line (or sharing a hex with a squad, with the riflemen advancing first, tank moving up only when the grunts have cleared the way).
Cheers
Andy