[Mobhack]

Secondry point; I can deal with the massed waves of Soviet Infantry but are there any suggeestions on dealing with the masses of Soviet Armour; 130 AFV's vs 35 of mine; even when half the unspeakables are T26's they still use up ammo.

I'll assume you have majored in the Panzer 3 models with 5 cm plus frontal armour and the 5cm short tank gun for Russia?. The panzer 4 is only useful for infantry bashing at this time, the 37mm armed tanks are only useful for killing T26 and BT series, and as infantry support with their Mgs and popgun HE, and will find a T28 hard work to deal with. Still useful in a secondary role though, as there is plenty of infantry to bash and thin tin to puncture when dealing with a Barbarossa era Soviet army!.

The Soviet tank park in Barbarossa (bar rare T34 and KV), is simply target practice for German tanks. The 47mm is a shade worse than the 2 pounder you were dealing with in the desert. Having just fought a Soviet LC where I started with T50s, the 47mm is best used against the tougher P3s at 3-4 hexes only if engaging frontally, and at 10 hexes or less on the flanks, and these tankettes really only could survive with ambush tactics in any case!. Also, if the Nazis were running away, the P3s have a tough bum, so up the kilt shots were generally not good either!.

The 5cm Panzer 3s have 60 plain AP rounds, and 15 sabot rounds stowed on each of them. You should not be running out of AP any time soon with those deep pockets, unless you have split your tank force into penny packets and shotgunned these all over the battlefield with no mutual support. I never bother with any ammo trucks etc supporting the front line troops when playing German - just bunkers by the mortars or SIGs shuttling to and from dumps in the artillery park. The sabot rounds will deal with T34, T28 and valentines, at 3-5 hexes or so (these heavier armoured tanks are the only ones that need thought to engage - ambushing them from the flanks is best, e.g. in a wood, with mutual infantry support).

Operate your tank companies as companies - all together in one main action area, not over 20 hexes from the company's HQ. If you only have one company - use it to engage one lump of the enemy at a time, when that's dealt with, you trundle off to the next action area that needs dealing with as a single company lump. Rinse and repeat until job done.

Only use a few independent tank sections or platoons, if you have them, as flank security teams, and engage any enemy with these from flanking ambush positions at range, and in no case allow them to get overwhelmed - "run away, brave Sir Robin", if the enemy locally outnumbers you. A section or 2 of towed (or Jpz1) 47mm(t) or long 5cm L60 ATG are useful to work your flanks as flank security as well, set up behind motor rifle units who are acting in support of the flank security elements. Should your flank support tank sections need to retire in a "Brave Sir Robin", then try to run them through or by such a set-up flank ambush position of infantry+ATG and then support the ambuscade. Any stugs or panzer 4 or 37mm popgun tanks, should simply advance slowly behind your leg grunts as local infantry support. Their job is to Mg or HE any enemy grunts in support of your infantry advance, and to deal with any stray BT or similar tin cans that may get loose near your grunts. Especially since German infantry AT weapons are not that good, at least until later - they need the CS tanks in that time frame, I have found.

Assume the AI is coming at you. Identify a clear killing ground where he will be advancing at you (probably at an objective cluster) over a clear field of a kilometre or so - your firing position would probably be in a wood, or on a hill line overwatching that area. Plan to deploy 2 of your platoons, with the coy HQ as well perhaps on the firing line, but hold back a platoon (and possibly the Coy HQ) in reserve 500m or so back and deploy later as the situation develops. As you get to the firing line, start firing mortars etc at 1000 metres or so in front of the line, to catch his advancing targets in the blast, and strip off any tank riders etc. Dismount any halftrack carried HMG teams and use these to zap riders off the targets and then when stripped off you can give the riders headaches as well, while directing the artillery belt onto these and any follow up leg grunts. Objective is to have the enemy tanks advancing naked of infantry support, and hopefully most of them to be buttoned up as well (cannot see you so well, cannot hit so well, and have fewer shot opportunities). The dust kicked up from the arty will also tend to screen you from any enemy behind the lead - like slow-moving KVs, whose 76mm gun can be dangerous at a distance to your P3s, or any 76mm ATG the Russians have deployed close to the front line (even the AI will do that sometimes!).

Remain stationary, and keep firing. Job done, only problems would be if the targets are T34 and KV series - if spotted, drop a shed-load of artillery onto them while you figure out how to deal with them - e.g. by a flank attack, or by setting up some 88s you kept in reserve for such a contingency. or - my solution - destroy enough of the enemy that a general rout occurs (locally by slaughtering zillions of tin cans nearby, or a general army rout from killing enough infantry and other tin cans from the force to cause a force broken status), and those few nasties you were keeping occupied in a cloud of HE and smoke, will exit stage left, anyway. But do not duel with T34 or KV until you get access to the L43 75mm later in the war.

Keep the firing line halted and executing advancing targets, since moving is bad for hit chance, and uses shot opportunities. Stay in place as long as you can, and only move off if the situation needs it - like you have become an artillery magnet. Have an alternate killing position already in mind for this situation.

Use the reserve platoon and coy HQ to manoeuvre against any flankers, to exploit around the flanks of a stalled enemy advance perhaps, or simply to beef up the main firing line later, should that be required. Later in the game, assuming they have not engaged much, then that platoon can rotate and replace a lead platoon, as they will likely still have a full complement of sabot rounds - which may be depleted in the other 2 by now. Could be handy - e.g. if a few slower lend-lease valentines bumble out of the smoke and fire of the killing ground.

I do not use tank riders as a German player - except maybe on the reserve platoon in a tank company, if in closer terrain. I prefer to have a panzer grenadier company operating in close support of the lead tank company if points allow, a platoon if not. In mobile operations, I do not tend to dismount them (APC with mounted infantry spot better than tanks) except if any tripod MGs fires would be useful, but rely more on the APC mgs. If in danger from any enemy tanks nearby, then the pigs will "hide with pride" until the tankies have dealt with them. Dismounting is reserved for 1-hex close-range ambushes in woods or behind a ridge line etc (with tanks parked in the same hex as each section), or when assaulting or securing an objective.

The panzer grenadiers will operate with the tank company's reserve element - i.e. in the advance they are behind the front line platoons, and if defending in the rear generally, or working the flank of the ambush.

If I have any 88mm sections, then I keep these loaded on the carriers, and in deep reserve. But not parked near to any firing arty that may atract fire!. In Barbarossa, these units are really only there to deal with the T34 and especially any KV that are encountered, maybe any valentines if these are getting annoying. Not worth plinking at T26 or BT with these. These need skill to use - you must set up as far as possible out of any direct-fire HE response as possible, and unlike your earlier desert experience, the USSR has issued 47mm HE, and some of the grunt companies may have support from 12.7mm dushkas. Best therefore if you can set up in cover from LOS, to get the advancing T34s or KVS as they come over a ridge etc. Plan to deploy in one turn and to be there firing for probably 2 turns maximum - mount up to redeploy by the second turn as 88s are arty magnets, so scoot before they shoot!.

If the lead tank coy needs scouting when advancing - then a few motorcycles and little armoured cars bought from support points will do the job fine. Their job is mainly to "hide with pride" in good overwatch positions.