Repair vehicle and units

[m113apc]

Hi all

First of all, thx for bringing this great game further and keeping it alive.

I have been playing this game since I came over a demo on a CD of SP1, back in the good old DOS days. And I have them all, SP1, 2 and 3. And all the other different versions that has been, and is out there.

But WinSPMBT and WinSPWW2 are the best, I have bought them both.

So here is my question, I tried a search in the forum but nothing came up.

Is there possible, or is there any reason why there isn’t any repair vehicles/units in the game? Who can function like the supply vehicles does?

It would be extremely nice to have a vehicle to drive up to a MBT or APC/IFV that have run over a mine, or stuck in mud or something, parking it there and after a couple of turns its good to go again.

This is realistic in a combat scenario, since this kind of Combat Service Support (CSS) is as important as other kind of logistics like ammunition and transportation in war.

[RERomine]

From practical experience, you just aren't going to repair a track that quickly. It could take us up to an hour to repair just a thrown track and that was with an M88 close by. In combat, repair vehicles probably won't be that close, so you are looking at a longer amount of time before you even get started, IF you can get them to show up while shooting is going on around you. Towing the tank out of mud or what have you wouldn't take as long, but it's still more than a 10 minute job.

It's a whole new level of complexity if you toss in battle damage. If it is just confined to the tracks, you probably would need cutting torches to remove mangled sections. I doubt even the mega-wrenches we had would have worked. More than likely, there would be damage to road wheels, return rollers, suspension and who knows what else. It's unlikely that kind of damage could be repaired during the longest possible game that can be played. I believe that's 99 turns, but have never been in a marathon mood. Even then, it's a matter of the replacement parts being that readily available.

In the 1st Gulf War, we had some M1s get bogged down and they were abandoned and "destroyed" rather than try to get them out during a battle.

[RERomine]

Below is an example of just stuck

This was some sort of training incident because you can see the yellow light and instructor's seat on the back of the turret. That had to be rough on the driver!!

Even if you got this tank out quickly, it's questionable if it would even run without a bit of maintenance

[m113apc]

The time table of Battle Damage repair & Recovery (BDAR) is well known. This has been one of my jobs in the Norwegian armed forces since 1994. Also maintenance and salvage in armored battalions, on many different levels and functions.

I agree totally with you, but it would be a neat unit to have, it will strengthen the complexity of operations, since you maybe have to dedicate some of your troops to defend these support units.

Anyway, just a thougt.
I still play the game realistic with mines and breakdowns, which makes planning a little bit harder, and more fun.

[thatguy96]

I would think a lot of Combat Service Support type elements wouldn't be on map in terms of the game scale and the conflicts its generally supposed to represent. These units would be in rear areas and not committed to engagements. Of course it is a game, so "ammo carriers" are included, which would also likely be in those areas. However, the ammo carrier serves a function, whereas supply units would not. Such "units" are included in scenarios with specific caveats to determine the final "score" based on how many survive, whether you take them out, etc.

Recovery of vehicles is possible. There is a tank transporter generic unit in each OOB to provide this for scenarios again where specific caveats and "rules" could be stated as to the employment and objective. Recovery vehicles and thusly be implemented simply by reworking the arbitrary weight of the vehicle in question and creating a tank transporter like unit with a 2XX load capacity. These units will never be realistic, as already noted, because the load time is instantaneous.

[Marcello]

Originally Posted by m113apc

So here is my question, I tried a search in the forum but nothing came up.

That's odd because I remember it being discussed fairly frequently here and even in the old yahoo group. The bottom line is that such repairs are outside the timeframe and focus of the game, which is pitched battles between battalion sized formations. Hence no fuel parameter (it is assumed that it won't be an issue for the lenght of the engagement) and no repairs (not possible in the time/circumstances of such a battle).

[RERomine]

I think it's too easy to under estimate how long it takes to fix things, even an immobilization. About the easiest it would get would be unsticking a high centered armored vehicle or changing the flat tire on a small untility vehicle. Beyond that, the tasks get difficult and timely.

[thatguy96]

Originally Posted by RERomine

...or changing the flat tire on a small untility vehicle.

Having recently participated in this activity in a non-combat situation on my girlfriend's car, I can tell you that this is also not an instantaneous procedure, and is also out of the scope of the combined turn time period.

[RERomine]

Originally Posted by thatguy96

Having recently participated in this activity in a non-combat situation on my girlfriend's car, I can tell you that this is also not an instantaneous procedure, and is also out of the scope of the combined turn time period.

I bet you would have been faster if someone was shooting at you

[thatguy96]

Originally Posted by RERomine

I bet you would have been faster if someone was shooting at you

I bet it would feel like I was going even slower