Infantry-only Tactics and Help?

[Cragspyder]

Hello there! This is my first post on this forum so I hope I am not being too forward by creating a thread, but this question is why I registered on this forum in the first place, as this is the only forum I can find that discusses my favourite old hex-based Strategy game, Steel Panthers 2, and its less-buggy successor WinSP:MBT.

I have been playing the original SP2 in Dosbox, seems to run fairly well except it crashes after the scoreboard in every mission .

I seem to have pretty much gotten defense-related tactics down, I actually did very well in the last scenario I played where I had only several Korean War era US infantry and recoilless rifles vs about 20 NK tanks and supporting infantry.

However, on the attack is where I tend to have major problems. My units tend to get destroyed as they advance due to op-fire, and if I advance the 1 hex per turn advised in most other guides then I don't have the time to take the objective hexes.

In reality, I thought that smoke was supposed to help the attacking force much more then the defensive one. However, in SP, I've been finding that it is the opposite... When I am on the defensive I usually drop smoke all over my own lines, so when the enemy tries to advance through the smoke, they are ripped apart by attacks from adjacent hexes. This is what happens to me when I drop smoke as I advance, so I have taken to leaving things as clear as possible, but that means that I have no cover as I approach the enemy lines....

Mostly I have trouble in scenarios where I have an Infantry-only force and I am trying to assault a hill or other location defended by enemy infantry. If anyone has played Steel Panthers 2, Chosin I (Chinese side) or Pork Chop Hill (US Side) are good examples of scenarios where I have problems.

I guess I don't understand how to use Infantry in general. I have noticed that most Infantry units are only really effective from a distance of 1 hex or less, especially against tanks. However, without smoke, how do you ever get to the 1hex range, and even if you do, how do you avoid being destroyed by OP fire?

I have found, even when moving infantry into a hex to the rear of a tank that is not facing my way, that the tank will turn its turret and destroy the squad as soon as the squad enters the adjacent hex... I thought tanks had trouble seeing infantry in their back arc?

So, I guess I am asking if anyone has any advice using Infantry (without APCs or other such protection). Do you drop smoke on the attack or not? How about for defense? Do you set all your infantry units to 1 hex engagement range so they can destroy tanks or do you set them to fire at max range? How about for MGs? How about for bazooka/recoilless rifle teams (who also seem to have trouble even hitting tanks unless they are adjacent)?

Thanks in advance for any help or advice.