Tank Warfare Info?

[Arkenbrien 10]

Hello,

I started messing around in the editor after the update with the new AAF armoured vehicle and helicopter, learned how set up units, and created an epic night tank slug fest. (Yes, that was armour with a 'u', 'cause the British are right when it comes to spelling. Always.)

Except it wasn't as epic as I thought.

The reason being is because, for the most part, the crews bailed after a single shot landed on their tank, and the tank exploded shortly afterwards. I will say that the bullets glancing off the front armour was very, very awesome.

I set up another scenario, and found out that, for the most part, I can 1-shot tanks with a tank. It seems as though if I aim for the gap between the turret and the hull, a perpendicular hit, or other areas, the tank explodes before I fully reload.

I know that tanks would probably be firing at each other long before they get within 1/2 - 1 km in a desert, but I am curious to know if tanks are really that vulnerable to other tanks. I remember watching an alpha tank review, and tanks would receive 10-15 direct hits before exploding. Comparatively, they seem much more fragile.

I would be appreciative if someone could point me in the direction of some hard material on tank warfare, or perhaps enlighten me on the subject themselves. It seems my search-fu only comes up with Wikipedia and World of Tanks.

Thanks!

[Chocolate 1]

I can not claim, nor will I try, to be an armo(u)r expert. However, from my understanding of the first Gulf War, the Abrams MBT sliced right through the Iraqi T-72s. In part the success was the Abrams ability to move and fire accurately. Of course the T-72 is kinda out of date compared to the Abrams design.

In game however, all vehicles are extremely fragile. It irks me to no end how fragile the Hunter (MAT-V), Ifrit, and Stryker are. A few bullets easily destroy tires which should have run-flats on them, and a belt of 6.5 will destroy one, even though they are armo(u)red and designed to survive mines (Well, the occupants). Then all AT in game basically inta-wrecks vehicles, and there is only one result to damage done on vehicles. They explode.Every.Time.

Its a shame, but I suppose Arma can't do everything.

[-Gews- 1]

[...] there is only one result to damage done on vehicles. They explode.Every.Time.

That really needs to be changed. Seriously, no more Hollywood explosions happening to every vehicle!

One of the things that always bothered me.

[washout77 10]

While tanks exploding from a single hit is rare in real life (short of getting lucky and hitting the ammo rack, which only can cause explosions on a lot of older Russian MBT's with unprotected ammo), crews tend to be smart. After a hit or two, they will try to get out of the situation ASAP or bail out. The idea of tank slug fests isn't a very modern thing, but more common in WW2 where tanks weren't as advanced, as most modern MBT's (of which all the A3 ones are) are more than capable of killing each other and it comes more down to crew skill than tank capability. Tanks have been downgraded from a main combat arm more to a support arm for mechanized infantry, as the concept of Combined Arms warfare is advanced and more and more Urban Warfare is becoming the norm where tanks aren't very capable but infantry are. Even worse, an Infantry Platoon has more than enough weapons that can disable a tank (at least on paper) now.

So I think the way it works with crews not wanting to take more than a damaging hit or two before getting the hell out of dodge is a nice mechanic, but they shouldn't try to just bail out on the spot (unless they have no way to move the tank) and the vehicle shouldn't explode from every possible hit. This goes to all vehicles.

Edited January 3, 2014 by washout77
additional info

[Arkenbrien 10]

Very interesting, and informative. Thank you.

I guess I was somewhat fooled by the Tank Showcase, where a few tanks would steamroll through an entire enemy force.

So, realistically, the tanks shouldn't explode when hit, just be disabled. Hopefully BIS will change that.

[instagoat 133]

I was going to work on a tank combat tutorial series, but then I got the new job and my games dev friends asked me to return to the team for a new boardgame project. I´ve a few videos and notes.

I can try and produce something over the year, if there is demand in the community for a fleshed out tank warfare manual? (Or ground vehicle employment in general?)

My dad was a tanker, so I have special interest in all things with guns, tracks and armor. As such, It'd all be a little more detailed than what's in the manual supplied with Arma by Dslyexci.