For those of you that enjoy playing Combined Arms and like nothing better than maneuvering armor units in combat, the following is an update of heavy armor units for use in Combined Arms campaigns.
Listed below are both the updates and revisions for armor currently being used by NATO, as well as listings for the latest model Main Battle Tanks being produced in France and Italy. Also included are rules modifications for the use of "depleted uranium" armor, main gun and ammunition types, and notes on suggested unit availability.
The following are suggestions by nationality for the use of the revised/updates and new armor units. However, the referee should make the final decision to ensure game balance.
US Army: In the 1st and 3rd Armored Divisions, four of the twelve tank battalions will use the M1A2 MBT, as will both the 2nd and 11th Armored Cavalry Regiments. The remaining battalions in the 1st and 3rd Armored divisions, as well as the remaining battalions in most regular army units and most of the National Guard that will deploy to Europe will still use the M1, M1+, or M1A1 MBTs.
German Armor. A total of five battalions are equipped with the Leopard 2A1 in the Panzer Divisions. The mixed Panzer Divisions and the Panzer Grenadier Divisions will retain their Leopard 1s mid Leopard 2s.
French Army: The 1st and 3rd Armored Divisions have two regiments each of the AMX-40 (le Clerc) MBT with the tank companies in the Mechanized Regiments retaining their AMX-30s. All other armored divisions still use the AMX-30.
Remaining Combined Arms TO&E notes apply.
Italian Army: The Ariete Division is equipped with the OF-40 (Ariete) MBTs in its armored brigades and armored cavalry regiments, with the tank battalions and companies as per the unit TO&E. An additional three battalions are in service in the armored brigades of the mechanized divisions. All remaining units continue to use the M60A1 and Leopard 1 MBTs.
Bibliography
Abrams: A History of the American MBT, R. P. Hunnicutt.
Armored Firepower, Lindsay Peacock.
King of the Killing Zone, Orr Kelly.
As a combat engineer officer for six years (until last summer), I thought a more representative mine warfare section for Command Decision was due. There, included are mine warfare rules with a little more substance while keeping complexity low. Please note that the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers School studies indicated that Allied tank losses due to mines were 18% in North Africa, 23% in Western Europe, 28% in Italy, and 34% in the Pacific.
| MAIN BATTLE TANK UPDATE | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle/User | Characteristics | Machine Guns | Main Gun/Missile | |||||||
| Weight | Speed | Armor | Night Vision | NBC | AA | Turret | Type | ROF | Ammo | |
| M1A2 (USA) | 7 | 90/60 | 45DU/10 | T | x | H | L | 120SB-L | 2s | 10 |
| M1A1 (USA) | 7 | 90/60 | 45C/8 | T | x | H | L | 120SB-L | 2s | 10 |
| M551A2 (USA) | 5 | 85/55A | 18/4 | P | x | H | - | 152TG-L Shillelagh | 1 | 8 |
| Leopard 2A1* (Ger.) | 7 | 90/50 | 35DU/11 | A | x | L | L | 120SB-L | 2s | 10 |
| Leopard 2 (Ger.) | 7 | 90/50 | 35C/11 | A | x | L | L | 120SB-L | 2s | 10 |
| AMX-40 (Fra.) | 7 | 90/50 | 35(40)C/10 | T | x | L | L | 120SB-L | 2s | 10 |
| Challenger (UK) | 7 | 85/40 | 35(45)C/12 | T | x | L | L | 120TG-L | 2s | 13 |
| OF-40 (Italy) | 7 | 85/40 | 30/6 | A | x | L | L | 105TG-L | 2s | 15 |
| *A planned upgrade of the Leopard 2 MBT not yet in full-scale production. | ||||||||||
Note: Since there is no appreciable difference between the 120SB and 120TG in gamne terms, substitute the main gun types as indicated in the vehicle characteristics chart. Direct fire performance remains the same.
Depleted Uranium Depleted Uranium armor is a compound based armor made from milled depleted uranium and applied in slab form directly over the ceramic matrix of the Chobham type armor. It results in greater resistence to kinetic energy rounds. The game effects of this armor are to halve the penetration die roll before adding the penetration number or multiplying the penetration multiplier for the type of round used.
| Main Gun and Ammo Update | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Ammo | 5" | 10" | 20" | 30" | 40" | 50" | 60" | HE Effect |
| 152TG-L | HEAT | 7:x8 | 7:x8 | 5:x8 | 3:x8 | 3:x8 | 1:x8 | - | 7 |
| 152SB-L | APFSDSDU | 9:46 | 9:44 | 8:42 | 7:39 | 5:37 | 3:35 | 1:32 | - |
| 105TG-L | APFSDSDU | 9:40 | 9:38 | 8:36 | 7:33 | 5:30 | 3:28 | 1:25 | - |
| Missiles | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Min Range | Max Range | Effect | HE |
| Shillelagh | 1 | 60 | 6:x8 | 1 |
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© Copyright 1993 by Greg Novak.
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