User manual GAMES PC PANZER-ELITE

[. . . ] 3 THE ART OF TANK WARFARE A Guide to World War II Armored Combat for Players of Panzer Elite By Christopher S. The History of Tank Warfare ----------------------------------5 World War I Between the Wars World War II ----------------------------------13 Tank Basics Firepower Protection Mobility Other factors ----------------------------------21 Tanks in the Offensive Tanks in the Defensive Tank against Tank Tank against Infantry Antitank Warfare ----------------------------------34 North Africa Italy Normandy ----------------------------------38 German Tactics German Artillery German Unit Options German Armaments German Units ----------------------------------85 American Tactics American Artillery American Unit Options American Armaments American Units ----------------------------------118 2. Glossary and Abbreviations 4 HOW TO USE THIS BOOK This book is designed as both a historical reference for the armored warfare enthusiasts among us, and as a primer for the novice. The history and development of the tank, covered in the first chapter, is provided in order to give some background on the state of armored vehicle technology in World War II. [. . . ] Operations Epsom and Goodwood, launched by the British and Commonwealth forces, were repulsed by these fresh units on the eastern side of the beachhead during their attempt to seize Caen. Meanwhile, American forces were advancing slowly, their primary goal the occupation of the Cotentin Peninsula with its important port of Cherbourg, which was held by the German 9th, 77th, 79th, 243rd, and 709th Infantry divisions. The US units included the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 9th, 29th, and 90th Infantry divisions, the 2nd Armored division, and the 101st and 82nd Airborne divisions. After Cherbourg fell on 26 June, the US built up its reserves and secured the peninsula by taking St. Lo, Marigny, and La Haye-du-Puits, which prevented further German reinforcements from moving into the area. This area was occupied by the German 265th, 275th, and 352nd Infantry divisions, the 3rd Fallschirmjäger division, and 17th SS division. On July 25th, US forces staged a breakout, codenamed Operation Cobra. It began on the farthest eastern part of the beachhead, with General Patton's Third Army. The spearhead of the attack consisted of 3rd, 4th, and 6th Armored divisions and 1st Infantry division. Lo as a lynchpin, the VII and VIII Corps under Patton's army broke through at Lessay, moving south along the coast to Avranches and Mortain. The German defenders included the II Fallschirmjäger Corps, XLVII Panzer Corps, 363rd Infantry division, and 2nd and 116th Panzer divisions. Thanks to Allied planning, as well as superiority in quantities of tanks, planes, and personnel, the German forces were surrounded except for a small escape route through Argentan. 37 While local attacks kept the German forces pinned, the Allies squeezed the area, known as the Falais Pocket, tighter. British and Canadian forces applied pressure along the northern flank, while the US Third Army was responsible for the south. By August 12th, the German forces were in a general state of retreat throughout France, as American forces swept south and then east, crossing the Loire River on August 11th, and threatening Paris. The besieged Germans, including Fifth Panzer Army under Obergruppenführer Sepp Dietrich and Seventh Army under General Hausser, attempted to fight an orderly retreat as they moved their units through the shrinking gap at Argentan. Their forces included I and II SS Panzer Corps, LXXIV and LXXXIV Corps, LVIII and XLVII Panzer Corps, and II Fallschirmjäger Corps, however, they were all short of supplies, especially fuel, and many of their vehicles were destroyed or abandoned. Still, through bitter fighting, they managed to hold the area around Argentan for over a week, long enough for the majority of German troops to escape eastward, where they would be reorganized and resupplied for the Ardennes offensive in the Winter. On the 20th of August, American and Canadian forces linked up, closing the Falaise Pocket, and the German forces left behind capitulated. 38 5. THE WEHRMACHT At the beginning of World War II, the Wehrmacht (the ground forces of the Heer, the air forces of the Luftwaffe and the naval forces of the Kriegsmarine as well) seemed to be an unstoppable juggernaut. Its forces were far superior in quality, and only rarely in quantity, to those of its opponents. When American troops first encountered German troops, they were engaging a force that had been fighting for three years, and were equipped with some of the most advanced tanks and weapons in the world. Learning painful lessons, the Americans improved quickly, while the German economy could not hope to match the output of American industry. [. . . ] This allows it to be mounted on a tripod or light vehicle for use. German designation for "heavy. " SdKfz (Sonderkraftfahrzeug). Nearly all vehicles in German service had an SdKfz number. The maximum angle of terrain that a vehicle is capable of ascending. [. . . ]