General de Brigade

[hedgehog]

Hiya

I am gradually finishing off my 1944-45 US infantry company but they need some armour to support.

Bearing in mind that i shall mostly face either Russian T34/85s or German Panthers... what should i get?

I was thinking 4 artillery vehicles, such as Priests, and maybe 4 M18 Hellcats...

would they be able to cope?

Any suggestions on what i should models buy would be appreciated.

thanks

Hedgehog

[Alexb83]

Shermans, including some Sherman 76s - you really don't have much option so far as tanks are concerned.

Perhaps 1 or 2 Pershings (they did see action afterall - the 90mm gun is very nice) - Skytrex make a nice model.

Chaffees for your recon elements, perhaps.

As far as TDs go - you can go with Hellcats or, if you can source a model, M36 Jacksons which served from September '44ish (again with the very effective 90mm gun)

[Alexb83]

Skytrex also make a couple of marks of M36 (having just checked).

They also make late mark M5s, in case you didn't want to get Chaffees, and various later marks (HVSS, M4A3E8 76mm, etc.) of Sherman.

[hedgehog]

Thats great, thanks for the advice.

Do I need to bother with Supporting heavy artillery like priests?

Hedgehog

[Alexb83]

This really depends on how you use your artillery If you aren't investing in 105mm field guns then yes.

I've put together a number of 25pdrs for my brits for instance, and tend to use them on the table - but then I largely play early N. Africa where these double as AT guns.

Normally I would suggest relying on offboard artillery - batteries take ups space and aren't ideally placed 'on the front lines' - where your games arguably take place. They should be back some way from the engagement.

105mm are very effective - the advantage of a Priest or Sexton (I did consider getting them) is that you could use them at a pinch as assault guns, as well as indirect fire.

The difficulty within the gaming system with SPGs is that (discounting terrain etc.) they make the guns easier targets, and at best only marginally tougher vs. counter battery fire or tanks.
Then again they are much more dangerous to infantry, and are more mobile than AT guns, without having to unlimber to fire etc.

[hedgehog]

Thanks again, although now i have even more options to consider.

H