Any Effective Tactics for Deflecting Tank Shells?

[Mobius One]

I've been primarily a tanker in Red Orchestra, mostly on Arad using a Panther or a Tiger I. I've noticed that a lot of Soviet tanks with their slanted armor and the Panther with its large frontal slanted armor deflects shells rather well. However, I've been experimenting with a new tactic - diagonally slanting your armor.

Since I usually drive a Panther and usually face against IS-2s, this thread will mainly be pertinent against the Panther's frontal slant armor versus the IS-2's all-around slanted armor.

Originally, I believed that the most effective way to deflect tank shells was to do this:

It works fairly well, but it does have its drawbacks. Apparently, sometimes this tactic just utterly fails and I die by IS-2 hits by one shot, which puzzles me to as where the tank hit me at.


So I tried another tactic, finding out that diagonally facing a tank is also rather effective:

Only real problem I find with this tactic is that this is only really effective against a single tank, while tilting your tank a certain way against one tank may work, it could open up a rather nice shot from another tank at another position.


So my question is, is the "front-facing tactic hoping that the slant armor would save you" tactic work more effectively than the "facing diagonally" tactic?

 

[{2.SS} von Halen]

Angling your armor to a single opponent is a very good technique if you are out in the open, but try some of these tank fighting techniques from the "2nd SS Panzarfibel" :

- Concealment and Camouflage. Other than hard cover (which we'll cover next), being concealed from the enemy's vision is your best bet to staying alive on the battlefield. If he can't see you, there is not much chance he's going to kill you. Remember that hills, buildings, woods, hedges, etc., are all good to block the enemy's vision of your position or your route of advance. Also remember to not

 

[LordKhaine]

Facing diagonally is perhaps the single most important element of tank combat in RO. If you don't do it, you will die.

 

[Druidor]

I find the hide in a gulley the best tactic with just the turrent protruding so that you can get the shots off.

Played last night I jumped in an abandoned tank, then realised it was stuck but though it was a good place as the opposition had to come over a ridge before they would have been able to see me & I could see most of the right side of the battlefield so could still get the long range fire in.

Got myself a fair few kills hitting the tanks through their undersides as they came over the brow of the hill & best of all they wouldnt see where the shot came from to retaliate when they respawned.

 

[Barkmann]

Panzarfibel

Panzarfibel

Very well written and clearly explained Von Halen.

Regards,

Barkmann

 

[Mobius One]

Wow, that's a pretty comprehensive description. Thanks, Van Halen!

 

[Heinz]

angle your tank at 10 or 11, or 1 or 2, depending upon your tank (Tiger does better wiht more angle). study the tank charts as to where to hit the enemy tank for maximum potential.

 

[{2.SS} von Halen]

My pleasure, Barkmann and Mobius One. That was only a particular section of our unit's "Panzerfibel" we use for training of our PanzerZug crewmen in both individual crewman skills as well as section and platoon battledrills.

To get access to the rest of the excellent information contained there, one only has to enlist in 2nd SS DAS REICH, graduate our Staffelbewerber course, and be so lucky as to be assigned to our Panzers. Do drop by sometime and visit!

www.das-reich.org

 

[Mobius One]

Hmm, I very may well join that forum, I've been looking for a good clan that uses Panzers effectively, unlike most of the dolts on public servers.

 

[karl stiner]

mobius you cant really train for tank combat because in battle every thing goes out the window rules are broken. you have to angle the tank the best you can and always hope the guy in the enemy tank makes a [SIZE=-1]mistake. then you kill him its simple Grab the wolf by the ears and dont let go
[/SIZE]

 

[Reznor]

I made the experience that 45

 

[Mobius One]

mobius you cant really train for tank combat because in battle every thing goes out the window rules are broken. you have to angle the tank the best you can and always hope the guy in the enemy tank makes a [SIZE=-1]mistake. then you kill him its simple Grab the wolf by the ears and dont let go
[/SIZE]

Of course tactics are never 100% fullproof, I was just asking which tactic was more effective.

Thanks for the philosophy boost, though.

 

[Witzig]

With some good gunner I managed to take on 3 tanks at once like that - of course they werent that far spread, but at least one of them would surely have killed us if I hadnt adjusted. Those are moments where being the tank driver is the most satisfying experience ever

Seconded , especially if you got a Gunner that doesn't need to be told to get the Far out Tanks first

 

[Heler]

of course, and this is how they engaged during the war as well.

for example, take a piece of paper, draw a one inch border along it.

place it on a table, rotate a little bit, and then draw a line through the side of the paper.

Notice it has to travel through more armor? then instead of it being straight on?