Jun 232005
I have three games of FOW under my belt so far and it’s become rather clear that while my Rifle Company does ok against other Infantry based forces they’re definitely lacking a little in the anti-tank area. So I’ve dropped the Recon Universal Carriers (nice models but probably pretty useless on the tabletop) and full strengthed my 17/25 ‘Pheasant’ anti-tank gun unit as well as added the single allowed PIAT to a Rifle platoon. Not entirely historical for the NZers, but certainly a more robust gaming force.
This is the new force I’ll be trying to purchase and paint up before December.
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Man some of those WW2 weapons are just plain silly. The PIAT… 15kgs to cart around and an effective range of only around 100 yards. “It was absolutely violent to shoot, heavy, bulky, and hard to operate but was an effective tank killer. ”
Depends on your idea of ‘effective’ I guess.
Yes, I reckon the US Bazooka was a far more sensible design. The PIAT was a smaller version of the ‘Blacker Bombard’ design…which was a spigot launched mortar! Apparently the only people unlucky enough to use these in the field were the Indian colonial forces in North Africa who picked up a shipment that arrived on the docks when nobody else wanted them :).
Check out http://www.home-guard.org.uk/spigot.html Mad!
I would have been tempted to drop the 25pdrs and the Honeys and get Shermans instead. Currently your list has no way to force an engagement. If the enemy just digs in and uses artillery & air support you cannot really counter them.
If you are really worried about heavy armour that the Shermans / 6pdrs cannot deal with then give a platoon or two sticky bombs.
Chris
I would like some beefier tanks and may end up buying some Shermans or Grants. The Honeys are there because I’m attempting to build a vaguely historical NZ North African force. The NZers did have a Sherman armored company but not until after the N.A. campaign.
Honeys are fairly brittle tanks I admit but they’re fast. I’ve really just been treating them as armored cars and using them for close Infantry support.