M-18 Hellcat

[Rap]

I just finished watching Tank Overhaul where they restored an american M-18 Hellcat that was boasted to be the fastest thing on trax in WWII. It had the same gun as the M4 but was much faster and fired a H.E.A.P round. They claimed it to be an instrumental tool in the Battle of the Bulge. Designed specifically for killing tanks in shoot and scoot attacks I think it would be a great addition to the inventory and considering the we won WWII there should be more american flavor on the ground....just a wish. ~<<S>>~


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[Fianna]

oh boy 

[avionix]

   Does anyone notice how all of the requests with off the wall comments seem to come from people with very few posts?  Have always wondered if it was the same person with some sort of diabolical scheme going on in their mind.   

[waystin2]

The M-18 would be a great addition to the inventory.

[Rich46yo]

I'd love to see a Yank TD in the game. The speed of the M-18 would open up a new dimension in the game.

[Rap]

Not to sure what or who avionix was talking about

  Does anyone notice how all of the requests with off the wall comments seem to come from people with very few posts?  Have always wondered if it was the same person with some sort of diabolical scheme going on in their mind.  

I'm not diabolical just a little twisted .

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[avionix]

Not to sure what or who avionix was talking about I'm not diabolical just a little twisted .

Rap.....tr

 

Didn't realize it was you man.  Very worthwhile post.   

[Krusty]

From what I recall the M18 was fast because it was LIGHT. It had only 1/2 armor which couldn't stop even some small arms fire. An M16 could take it out with ease. Imagine trying to manuver into any guns range on a more lethal foe and you'll die 5k out.

See, GVs in this game aren't like real life (not in the slightest). In AH it's mostly spawn camping of 1 type or another. In real life you set up a defensive line and shot at bad guys coming to you. Hardly any of this "I can't see hiim against the terrain" crap and the "he's nailing me 5k out through trees!" crap. While an M18 was quite valuable in real life, in AH it would be like stripping all the armor off an M4. That is to say, an exercise in frustration.

[Rich46yo]

You really think M16s would slay M-18 TDs with "ease"?

Speed is the key. We took a base once with M-8s, M-3s, and M-16s, moving to fast for an effective defense.

The problem isnt the game. Its he players. They upp, motor out a bit, and then sit. Trying to run up camps shooting from 5K out. That or they just plain sit on a spawn for hours stifling gameplay. Some TDs upp with effective guns, and start zipping around at 50 mph flanking these silly spawn camps? It would help game play I believe.

[SmokinLoon]

I dont have the armor stats hanfy, but the M18 Hellcat was not as lightly armored as an M8, but not as heavily armored as the M4A1, so pick your poison.

This subject has been debated time and time again... the M18 would bring a combonation of SIX things that currently do not exist in the game: high speed (45mph+), effective main gun (US 76mm w HVAP/HEAP second only to the 17lb'er and 88mm), low armor (more than M8 less than Pzr), and minimal anti-OBJ capability (it carried minimal HE rounds and no MG other than a single M2 .50 cal on top for a token AA defense), AND it would be vulnerable to air attacks (think of how fragile the T34x turret is vs enemy tanks, now apply that vs air cons).

Oh... and I'd be willing to guess it would have a rate of fire faster than the Pzr IV but less than the M8.

[E25280]

I dont have the armor stats hanfy, but the M18 Hellcat was not as lightly armored as an M8, but not as heavily armored as the M4A1, so pick your poison.

IIRC it was about a half inch (13mm) all the way around except on the turret front, which was an inch (25mm).  The M-8 is roughly 9mm sides and rear and 19mm on the front and turret.

By comparison, the Sherman has front hull armor of 2 inches (51mm), an inch and a half (38mm) on the sides and rear, and 3 inches (76mm) on the turret front.

[Krusty]

Many reports of infantry calling up tank killers (M18s and the like) and the tank crews getting shot up by small arms and defended positions, because the infantry commanders giving the orders didn't know the difference -- they thought a tank was a tank.

They took a lot of losses that way, from what I've heard (heard this from a couple older documentaries and read comments similar to it as well).

[AWwrgwy]

IIRC it was about a half inch (13mm) all the way around except on the turret front, which was an inch (25mm).  The M-8 is roughly 9mm sides and rear and 19mm on the front and turret.

By comparison, the Sherman has front hull armor of 2 inches (51mm), an inch and a half (38mm) on the sides and rear, and 3 inches (76mm) on the turret front.

From:http://www.robertsarmory.com/m8.htm

The armor is steel plate, 7/8 inches (22mm) thick, on the front of the vehicle and 3/8 inches (9.5mm) thick on the sides, with welded construction. The turret is cast with a thickness of 3/4 inches (19mm).

Not much less armored.


wrongway

[Krusty]

Keep in mind a 50cal from a sniper rifle (same round/casing as from WW2, different gun) can penetrate 2 separate 1/2 in steel plates placed 3 feet from eath other, when the shot is fired from 1 mile away (specifically measured).

In closer? It's got even more punch.

Like I said, M16s could tear through the thing. It was the basic minimal armor to protect the crew, not to stop any rounds from any guns larger than those carried by foot soldiers.

[Rap]

Look I just wanted some more gv flavor in the game. Hitech modeles things the best they can I guess. And if use the way the allies used them ambush/shoot-n-scoot maybe the M-18 would be a nice breathe of fresh air like the wirble.....but hey I'm just an LTAR gv dweeb that sucks in planes what do I know .



Rap....tr