M=18 Construction

[wiskyfog]

Was the original M-18 armour made out of papier-mache?? It's fast and got a glass jaw..

[Krusty]

Yes. Just strong enough to stop infantry fire, that's it. The M-18 is NOT a tank. It's a tank destroyer. There's a difference.

[Pigslilspaz]

How else do you think it's so fast?   But it can't outrun tators.

[SmokinLoon]

13mm of armor all around the hull and on the sides and rear of the turret.  Generally speaking the standard .50 BMG FMJ will penetrate about a 1/2 in of armor at 600 yards, give or take a mm or two.  That does not mean that if the M18 gets pinged by a single .50 cal bullet within those ranges that it will be destroyed, but if I were in an M18 I would not be sitting still for too long and I certainly would not be letting *any* enemy aircraft or vehicle get too close.

While in an M18, think of yourself being Muhammad Ali in a world of a bunch of pistol wielding thugs.   

[SmokinLoon]

13mm of armor all around the hull and on the sides and rear of the turret.  Generally speaking the standard .50 BMG FMJ will penetrate about a 1/2 in of armor at 600 yards, give or take a mm or two.  That does not mean that if the M18 gets pinged by a single .50 cal bullet within those ranges that it will be destroyed, but if I were in an M18 I would not be sitting still for too long and I certainly would not be letting *any* enemy aircraft or vehicle get too close.

While in an M18, think of yourself being Muhammad Ali in a world of pistol wielding lightweights.   

[gyrene81]

you quoted your own response? 

[talyns]

This is a great hunter. Stay fast, stay covered and hit and run. Its great fun to knock off three or four tanks with in a fast flanking run. Im in raptor mode with this set of treads.

[SmokinLoon]

you quoted your own response? 

No, I actually meant to change my "heavy weight boxer vs knife wielder"  analogy.  For some reason it allowed me to go in a "modify", but it came out a quote.  So... I'm doing the same thing you are:   

[titanic3]

My first sortie with it, I managed to kill a Panther.

Use your speed to dart between trees, come in at an angle to your target. Start a circle and slowly tighten it but keep your speed up. Once you're close enough, start firing, preferably at their rear/tracks. Most tanks can't turn their turret fast enough.

Your real weaknesses are M8s, and a smart/accurate guy.

To counter the circle of death by M18s, don't try to "catch" him with your gun. Keep it in one spot, if he keeps going in circles, wait till he crosses your LoF and watch the fireworks. If he tries to outsmart you and go the opposite way, that's when you start tracking him, because any sudden turn he makes causes him to lose speed, which slows him down enough for your gun to "catch" him.

HE shells work best, because even a indirect hit will result in a kill.

[Karnak]

Per my offline testing, HE shells are a waste of effort if they don't hit the M-18 itself.  You have to land an HE shell from an 88mm gun directly under the M-18 to kill it.  Near misses do nothing.

[titanic3]

HE hits guarantee a kill, I've miraculously survived a hit from the Panther I killed from D400 out. Heard a ping, but no damage, mustve been an AP that passed right through.

As well as hearing people complaining about hitting M18s with AP shells to no effect.

[Karnak]

HE hits guarantee a kill, I've miraculously survived a hit from the Panther I killed from D400 out. Heard a ping, but no damage, mustve been an AP that passed right through.

As well as hearing people complaining about hitting M18s with AP shells to no effect.

Yes, just don't go claiming that indirect hits will do anything.  You have to hit it with the shell.  If you hit the track the M-18 will lose the track, which makes the followup shot easy.

[titanic3]

M18s do get damaged by near misses though, not claiming anything. And you yourself said HE from an 88mm will kill, albeit it lands very close to the M18, but a near miss nontheless.

[321BAR]

My first sortie with it, I managed to kill a Panther.

Use your speed to dart between trees, come in at an angle to your target. Start a circle and slowly tighten it but keep your speed up. Once you're close enough, start firing, preferably at their rear/tracks. Most tanks can't turn their turret fast enough.

Your real weaknesses are M8s, and a smart/accurate guy.

To counter the circle of death by M18s, don't try to "catch" him with your gun. Keep it in one spot, if he keeps going in circles, wait till he crosses your LoF and watch the fireworks. If he tries to outsmart you and go the opposite way, that's when you start tracking him, because any sudden turn he makes causes him to lose speed, which slows him down enough for your gun to "catch" him.

HE shells work best, because even a indirect hit will result in a kill.

last time i checked every kill ive had using the M18 was a shoot n scoot maneuver. very few were rolling like you say. The M18 is better off ambushing and fast unseen maneuvering than what you say.

Use your speed to dart between trees, come in at an angle to your target. Start a circle and slowly tighten it but keep your speed up. Once you're close enough, start firing, preferably at their rear/tracks. Most tanks can't turn their turret fast enough.

what you really wanna do is get in firing range and the flank. stop the Hellcat out of sight, take your shot. This improves the accuracy and usually one shot kills. Immediately displace and set up shop elsewhere. Dont go gunho into the fray shooting off rounds or the enemy will probably counter you fast enough to stop you no matter what theyre in.

[MK-84]

last time i checked every kill ive had using the M18 was a shoot n scoot maneuver. very few were rolling like you say. The M18 is better off ambushing and fast unseen maneuvering than what you say.
what you really wanna do is get in firing range and the flank. stop the Hellcat out of sight, take your shot. This improves the accuracy and usually one shot kills. Immediately displace and set up shop elsewhere. Dont go gunho into the fray shooting off rounds or the enemy will probably counter you fast enough to stop you no matter what theyre in.

Bars right imho, thats how I drive it. 

NO, you dont want to shoot at the rear of your enemies tracks, as someone just said.  Shoot for a kill, not to disable it.  I mean what's it going to do, run away from you