Author Topic: The pivot turn and panzers (Read 241 times)

mauser · « **on:** January 28, 2002, 12:48:07 AM »

I don't think there is a way to pivot turn the panzer in AH right now, and this being such a small detail it's probably not too important compared to everything else going on. But would it be possible to add this feature in someday? It's an important feature to have for assault guns like the StuG or the ISU/SU series which have limited gun movement. Also, when we get different vehicles which historically needed hits on the sides or rear of their adversaries to get kills (e.g. most shermans or t-34 vs. tiger), the ability to pivot turn is crucial when facing multiple adversaries. I think a part of the Tiger Fibel mentioned how a crew should turn their panzer when dealing with a threat. Keeping the target at the 1:30 position wrt the hull, the opposition would be shooting at the tiger at an angle rather than flat on (important since the tiger's hull was basically unsloped). Doing this vs multiple adversaries virtually requires the ability to pivot turn to place the targets in the correct orientation quickly. Of course, this isn't a demand to get this implemented right away, but more of a little request for some future version.

mauser

Karnak · « **Reply #1 on:** January 28, 2002, 04:42:45 PM »

I brought this up with Pyro at the 2001 Con. He stated that it was not possible to pivot turn the PnZ in AH at this time. I don't recall if he indicated if it was something on the "to be fixed list" or not.

Raubvogel · « **Reply #2 on:** January 28, 2002, 04:52:23 PM »

Shouldn't be too hard to implement. Just give the vehicles right and left brakes like the aircraft...but then again, what do I know?

mauser · « **Reply #3 on:** January 28, 2002, 08:31:45 PM »

Thanks Karnak. Well, we'll just wait and see, but at least we know it's been brought to their attention.

That's what I thought about first before attempting to post Raub. I opened up AH and checked the key mapping under the vehicle section to see if the left/right brake command was there. It wasn't so I assumed there probably wasn't a way to pivot turn yet.

Btw, in my various readings I seem to recall that not all tanks could pivot turn. I can't see the reason why since I'm sure they way to turn a tank was to slow down the tracks on one side versus the other. Just need independent brakes for each side or something like that in the transmission.

Something else a little off of the topic I started... Anyone know what specific things enabled modern tanks to have the same or lower profile (height) compared to WWII tanks? For example, the Tiger I from http://www.panzer-vi.fsnet.co.uk/specifications.html is 3m high, while the M1 from http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/abrams.htm is only about 2.4m high. However, I notice the Tiger is about 6m long, whereas the M1 is almost 8m long. Was it the relocation of transmissions to the rear of the tank?

mauser

Jack55 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 31, 2002, 02:09:24 PM »

I don't believe that all tanks could pivot turn. The M4 is one that I think could not.

Karnak · « **Reply #5 on:** January 31, 2002, 05:03:33 PM »

Jack55,

You are correct about the M4. That has been mention frequently by American tankers as one of the things that the German tanks had over the Sherman. German tanks could pivot turn.

chunder' · « **Reply #6 on:** February 01, 2002, 02:46:00 AM »

Not really certain, but I believe only the Panther, Tiger, King Tiger, and thier derivatives could pivot turn, not the earlier panzer IV and such.