Impenetrable Steel and Heavy Guns
Almost every nation involved in World War Two identified the need for a type of tank that was one of two things: Heavily armoured and heavily armed. Some nations managed to deliver on these ideas better than others. Some sacrificed one aspect at the expense of the other. Tanks that ended up sacrificing armour for a heavy weapon and in some cases improved speed are usually referred to as 'Tank Destroyers'. These tanks we will look at in a later entry, but for now we will look at the heavily armoured beasts, some carrying weaponry as fearsome as their appearance, and others sadly under-gunned.
Naturally, if we looked at every tank that fell under this category, we would be here all day, so to save on time each nation will have at most three of their most famous heavily armoured and armed tanks. Should you feel aggrieved that I have missed out your favourite armoured fighting vehicle, I may do an additional post at a later date to highlight those more popular than others.
Germany
Panther A, D, G / Jagdpanther
Making its debut at Kursk, the Panther was a highly successful tank. Combining heavy frontal armour that included a shot deflecting angle, the Panther could easily take on any other tank of the war.
The Jagdpanther is the assault gun model of the Panther, mounting the same gun as the Konigstiger and being armoured approximately the same as the Panther, the Jagdpanther terrified Allied tankers from D-Day onwards, taking a heavy toll on the Scots Guards Churchill squadrons during the D-Day breakout.
Both the Panther and the Jagdpanther have an indomitable Front Armour of 10, making them impervious to anything less than a 3" gun, and even then at long range they will most likely resist anything that size thrown their way.Their Achilles heel comes from their extremely vulnerable side armour of 5, Panthers and Jadgpanthers need to be very wary of being outmanoeuvred by superior numbers, which in most cases will be highly likely.
Whilst the Panther mounts a slightly weaker gun than the Jagdpanther, that weakness is relative, as the Anti-tank of 14 is more than enough to take out Churchills, T-34s, and make the basic model Pershing consider its options. The gun on the Jagdpanther is going to go through almost anything thrown against it, with the tanks most likely to resist the shot being other German tanks in the form of Konigstigers, Jagdtigers and the like.
With both tanks lacking the 'German-standard' protected ammo, it is worth keeping in mind that dropping to 'Reluctant' to save points may result in a bailed out tank spending the majority of the game inoperable.
Tiger I
Quite possibly the most recognisable tank of World War Two, the Tiger cuts a fearsome sight with it's box-like structure, thick all-round armour and heavy gun. While the reports of Tigers being unreliable in the field, their gearbox failing, their tracks unlinking at a moment's notice and the engine simply cutting out because of the wrong type of weather is first in mind when discussing the failing of the tank, the Tiger will always keep it's fearsome reputation, especially when commanded by the famous Obersturmführer Michael Wittmann, and his spree outside Villiers-Bocage.
The Tiger is a model heavy tank, combining very good armour all round, with a gun that will take out most medium tanks without issue. Despite having a point of armour less on the front than the Panther, the Tiger has no weakness on the side, with 8 being enough to fend off most medium guns, the Tiger can afford to get stuck in more when outnumbered. With the retention of 'Protected Ammo' and 'Wide Tracks', the Tiger will usually stay in the battle longer, making it highly useful.
The famous 8.8cm KwK36 is strong enough to put paid to most other tanks in the field, unless up against other heavy tanks, and then the slight weakness of Anti-tank 13 gets shown up. The gun being unable to penetrate a Jumbo, Churchill VII and struggling against both models of IS-2, the Tiger will sometimes find itself in a slow slugging match which it may or may not triumph from
United Kingdom
Named for the wartime politician of the same name, the Churchill was a tank that found its uses despite being designed for a different type of war. The Churchill is a slow-moving infantry support tank, and was initially designed to help fight a war akin to World War One, where trench fighting and no-man's land meant that only direct assaults would work. Despite early failings such as the Dieppe raid, the Churchill was greatly appreciated by its crews, who agreed the major disadvantage to the tank was lack of punch. With early models mounting the standard 6pdr, and later models mounting the 75mm of the Sherman, the Churchill was a heavy tank with the hitting power of a medium.
The introduction of the Churchill VII upped the tanks survivability incredibly, with a front armour that could stop a Tiger round, the Churchill VII was much needed in the later days of the war, when the Big Cats prowled the French countryside.
The Churchill, regardless of model, is a tank with amazing survivability. The standard front armour of 8 allows it to shrug off most medium rounds at range, and with the addition of 'Applique' armour, which increases the front armour to 9, gives them even more survivability. Add into this equation the presence of 'Protected Ammo' and 'Wide Tracks', the Churchill is a workhorse that will keep in the fight until the end. On top of this the Churchill VII takes the field with an almost impenetrable Front Armour of 13, which can shrug off shots from Tigers, Panthers and even has a sporting chance against the dreaded Jagdpanther and Konigstiger. With all models of Churchill having an impressive side armour, these tanks are almost the epitome of 'Immovable Object'.
The armament is where the Churchill is disappointing. The Mk VI and VII armed with the same 75mm gun as the Cromwell, giving it the 'Semi-indirect Fire' rule. While the re-rolls to hit at range are advantageous, the reduced anti-tank rating leaves a lot to be desired.
The late model Churchill IV takes the field with the improved 6-pdr. The increase in rate of fire, and anti-tank is let down slightly by lacking 'Semi-indirect Fire' and having a disappointing Firepower of 4+ means that on the whole a mix of Churchills does well.
Comet
Arriving at the very end of the war, as the British Army was crossing the Rhine into Germany itself, the Comet was the last in a long line of Cruiser tanks that had served Britain throughout the years. Carrying the Rolls-Royce Meteor engine, this tank had a very impressive top speed for a tank its size. Official records have it reaching a top speed of 32mph, however some crews reported that when given the open space of a German Autobahn, the tank could tear along at higher speed with the throttle fully open. The tanks wasn't just fast on its tracks, it also mounted an impressive 77mm gun, which fired a similar round to the 17pdr, but the cartridge case was from the older QF 3 inch 20 cwt anti-aircraft gun loaded to higher pressures. The resulting round was completely different from 17-pounder ammunition. It had a lower muzzle velocity than the 17-pounder, but the ammunition was much more compact and more easily stored and handled within the tank.
The reason the Comet is on this list for the British is the 77mm gun. With the same Anti-tank rating as the Panther's main gun, and being a point higher than the Tiger's, the Comet combines speed and firepower in a very effective way, as long as it doesn't have to receive fire as often. Finally, should the Comet be cornered, the 'Semi-indirect Fire' rule means that the heavy fire it throws it has a higher chance of finding and taking out its target.
Tomorrow: Irresistible Forces and Immovable Objects United States and Soviet Union
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