"Over the top, or find a road down?" Topic

Accepting the scale in this photo, could a Chieftain or a T-72, or earlier models, go over and down that type of escarpment (right side of photo) or would the driver have to find and follow a road down? I dunno, just asking …

Thanks to Krugers Kreation link

It would depend on the percent of slope. But just eye-balling it in a two dimensional photo, from one perspective, I'd say it could not use the slope unless there was a road that conformed to the norms of the percent of slope for vehicles.

Of course, as the one creating the terrain, you could just declare, for the purposes of the scenario, that the percent of slope allows armored vehicles to move.

Off topic, but…. cut the road size by half and get a better terrain cloth. Your city and woods are beautiful and the are suffering an injustice.

As Ray says, you could just declare it passable, but assuming everything is proportional, if I were back (still?) in a TOC doing terrain overlays, that would be a "no go" slope.

Chris is right too. Hie thee to a fabric shop. I got a 6x6 this week for $8. USD

As a practical matter, it looks like your tank might ski down the slope, no matter what ruling the umpire makes.

What would happen to a tank that tried to go down too steep a slope? Certainly it would stress the drive train. You might get that lovely overheated brake pad smell you get from riding the brakes when you take your Honda downhill. I suppose you could zigzag down the hill, though that would put your tank out in the open for a longer time. A slope like that would also expose the less armored topside to enemy fire.

I have data on what sort of slope formed infantry can move up (Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg, yes, Missionary Ridge at Chattanooga, no) and I'd assume there must be something of that sort for tanks.

Grelber

There are a few classic photos from Israel of the result of tankies mis-reading the slope of hills – or just not noticing a road cutting at all. Its amazing how far you can drive a 105mm barrel into tarmac or rock.

It could go over and down off road once…

Assuming everything is to scale and exactly as depicted, I'd call it impassable.

I suppose you could zigzag down the hill, though that would put your tank out in the open for a longer time. A slope like that would also expose the less armored topside to enemy fire.

And if you're real unlucky, flip the damn thing on its side or back. If any of my TCs told me (the driver) to go down that slope, I'd (respectfully) tell him to get screwed…. (Luckily, I never had any TCs that dumb).

No, that slope is a NO GO.