Anti-Tank Rifleman

From Battleground Europe Wiki

From the introduction of the tank in WWI, it was evident that infantry had little recourse if attacked by tanks. Certainly, there were antitank guns (if they happened to be present when the tanks showed up) but in terms of squad-inherent antitank capability, there was little available. One course of development led to the Anti-Tank Rifle. Essentially nothing more than a really powerful rifle firing hardened armor-piercing slugs, they were extremely heavy, hard to use, and only marginally effective against even the early, lightly armored tanks.

Using an ATR in Battleground Europe is about patience. If you are a gunner that shoots immediately at everything they see, your life behind an ATR will not be long. Shooting prime movers is easy: aim first for the engine or a wheel hub to stop it (the wild crash resulting from blowing off a wheel will likely kill/incapacitate any riders), and then pick off anyone left. AFVs are a different challenge. Your engagement profile for most AFVs is difficult: no front attacks. Side attacks at 100m or less, rear attacks at 200m or less. Armored cars are sometimes easier, although their armor is generally well-sloped and hard for an ATR to punch through. Select particular targets before you start shooting ... vision slits and road wheels are particularly good targets.

Note that even if you penetrate the enemys armor, getting a kill is a challenge ... a little 5-6mm sliver shooting around inside a tank is unlikely to kill anyone before it buries itself into a seat or floor. Multiple shots are frequently required, hard to pull off against an alerted foe. Shoot preferentially for the gunners viewport if there is one ... if you kill the driver first, the gunner can still kill you. Kill the gunner first and the tank becomes an impotent pile of steel.

Some players also swear by their ATR as a sniping weapon. However, the limited ammunition, the obvious firing signature, the difficulty in holding aim on a single target over multiple shots, and the fact that normal-caliber rifle bullets are lethal enough at extended ranges all would argue against this.

British

British anti-tank rifleman

Type: AT Infantry
Special Equipment:
Boys Antitank Rifle
Caliber .55 inch Armor Piercing
Magazine Capacity: 5 rounds
Muzzle Velocity: 990 m/s
Included weapons:

• 1 x Webley .455 cal. Revolver
• 4 x No.77 Mk. I Smoke Grenades
• 1 x Combat Knife

The Boys ATR employed the "heavy big slug going pretty fast" approach to producing an Armour Piercing round from a rifle style weapon.

French

French anti-tank rifleman

Type: AT Infantry
Special Equipment:
Boys Anti-Tank Rifle
Caliber .55 inch Armor Piercing
Magazine Capacity: 5 rounds
Muzzle Velocity: 990 m/s
Included weapons:

• 1 x M.1935S Automatic Pistol
• 4 x Grenade Fumigène (Smoke Grenade)
• 1 x Combat Knife

The French received these ATR guns from the British in exchange for French 25mm guns.

German

German anti-tank rifleman

Type: AT infantry
Special Equipment:
Pzb.39 Antitank Rifle
Caliber: 7.92 mm Armor Piercing
Magazine Capacity: single shot
Muzzle Velocity: 1265 m/s Included Weapons:

• 1 x Luger 9 mm Automatic Pistol
• 4 x Nb.Hgn.39 Smoke Grenades
• 1 x Combat Knife

The PzB.39 ATR employed the "small, very hard slug going insanely fast" approach to producing an Armour Piercing round from a rifle style weapon.