20mm ATR's

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  • #162926
    Darin
    Participant

    We have been playing games lately with Finnish and Russians. My opponents Finnish have been using ATR’s using a home brew modification due to the higher caliber of his weapons, 20mm vs below 15mm for most other standard ATR’s. For a cost of +5 points we have given them a +2 penetration vs the standard ATR +1. Range and all other rules remain the same. Does this seem balanced as it stands?

    Also besides the Finnish and the Japanese anyone else use a 20mm ATR? I remember reading some where that the Germans used the Solothurn, but I dont know how common these were.

    #162927
    invisible officer
    Participant

    20 mm Solothurn got used in small numbers by Germany. 1936 it was introduced into the Hungarian army, Italian infantry battalions had three each. German Rheinmetal produced an export version for Romanian, Dutch and Finnish army. Sweden had some, the Swiss had just 58.

    It had a better penetration but weighted more than double compared to the German Panzerbüchse 38 and 39. 40 mm maximum penetration was good but for transport the barrel was taken out, two man carrying the weapon. So a wheeled version was made too.
    In the literature the valuation is mixed. Good penetration, but it was expensive and not easy to operate. Aiming and hitting was not easy. And the kick was awful.

    Against modern tanks it was as useless.

    The Soviet 1941 14,5 mm PTRD had a similar penetration and weight was not 50 % of the Solothurn. But the time for the AT rifle was running out. Panzerfaust / RPG 1, Bazooka, PIAT etc. made it obsolete.

    And the big ……. 😉

    The Finnish made 20 mm Lahi had no better penetration than the Geman 7,92 mm ones.30 mm at 100 meter. So I would not name that house rule balanced.

    #162931
    Stuart Harrison
    Participant

    ATRs are +2 pen anyway, same as a light automatic cannon.

    If you want to reflect the difference with a home rule, you’d need to reduce the pen of the lighter ones rather than bump up the 20mm ones.

    #162933
    Darin
    Participant

    You know..I have just assumed all this time the ATR is +1…ass..
    Me….

    #162943
    invisible officer
    Participant

    Hmmm, did your oponents Finnish used the Solothurn Import ATR or the Finnish made Lahi?
    The Lahi was not better in Penetration than the 1940 Soviet ATR and much inferior to the 1941 PTRD.

    If one add a house rule for the Solothurn it should be combined with a movement disadvantage.

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