As a result, the British used the Achilles as a quickly deployable anti-tank gun, able to reinforce a position taken by infantry and engage counter-attacking German forces while the slower towed 17-pounders were pulled up and dug in for a more long-term defensive presence. This had the advantage of mitigating the weak armour protection of the Achilles as being used defensively usually allowed it to fire the vital first shot. This was in line with the original design concept of the vehicle, intended to blunt German "blitzkrieg" attack tactics. The M10/Achilles turret had an extremely slow manual only turret rotation, a limited tactical disadvantage when the tank was used only in a defensive role. As such, they had an advantage over German Stugs, which had no turret rotation. However, the Stug's low profile and heavy armour were significant assets that allowed it to be successful in its different tactical environment. Usually, the only time the British used the M10 and Achilles offensively was in support of Churchill tank units, which lacked the associated 17 pdr-armed tanks that Sherman and Cromwell tank units had.