Panzerschütze (Armored Crewman)

### Role

Obliterate the Soviets with your tank! Grab a gunner or be the driver whilst you aim to be the powerhouse of your army and possibly lead the charges too with your tank.

### Difficulty

Medium/Hard

*"'**Whenever in future wars the battle is fought, armored troops will play the decisive role." -Generaloberst Heinz Guderian***

A Panzerschutze is a member of the German Panzertruppen. Their job is to operate and maintain the Panzers of the Heer.

## Prepping for Battle

After spawning in as an armored crewman, the first thing you want to do is get equipped. Head over to the barracks and grab your gear, rations, and water. Afterwards you will want to get access to a tool-belt, mainly a wrench, pry-bar, and screwdriver. Finally you will want to visit the QM and get an extra vehicle fuel tank. After all this is done, head to your panzer.

## Der Panzer

While you spawn in with a gun, your weapon of choice is your panzer. A large, lumbering beast covered in steel plating. Panzers require 2 crewmen to operate efficiently, so make sure to team up with another Panzertruppen, or if none are available conscript a nearby soldat to operate it with you. To enter the panzer, simply remove your intermediate access key from your keychain and click on the panzer, then click and drag yourself inside the vehicle. The panzer has 2 crew positions, so choose what systems you want to operate wisely.

**Driver**

The driver is in charge of moving the Panzer. Simply use the WASD or arrow keys to move around. The panzer is very slow turning, so plan your route accordingly. Furthermore, the Panzer has the nasty habit of crushing whatever is in its way, so avoid running over friendly troops and positions. At the same time, you can use your panzer to crush enemies, break down barricades/walls, and even ram enemy tanks.

**Gunner**

The gunner is in charge of firing the Panzer's main cannon. Simply hit the spacebar and the cannon will fire in the direction the panzer is pointing. Because the Panzer cannot independently target enemies, you will have to remain in constant communication with your driver. This makes the Gunner the ideal role for whomever elects themselves as tank commander. Use the time you are not shooting to perform other duties required for the Panzer's operation: Communicate with your command, give your driver orders and directions, and repair the Panzer when you start taking damage.

**Repair**

Oh no, you've been hit by an enemy tank round/artillery strike/AT-rifle. The first step is to assess the damage, look at your status menu and see what your tanks integrity level is. If it is extremely low, you may want to consider dismounting your tank before it catches on fire and kills you, if you have some breathing room, attempt to drive your panzer to a safe place away from enemy snipers, machine gunners, and artillery spotters. From there, dismount your tank and follow these steps

1. Use a screwdriver to unscrew the gas cap.
2. Use a prybar to remove the gas cover.
3. Use a wrench to repair damage.
4. Refuel the panzer with a vehicle fuel tank if fuel is running low.
5. touch the panzer to put the gas cap back in place.
6. Use a screwdriver to secure the gas cover.

## Tactics

In order to properly utilize a panzer on the battlefield, you must first understand it's strengths and weaknesses.

**Strengths**

* Panzers are nearly impervious to small arms fire.
* Panzers can blow up or crush enemy barricades.
* Panzers can provide cover in open areas for infantry

**Weaknesses**

* Panzers can only shoot in the direction that it is facing.
* Panzers are slow moving and takes a long time to turn.
* Panzers are vulnerable to enemy artillery, tanks, AT-rifles, and other explosives.

With these points in mind, it becomes clear that a Panzer is best utilized on the offense supported by infantry. Panzers cannot fire while retreating, so try to limit their use to assaults or static defenses. Do not attempt to attack an enemy force without infantry support, it will generally result in your tank being surrounded, ambushed, and destroyed. Instead utilize your panzer in conjunction with infantry and artillery to deliver a crushing blow in a true combined arms offensive.