BTR-60
The "Bronetransportyor-60 or "BTR-60" for short is an 8-wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier used by the Soviet Union. First pressed into service on 1959, the APC piloted by two crewmen and can transport upto 12 soldiers. Additionally, despite it looking particularly bulky, it still had amphibious capabilities and was pretty fast for a transport, so it was capable of mounting a lightning water-borne assault, or run around the area doing scout runs, with ease.
As it was only designed to transport troops, it's armaments only consist of a turret-mounted 14.5mm heavy machine gun and a co-axial 7.62mm medium machine gun, with the soldiers inside providing the rest of the firepower needed to take out anything with more armor than a scout car KPVT loaded with armor-piercing rounds had a chance of penetrating the 30mm front aluminium armor of early M2s at the distance of 500m, one of the reasons those were upgraded to M2A2; meeting anything heavier on the battlefield face to face is a death sentence for BTR-60 (and any BTR, really) unless infantry can take it out. It's armor can also deflect small-arms, but is incapable of reliably protecting it against anything larger than a .50 caliber round from a front (9mm, but it's angled) and can be penetrated with an armor-piercing rounds from 7.62mm machine guns at close distances from the side, having only 7mm of steel between the transported soldiers and horrors of the battlefield.
In Team Yankee
Rather realistically, the BTR-60 is portrayed as a rather useless vehicle outside of its designed role. With only a single point of armour on the front and a single KPVT machine gun with AT5, it has a specific job: battle taxi-ing. While the BMP and M113 have decent stats, it detracts from the idea that the FIRST job of these vehicles it to ferry troops to the battlefield, safely. The BTR fulfils this role handsomely.
While its stats might be mediocre, the BTR comes in droves. Much like their untermensch passengers, your BTRs can comfortably outnumber the enemy 2-1 at the very least. Employed as suicide units, BTRs have a role as meatshields. Rushing forward and threatening your opponent’s vulnerable artillery pieces or support units, it forces the enemy to spend a whole turn wasting their anti-armour firepower on these things. If ignored, massed AT5 fire is capable of causing surprising damage to M109s or anything lighter. Even FV432s and M113s need to take note, as they are vulnerable to mass bails from side shots. They may have the armour of a scarf but the gun works almost like an autocannon.
Situationally, players may use the BTRs as roadblocks. After death, they provide bulletproof cover and concealment.
But cost-wise, the BTR is effectively free! BTR companies are taken for the infantry, with the APCs essentially coming free. This means that if the BTRs can actually kill units of value such as infantry, anti-air or artillery you are getting additional value on top.
As always, Soviet stat lines and unit sizes make them rather reliable troops (if incapable of understanding your orders).
East German, Polish and Czech infantry may bring the BTR-60 as a transport that play almost identically to the Soviet equivalent, apart from their 4+ skill.
IRL
The BTR-60 is long since retired from active service with the Russian military and almost all Soviet successors but the rugged design has kept it in service with many poorer nations around the world. It is currently used for border patrols in Russia. By the 1980s USSR forces stationed nearest to the Iron curtain were using the BTR-70 so it should actually be with East Germany while the BTR-70 units serve Russian forces as West German group got the very best toys and BTR-80 only entered production in 1986.
Soviet Forces in Team Yankee | |
---|---|
Tanks: | T55AM2 - T-62M - T-64 - T-72 - T-80 - T-72B - T-64BV |
Transports: | BTR-60 - BMP-1 - BMP-2 - BMP-3 -BMD-1 - BMD-2 - BTR-D |
Troops: | Motor Rifle Company - Hind Assault Landing Company - Afghansty Air Assault Company - BMP Shock Motor Rifle Company - BMD Air Assault Company - Afghansty BMD Air Assault Platoon |
Artillery: | 2S1 Carnation - 2S3 Acacia - BM-21 Hail - TOS-1 Buratino - BM-27 Uragan - 2S9 Nona - BM-37 82mm mortar platoon |
Anti-Aircraft: | ZSU 23-4 Shilka - SA-13 Gopher - SA-9 Gaskin - SA-8 Gecko - 2S6 Tunguska - BTR-ZD |
Tank Hunters: | Spandrel - Storm - BTR-RD - ASU-85 |
Recon: | BMP-1 OP - BRDM-2 |
Aircraft: | SU-22 Fitter - SU-25 Frogfoot - MI-24 Hind |
East German Forces in Team Yankee | |
---|---|
Tanks: | T-55 - T55AM2 - T-72M - T-72B |
Transports: | BTR-60 - BMP-1 - BMP-2 |
Troops: | Mot-Schützen Kompanie - Hind Assault Landing Company |
Artillery: | 2S1 Carnation - BM-21 Hail - RM-70 - 2S3 Acacia |
Anti-Aircraft: | ZSU 23-4 Shilka - SA-13 Gopher - SA9 Gaskin - SA-8 Gecko |
Tank Hunters: | Spandrel |
Recon: | BMP-1 OP - BRDM-2 |
Aircraft: | MI-24 Hind - SU-22 Fitter |
Soviet Support: | SU-25 Frogfoot |
Iraqi Forces in Team Yankee | |
---|---|
Tanks: | T-55 - T-62 - T-72M |
Transports: | BTR-60 - OT-64 - AMX-10P - BMP-1 |
Troops: | Motor Rifle Company |
Artillery: | 2S1 Carnation - 2S3 Acacia - AMX Auf1 - BM-21 Hail |
Anti-Aircraft: | ZSU 23-4 Shilka - SA-13 Gopher - SA9 Gaskin - SA-8 Gecko - Roland AA |
Tank Hunters: | Spandrel - VCR/TH |
Recon: | BRDM-2 - BTR-60 OP |
Aircraft: | MI-24 Hind - Gazelle HOT |
US Support: | A-10 Warthog - AV-8 Harrier |