M4 Shermans Could Be Hazardous to Your Health
Review by John M. Hebert

Charlie One, this is Charlie Two. Message follows...
Deadly Games' creation, M4, is not for the faint of heart. To begin with, this is a battlefield simulation of an M4 Sherman tank. It was not an outstanding piece of armored equipment. In fact, to most crews it was considered a  self-propelled deathtrap. Undergunned and definitely underarmored, it had little chance against most of the German tanks it faced in World War II.

   As if that weren't enough, the scenario begins on December 16, 1944. My first reaction were the words" Uh-oh."  That was the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge, during which a lot of M4s were up to their turrets in German tanks.

   Knowing that a successful tactic was to "gang up" on the German armor will not help you. For all intents and purposes you are alone on the battlefield, Sarge. Radio contact is all very well, but it would be nice to see a friendly turret now and then.

   So it's you and them (a lot of them) slugging it out in the snow, while "Charlie One" transmits grid coordinates to go to, and sometimes leave then go back to, and return again to, all of which makes you suspect like most soldiers -- higher headquarters doesn't know what it's doing.

   And then there's the noise: the roar of the engine, clanking of tracks, crackle/whine of bullets hitting the turret and the horrendous "whump" of a German anti-tank round slamming into you. Very realistic
sounds which are properly annoying as you're trying to traverse the main gun over to take on the enemy personnel carrier that suddenly popped up.

   This isn't laser range finders and depleted uranium penetrators flying at one mile a second to knock out a T-72 3000 meters away during the Gulf War. This is one step above open sights and a 75mm gun good only for taking out enemy tanks from the side or the back. Old age (if you get there) and treachery are a definite approach. Keep the word "retreat" in mind. We Americans don't like to think about that, but here it's a survival technique. If you can, pop a white phosphorus shell against that oncoming Panther and get the [expletive deleted] out of there. Maybe you can sneak up on his rear later and stick a round into his engine. Besides, the supply types are often held up, so you won't get rearmed for days.

   The depiction of the inside of the turret seems taken from real life; it's cramped, dark and loaded with objects designed to bruise you. About the only thing missing is a smell like sulfurous sweatsocks after the main gun has fired a couple of times.

   The view from the gunner's sight or tank commander's binoculars is fuzzy at long ranges -- what the [extensive expletive deleted] is that out there? Even with VGA graphics running in Windows 3.1 (both required), it's not that easy to identify whether that black blob is an enemy vehicle or not. Of course, if they're shooting at you it's a good assumption.

   On the fun side, you can choose your tank's name, which appears on the diagram's side -- including the Roman numeral additions as you get first one, then another, M4 shot out from around you. I named mine Camille, after somebody I knew from another war not so far back in time. You also get to choose the names of the crew -- it might be interesting to see a friend's reaction to the grim entry "Phil Stinson didn't make it out," just after an 88 round penetrated the turret.

   The crew also talks to you at times, such things as "Uh-oh, looks like trouble. Sarge?" and adjusts your main gun hits. Pay attention; they, like the radio transmissions, are fast and just a little bit garbled. If you are skillful enough to get promoted, the crew's voices pick up just a tinge of sarcasm -- another realistic touch. For some
reason, the program allows you to keep the map, despite the old legend that giving a second lieutenant a map and compass is like giving a violin to a gorilla.

   A few hints: Load the maximum amount of ammunition, about half AP and half HE. When the day begins, load the main gun with AP, call the recon guys to see what's going on, then move out. Don't forget to pull into
hull defilade at the first sign of trouble. Listen to the adjustment remarks. Remember the magic word "retreat" if necessary. Seriously consider maneuvering so as to approach them from the rear or side. And check with Recon before each move. The situation is "fluid," a military euphemism for "nobody knows what's going on."

   At the end of one of the battles we all got to go to Paris for 14 days of R and R (well, maybe some I and I too). That -- for some strange reason -- to the tune of "Lili Marlene."

   This simulation grows on a person. At the beginning I was more than a little dubious, having gotten spoiled by the high-tech weaponry used by other software companies. There's a simplicity here that radiates its own charm -- a clunky, clanky "back to the basics of combat" that keeps you coming back to the mouse. And gritting your teeth as yet another armor piercing round "bounced off that [imaginative adjective and expletive deleted] Panther."

   We're getting closer to Bastogne now. Have to call Recon and see what they've got, then maybe call the artillery guys to put some flying metal on those [extremely extensive expletive deleted] Krauts before we move into the next grid square.

   Charlie Two out.