[Charles M]

The game erroneously makes PIATs, unit nos 078, 202, 456, 530, 646 and 695 available only from June 1943 onwards, which is historically incorrect. According to Gander, p. 52, PIATSs were isued from "early 1943", and Moss, p. 38, echoes this. Troops carrying PIATs were filmed on March 1943 in Tunisa and in April a PIAT was fired at the Tiger tank '131' (along with tank guns) which was subsequently captured by the British when the crew abandoned it. PIATs were therefore certainly available from April 1943 for use in the Tunisian Campaign, and this is the date we used in ASL. As an aside, the wretched Boys AT Rifle was probably in use with second-line units well beyond the June 1943 date given in the game.

Sources:

ASL Chapter C, p. C23.

Terry J. Gander, The Bazooka: Hand-Held Hollow-Charge Anti-Tank Weapons, Parkgate Books Ltd Ed., London 1998

Matthew Moss, The PIAT: Britain's anti-tank weapon of World War II, Wea[pon # 74, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford, 2020