Thanks for all the advice and links. I've read the tactical toolbox and bought the full game and am out of England and into the Raff series of training missions. I had two goes at the mission in the demo. In the first I got everyone killed. In the 2nd I had the mortars firing and used suppressing fire, isolated his flanks and won a victory, albeit with heavy casualties. In the full game mock battle in England I tried some of the tactical toolbox reconnaissance and followed the instructions, victory but with a dozen or so casualties. I tried again, same result.
My "Base of fire" comes under heavy counter fire and can't target much of the enemy position. Creeping through the woods and assaulting up the hill is painful. People die. My question is: is this normal? Should I be looking for zero casualties?
I am winning, everyone in the enemy force is captured or killed. But are they "smeared?"
Another issue I'm struggling with is line of sight and targeting. In the demo mission I was instructed to use a targeting arc for the MG and mortar, but they didn't start shooting. When I told them to shoot at a particular spot they did. I'm very bad a predicting who can shoot what and why. In the first Raff mission the observers in the 2nd floor of the manor building could not see (couldn't draw a targeting line) over the hedgerows to the crossroads, despite the manual implying they would be able to.
So, to sum up, I'm finding it hard to keep all my people alive and kill all the other side's guys. "Ain't war hell?"