German Roadblocks

[kevinkin]

These were hard for the Allies to avoid so they played a role in tactical battles. I am looking for an illustrative diagram for a roadblock that is strong enough to be defended by a reinforced company.  Not so much the troops, but the physical layout of the mines, hedgehogs, wire etc,  I know I have seen this before but have been looking for a while so figured: why not ask the gang?

Roadblocks will be specific to the ground they covered. But starting with a something tangible would be nice. Didn't the Germans write down everything?

Kevin

[RockinHarry]

just found this posting. I´ve not seen a particular layout for german roadblocks, beside the ones made from felled trees at forest roads. Generally a "roadblock" can be of multiple types, ones for temporary road blocking (daisy chain mining and covered by AT), or more elaborate types (road cratering, felled trees or within populated locations, stuff made of berms and debris ect.) I remember I´ve read about a particular german roadblock in the hurtgen forest, halfway between the localities of Germeter and Hurtgen. The main road was blasted and blocked by a big crater, heavily mined all around and surely registered for artillery to keep US engineers away. Think the main tactical considerations is whether the road as said should be blocked for longer time, or just in ways that it can be again quickly used for friendly movements if needed. Everything else depends on availability of forces, explosives and mines. Thus I´d say there´re no fixed schemes.

[Ithikial_AU]

It's one of those things you only realise once you go into the editor to make your own scenario that a roadblock fortification like the CMx1 days isn't there. On my wishlist for future inclusions.

Using hedgehogs and bit of terrain trickery (such as a mound of Heavy Rocks - so vehicles can't pass over) can get the job done, but you give the player a heads up to where the roadblocks are before they encounter them.

[Apocal]

Yeah, I asked for abatises and other obstacle-types years back. As I recall, Steve wasn't actually opposed to them but I guess priorities existed above and beyond roadblocks. It would be nice though, particularly in a Bulge game, to have pre-made roadblocks without needing to do terrain shenanigans.

Edited July 27, 2017 by Apocal

[Bulletpoint]

Maybe this seems like a stupid question, but I'm wondering: What was the actual purpose of a roadblock?

Well, to block the road, of course. But a roadblock needs to be defended, or the attacker can just drive past it or remove the obstacles really quickly.

And if the roadblock is defended, what purpose does the actual blocking of the road serve? Even without mines and hedgehogs, you can't just drive a tank through a village defended by a company armed with machineguns and AT rockets.

Maybe roadblocks were not so much to stop an actual attack, but to prevent recon from speeding past in the night?

[Chainsaw]

Roadblocks are still used today in order to slow the enemy on different levels.

On the lowest level you can use a roadblock to slow down the enemy so you can hit him. Say for example you only got light AT-weapons and need to fire on a road. hitting a vehicle moving 40-50km/h on 100-200m distance take some skills, and with heart racing, combat around etc it becomes even harder. Putting up a road block behind a bend or whatever either halts the enemy or slows them down to make the shots easier.

You talk about moving the obstacles really quickly. well it might look that way, but dig down 1-2 mines in that road block and see how fast it takes to remove it after the first mine detonates.

Obstacles and mines are "normally" defended, which means that when a enemy encounter a minefield or obstacle they deploy for combat, and moves slower untill they know there is nothing. this takes time, and thereby buys you time. That also makes them much more accesible for indirect fires, a FOO and a bunch of roadblocks can pin down the enemy for a good while for example.

On a bigger level many roadblocks can either slow enemys advance to buy your side time to do a propper defence or make the enemy accesible for a counter attack and so on.

Roadblocks are a very useful weapon in the way i have described and its particuly so when you look at the time it takes to make. Ad hoc roadblocks can take just about 5 mins (driving out some trucks in the road, throw a visible mine infront of it) or just a few hours work (saw or detonate trees accross the road, blow up the road etc and depending on what you go for it doesnt have to be manpower heavy either.

I am a combat engineer in the swedish army and we have plenty of heavy forest to use and canalising terrain so we use roadblocks ALLOT mixed with mines and proper minefields to delay the enemy, to make them change direction (into prepared better defences) or to hold them where they can be counter-attacked, so its a great tool really.

 

[Bulletpoint]

Thanks @Chainsaw for taking the time to answer my question in detail. Appreciated.