Blowing Bridges

[Mark_McLeod]

What's the best way to destroy bridges. ive used arty on one and it finally fell after a while of bombardment. i tried a airstrike but my bombs missed every time. and lastly is there a way to destroy them using pioneers and their satchel charges? also if anyone knows any other ways please inform me! Thanks.

[A Canadian Cat]

5 hours ago, Mark_McLeod said:

What's the best way to destroy bridges. ive used arty on one and it finally fell after a while of bombardment. i tried a airstrike but my bombs missed every time. and lastly is there a way to destroy them using pioneers and their satchel charges? also if anyone knows any other ways please inform me! Thanks.

Nope those are the ways. Oh wait direct gun fire works too. No engineers with satchel charges cannot destroy a bridge.

Direct from Steve:

A couple more discussions:

 

 

[Michael Emrys]

Steve nailed it. Rigging explosives to take down a bridge requires a lot of charges usually and that involves a lot of time, more than is available in a CM battle. The only kind of bridge that might be realistically blown in CM would be a small wooden foot bridge, and that would require some special coding. I wouldn't hold my breath.

Michael

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Presumably bombing them is still an option?  Typhoons could pack a pair of 1000lbers and they should do the trick nicely.  IIRC the Jug could pack a single half-ton plus bomb too.  In such a mission I think it would be appropriate to locate a TRP on the bridge, tactical-air briefings were pretty thorough and Allied FAC was bloody good for its day.

For 'Ze-Germans'.....Not so much. 

Edited April 26, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead

[Michael Emrys]

5 minutes ago, Sgt.Squarehead said:

IIRC the Jug could pack a single one ton plus bomb too.

Hmmm, going from memory, they could carry a pair of 1000 pounders, but the most common loadout was a pair of 500 pounders plus some rockets. And of course the ammo for eight MGs.

Michael

Edited April 26, 2017 by Michael Emrys

[Sgt.Squarehead]

I thought they could carry something bigger on the centreline station for the big ferry tank.....I don't have too many books on aircraft sadly, a couple about 2nd Tactical Air Force and a few Osprey titles and that's about the limit of it. 

PS - I edited my post to 'half-ton' as you were typing BTW, I realised my maths was way off. 

Edited April 26, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead

[sburke]

Other than during MG I can't think of many tactical battles where this was a relevant option.  That is the rationale of BF not taking the time to code it for engineers.  With HE it can be done but risks making a scenario a dead end if the bridge is critical to the battle.  They are more useful as a choke point or a VIP objective. 

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Have to admit bombing bridges as a concept is probably better suited to IL-2 than to CM, but if I were adding it to a scenario that might be my approach.  Perhaps a map where a bridge presents the only (occasionally buggy) route for vehicles, but where infantry have other options (I'm thinking minor bridges in the Falaise Pocket, that sort of thing).

Maybe the bridge-bug could be turned to the game's advantage depending on the vehicles weight:  http://missing-lynx.com/gallery/dio/inderfalle_rdoepp.html

Edited April 26, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead

[Michael Emrys]

6 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said:

Have to admit bombing bridges as a concept is probably better suited to IL-2 than to CM, but if I were adding it to a scenario that might be my approach.  Perhaps a map where a bridge presents the only (occasionally buggy) route for vehicles, but where infantry have other options (I'm thinking minor bridges in the Falaise Pocket, that sort of thing).

I admit that I haven't looked in detail into bridge busting in the ETO, but my impression is that the weapon of choice for the USAAF was the Martin B-26 Marauder. It took a lot of bombs usually to knock out a bridge and much of the time the damage was not to the bridge itself, but the approaches.

As far as water crossings in the Falaise Pocket, for personnel, bridges were usually unnecessary as the "rivers" in that area in high summer were shallow enough to be easily forded. The problem for vehicles was not the water, but the steep and often muddy banks.

Michael

[Mark_McLeod]

ok thanks for the help and information. sorry i didnt search up the other discussions i was in a hurry and clearly wasnt using my head hehe....

[MikeyD]

Lets recall there are bridges and bridges. The little wooden foot bridge is not really that hard to damage The big wide stone city bridge is just as tough as you'd imagine it to be. The huge bridges for Holland in CMBN I don't think they even bothered to do 'destroyed' models for them (as near as I can recall). I have a perhaps faulty memory of bustin' the big modern bridge in CMBS. But don't quote me on that.

[George MC]

10 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said:

Have to admit bombing bridges as a concept is probably better suited to IL-2 than to CM, but if I were adding it to a scenario that might be my approach.  Perhaps a map where a bridge presents the only (occasionally buggy) route for vehicles, but where infantry have other options (I'm thinking minor bridges in the Falaise Pocket, that sort of thing).

Maybe the bridge-bug could be turned to the game's advantage depending on the vehicles weight:  http://missing-lynx.com/gallery/dio/inderfalle_rdoepp.html

I created a scenario fo CMBB (CMX1) where a small German mech recce unit with some Hetzers (in mist and fog) conducted a rearguard action against probing Soviet tanks (close range ambushes with panzerfaust and 'shreks) . The mist and fog meant the Soviets could potentially pass any "roadblocks" so the German player also had to sue a screen ID the attack axis and then set-up ambushes. As they fell back they had to ensure they delayed the Soviets long enough to allow the engineers to mine several bridge crossings. I simulated this by having an engineering unit at the bridges and TRPs on each bridge covered by a FOO (the arty and FOO came in reinforcements near the end of the scenario). The arty was heavy duty stuff which did the trick of bringing down the bridges. The same approach works in CMX but you will have to be careful what bridge type you use - lighter bridges struck by heavy duty ordinance will come down or at the very least deny anyone a safe crossing.

Oh in the CMBB scenario you did have to make a choice between leaving some of your guys on the other side (to stall the Soviets) or risk the Soviets getting across the bridges...

[BletchleyGeek]

Making an scenario covering a coup de main to get across the bridge before it is blown up seems to me a matter of adjusting the timing of the scenario and having a destroy objective for a bunker or another fixed unit, playing the part of the detonator box trope.

Too bad we can't have a cutscene when the scenario ends for immersion. @George MC solution kind of tries to get that effect, though. 

Edited April 27, 2017 by BletchleyGeek
English

[MikeyD]

I just recalled the Beta version of a scenario for CMFI (5 years ago?). It started with an artillery bombardment of a bridge location at the sole vehicle crossing point off the setup zone. More often than not the artillery would destroy the bridge making vehicle progress impossible. Needless to say the opening barrage idea had to be reconsidered.

[LongLeftFlank]

Los!