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Hedgerow tactical/gamey advice


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I've been playing some battles for a few weeks, reading forums, manuals, etc etc etc.  CMBN 4.02.

I seem to often hit a similar problem which I would like some advice about.

Defenders behind a hedgerow:  I build up a base of fire, and pretty much suppress them.  Then I advance some unit(s) a bit to the side of the defenders (e.g. I flank them).  

In some cases, there is a suitable hole in the hedgerow, but if I send units through it, the defenders often are still alive enough to shoot them up.  Another choice is to blast a hole through the hedgerow in a suitable place, but still, when units go through, they take fire.

A third thing I've tried is to wait until units have reached the hedgerow, then change the suppressive fire to light (Y) and then hunt (U) the units that are on the hedgerow down toward the defenders without trying to cross to the other side. 

In some youtube videos, I see units approach the hedgerow and throw grenades over, but I don't seem to have the knack to get my troops to do that (poor training, all my fault 8-).

So, in short, any advice?  

 

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area targeting behind blockading terrain no farther than 30m does the trick. Works on bocage, tall walls and terrain related like high embankments etc. Don´t expect deadly volleys of hand grenades at first turn though. Most guys then look like attempting to shoot their rifles but can´t (off course). Wished the TacAI automatically recognizes this situation for grenade volleys (BFC hint! ;)

Beside always beeing a great read, as well quite useful for playing bocage country and related tactical issues in the game:

Doubler´s Busting the Bocage

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Bocage fighting is tough. You're fighting at close range, with fire that can come from any angle. Cover is everywhere, making reconnaissance difficult and fire superiority hard to achieve. Your avenues of approach are predictable, which means they can be covered with mines and machineguns - mistakes can be extremely fatal, very quickly.

 

These are the problems, but also the solutions. Bocage fighting presents a series of tactical problems to solve, each slightly different.

 

It's vitally important to engage with minimal forces. Scouting and recon-by-fire are very important, and the latter is pretty much the best use for armour.

Making your own approach routes through Rhinos or engineers can be extremely powerful, but will give away your position. 

Ultimately, the "find, fix and flank" formula still holds, but the "fixing" can often have a more manoeuvrist meaning. You may not be able to fix them in position with fire, but you might be able to control the approach routes and trap them into a position passively. i.e., instead of suppressing them behind the hedgerow, if instead all of the connecting reinforcement routes are isolated, then they're just as fixed in position.

Your flanking force is the lead element, and ideally they're coming from an unexpected direction.

To throw grenades, area fire inside a 30m range - indirect weapons like grenades and mortars can target out of LOS, just to the other side of a hill crest or hedge.

Try not to fixate on map "sides" - since the terrain is complex, an enemy that is spread across it's width will be isolated and unable to support themselves. That means that there will either be plenty of space to manoeuvre in, or any enemy you meet will be extremely weak.

Caution is the thing. If you charge a squad across a covered field, they're dead. Proper scouting is vitally important, and moving by inches if necessary. "Hunt" is often not a great choice of movement order, since you'll typically be moving from cover to cover, and it's going to be more important to get to that cover, than to stop and fire on contact.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 9/14/2019 at 10:33 PM, lsailer said:

I've been playing some battles for a few weeks, reading forums, manuals, etc etc etc.  CMBN 4.02.

I seem to often hit a similar problem which I would like some advice about.

Defenders behind a hedgerow:  I build up a base of fire, and pretty much suppress them.  Then I advance some unit(s) a bit to the side of the defenders (e.g. I flank them).  

In some cases, there is a suitable hole in the hedgerow, but if I send units through it, the defenders often are still alive enough to shoot them up.  Another choice is to blast a hole through the hedgerow in a suitable place, but still, when units go through, they take fire.

A third thing I've tried is to wait until units have reached the hedgerow, then change the suppressive fire to light (Y) and then hunt (U) the units that are on the hedgerow down toward the defenders without trying to cross to the other side. 

In some youtube videos, I see units approach the hedgerow and throw grenades over, but I don't seem to have the knack to get my troops to do that (poor training, all my fault 8-).

So, in short, any advice?  

 

I used to play like you, back when I started played CMBN intensively. After a while, I learnt that suppressing/assaulting a hedgerow is actually only something you do as a last resort.

The way I see it:

Best option: Direct fire 60mm mortars or equivalent.

Second best: Shoot it out. You need a good base of fire at less than about 200m distance. No area fire - let them choose their own targets. After the enemy stops shooting back, you send over a scout team or two.

Third best: Pour on enormous amounts of suppressive fire and make them fall back from the hedgerow. Not effective against human players who can order the squads back up.

Fourth: Probably the suppress/assault drill. However, even heavily supressed enemies can often fire back when you get close. I don't think there's any SOP that will guarantee a safe hedgerow assault.

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If you have smoke, that helps in closing with the enemy without casualties and then it's an attritional battle on either side of the hedgerow at point blank range.  The concept is to have more than the enemy so you win in the end.  Helps if you have demo charges as well (and tank support).

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