Troina Campaign

[egnelson]

Hey all,

Long time lurker in the forums, I've been having some trouble with the Troina campaign in FI so I figured I'd enlist some help.

The mission I'm specifically referring to is the last mission in the campaign where you attack right up to the town's outskirts. Side note, is there a way to pull up campaign scenarios in the scenario editor so I can post pictures of the map?

Anyway, you are attacking uphill against a heavily dug in force of infantry, armor and ATGs. Friendly forces include 2 infantry companies, two tank platoons and some other units as well as a ton of artillery.

Long story short, my guys got cut to ribbons and I suspended the attack after taking only the first objective (of 5 or 6 total) in an hour and a half (of 3 hours available). I ended up with almost 250 casualties, most of which were in my two utterly spent infantry companies.

I used liberal smoke and artillery barrages, set up HMGs and AFVs in overwatch and scouted out enemy positions using two man teams from each squad, all to no avail.

My biggest dilemma was this: I would scout forward to identify fortifications and once I found them I would pull back and wait for the artillery to blast them. During the wait, however, my men were left trapped on the ridgeline unable to move forward because of the enemy positions and unable to move backwards because they would leave the cover of the woods and get cut up by MG fire. While in this middle ground the German mortars often ranged and obliterated my guys. What is a poor commander to do?

I realize there is not a quick and easy way to remove determined enemies from entrenched positions on the high ground, otherwise the Sicily/Italy campaign wouldn't have cost the Allies 140,000-odd casualties. But I was curious what you all did/would have done on that mission in the campaign.

Thanks,

Eric

[womble]

My biggest dilemma was this: I would scout forward to identify fortifications and once I found them I would pull back and wait for the artillery to blast them. During the wait, however, my men were left trapped on the ridgeline unable to move forward because of the enemy positions and unable to move backwards because they would leave the cover of the woods and get cut up by MG fire. While in this middle ground the German mortars often ranged and obliterated my guys. What is a poor commander to do?

Without specific knowledge of the scenario...

The AI won't fire its arty at what it can't see. More liberal use of Hide commands to keep your troops unspotted while they await the HE freight overhead might help. Maybe push fewer men forward to where they're in danger of being spotted and then mortared?

If your troops can't back off any further because of MGs, that suggests they've advanced already through those fields of fire. Might be better to neutralise those MG positions before advancing past the ground they cover; if they can see your troops, your FO/scout elements can see them. It sort of sounds like you need to hold back a bit more and let arty "develop the situation" (i.e kill and suppress the enemy) a bit more; you don't need to "lean" on your barrage with your troops bodies, only their fire.

Your problem isn't the mortars, or the enemy positions you're advancing on, it's the MGs (wherever they are) that are preventing you maneuvering.

[Mad Mike]

Side note, is there a way to pull up campaign scenarios in the scenario editor so I can post pictures of the map?

Yep, you would have to "unpack" the campaign with CMx2 ScAnCaDe (download link for the tool is in my signature), which will give you access to the individual scenarios.

For the scenario itself: go up the hills on the left, you will still take horrible casualties but should be able to push through (use your artillery to pound any resistance into the dust).