Entrenchments are just too hard!!

[Switch_Back]

Im am having difficulty with entrenchments, it doesnt seem to matter how much I throw at them, armor, APCS even a large number of infantry when I can. And of the large volleys of fire from all my weaponry, ill feel lucky if I cause one casulty, my infantry can be virtually on top of the entrenchment and still I get more casulties than the enemy recieves.

A point that is annoying me somewhat, is that an OPFOR unit of infantry in entrenchments with only three men left can obliterate 3 full sqauds of infantry and maim several APC's in 3 turns?!?! without taking a casulty for all the return fire. It took 5 turns to turf the buggers out.

If anyone can help ill be much appreciated.

I realise I am posting alot of threads asking for help, but by nature im a CM player, and im new to TacOps and im just trying to pick up on some good tactics so I can produce better results in my game and get as much into TacOps as I am CM.

Thanks

[MajorH TacOps Developer]

Your message pretty well summarized why armies build field fortifications.

The best way to defeat an entrenchment is to bypass it. So the first question you should always ask yourself when you run into an entrenchment is whether you really have to bother with the SOB in the first place.

This isn't WWII. Arty and mortar support is only a minute or two away. Shell the entrenchment with arty and mortar for as long as you can before you send in infantry. The arty will also have trouble killing the troops in the entrenchment quickly but it will absolutely keep them suppressed which reduces both the amount and accuracy of their fire. Keep the arty going until doing so would be hazardous to your infantry.

Identify the flanks and rear of the units firing from the entrenchments. Try to organize your infantry so that they attack from the flanks or rear or preferably from multiple approaches. In other words, some troops attack or feint to the front while others attack from the flank or rear. If you do not use multiple approaches then the enemy units can just change their facing and the flank attack advantage goes away.

And a reminder ... five turns is only five minutes. It usually takes much more time to get things done with fewer casualties. Be more patient.

Shell the entrenchment

[Redwolf]

It is also funny that practically the same thread ("are trenches overmodeled?") is going on in the Combat Mission tactics forum

Smoke is also useful in dealing with trenches because often it is occupied by "basic" units like squads or simpler tanks which don't have thermal sights. ATGMs are often in ambush positions instead and high-quality tanks not in fortified positions.

Even if they have thermals the smoke lowers their effectivity.

[Switch_Back]

Now I can see the error of my ways, I was trying to defeat entrenchments with overwhelming firepower, but it cost me many lost units.

I was not being patient enough and not setting up a HE bombardment for long enough and laying smoke to cover a flanking assualt. Your points have been taken thanks for the help.

The scenario that prompted me to write this post was the Canadian battle "Battle Group Dingman" where I have no choice but to hit entrenchments.

[tar]

OK, you definitely need to use smoke to get in to that one.

I tend to be very aggressive in the US equivalent of that scenario, but it usually costs me fairly heavily in terms of helicopter losses. The aggressive strike that I like to use has infantry on the objective within 15 minutes.

[tar]

Oh, also with the Canadians, don't neglect to use the special artillery observers. They get an accuracy bonus for artillery that they spot for. The dismounted ones are particularly nice, since they can't be seen at distance.

[Tory the Magnus]

Also don't forget to use TRP's so that you can switch your artillery fire between different targets that are reasonably close together without a major loss of accuracy.

I have found, even in my short experience, that in TacOp's you have plenty of time to complete the scenario objectives. This means you have plenty of time to carry out recon to stop ambushes and to identify enemy strong points, and you can do quite a bit of manouvering as well.

Oh, one other thing, don't forget that when attacking an entrenched enemy line, it is always good to launch a few feint attacks at different parts of the line prior to your main thrust to try and draw enemy reinforcements away from your actual point of attack. If you make you point of attack as narrow as possible you can probably keep the closest enemy defensive positions under constant artillery fire so that they are constantly suppressed.

[Switch_Back]

Yes I agree, I have begun seting up TRP's Well in advance of any assualt I make, thats something I make a point of doing in the first turn onwards, its very important to have a 4 or 5 accuracy rating the moment an enemy position is discovered so that support is quick and instantley effective.

TRP's are also great on the defensive!! creating a semi circle of TRP's around 2 to 3 thousand metres out from defensive positions artillery can be quickly brought to bear where ever it is best needed and cause maximum effect on approaching enemy units.

Actually on the point of TRP's, in a two player game can the opponent see my adjusting rounds?

[Tory the Magnus]

Yes you opponent can, just as you can see his adjusting rounds. That leads me into the point I was going to make with TRP's, a lesson I discovered the hard way. Don't set up your TRP's so that they give away the positions of your defences, or where you plan to strike. Have artillery going off everywhere until the last possible moment and then strike so that you maintain tactical surprise.

[ March 26, 2004, 01:10 AM: Message edited by: Tory the Magnus ]

[Coyote]

In both the US and Canadian versions, you have 60mm mortars. These have a very small impact area so at accuracy 5, you can get your troops very close to the enemy trenches and still keep the bad guys surpressed.

Coyote