Live firing Arty guesses

[GRUMLIN]

Here we go - a real live test of your knowledge, and maybe some useful lessons for newcomers. It comes live from one of the PBEMS i'm playing, so is a test against a 'real' human.

I am about to lay down a bunch of 120mm off-board mortars (blast 125)on between 8-12 squads of german infantry who are going to be advancing tightly bunched together through a wood. Heh Heh.

Question is - anybody care to guess the effect? The spotter has 40 rounds, will fire (i think) about 16 rounds in the first turn, and he cost 110 points (4tube, radio)..will he inflict damage equal to his value?

I'll keep you posted.

Grum

[RSColonel_131st]

That's a good idea, funny game and actually a chance to learn the difference between different arty.

For 110 Points he'd have to kill or render combat unworthy a Platoon of enemy infantry (AFAIK, not being a CMBB Point Database).

If you have LOS, and we are talking CMBB here, I'd say you will get 80 to 120% of your investment back - meaning a 4/5th of a platoon or 6 groups rendered unuseable.

[YankeeDog]

Ah, what the heck, I'll throw my $.02 in. . .

The situation you describe above is one of the few where I think you will actually get a return on your investment, in pure point terms, for a light to medium bore arty spotter.

Assuming that the (approx.) company of enemy infantry in the example above is actually close enough together for more or less all of the units to be caught under one mortar barrage (a tactical mistake on your opponent's part) and in woods, that infantry company is going to get shellacked. 120mm mortar treebursts are *deadly*, and dropped on top of such a tightly packed formation, individual shells are likely to cause casualties to multiple units simultaneously. While the specifics depend a lot on just how well the barrage is targeted (and also luck), I would wager that on average the units caught under the barrage will take about 1/3 casualties and be at least panicked, with many broken or routed (assuming Regular experience) by the end of the barrage. Assuming that you are actually catching three full platoons under the barrage, this means that you will probably kill or wound the equivalent of a full platoon. Considering I am also predicting a significant number of the remaining units would be permanently 'rattled' (i.e., hit broken or routed status) and therefore be at reduced combat effectiveness for the remainder of the battle, you would certainly achieve a positive return on your investment in just pure 'point' terms with this result .

However, since this thread is also ostensibly to provide some "useful lessons for newcomers", I think it's important to point out that the potential benefits of artillery can go far beyond just a simple tit-for-tat point tally of the casualty and/or 'combat effective' results. If you can hit that enemy company that hard with an Arty Barrage, even the remaining good units are going to be out of the battle for at least two turns while they recover and get reorganized. This buys you valuable maneuver time, possibly enabling you to take advantage of a temporary local superiority, or throwing off the timing for his plan of attack.

There is also a possibility that you can further increase the casualties on his force by staging a local counterattack. For example, if you've got even a single free infantry platoon nearby, you can attack into the disorganized (and mostly pinned) enemy company immediately after the barrage lets up and get some 'free hits', so to speak. Normally, an attack into a full enemy company with a single platoon would be suicide. However, with most of the enemy company pinned or worse, and in close terrain (i.e., woods) where LOS is short, you can pick your fight and attack just a couple of already injured squads on the edge of the enemy formation, causing further enemy casualties at very little cost to yourself and futher weakening his attack. In an attack like this, you can easily attain a 5:1 favorable casualty ratio for a turn or so. The trick is to not get greedy - after you've bitten off another little hunk, withdraw to fight another day (or turn!). This could, of course, be followed by maneuvers or attacks from other units.

Think of it like this: If I'm fighting a boxing match, and I hit my opponent with a good jab that throws him off balance a little bit, do I just stand there and admire my handiwork until he recovers? Of course not. I follow jab with a right cross or uppercut some other punch. If I can string enough successful punches of this sort together, I will knock him out. Now, the jab is a pretty weak punch and may not have caused the knock out directly, but I would argue that the initial jab deserves at least some of the credit for the eventual knock out. This is why boxers work at least as hard on their jabs as they do more damaging punches and like crosses and uppercuts.

Much like a boxing jab, light and medium caliber artillery is generally quick and responsive - it can be thrown around the battlefield with relatively short time delay. Also like a jab, it rarely causes major damage on it's own (as noted, Grumlin's example is probably one of the rare cases where it will). Used in concert with other assets in an effective Combined Arms attack or defense, it can easily have an effect far beyond the actual casualties it causes.

Cheers,

YD

[GRUMLIN]

Well I am waiting for the email back which should show me the impacts....and i have a company of SMG troopers hiding 80 mtrs away...I might just try out your counterattack suggestion...

And his 'tactical error' was an attempt to storm my line with what now looks like the best part of three companies. Unfortunately, I withdrew my line last turn as the arty was timing down...heh heh

G

[xerxes]

The counter attack is the key piece in this equation. IF your counterattacking force doesn't get ambushed by units you aren't currently aware of they should be able to mop up the remainder of the company.

Counterattacking after a barrage lands hard is a devastating tactic. If you're really psycho you can counterattack, wipe out the remainder of the company, and keep on moving forward to flank other elements.

Depending on your situation, terrain, force strength, etc.