tar Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 In CMBO the inability to have remote HQ spotting for mortars mounted in halftracks made them very hard to use. With any anti-armor weapons at all on the field, it was way too easy to destroy them before they could begin to use their large ammo loads. In a recent battle designed by my 7 year old son, I ended up with two mortar halftracks and a TRP. The TRP turned into the key to using the halftracks. As long as you don't move them (I moved one of them -- oops), they can fire blind at the immediate vicinity of the TRP. If the terrain is such that you can predict where the enemy will have to go, then setting a TRP there allows you to effectively use these on-board mortars. Admittedly, this requires just the right circumstances, but it does help in getting good use out of their large ammo supply. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louie the Toad Posted March 9, 2003 Share Posted March 9, 2003 tar Congratulations ! I am working on a scenario that can legitimately incorporate this great discovery. I am going to use it. Gleeful .. Toad 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted March 10, 2003 Share Posted March 10, 2003 Originally posted by tar: In a recent battle designed by my 7 year old sonHeh, tell more about this battle! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louie the Toad Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 Tar, Based on your discovery, what would happen if a mortar halftrack was set to enter as a reinforcement, say on turn 3. Lets assume that the TRP was placed from the start of the game as it should be. Do you think that the TRP would be acquired by the HT as long as the HT didnt move from its placement on the board by the AI ? Curious... Toad 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tar Posted March 11, 2003 Author Share Posted March 11, 2003 Toad: No, I would expect that if reinforcements arrived they would not get the benefit of the TRP. But then again, I haven't actually tested this. Sergei: Hmm, how to summarize. My son tried to design one that would be challenging to win. He named it "Hard!". The Axis received an infantry force with a company of Engineers (he likes flamethrowers and demo charges, so his designs are always engineer heavy). There was an eclectic assortment of German halftracks, including two with mortars, and one with a flamethrower. Two StuH, two StuG, two Marders, two Tigers and one King Tiger. As an additional challenge for what was essentially a meeting engagemnt style setup were three pillboxes and a couple of minefields along with around 7 pieces of artillery of various calibers from 20mm to 105mm. Four FOs. The Allies had a fair number of armored cars and mortar halftracks. A couple of 76mm Shermans (2 or 3), a couple of Priests, and a large assortment of infantry featuring Engineers (no surprise) and machine guns. Also present were a large number of MG jeeps. An indeterminate amount of FOs, but at least one of must be around 105mm. At around turn 10, the Allies got some reinforcements with mostly light armor and machine gun teams. The map had the flag in the middle next to a patch of woods, much closer to the Allied setup zone. There was a large village between the Axis setup zone and the woods. A road ran straight down the map through the flag. On the Axis left, there was another large pine forest, and mostly open terrain with isolated scattered trees on the right. I'll have to see if I can find a place to put this up on the Web. I'm playing the Axis versus the AI, with my son as spectator. (He played it once himself, winning a minor victory against the AI). I'm about half-way through the game right now (so there may be more reinforcements coming for the enemy). I've lost a couple armored cars and one of my Tigers. I'm not completely sure who got it, but it might have actually been a Priest rather than the up-gunned Sherman. The reinforcements have been slaughtered, having appeared right in front of my StuGs. I had placed the TRP at the edge of the woods with the flag, so one of the mortar halftracks has been useful at suppressing them. It is interesting insofar as I have (for the first time ever!) been successful in getting my flamethrower units into the woods and into offensive action. Granted, the units left in the woods are pretty well suppressed and otherwise beaten up, but normally FTs never make it into battle except in ambushes. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorri Posted March 28, 2003 Share Posted March 28, 2003 Well at least for cmbb. I realy like my 81mm mortars, being armoured, running like Johnson never got enough drugs to do so, and still follow quick the orders, a local available Hq has for him. ..., so tell me what`s the probl. with halftrack mortars? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CombinedArms Posted March 28, 2003 Share Posted March 28, 2003 Originally posted by Snorri: Well at least for cmbb. I realy like my 81mm mortars, being armoured, running like Johnson never got enough drugs to do so, and still follow quick the orders, a local available Hq has for him. ..., so tell me what`s the probl. with halftrack mortars? The problem in CMBO (unlike CMBB) is that they can't use HQ's as spotters, so they must expose themselves to hostile fire in order to engage, and they won't survive against just about any kind of AT weapon. So they're kind of a white elephant in CMBO. Linking them with TRPs is in fact quite a clever idea. The key would be never to move them, since after movement they can't fire at TRPs. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorri Posted April 1, 2003 Share Posted April 1, 2003 thx for your reply, teling me something about cmbo. There`ve been quite some people, kept denying the mortar, specially tracked and armoured once here, are quite a capable weapon.. i wasn`t up to tell, this non-move mortar can fire on "Targetpoints", is a great discovery, everyone is thankful for.., (..since this isn`t written down anywhere...) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incarna2k1 Posted April 6, 2003 Share Posted April 6, 2003 I used to be part of the "mortars are useless" school of thought. I just didn't really know how to use them and the limited ammo bothered me. I like them much better now. They're kind of fragile and still lack the ammo, but I've practiced with them a lot. Can't say I've ever used a halftrack mortar though, maybe I'll try one today 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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