SMG compnays...edge in a battle or for a quick victory?

[Kestrl]

I've played a lot of battles as the Germans and normally every time my infantry get decimated by Russian SMG platoons.

I know the benefit of SMG platoons with their envious firepower at close range but they are awful at long range plus not much ammo. They won’t last those 30 plus turn battle if that is the only infantry someone purchases so are people looking for a quick victory with them or a little edge in battle?

P.S. just a little AAR I posted below from an interesting TCP/IP Quick Battle I played today.

I’ve really been enjoying almost pure infantry battles with a couple armored or mechanized vehicles. I had a good TCP/IP Quick Battle today with a Russian rifle company and a couple of 45mm AT guns, I was defending.

The map was farmland, heavy trees, small hills, medium damage, and dawn. I was defending as the Russians and picked mechanized forces against a German combined force. I setup my two 45mm AT guns in the rear area overlooking some open areas and a road leading into a small village.

I haven’t had to many opponents who drive right down a road in the center of the map so I really didn’t think my guns would get any good shots. The area they were covering was small so at least artillery and enemy units would have a tough time trying to knock them out.

I did finally get a clear shot at my opponent’s assault gun which was over looking his infantry advance, I set a covered armor arc and waited for my opponent to advance and for my AT gun to get a clear shot. The AT gun was positioned behind the lines in a small pine forested area and had small window for a clear shot at the assault gun.

The assault gun rotated to its left and I had a nice side shot at it and the turn ended just before my AT gun opened up. I put the LOS tool on it and it said 45% chance, good chance to knock it out, and it was hull down. I hit the go button to watch the turn and the AT gun got numerous hits on it before the crew abandoned it.

This was one of my longest battles with 40 plus turns and it lasted a few hours but it was only a 600-point battle, good way to spend a sunday afternoon.

[Phantom Captain]

Yeah,

But since you had to rely on the death clock, I will tell you right now, it was the first shot that knocked him out. :mad: Your gunner deserves a medal for that one. Great first shot.

Again, thanks for the game, great way to spend Sunday afternoon. Look forward to a rematch!

[ February 24, 2003, 02:40 AM: Message edited by: Lord Dragon ]

[JasonC]

"are people looking for a quick victory with them or a little edge"

The SMGers are "concentrated essence of infantry". They do the covered areas, in close. Tanks, FOs, and ranged heavy weapons (guns, mortars, HMGs) do the longer range suppression and cover the open ground areas.

The ammo is low, but sufficient if you only fire at close ranges, like 80 yards or less. Just use a covered arc that small. Even against enemies in cover, at such ranges the ammo will suffice because the firepower is so high. Most the the destruction happens within the same body of cover as the defenders, or from the next building across a street.

I actually find the 2 LMG squad varieties (Panzer or Russian later-war "heavy" squads) are the ones that get into ammo trouble, because they get more opportunities to fire at longer ranges, but don't have much more ammo than the SMGers.

If the target isn't ready for infantry to wade in close, it isn't time to use infantry against them yet, anyway. It is a different style of fighting, and does require enough in the way of supporting arms. Typically tanks, but rifle infantry with support weapons are another way of supplimenting them.