towed artilery

[Cambronne]

Anyone any idea of using towed guns in an offensive scenario(ie attack,assault,probe)?It seems they are useless when the owner is attaking!

Thanks.

[SgtMuhammed]

They work well in an overwatch role. Just be careful if you have to move them.

[xerxes]

I always brings guns on the attack.

Phase 1: Overwatch from setup zone.

Phase 2: clear areas that are in LOS of the setup zone

Phase 3: Once initial LOS reachable area is cleared, move the guns to a covered area

Phase 4: Push the guns through cover until they get LOS

[Bone_Vulture]

Xerxes pretty much gave the best instructions.

Also, if you are using a more valuable gun, you might want to consider accompanying it with a HQ team and a light mortar, to serve as a tiny counter-battery unit if the gun gets targeted by enemy mortars.

[demoss]

Also, if you are using a more valuable gun, you might want to consider accompanying it with a HQ team and a light mortar, to serve as a tiny counter-battery unit if the gun gets targeted by enemy mortars.

The only problem with this is that by the time you figure out where the enemy mortar spotter IS, it's likely too late. Though it can be narrowed down by careful observation of the fire pattern, more than one mortar can make this difficult, and it's never a sure thing.

[demoss]

Oh, as for actually getting the guns into action, use Move to Contact, preferably in woods, after unloading behind the woods and out of sight. If it's an AT gun, and if you can get away with it (i.e., no enemy infantry nearby), use an armor covered arc to make sure you get to a position where you can see the enemy armor.

Obviously, don't try this with immobile guns.

Try it a couple times in good conditions (read: good cover available, preferably woods) and you'll never again pooh-pooh the offensive capabilities of towed guns.

[SFJaykey]

I had good luck with a towed artillery piece in a long PBEM game I am just finishing up, in which I am playing the Germans, assaulting a town. I set up a 150mm IG hiding in a patch of woods, almost 1000m back from my opponents setup area and with clear LOS to an area where I expected my opponent to set up a strong point. After my advancing infantry fixed his positions, I opened up on them with the 150....I was not on the receiving end but it looked pretty devastating! He returned fire on the gun with 76mm IGs but at that range it was a lot easier for me to hit buildings than for him to hit my gun, and his revealed guns were quickly destroyed by my forward units.

After that strong point was reduced I embarked the 150 on a halftrack and advanced it more than 1km to another patch of woods on the flank, about 400m from the edge of town, from where it was able to fire down one of the streets at the buildings in the middle of town held by my opponent. Again it played a big role in reducing his defenses.

I have had worse luck with towed artillery in the past....I think the key to my success with the big gun this time was setting up at long range, and hidden, and waiting for the right moment to open up. If I had started firing before my forward units were in close, he would probably have been able to get the range with his IGs and destroy my gun. Also, when I moved the gun forward it was on a flank that had been swept previously by infantry and armor, and I set up on the "friendly" side of a patch of woods to try and keep any of his reserves from having a shot at the gun.

The big towed artillery is vulnerable, but when handled cautiously it can be devastating on the attack!

[Bone_Vulture]

Originally posted by demoss:

The only problem with this is that by the time you figure out where the enemy mortar spotter IS, it's likely too late. Though it can be narrowed down by careful observation of the fire pattern, more than one mortar can make this difficult, and it's never a sure thing.

It depends on your tactics - personally, I use forceful recon tactics, meaning large amounts of infantry used in initial reconnaissance. This usually draws enenmy field mortar fire, and I have a good hunch of their whereabouts once my field guns start popping.

Demoss made a good point about using a move-to-contact/armor cover arc-combo: this is crucial, especially when maneuvering your gun towards the open end of a forest patch, or to a crest of a hill. It's the easiest way to insure that your gun is minimally exposed.

The 150mm inf gun that SFJaykey mentioned is solid gold. It's like an miniature artillery strike with pin-point precision! Also, the HC rounds make short work out of late war Soviet tanks.