Arty and "Wide" targeting

[JasonC]

Well, the point limits and QB "artillery" category prevents any extreme overuse. But it is better to stick with one type until you have a battalion's worth, at most supplimented by one other type, in equal or lesser numbers. 4-5 types of support in the same battle is way too much.

You aren't going to exceed realistic levels of overall support within the QB point limits, but you can easily mix too many gun types. A good rule of thumb is only 2 *types* of FO in the same battle. Along with the artillery category limits and rariety factors, that should keep almost anything you'd actually want, realistic.

The most common forms of support for the Germans would be 105mm, 1-3 FOs, then 150mms, again 1-3 FOs though obviously much harder to afford many. It would be one or the other, not both, until you got above battalion size support in the first type, anyway. Then 81mms, single FOs, which would be there or not, regardless of the other type of support.

All other types were rare by comparison, though the smaller rockets became somewhat more common late in the war. In very big battles you'd start the same over again.

For the Russians, when attacking the most common types would be 120mm mortars, 1-3 FOs, or 122s, likewise. There were also plenty of 76mm, enough to fire many missions indirect on top of their direct fire use, but more effective on defense due to the light caliber. 82mm mortars you'd see one or not in addition to whatever else was present.

152mm gun-howitzers and 132mm rockets were rare by comparison, but used, especially for prep fires or planned fires rather than reactively, and later in the war. About the same story on amounts; the budget and 2 type rule will keep it reasonable.

The 150 size stuff and upward would be more likely to show up in 1-2 batteries again, compared to the field guns. Not that they didn't fire by battalions too, they did. But CM battles are on the small side for intervention by a whole battalion of 150s. (Point limits usually won't allow it anyway). As for the 81s and 82s, they should always be solo, since they lacked the range to mass their fires effectively, and it wasn't their job anyway.

Would you occasionally see e.g. 3x105, 1x150 for the Germans, in a big enough fight? Perhaps. But that is around 700 points of artillery. You need a pretty large point total overall before the QB system will let you spend that much on FOs.

[JasonC]

Trying to sum up the rules in a shorter fashion - I was too long winded about explaining the all the "why"s before.

1. once full salvos fall, a full minute of fire must be used before the next adjustment ("full minute" rule).

2. men under fire may halt, or leave movement orders as is, but can't change them. ("no dodging" rule).

3. maximum TRPs = arty points / 100 ("limited TRPs" rule). defenders only.

That's it.

The only other important stuff is about definitions, clarifications, special cases.

"Under fire" means a shell landed within 50m of the HQ commanding the unit (spotting rounds *do* count, if they are close enough), or within 50m of the unit itself if out of command, in the previous movie. You need a movie without a "close one" to change movement orders.

"Halt" means remove all waypoints. You can still set arcs, change facing, pick targets, hide. Everyone with a command line to the affected HQ must halt or continue.

Continue, or No change to movement orders, means no new waypoints, no dragging waypoints to new locations, no adjustments in speed - just leave them exactly as is, for everyone with a red command line to the affected HQ.

"Full salvos" means the first time you see "firing", multiple rounds in the air at once, and ignores spotting rounds.

"Adjustment" means changing the aim point, changing the target order (standard, wide, smoke), or cancelling the mission.

So "no adjustment" means you leave everything as is and just let the shells fall.

On TRPs, the first one is always allowed, assaults give +1, probes round fractions down instead of to the nearest integer.

You will sometimes see cases where the "time to barrage" at the end of a turn in 1 second. The subsequent (practically) full minute of firing in the next turn counts as your full minute of firing - you don't have to fire 2 solid minutes if you don't wish to, in such cases.

[ January 26, 2003, 06:01 PM: Message edited by: JasonC ]

[Jarmo]

I've had some success recently with "bludgeon use" of arty.

Unrealistic to some, I'm sure, but I've purchased conscript

arty for prep barrages. Thus giving me a reasonable

discount.

In a game now finished, I bought 2x152mm spotters and targeted

"wide" at the same point. The point was where I also aimed my

breakthrough armored thrust, worked like a charm.

[Apache]

Thanks for responses. I'll start trialling the 'rules' asap and get back in due course. Will take me some time mind.

[Apache]

At the start of the article you talk about you preference for battalion level mortar shoots. I notice that the 81 and 105 FOs are listed as 'battalion level' units but with the 105s you would need 3 to represent a battalion shoot. Does the same apply to the 81s and is that what you mean? Or, are you referring to a preference for buying an FO purchasable under Arty rather than the single 81s purchasable under support?

Also, I notice you talk about generally 1-2 types of arty being present but also mention the 81s almost always being there (if I have understood correctly). Would that mean you could realistically choose an 81mm FO almost every time PLUS two other types of arty (e.g. 2 x 105 and 1 x 75 or 150)? It's not quite clear to me whether the 81s sit outside the two types rule and therefore could/should always be present.

I presume on a wide fire 105 Bn shoot you would have each FO target a an area that was say 50 yds apart rather than each target the same area. Not sure if you've tested this for the best option?

Are there example instances where if battalion shoot arty support was not available where battery (1 FO) support would be used, again to reflect such use accurately. And would this use apply to 105, 150s and 81s?

Do you think the purchase of green/conscript FOs (to keep the cost down) gamey?

[WWB]

Battalion level means attached to the Battalion HQ. I think 105s are Divisional level, as they were a (rather plentiful) division level asset.

WWB