Assaults across rivers...How should I do it?

[Armand451]

Hi there all. I was just wondering if anyone had any advice on how to assault across a river. There is only one bridge to get my armor across, but the river is frozen so atleast I can walk my troops across this. On the side defended by my opponent is a village. Anyone have any tips? THanks!

[Zimorodok]

Smoke.

while crossing the river you are at maximum exposure, and nowhere to hide. So, you'll need to make someplace to hide behind.

if you have no smoke, then send picked assault teams across, with heavy covering fire. Once they seize the nearby houses/etc. then send over the rest. I'd keep my tanks on my shore until the houses by the road were cleared.

Zimorodok

[JasonC]

Don't think of it as a movement problem at all, just an ordinary ground taking exercise. Ground is taken by fire dominance. So pick a crossing area, preferably one visible by less than the whole enemy side of the river (at a bend, around a hill, behind a wood, whatever is available). Then position overwhelming firepower in places on your own side, that see the positions on the enemy side that can see your chosen crossing site. Call in your fire missions. High ammo weapons can area fire if you like. Mostly, every long range weapon just gets in position and waits for a target.

Then you just use packet movement drills. Meaning, only a few guys cross at a time, heading for cover just beyond the bank on the other side. An infantry platoon moves down to the edge on your side. Two squads cross. The rest cross. They go stationary on the other side, ready to fire. Next platoon. Slowly build a company on the other side of the river, spreading only as far as you need to to avoid overcrowding. Don't worry about crossing tanks at all, just make sure they can see the other side.

The enemy will probably shoot at you. Fine, halt everyone else, get the two units moving that instance into any cover available (or they rout and you rally what you can eventually - but only a few were at risk that instant). Now, blow the heck out of every enemy that fired. When they are all heads down, resume packet movements again.

Once you have a full company on the other side of the river, it does the bulk of the close up firing, and you can move your tanks toward your bridge or what have you. They only need to advance to get LOS to something - if they have a target, just blow that target up.

[roqf77]

smoke, arty and mg/ mortar cover fire. and run.