Attacking MG-42 AAR

[Cuirassier]

When playing Russian Training scenario 110, with the MG-42 reoriented to aim the right way, I failed five times in total, never succeeding once. I found this strange, because I am well rehearsed with infantry advance tactics, so I was flustered as to how I couldn't succeed. Because of my failure, I decided to make my own "advance and kill the MG-42 with useless Russian troops" scenario, to see if JasonC's training scenario is indeed impossible, or if my tactics were to blame.

For my mission, I made a 400m by 400m map. The scenario was set in October 1942. Open ground, with very -no, extremely little cover extended from the Soviet setup zone to a small rise in the terrain where the flag, and German position lay. This was a large wood body, with one trench positioned in it. One MG-42, a regular, was padlocked in the trench, hidden, and facing the Soviets.

Soviet forces were similar to that in 110. I have one green platoon, and the HQ has no special skills. He is purley vanilla and green, like the four squads he commands. My rifle platoon thus consisted of the 3-man, vanilla HQ, and four green Rifle 41 squads. They have 11 men and are armed with one SVT-40, 2 PPSH, 1 DP LMG and 7 Mosin-Nagants. The scenario was 30+ turns to advance a green platoon about 300m over open ground against a dug in MG-42.

I completed the scenario in 29 turns and achieved a total victory, 94 to 6. I eliminated the MG-42's crew, killing two of them, while I lost 8 men, 3 being killed. 39 men were allocated as ready for action.

After doing this scenario I made, I learned four vital lessons about attacking over open ground.

1. Keep everyone in command radius always. If you let squads out of command radius for more than probably 30 seconds, and they recieve fire, they will panic, then break, then route and die.

2. Maintain intervals. This is probably the most important. If everyone is at least 26m apart, suppression effects will not be shared by squads, and advancing and rallying becomes much easier.

3. Advance in short jumps. JasonC and others usually recommend 50m or even as little as 30m. For this scenario, most of my advances were as little as 20m, to allow everyone to stay in command radius, which is limited to only 45m of the HQ.

4. Stagger the advances. One squad moves at a time. As soon as he hits the dirt and hides, a new one pops up and advances, then hits the ground, and a new squad moves out. I found the staggering was most effective with 20m to 30m advances and 20 sec intervals between squad departures. Fire will upset a staggering cycle, but it is still very useful and must be utilized to the fullest on any advance.

I can post more details and pictures if anyone else is interested. For posting pictures however, some one will have to tell me how. Sadly enough, I don't know. I have the save games from turn two till the endgame as well.

[Cuirassier]

No one interested.

Not suprising. This has probably been done a million times.

[Zwollo2003]

I for one would be interested to see the pictures and details, so please go ahead and post them if you can. I cannot help you with posting, though, as I never tried it myself.

Zwolo

[NameUsedBefore]

Where are these scenarios everyone's always talking about?

[Cuirassier]

Well, this scenario I made. JasonC emailed me the training scenarios. I don't know if he emails them out anymore though. Check the training scenario thread. I think it names some hosting websites.

I will post screenshots when I learn how.

[Sivodsi]

Hey Cuirassier, you're my hero. I'm still stuck on JasonC's version. I'd love to see the pictures.

Best way to do it is throught he imageshack http://www.imageshack.us/

and post links here. If you're sophisticated you'll use hyperlinks, but I don't care.

Thanks

[knalla]

Here you will find the scenarios:

web page

[Cuirassier]

I will post some picutres and more details if my stupidity doesn't prove a barrier.