Overwatch problems

[John_d]

I've been having real difficulties with my overwatch groups. They never seem to fire. All they ever seem to do is to sit and watch their mates get blasted to kingdom come. Is there any way of making them more likely to fire at targets? I've asked this before on the forum, but not ever really got a satisfactory answer

[Kingfish]

Need some specifics. What units are you assigning overwatch duties? At what range are the enemy units? Covered arcs? In command?

[JasonC]

You give them actual targeting orders. Select shooter, select visible target, assign shooter to shot at target.

MGs at long range will not bother firing into cover, no expecting to do much. They don't know your fire plan. They will hit men they see in the open at medium range, without prompting. If you give them a covered arc, at longer range. But if you want them to fire 400m into 14% cover they need an order, because otherwise they think they are wasting ammunition.

As for mortar with an HQ spotting for it, obviously it isn't going to fire without a direct order. It can't see the target.

Guns will fire at tanks they can penetrate unless restrained by a short covered arc. They also shoot at mortars they catch moving, without prompting. Otherwise, you better tell them what to shoot.

[John_d]

In command, regular Russian infantry, no covered arcs, medium to long range. Thinking about it, its probaly the range that is preventing them from firing.

[jBrereton]

Aye, they'd be wasting ammunition. If you got some Maxims or even probably seperate DPs up there then they'd probably open fire, but since all you have is infantry squads (or that's how I read it), they won't bother.