Flamethrower Infantry

[Broompatrol]

Besides being fairly entertaining during mop ups has anyone found flamethrower infantry very useful tactically?

My experience with them is they are slow, easily suppressed and easily killed. Which although accurate is annoying when its my FT. I find that it takes too much time and resources to bring them into the fight, even as a reserve. :cool:

[The_Enigma]

i find them good when there left to hide in a building, as the maind body falls back ... gives the enemey 'vanguard' a nasty shock when they enter and thus slows them down.

[David I]

On the defense I have found them to be very deadly, on the offense I have found them to be very dead.

DavidI

[MikeyD]

I haven't seen anyone pull this tactic in awhile, but a flamethrower is pretty good at creating a 'no-go' zone for the enemy. A patch of burning woods they can't pass through, a burning building they can't enter. This tactic usually needs something like a Wasp (you can set half he freakin' map on fire with these things), but with an infantry FT you're liable to expend all your fuel without having actually set anything alight!

[Other Means]

JasonC said they were usless on the attack and started an AAR with someone to illustrate this.

However I think he was getting beaten and the AAR stopped, which is a shame as it was enjoyable and I'd have liked to see the results either way.

He was defending BTW.

[junk2drive]

In a CMBO battle I had a single road between woods. A lead Wasp set fire to the road and nothing but infantry could continue forward.

Be careful with fire.

[Zimorodok]

They can be good for breaking up counter attacks. (let the FT's come up behind your advancing troops (usu. just the engineers they came with, engineers are faster than FT's, so it's logical that the FT's will be behind your advance line), if the enemy counterattacks, fall back quickly and let the enemy rush unprepared into your FT's. Sometimes you can get crossfire with two or more. Breaks infantry attacks nicely.

On offense, they are very hard to use, but can be used in special circumstances. I've used Ft's to destroy a supressed MG nest in woods/pines. I get all my troops to area fire the MG till he ducks, then rush the FT forward (who has been waiting 5 yards beyond what the MG can see, but still within 30 or so yards) and zap him. Normally the MG will either bolt or surrender. Of course, if the MG nest has correct overwatch, they need to be supressed as well.

I've also had some success in using FT's to attack enemy just over a ridgeline/cliff/ditch. I'm in the ditch, enemy up top (shooting down, or can't see me but close to edge) i set my FT to area fire up to the edge of the ditch. Area fire being what it is, fire goes everywhere on to the other side. Usually you can get the enemy to abandon position at least.

Best use for FT's that I've seen is flaming tanks. Not always 100% effective, but the percentage is very high, and it's more effective than most other infantry AT assets. Even one good gout of flame is enough to shock or immobilize the worst tank (IS-2, KT, Churchill). Plus, it's fun. And rough on the crew when they abandon the tank. Yes, Wasps and SPW-251/16's are far more effective.

As far as survivability, chose tight terrain, choose darkness, choose a foolish enemy. If you can. If I get a Steppe Map Mid-Day QB, my FT's hide and stay that way. Usually there's nothing you can do.

Zimorodok.

[juan_gigante]

I agree with Zimorodok.

One of my favorite engineer/FT combo tactics is for thick woods fighting. Say you're advancing through an enormous wood, and expect many small enemy ambushes. Short LOS, and all that. Two lines of infantry and a third line of FTs behind those, all very close to each other. Move to contact forward. An enemy squad or two or MG or whatever pops up in ambush. First line troops take a casualty or two and hit the dirt. Second line continues to move until they have contact, then they return fire, and pin the enemy shooters. Then, the first line recovers as FTs move until they have LOS to the enemy. FTs fire, enemy instantly breaks and runs, and the rifle infantry mow them down. In thick woods fighting, this is an almost fool-proof tactic.

[BigDog944]

They are invaluable if you find yourself fighting fanatic troops. I played a Tobruk operation where a platoon of fanatic Aussies were holed up in a patch of rough terrain. I could supress them with HE and MGs, but I couldn't kill them. Flamers to the rescue!

There's nothing fanatic Aussies hate more than a flamer or two.

[Hensworth]

I use them in urban fights to save ammo and lives. Used well, they eliminate much of the need to assault across open streets.

Hide the FT in the rear of the building while your squads pin the enemy. When they've got their heads down, bring up the FT and torch them.

Moving on roads and through buildings, the FT's lack of speed is mitigated.

[stoat]

Originally posted by juan_gigante:

I agree with Zimorodok.

One of my favorite engineer/FT combo tactics is for thick woods fighting. Say you're advancing through an enormous wood, and expect many small enemy ambushes. Short LOS, and all that. Two lines of infantry and a third line of FTs behind those, all very close to each other. Move to contact forward. An enemy squad or two or MG or whatever pops up in ambush. First line troops take a casualty or two and hit the dirt. Second line continues to move until they have contact, then they return fire, and pin the enemy shooters. Then, the first line recovers as FTs move until they have LOS to the enemy. FTs fire, enemy instantly breaks and runs, and the rifle infantry mow them down. In thick woods fighting, this is an almost fool-proof tactic.

You should know what artillery does to bunched up troops in the woods by now.

[Sergei]

Calling in artillery fire in a forest is futile unless you have TRP's in the right spots.

[stoat]

Originally posted by Sergei:

Calling in artillery fire in a forest is futile unless you have TRP's in the right spots.

I'm not sure if it was the right spot necessarily, you'll have to ask juan_gigante that.

You are entirely correct, though. But if you can predict the routes your enemy will take, or force him to take certain routes, artillery will shred closely packed infantry with treebursts.

[JasonC]

Artillery works fine in woods, even without TRPs. You just use it the Russian way. Make a fire plan on turn 1, and let the infantry movements conform to the fire plan instead of the other way around. Large caliber modules firing wide sheafs deep in the enemy backfield can be particularly effective. Who cares that some will miss? The few nearest treebursts will still shred whole platoons.

[Sergei]

Originally posted by JasonC:

Artillery works fine in woods, even without TRPs. You just use it the Russian way. Make a fire plan on turn 1, and let the infantry movements conform to the fire plan instead of the other way around.

Depends on how well you are able to guestimate your enemy's plans. Which, in turn, depends on how much freedom he has to maneuvre. In the typical CM situation you cannot afford to saturate the whole frontage with artillery barrages, not for a long time. Then again, most CM maps aren't particularly forested.