Anyone developing some limiting rules?

[Herr Kruger]

Hello,

Well, the title says it all, except some artillery limiting rules are what I'm really looking for. I'm interested in some rules that can produce some balanced attack/defend battles and also what would be most realistic in terms of artillery support for battles in the 1000 - 2000 points range for CMBB and CMAK.

Thanks for any replies,

J Kruger

[Redwolf]

My original plan was to do something like my armor rules for CMAK.

But with that Allied artillery mess quickbattling is a no-issue for me at this time.

[Herr Kruger]

I'm sure I'm opeing a can of worms, but what is the Allied artillery mess? I kind of remember reading something about it... is it just too expensive?

Anyway, even if no one is making actual rules, can I get some guidelines on what would be realsitic in terms of artillery to use in say.. a battalion or near battalion-sized attack?

Thanks for any and all replies.

- J Kruger -

[Michael Dorosh]

Originally posted by Herr Kruger:

I'm sure I'm opeing a can of worms, but what is the Allied artillery mess? I kind of remember reading something about it... is it just too expensive?

Anyway, even if no one is making actual rules, can I get some guidelines on what would be realsitic in terms of artillery to use in say.. a battalion or near battalion-sized attack?

Thanks for any and all replies.

- J Kruger -

One field regiment per battalion may be a good rule for CW units. That would be 16 x 25pr guns IIRC...

There were three field regiments per CW division by 1944, or one per brigade. Most brigades would attack two battalions up, one back, with the three regiments conducting fire missions in support.

Not sure how many guns a 25pr FO represents in CM, but I seem to recall it represents a battery of 4 guns (and aren't there more than 1 type of 25pr FO?)

Also on call was the 3 inch mortar platoon - you can have them either on board or off board, with 6 tubes, they were organic to the infantry battalion.

Divisional support battalion also had one company of 4.2" mortars to be used where needed.

Other than that, 4.5", 5.5" and heavier artillery are probably outside the scope of a "normal" battalion engagement, probably a CM scenario also as adding them to the 25pr and 3 in mortars might be a wee bit of overkill. These assets were held at corps level (with heavier artillery at army level). One FOO could conceivably call down fire from the entire Army's available artillery, if he had a juicy enough target - not likely to happen in a "balanced" CM battle.

[JonS]

Originally posted by Michael Dorosh:

One field regiment per battalion may be a good rule for CW units. That would be 16 x 25pr guns IIRC...

I despair for you sometimes Michael, I really do . 24 guns* ** in a CW field regiment, in three btys, each of eight guns. Each bty was further sub-divided into two troops of four guns.

Not sure how many guns a 25pr FO represents in CM, but I seem to recall it represents a battery of 4 guns

In CMBO it was four. In CMAK it is eight, as it should be.

Divisional support battalion also had one company of 4.2" mortars to be used where needed.

16 mortars in the company, in four platoons each of four mortars.

How much to allocate to a bn depends on the situation. On 'Anyday, 194x'; I would say one bty of 25-pr, plus the battalion 3-in mortars. This would cover most probe or meeting engagements. For attack scens (either attacking or defending), perhaps two btys of 25-pr and the 3-in. For assault scens; two, maybe three, btys of 25-pr, a pn of 4.2-in mortars, and the organic 3-in.

Regards

JonS

* usually 25-pr, though on a number of occasions, in both Italy and NWE, the 25-prs were replaced with 105mm Priests. The SP fd regts in Italy (incl the one in the Can Armd Div) used the Priest. Some (all?) SP Army Field Regts (i.e., fd regts not permanently atached to any division) in Italy also used the Priest. In NWE, the 3rd Can, 3rd British, and 50th British Inf Divs were reequipped with Priests for the invasion of Normandy, and used them till mid-to-late July, when they got their 25-prs back. These Priests subsequently became the famous Kangaroos, in case you were wondering where the hulls for those came from. A quick look in the CMAK editor will show that 105mm spotters are not available to CW forces

** I should probably note, though, that early-to-mid war RHA regts only had two btys, and thus only had 16 guns. Also, some of the fd regts involved in El Alamein in Oct 1942 also only had two btys. By 1944 all fd regts were on a 24 gun basis. Mdm regts had 16 guns in two btys. Hvy regts also had 16 guns, though they were in four smaller btys.

[ May 18, 2004, 07:23 PM: Message edited by: JonS ]

[JonS]

Oh, BTW, a couple of years ago I wrote a post entitled 'how to attack like the British', which was a companion piece to a number of similar articles that JasonC wrote for the Germans and US. Included in that posts was a typical 'shopping list' of units to buy when playing as the British (or CW) at various points levels. A search in the CMBO archives should throw it up.

The 'rules' are fairly generalised anyway, and with a few appropriate changes (no Crowells available, motor bns available, etc), they would likely still be suitable for CW forces in Italy.

Gah! that was harder than it should have been. HOW TO ATTACK LIKE THE BRITISH (towards the bottom of the page).

Parts of this will doubtless also be useful.

Regards

JonS

[ May 18, 2004, 08:01 PM: Message edited by: JonS ]