CMBO: Dealing with arty on the battlefield?

[markshot]

I played a 45 minute American attack versus German defense (AI) yesterday.

This is one of the first scenarios I played where practically throughout the entire scenario arty was dropping somewhere on the map looking to snuff out my infantry. Also, it was somewhat unique in that my past experiences with the AI is that it tended to put arty on one location for long periods whether accurate or not. In this scenario, most bombardments only lasted a minute at a particular location. Blast effects varied from the smaller 70 to larger 200 blast effects.

The map contained areas of scattered trees and woods and I attempted to move through cover where possible.

There where no obvious spotter locations on the German side of the map like a tall hill with wooded top overlooking the entire landscape.

For 42 minutes of the of the 45 minute fight, I did okay with the arty. The two things I did was:

(1) Kept my forces moving and tried to avoid sitting in any location for more than a couple of minutes.

(2) Issue withdraw commands at the first sight of a spotting round or convert forward movement command waypoints already issued into run.

Alas, I got complacent after taking one of the two objectives on the map at minute 42. 1 1/2 platoons took a heavy building at the center of the one of the objectives. I left the large majority of my infantry deployed along a tree line where they had just provided supressing fire. The Germans hit the treeline with a massive barrage and shredded a large percentage of my force with casualities and panic. I thought the battle was over and that it was better to stay in the tree line than to move out into the open.

---

The German arty proved to be a continous disrupter to my advance across the map. However, looking back except for my complacency at minute #42, I don't see much more I could have done to deal with it.

Does anyone have any suggestions to offer?

Thanks!

[markshot]

Don't tell me that no one is going to read this or answer this because I put CMBO in the title!?

[86smopuim]

I read your post. I think, from the sounds of it, you did every thing AOK.

Keeps your squads in command, but as far away from each other as possible when you are getting shelled. That way one lucky shell wont hurt 2-3 squads with its blast.

xxx <---- NO!

C

x

xx <---- Yes, or variations there of

C

Sounds like, from your description, the 'puter just had a very inordinant amount of ordinance.

Other notes:

Trees can cause.. tree bursts, where shell explode in the air. This is devastating to those underneath. Buildings provide much better cover.

'Course they may collapse on your dudes after heavy shelling.

[ October 26, 2002, 04:29 AM: Message edited by: 86smopuim ]

[CombinedArms]

This also sounds like an unusually GOOD performance by the AI with its arty. In my experience, the AI often doesn't fire its arty at all. Or it fires smoke rounds after one's assault has succeeded. To have it fire effectively like this is very unusual.

What scenario was it, by the way? Or was it a QB? If a scenario, you can check in the editor and see how much arty the Germans got.

[ October 26, 2002, 05:19 PM: Message edited by: CombinedArms ]

[Redwolf]

http://thforums.com/CMBO/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=38

http://thforums.com/CMBO/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=78

[markshot]

Originally posted by redwolf:

http://thforums.com/CMBO/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=38

http://thforums.com/CMBO/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=78

Cool! Thanks!

[markshot]

Originally posted by CombinedArms:

This also sounds like an unusually GOOD performance by the AI with its arty. In my experience, the AI often doesn't fire its arty at all. Or it fires smoke rounds after one's assault has succeeded. To have it fire effectively like this is very unusual.

What scenario was it, by the way? Or was it a QB? If a scenario, you can check in the editor and see how much arty the Germans got.

It was:

L'Elle River Crossing

Yes, I have never seen the AI make such good use of arty. In the past, I've seen it pick one spot where I was 3 minutes ago and then bombard it for 9-15 minutes.

Go figure!

[Woodmeister]

My experience in defensive scenarios is that the AI fires almost all of its artillery against my AT guns. Nowadays, I deliberately position AT guns away from my other troops because of the ammount of artillery they attract.

[futureman]

I'll never forget one operation I was playing (I cant remember the name of it right now), but I was playing as the Germans.

Well, around the 3rd battle of the operation, with all of my guns hiding the entire battle, arty comes falling down, meticulously picking off each gun, one by one.

I still dont know how they could have either seen or spotted them since they were all in pretty good cover.

[Redwolf]

Originally posted by futureman:

I'll never forget one operation I was playing (I cant remember the name of it right now), but I was playing as the Germans.

Well, around the 3rd battle of the operation, with all of my guns hiding the entire battle, arty comes falling down, meticulously picking off each gun, one by one.

I still dont know how they could have either seen or spotted them since they were all in pretty good cover.

Human opponent?

[Silvio Manuel]

Originally posted by redwolf:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by futureman:

I'll never forget one operation I was playing (I cant remember the name of it right now), but I was playing as the Germans.

Well, around the 3rd battle of the operation, with all of my guns hiding the entire battle, arty comes falling down, meticulously picking off each gun, one by one.

I still dont know how they could have either seen or spotted them since they were all in pretty good cover.

Human opponent?</font>

[Redwolf]

I'm pretty sure there is a bug in CMBO operations that the attacker can see the foxholes under some circumstances.

Just make lots of fake foxholes to make him waste his artillery

[klapton]

In L'Elle River Crossing, the Germans have some TRPs. That explains why AI used arty so effectively. It is a long, tough scenario, but still I managed to get a marginal or tactical victory (don't remember).