AXIS infantry guns, on the ATTACK . . .

[Gpig]

'ello.

I was playing an all infantry QB versus the A.I. the other day, and picked a 500pt Axis force (with a -10% penalty) for an ATTACK on computer picked forces, defending a village. There were moderate woods and gentle hilliness.

I was shopping my forces, and decided to add a 150mm Infantry Gun to the ranks.

The idea of a company of soilders hauling this one big piece up to the front lines kind of appealed to me. I was pretty sure it would end up being quite decisive on the battlefield.

My tactics were going to be "push it up through the woods, to a hilly spot with a good LOS." I was sure it was going to take a long time. But the game was going to be 30 turns, and the map was only medium sized so I figured "let's try this out!"

This was a fun little battle.

Actually, it was a BLAST! Heh heh.

I kept one platoon in reserve, with the big I.G.. (The leader of that platoon had a stealth bonus to help hide the gun.) Then I scouted ahead with two platoons of infantry in order to find the enemy.

Soon, my lead platoon came under fire. (Actually, the A.I. sprung a pretty effective amubush on my arse.)

But since my troops had been advancing under cover of the I.G., the next 2 turns allowed me to level a tall light building with 3 shots, and route a platoon of G.I. engineers! This big gun is VERY decisive!!

Then my men occupied the rubble, and eliminated the remnants of the enemy platoon.

Meanwhile I advanced my I.G. to better terrain with more LOS on the second flag. I carefully plotted a route that kept me safe from prying eyes. Luckily, the map helped me out in this regard.

While the gun was moving (and taking FOREVER), my infantry forces consolidated their hold on a VL. And fought off an enemy counter attack. The counter attack almost succeeded, but once again my I.G. came to the rescue. With two well placed shots (using area fire with NO direct LOS to enemy units), I killed off another squad and stopped the counter attack cold.

Then my infantry made the final push on the last VL. Once again, the I.G. broke the spirit (if not the bodies) of the defending forces. Even just a close shot with that 150mm HE does wonders.

Two questions;

1a) How historical would it have been to lug a big gun along on the attack?

1b) and by assocaition . . . would this tactic be considered gamey?

2) Anyone else try this while attacking?

Thanks,

Gpig.

[109 Gustav]

1. If you want to be historical, buy transportation for it. I think that you need at least a truck or spw 251/1, I don't think that the smaller 250/1 halftracks can haul the 150mm. Better try it out before you use it in a pbem. Transportation also allows you to use it on maps with poor lines of fire. If there's a hill in between your setup zone and the enemy's foxholes, the gun isn't much use unless you can drive it where its needed. Plus, the halftrack can provide covering fire while the gun is unlimbering.

2. I've tried it in a few QBs against the ai. It works well against americans, but when playing against brits, you really have to watch out for those 2" mortars. They'll be firing from cover and in foxholes, so they can often take out the gun.

No matter what, you shouldn't rely too heavily on fixed guns, since the ai and lots of humans will dump arty on them as soon as they see them, and again, you won't have a foxhole.

[Gpig]

Yeah, I guess that makes sense.

The G.I. Forces arrayed against me had only one 60mm mortar on thier side. And this one mortar team never even got LOS on my gun. But I guess that one mortar could have taken it out all the same.

I'm trying the tactic again, this time in a QB versus the A.I. where I DID buy transport for the gun. The map is a little less suitable for the I.G. to find good LOS, so it's a good thing I have the transport. I can move it up to a better spot after I've secured that spot.

This battle is a combined arms effort, and I've already spotted a french Stuart. I have no armor (having spent my points on infantry and arty, plus my I.G.), so I'm hoping I can elude the Stuart. Or take him out with my shrecks/fousts.

We'll see.

An enemy arty spotter would decidedly put a crimp in this tactic.

Gpig

[JasonC]

You might consider taking 1-2 Hummel instead of the sIG and transport. The cost is less, mostly because the ammo is relatively limited. But it does not take many shots, as you saw, to do just about anything. 150mm HE in direct fire is indeed awesome.

While true Hummels were restricted to Panzer divisions and mostly used for indirect fire, the Germans fielded a number of 150mm assault guns based on the 150mm sIG mounted on one sort of chassis or another. The most common was the Pz38t chassis, "Bison" or "Cricket" (either name is sometimes used). These vehicles aren't represented in CMBO. The Hummel has a higher muzzle velocity, but it is otherwise a pretty close match to the capabilities of these assault guns.

So you see, the Germans certainly did see the usefulness of 150mm sIG on the attack. They just made special vehicles to carry the sIG, instead of pushing them around or unlimbering from trucks. As towed guns, they were mostly used defensively, but if given a chance could support an infantry attack with direct fire. Each infantry regiment had a section of 2 towed (at TOE - not always available and sometimes replaced with 120mm mortars), while late war mobile divisions had 6 of the self-propelled type per regiment.

[Sir Uber General]

I also like to slip a 150 in there on occasion. Stick it in a spot that has a view to the objective(s). Very handy at removing anyone that gets in the way, and reacts faster than arty. I like to put the gun where it will support the last objective I plan to attack, by then the defenders have used up all their armour and arty so the 150 gets to really work the defenders with no reply.

Hummels sh*t themselves as soon as a sparrow farts near them.... not reliable at all and cannot be hidden like a gun.

[JasonC]

Hiding a Hummel is easy. You just get out of LOS, behind a hill or some woods.

[SturmSebber]

Hi,

Just my 2 cents...

I always take at least one IG and a haltrack to transport it. They are deadly, i use them to crack open towns , or to surprise the enemy in any counter-attack.

Don't like the hummel too much tough. I usallly play combined arms, and it just isn't worth the armour points. I'd rather spend a few points more on the gun which can take some fire and that you can hide, than on a mobile gun that will get killed after it fires it's first two rounds.

[Sir Uber General]

Excatly Sturm. Ive seen Hummels abandoned after a 105 arty round landed 40m away! Mortars scare them off too easy as well. An IG with a command bonus is a lot harder to knock in my experience.