How to move into combat?

[Schugger]

I need some advice from more experianced players here.

What is, in your opinion, the most effective way to engage an enemy position that is currently out of LOS from any of your squads you wish to attack with?

To give an example: there is an enemy flag marker in some wood tile telling me " Infantry Squad?" and i have several good order, full strength squads close to it, but none of them has LOS to the area. Obviously, it is impossible to give the "area fire order" here and than advance to the target. If I use the Sneak or Move orders ( without target orders) then it results usually in a big slaughter ( for my boys). If anyone out there has some hints for me, i would appreciate them; if he understands what I'm reffering to, grmph.

Schugger

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Es gibt Tage da verliert man und Tage da gewinnen die anderen.

[MadDog0606]

I don't know if this advice is any good, but here goes.

I would split a couple of squads up. Send the half squads without the heavy weapons forward, followed by (but not to close) the heavy weapons half squads, using the sneak or crawl (use crawl only if not to far to crawl). Once those non-heavy weapons half squads make contact bring up the heavy weapons half squads to lay down covering fire to keep the bad guys pinned. At the same time try to do flanking movements with your other squads. If your lucky you may only lose the half squads. Try to keep their platoon leader close to the half squads and the squads might not panic as soon.

Also, if you haven't visited http://www.gamesofwar.de/ yet, you might want to. The site talks about basic and enhanced infantry formations, how to scout and an assault section that I didn't see last time I visited and I'm in the process of printing on my companys printer right now .

Schugger, I noticed that you have motorcycles listed as one of your interests. How long have you been riding? I started about 12 years ago. I've had about 5 different bikes (not at the same time, can't aford that). Started out riding Hondas (good bikes, but always had trouble starting them in the winter). My current ride is a Heritage Softail (finally got one the wife likes to ride. It don't hurt her butt )

[This message has been edited by MadDog0606 (edited 06-30-2000).]

[This message has been edited by MadDog0606 (edited 06-30-2000).]

[Schugger]

Mad Dog, the experiance I had in my last PBEM turn was so terrible, that I'll take any advice: Three squads at full strength and in command advanced to that position under Sneak orders. One was cut down immediatly by a lone defending squat, a further one kissed the dirt and the thirt and last one caught fire when new enemy squats appeared. I don't know if my boys were able to do some damage to the enemy at all. Guess i have to visit Moons side again and read more carefully about infantry tactics.

Now to the topic which is much more gratifying:

I started motocycling exactly twelve years ago when i got my driving license. Due to the limitations here in germany i was only allowed to drive bikes with a comparative low HP value, wich results in a Honda CB 250 R for me. Then, after a few years, I was able to buy an VS 750 Intruder ( Suzuki) which, after heavy customizing, turned out as a Chopper. HD, still the dream of any biker, is very difficult to optain here in germany, espacially for members of the working class. Prizes skyrocked when it becomes trendy to have an HD and being an summer afternoon Rocker a few years ago. i drive my motorcycle in any weather and season and although i posses a driving licens for cars too, i never owned one and doubt I will ever do.

Ok, to keep this whole thing a bit more on topic: Has anyone seen german Kradschützen in the game?

Thanks MadDog and good riding

Schugger

[Cybeq]

Schugger: I don't know if this would work or not but here is my advice. A whole lot depends on the terrain. So your plans have be dynamic and adaptive. I try to scout the position with an expendable unit first to get some more intel. "INF?" doesn't really tell you much. AT team? Mortars? MG? You don't know. Assuming it's a couple squads then I would take one squad around the left flank and one around the right (if you have a covered approach) Send HQ with one of the flanking squads. Bring the flankers up to the edge of LOS of the enemy but not over. Now move (crawl or sneak) the third squad forward to the edge of LOS. Now through careful use of the pause function time all squads to show themselves at the same time. Now the enemy is experiencing incoming fire from three directions and they have to split their fire three ways. Whichever squad is receiving the least amount of incoming fire select and advance on the enemy position. Basically I try to establish two bases of intersecting fire and then assault the position. If they outnumber you this will not work. If they have positions covering the position you are trying to attack this will not work. (Although you could lay a smoke screen in front of the covering force) Second option is to shell the crud out of 'em.

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"To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence." -Sun Tzu, The Art Of War

[Guest grunto]

try to engage them from one direction first, establishing a fire base and send units sneaking and crawling around it. eventually you want to be hitting the target from multiple angles while some of your units sneak/crawl to the actual target itself. you want to avoid firing on your own units and to use the terrain as best you can.

andy

[Schugger]

Ok, thanks to all of you for your advices.

I tried to find out what would be the most effective way and set up a Hotseat game with myself ( very thrilling... ).

I experianced that the attacking squads usually do not open fire until they end their plotted movement path. This resulted in heavy losses, as my troops continued their advance when they entered the LOS zone of the enemy. Losses were even more higher when they advance under slow movement orders like "Crawl" or "Sneak".

This happens in the first GD version and I don't know if the Tac AI handles the problem in a different way in the final version, like " Stop on Contact".

The best solution I was able to come up with requires a bit of micromanagement. I sneaked up the attacking squats to a postion from where they have an LOS to the area in question- and not further - and coordinated their move with Pause orders so that all attackers " popped up" at the same time. More often than not some of the attackers were able to squeeze off the first shots, which prooved to be very effective at ranges of 20 meters or less.

Thanks again

Schugger