Withdrawal on The Attack (staying Flexible)

[Thermopylae]

Every single time one attacks, one develops a general plan outlining their axises of advance, what forces will be dedicated wherever, and all that good stuff. Most often these plans involve getting to jump off points/ cover. And around these areas the entire attack is committed.

It is common however, that the defneder will construct your plan in his head as well. After all, he is being called to defeat it. Too many times people will lock themsleves into their plan despite being outguessed, and will continue to attack directly into prepared positions becaus ethat is wht the plan says to do.

This can be alleviated simply by withdrawing, and red deploying to another position, another axis, even if it isn't the primry one. I'd go on further..but study hall just ended.

[Gremlin]

Whenever possible, it's wise to have a backup/alternate option for any tactic, particularly regarding avenues of attack. Always assume your plan will fall apart on contact with the enemy; think ahead about what you'll do.

One idea that often seems to work well is to have a primary element attacking with about 1/2 your troops, a secondary element of about 1/4 your troops, and a reserve element of about 1/4 your troops. Percentages will obviously vary.

If the main element runs into serious or insurmountable opposition, then part of it can lay down cover for the rest as they withdrawal. At the same time, your secondary element can be advancing in a different area (which can easily confuse or disconcert newbie players, at least) and/or laying down cover fire for the primary element. At first, your opponent usually won't be able to tell which prong of your attack is the main one. Reserves are then called forth as needed to support either element.

The basic idea is to have three main, supporting groups of troops whose primary mission can be changed as needed.

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[ScoutPL]

The biggest obstacle to withdrawing in the face of overwhelming opposition is often time. It takes up a lot of turns to advance cautiously and with your units properly supporting one another. If you run into serious trouble real world, you probably would fall back. But in a game only lasting 25 or 30 mimnutes you often dont have time to step back and recock, particularly if you are conducting an attack that is properly using the principles of mass, objective and economy of force, as well as synchronicity. Then the fight comes down to who can handle his units better, keep them alive the longest, and still achieve the VP.

[Guest Michael emrys]

I do something like Gremlin does. If possible, I try to attack an objective from two different directions and hold at least a platoon in reserve. I try to make each arm of the attack strong enough to prevail against expected resistance. That way, either arm can be the primary attack, or if it becomes stalled, a feint to distract the enemy while the other attack is developing. Of course all this is heavily effected by terrain and the enemy's dispositions, etc.

Michael

[Guest Pillar]

Or, instead of commiting to an attack and then having to yell "BACK UP!" when you hit an enemy strongpoint, I use forward security line and refrain from committing to ANY axis until detailed information is gained concerning the enemy surface.

Also known as "Surfaces and Gaps".

[Guest wwb_99]

I actually use the 'Withdraw' command quite often when on the attack. Let the point platoon run into resistance, withdraw them behind cover, while calling in arty.

WWB

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[jasoncawley@ameritech.net]

I'm with wwb_99 on this one. Use the "run". When you see the spotting round, do not stay, run. When the multiple HMGs catch you in the open, do not press ahead for the treeline, run. Go to the mid or backside of the second clump of cover back, breaking contact completely, even with the rear areas of places the defender can rush with a counterattack or hit with observed artillery fire.

A retreated attacking force can be reassembled and trying again within 5 minutes, either in the same place but with better knowledge of enemy positions and after his artillery ammo is used up, or in a more promising area. But a dead multiple-platoon effort is worthless.

The defender faces steep odds indeed, and he needs to really break and kill attacking forces he catches, not just delay them. If he faces the same forces several times, he does not have enough to meet every "wave". He wants "decision" in his "kill sacks" - do not give it to him.

Others point out that a long sneaky covered approach uses up so much time, that there isn't time for this. Well, get your priorities straight, I say. Do you want to save your men from enemy fire *before* the real fight breaks out, or *afterward*? You don't have time to do both. To me, the choice is clear - the second kind is the stuff that wins battles, not the first.

Keep the attack plan *simple*, so simple it hurts just to look at it on the map. Then when it encounters the enemy, ditch it and adapt. Do not get all clever before you even make contact. You think you are being the smartest guy in tactical history, but really you are just running the clock without reaching the defense yet.

And don't get too clever afterward, either. Just retreat the guys that look like they are in a spot, and throw the reserve forward someplace else. Then the guys that pulled back are your new reserve. Five minutes after contact, you are implimenting a simple plan again, just not the one you started with.

Some recommend knowing everything before you take a step, and some say you don't have time to back up, and some are looking for the best possible avoid-everything and still arrive pie in the sky. I say stuff all of that. The best is the enemy of the good. Go in super-simple without any wasted time, adapt once, including avoiding the toughest-looking spot, and then fight it out. You do not have to *avoid* every enemy strongpoint, by achieving prior omniscience, when you can just pull back from one.

[Thermopylae]

Hmmm..whaddaya know, I disappear for a few days and a discussion has begun and died w/o me knowing it. Welp..suppose I'll ave to start another post on command virtues often ignored.

[109 Gustav]

Pillar, do you have any AARs that show off your defensive strategy? My biggest flaw in CM is staying in my original positions, and I'm looking for a good example of how a multilayered defense should work.

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Well my skiff's a twenty dollar boat, And I hope to God she stays afloat.

But if somehow my skiff goes down, I'll freeze to death before I drown.

And pray my body will be found, Alaska salmon fishing, boys, Alaska salmon fishing.

The Last Defense- Mods, Scenarios, and more!

[Guest Pillar]

Not yet Gustav.

It's something on my "to do list".. But really, Fionn is my teacher. Take a look at how he handles his defense and you'll get a good idea how mine would look.

The difference is Fionn has a lot more experience and more "pizazz" than I.

[109 Gustav]

Yeah, I love Fionn's AARs, but IIRC he's only done two defenses so far. I can't see the movies in The Sunken Lane (*&%$ relase version!), and the US cav one was kind of like my current defensive style. I can't wait for the closed defense one to be updated one of these nights.

If you're looking for an opponent to do an AAR with, I'd love to get my face smashed in the dirt.

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Well my skiff's a twenty dollar boat, And I hope to God she stays afloat.

But if somehow my skiff goes down, I'll freeze to death before I drown.

And pray my body will be found, Alaska salmon fishing, boys, Alaska salmon fishing.

The Last Defense- Mods, Scenarios, and more!

[Guest Pillar]

Actually you can get a pretty good idea how he's going to handle the close defense one based on the few AAR's that have already been submitted.

[Guest Pillar]

PS Gustav -- catch me in the chat one day and we'll fire one up. Don't be so sure you'll loose!

[Thermopylae]

My 2 cents on the mobile defense...(wich I'm almost sure will look nothing like Pillar's) Tere's of course the obvious anti-recon elements which are usually MGs or ligt vehicles that require the attacker brign up armor or a larger infantry force to displace, that operate well ahead of the mian lines, or failing that have large fire zones capable of slicing up potential recon. (and nothing seems to draw tanks up better than a light vehicle) And of course the pre-sited AT defenses. Since these elemnts are essentially locked into position (the skirmish line almost always falls back, but for te purpose of the MLR it cannot be considered a flexible force), the real mobile elements are the infantry and te armor.

Since it fairly obvious how to move your armor around, Lets continue into the ifantry. The intial positions of te infantry should be in positions that can utilize the awesome defenseive onus of foxholes. Tis bonus allows you to save the truly good ground for your fall back. essentially creating two MLRs. for your use. Diggign in on trees on the forward of a slope, and then using the reverse as a a fall abck means you can shift troops to and from equally defensible positions, same thing for villages and towns. Counterattacks can be launched from the front MLR or the Second MLR, and reserves can be shifted without any fear of being caught off gurad because wherever they are is a position worth fighing from. Once these two main postioins are established , the infsntry can be whipped around to anywhere on the battlefield.

i seem to have gone long winded again..welp 2 cents anyhow..