MGs on the Attack

[cjlawn]

Greetings. I'm a CM neophyte and am trying to figure out how to use MGs on the attack. I ususally end up advancing swiftly with rifle squads and HQs, leaving my HMGs and MMGs far behind. Advice? Thoughts? More generally, I guess my question really centers around how to coordinate advances. Many thanks.

[Gremlin]

You can bring them up in halftracks or other vehicles after the surrounding area has been scouted for enemy anti-tank assets.

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I pity the fool, thug, or soul who tries to take over the world, then goes cryin' home to his momma. --Mr. T

[Pak40]

This is a common problem for attackers. Most people either use mobile MG units such as the MMG Carrier(British) or Halftracks (US and German) OR they embark the MGs on whatever transportation is available. Armored cars and tanks make great transporters of these units if you dont have the normal means such as halftracks or carriers.

In a typical situation, I send my squads forward to the next available cover. If the enemy isn't spotted yet, then I will probably have them wait for the MG units to catch up before moving them again. This ensures that my MG units wont fall behind too far.

I've noticed a lot of my opponents rushing in the beginning of a battle and as a result there is a big separation between squads and MG units. In most battles you should have more than enough time to move slowly in leaps and bounds, letting your MG units catch up. But this depends on the situation at hand and your strategy.

[jasoncawley@ameritech.net]

Vehicles can help get slow teams to the battle area, but this approach does not help once really in contact. The vehicles are often too vunerable, and in the case of the tanks that are not too vunerable, the men riding them are exposed. As a result, the teams usually have to be dismounted some ways from the enemy. Occasional this can be the position you want - e.g. dropped at the back side of a line of woods, and then deployed to the forward side of it to fire.

But there is a more general answer. I attack using fire and movement ideas, meaning I do not advance everyone at once. After contact is made, I will generally have half the force shooting, and half the force moving - sometimes 1/3rd - 2/3rds or the reverse, naturally. And I "task" my support teams according to assigned roles.

So, with a typical U.S. rifle company, I will designate a "point" or "maneuver" platoon with only a bazooka added to the infantry. It is meant to stay light and fast, and I try to give it a commander witn morale bonuses (heart). Then I designate a second platoon as the "overwatch" or "firebase" platoon, and give it both MMGs (sometimes a mortar too, sometimes not), as well as its own bazooka. Its commander has a combat bonus (lightning) if possible.

The overwatch platoon is meant to deliver ranged fire, from 100-250 yards out. The maneuvering process is a "walk", with first one platoon advancing, then the other catching up to "level" on its flank, then "stepping out" again. When the point platoon is moving, the overwatch platoon is farther away, but has the MMGs which nearly double the ranged fire of the platoon. When the overwatch platoon is catching up, the point platoon is shooting, without supporting MGs but from closer ranges. The squads of the overwatch platoon will get into position first, and add to the base of fire the point is laying down; then the MGs come up and add their fire too. Artillery can be added as well, to create a "mad minute" or three with all men on-line and firing. Only after that, does the point platoon move out again to rush defenders.

Where is the third platoon? It is the reserve. It can duplicate the role of either of the other two if one of them falters or is badly shot up, play "point" on the other flank, add weight to a rush, or react to a counterattack.

The remaining heavy weapons I assign to the weapons platoon and the company CO, in two "weapons sections" with 60mm and the .50 cal. These mostly support from long range. Sometimes the company CO will lead an ad hoc platoon formed from stragglers, when men break and fall behind. In such cases the weapons platoon leader commands all the mortars and the 50 cal. Note, the 50 cal has so little ammo, and retains so much of its firepower at long range, that getting it getting it close is pretty much beside the point. So instead it protects the mortar people, and has the same general job of long-range "suppression" fire, especially at any guns encountered.

If I can buy extra teams, I take more zooks for the company CO and weapons platoon leaders, sometimes a second zook for the reserve platoon, and more MMGs for the maneuvering platoons, in pairs. I still see no point in including them in the "point" platoon, but 2 in the reserve, and up to 4 in the overwatch platoon, can make sense.

With the Germans, the HMGs are more powerful each. 2 with an overwatch platoon provides quite good ranged firepower. I don't find the LMGs particularly useful, since they still aren't fast enough to keep up with "point" platoons, but they don't have the punch, ammo, or staying power after losses, to really do "overwatch" work. They can provide deception, and on defense that can help, but that is about it I find.

It is also possible to take "automatic weapons" still support for the U.S., to replicate the role heavy weapons sections can fill for the Germans. U.S. MMGs are not enough for that, and 60mm mortars do not have enough ammo. The Germans have 95 shots and higher firepower from each HMG team, and 4 of those in a company heavy weapons section. So they can get meaningful ranged MG fire without add-on forces.

Historically, the U.S. often used AA units for this tactical role. In particular, it was common to attach an automatic weapons AA section to a vehicle column, in the armor forces in particular. CM does not give all the actual unit types used for it, but a reasonable approximation can be arranged, as follows.

Buy 2 M3A1 halftracks.

Put 4 M1917 HMGs in them.

Cost - 180 points, ~ engineers or 1 vet platoon + teams or 1 field arty module. More flexible and less brittle than just using halftracks (e.g. the HMGs can use building cover), and more ammo that using M-20s.

Drive to a point ~300 yards from the position to be attacked, pulling up on the back side of a body of cover, in two locations that will both give LOS to the same spot, and which friendly leg infantry have already scouted. Unload the HMGs into the cover and move to the front side. Pop the 'tracks around the ends of the cover at the same time these set up.

Why not use 50 cals? Not enough ammo. Why not use the more mobile 1919 MMG? Only ~75% of the firepower and ~1/2 the ammo. By comparison, the force above has a total of 1000 MG bursts - 125 in each dismounted teams, 250 for the 'tracks. They can keep right on hosing. Two seperated locations keeps enemy arty from silencing the whole bunch, and medium range prevents useful reply by mere infantry.

With so much ammo, you can fire long enough to have meaningful effects even on defenders in cover - or force them to displace to avoid your fire. When they displace and break LOS, send in the infantry. Repeat.

Variations on the same idea on defense can use 2x40mm Bofors, 4xHMG-1917, with or without 3xM3A1 to move them. I find the 40mm too cumbersome on the attack, though, compared to the HMG teams.

Just some techniques I use for MG support on the attack, for what they are worth.

[Agua]

Jason,

You 'da man!!! I received my CM disk a couple of weeks ago and I've been putting together a little guide from this forum concerning details of the game which the manual does not address. I've found that nearly half of the (now 28 page) document, consits of your posts!! LOL!! Of course, I'm making the assumption that you know what the hell you're talking about, but the little bit I've tried out appears to be spot on.

BTS should hire you to do the next player's guide.

Thanks,

Agua