Killing Bunkers

[Clavicula_Nox]

****SPOILERS*****

I'm playing through the Marines campaign again, and am on the 2nd mission. If anyone recalls, the location where your reinforcements come onto the map is guarded by a trench filled with some guys and a bunker. Now, I have had a whole platoon fire at this thing and cause some casualties. I have dropped 81mm mortars on the thing, scoring at least one direct hit, and now, my back up spawns on the map, fires every AT4 and LAW they have into the thing, launch a ton of grenades at it, and throw frags at the thing. And there's still 2 guys inside, 1 wounded, but how the hell do I reliably kill this thing?

My entire squad has expended their frag grenades, most of their 40mm, and all AT assets, and I think the Syrians have just now decided to vacate the building. Is there a better way to do this.

*edit*

No, the bunker was not taken out and has killed one of my men. What am I doing wrong? My guys are literally, 20+/-meters away from the thing and doing everything but charging the view slit.

[souldierz]

Try getting to the Bunkers back side.In several scenarios i could not kill a bunkers crew unless i got to its rear an unleashed hell on it from about 10 meters away.I think u basically need to be so close to it that the soldiers will be able to lob grenades in the little open area where the enemy shoot from or lob grenades at its door.Bunkers require an extraordinary amount of fire power to kill its crew.Unless u got air support or Howitzer support, I suggest assaulting its rear where the bunker crew is blind and weak and unable to defend itself, but keep an eye out for other enemy positions who are covering the back door with good LOS.

[Clavicula_Nox]

That's exactly what I've done. I didn't want to use the 155s or Cobras I have becase, well, my guys are in Extreme Super Fatal Danger Close, and I have some T55s I have to kill.

I eventualyl got the thing, but lost 2 guys doing it. 1 because they got too close to the front, and the other from a sniper.

[souldierz]

Those bunkers are tough stuff.I will always suggest using anything else but troops to assault it.Next time use the 155's or Cobra cannon even if you need to pull your troops back to safety.I find it's better to waste 5-10 minutes calling in support, then it is to waste pixel lives.Plus it is extremely satisfying when you watch that pesky bunker get destroyed, that's what the big guns are for:).The best way i found to kill them with troops is to sneak up behind it,but usually there's another enemy covering it's weak side being the rear so if i got support, chances are the bunker is getting pounded mercilessly,plus it doesn't take much when hit by heavy rounds.

[Ryujin]

I've had some luck with javelins, SMAWs, and tank cannons. Snipers reasonably close work too, I've had them slowly pick off the crew. Though takes time and a lot of your nonrefillable sniper ammo.

[Clavicula_Nox]

I forgot I had a Javelin just hanging around. Well, it's too late now, but something to remember. Thanks for the tips.

[Dietrich]

Sorry to hear about the trouble you had with that bunker, but I admit, I find it a bit ironic, since in the several times I've played that mission, it wasn't the bunker that gave me trouble but the dozen or guys in the trench just past the bunker that gave me trouble.

Thank goodness the helo-borne platoon comes onto the map behind the bunker.

[Clavicula_Nox]

Well, I spent a few minutes and put mortars on that trench line, the trench line just next to them, and the trench line next to the bunker. One survivor, a sniper, from the dozen or so guys caused one of my casualties, and a survivor in the trench line next to the bunker caused another.

Yes, thankfully, they spawn behind the bunker. I couldn't imagine how pissed I would be if they spawned infront of it.

[Gen. J-sun]

If you can get fire superiority get as much fire into the vision slot as possible to suppress the guys while moving your troops on to a flank or into cover and manuever against them until you can get to the close assault. From here I usually approach at a 70 degree angle which limits the fire to put out and additionally allows you to double envelope them with another unit. After you assault up to the bunker you should have killed the crew or gotten behind the beast. At this point it's a matter of letting the explosives fly.

If you can't get fire superiority replace shooting with smoke and if possible simply avoid the bunker until other options open. That in mind good bunkers are usually part of a combined defense system (mines, zeroed in guns, etc). But usually in real life when there's no reasonable way to take on a bunker it's time to go home.

[Gen. J-sun]

Also when using artillery on a bunker anything smaller than a 105mm (including 120mm mortars) should be aimed at the area 5m infront of the bunker to cause casualties since the bunker can easily withstand multiple direct mortar hits.

[taccovert4]

A few notes:

Unless you're using 155 or larger, or air dropped ordinance, Armor Piercing Ammunition will get you better effects on target because of the cratering effect and the penetration of the roof. With 155 HE is fine, and near misses to the front will also cause injuries from shrapnel and overpressure.

SMAWs and Javelins are excellent bunker busters, especially for units that are mounted and have plenty of these in stock. In my experience, 1 Javelin hitting a bunker to the front can pretty much be considered a kill under 99.9% of circumstances. Also, SMAWs were specifically designed to kill bunkers and blockhouses, so use them for that.

Best way to take out a bunker from the front with infantry: Have an MG team, or better yet a .50 cal on a vehicle (the 40mm isn't as good, especially at range because of the arcing trajectory hitting the roof instead of putting rounds through the firing slit) suppress the bunker from the front. Move a Javelin or SMAW team within range to hit the bunker. Launch weapon (you may have to manually target for area fire). Watch impact and BDA. Rinse. Repeat until clean.

I personally like using ATGMs for my AT assets in most scenarios (infantry at long range in cover are hard to suppress, and (especially Javelins) ATGMs are very accurate and deadly). Therefore my armor and MGS strykers become infantry support as opposed to tank on tank combat. What can I say, I went to the Rommel school during my days in CMAK, where tanks are for exploitation and AT guns are for elimination. Anyway, I use 120mm HE as my bunker busting round of choice, with 105 HE being my secondary. They're accurate, effective, and most of the time the weapon in the bunker can't take out the AFV that is shooting at it.