And then there was one: Pl HQ still has radio.

[gunnersman]

Loving CMBN so far....LOVING IT.

Anywho.

I was playing the tutorial. My first platoon HQ gets hit hard by mortars. The Lt is the only survivor. He still has the radio. No buddy aid. Nothing. I recall in the preview "A Norman Conquest: A Combat Mission AAR" Tim Stone mentioned that one of his FO team was partially taken out of action and could not call in any arty support.

***Arty/Air Support Clarification***

Having examined one of my savegames, I realise the USAAF and mortar men weren’t actually to blame for my absent assets. The reason my Forward Observer team kept getting a ‘DENIED’ message was because it was – umm – lacking a Forward Observer.

Unbeknown to me, during the early moments of the engagement, the chap with the fieldglasses and the map-reading skills was wounded and left behind. The 2-man ‘FO’ team I was attempting to use to call in assets, had a radio, and eyes on the prize, but, apparently, no-one with the skills to send a support request. I wonder – were FO teams really so fragile/rigidly demarcated?

My Plt HQ with only the LT and minus the radio operator and assistant could call in on map mortars. Is this only limited to on map mortars? Would he have been unable to call in air support and off map mortars and howitzers/naval support as well?

[ChrisND]

Air support and many types of artillery require an FO to access them.

[gunnersman]

Yea, after I started this thread I realized I am still thinking in terms of CMSF. Not EVERYONE with a radio can call in art and air support.

[WillLight]

But the question still stands, if HQ/FO unit A needs to be in radio contact to call for support (i.e. not visual or voice), and the radio operator gets killed, can the unit call for support?

Playing the tutorial, my LT got killed and the rest were OK, but no more support calls from that unit were possible, so at least the other direction is modelled very nicely.

[womble]

I thought I noticed that buddy aid on "Basic Training" was much quicker than in SF on the same level. Since grabbing useful gear off a dead teammate is the faster of the budddy aid options, perhaps you didn't catch it happening.

[gunnersman]

I thought I noticed that buddy aid on "Basic Training" was much quicker than in SF on the same level. Since grabbing useful gear off a dead teammate is the faster of the budddy aid options, perhaps you didn't catch it happening.

That's just it. The radio operator's body and the assistant's body were still there. LT gave no buddy aid. The bodies will disappear after buddy aid is given.

But the question still stands, if HQ/FO unit A needs to be in radio contact to call for support (i.e. not visual or voice), and the radio operator gets killed, can the unit call for support?

Playing the tutorial, my LT got killed and the rest were OK, but no more support calls from that unit were possible, so at least the other direction is modelled very nicely.

The point is artillery that is on the (scenario) map vs artillery and air support that is off map. US Platoon HQs apparently have access to the 60mm mortars as well as other mortars that are on the battlefield in the scenario. All other support assets that are not deployed on the map (105, 8inch, Naval artillery, air support) requires a Forward Observer to call in. And even in the FO's case they can be fragile. And it seems the case is the same for German Platoon HQs. Anything that is not on map is denied to them.

I think even 105's in the form of Priests can be on map arty too.