Leader casualties

[beatmasta]

I have noticed quite high casualty rates among the unit leaders in SF and BN. Of course the troops are ment to be leaded not "followed" by it's leaders but it seems that in very often the first casualties is the squad leader or team leader. This seems to happen also with the artillery where squad loses one man, it feels that it's more often the leader than a grunt. I'm pretty sure that the casualty rates among the officers and nco's was higher than regular soldiers but how accurately it is portrayed in the game?

[Boche]

Same here (specially in SF) jajaja but I think its just bad luck

[RockinHarry]

It´s mostly those guys that raise their binocs quite often. Maybe the TAC AI notices and thus makes them priority targets.

[Johnny Carwash]

I've noticed this too. Seems that a disproportionate amount of time the leader of a squad/team is one of the first to go.

[Waaarg]

As the poets of Brand Nubian once said "Punks jump Up to get beat down"

Honestly I think I track leaders and gunners getting KIA/WIA more than I do soldiers, they rate higher than fellow squad members.

[Tarquelne]

Honestly I think I track leaders and gunners getting KIA/WIA more than I do soldiers, they rate higher than fellow squad members.

I suspect that's most of what it is, if not entirely - it's simply a lot more noticeable.

(Anecdote: Playing "Closing the Pocket" I lost only 1 man in the first half of the scenario as the Germans. That was a squad leader, gunned down about 6 feet outside the forest where he started. Maybe it was just his heart giving out... Is that simulated? OTOH, same scenario a squad got hammered by a Sherman and was left with just 3 guys - 3 guys which included the leader and the gunner.)

[Broadsword56]

I noticed this and it seems realistic. Sometimes a squad will be moving along, I hear a single "crack!" and down goes the sergeant. The enemy definitely aims for the leaders first.

[Migo441]

I noticed this too or, at least, thought I did. As others mentioned, it's possible that it's partially a matter of confirmation bias where if "Trooper #8" gets plugged it seems totally normal but if "Sergeant Bigby" goes down it's one of the great military tragedies of all time.

[beatmasta]

Has anyone tracked individual soldiers how they move? Is it the leader always first one or is there any variation how they advance? Would be cool to see more accurate casualty list at the end of the battles like 3 officers, 8 nco's, 15 soldiers KIA

[c3k]

Yeah, more noticable, and they also seem to be up front a lot. Hmm, someone remind again: what were the casualty rates of 2nd Lieutenants compared to Privates?

Ken

[sonar]

I'm fine with this as I see it as an abstraction.

Officers and NCO's have a higher casualty rate, due to the fact that they are more exposed to enemy fire because they control and direct the squad,

[Narsus]

In a Normandy book there was an excerpt from an Allied observer who when watching some British infantry, could spot all the officers and junior officers by something reflective on their map casings they all carried. If I remember right, this comment was concerning shortages in junior officers and ways they might help stop what was becoming a big problem.