GreenAsJade Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 If you have no air cover assets, is an FO just an HQ who can't command anyone? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skelley Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 FO's call in arty too 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baneman Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 I thought that the response time to his arty call can be less than that of an HQ. Thought I'd seen that effect, but I may have been remembering 2 different games when I was learning it all. Will have to check. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skelley Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 Yeah... FO's call it in quicker. Do FO's call in CAS? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenAsJade Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share Posted May 21, 2011 The manual says they are the only thing that can call in CAS. I'm not sure what "FO's call in arty too" means. HQs call in arty too. So it seems the answer to my question is that "if you have no CAS assets, FOs are HQs who can't command anything, but can call in arty quicker"? Maybe there are arty assets that HQs can't call but FOs can? I haven't encountered this yet... would that be a scenario designer thing? GaJ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skelley Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 If you have no air cover assets, is an FO just an HQ who can't command anyone? Yeah if you have no Close Air Support, but you do have arty, they can call it in. If you have neither then you have a useless unit. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenAsJade Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share Posted May 21, 2011 When I asked this question, I was thinking "geez, why not just give me another HQ instead of an FO, they seem to be the same". I guess that would be less realistic This is very different to CMx1, where HQs could only call in on-board: that made FOs much more unique and valuable. Are there "wire" FOs in CMBN? Or do they all have radios? GaJ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skelley Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 Yeah..I wish you could use the HQs with on board arty like you could in CMX1. Bringing immediate fire on a target if the HQ is within command range. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guachi Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 Some artillery (generally larger) requires an FO. Play around with the unit selection screens and you'll see which ones. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanir Ausf B Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 Yeah, US 240mm require a FO and probably anything larger but I haven't checked. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dadekster88 Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 On iron level the differences between an FO and a platoon leader calling in off board arty is considerable from what I have seen. Iirc I've seen up to 10+ min for a platoon leader trying to get some off board arty support and to me that is pretty realistic. FO's can call the rain in much quicker 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrailApe Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 The FO will be on the artillery net whilst the HQ, will be on their own net (Armour/Infantry) so they should be able to get fire down minutes quicker. Additionally, esp in WW2, calling in artillery support was very much a skill that you had to learn, it was not as user friendly as it is nowadays. Now the radio/line question is a very good one. In WW2 radios were not as effective as they are now and a lot of FO shooting was done from the end of a line. The line might go straight to the battery CP or it may go to a re-broadcast station where somebody, who IS in radio contact (being a bit nearer or in a better position for the antenna) to pass on the fire orders. If you have time, read Spike Milligan's books about the war - he was in the 'Mike Truck', which was the section that was responsible for laying out lines between the CP and the FOO. 30 odd years ago when I did my basis sigs course, there was still a module on line laying, how to get line over roads, houses etc. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
womble Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 Playing BtB on Warrior, there was about a minute's difference in the reported time to delivery. The HQ was a minute slower. I wonder whether there's not a difference too, in the ability of the spotter to direct fire, so the FO uses fewer spotting rounds, bringing in the fire more quickly, with less warning and wasting fewer shells. It's the sort of thing that CM would simulate... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrailApe Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 That would make a lot of sense. From what I've read the FO's had a more technical job in those days than they do currently. For example, the battery that's firing for you may not be in direct line with you and the target. So your 'Drop 400' might be to them 'Right 400'. Nowadays, the observer merely has to give his own direction to the target (in mils) and the battery CP does all of the calculations, in those days I believe the FO's had to calculate that themselves. If you add that complexity to the supported arm HQ (and factor in the 'what grid is that battery at"?) and they have to their day job as well, no wonder there will be time difference between the Artillery specialist and the Infantry/Armoured HQ. they've really done their homework! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt Joch Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 Forward Observers were specially trained to call in artillery strikes, so in game their response time and accuracy is generally better than HQs because FOs are assumed to have a more direct line to the artillery batteries and to be able to provide more accurate info. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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