Advancing through forests

S

Shoggot

Guest
Can someone give some advice how to advance through forest with infantry? No matter if I use HUNT, MOVE or QUICK movement, when sweeping through forest, my units get pummeled by even much, much weaker enemy units. If I try to go around the forest, I have to through open field, which I think is even worse, because of increased vulnerability, often even with being fired on by units from the forests.

I have two screenshoots here. First one is from Red Thunder. My german units are sweeping the forest from right to left of the screen, using hunt movement. Yet even though they encounter one totally decimated MG squad on run, they lose almost half of squad. How should I approach?
cbQv8q8.jpg

The second one is from Final Blitzkrieg, it's from US "Courage Conguers campaign", first mission. My soldiers are approaching the border of forest on the north side, where the german soldiers are. No matter what movement order I give, even though they are strongly outnumbered, Germans massacre my soldiers. What are the right approaches to this situation?
2Aa4CTk.jpg
 
Tactical doctrine talks about Fire and Movement. Tell us more about your use of area fire against these suspected locations and your types of suppressive fires. In the RT screenshot, all your German half-tracks should still have a machine gunner manning each cupola. The FB screenshot's dismounted Americans are a bit more problematic. Remember that mortars are your friend, my friend. Americans refer to Infantry as the queen of battle but artillery as the king! Cunning and stealth are over-rated when you have shock and awe in your hip pocket . . . . :kilroy:
 
Another thought in addition to those already presented; split your squads with 2 man scout teams (if you can?) and get them up in front of the squads, 'testing the water's' as such. Thus when they make contact, you at worst lose just a few men, and can therefore then concentrate the remaining squad and support fires as area fire on suspected positions.

As mentioned over and over again on BF forums, a squad never goes where a scout team hasn't already been, and a platoon never goes where a squad hasn't already been...
 
Thank you all for your advice. I'll try to do as you say and report back! My German halftracks still have man on MGs, that true. Shoudl they screen the movement like alongside of the forest? Should they work as a fire support for men in forest?
 
anal_rodeo said:
Thank you all for your advice. I'll try to do as you say and report back! My German halftracks still have man on MGs, that true. Shoudl they screen the movement like alongside of the forest? Should they work as a fire support for men in forest?
Click to expand...

They should area fire suspected enemy locations. Sometimes known as "Recon by Fire". Always called "Suppressive Fire". How you do that begs the eternal military answer . . . .
"Depends on the situation and the terrain, sir!" :kilroy:​
Experiment. This is a perfect learning opportunity by trial and error. Good luck and good gaming.
 
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Good advice here. My only addition will be to ask: should you bother clearing the forest at all? Sometimes you have to (see advice above) but sometimes you do not really need to. Go around them. Skip a patch of forest. Make them come to the edge to engage you - then your tanks can apply some HE to deal with them. If you can by pass just make sure you have a way of detecting if they try to leave the forest and possibly have a way to keep them there.

PS nice icons there in the CMFB there is a CMRT version too: http://cmmodsiii.greenasjade.net/?p=533 :)
 
I always use the assault move in a forrest once I've spotted enemy or suspect enemy. This is the "fire, support and move" order.
 
Cheeky answer for CMRT - You're up against the Soviets with their plethora of SMG's. Good luck. :)

I'll just reiterate what has been said above but always assume moderate to heavy casualties when planning what you want these men to do next. If possible I try to have one company take a the forest and have a reserve company push through once they have come to the other end. At the very least it lets the force that's been under stress in clearing the forest regain their wits for 15 - 30 mins of game time.

SMG's are king. As a result I find it follows this sort of order when clearing out forests. (If your force is from a nationalty that is appearing to the right of your opponent on this list.... fun times ahead). Soviets > Germans > Americans > Commonwealth > Italians
 
All good advice. Considerations:
- "strategically" decide if you really need to clear or move through the forest and how much time you have to do it, if so:
- consider an artillery or mortar prep if you have those tools;
- consider a smoke screen if you have it to get your troops into position to fire and cover advance (be careful, enemy can advance with his SMGs into the smoke too... I did this once and slayed five platoons of German infantry rather shocking my opponent;
- follow up with recon by fire while suspected enemy are pinned by previous fires;
- can you get supporting fires on flank of suspected position safely? If so do that;
- send in scouts (use snipers if you have them for their spotting ability) first covered by machine guns or support armor ( you can use half track machine-gunners but they don't seem to last very long, getting picked off), if you have tanks with lots of HE fire away;
- give your troops a mix of hunt, move, quick, and assault orders so the whole mass doesn't stop at one sniper shot;
- once the enemy is running, follow up and cut them down as they break cover.
 
If I, as a CMx1ster only, may give a further advice: Flamethrowers, I don´t know if there are any at CMx2, are sometimes the answer to tackle the overmighty SMG troops. Further, if possible, set area/surpressing fire on the marker (best target/aim behind and besides it). Even if there should be only weak area fire available. SPW-251/1s are a good choice, at least at CMx1. 2 or 3 are prefect but even if only one can do the job that´s better as nothing. Concnetrate always on the nearest SMG troop(s) with all what is possible if in doubt what to do. SMGs are hell in close combat but a joke so greater becomes the distance between Your men and the SMG troops. 10 metres can make a difference. Maybe that was already said - then forget what I wrote, please! Otherwise I hope that helps.

Greetings :)
 
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