Interesting that the US can return fire from the wheat field. Normally I find that troops inside crops tend to go prone and lose LOS .. so won't return fire. Is it because they are moving forward that they are all up and able to shoot?
Drifter Man vs CDavid DAR
- Thread starter Drifter Man
- Start date
Interesting that the US can return fire from the wheat field. Normally I find that troops inside crops tend to go prone and lose LOS .. so won't return fire. Is it because they are moving forward that they are all up and able to shoot?
I replayed the turn and the fire against the ATG "from multiple directions" was actually a lot less impressive than it looked on first replay. It came from two infantry teams - a B.A.R. in the hedgerow on the other side of the wheatfield at ~220 m and from a Thompson in the wheatfield at ~160 m. Both units were on the move when firing. Both weapons fired two bursts, plus the Garands around added a few shots. The B.A.R. fired a bit high but the Thompson was accurate and effectively took out the AT gun at its maximum range. Pretty extreme - it didn't take a lot to rob me of the gun! I think that CDavid bought some high-quality troops for this battle.
To an extent I did the same - my HMG teams have crack experience (although they have typical leadership and motivation). At times they feel like snipers, although at 150 meters excellent accuracy should be expected from a deployed HMG. Their main problem is that U.S. infantry is reasonably dispersed and the MG's can only aim at one target at a time. Normally they would get a kill and suppress the rest of the infantry team they're firing at, but these Americans aren't impressed.
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They probably just watched that morale-building US instruction/propaganda video where the gruff sargeant voice says "MG42... Its bark is worse than its bite".
I'm sure CDavid brainwashed them thoroughly before sending them into the assault!
Or maybe they read the report you just published?
"Chaaaarge! And remember, the HMG42 at 312 metres is only as effective as a single rifleman firing at 120 metres!"
Right! Every one of them carries a copy with them into battle, together with a slide ruler
I now have a better of understanding of why anti-tank guns are so easily spotted after firing....
Yes those things are not exactly popguns. Is that one firing WW2 ammunition though?
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My youtube recommended me this on Forgotten Weapons: they were firing at some US field/shooting day, so I doubt its 'flashless powder' (didn't even know there as such a thing)
I deleted that part again, because I think it was only for small arms. Looked up some WW2 footage of AT guns firing, and they seem to make a lot of smoke at a least. B/W footage doesn't really show if they also make a lot of flame.
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Another forum suggests they would have been using the cheapest powder out, so not representative of WW2....
Sorry, don't mean to derail your thread!
Not at all - very much on topic since I have 9 of these on the map! Well, only 7 still in action now...
Great video to pass time until my opponent sends his turn
I had no idea they're still around so well preserved. Amazing work of those who got it back in shape.In CMBN though, I wouldn't say they eat Shermans for breakfast (in CMx1 they did). Already at ~400 m I get ricochets unless I hit the gun shield.
Turn 10. A static turn, with both sides covering in hedgerows and firing at each other. This time things look good for me, I seem to have fire superiority. Four U.S. casualties are confirmed in this turn, bringing the tally to 16 confirmed kills. This does not include AFV crews and casualties I could not see. I have no losses this turn and a total of 9 since the start of the battle (6 from AT crews, 2 from a sniper team and one from a MG team). However, my second AT crew will probably die soon at the western end of the map. CDavid is bringing in more infantry, but I am also reinforcing my lines in response.
Two tank sound contacts are heard. One (3rd AFV) is closer and I expect my opponent to throw it against my left (western) flank, where it should end up in the sights of another AT gun. The other (4th AFV) is further in the fields in the rear and I only know about it thanks to the vigilant ears of a sniper.
A medium mortar team is spotted from a distance, trying to reoccupy the position it was driven out of by mortar fire at the start of the battle. I'll try to repeat the same trick and order another mortar strike while moving in another mortar as the first one is running low on ammo.
Two tank sound contacts are heard. One (3rd AFV) is closer and I expect my opponent to throw it against my left (western) flank, where it should end up in the sights of another AT gun. The other (4th AFV) is further in the fields in the rear and I only know about it thanks to the vigilant ears of a sniper.
A medium mortar team is spotted from a distance, trying to reoccupy the position it was driven out of by mortar fire at the start of the battle. I'll try to repeat the same trick and order another mortar strike while moving in another mortar as the first one is running low on ammo.
B
Baxter
Guest
What are your views on the smaller caliber AT guns? In the short site lines of France the volume of fire and increased number of guns may have helped you with your suppression issues
Battle lines drawn up, firing away. Napoleonic warfare almost... I guess the battle will be decided in the next two turns, depending on who takes most casualties in this exchange. Unless your opponent pulls a surprise somehow.
AFAIK he has 9 PaK40 75mm. That's not a small AT gun in my book at least. It is effective against all allied vehicles from frontal aspect if I'm correct.
The attacker will have more capability to take casualties I'd say? However if they keep duking it out until some side falls, I'd expect @Drifter Man s AT guns to take out the AFVs. They have a hard time spotting and killing AT guns hiding behind hedgerows.
Maybe I missed something, but I'd expect a large artillery bombardment / smoke mission to support the main push.
Yes, and still several tanks on the loose. I don't think he will surrender after two turns, but at these ranges, and with quality infantry on both sides, casualties should be pretty heavy. There won't be so much ducking down / retreating, and accuracy / rate of fire are high.
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I'm new to this business of CMBN war but for now I avoid smaller guns and go for the smallest thing that is big enough to deal with standard equipment - in this case, a 75mm PaK40 to deal with Shermans. I even changed the default light gun platoon in the AT company to medium to have nine PaKs.
Of course I'd prefer to engage light armor with light guns - but how can I guarantee that my light gun won't end up facing a medium tank? They're not that cheap to be thrown away without effect.
Note that the AT guns you see in the overhead images are all hiding an/or having target armor arcs. I won't use them against infantry until I'm confident I don't need them against tanks. Which, as @Bulletpoint observes, is not the current state of affairs...
I expect (and fear) the same, but CDavid's frantic effort to bring in on-map mortars - and the fact that his infantry has been fighting alone so far - gives me hope that he has some difficulties with support. It's hard to get LOS on this map, so it could be either a preplanned strike or TRPs.
CDavid has taken some casualties but it's not happening at a rate that would cripple him quickly. Support is the key: will he be able to hit me effectively with on- or off-map artillery or tanks? Until he does, I should be able to hold.
Exactly. Do you have an estimate of his experience with CM in general and CMBN in particular?