Re: confusing Artillery overload score
 

From the guide:

General Support and Direct Support off-map artillery
Direct Support is less responsive than normal arty, General Support even less so. The delay is longer for calls for fire, other than onto gold spots or as a pre game bombardment (their main use). Shifting fires costs a little more for these type of batteries and they are less likely to be in radio contact as they are theoretically shared with other formations than yours. As well, they are less likely to fire counter battery fires if left idle. Strike air types may be bought in general or direct support mode if desired.
Direct Support costs 75% of a full Under Command battery and General Support costs 50% of a full Under Command battery.
A button on the purchase menu cycles between artillery types. If General Support or Direct Support purchase is active, then only the appropriate formations are filtered to show on the arty page and the miscellaneous page (for strike air). Cycle this back to Under Command artillery to see the filtered-out formations again. General Support and Direct Support off-map artillery cannot be purchased for your core in a campaign

If there is an inbalance then it is in the players favour as the AI tends not to shift fire but replots.

Re: confusing Artillery overload score
 

You managed to succesfully fire counter-battery missions on 28 out of 30 British off-map 25 pounder troops? That is an impressive achievement, my off-map batteries never seem to perform that well - maybe because I never have the patience to keep them reserved to counter-battery fire for most of the game. I guess your batteries have managed to get quite some experience so far?

As for the range, 10.5 cm howitzers should be fine for countering 25 pounders or US 105 mm howitzers, but there is a lot of artillery that will outrange them.

As for on-map artillery, keep in mind that if you are assaulting or defending you get to dig in your leg artillery. This will make them a whole lot more difficult for enemy to destroy with indirect fire, especially if you place them in rough ground (and provide ammo resupply with fully enclosed armoured vehicles or ammo bunkers). Personally I prefer mortars for on-map indirect fire assets, especially when they come in units of 2 or 3 tubes, providing plenty of firepower and survivability (since there are 8-12 men that need to be all wiped out to destroy the unit for good, losing the experience).

Re: confusing Artillery overload score
 

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Re: confusing Artillery overload score
 

As a further note your artillery will cost a lot more than the figures you quoted.
At experience 70 one set of 4 guns costs 276 points.
You have 9 of them so that works out at 2484.
However its 1941 so base German morale is 75 but from your counter battery effectiveness the experience of at least some of your guns must be in the 80s.
I would not be surprised to find your arty is actually worth around 3000 points.

Now I have read your post properly & realise you don't have 5 tank companies just around 30 tanks & 16 infantry squads I would guess your artillery cost is close to 50% of your forces total cost not 15% or less as you would expect. That's a pretty huge discrepancy.

Re: confusing Artillery overload score
 

Actually, he mentioned fielding nine batteries of 10.5 cm howitzers, and those actually cost 198 points per battery at experience 70 (or 200 points at experience 75).

I presume you have looked your point costs from 10 cm K18 battery, which is significantly pricier: 273 points at experience 70 and 276 points at experience 75.

Re: confusing Artillery overload score
 

Your correct I just looked for the Abt bit he mentioned.
Still works out that the AIs arty overload was a lot smaller than his as it had double the force size.

Re: confusing Artillery overload score
 

Yes,

My force value has increased as my units get experience without adding any new ones to the core. I was at about 3500 to start and now in 41, it's about 5400. Naturally, there have been upgrades on the armor but the rest is experience.

All my 10.5 batteries are veteran with most at elite status. The main reason I put them in the core is to do just that. The batteries are VERY good at counter battery fire when they reach that experience. They fire and hit extremely well. In fact, I leave them all on counter battery until the opponent's assets are trashed then I use them normally. If I need extra like for an assault, I purchase them. Usually a battalion of longer range heavy batteries to counter the opponent's long range batteries. I also upgrade one battalion of 10.5's to 150's for that reason later in my campaign when I switch to the East Front as the Russian AI 'loves the guns'.

My artillery percentage is 37% which is heavy but as Napoleon said: "Artillery is the King of the battlefield."

Thank you for the rule book excerpts, I shall pay attention to that general and direct support button and play with that.

Awesome thread - so much help!