close combat tactics/ideas
 

Looking for some ideas on how to move through a forest or town when you can't know where the enemy is. Currently moving through heavy woods/forest and moving to contact by braille is painful. I'm trying to avoid clear areas as they would be the easiest to over watch but bumping into a hidden unit usually results in a bunch of casualties and a hasty retreat. :(

Thanks

Re: close combat tactics/ideas
 

Lay a belt of light artillery - mortars, 25 pounder etc a couple of hexes in front of your advancing line. If you have some extra tubes, put some a little further behind the barrage line and use to "pepperpot" the deeper zone.

Large arty (>1 hex blast zone) - is a bad idea here since the closeness of the explosions will suppress and kill too many of yours. The British used 25 pounder for a reason - and the lower quality steell used in the shells was deliberate, as it meant you could stay close to the barrage line (less splinters).

Advance towards the shelled line once it falls at the start of the turn.

As you advance you will find stunned or retreating enemy which you can deal with, or leave the artillery to play on a litle longer if desired (if some are stubborn).

You will also get own troops killed or suppressed by "drop shorts" - tough, that was a recognised British tactic such that it got its own term - "leaning into the barrage". Keep right up with the creeping barrage and accept a few own blue on blue casualties since being close to the falling shells means you get to blast the neutralised enemy, hopefully for free (no/few enemy shots back at your advancing line).

When done with that turn, advance the barrage line the 2 hexes allowed by adjustment.

Repeat till you are through the cover, or out of fresh meat on your side...

Re: close combat tactics/ideas
 

Thanks Andy. I'll give it a try!

Re: close combat tactics/ideas
 

Another idea when moving through a town or forest would be to move your entire force slowly though the area, preferably all in one hex, moving one hex per turn, so that when you encounter enemy troops your troops will be able to spread out at a fast pace, covering a lot of ground, moving as quickly as possible and easily supporting each other. In-fact moving this way works so good you'll win most firefights and you will be able to keep moving because the firefights will be at close range, lasting for only a short amount of time.

On the other hand you could simply use artillery to blast a path through the area. The only thing is you have to remember that if you use all your artillery you won't have it later in the game, plus artillery has the habit of starting fires and your troops will instinctively take cover from the noise and falling debris.

Re: close combat tactics/ideas
 

Hi, this is Dion again, I would like to add scout teams to the above statement: if you also use scouts when moving through a town or a forest, and have a one hex, multiple unit infantry group following the scouts, keeping the infantry group out of sight, they will be able to divide, fan out and fight any encountered enemy units that the scouts discover. This will work even if there are multiple contacts because you will have multiple units in the one hex, a multiple unit infantry group. Also you will be confident that you have cleared the entire area being sure you haven't accidentally missed a hidden enemy unit hiding somewhere.

Re: close combat tactics/ideas
 

Personally I have moved away from using the scout teams to a degree. Considering their cost, in my experience taking 1 -2 casualties on an infantry squad and then moving up more support after breaking contact with smoke is usually more efficient.

Re: close combat tactics/ideas
 

I would like to second the comment about using light indirect fire, especially the smaller calibre infantry and field guns (around 75 mm) available in many armies can be handy, as these cause limited damage (less danger to your own troops) but plenty of suppression.

Light and medium mortars (up to 82 mm or so) also cause a plenty of suppression, but are also more dangerous to infantry, so be careful with hitting your own lines. However, they are not much of a risk to armoured vehicles (HE Pen 1), so you may try to keep a few tanks just behind your infantry line, where they can provide immediate response if enemy is encountered.

When pounding positions close by, try to make sure that spotters have LoS - otherwise there is much greater risk of the fire drifting to your own lines. Sometimes smoke from the bombardment can cause the observer to lose LoS, so do not lay the barrage too thick. Also, it is better to use on-map artillery rather than off-map artillery for this kind of missions, as off-map artillery can sometimes lose communications and keep on pounding position that you don't want it to pound anymore.

For something less sophisticated, there is also the "recon in force" approach of sending in cheap, expendable infantry (e.g. Soviet penal company) moving quickly to locate the enemy line - they will take casualties on contact, but should be able to retreat relatively safely due to close terrain. While they try to rally, actual combat troops (with artillery support) deal with the enemy, and then the more expendable troops move to the fore again advance continues. Not exactly my favourite tactic, but in campaign settings I prefer to lead my advance with some expendable auxiliary units.

Re: close combat tactics/ideas
 

Good comments

Supression is also the job of Machineguns. Add in some light indirect or direct fire arty and you allow your infantry to get close enough to do their jobs. It is enough that the MG's and light arty supress the target and that allow your infantry to do what they are designed to do..... take and hold ground

Re: close combat tactics/ideas
 

As regards using machine guns in close terrain like forests, the best trick might be to keep them a bit behind the main infantry advance (so that the enemy does not have LoS to them) and then in beginning of your turn use them to Z-fire areas that you suspect to be under enemy control (especially areas that your artillery fire did not cover well enough with their barrage). Then advance with your main infantry line. MG unit doing Z-fire may not cause as much suppression as mortar bombardment, but if you just manage to pin the enemy that will seriously reduce the effectiveness of their firing. MG units usually pack plenty of ammo (around 90 firing actions worth), so they can keep on Z-firing for quite a while.

Flamethrower tanks (with 2 hex range) are also great for suppressing suspected enemy positions in close terrain - just drive into 2 hex range from a house or forest hex and Z-fire once or twice, and the occupants should be heavily suppressed. Granted, this tactic becomes riskier as the war progresses, since advancing within 2 hex range tends to expose one to panzerfaust fire.