Daunted by Long Campaign force selection

[Mobhack]

Did you read post #2 in this thread, the section headed "Stage 1"?

Did you read post #17's last paragraph, starting "Things not to have in the core" or somesuch - part beginning "any more than a battery.."



The standard military rule-of-thumb allocation of artillery is one (1) battery per battalion for general purpose fighting.

A 3-4 battalion brigade will have one regiment(bn) of 3 batteries of Field Arty, and therefore its usually divvied out one per constituent battalion of the supported brigade.

You will only get more than that in a planned assault or defence. Those are the ones you buy with your support points.

Now - perhaps you may be getting confused with say the pre-baked British core, thinking that core had "2 batteries" when it does not. British field batteries were 2 platoons (troops) of 4 guns, for 8 guns total, whereas some continental armies only had 4 guns per battery. Some had 6 - which in the game will be 2 platoons of 3. Again, not 2 batteries, but one (1) battery made up of 2 elements.

The Brits actually used a 12 gun battery, 2 off in a regiment (Bn) in the 39-40 period, but went back to 3x8 gun batteries per regiment of 24 field guns. 12s were too cumbersome. But if your UK core starts in 39, feel free to buy 3 Troops - it is historical.

The real strength of the Allied armies in WW2 was in their artillery arm, and the ability to supply these guns with large amounts of ammo. Unlike the Germans who were always short on guns, and were usually rationed to a small number of shells per day in the late war.

So feel free to "go large" with arty if USA or Commonwealth, in your core or in support points. Soviets should only do so in the attack - and then the batteries should be general Support or perhaps Direct Support - cheaper and less responsive, but then more tubes can be bought for the same points expenditure.

[RVPERTVS]

Yes I did, sorry, actually I believe I was confused with your force selection on the LC as it includes some extra stuff besides the Stages on your first post, but then I realized that they were support assets though I also noticed that you bought the close recon and Inf AT elements mentioned on Stage 2 with supply points so I was wondering if some howitzers could be traded for some SP guns and flaks. The issue was if I should keep just one battery for all the campaign.

Anyway, thanks a lot for the info, I was reading some online material on the subject, I see that every nation had its peculiarities but overall it's as you say: 1 battery per battalion and the Germans were short on ordnance during the late stages of the war

I read that the Germans could assign more tubes to a given battalion depending on the importance and nature of the mission and special circumstances, but this was uncommon during the late war as the German stance became more defensive.

Also that "great emphasis was also placed on the battalion as the fire-control unit, and the separation of the battalion into independent batteries to be used as attached artillery is never recommended except in extremely large sectors, or under very difficult terrain conditions such as thick woods."

http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/t...artillery.html

http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/t...-division.html

[jivemi]

Originally Posted by Mobhack

Now - perhaps you may be getting confused with say the pre-baked British core, thinking that core had "2 batteries" when it does not. British field batteries were 2 platoons (troops) of 4 guns, for 8 guns total, whereas some continental armies only had 4 guns per battery. Some had 6 - which in the game will be 2 platoons of 3. Again, not 2 batteries, but one (1) battery made up of 2 elements.

The Brits actually used a 12 gun battery, 2 off in a regiment (Bn) in the 39-40 period, but went back to 3x8 gun batteries per regiment of 24 field guns. 12s were too cumbersome. But if your UK core starts in 39, feel free to buy 3 Troops - it is historical.

OK so in a British LC (40 battles starting April 1940) two 60-pounder troops were bought as part of the core, hoping to upgrade one or both to longer-range off-map artillery for CB. Couldn't find a "howitzer battery" in the menu. However it turned out "troops" are off-map to begin with. And when one troop was changed to "25-pounder gun" all that resulted was a single field piece!

Any way to get British on-map howitzers (or medium mortar batteries bigger than 3-inch) at the start, or available to change shortly after? Thanks.

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by jivemi

OK so in a British LC (40 battles starting April 1940) two 60-pounder troops were bought as part of the core, hoping to upgrade one or both to longer-range off-map artillery for CB. Couldn't find a "howitzer battery" in the menu. However it turned out "troops" are off-map to begin with. And when one troop was changed to "25-pounder gun" all that resulted was a single field piece!

Any way to get British on-map howitzers (or medium mortar batteries bigger than 3-inch) at the start, or available to change shortly after? Thanks.

Buy them as part of the core - "Medium battery" is the formation you want for off map mediums, "heavy battery" for big stuff, "light battery" for field artillery.

For on-map then buy one of the on map formations, and select the bigger gun in the choices given. "howitzer tp" or the /t with tows, or the section or battery. These should have 25pdr, 4.5in and 6in howitzers to pick from.

4.2in mortars do not appear till 7/42.

If you want mortars with some range - use the captured Italian mortars available from 3/41 on.

There is a colonial portee section with a 3.7in mountain gun on the back of the truck in the misc page - a handy unit to shoot and scoot with. Just plan not to be there when the counter battery fire arrives!