PBEM "campaigns"

[Cross]

Hi James,

I think your goal is excellent.

I'm in a PBEM battle now where I have my opponent pretty much routed. At this point, in a normal PBEM, I would abandon caution and rush forward beyond his lines and finish off the many damaged infantry sections, and get at some of those rear units just to get those extra points and hey...why not, I've won anyway.
But Instead I am exercising caution, because my men have fought with me for several battles and I hope they will for several more. Rushing headlong into his lines will expose too many to close assaults by unspotted infantry or ambushes by AT guns.

Yeah, I think spww2 does a pretty good job of simulating damaged/destroyed infantry sections. If the unit is completely dispersed it would be fair to say any survivors of that section were wounded, or not in a fit state to be re-organized into a new section for a counter-attack that same day or the next morning.
However, units that still have 4 men left, still have 4 men that are in fighting shape. The other 6 are assumed to be the wounded, and shell shocked and perhaps even some dead. So even though the section only has 4 men at the end of the battle, I would definately count these men in, when it comes to a re-organizing your forces into new platoons.

Having to think ahead will reduce the 'meat grinder' to some extent, but start tracking individual officers, with their battle record, kills, promotions, medals etc, and I'll guarantee that, after a couple of battles, you start to get much more cautious with those officers/NCOs that you have become familiar with and know by name.

cheers,
Cross