Tactical advice

[Mel]

This may not be in the right place and will also show I am no General but here goes.
When playing a scenario as the Germans requiring the capture of bridges after their capture should I leave units in situ i.e. garrisoning the bridges or should all units be moved on through the objectives to the exit objective?
Regards Mel

 

[Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor]

That depends on the scenario and whether you will get ongoing victory points for the bridge objective. You can check that in the list of side objectives. Other factors to consider are:

• the time remaining
• the expected enemy threat
• will your main supply route (MSR) go across this bridge

I'm sure others will add to this list.

 

[john connor]

In scenarios with a lot of objectives where you, as Axis, subsequently move so deep into the battlefield that there's not much chance of the enemy taking the bridges off you again then if you need to sit on them to get completion points just sit a base on them, or a very low value unit, or higher HQ - something you won't need up front, certainly not a line unit. Depends on the scenario, really. Which did you have in mind? I'm more used to thinking about this kind of thing from the point of view of Allied para units in HTTR scenarios, than the Axis.

In Pieper's Race, for example, I would properly garrison the bridges you hopefully take during the first few hours (is it Stavelot and Trois Points, I don't recall?) because there's lots of Allied reinforcements coming for those bridges as the scenario goes on.

On the other hand, in some of the Greek scenarios where the Axis has a huge force racing down the map with just a crust of infantry opposing them then there's hardly any chance the defenders are going to get behind you and so I wouldn't bother using line units to hold bridges.

 

[Mel]

In scenarios with a lot of objectives where you, as Axis, subsequently move so deep into the battlefield that there's not much chance of the enemy taking the bridges off you again then if you need to sit on them to get completion points just sit a base on them, or a very low value unit, or higher HQ - something you won't need up front, certainly not a line unit. Depends on the scenario, really. Which did you have in mind? I'm more used to thinking about this kind of thing from the point of view of Allied para units in HTTR scenarios, than the Axis.

In Pieper's Race, for example, I would properly garrison the bridges you hopefully take during the first few hours (is it Stavelot and Trois Points, I don't recall?) because there's lots of Allied reinforcements coming for those bridges as the scenario goes on.

On the other hand, in some of the Greek scenarios where the Axis has a huge force racing down the map with just a crust of infantry opposing them then there's hardly any chance the defenders are going to get behind you and so I wouldn't bother using line units to hold bridges.

The scenario is Pieper's Race.How do you know there are lots of Allied reinforcements heading for Stavelot and Trois Points/

 

[john connor]

The scenario is Pieper's Race.How do you know there are lots of Allied reinforcements heading for Stavelot and Trois Points/

From the history. Maybe that's cheating. Historically Peiper was cut off when the Allies attacked Stavelot coming down behind him from the Spa direction. He ended up running out of fuel at La Glieze (after retreating from Stoumont), had to abandon the tanks and armoured cars and make his way back on foot at night. There's still one of his Tigers parked up in La Glieze today. If you get further than Stoumont then you've beat him. There was a famous fuel dump on the Stavelot-Spa Road that Peiper missed because he didn't go up that way.

But also the map. I suppose those bridges have to be key Allied objectives, because there's not much else between there and your exit points. I would definitely defend them as you move forward - not with a whole Bn, but with enough to hold them until you can get reserves in to help (if you keep a reserve), otherwise you may end up out of fuel too. As you know already (you probably know all this already, sorry) anything that happened historically is likely to happen in game when you're playing the historical scenarios. Historically, Trois Points was blown in Piepers face, I think. If you shell the defenders with any kind of arty before and as you're moving up your advance panzers then you might avoid this fate.

Also, to be honest (and in which case, sorry again, as it means I should have done a spoiler warning, perhaps - so SPOILER WARNING!) I've played this scenario many times. You might not even try to go nth of the river, of course. It's possible to use the crossings further sth and go up the western edge of the map. Historically you would then be straying quite close to an area that was being desperately reinforced by allied airborne troops, and you might end up running into them. I've never got better than a draw as Pieper, so my tactical advice is probably worth very little. But I try to play them historically, mostly, not doing things that Pieper wouldn't have done (like, due to very poor recon, and the constant danger from the air, he would never have tried to go up the far west of the map), in which case, I suppose, I did alright to get a bit further than La Glieze. Good luck!

Just remembered, there's a picture of Dave standing next to the La Glieze Tiger somewhere over in the Matrix forums!

This book (and the second volume) are great if you can get them for less than the absurd amazon price.....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0955541301/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_img?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2PIIII2K6C2GR&coliid=I1O66FUV488KQV

You could probably do a luxury battlefield tour for a month from anywhere in the world for that price!

 

[Mel]

Thanks I was thinking of going south of the river but will not now.Have already taken Trois Points and I did shell the defenders first.

 

[john connor]

Might need to go sth as well as nth....I think it's very difficult, whatever you do. As ever, as the Allied arty power builds (as in real life) it gets very hard to do much. I remember hiding tanks in forest near the exit once, waiting for night to sneak them through (this might have been in a H2H), but in the end I ran out of fuel anyway!! Best of luck!

 

[Mel]

I had thought of moving my supply bases forward with my units although I am not sure whether this is advisable or possible.

 

[john connor]

If you do that then you will have on hand the stocks the bases bring with them, true. I often try to do this in the Airborne scenarios where I know the paras are going to end up in a pocket. You will be able to draw from the base until those base stocks run out. If all other things are equal. Runs from the base are relatively easily interdicted and if you have the base forward it will be closer to the enemy and easier to interdict - at least it quite often worked liked that in para pockets - that the base within the pocket didn't function too well.

The bases depend on a supply route to the SEP to replenish. But they are large cumbersome formations, usually, and whilst they're on the move they can't supply units, and it takes them time to set up after a move. Bear that in mind. They're vulnerable to attack too, of course. And if supplies run low in a base there's a danger the base personnel will go without, their morale will then drop quickly and the base will soon be unable to move because crippled by lack of supplies itself. Then you might lose it and supply will have to shift to the next base up. If there isn't one then you're finished.

If you tick the tiny box marked 'basing' when you give an HQ an order then the HQ will try to keep the base back out of harms reach. If you untick it (or uncross it, actually) then the base will move with the HQ. You can always move it manually too, which is sometimes safer than letting the AI decide where to put it, given how important and vulnerable it is. When you've got it where you want it you can then re-attach it 'in-situ' (select in-situ formation for the HQ order, after you've attached the base) and it will stay where you've put it but under the HQ control, thereby not contributing to the command load on the HQ.

 

[Mel]

Sorry but what is SEP?

 

[john connor]

SEP=Supply Entry Point. I think you have 2 in this scenario.

 

[Mel]

View attachment 790

SEP=Supply Entry Point. I think you have 2 in this scenario.

 

[Mel]

Thanks for your help it has been very helpfull and interesting discussing this with you.