The Purist
Elder Member
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2004
- Messages
- 2,917
- Reaction score
- 1,480
- Location
- In my castle by the sea, Trochu, AB
- First name
- Gerry
- Country
Yup,... In our game Lee had to rely on the Pz IVs for Smoke as the artillery was not provided with smoke rounds for this battle. The Germans need to use care with their own 81* mortars as they are more exposed and vulnerable than one might think.Smoke is not in copious supply. There are some tubes available, but the German OBA has none and many of the other tubes, on-board mortars and the MKIV's, Self Propelled 150's are vulnerable.
For the French force preservation is they key to preventing an early breakthrough.
I found killing the boats less important than 'reverse sloping' the French defence and preserving the force for the firefights. The French cannot stand exposed on the river bank or the heights in front of the dozen plus German H/MMGs plus the mob of tanks without being badly shot up. The French need to (largely) keep out of LOS of the east bank and meet the German landings in the 'second' row of building in the south, behind the ElRR in the north, or with flanking fire into the open ground if the German land in centre. French reinforcements are few and variable in the early hours of the battle.
I found that HIP 81* mortars with HIP spotters and HIP OBA observers were best at harassing the crossing and landing areas while the infantry poured fire into the emerging landsers. The 37* Inf guns, served by 8 morale crews, can be deadly to both infantry and the early war German tanks and not easily silenced. Regardless,... an early crossing of the river and expanding a viable bridgehead is no easy task for the Germans
Mileage may vary as more games are recorded.