Qs about HQ attachment & ground support

[Grotius]

Two questions relating to HQ attachment. I'm trying, without success, to break out of the Normandy bocage in the Breakout scenario. I have stacks of infantry at the front lines, and I'm trying to ensure they perform optimally. So my questions are:

1. In summer 1944, my Allied corps HQs can command up to 11 command points -- five divisions and change. That's not quite enough to stack two hexes full of units reporting to the same corps HQ. Is it more efficient to add a sixth division, thereby slightly overburdening the HQ, but allowing two full adjacent stacks of units reporting to the same HQ? Or is it more efficient to attach one stack to one corps HQ, and the other to another corps HQ, even if all 6 units will be attacking the same hex? Should I have all six report directly to an Army HQ instead?

2. When allocating ground support missions, is it most efficient to designate a high-level HQ as the target, like an Army HQ? Or if I know my attack will be conducted solely by units belonging to a Corps HQ, should I target that HQ alone?

Thanks.

[Helpless]

2. When allocating ground support missions, is it most efficient to designate a high-level HQ as the target, like an Army HQ? Or if I know my attack will be conducted solely by units belonging to a Corps HQ, should I target that HQ alone?

If your question is about air ground support, technically there is no difference if you assign it to higher HQ or subordinate. It can be useful if you would like to share air assets.

[Grotius]

Yep, that's what I meant, the "ground support" Air Directive. OK, then I'll keep targeting higher-level HQs. Safer that way, I guess.

I may not have phrased my first question well. I'm trying to figure out whether it's better to have all 6 attacking units from the same (overloaded) HQ, or to divide them into two stacks, one attached to one Corps HQ, the other attached to another Corps HQ. My guess is it's better to divide them, to ensure that their HQs can fully resupply them.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: Grotius
1. In summer 1944, my Allied corps HQs can command up to 11 command points -- five divisions and change. That's not quite enough to stack two hexes full of units reporting to the same corps HQ. Is it more efficient to add a sixth division, thereby slightly overburdening the HQ, but allowing two full adjacent stacks of units reporting to the same HQ? Or is it more efficient to attach one stack to one corps HQ, and the other to another corps HQ, even if all 6 units will be attacking the same hex? Should I have all six report directly to an Army HQ instead?

IMHO - keep the Corps within their command points in general, don't assign the divisions to Army HQ. If you want to attack with two full stacks, it won't be a terrible thing if you attach the extra div for that turn, it also won't be a terrible thing if they belong to a different corps. You definitely want the extra layer of command checks that the corps HQs provide though.

Breakout from Normandy becomes quite doable once you get the hang of it. You need the help of air, but you also need a series of blows with the reserve divisions coming to the front to finish the job and exploit once the first wave has done their job to start cracking the line.

I assign ground support to higher level HQs, unless I want to make sure it's not diluted and targeted to one particular attack, then I assign it to a lower level.

Regards,

- Erik

[rjs28023]

Start a Breakout & Pursuit with you as Axis and the AI as Allied.

Watch what he does to you.

Attachments are extremely important in WITW v WITE. Read up about attaching Tanks Battalions, TD Battalions, and Combat Engineer Battalions directly to the divisions. Study the different capabilities of infantry and armor in different types of terrain. Once you have done this you will be out of the hedgerows just like the Allied AI.

Randy

[Grotius]

Thanks for the replies. I did start making better use of reserves after the first couple of turns. And yes, early on I made sure all my front-line divisions had three attached support units, usually armor, engineer, and something else.

The AI has done a good job on defense. Every time I punch through into the open, it counterattacks my guys in the open, and it plugs lines nicely. I'm playing on Challenging, so I know it gets a slight boost, but still.

I don't think I've done a good job of interdicting enemy supply. I've been ordering ground attack with priority on interdiction and unit attacks. (Also ground support and recon.) I've been trying to focus on the enemy's northeastern flank, where there's less bocage. Should I also be targeting enemy rail? At best I get 60 or 70 air interdiction right behind the enemy units. This past turn, when I had to stand down many groups for low morale, I did even worse.

I like the idea of switching sides. I'll try that after I finish getting my butt kicked.

[marion61]

I don't know if your using 8th AF in any type of grnd attack directive, but they are very effective at breaking up those large concentrations of units in the bocage (and Italy). Just reduce the bombing area to hit the part of the line you want to assault. Normally I set them to bomb just the troops for a turn or so to loosen them up. If you were playing the campaign, I would have said to use your strategic daylight bombers before the invasion and destroy most of the ports and railyards with strategic bombing. This will make supply difficult to rail in and to create any new depots. My tactical air would also be doing heavy interdiction and rail interdiction to stop as much supply reaching Normandy as possible.

There is one draw back to using your strategic bombers in this way, and it will cost you victory points every turn your not bombing Germany. Don't bother using your night bombers, I saw no significant results using Bomber Command at night, except to keep the axis troops up laughing at all the misses.

[Grotius]

Thanks for your comment. This scenario seems designed without strategic bombing in mind; I don't think Bomber Command is represented in it. I'm curious about Bomber Command, though. If night bombing is ineffective, why don't we switch it to day bombing? Does the engine forbid switching Bomber Command squadrons to Day missions?

As for the Breakout scenario, I've played the first couple turns as the Germans two or three times now, on varying difficulty levels. The AI routinely pushes the US 1st Army forward as far as Granville, at the very end of Normandy and its bocage. After two or three tries, I've *almost* replicated this feat on offense. I'm now seeing why it's so important to get high interdiction levels: with higher interdiction, I'm seeing fewer German reserves coming to the rescue. Er, to generate high interdiction, I want Ground Attack with an Interdict target priority, right? (I ask because during Air Execution I see messages indicating that Recon also generates "interdiction", but I think that must mean higher recon levels.)

The manual mentions using arty two hexes from the hex you're assaulting. How do you do this? Position an infantry unit behind the main attackers, then attach a Field Artillery combat support unit to it, then include that support unit in the combat using the shift key?

[marion61]

I've never switched Bomber Cmd bombers to daylight bombing, but it would be worth a try. They are good at night bombing for strategic purposes.

I normally assign arty to the Corps HQ of the units and during an assault the HQ will provide artillery support and you can use your TF's for Naval Gunfire Support if they are in range. When you assault an axis position by holding the SHIFT key, put the HQ behind the assault and mouse over the HQ to include it in the assault or the Naval TF. I don't put artillery support units into combat units normally, but I have put SP Artillery units in combat units, but it doesn't really pay off. If I can I put an engineer SU, SP Anti-tank, and an armored SU in my divisions.

[Grotius]

Ah OK, use an HQ with arty attached. I'll try that. Thanks.

By TFs, do you mean an amphibious HQ?

[marion61]

My bad, yes TF=Amphibious HQ.

[Carterjon]

Meklore, if I understood you right you include a ground or Amph HQ in a combat to force it to contribute attached artillery. I've tried all ways of doing that, mousing over the HQ while holding shift key, clicking on HQ, etc., and either I am unable to have combat (if HQ in the same hex as combat unit) or it will not select the HQ. What am I missing?

[Grotius]

I was about to ask the same question. I tried position HQ units (with attached artillery support units) right behind my attackers, chosen deliberate attack, and included the HQ in the list of attacking units. But the game won't let me attack unless I remove the HQ from the assault.

Maybe you're referring instead to the chance that an HQ will commit its support units to the battle (if it passes leader Initiative checks)? Normally an HQ can do that five hexes away, but maybe it's required to be 1 hex away to contribute its artillery (if it passes leader Initiative checks)?

[marion61]

When I hold the SHIFT key during the selection of who is assaulting, including a HQ one hex away (Naval Gunfire is two I believe), all those units will make the assault, except for the HQ's of course and any combat units without enough MP's to perform an assault. In this case there is a truck less Italian division in the assaulting hex that will not participate. I couldn't screenshot the assault icon cause I needed my mouse to screenshot with.

I'm sure the HQ's your using have artillery assigned? Or a weapon system with the range to support from two hexes?

[Grotius]

Hmm, I've tried mousing over the HQs, but I couldn't order an attack with them selected. I'm not sure I've tried what you display here -- attacking with the infantry unit, with the HQ units displayed but not actually selected in the right-hand menu. I'll try it.

Just to be clear: you mouse over the HQs to get them on that screen, but you don't actually add them to the assault -- you don't click on the empty space to the left of the HQ icon in the menu on the right. Thereupon the game lets the assault proceed, and automatically includes the HQ's arty? Or does the HQ have to pass the usual Initiative check to include the arty?

[marion61]

Yes, just hold down the SHIFT key while mousing over those HQ's units. IIRC I'm sure the HQ has to pass checks to get the arty into the assault and although the HQ's themselves are not physically in the fight (being one hex removed) their artillery is in range and you will see them in the battle results. I'm not sure exactly why this isn't working for you, but there are occasions where a HQ cannot participate in that way. I'm not sure what rule covers all this (I'm not a numbers person), but you could try there.

[Grotius]

OK, well I did have arty participate in my last attack, and I'd stationed HQs one hex behind the line. So yay!

I guess my question is: do these artillery units automatically participate if they're one hex behind the assault, or does the HQ have to pass an Initiative check?

[marion61]

I'm not sure about the initiative check, but even if the HQ is within two hexes it can participate in a hasty attack also so I'm sure it has to make some sort of check to participate.

[Grotius]

Thanks. Great game, huh?

[marion61]

Yes, and I've been playing since June! It hasn't lost the shine yet .