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I like this discussion about kill zones and as a NATO player it's a must learn. My question is how does the PACT player successfully overcome these zones when maneuver is not an option? I assume you would do recon with fire support from your artillery before committing your main force with persistent smoke. It's time consuming to try going through the forests and usually creates a failure for obtaining your victory goals.Hopefully some of you have tactics as to how to avoid kill zones and bypassing choke points.

thanks,
Wayne

This is what was told to me back in the day:

The Pact forces assault NATO positions in three different areas. The first groups attack has failed and Pact fores are retreating. The second groups attack has stalled and is not advancing nor retreating. The third group is still attacking and advancing under murderous losses. All three group commanders are screaming for artillery/air support and reinforcements. How would the overall Pact commander respond to these request? The purpose of attacking three separate points was to find a weak spot in the NATO lines. Once the lines were breached they would exploit the breakthrough. The first and second group failed and will not get support. Only the third group will be rewarded with support because they are still accomplishing the mission.

I cannot speak for every 'NATO' commander out there but I bet allocation of support would be different. Maybe an arty smoke mission and FASCAM deployment for the first group. The second group has the enemy stopped so airstrikes will be used against them. Maybe split my reserves and reinforce the second group with fresh troops. What ever was left goes to the third group.

I was not in the Red Army but I really don't think they were the type to reward failure. If the third group is able to exploit the breakthrough, the other two attacks become moot point. NATO could try staging a counter attack from there but it will be met by fresh follow=on forces.

So how do you succeed if you are the Pact forces? Violence and speed of action. Do not reinforce failure and understand you will lose lots of men. If one M1 tank can kill five T-80s in a minute then you send six. Do not stop a successful attack because of losses only. If you guess right you are a Hero of the Soviet Union. If you guess wrong you are a Hero of NATO. Haha

To understand the differences in the two military forces is the key.

The Soviet/WP forces are large and unwieldy. They take time to make changes to the plan. They are like a heavy weight boxer. Slow moving and big but don't let them get close. Their goal is to get in close and hit you hard.

NATO's forces are much smaller and lighter. They move quicker and react to changes much easier. Like a light weight boxer. Light on their feet but with quick moves and strong jabs. The goals is to wear you down so they can get a good shot.

Soviet/WP forces hit you hard and keep moving forward. They want to get in close and knock you out with continued heavy blows.

NATO forces are moving all around them and trying to inflict as much damage as possible early. To wear them down.

Good Hunting.

MR

As mentioned above the key to a WP movement is to reinforce success. This can be accomplished a few ways. A recon screen moved forward to locate the enemy followed by an aggressive push by tanks in the lightest defense can reap good rewards. You can also reverse things, and lead with the tanks and funnel your MRR into the gaps that are created.

If one of your assaults runs into a well laid fire sack, the majority of the NATO defenses are probably there. They don't usually have enough units to setup too many strong points. Leave that assault to it's fate, and drive on in area that is less well defended.

-Jenrick

Thanks for all the tips!

Wayne

Hope this is a good example

Scenario "12 Bravo", NATO's forward defense position is falling apart, Soviet AI made several breakthrough.
After evaluation I decided to abandon the hill behind Freigerich, pull back D co./32nd Arm. Requested B co./32nd Arm to move forward, built up a kill zone at hex 2106 on route L3483.
originally I was thinking to bring up another tank company but changed the plan because I realized it is an overkill to have 3 tank co. to defend a road, also I need troops somewhere else

So, I have total 5 tank plt, occupied hex 1805, 1704, 1904, 2003, 2104, they all have LOS at Hex 2106 which is the kill zone. As you can see from the pic, if they Soviet is at Hex 2206, they won't see anything, but as soon as they reach hex 2106, they will be shot by 20 M1 at the range between 1000m-2000m.

a Soviet T-80BV company was wiped out in 2 min. It didn't got a chance to shoot back. A BMP company received the same gift, only two infantry survived the first salvo.

Note to self:
Avoid roads next to trees that have not been blasted ahead of time with artillery..
Look up what it takes to cross unabridged water and how to clear mines...


Is that a map mod? That looks pretty cool!