Engineering Capability
Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 4:29 pm
by G Felzien
Engineers can not only blow up bridges but also repair them. At this scale, should they also be able to create air fields and temporary bidges (pontoons)?
For example, an engineer that does not move for a turn (or 2 or 3) can allow aircraft to land on them. They cannot move until the aircraft has rebased. An engineer that starts a turn by a river can begin building a temporary bridge (2 or 3 turns required maybe). As long as the engineer does not move, the supplies etc can cross the river at a better travel rate (maybe not as well as a real bridge but better than an unbridged river).
These examples could also be interupted by enemy air and artillery attack.
Thoughts?
RE: Engineering Capability
Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 5:00 pm
by Blind Sniper
For example, an engineer that does not move for a turn (or 2 or 3) can allow aircraft to land on them.
Uhm...I don't know...the time scale would require too many turns.
An engineer that starts a turn by a river can begin building a temporary bridge (2 or 3 turns required maybe).
This one I think is feasible instead, it is a good idea.
RE: Engineering Capability
Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 10:45 pm
by jomni
Build bridges = Yes. But was the technology there during the start of the war?
Build airfields = No. In WITP it would take a long time to build an airfield and it's not combat engineers that do it but construction engineers.
RE: Engineering Capability
Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 4:24 am
by gollum
jomni wrote:Build bridges = Yes. But was the technology there during the start of the war?
Yes, there was. On corp level there was pontoon bridge depot in sapper units. Even in some divisions there were pontoon bridges. I`m sure at least for german and soviet army, but I presume it was the same for other armies of major countries.
RE: Engineering Capability
Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 2:54 pm
by WilliePete
I agree that WW2 airfields could be and were built on the fly, especially when you look into the Pacific campaign. The Marine Corps/Navy perfected that. Seabees were masters at building improvised air fields. They often worked even as the battle was going on around them! However, I think its better to leave that ability out of the game. You have to keep in mind that the Germans planned for a very quick campaign against the Poles and didn't really need airbases on the front line. All of Poland was conveniently within range of the Luftwaffe already... Building bridges (pontoon) make sense to me though and would like to see them patched into the game.