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Do any of you have any tips on how you organise their use of artillery? I know what to target (supply points, roads etc), but how do you run your arty so everything gets used to maximum efficiency. I can start off ok, but in the heat of battle I forget about units, or units go quiet after bombarding. Battalion level arty is fine as it just helps with the assaults, but how do you run the rest?

Thanks again all.

Depends on size of scenario but I always leave the AI with some arty he seems to do pretty good job.

Use arty as protection with slow ROF on likely areas of attack or slow attackers. Use rockets for area attacks. Group 3 or more together for really good target.

Am I wrong, but it seems to me that if I form some arty units into a group, say (via cntrl left click), and use them to bombard choice targets, that does not prevent the AI calling on them once my missions have finished, even though after I've grouped them this way I can just click on the AI selected group leader subsequently (and a blue line will lead me to him if player org is on) to give the group another target when I wish? If that is how it is then you needn't worry, CTaardvark, about the AI not having any arty to use just because you've set up arty concentrations for your use, though, of course, if you are using ALL the arty assets then the AI will not be able to call on them just so long as they are carrying out your missions. This only works, I believe, if you have unchecked 'rest after bombard' in the general options.

The AI is very good with the arty, I beleive, though I do use arty a lot to intervene and, as Lieste puts it, 'shape the battlefield'. That said, on one of my victories in Hofen (as Axis) I just scraped possession (not cleared possession - the allies still had units within the objective yellow circles) of all objectives on the morning of day 3, then I literally just sat there, gave no orders, and watched the AI arty clear all the objectives, mainly by bombarding the enemy. It was done very effectively and I only had to drink my coffee and admire....

I often explicitly rest most of my artillery - or keep it moving to stay near the min range boundary of the important fights (to maximise target effect). In neither case can the AI waste ammunition against targets which aren't time critical or likely to be effective.

Very short range weapons in quiet areas I will reattach to their parent & to the AI's control... otherwise the artillery follows the fireplan (ie my control as my second hat (commander & artillery commander)).

I run artillery with rest after bombard, but I may have a single battery firing a 2 hour mission at low rate to soften up an area (shifting the aimpoint if the target displaces).
Artillery is very active after the attack missions have nearly completed regrouping, but otherwise the battlefield is quiet-ish.

Remember that artillery ammunition is very heavy* and will take the lion's share of your supply capacity... the AI will routinely fire the lot everyday, leaving your forces denuded of ammunition after 2-3 days fighting (artillery requirements may prevent adequate transport for small-arms/AT ammuntion).
*US arty Bn ~80-120 tonnes, Infantry Coy ~2 tonnes (more with support plts attached)

I give them all individual defend orders....and then slowley move them up in stages to give keep them in rnage..I never give individual fire orders.

I often explicitly rest most of my artillery - or keep it moving to stay near the min range boundary of the important fights (to maximise target effect).

So keeping near the minimum bombard range gives a greater chance of success/damage? With it tailing off the further away the target is? (Not sure why I asked that, its obvious really..the further away the greater the spread - I should know that, I'm an archer for heavens sake...doh!)

Yes, though the advantage is slight - it also offers a greater proportion of the battery's coverage in enemy territory, where it does more good [8|]

At Markshot's direction, I organize "grand batteries" of arty.

The cool aspect of the technique is that they can induce opposing arty to surrender after an hour, or so, of shelling.

As in several units lumped in together? Would you suggest most.......or all

If it's in range of any fighting, I leave it the hell where it is. I loop together several arty units in the area, then give them an In-Situ command. This creates less burden on my commander.
I hate to move them, as Fatigue (pre-patch) still takes too long to dissipate.

I usually let the AI do the targeting, unless I need some help cracking a tough nut.