Close-quarters combat

[Maelstrom]

SP1-3 were always pretty predictable. Move your tanks to a safe position, and either outmanuever or wait for your enemy. Playing the Utah to the Rhine Campaign is forcing me to be more creative. The first one with the delayed stugs/panthers was great, so was Carentan (sp?). Now I'm thick into the hedgerow country..which i have never faced in my SP days. Very tough, very slow precise combat. I chose a rifle company just for kicks with a sherman 76 platoon and recon platoon as my core.

My advances through the hedgerows and bocage were too slow to be effective and I was wondering if anyone has any advice on this kind of close quarters fighting ? I thought about getting a sherman flail to cut a path cross country, but the 75mm won't cut it vs. panthers. Mounted infantry would just cause me to be assaulted alot. I used quite a bit of artillery but it seems to do little vs. the MG and AT forts. What are your 'musts' for these kinds of battles ?

PS: It would be helpful in the briefing if a general location of the enemy was relayed to you. Ala, enemy movement has been sighted to the south. Or,snipers may have already infiltrated your rear. etc. I think it was Berigny, that was very ambiguous as to where the enemy or you, were going.

Excellent campaign !

[Don]

There was a topic about that very thing yesterday - check this out:
http://www.matrixgames.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/002454.html

And Good Luck! You're dealing with the master of nasty suprises, Wild Bill - the true Guru of scenario design!

Don

[Fredde]

Hedgerow fighting is slow, i think artillery usage is the key point here. Use your artillery a lot to support the hidden defenders before you charge in. Sometimes the
short LOS can be an advantage for the attacker. It prevents the defender from shooting at you with lots of units, and if you concentrate your forces you will have a local advantage. Only way to advance fast here i think is to concentrate your forces, punch a hole in the main defence line and hope the defender didn't deploy in depth

Have a look at Figmo's Sounds in the Night scenario, gives you excellent practice in the subject

[panda124c]

Recon, Recon, Recon, and Artillery, Artillery, Artillery, you will learn to love 8" guns, rolling barrages, and lots of smoke. For direct support 105 Shermans can't be beat. Even if you miss, it rattles their cage. I'm using a Mech Inf Co reconfigured to have three inf squads in each platoon. My boys eat Stug III's for lunch.