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Ok I know combat engineers are supposed to reduce fort levels. I seem to be doing something wrong as mine aren't. I have them set to the same attack level as my troops; deliberate. They are supplied. They are full strength. They are the eng from 2nd and 38th divisions. At the PM invasion they never reduced fort levels. Now I'm facing level 9 forts at Cairns and I need them to work. Any ideas what I am doing wrong?

Also are just the organic eng with the divisions capable of reduction or are any eng with troops capable? And if you suffer losses at what level do they still reduce forts?

Thanks,
Quark

I think that only IJN components are of any use in combat.

Quark, if you refer to your PBEM game against Condor, read again your combat reports. You will see that your engineers reduce the fort level of the base in the last two days.

The manual says that engineers units will assault value > 0 will reduce fort if they attack with other units and I have always seen the game work like that. The more ENG and the more other troops you have, the fastest fort are crumbling.

Hi Amiral,
They are? I didn't see a message saying combat eng reduced fort levels. I have attacked for 3 turns now. And each time the fort reduction was exactly the combat odds.

Unless the replays are out of sync and what I see and what Condor is seeing are different.

Thanks,
Phil

Originally posted by Quark
Hi Amiral,
They are? I didn't see a message saying combat eng reduced fort levels. I have attacked for 3 turns now. And each time the fort reduction was exactly the combat odds.

Unless the replays are out of sync and what I see and what Condor is seeing are different.

Thanks,
Phil

Here is what Condor post in the Action Reports section

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 08/05/42
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 9)
Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 8

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 08/06/42
Ground combat at Cairns
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 54169 troops, 608 guns, 35 vehicles
Defending force 16691 troops, 120 guns, 0 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 8)
Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 6

You're supposed to have the same report, so I don't think I give away classified information.


.... I read again your message. You want your engineers to disable more fort than the combat ratio, if I understand well. I don't know if it is possible. And as I always attacked fortifications with engineers, I don't know if fort will crumble by as many points as the combat ratio if they were not there.

If I remember well, engineers may reduce fort by 1 point when the combat ratio is 0 to 1.

Still remembering, I hold Wau in one of my Allied games and my opponent sent a regiment to take it, some of my engineers managed to end here and had build fort. Jap has no engineers and fort level don' t decrease when he attackes at 1 to 1 ratio.

AFAIK, engineers reduce fort when you attack, reduction depends of your combat ratio. If you have no engineer, fort will not be destroyed even if you have a good ratio (but you can take a base without destroying all fort)

originally posted by AmiralLaurent

You're supposed to have the same report, so I don't think I give away classified information.

Amiral, you didn't give away any classified info, and I thank you for that. You are, un-fort-unately, misinformed.

Due to a little known addendum included in the manual which was not shipped to the Phoenix, AZ area, combat engineers actually hinder base assaults by whining about structural support damage and other engineering stuff. They should be taken away immediately and sent back to Tokyo to re-read structural manuals and not disable architectural wonders such as base fortifications.

(For the folks at home reading this, let's see if Quark buys this :p )

Seriously, I'm sure the lack of engineers in an assault will leave the fortifications standing, regardless of the combat odds.

Hi Amiral,
Here's what I mean. This was cut out of one of Mogami's AARs. Notice line about engineers reducing fort levels before the attack. Attack odds lowered the fort more. They are independent. That's what I can't get to happen. Have my eng lowering fort levels first.

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 29425 troops, 385 guns, 27 vehicles

Defending force 19789 troops, 167 guns, 0 vehicles

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 5

Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 5)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 4


Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 366
Guns lost 1

Allied ground losses:
Men lost 718

Quark