Infantry fight in built up areas

[Steelwhip]

One thing that ALWAYS vexes me (not just in this game...but every game I have ever played...)is attacking an enemy that are in built up areas....in forests....buildings....anywhere that I can only see and shoot them if im right next to them....its not uncommon for me to lose entire companies to a single platoon that gets Op fire whenever I get close.....I have tried all sorts of tatics......Wave attacks.....drop arty thats out of LOS to increase suppression before moving in....moving tanks up to support the infantry....but nothing seems to help......

anyone have any suggestions for me?

[rbrunsman]

One thing I've noticed is that if you run up to the enemy you tend to get wiped out. You need to move so that you are 2 hexes away and STOP. The next turn after your arty falls on the position you are assaulting, you move ONE hex forward which gives you a very good chance of not even being seen so that you can get that first shot in.

Hope that helps. I can't understand why you are having trouble if you are hitting the target hex right before you assault and the enemy hasn't had time to rally.

[Buzzard45]

Take along some heavy SP guns. 105 caliber or greater. SturmTiger is king at this but stay away from his blast it reaches two hexes for sure sometimes more. Move up recon units like cavalry or motorcycles (or even jeeps) until willy bumped " * ", isolate to one or two hexes where target is, bring up heavy SP guns and blast hexes, then move in recon or infantry to spot the targets. Keep infantry out vehicles and on foot if possible.
If they fire from a distance. Make them fire at different targets that they cannot hit well. If they kill any of your units, their hit chances go up. So you need to Z fire all suspected hiding spots to suppress them into missing. HMGs work or tanks with main gun turned off. (unless its a support close support tank with splash damage capibility). Once isolated and suppressed into not returning fire, flames work real well to clear the hexes.
Capt P will tell you to Z fire Americans so they don't run so quick. They have a tendancy to "fall back" with each casualty from direct fire and you then need to chase them which means you could run into more units that hurt you. Good part is that suppression is contageous. Close units will watch their comrades being destroyed and suffer suppression as well. Take the easy kills first if you can do so without OP fire. Truck are easy kills which suppress tanks.
Another tactic that I'm not fond of but works, is to move into the same hex as your opponent and let him be hit by friendly fire from other enemy units. I watched one opponent move back and forth between two of my heavily defended hexes untouched by my OP fire but my guys elliminated by friendly fire. For this you need fast moving vehicles that are moving fast and thus have low hit chances.

[gainiac]

This is where you really want to stick to moving one hex at a time, and it also helps to have another unit providing overwatch for your approaching unit.

The idea being that the "point" unit moves one hex adjacent to the hex in question, and if an enemy takes an opfire you can supress using the overwatch unit then rally and close assault with the point unit.

Infantry can accomplish anything using shrewd and judicious tactics.

Providing overwatch is key, you can further expand on this by gaining a good observation point with decent elevation and providing multiple overwatch units.

Use smoke as well, I like to create a perimeter of smoke around the area I'm working in in order to deny other enemy units any other possible avenues of fire upon my assaulting units............

Once you have a "keystone" unit in place through your initial breach, it becomes much simpler.

As usual supression via artillery makes this much easier, actually artillery makes this method almost methodically foolproof.

It just takes patience, and .......SCOUTS!!!!

Its pretty amazing how sneaky a 2 man scout team can be especially when it's engagement range is set to 0 and weapons are off, tey can pretty much sneak right up next to a squad camped out in a building or trees.......

Martin

[degen]

I agree with the above tactics and offer a few of my own:

Scout to locate enemy strongpoints (usually covering the approach to VHs), suppress strongpoints with artillery, support the infantry advance with tanks, try to get the enemy to waste its opportunity fire on infantry in fortified positions or good cover terrain and tanks, use MGs to draw enemy fire and suppress the enemy, slowly advance infantry--with engineers--close to the target hex, move infantry next to target hex when the enemy is suppressed and used its opportunity fire, use an engineer squad's flamethrower to rout a hex with multiple units, and pound retreating units by shifting artillery into the enemy's retreat path. Once you take the position, prepare for the inevitable counterattack by positioning a MG, engineer, or a tank in the position and continue the artillery fire on the likely direction of attack. The Stalingrad campaign can give you great opportunities to practice and hone these tactics.

Good luck!

[Capt Chris]

Artillery works pretty well. Just make sure that at least 80% of it comes in at the beginning of your next turn. (Read the sticky arty tutorial for more info on how to do this).

Moving slow is also a good thing.

[Steelwhip]

Ill go ahead and start trying these things more and more....it always seems that I either move to slow and cant get ot the victory locations....or move to fast and get cut down....

It was accually the Stalingrad Campaign and the Guadalcanal Campaigns that made my lack of infantry fighting glaring obvious....=)

Guess Ill keep working at it....

Thanks all!!

Steely

[Capt. Pixel]

One more item.

If you've managed to supress the target, prior to moving your infantry adjacent, set your Range to '0'. Sometimes this can allow you to sneak up on him without being seen (and shot at)

This works best when the target is suppressed, you're attacking from good cover (trees/rough/building) and you've only moved one hex to get adjacent to the enemy. Again, it's not 100% successful, but it does improve your chances.

Also, when attacking Retreating/Routed units, move as many of your units into firing positions BEFORE firing. Get everybody lined up and then let loose with the fire. This way, you don't have to start all over moving each new unit into the fray against enemies that have been 're-awakened' from their Retreat/Routed status.

[rbrunsman]

In addition to what Capt P said about moving your men up before opening fire on a suppressed unit, surrounded units are more likely to surrender than units next to just one of your units.