Matrix Games Forums

OK, so I've got another maybe-not-so-important question for you:

FO vehicles - if the vehicle is disabled, the driver is just a "crew". Now, does that imply that it's the car itself that does the spotting? I'd like to see the bailed driver as an Observer. I mean, his observing skills can't be impaired because of him leaving his vehicle. Right?

Greetings and salutations,

I think that the crew will still act as decent observers in this case, because (if memory serves) crewman keep their command abilities. Obviously, any FO team has a good Arty Command skill, and I think the same should apply for a Crewman group from a mobile FO.

The tricky part here is whether or not they will have a radio with which to call in their strike zones. I don't recall the radio rating for crewmen (I'm at work right now, otherwise I'd just load up and see), but I don't think its anywhere near as good as the 90 radio rating of any "normal" FO team.

I love artillery and have been looking for a way to get a good mobile FO group without having to use two units (1 for FO, 1 for transportation).

At any rate, this is all conjecture until I get home and take a look. I'm just killing time at work right now, waiting for quiting time.

Thanx for the explanation, DK.

I don't have the time right now to look it up, either, but if the bailed FO crew doesn't have as good radio rating, I guess one can assume the radio got shot to pieces along with the vehicle... :p

HI boys, I had a dream...my FO Obs car went down behind the top of a hill..the crewmen
bailed out , and get on foot over the top..
they assign their orders of fire...when achieved the mission they drop into the car again and travel towards a new mission...
Yes a transport may do this as well...

Greetings and salutations,

Well, when I got home last night, I loaded version 6.0 and took a look at the encyclopedia. I found that Crewmen had a radio entry of 0. Needless to say, this should pretty much negate the use of crewmen from a FO vehicle as adequate forward observers. Makes sense though. If you've got a nice radio in your vehicle, tank, etc., why bother with a portable one as well.

I've decided that I am not going to bother with additional transportation for my FO units. They usually stay relatively close to the action, depending on visibility, and since their carry cost is only 2, there should be room for them on one of the trucks or transports for whichever unit their travelling with at the time.

Suggestion, get a transport for you A0 unit (A1) that is large enough to carry the A0 and your F0. Keeps the FO in command constantly because he's never far from the A0.
Oh what an alphabet soup this is.

It is likely that the FO once he lost his vehicle in most armies would be out of contact , for some insight into the Forward Observer and some details on how some of the Major Powers in WW2 operated check the following web sites
http://www.peakpeak.com/~darylpoe/tanks/artillery/doctrine.html

and
http://members.tripod.com/~nigelef/id17_engagement_of_targets.htm

Originally posted by pbear:
Suggestion, get a transport for you A0 unit (A1) that is large enough to carry the A0 and your F0. Keeps the FO in command constantly because he's never far from the A0.
Oh what an alphabet soup this is.

Personally I don't use dedicated fo's except for the US ones. Why limit your call in ability to the general area of your A0? Since the A0 will call in arty just as well as an fo (with the exeption of US), keep them seperate and you can find twice the targets. With C&C on, very seldom will an fo need more than his 3 orders, or 1 per turn after his alpha strike.

Don't forget all those other ?0 units and scout units that can call in arty as well, if you run out of fo orders. They just have to be called in where the enemy will be not where he is to allow for the delay.
thanks, John.