Artillery by JasonC

I Asked

The biggest problem I am having is with artillery. As soon as the enemy saw where I was coming from he dropped artillery all over the approach. Is smoke the best solution to this? A lone observer or mortar team can mess up a lot of guys with well placed shelling. Is the only answer to obscure their line of sight? Any tips on avoiding enemy artillery would be appreciated.

JasonC Answered

As for dealing with artillery, the main answer is not to push, to be willing to back off. Artillery is ammo limited. That means it hits very hard but not for very long. In addition, it suppresses or breaks far more than it kills. This is especially true of lighter caliber artillery, or ones against men with decent cover.

Most of the effects of a shelling pass within 2 minutes of the end of the shelling itself. Rattled units may take 5 minutes to recover. Barrages themselves last only a few minutes before the ammo is exhausted. The net result is that 5 minutes after a barrage begins, you are "through it", and 10 minutes after, the net effect is only large if very heavy stuff was used, or a lot of moderate stuff that caught you in the open.

As soon as you see rounds falling, you should be thinking about getting out of the way, not about continuing the plan. The plan goes out the window and you expect a delay of 5 minutes. Do not press forward trying to get "through" the barrage. Only scattered forces will make it, they will wind up in close contact, and fight disorganized and suppressed. Your men are most vunerable to enemy infantry while the shells are still falling, or immediately after. If instead you go backward, the barrage itself will seperate your men from the enemy, protecting them until they have recovered.

Occasionally part of your force can side step into cover instead. Only try that if you know you will get clear of the barrage, and into cover, with only a short move over any open ground between. It is very easy to get pinned by e.g. MG fire trying to get out of the barrage zone, and so remain trapped under it. That way lies sorrow. When in doubt, back up. Remember that longer range is itself a mild form of cover against enemy infantry.

The defender *can* delay you with artillery fire. Bank on it. He cannot keep it up all day, however. And he can't afford enough shells to literally wipe you out. He counts instead on the disorganization the barrage inflicts, and on following it up with ground action or using the resulting time to adapt his defense to your attack. Don't give him the "multiplier" of pushing too hard into the barrage, or of a counterattack by him into broken men. 5-10 minutes later he will run out of shells. You won't run out of rally.

The flip side of this is that the most effective time to use your own artillery is when ground forces are in actual firefight contact, and later on in a fight when the enemy will have the least time to rally and recover. Using arty early at long range before the main engagement is a common mistake. (A little used that way to buy time to adapt, shift reserves etc, is a sound tactic. All of it used that way is a waste).

I hope that helps.