Same time Western Sector:
KG Hansen with two battalions is crossing the northern bridge into Chevron.
This force will allow me to expand at this end of the map.
I have started a drive northward up the road to Chession and 9.2 Panzer Grenadier
Kompanie is taking heavy fire from the paratroops hidden in the woods.
Over at Werbomont I am still pretty much hedgehogged on the town awaiting Hansen's arrival.
The 6.1 Panzer Kompanie is under fire from a company of shermans on th enorth road.
You can see a couple of paratroops, C.505 & F.504 that are routing from heavy artillery fire.
A quick word about how I handle artillery. While most of the time I will choose the locations to position
major artillery pieces (divisional and corps level pieces), I will almost never take over fire control.
I leave them On Call for the units on the board to call in fire when they need it. I fond that once you take
fire control and start directing fire missions it starts becoming too much of a distraction from overall commnad
responsibilities and too difficult to keep up with to keep all the tubes firing efficiently.
With smaller artillery pieces/units like regimental and battalion level guns and mortars I usually don't even take over
movement control of them unless I need to use an infantry gun unit to block a road or cover a field of fire from a hill.
I will almost never leave an HQ without units to command. Even if I strip a battalion HQ of all it's companies because
I feel the need to position them myself, I wil always leave the mortars and infantry guns under the control of the HQs.
I find that the AI does a superb job of directing the artillery. very, very rarely do I find a a particularly important attack
going in with insufficient support and only then to I take over fire control for a short period with a few pieces.
I have definitely witnessed how the AI gives priority to fire missions. It pounces on enemy guns, artillery and flak with
a vengence. Counterbattery fire seems to be allocated the highest priority. It also pounces on HQs and bases, especially bases.
I am playing a scenario called Ouren: Stuck in the Teeth right now and have about 8 nebelewerfer battalions. An enemy howitzer
battalion became spotted and all 8 werfers hammered it for 20 minutes straight. It was
awesome to watch (not to mention
that the sound effect for the werfers is way cool) and the unit surrendered soon there after.
Day 5 0900 hours: