Q. One really stupid and basic question; what does the green, orange or red button mean when it is to the left of the icon but just outside the icon box?
A. It's the target density indicator. Red is bad ( 2 X losses ). The little red circle is indicating that you have stuffed so much equipment into one hex that you have created a "target rich environment" for your opponent. He will get 2 X the results in any assault ( you will lose 2 X as much stuff ) . The yellow circle means it's packed so densly that your opponent will get 1.5 X the combat results. The game just leaves off the Green indicator..........I guess it's understood that when there's no indicator at all it's a good thing.
Q. [so]....I only use air from within the plan attack menu and not by directly sending planes to destinations.
A. Um.....once you have selected an aircraft you move your cursor over a potiential target and then left click and choose what kind of attack you want to use on the
target. If it's an airfield "attack airfield" will be available on the pop-up menu. So Yes, you can send an aircraft to a designated location.
Q. ...How do I target artillery that has a range seven spots away but no units that can reach to plan the attack?
A. Um.......Are you attacking something else with the arty unit? If so selecting an arty unit and them moving the cursor to a potential target will change the cursor to "targeting" instead of the usual cursor and you will know that the arty unit can reach that target. Otherwise the cursor doesn't indicate a possible target. Are you trying to attack the arty unit? I'm not sure I understand your question.
Q. Whoa. Huge misunderstanding on my part from what I thought I read. I thought it said to only use aircraft as support from in the plan attack menu. I thought it discouraged direct attacks because of losses. Is there some way to mix fighters with bombers in an attack group or is this simulated by simply having the air superiority set with fighters when you direct attack with a bomber?
A. Yes losses ARE higher with a direct attack with your aircraft. So are the supply expenditures. But direct aircraft attack is the only way to do bridge attacks and airfield attacks and sometimes you just really NEED the higher attacking strength ( direct attacks are 1 X your aircraft attack strength and just regular "combat support" ( indirect ) attacks are rendered at 0.5 X listed strength).
Q. So there are situations where the engineers are critical to fixing the bridges so you can move traffic?
A. Yep. In the Autumn Fog scenario most of the blue lines are super rivers and NOTHING crosses those exept at bridges and with the aid of Engineers. There's a scenario called "Overlord 44" with super rivers passing next to and through the city of Caen ( is that how you spell it ?) and so the British are persuaded to drop some airborne at both ends of the bridge at the start of the game, which is behind, far behind, enemy lines. So they are in a big hurry to get inland and off the beaches just to save the airborne if for no other reason.
Q. Do I have to put the bomber on CS to make direct attacks?
A. The "combat support" setting of your aircraft is irrelevant when you're using it in direct attack. If it WAS in "combat support" status when you assign it to an attack the status changes to "attacking .hex.XYZ" or something like that. And Yes the losses setting DOES matter when the bomber is attacking. Minimise losses means it just gives the minimal effort to do whatever mission you have it assigned to. I've heard of players setting their bridge attack bombers on ignore losses before assigning the attack in the hope that it'll increase the effect but it really doesn't make a difference in that case.
And as for protecting the bombers with your fighters.......what you do is assign the fighter to attack the same hex ( or target ) that the bomber is sent to. TOAW, this is my understanding, realizes that the fighter is going to the same hex and uses them as escort fighters instead of hitting the ground target whatever it was. This is what I do and it seems to work okie dokie.
Q. Is my strategy [as the Allied player in Mortain 44 ] assumption right based on the facts so far; defense, dig in, prepare for reinforcements to save my very weak forces; direct attack searching for enemy tanks? I'm also aiming my artillery at [ enemy units ] but not going on offense.
A. Yeah that's what I'd do. Except maybe direct attacking tanks with the apropriate aircraft. Some planes are better at tank-busters than others. Like your heavy bombers......they would be almost useless against tanks. While your fighter/bombers ( P-47 ) have a higher AT strength and if they aren't on AS duty then yeah, use 'em to bust specific tank units. And by "aiming my artillery at enemy units" I assume you mean you're bringing your arty units into range to direct attack enemy units with them. That's cool but target the right target. Arty is almost useless in direct attacks against tanks. They have a much higher AP strength and could raise havoc against my foot-mobile units. Or you know, those units that are mostly "soft" targets. Against tanks you need a unit with a high AT strength. Like your hunter-killer anti-tank units and other tanks etc. Some of the infantry units have organic AT guns and might be used against tanks also.
Also, during the first Gulf War the Marines used to run their SP guns into range of an enemy arty unit and pound the hell out of it for about a full minute and then move back south to safety before the enemy counter-arty fire would arrive at their firing position. They called it an "arty raid". I'm thinking the same thing, sortof might be done in TOAW also. But the thing is that you have to have way more arty targeting the enemy than the enemy has. In other words, you wouldn't want to target an enemy arty park with say, 200 tubes, with one lone arty unit has only a dozen tubes. You'd get slaughtered on the counter-fire that way.
