• I have been reading Zhukov’s and Chuikov’s war memoirs. A feature I have noticed come up frequently in the battle operations is preparatory fire from artillery before a general attack. It got me to brainstorming a house rule that would map onto A and A. Maybe have all attacking guns roll before the regular battle at 2? Defenders’ artillery could have a counter-battery fire house rule with a value of 1? The counter-battery fire would only be able to destroy artillery pieces. What does everyone else think? This is my first attempt at developing a house rule so don’t be too harsh.

  • '17 '16

    @MicahW:

    The counter-battery fire would only be able to destroy artillery pieces. What does everyone else think? This is my first attempt at developing a house rule so don’t be too harsh.

    Why?
    Maybe, you can allow 1 combat phase like Sub surprise strike for Artillery unit both offense and defense. All casualty are immediatly remove except defending artillery unit which may fire before being taken as casualty.
    That way, it provides an incentive to remove this defending unit before infantry.
    Same thing apply for defender’s artillery fire against offender’s artillery unit.
    If attacker choose to loose an Artillery, it would have already fire, otherwise selecting infantry, Tank or MI would forbid to make an attack roll for this casualty.


  • I see what your saying about the defender opting to lose infantry. This would render the use of preparatory fire undesirable if the attacker know that defender’s guns could counter. The idea was that a preparatory barrage give away attacking artillery positions ONLY. I can see this needs reworking. Maybe give the attacker the ability to roll die to see if they can relocate their artillery before a counter-battery barrage? 1-3 they can, 4-6 they can’t. I think I may be getting lost in the weeds on this one.


  • Lookng at this suggestion, I can see your thought process MicahW. WWI, the ACW, all used artillery bombardment before the infantry charge.  This tactic is still used to some extent and I can see the benefit of being able to remove pieces that could not fire back.  As Baron suggested, something like a sub sneak attack.  The draw back that I see is that the artilley would no longer be able to support the infantry in the combat phase.  I suck at rolling “1’s” and I would rather have the artillery support during the combat phase to boost my infantry.  I may be missing the odds and what the calculator may determine but I have been diced enough to like as much fire power in the combat phase.  Just a personal preforance.  I do find the suggested rule interesting though.


  • Cornelius Ryan’s book The Last Battle gives a vivid description of the massive Soviet preparatory bombardment that was unleashed at the beginning of the April 16 1945 assault against Seelow Heights, which was part of the Battle of Berlin.  The German defenders, however, supposedly anticipated the bombardment and pulled back from the front lines shortly beforehand.


  • I think Artillery Prep is kind of already modeled by giving a +1 attack modifier to the Infantry.

    Artillery Prep was as much to cause the defenders to “hole up” to let the attacking infantry advance as it was to try to KO key defensive positions.

    Just my 2 cents anyway.

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