Artillery in T2K

[Raellus]

How have you dealt with artillery in your campaigns?

After the TDM, ammo would become increasingly scarce as the last stockpiles were steadily depleted. I'm sure that some low-tech shells could still be produced here and there but supply would not be able to keep up with demand.

By 2000, I see most artillery (105-203mm in NATO armies) being totally subordinate to Divisional HQs and higher. I don't see an infantry platoon in heavy contact being able to call in a fire mission for anything other than mortars. In fact, I think canon mentions something about the increasing importance of mortars as the war drags on.

I also see whatever SP artillery is left around being increasingly used more or less like assault guns in the direct fire role. It's a more effective way to make every shell count and with fewer tank and hi-tech AT weapons around, SP guns wouldn't be quite as vulnerable near or on the front lines.

What's your take?

[Graebarde]

In Operation Fredric I had only a battery of Paladin in the Red Devils. However I did add some M101 towed howitizers to the division. Why? They are basically 'obolete' yet to my understandin there are many still in storage. Also the 105 howitzer rounds are easier to 'reload' than the 155. They actually have a brass casing for the powder charge. They can be converted to horse drawn MUCH easier than the bigger guns. IIRC the divion got between 12-18 of the guns. I would say they came with the 'last' resupply. There was 'adequate' munitions for them as well, though not enough for unlimited use. There have ALWAYS been limited artillery support, even in WW2 and Korea. Though there are alot of guns, once they fire they displace, so a good chunk are always on the move in a fluid battle field. 'Nam was different as the guns all worked from firebases.

As for direct fire, the 105 is better IMO with a wider selection of munitions. The beehive being particularly good, or canister (there is a difference Victoria). I don't think the 105 tank rounds could be fired from the howitzer/guns which is really too bad IMO.

Nuff rambling.. gotta get back to unpacking.

[copeab]

I would think light mortars (easily portable) would be fairly common while heavy mortars (probably abandoned in place or destroyed by counter-mortar fire) would be much rarer.

SPGs are probably rarer than tanks -- as big as a tank, as slow as a tank, but not as well protected as a tank -- as SPGs would draw more air strikes than tanks (an infantryman has *some* chance of killing the tank rumbling down the street towards him but *no* chance of killing the howitzer firing on him 15 miles away). Towed howitzers, while more vulnerable to counter-battery fire, might be more common.

Lets not forget AAA -- a 40mm Bofors without working radar can still shoot up ground targets like trucks, horses and infantry.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by copeab

SPGs are probably rarer than tanks -- as big as a tank, as slow as a tank, but not as well protected as a tank -- as SPGs would draw more air strikes than tanks (an infantryman has *some* chance of killing the tank rumbling down the street towards him but *no* chance of killing the howitzer firing on him 15 miles away). Towed howitzers, while more vulnerable to counter-battery fire, might be more common.

Fair points, Brandon. I agree that SP gun attrition would be high early in the war.

Originally Posted by copeab

Lets not forget AAA -- a 40mm Bofors without working radar can still shoot up ground targets like trucks, horses and infantry.

No doubt. A Vulcan, Gepard, Shilka, Tunguska, etc. would be absolutely wicked in the anti-personal mode. This would be pretty much their only role by 2000. Once again, though, considering the massive quantities of ammo they go through, the main problem would be keeping them "fed".

Apparently, the ZU-23-4 Shilka was the weapon most feared by the Chechnyan fighters during the fighting in an around Grozny during the First Chechnyan War, moreso than tanks, tube or rocket artillery, or any kind of aircraft.

[Grimace]

I ran a game on the island of Cyprus and utilized some pieces of artillery. If I remember right, there were three operable pieces that the Turks were using against the Greeks. The prime movers stayed right with the artillery pieces because the section was to hit a known spot with about 15 shells and then vacate the area so when the Greeks sortied out the artillery section wouldn't be wiped out.

The PCs ended up stumbling across the section as it opened fire and were stunned by the use of artillery. Recognizing the Turkish uniforms, they decided to do a quick hit and run on the prime movers and hope that it helped the Greeks out a bit. I think they successfully disabled two of the prime movers and hurried onwards towards the British base. They never knew what happened to the Turkish artillery after that.

Beyond that, it's been an occasional mortar, but even then it's pretty sparce. The last group to see any major artillery action was a group that I ran DURING the death of 5th Infantry Division in Kalisz.

[Adm.Lee]

I think towed guns/howitzers should certainly be making a comeback, which gives the Soviets some kind of advantage.

All of NATO's sophisticated firecontrol would be concentrated for divisional or higher artillery.

Brigade level on down, I see lots of mortars in direct-fire, and not much else.