[Rules] 7.5 - Off-Board Arty - 7.4 - Initiative Level - War In The Hedgerows: Operation Epsom

[broadsword]

At the end of each day's Campaign Phase, players roll one die to determine the number of off-board artillery missions he or she may use each turn that day.

In my campaign, the Germans rolled poorly and had NO offmap artillery available for the entire day. The British rolled the max for artillery and also have air strikes every XX:30 turn.

This really swung the battle overwhelmingly in favor of the British, making their attack unlike any opening day of Operation Epsom we'd ever see in any of the original PGBN scenarios.

Is it realistic for the Germans to be able to have absolutely zero artillery for the first day? What plausible historical situation would justify this?

[vince hughes]

You'd have said the same re the lack of Panzers at Normandy wouldn't you

But it happened

Broady, its just those bones throwing out variables. You just happened to throw a gimme at Barry Bonds in full swing and fully roided up !

[Matt W]

Sounds like there is a ton of Allied air hitting the German artillery emplacements.

[Poor Yorek]

Perhaps one way to soften the interpretation is to consider that the "no OBA" does not mean that there is "no = nadda-zip-zilch" German artillery in action, but that it was unable to produce any tactically significant combat result for the turn/day in question (perhaps due to a "decapitation" or breaking of communication lines, the artillery parks could not coordinate fire). Just like an AT shot is not a "shot" per se, but the average result of 15-mins of maneuvering, target selection, shot selection, change of position, resettling the optics, fire, clear and reload, move again for position, etc., so too consider OBA factors the ability to coordinate a certain amount of potentially combat-effective fire (i.e. a roll on the combat tables). Another option might simply be to consider that the division or corps level artillery support was designated elsewhere that day (perhaps in support of a counter-attack off map).

Of course, another option is simply to overrule the rules and give the Germans a 16 OBA factor for some specified number of turns (I've not studied the campaign games as yet).

[campsawyer]

Is it realistic for the Germans to be able to have absolutely zero artillery for the first day? What plausible historical situation would justify this?

Probably not historically accurate, but statistically an option. I agree with Poor, if you want history you may need to override.

[broadsword]

Perhaps one way to soften the interpretation is to consider that the "no OBA" does not mean that there is "no = nadda-zip-zilch" German artillery in action, but that it was unable to produce any tactically significant combat result for the turn/day in question (perhaps due to a "decapitation" or breaking of communication lines, the artillery parks could not coordinate fire). Just like an AT shot is not a "shot" per se, but the average result of 15-mins of maneuvering, target selection, shot selection, change of position, resettling the optics, fire, clear and reload, move again for position, etc., so too consider OBA factors the ability to coordinate a certain amount of potentially combat-effective fire (i.e. a roll on the combat tables). Another option might simply be to consider that the division or corps level artillery support was designated elsewhere that day (perhaps in support of a counter-attack off map).

Of course, another option is simply to overrule the rules and give the Germans a 16 OBA factor for some specified number of turns (I've not studied the campaign games as yet).

I was thinking along somewhat the same lines -- that there could have been an ammo shortage, or that the ammo convoy got hit by jabs, or that communication sent it to a different location by mistake than the place where the regimental artillery set up...or simply that the high command was fooled by the previous day's feint at the Rauray spur (Operation Dauntless) and committed all available OBA to that sector...

I really don't mind the rule, I just wanted to toss it up for discussion about whether it seems plausible to y'all. It really does swing the game balance way over to the Brits for Day One, though.