Artillery in Assault

[saracv3]

Is artillery defined as a WPN unit in an assault? Recently, I played a scenario with a 75rcl and two steps of infantry that was assaulted. The 75rcl (German recoiless 75mm artillery unit) was played as if it was a WPN (weapon) type. Yet there are no RAW that artillery falls into the WPN category. In assaults, if coupled with infantry, WPNs and HMGs get full direct firepower in assault combat. If no infantry, they are half strength.

As an aside, the 75rcl, a one step unit, lasted 13 turns (out of a 14 turn game) in this assault; an assault which saw as many as 20 unadjusted points for the Germans. I use an electronic randomizer to choose eleminated steps when losses occur in stacks. Many steps were lost during the 13 turns here, but the 75rcl remained untouched.

[plloyd1010]

Obviously you men direct fire artillery. I wouldn't put them into the HMG/WPN/AA category. There have been 3 iterations of the rules, plus PG Modern and 2 iterations of Infantry Attacks, which do not reduce the combat values of artillery or AT guns. None have that they be treated as HMG/WPN/AA units in assault.

[saracv3]

Yes, direct fire, but upon reflection I decided not to specify because there are no definitive statements as to indirect fire in 12.52 (4th Ed.) Were there any statements in other parts of the rules?

I’ve never had the opportunity to use direct/indirect artillery in assault. Of course, the 75rcl was in a defensive position. But there is no rule that I know of that prevents limbering/unlibering in an assault hex.

In this case, the 75rcl provided 8 points of firepower; a healthy addition. Imagine what a larger caliber gun would do?

[plloyd1010]

Units with out a direct fire value have a strength 1 in assault combat, rule 12.42 Minimum Strength. I have doubts as to how effective large caliber weapons would be in assault combat. Sure if you could land a 155mm shell 40 yards in front of the gun, it would be devastating on an attacking squad, but that is a very big if assuming it is even possible. French and Italian 65mm guns and Japanese 75mm howitzers may be exceptions which were caught by the bombardment-DF crossover. Generally, I don't think most artillery could track close target very effectively.

[saracv3]

Units with out a direct fire value have a strength 1 in assault combat, rule 12.42 Minimum Strength. I have doubts as to how effective large caliber weapons would be in assault combat. Sure if you could land a 155mm shell 40 yards in front of the gun, it would be devastating on an attacking squad, but that is a very big if assuming it is even possible. French and Italian 65mm guns and Japanese 75mm howitzers may be exceptions which were caught by the bombardment-DF crossover. Generally, I don't think most artillery could track close target very effectively.

A la 19th century cannon canister meets 20th century artillery. Thanks for refreshing my memory. I’ve had mortars in assault combat. Two German 81s mortars devastated a three unit Greek infantry company. They did get pushed up two columns to the 9 column.

[plloyd1010]

That's why battleships don't use their primary guns against destroyers, but sometimes they get lucky.