Tips from the Frontline

[RNL Tiger]

The attack probes the defense

Once the mortar spotter is in place he lays down a little barrage to keep heads down:



As expected POS moves the scout car out to probe and see what would take a pot shot at it. “Yes it's there for one purpose only - to die – either by treading on mines and revealing their position so the main tank force can avoid them, or to probe ahead to provoke something into giving away its position by shooting at him. As always the main threat is AT-guns because they can lurk unseen in woods like cobras ready to violently strike, whereas enemy armour can be easily spotted. I heard tank ace Michael Wittman said he feared guns more than tanks too. PS your arty barrage just damaged a T-34 gun, thanks… it's suppressed half my infantry, now they'll just crawl around like wimps as usual, leaving the tanks to win the war on their own. Infantry are good for 3 things only - they sit holding the flagpoles, they flush out enemy infantry ambushes ahead of the tanks, and they lurk in cover ready to throw things at enemy tanks. Tanks win wars plain and simple, that's why they were invented..:) "That's what I need! That's what I want to have!" (Hitler to Guderian at Kummersdorf tank demonstration 1933)” The scout car is lucky to avoid all of the mortar and makes it to the trees to its front. Shortly afterwards the tanks move forward and the infantry makes a rush to get to the trees in front. “Concentrate strength at one point, force a breakthrough, roll up the flanks, penetrating like lightning deep into the rear before the enemy has time to react" (Rommel)



However, some do not make it and are left dead in the open. The tanks meanwhile move up to the first flag and blast the area, sending two Axis squads reeling away in panic. The tanks then move behind the flags to try and rollup the defense from behind. Meanwhile the Allied infantry converge on the same flag under heavy mortar fire but without the defending Axis squads there to stop them they make it.