Japanese Infantry Guns

[Jim von Krieg]

Guys,

I don't like the distinction that CS makes on DF vs IDF...

For example, it was pretty much US practice to use Shermans and M10s in indirect fire roles to support attacks throughout the course of the European and Italian Campaigns.. As mentioned by others, the use of AA guns to support arty barrages by all sides... This DF/IDF is a game designer construct and a limiitation... It prevents us from recreating actual operational capability....

I agree with the comment about getting too much into detail... It can bog down the large scenarios... However, in this case, I think we should dive into discussion... the arty portion of the CS game needs work IMHO...

Personally, I'd love to see a gamer really pause before running tanks into an arty barrage... current arty system doesn't IMO capture the danger of running your tanks through artillery... on rare occassions you get a disable, but it is rare... I don't know if Matrix edition has really addressed this or not.. For example, there are many cases of tank attacks being stopping cold by IDF, but that isn't reflected in the game... I'd be happy with a "D", but that doesn't really happen either...

Original question is discussion of a limited slice of the IJA capability... the 70mm Guns which are in the IJA Infantry Battalions... This is a gun company of 122 men with 4 70mm IGs... small for battery purposes, but good enough for a little extra firepower for the infantry battalion commander...

Of course, IGs are used in a direct fire mode... after all, they do double duty as an anti-tank weapon on occassion... and prior to the bazooka type weapon, offered the only stand off bunker busting direct fire capability for the "poor beggars, the infantry".. but that doesn't mean they weren't also used in an indirect fire mode... clearly the IJA knew how to utilize indirect fire...

Theoretically, if a round comes out of any type of gun tube, it is capable of indirect fire... it could be very rudimentary or highly effective depending on the size of the round and fire control and communication complex supporting the guns...

In this case due to its direct support to an infantry battalion role, it's indirect fire capability is limited by its organizational structure and mission... which is something different than "doctrine"...

In this case, IJA Doctrine would have been constructed to address an "offensive" mind-set... and how you used units in the offensively in both offense and defense...

Early war Japanese doctrine could put these guns within 500m of the frontline to support an attack... Naturally, when you are this close they are going to be in position to conduct DF attacks because the enemy is so close they are visually acquired...

Limited communication capability of the early war and it's mission of direct support to an infantry battalion, it's full capability is mostly likely curtailed by its situation... which is to support the close infantry fight without actually killing their own guys...

This changes as Japanese dig into bunker and cave complexes in the island fighting... There they aren't as restricted by mission/organization to using the guns in DF mode because now they are dug-in, commo-wired in, and most likely utilizing pre-registered fire coordinates...

Now to translate this into CS, the problem will be determining just how effective you want this capability to be... Give the unit its capability within LOS, say 1,000 meters... and a drop off as you factor in the vagaries of Japanese artillery targeting capability in the early war... but then to reflect the change circumstances later in the war, I would almost say you would have to change the gun as the date changed...

Now, consider this across the spectrum of CS, because I'm sure we'll all have pet projects...

I see Jason being very busy... LOL...

Regards,

Jim vK