DIRECT FIRE

[Pip Roberts]

DIRECT FIRE IS A MINOR BUT VALUABLE WAY TO USE ARTILLERY.
This puts the guns in danger but can be very useful in open country when the enemy is advancing as it can cause major damage to quite distant units. 75 mm Field Guns can wipe out loaded trucks, wagons, horses and motor bikes up to 18 hexes away. German 81 mm mortars deliver 7 attack points 9 hexes away and Russian 82 mm mortars 12 hexes away.
Once the guns fire they may be exposed to counter battery fire but, if not, they get a chance to load up and flee.
In broken country guns in place for direct fire can be useful for ambushes and guarding against enemy probes.
SELF PROPELLED GUNS are great for direct fire as they are so mobile and have some protection. They can even hide close to the front line, advance, shoot once and then hide again.
ANTI TANK GUNS These valuable resources should be placed in Pillboxes, bunkers etc with some infantry or mortars to protect them and to soak up enemy artillery fire. After firing at distant tanks they must be ready to move if tanks or artillery threaten them. Early in the game if an 88 can be placed in a hex with maximum visibility it can kill far distant tanks without danger from enemy artillery (except perhaps rockets.) Once an 88 has fired and been spotted tanks will stay out of its line of fire and report it to their artillery so it may be time to load up and use it again in a fresh valuable site.
SMALL ANTI-TANK GUNS can protect rear assets from marauding enemy armoured cars
PRIORITY TARGETS FOR DIRECT FIRE (IN ORDER) -- Troops/guns loaded on trucks etc ( they only have a defence factor of 1), Artillery or anti-tank guns, HQ (rarely seen but may be spotted by raiders) and engineers or other high assault value units.
Infantry guns should not fire at tanks unless there is just one of them and it is close by.