Realistic Artillery Management - FOO Rule

[RERomine]

Hi RERomine

How can you verify that a company commander is observing for only their organic assets? Or for that matter, how can you tell the spotting unit isn't some other zero unit? The only thing that can really be verified is that the number of called fire missions doesn't exceed the number of FOOs. Beyond that, there is no way to tell who the observer is.

The way I see it, expect mortars to have completely separate fire missions/sheafs as other artillery; which is often the way it was in real life (IRL). I guess this would mean you shouldn’t expect to be able to ‘police’ your opponent’s mortars.

Mortars can be nasty if you are on the receiving end of them. I've got one PBEM game running right now and that's all I have, none organic.

Tactical Info!!! I hope my opponent doesn't check out this thread ;)

We don't have any artillery related rules in effect other than all have to be on-board. Being non-organic to any company, the mortars would be battalion assets, not subject to being called by platoon and company commanders. If those aren't policed that's exactly what could happen. As I said however, there is no way to tell exactly who the observer for a fire mission actually is.

Maybe the solution is not to specify who observes for fire missions (which can't be verified) and instead limit the number of fire missions permitted, i.e. maximum of one per FOO and one per commander with organic assets.

Example: Three FOOs are purchased and one company has organic mortars = max. 4 fire missions. All of that can be verified at the end of the battle.

Allowing FOOs to handle two fire missions is also an option. It would enhance their value :)

Dropping would be as easy as telling certain guns to cease fire, so that makes sense. I would think adding would be realistically more complex. Sounds like that would be more along the lines of a new fire mission, even if they are hitting the same location. Again, my 2 cents.

My understanding is that an FOO could handle two sheafs at a time, but this was the exception to the rule. I guess if a target becomes more of a priority than it was, it’s reasonable to think a FOO could request additional Batteries without having to cancel those already ‘on target’. He already has the coordinates etc. in his notebook. But I’d think this was the exception, but realistic.

As per US Army FM 6-30 (TACTICS, TECHNIQUES, AND PROCEDURES FOR OBSERVED FIRE), FOOs can handle more than one fire mission and what you said make sense.

Looks like we are in agreement on the rest.