To Counter Battery or not to Counter Battery...

[Cross]

When it comes to WW2, I’m a fan of on-board artillery, because this forces players to think strategically.
Battalions had to be concerned about holding some sort of line; and breakthroughs were always a major concern because they threatened supply and rear echelon units.
Having on-board artillery - to the rear - helps replicate these concerns. If you don’t have artillery to your rear, then why care about a front? Just circle your kampf-wagons and fight on.

These comments are regarding onboard CB.

I don’t like to fire CB missions, except on rare occasion I have no other worthwhile targets, I suspect my opponents using ammo trucks; or the suppression of his artillery is critical to my success (which is also rare).

As a front-line battalion commander, I’m overjoyed when the artillery I’m facing starts pounding my artillery to the rear. Let me tell you why:

If my opponent is firing CB, I figure it’s taken him 2+ turns to get sighted in.
Let’s say he pounds my arty for 4 turns and routs a couple of crews, then he decides to use his arty on the front line.

It’s going to take him another 2+ turns to plot his new front line shoot. That’s another 2+ turns that most of my arty has been pounding his infantry, and another 2+ turns my infantry don’t have to wear tin hats. So my infantry had a free ride for 8+ turns.

By the time his arty is shooting at the front, my crews have rallied and are back at their guns. What’s more my rallied crews now have more ammo than his, because - while they were routed - they weren’t wasting ammo firing at artillery targets which have little association with the objectives my un-harried infantry have just captured.

Like Narwan, I rarely move arty units. I need them shooting at the front.

I do like to attack rear artillery with breakthrough units. I think this can be worthwhile as small forces can cause much damage and confusion in the rear. Or perhaps I’m justifying a satisfying experience.

Never conserve ammo. Get as much fire power onto the front as soon as possible. If you do run low on ammo, it shouldn’t matter because the battle should already be going your way. The artillery have done their job.