1914 ADF is rediculous

[jonnymacbrown]

"I am reading through a book, fairly detailed at times, on the American attacks in the Meuse-Argonne at the end of the war, and frequently the only time their attacks worked was when the german MGs and arty were firing at other targets allowing them to move up close and get in among them. Most common with arty firing into the distance, but also with MGs."

Hi Rick. I think it's important to recognize that the situation in August-September 1914 was quite different from 1918. In 1914 MGs weighed over 100 pounds, jammed frequently and could only be fired in short bursts. They were set up like artillery with 6-man crews; with fields of fire as a strong point against infantry attack. And that attack was coming; by massed troops in skirmish lines, dressed in red trousers or gray coats with leather piked helmets. In 1918 the German Army had light MGs with single man operators as well as the fearsome Bergmann machine pistol with 32 round clips which, like the Fokker D-VII, was banned by the Treaty of Versailles. That's why in 1918 it was possible to switch fields of fire rapidly. The genius of F14 is not allowing rapid movement/fire/assaults, by the completely simple, yet innovative method of requiring set up time for infantry and infantry support weapons. As for the artillery, and please correct me if I am wrong, the field pieces of 1914 were there as infantry support weapons and generally did not waste ammo on counter-battery fire. Jonny