Tank area-fire

[PoorOldSpike]

Area-fire is an important standard CM tactic, namely if you suspect there are enemy infantry in clumps of trees or buildings etc, saturate them with area-fire to cause casualties, rout them or to start them wriggling and giving away their position.
Below is a screenshot from an actual game, as my Shermans pour HE shells into the woods where German infantry are lurking. (The two German tanks were killed earlier)
Note I've only ordered 4 of my 5 Sherman to area-fire, as I'm leaving one without orders so that he'll be free to pick up his own targets if enemy infantry start running.




Note the craters from previous turns of area-fire.
Also area-fire tends to scatter which can be a good thing because it produces a 'shotgun effect' that blankets a wider area..

[PoorOldSpike]

[Feldfebel]

I recall in CMAK area fire tends to scatter more than in BB, particulary to left/right. Not very good when you're up against a Gun but against poor infantry and sound contacts is handy.

Oh, and speaking of tank area fire, what is the best point to target for sustained fire (so you'll keep firing once the stuff pins and vanishes)? I know some people are targeting slightly behind the target, hoping to get the short rounds right on. So what's better - aiming in front or behind the target?

[PoorOldSpike]

Oh, and speaking of tank area fire, what is the best point to target for sustained fire (so you'll keep firing once the stuff pins and vanishes)? So what's better - aiming in front or behind the target?

Don't really know mate, I usually fire just in front of the targets toes, as close as possible, but if I'm using more than one area-firer i'll fire half of them in front and half behind to bracket the poor slob..:)
Here's a couple of pics from the 'Gun gun gun' thread showing how I've targetted a small patch all around the gun to catch him in the middle of all the blasts -





Full thread here - https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards...?tid=39873