Proper Use of Scout Vehicles

[Scud]

It dawned on me recently that maybe sending my armored car halfway up the map on my opening move, miles into enemy territory...alone...maybe not such a good thing? :)

How far out in front of the lines would they have gone in the real world? 3-4-5 hexes?

Dave

[junk2drive]

In the real world, the dude with the binoculars gets out of the vehicle while it is under cover and walks to where he can see what is ahead.

[Scud]

So maybe don't use 'em to scout at all, just spot?

db

[junk2drive]

Most war games are action that takes place after the recon work is done. Recon is boring in game terms. Someone can make a recon scenario that is like an arcade game where the player pokes around until something scares him.

In squad and platoon level games, armoured cars and scout cars (and halftracks, shhh!) are like cannon fodder troops with higher hit points. You play them while hoping that they survive the first hit and that you can retreat them to safety while gaining intel on the enemy.

[Kool Kat]

I dawned on me recently that maybe sending my armored car halfway up the map on my opening move, miles into enemy territory...alone...maybe not such a good thing? :)

How far out in front of the lines would they have gone in the real world? 3-4-5 hexes?

Dave

Hey Dave:

I think the answer to your scouting question... is "situational?"

For example, in EF "Fire Brigade Schulze!," it is extremely important for both the Germans and Russians to drive their recon AC's and Pz38's forward aggressively... to occupy VP hexes and "temporarily" block advancing enemy forces.

But, in other scenarios, it may be better for your thinly armored scouts to hang back... and take up spotting positions.

In any event... scout car speed certainly makes these vehicles ideal for scooting around enemy flanks... and raising havoc in your opponent's rear lines. A few AC's loose in an enemy backfield, can raise havoc with enemy HQ's, units being transported (trucks, lorries, etc.) and artillery. However, in the case of unlimbered artillery... these guns can do a good job of defending themselves... so you need to be careful when looking to attack / close assault artillery with AC's and recon tanks. :)

[Crossroads]

Which reminds me...

Would be fun if the towed artillery would have an artillery facing option, it exists as an optional rule in the original Panzer Leader card board game. It basically disallows artillery to fire beyond a 90 degree area they are facing. And they could only change facing with the help of the towing unit in the same hex.

[Herr Straße Laufer]

In the real world, the dude with the binoculars gets out of the vehicle while it is under cover and walks to where he can see what is ahead.

This is most correct.
Scout cars drove a few miles ahead until they suspected that they would soon contact the enemy. A scout would dismount and walk/crawl a mile, or so, ahead to take a look. Then he would return as stealthily as possible.
In real actions scouts are too valuable to be fodder.

Scouts often cannot be used in the game as they would in "real" situations. So, most players use them to trip the wires and institute "death by recon".



HSL

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Which reminds me...

Would be fun if the towed artillery would have an artillery facing option, it exists as an optional rule in the original Panzer Leader card board game. It basically disallows artillery to fire beyond a 90 degree area they are facing. And they could only change facing with the help of the towing unit in the same hex.

What size artillery are you talking about?



HSL

[Crossroads]

Panzer Leader (which was way simpler than JTCS, it was a card board game after all) stated any towed artillery.

Or maybe there was a caliber mentioned? Too lazy to pick up the rules book although I have it stacked here somewhere...

We could of course intepret it to be after a certain caliber.

We still had some original Russian 76K/36 guns when I was in the army in mid 80s believe or not, and while they were not heavy as such it took a while to manhaul it around, especially as you had dug the chassis into ground...



In 6 minutes, maybe not? At least not for two salvos as JTCS inteprets them.

So maybe a 50% action point usage for calibers less than 80mm, and full 100% for bigger'uns?

[Herr Straße Laufer]

You do know that artillery was prolonged and could be pivoted by hand after it dismounted?
I've seen video of smaller caliber guns be pushed by their crews.

6 minutes is the game's scale.
Solution, treat them like engineers?



HSL

[Tide1]

If I recall correctly German sop on the EF was 1/2 a mile or less after 1942. I'm sure there where exceptions though :rolleyes2: