Barbed Wire - How best to use it??

[Copper]

Ok at some point in CM we have all had the option in our OOB to set out barbed wire defences.

Now, I have only ever seen it utilised once to its maximum effect and it was in a game last year (cant remember opponent) and basically he ringed his whole defensive areawith reams of the stuff... we are talking concentric rings of wire here. My inf couldnt get near him as he MG'ed me from distance and I ended up with a lot of dead men hanging in the wires.

Now when I use it, it just doesnt work like that. I never know whether to position it in open land, woods (front middle or back) etc etc etc.

Where is the best places to position wire in order that it slows the enemy down, exposes them to fire etc.

HELP.... LOL

Bootie

[Ralph Metzger]

I use it in woods or cover. I may be wrong here. I think wire gives 100% exposure. Troops in the open can be mowed down. The exposure wire gives in woods and cover allows you to rout enemy as they can't run away fast enough or hide in wire. One thing I saw before is a hiding sqd behind the wire in the woods to spot. A FT that had LOS to just your side of the wire. Sqd spots and the FT area fires and poof, up in flames go the bad guys.

[Copper]

Ok so front middle or back of woods??

Do you put it at the front... of woods.... so your MG's can target them in open ground. Put them in the middle of the woods... target them while they get through it then watch them try ad run through woods to get away (slowly) while you fill them with lead... or last but not least - back of woods... let the inf advance through the woods and upon leaving come across barbed wire... i think the only bonus to the last one would be hidden from LOS of th enemy until they were on it ... nearly.

Bootie

[Ralph Metzger]

If using FTs, put it in the middle so that the FTs are in woods behind it and can area fire into the edge of the wire. For the others, put it on the edge nearest you. Be really nasty and let them come through. When most of the enemy have cleared it (the wire) and are moving through the open ground to get to the next cover, open up with MGs and sqd fire to run them back. Use anything you have to drive them back to the woods with the wire. Just keep hammering them. The wire will slow them down. By the time they get out of it, if they are not dead already, they will be so depleted or exhausted that they will not rejoin the fight. LOS or spotting the wire is not important. You can put it near or far. The question is whether or not the enemy feels the need to come through it. Sometimes the sight of wire won't change an attack. It normally don't affect mine. Honestly, does it affect yours.
Ralph

[Ratzki]

Wire can make good flank protection, giving you time to wheel fast units to the potential breakthrough and not requiring a force of some sort to be stationary, guarding what may never be attacked.
I put my wire in the open, I want the opponent to see it well in advance and start to move in the direction that I want him to. I want him to pay for crossing the wire and pay dearly for moving around it. I think it should be in a MG's medium to long range, and in open ground so enemy infantry cannot engage my units with any sort of effectiveness from his side of the wire.

[Ralph Metzger]

Well seeing it is the big issue. Seeing wire in the the open and I will steer around it. The key is how it is defended. Finding it in woods doesn't give many options to go around. To be honest, wire on a flank will not stop me unless someone is firing on me. In fact, nothing will stop me unless someone is firing on me. You can be through or around the wire before reinforcments arrive. Scatter a few mines in there and you may rethink your approach.

[Der Kuenstler]

When defending as the Russians I like to string it between patches of thick woods - halftracks can't go through it and they can't go through the woods, either...takes them out of the battle...then put AP mines in the woods for the infantry to step on...

[McIvan]

In large amounts or really not at all. I've only really used barbed wire once in defending an assault, and it won the game. Use it to channel by leaving some gaps covered by arty & MGs. I used it in the open, but I can see it being very effective with an end-of-woods defence.

[ATCS]

I think Ralph pretty accurately summed up my ideas of using wire. Place it on the edges of cover nearest my forces, allow the enemy to move across it then hammer them with fire, forcing the bad choice of moving back across the wire (a couple of turns, typically) or the worse choice of remaining in the open. Using a TRP with wire is especially useful, particularly for mortars. Puts them exactly where you want them, right on top of guys in the open.

[gangofmao]

if i buy wire,i always buy mines to go with it
most AP mines,some AT as well
i think of them as speedbumps,not stopsigns