Losing LOS to an ATG

[RNL Tiger]

I have a MG42 and a sniper that have LOS to a "light gun", which appears to them as a spotted marker around 200m away. The gun becomes visible to them when it shoots and knocks out a scout car, they fire at it but it soon becomes a spotted marker again.

1) So the gun is not firing anymore and goes "dark" but why can't my units continue to shoot and kill it since they have now seen it properly. Why do they lose LOS?
2) What units will maintain LOS until the gun is dead?* Or do I need to have it shooting at something for that to happen?

* In my AAR I had noted how a sniper had lost LOS to a 20mm Flak, presumably for the same reason as here, so this time I deliberately got an ordinary infantry unit [MG42] closer to also get LOS and to keep it visible but the same thing happened

[Jobu88]

This often happens with AT guns, especially if they're paired with an HQ that has a stealth modifier. The effect increases with the range to the nearest enemy, in my experience.

You can't target the gun directly when it drops out of LOS, but you can still use area fire directly on the nationality icon where you know the gun is located.

Once you get a unit close enough, they will maintain LOS, but again a gun in woods with an HQ that has a stealth modifier may require being as close as 20-30 meters.

I would guess that POS has a study of this phenomenon posted somewhere on the Blitz site.

[PoorOldSpike]

...You can't target the gun directly when it drops out of LOS, but you can still use area fire directly on the nationality icon where you know the gun is located.

Right, in fact when I spot a gun I immediately blast it with a mix of direct fire AND area-fire, because even if the crew duck down and turn into an icon, that won't save them from a plastering because area-fire just keeps a-coming in, as in the combat footage pics below.
My T-70 armada comes under fire from a gun in the woods so I jam everybody's brakes on and saturate the position with area fire, it's only small-calibre stuff but it soon makes the crew leg it..

[kineas]

Do you know about any difference between direct fire and indirect fire in this example? I would think only the impact locations count. I remember reading something about MG area fire which is less effective than MG direct fire.

[Mike Abberton]

It could be my imagination or it could be the game actually modeling the gun shield, but when I can identify the HE blast that kills an ATG, it usually seems to be a shot a little behind the current facing of the gun.

So now, when I am area firing at an ATG, I usually place the target marker just slightly on the far side of the gun from the firer.

[herroberst]

Yup, area targetting the gun with HE direct or mortar indirect fire will surely knock it out in a few turns usually. Snipers can take down the crew or get it to abandon the gun sometimes too.

ATGs are valuable as surprise elements and can cover flanks and such. It is usually best to locate them where they can fire into a flank or keyhole without being subject to signifcant return fire, e.g. you can place it on top of a hill and it may get a tank or two but it will not last long.

If you can hide it though and wait for a good shot, say when the foe has turned his armor flank on to engage your forces, that is good tactics. Also patiently pushing them into position for use later in the game is good.

PakFronts of several guns are great if you can afford them.

[Jobu88]

Right, in fact when I spot a gun I immediately blast it with a mix of direct fire AND area-fire, because even if the crew duck down and turn into an icon, that won't save them from a plastering because area-fire just keeps a-coming in, as in the combat footage pics below.
My T-70 armada comes under fire from a gun in the woods so I jam everybody's brakes on and saturate the position with area fire, it's only small-calibre stuff but it soon makes the crew leg it.. POS

I knew he had something on the Blitz site:happy:.....he always does

[McIvan]

The game does model the gun shield, so yeah targetting behind it is better.

I think the concept behind the reason you lose track when the gun stops firing is that all you were ever firing at in the first place was the muzzle flash. Actually seeing the gun requires getting closer. Once it stops firing you know its there, but you can't see it.