Set up for Katushya's

[The SNAFU]

I'm playing an S41 scenario in which as the Soviets I received one mobile Katushya rocket unit. I have had it in a clear terrain hex and out of T mode for 12 hours and it it still not set up. It is in contact with it's HQ, in supply and has not been attacked or fired upon.

What rules or conditions could possibly be present that would result in a simple weapon like this to take more than 12 hours to be ready for action?

[Skryabin]

What rules or conditions could possibly be present that would result in a simple weapon like this to take more than 12 hours to be ready for action?

Noticed the same thing with other Russian artillery too. Did they have so much pure alcohol? lol

[Ricky B]

Unfortunately, there is only one arty setup value per side, that applies to the heavies, lights, and rockets. SP guns are different but all others have the same setup rules applied to them. For the Soviets in Smolensk, the setup value was set low so the odds of setting up are low - at this point, I believe a lot of Soviet arty fired over open sights/at targets in LOS as they had such a tough time in mobile actions setting up spotters for artillery.

I understand Katys in particular could setup and fire quickly, but calling in spotted first was more time consuming for most Soviet artillery. Deploy them on a hilltop with good views, fire and scoot away - or play with arty setup off.

Rick

[The SNAFU]

Alchol or incompetence or perhaps some of both :conf:. For some guns I can almost understand the slow set up time but the Kats are just very simple launchers mounted on the back of Studabaker trucks. Just doesnt make sense.

I figured there were game structure limitations that caused this. Funny thing is I've had several artillery units set up faster than these Kats which have yet to get into action.

[Skryabin]

or play with arty setup off.

Rick

Good suggestion for those EF scenarios I think.

Same with moral, not in Smolensk maybe, but in Kharkov. David M.Glantz is saying: "The order to go over to a decisive offensive was greeted with great enthusiasm. In their addresses soldiers and officers assured Comrade Stalin and the Soviet people that they would mercilessly destroy the Fascist villains..." And so on.

But in the game Russian's moral is mostly D.

I am interested if someone was able with this moral level to repeat their historical achievements in the first days of their offencive? For example, Bobkin's group. They "penetrated the enemy defence successfully to a depth of 4-6km" (before noon - within 3 turns)... And this is with no tanks and cavalry which joined them only the 2nd half of a day! And then "by the end of 12 May, Southern Shock Group forces had shattered German resistance along a 42km front and advanced 12-15km (8th turn!) into German lines.

Not that I am asking for impossible realism from the game, but I found this interesting :rolleyes:

Dmitriy

[Dog Soldier]

It has nothing to do with the unit being truck mounted rockets. I think you have the optional artillery set up rule on in your Smolensk 41 game.

Check the pdt file for S41 (F4 while in the game) and you will see the Russian artillery setup percentage is only 20%, the worst of any side in the entire series.

Only a masochist or pure historian would play S41 using the artillery set up optional rule with a live opponent. While it might give the right feel for historical purposes, it makes playing the Russian side like being the pinata at a party. Good luck hoping to avoid the bat!

In S41 the best weapon the Russians have is their artillery. So if you really want to use the artillery setup OR in S41, expect to send your artillery racing for that next MLD you are constructing with the copious amounts of reserves the Russians have in the game. As in the historical campaign, that next MLD better be at least a day away from the currently crumbling MLD and the Axis forces to give your artillery a chance to be set up when the Germans arrive.

The other option is to fire your artillery over open sights in LOS of German units. They will not be terribly effective that way. Nor will they live long. Expect a visit from the NKVD at your command center when the Germans pause at the end of the scenario. :cheeky:

Dog Soldier

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Alchol or incompetence or perhaps some of both :conf:. For some guns I can almost understand the slow set up time but the Kats are just very simple launchers mounted on the back of Studabaker trucks. Just doesnt make sense.

Consider instead the officer who goes off in front of the battery to observe the terrain and approach of the enemy, is never heard from again. In game terms the battery does not "set up" for indirect fire.

Dog Soldier

[cavalry corps]

It would be good to have ART SET UP amendable in the editor, so you can choose units set up value or have a morale modifier . ART set up is not just un hitching but deployment of spotters etc , takes a lot longer than you may think. Soviet art was never flexible but was devestaing in the fixed offensive ( low set up) . German Art was not devestating but very good at counter fire and disrupting ( high set up ) .

And BTW I think 20% is fine for this stage in the war.After years of play I feel the values should be about-

1941 - 10 or 20 %
42 20
43 30
44 40
and 45 50-60 %

Cav

[The SNAFU]

The limitation in the game structure that evidently requires all types of artillery (including Kats) to be treated the same contributes to this problem. Consider in my current game, that the heaviest of Soviet artillery has generally set up and gotten into action in 4 or 5 turns. For the Kats I'm referring too they are still not available after 8 turns.

As they say, it is what it is!

[Dog Soldier]

Maybe your Kats are just having a spat of bad luck. Not much to be done about that.

Dog Soldier

[The SNAFU]

Trust me Dog Soldier, gettin those Kats into action would not have made even the slightest of differences in the general situation. I will however refrain in the future from the optional set up rule as the Soviets in S41.