Kluckenbill
Posts: 278
Joined: 6/7/2000
From: Lancaster, PA, USA
Status: offline
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I just finished reading Gerald Astor's new book "The Bloody Forest" about the fighting in the Huertgen from 9/44 to 1/45. Naturally I looked for items of interest to SPWAW gamers:
1. When they had the available resources, the US Army attacked the German West Wall fortifications in the same way as we do in the game. First, a heavy artillery barrage of mixed HE and smoke. Next Tanks and Tank Destroyers fire directly at the firing ports. This enables the infantry to sneak right on top of the bunkers and take them out with satchel charges. When adequate resources were not available, the assaults usualy failed. The only difference from SPWAW was that most of the attacking was done by specially equipped rifle squads, not engineers.
2. Both sides' infantry rode on the back of tanks very regularly. I was surprised by how often this occurs in the book. Usually they would dismount short of the objective, but often they stayed mounted (both sides) until they came under fire.
3. In the close ranged forest fighting, the American TD's were quite capable of taking out most German tanks, however, the 75mm gunned Shermans were pretty useless. Also some US TD units improvised armored roofs for their M10's and M36's to defend against the tree burst artillery that was so prevalent in the forests.
4. As expected, tanks were very vulnerable to bazookas and panzerfausts in the woods. However, there is not a single instance mentioned of a tank being destroyed by the "close assault" means used in SPWAW. I know I've ranted about this before, but at least I have some documentary evidence to back me up this time.
5. Mine fields covered by fire were virtually impassable to infantry.
6. Troop quality and experience were enormously important to both sides. There were plenty of examples of both good and bad troops and leadership on both sides. Green units would regularly rout and later regroup, just like in the game.
7. Command and Control was a big problem, especially for green units (in this category I include formerly veteran US units made up of mostly green replacements.) Units would wander off or not advance.
8. Tanks were very often disabled, but very very rarely destroyed by mines. I think that AT mines are way too likely to destroy a medium tank in SPWAW. Howevewr, being in a tank disabled by a mine should usually cause a green crew to rout and leave the tank.
9. Troops in the open are slaughtered by artillery, troops in foxholes are hurt only by very eheavy barrages, troops in bunkers are disrupted but not killed. This seems pretty accurately portrayed in the game.
I got a couple more books for Christmas, next is "The Forgotten Soldier."
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Target, Cease Fire !
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Target, Cease Fire !
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