RE: [DS] Heavy Weapon Teams [SG] Laser weapons

--- Brian Bell <bkb@beol.net> wrote:
> A breakthrough scenario?
> The line collapses and the mortar team (about 1/2
> way up the table) and its
> support is ordered to slow the enemy as long as
> possible, fall back to
> possition X (end of the board), under support from
> another artillery unit.

Done that--but the mortars were towed 240mm mortars. 
Some old Soviet stuff that I bought because they were
just too damn cool.  Unfortunately the attackers never
got far enough to shoot them up.  No question that
those puppies were immobile and the ammo was too.

> What situations would you put the Mortar Teams in
> that would not be better > served by an artillery
vehicle? Mountains? Swamp? It > would seem to me (and
> again I do not have experience) that unless the
> terrain makes it impossible > for a vehicle, it
would be better not to encumber a > whole platoon (or
> company) with artillery shells, but to put them on
> an artillery vehicle and > ammo carring vehicle.
[E-mail does not convey > emotions correctly - this is
> not sarcastic, but inquiring.]

Well, I only use mortar teams in my "light"
formations.  Light units mostly exist on two ends of
the spectrum of military units.  At the top end, they
are the highly mobile (strategically, not tactically
or operationally) units used when you have to get them
there now, and that's the only artillery support you
can fit into the planes/helicoptors/small fast
starships.  The other end is militia formations that
can't afford a proper SP howitzer.  Everyone else is
mechanized.  I follow the American lead in that even
my light infantry is somewhat motorized--lots of jeeps
and such.  I prefer to keep the jeeps with the mortars
to lug them around and avoid such questions but
sometimes it's not appropriate to the situation at the
time.

John

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.