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Contents Close Support Units... 3 Close Suport Unit Statistics... 3 Close Support... 3 Close Support... 3 Activating Close Support Units... 4 Opportunity Fire... 5 Fire Against Blinds... 6 Fire Against Hidden Units... 6 Close Support Smoke... 6 Close Support Units in Close Assault... 6 Using Close Support Units... 7 Close Support Units... 8 Commonwealth Close Support... 8 German Close Support... 9 Soviet Close Support... 10 US Close Support... 11 Game Design: Jim Bambra Editing: Catherine Bambra Special Thanks: Thomas Penn and Alan Stringer Published by Wargames Design 2016 Copyright 2016 Jim Bambra - 2 -
Howitzers were fitted into vehicles to provide close support in the form of smoke screens and high explosive fire. Close support units can use direct fire or indirect fire using bombardment. Close support units have separate fire statistics for direct fire and bombardment. Use direct fire statistics when firing directly at a target, and the bombardment statistics when using indirect fire. Available: October 1942 Move: Average Reaction: 6D (5D) Weapon: 105L28 howitzer Range: 9/18/36 Range: 9-72 FP: 7D AT: 3D FP: 4D AT: 2D Notes:. 180-degree fire arc. Low profile. Close support units use direct fire the same as other units. Select the target and roll either the unit s FP or AT depending on the target type. No Artillery Suppressions: Direct fire does not cause artillery suppressions. is concentrated artillery fire from close support units. It is targeted against one enemy unit and causes artillery suppressions. is indirect fire. ranges have minimum and maximum ranges such as 9-72. This shows that it has a minimum range of 9 and a maximum range of 72. A unit cannot use bombardment inside of its minimum range, but may use direct fire. It can use bombardment up to the maximum range. - 3 -
If a bombarding unit has LOS to its target, it acts as its own Forward Observer. If the bombarding unit doesn t have LOS to its target, another unit must act as its Forward Observer. Forward Observer Marker: A Forward Observer Marker is used to mark a unit acting as a Forward Observer. Use a Forward Observer figure unit or a counter such as a gaming gem or coin. Using a Forward Observer An unsuppressed unit with LOS to a target point can act as a Forward Observer for a bombarding unit. When a bombarding unit is activated, a Forward Observer marker is placed next to the Forward Observer unit. If the firing unit has LOS to its target and is acting as its own FO, the FO marker is placed next to the unit. A target unit within LOS of the Forward Observer marker (subject to minimum and maximum ranges) is chosen and the bombardment is resolved. Roll to hit the targeted unit using FP or AT depending on the target, and apply the results. Artillery Suppressions: causes artillery suppressions. Target Number: has a 4+TN. Subtract 1D if the firing unit makes a double move, and 2D if it makes a triple move. A StuH 42 makes a double move and uses bombardment. It s FP is reduced to 3D and its AP to 1D. If the StuH 42 makes a triple move its FP would be reduced to 2D and its AP to 0D (no effect against armoured units). Close support units are activated either as part of a close support Command Group or as part of a mixed Command Group (containing other units). Close support units are more flexible when acting on their own or with other close support units. When activated individually or as a close support Command Group, a close support unit may target any unit within range and within LOS of itself, or within its range and LOS of its Forward Observer. One close support unit is selected to fire and its fire is resolved. All other close support - 4 -
units in the Command Group must fire at a target within 6 of the first unit s target or be activated separately requiring an additional Forward Observer and Command Dice. This is like movement where all units have to end their move within 6 of the group s leader. Bill activates a Command Group of two M8 Howitzer Mortar Carriages with one Command Dice. One M8 targets a German Machine Gun Platoon within its LOS. The other fires at a German Rifle Platoon within 6 of the Machine Gun Platoon. Both M8s fire for one Command Dice. Later both M8s are activated again. One fires at a German Rifle Platoon in its LOS. The M8 disperses the Rifle Platoon. Bill could decide not to fire his other M8, but he decides to fire it at a Pak 40 Anti-Tank Gun behind a wood. Bill uses a US Rifle Platoon with LOS to act as the M8 s Forward Observer. As the Pak 40 is more than 6 from the first M8s target, Bill has to use a second Command Dice to order the M8 to fire. When activated as part of a Command Group containing other units, close support units are restricted to targeting units within its own LOS or the LOS of another member of the Command Group. Only units in the activated Command Group can act as Forward Observers. A German Command Group consisting of a StuH 42 and three Rifle Platoons is activated with one Command Dice. One Rifle Platoon has LOS to a Soviet Machine Gun Platoon and acts as the StuH 42 s Forward Observer. The StuH uses bombardment against the Machine Gun Platoon. If Max had wanted to target a unit not in LOS of the StuH 42 or one of his Rifle Platoons, he would need to activate it separately and use another unit as its Forward Observer. Activating Mortars Mortars use the same rules as close support units, but cannot perform direct fire. Close support units with LOS to their target may use opportunity fire against firing or moving enemy units. It may use direct or bombardment. A close support unit that doesn t have LOS to its target requires another unit to act as its Forward Observer. - 5 -
A close support unit may use bombardment against a Blind to try to interdict it. Interdiction Fire This is similar to off-table interdiction fire. Nominate the Blind and roll the unit s bombardment FP dice TN: The unit has a 5+ TN Blind Reaction Dice: The Blind has 4D Reaction with a 5+ TN as normal. Results of Interdiction Fire The Blind takes one suppression for each success by the bombarding unit. The firing player nominates a Blind-sized area of terrain. This area can be a building, woods, hedge line or open terrain. Place a Blind on the area. If there are any hidden units within the Blind-sized area, the Blind is left in place and the interdiction fire is resolved against the Blind. If there are no hidden units under the Blind, the Blind is removed and the fire automatically misses. A close support unit may fire a smoke screen using direct fire or bombardment. Note: Smoke cannot be used as opportunity fire. The smoke screen has a 2 diameter and does not deviate. It lasts until the player s next Logistics Phase. When firing smoke, the unit cannot use any other type of fire. Close support units are treated as guns and a subject to a +2 TN penalty in close assault. They cannot perform overrun attacks. - 6 -
To use close support units with the Starter Armies in Combat HQ, allow each player to choose an extra support group choice. Infantry Battle Group Close Support Churchill Mk VIII CS Armour Battle Group Close Support Cromwell Mk VI CS Infantry Battle Group Close Support StuH 42 Armour Battle Group Close Support Sturmpanzer IV Infantry Battle Group Close Support SU 122 Armour Battle Group Close Support SU-152 Infantry Battle Group Close Support M8 Howitzer Motor Carriage M8 Howitzer Motor Carriage Armour Battle Group Close Support M4 105mm Howitzer - 7 -
Built using the chassis of the Churchill Mk VII, this close support tank is slow moving and heavily armoured giving it good protection against German tanks and anti-tank guns. Type: Heavy AFV (Close Support) Move: Slow Reaction: 9D Weapon: 95L18 howitzer Range: 8/16/32 Range: 8-64 FP: 7D AT: 3D FP: 4D AT: 2D Notes:. The Cromwell Mk VI is the close support version of the Mk IV. Armed with a 97L423 howitzer it is a fast tank that is capable supporting the Cromwell Mk IVs and Shermans. Type: Medium AFV (Close Support) Move: Fast Reaction: 6D Weapon: 95L18 howitzer Range: 8/16/32 Range: 8-64 FP: 7D AT: 3D FP: 4D AT: 2D Notes:. - 8 -
The 75L43 anti-tank gun used to equip the later StuG Ausf F and G assault guns was an effective anti-tank weapon but meant that the StuG could no longer fulfill its original close support role. To fill the gap, the Sturmhaubitze 42 (assault howitzer) was developed to provide a close support vehicle for infantry. The StuH 42 used the StuG III Ausf. G chassis and replaced the 75L23 gun with a 105 mm lefh 18 howitzer (105L28). Type: Medium AFV (Close Support) Move: Average Reaction: 6D (5D) Weapon: 105L28 howitzer Range: 9/18/36 Range: 9-72 FP: 7D AT: 3D FP: 4D AT: 2D Notes:. 180-degree fire arc. Low profile. The Sturmpanzer (Assault Panzer) IV uses the Panzer IV chassis and is equipped with the 150L11 howitzer. Type: Heavy AFV (Close Support) Move: Average Reaction: 7D Weapon: 150L11 Howitzer Range: 10/20/40 Range: 10-80 FP: 9D AT: 3D FP: 5D AT: 2D Notes:. 180 fire arc. - 9 -
The SU 122 (Samokhodnaya Ustanovka 122 mm) was built on the T 34 chassis and equipped with a M 30S howitzer. Developed to provide close support to the Soviet infantry the SU 122 saw extensive service until replaced in 1944 by the more powerful SU 152 and ISU 152 vehicles. Type: Medium AFV (Close Support) Move: Fast Reaction: 6D/5D Weapon: 122L23 howitzer Range: 10/20/40 Range: 10-80 FP: 8D AT: 3D FP: 4D AT: 2D Notes:. 180 fire arc. Sloped armour. The SU-152 was built on the KV-1S chassis and uses the 152mm Model 1937 howitzer. This highvelocity gun provides close support to the Soviet units and packs a heavy AT punch. Its high performance comes at a cost as it s huge shell makes it a slow firing unit. Type: Heavy AFV (Close Support) Move: Average Reaction: 5D Weapon: 152L29 Howitzer Range: 12/24/48 Range: 12-96 FP: 9D AT: 5D FP: 5D AT: 3D Notes:. 180 fire arc. Slow firing. - 10 -
Built on the chassis of the M5 light tank (Stuart) the M8 Howitzer Motor Carriage was produced to provide close support to US Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadrons. With its fast speed and breakoff ability, the M8 can be used against enemy infantry and buildings, then pulled back quickly when threatened by enemy armour. Type: Light AFV (Close Support) Move: Fast Reliability: Good Reaction: 5D (O) Weapon: 75L18 howitzer Range: 6/12/24 Range: 6-48 FP: 6D AT: 2D FP: 3D AT: 1D Notes:. Open-topped. Break-off. The M4 Sherman 105mm is equipped with a 105L23 howitzer to provide close support to tank and armoured infantry battalions. Like most other Shermans it has relatively weak armour making it vulnerable to German tanks. Type: Medium AFV (Close Support) Move: Average Reliability: Good Reaction: 5D Weapon: 105L23 Howitzer Range: 9/18/36 Range: 9-72 FP: 7D AT: 3D FP: 4D AT: 2D Notes:. Copyright 2016 Jim Bambra - 11 -
Kampfgruppe Commander New Rules and Late War German Army Rosters The first supplement for Combat HQ, Kampfgruppe Commander expands the core game with new rules and the Army Builder System. The Army Builder allows players to create customised Batttle Groups for late war German infantry, volksgrenadier and armoured forces. Plus, extensive statistics for late war German units. www.wargamesdesign.com - 12 -