Anybody intrestead

[Imp]

Thinking of doing something a bit diferent any input welcome but would people be intrestead as think would need some house rules so PBEM only
Scenerio premise
River 2 bridges defender is keeping open till last minute to get retreating forces across. Attacker of course wants to capture intact.
So defender has 2 forces defenders & straglers
Defender is in process of placing Demo Charges on bridges.
Anyone any idea how long guessing at least 30 mins (10 turns) to place for demolition probably longer.
If a short period like 10 turns engineers could be reinforcments in early turn & have to move to bridges. If longer as suspect assume in act of placing when scenerio starts.
Idea is engineers must spend X turns on bridge in good order to place then move 2-4 hexes away with trigger mechanism. Can then detonate at any time after if in good order. Note it would not be a good idea for attacker to use arty vs engineers on bridge as could take it down.
So players would have to check status of engineers each turn & announce blowing if manage
Suggest using 10 turns as placement time 6 engineer squads & each bridge requires a total of 30 turns with an engineer stationary in good order on. So one squad would do in 30 turns 2 in 15, 3 in 10. make sense?

Other option is to simplify & just say bridge out on turn X unless attacker controls it.
Is there a way to actually blow it on a specific turn?
Would an ammo dump explosion take it down? Trouble is stray shot might take out plus additional MP if in same hex as bridge.

Play balance tricky as attacker losses if bridges go but defender must get majority of forces across river before blow to win so for defender to win he must have X amount of battle points remaining to win.

Thoughts so far please input any if intrested

Defender using own arty to blow bridges if engineers fail probably to easy so assume as retreated to new line arty parks not set up yet.
Can 81mm mortars blow bridges anyone, will have to test. If can't can only give attackers a max of 2 rest of arty bigger so risks blowing

Retreating force use 2nd line infantry as battle weary & in retreat. Increase cost of these units as trying to save to force defending force to screen. Possibly make some with 4 or 5 men to reflect losses
Also possibly reduce movement of some to 4 carrying injured etc but have some trucks on defending side can send to pick up.

Visibility probably about 20 to make retreating forces harder to spot, can some one verify that a unit is harder to spot with say vis 10 than with vis 80

40 vision for attacker would make a big diffrence as engineers can't hide behind smoke while working. To make balancing easier just has an arty vehicle with 40 vision

Tactically I think this would make for a tricky game as defender is trying to extract units under fire while holding a position. Falling back basically.

Problem is determining victory conditions without resorting to counting units at end as all defending units on attackers side when bridge blows should be counted as lost.

Project not off the ground yet this is a feeler to see if any intrest. Sorry so long

[Marcello]

I have found out that the most straightforward way to blow up bridges are those lovely 240mm soviet mortars, preferably in combination with a FO. 155mm rounds will drop a bridge too but not with the same reliability.
Engineers with satchel charges seemed to be ineffective (which is just right as far as I can tell) and I would guess 81mm mortars would be completely useless.
All of the above applies to stone bridges. I don't know about wooden ones.

[hoplitis]

Doing something similar, commando type raid to keep only bridge in area open for part of an advancing. Defenders have enginners to blow up the bridge. Yes! Interesting type of scenarios. Hope to finish my scenario and post it during the vacations. I think it is a good idea!!!!!!!

[Imp]

Thanks for reply info I am really after on bridge blowing is chance of blowing bridge think I am going to have to lose a day testing.
Can someone confirm a difference between dirt paved road as in wood stone probably in manuel but being lazy.
Agree chance of blowing up a bridge by lobbing a DC is zero & so it should be these guys are placing for demolition like a civilian contractor would hence assuming in a rush could do in time allotted with 50-60 men. Will edit DC out of as use all they have on bridge.
On arty need to know what gun size regularly downs a bridge say 1 in 3 chance.
Defender can only have arty that wont blow
Attacker Most of his arty should have a high risk of blowing with just a few to hamper engineers.
guess I had better put in scenario notes or will get a few disgruntled players

[PanzerBob]

Blowing Bridges with Satchel Charges. Wooden Bridges with go down nicely with a SC. However, for the scenario you have in mind, I believe Stone Bridges will only do, as Large Calibre Artillery will take out Wooden Bridges easily. (BTW Large Guns can on occasion take out Stone Bridges as well.)

In order to make what you are doing work I suggest a double bridge or even a rail/road bridge combo. I tried a Bridge at Remeagan type battle once with a road/rail bridge with a couple small islands of impassable terrain to simulate the caissons it worked pretty good and allowed for the bridge to be damaged and still be useable. Now of course this was roughly a 700 to 800 meter river.

Another idea is driving an Ammo Hauler onto the bridge and getting your Engineers to blow it. This requires Engineers with big brass ones of course.

Hope this helps.

[Imp]

Cheers PanzerBob that saved me a lot of time. No wood bridges.
Also like the idea of a double lane bridge think 1 single road + 1 road & rail good as rail not so hot for movement but better than no bridge at all.
Was thinking river 3-500 meter wide to force defenders troops to defend from attackers side