Best late war German arty for counter battery?

[MikeD]

So I'm a late war German guy playing my own long camaign against the Russians.
I've upgraded and expanded my core to it's fullest potential and am doing pretty well at holding my own, even when the Russians outnumber me by a great deal.
I've get little to no option to buy spotter ac. But, I do have several elite arty observers.

In delay or defend scenarios I use my battle points to buy offboard artillery since I've got plenty of Nebelweffers in my core.

My problem is I keep getting hammered by offboard Russian artillery.

My off board choices, usually the 15.5 cm battrie, will counter battery fire at the Russians once early in the game and then not fire again, but the Russian batteries keep hammering me and my smoking 'weffers into the mud.

I know.. welcome to the late war Eastern front.. move the weffers.. With a core of Panthers, King Tigers and Panzerknackers.. I've got no spare slots for prime movers.

Anyone got any thoughts on 'best' counter battery German artillery? Fastest turn around time, most damage /disruption done, etc..

Mike

[PopskiPPA]

17cm K18

range of 220, longer than all russian artillery, so no counterbattery-fire

PopskiPPA

[MikeD]

Thanks for that, I suppose it puts all the russian batteries in range, but I want to use my offboard exclusively for counter battery.

I've got nebelweffers tucked into every cranny for swatting troop concentrations, but want to stomp the Russian off-board batteries.

Other thoughts?

Mike

[DRG]

same answer- 17cm K18

Don

[Mobhack]

I usually go for the 10 cm K18. 214 range gets most enemy arty, and it is quite cost effective.

Buy the battery early on, and ensure you engage some on-map targets to get the kills and hence experiece over the first few battles - high experience is the main prerequisite for CB fire, as well as the enemy having fired several times (to make spotting easier).

Leave it idle in the turn 0 for CB fire for engaging any enemy arty that fires then, and then usually leave idle to take pothots at the enemy arty, only using it as a reserve bty for when you have a "crisis" - and need the shells on the ground.

Cheers
Andy

[MikeD]

Thanks, but my offboard arty is all bought per turn, not part of my core. So they can't gain experience.
It's an interesting thought though... trade in some weffers for the big guns and use the per turn points for more weffers... hmmm..

Food for thought.

FWIW, I never assign targets for the off-board arty, using them soley for counter battery.

Thanks
Mike

[Captain_Insano]

I'm going to have to agree with every one else. I use the 17cm gun for exclusive counter-battery fire. You have to have it in your core though because the experience gained will greatly increase the chances of you getting a counter battery barrage. I always buy one section of 4 guns as part of my original core for just this reason.

[pdoktar]

Yep. Buy off-map artillery to your core. Experience (and range) is the key here.

[Helm]

Concur 0n the 17cm it's one of my first buys in any core