11 – Effects of Fortification | Not Quite Mechanised

The battle for MOSCOW rages.

EFFECTS OF FORTIFICATION

FORTIFIED troops have strong defensive positions with dug in land lines, reinforced concrete pillboxes, obstacles and stockpiled ammunition. They are not disorganised by air attack less than heavy bombers, or any artillery below 120 mm calibre prior to the attack. They count as a HEAVY target. Troops in defensive positions need not be in base to base contact to remain organised. Troops only count fortified in city centre stone and reinforced concrete buildings that have been prepared for defence.

DUG-IN troops have had time to prepare shelters with overhead cover and engineering stores such as corrugated iron, mines and barbed wire. They are not disorganised by any artillery below 80 mm. They count as a MEDIUM target. They need not be in base to base contact to remain organised. Troops only count as dug-in in towns centres with mainly brick buildings, or in villages that have been prepared for defence. Remember that most Soviet rural buildings were built largely from wood.

OPEN troops are ones who are advancing tactically in to the attack at the move to contact rate or advance in contact rate and ones who have dug in hastily without engineer support, using such cover as may be available. They count as a LIGHT target

Use Table 4. below to check the minimum calibre of artillery needed to cause disorganisation on an objective, and count it as effective indirect fire.

You may wish to reduce these ranges or use other published data for specific battles.
For artillery used as harassing fire – Harassing fire that “scores” causes disorganisation, but no casualties. Harassing fire only costs 1/3 of a Fire Unit and lasts for one move.
Buildings under artillery fire only protect as M unless they have been prepared for defence, or are reinforced concrete, in which case they may be classed as H.