Tactics, Tips, and History

This guide will go through tactics used during the Second World War, the history behind them, and how they can be used in game, so that you can have an immersive AND historically accurate experience in game! Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Part 1: Blitzkreig

One of the most well known tactics used by Germany in WWII is the Blitzkreig, which means "Lightning War" in English. The tactic is to attack faster than the enemy can prepare, and to not stop unless absolutely necessary. During the battle of France, the Germans did not stop attacking until they were right outside of Dunkirk!



HISTORY:

During the 1930's, Nazi engineers had been rapidly modernising the German army, right under the Allies' noses. As well as creating new tanks, planes, and weapons, they also developed new tactics. When they struck Poland in 1939, they put the terrifying "Blitzkreig" strategy into practice, by destroying the Polish defences with bombers, before rushing in at a breakneck speed. They did this to multiple countries, including France. The British and French forces were shocked to find that, unlike they had anticipated, WWII was not going to be a repeat of WW1. The Germans went around the Allied defences effortlessly, and caused disruption in their lines. They charged all the way to Paris and beyond, only grinding to a halt at the edge of Dunkirk, where the British expeditionary force was evacuating.


IN GAME:

Using the Blitzkreig tactic in game is hard to plan, and hard to pull off. If you're playing as a commander, you need to make sure that all of your squads know not to stop, and not to flee, especially when they get to the middle point. Get your armour to support the squads, instead of going off on their own, and get your recon squads to go ahead of the main force and cause disruption, by destroying outposts, setting up ambushes, reporting armour positions, and Sniping high priority targets. You also need to make sure that the enemy doesn't manage to organise a good defence. Fire artillery guns, call in bombing runs, and overall try to flatten the enemy objectives.

Part 2: Fire and Manoeuvre

Fire and Manoeuvre in great for attacking points like houses, bunkers, and trenches. The idea is to have one group of people laying down a base of suppressive fire on the enemy, as another group circles around and attacks, occasionally stopping behind cover to fire a few shots before moving again. When the moving group reaches the enemy, the suppressing group will attack from the front, crushing the enemy from two sides. It was widely used by the American Army in WWII, and is still used to this day.


HISTORY:

During the invasion of Western Europe in the late stages of the war, the Americans used their modern equipment to great advantage, by utilising the fire and manoeuvre tactic. One of the most famous examples happened on D-Day, when the 101st Airborne Division assaulted the artillery battery outside of Brecourt Manor. The attack was documented in the best selling book "Band of Brothers", and then put into the TV adaptation. This tactic was used many times across the entire western front, and is still used in the armed forces to this day.


IN GAME:

The Tactic is very good for taking out Garrisons and Outposts, and the game gives you all the resources needed to do so. The suppression team should consist of Machine Gunners, Autoriflemen, Anti Tank gunners, and the Squad Leader. Everyone else should be in the Assault team. Make sure that the Assault team tells the suppression team that they have reached the enemy, which will signal the second phase of the attack. If the Assault team is killed, The squad leader (and ONLY the squad leader) should fall back to some cover and build an outpost. Once the assault team respawns, you can launch the attack again. Eventually, the enemy will be killed or will run out of ammo.

Part 3: Not one step back!

This is a ruthless tactic that was often used in WWI, and was used again by the Soviets during Operation Barbarossa. One person stays behind while the rest of the squad charges the enemy head on. If anybody tries to run away, hides behind cover for too long, or orders a retreat, they are cut down by the soldier at the back without hesitation.



HISTORY:

In 1942, the Battle of Stalingrad began. With both sides knowing how strategically important the city was, the battle proved to be a bloody stalemate. Because of this, Josef Stalin issued Order No. 227. However, this tactic as been misrepresented nowadays, and it's commonly thought that ANY soldier who fell back was shot dead. In reality, it only applied to officers and Sergeants who tried to run away or order a retreat. Even so, this tactic worked, and it drove Officers to push their soldiers as far into the Germans as they could, eventually kicking their invaders out of Stalingrad, and chasing them back to Berlin!



IN GAME:

Before you send your squad into an enemy position, tell your machine gunner to deploy, with specific orders to fire upon anyone (including you) who tries to turn back. Tell the rest of the squad that they will charge the enemies, or be killed by the MG. You should lead the charge against the enemies, firing your SMG as you go, and telling everyone to keep moving. If anybody stays behind a piece of cover while the rest of the squad advances, the MG should fire a warning shot at them, and tell them to keep going or else. Hopefully, your squad should pull through and manage to defeat the enemy!

Part 4: Marching Fire

Marching fire is a tactic used to attack large enemy positions, and usually coincides with the Infantry and Armour Co-operation tactic (It's self explanatory: Tanks have a squad of infantry protecting them). The tactic is to cross a large area, firing constantly without stopping to aim or take cover. The squad must fire at separate times to avoid a break in the fire, allowing the enemy to return fire.



HISTORY:

Many countries used the Marching fire tactic, but few executed it better than the United States. The many automatic weapons like the BAR, Browning, and Thompson made the tactic good, but the use of Semi Auto Rifles like the M1 Garand made it even better. General George Patton was a huge fan of the tactic, and used it to great success during the liberation of the west. In fact, a lot of amphibious landing zones in Normandy were quickly captured using this exact tactic!


IN GAME:

The tactic can have a lot of potential in game, and if you coordinate with an Armoured Squad, you can become nearly unstoppable, as it not only fires with devastating impact, but it also provides as a moving source of cover. However, the tactic needs precise, clear, and co-operative communication, otherwise everyone will start to reload at the same time, and the enemy will gain the upper hand. Make sure to spread out the distance of time between your shots evenly, so that if you need to reload, there will always be at least one other person firing at the enemy. Losing soldiers can be a morale killer and might send your troops scrambling for cover, but if that happens, tell the squad that one casualty does not decide the outcome of the battle, and that they should keep going.

Part 5: Tank Ambushes

Executing a tank ambush is both easy and hard at the same time. You wait in a concealed position overlooking a chokepoint or open area, and wait for a tank or infantry squad to pass by and get completely wiped. However, you need to be aware of your surroundings at all times in case someone outmanoeuvres you, and you also need a LOT of patience. However, when done correctly, it can be incredibly satisfying!



HISTORY:

One of the most famous tank ambushes in history happened during the Normandy Campaign, and was carried out by SS tank commander Michael Wittmann. On the 13th of June, 1944, He led a surprise attack on a British Armoured platoon in Le Villers Bocage. After taking out the lead and rear vehicles in the armoured column, he continued to fire at the tanks until the remaining ones had scattered into the streets. He then led the charge with an SS platoon into the village, where he took out the armoured vehicles one by one before withdrawing. When the skirmish was over, they had taken out fourteen tanks, Two AT guns, One half track, one scout car, two observation posts, and Fifteen troop carriers - a majority were destroyed by Wittmann's Tiger Tank. Thankfully, Wittmann died on the 8th of August, 1944, when his tank was blown up by a Sherman firefly.



IN GAME:

A tank ambush is best to set up outside an objective that the enemy has taken a while ago (You can go to those objectives by sneaking along the edge of the map). This means that the enemy will not expect you and become careless, which allows you to intercept supply trucks, tanks, or even infantry squads! If the enemy starts to go after you, you have three options: Relocate to another ambush point, abandon the tank and retreat to a friendly objective - or go full on rambo mode and charge the enemies with guns blazing, in a terrifying, morale breaking, last stand!

Part 5: Scorched Earth

Scorched Earth is specifically designed to slow down an advancing enemy army. The tactic is to deny the enemy anything that might be useful, either by completely destroying it or making it take a long time to fix. The idea is that eventually, the enemy will not have enough resources to continue advancing, and will grind to a halt.


HISTORY:

During Operation Barbarossa, the Germans were advancing faster than the Russians could retreat and organise a new defence (see part one). Because of this, the Germans were capturing Allied food, oil, and factories. Due to this, the Russians developed the "Scorched Earth tactic", to deny the Germans vital resources that they needed to continue their advance. They Burned crops, Destroyed factories, tore down houses, blew up bridges, and laid land mines wherever they could. While effective against the Germans, it also took a massive toll on Russian civilians - many of whom starved to death - unable to find a way out of the hellhole that was Russia in the 1940's.



IN GAME:

While you can't execute the tactic as it happened in WWII, you can make a similar tactic whenever the enemy takes an objective and your team has to retreat. Every soldier has a part to play in this tactic. Machine Gunners and Snipers can set up small ambushes in narrow chokepoints, Squad Leaders can call in Artillery on enemy positions, and Riflemen can halt enemy advances by holding seemingly insignificant points, like small buildings or hedgerows. However, Engineers are best at this by far. They can make bridges unusable with mines, they can block streets off with barbed wire and tank traps, and they'll soon be able to make bunkers for MG ambush positions! Essentially, the goal is to slow down the enemy by any means necessary.

Part 6: Elastic Defence

This tactic was used a lot in both of the World wars, most noteably by Germany. Easy to plan, and easy to execute, the tactic was to send out a smaller force to take on the enemy, while the main force stays behind, waiting in more fortified positions. After a minute or two, the smaller force retreats, which lures the attackers into the sight line of the fully fortified main force, which cuts them down quickly.




HISTORY:

In 1944, the Germans were in trouble - The western allies were rapidly pushing through France, the Italian campaign was wasting their resources, and the USSR was advancing through Germany with a thirst for vengeance. Accepting the fact that they were going to be defending their territory for a long time, the Germans decided to go back to an old WW1 tactic: Elastic Defence. They were quick to employ the tactic, as it meant that taking German territory came at a higher cost for the Allies. However, it wasn't enough, and the Allied armies pushed through with even less remorse - some, not even stopping to take prisoners.



IN GAME:

While it is possible to execute the tactic on a massive scale, it's generally easier to execute it during Squad vs Squad engagements. When defending an objective, send out a scout team to observe the enemies, so that you can form a good defensive plan. Once the enemy is spotted, the squad should split into two teams, just like in the fire and manoeuvre tactic - The skirmish team (Rifleman, Medic, Autorifleman) and the defensive team (Assault, Engineer, Machine Gunner, Anti Tank, Squad Leader). The skirmish team gets to a vantage point and opens fire on the enemies. After the enemies begin to return fire and the casualties begin mounting, the skirmish team should fall back in view of the enemies, luring the attackers closer. The skirmish team should link up with the (Hopefully fortified) defensive team, and throw some smoke grenades to get the attacker's attention. If you want, you could even send someone out to essentially say "I am alive and on my own, come and get me!". Hopefully, the enemy will charge them, and run straight into a wall of Machine Gun fire!

Part 7: Armoured Infantry

This is one of the easiest tactics to pull off, but it surprisingly isn't used a lot in the game! It's deceptively simple. Every tank is supported by a squad of Infantry, which rides around on it, directs fire, and scouts ahead for possible threats to the tank. There's really not much to say about this tactic, except for that when utilised, it can be completely devastating.



HISTORY:

In 1939, the Germans knew that if they were to avoid a repeat of WW1, they had to adopt new tactics. One of these was mechanised and armoured infantry. They arrived at the enemy positions on tanks and armoured cars, flattened the fortifications with tanks, wiped out the defenders with infantry, and continued advancing. This tactic was then adopted by the Allies across the western front, to just as great success.



IN GAME:

This tactic, as I said before, is insanely simple. You just need to communicate. While it's true that some maps don't allow that many tanks, you can always try to become more flexible and prioritise certain squads to have tanks assigned to them. If you run into a chokepoint as either a tank commander or a squad leader - stop the tank and order the squad(s) to get behind it. Make sure that they're not too close to it so that if the tank goes down, so does everyone else. After everyone is well positioned, order the tank to move forwards - gun on a swivel - towards the other side of the chokepoint. Once you're about 20 metres from the end, fan out the infantry and get low, then halt the tank. The infantry will clear the surrounding area, and then regroup behind the tank. Repeat this tactic as you advance across the map until you either win, or all die.

Part 8: Holdouts

Holdouts are very simple. Find a small area, set up defences, and hold out against the enemy until everyone dies. This tactic is, however, pretty much useless. If it's a tactically insignificant location, then the enemy can easily just walk around or blow it to hell with an artillery barrage or a tank. However, when confronted with one in game, most players will hurtle themselves into the enemy strongpoint. After all, who doesn't love a good house assault with an SMG?



HISTORY:

Tales of desperate holdouts are scattered throughout military history, but they became REALLY common in the World Wars. Among the most famous are the Japanese holdouts, where Imperial soldiers on remote Pacific islands without radios didn't believe that the Atomic bombs were dropped, causing many to defend their outposts until they starved or committed suicide. During the Battle of Stalingrad, though, two highly iconic holdouts were formed. The first was an apartment block nicknamed "Pavlov's House". This housed multiple platoons of Russian soldiers which defended against the Germans for 60 days, until a corner of the building became unusable due to shelling, and the soviets had to give up. The building's damage has now been rebuilt in a piece of contemporary art. In another scene of holding out, the Soviet Army fortified a grain elevator in German territory, and refused to surrender. This stubborn resistance of 7 months forced the Wermacht to storm the building. After three solid days of brutal close quarters fighting, the house was captured. The Grain elevator is still there to this day, also rebuilt.



IN GAME:

If your team has no hope of victory or is being pushed back, find a house - these seem to work best. Set up a squad spawn in the corner of a small room, and get every squad member to do their bit. Riflemen should place ammo at all the key combat points upstairs, Machine Gunners should prop up at windows, Automatic riflemen and Assaults should guard the stairs and ground floor, Engineers should rig entrances to blow, etc. If you want to SERIOUSLY hold out, try and get your engineers to place physical barriers like barbed wire or even sandbags at all entrances and exits to slow down the attackers. Keep holding out against the enemy until they're crawling up the stairs towards you, in which case you should make a dramatic last stand. Hide behind some cover in the spawn room, and get your SMG loaded. If you have any grenades, don't throw them yet. The enemy will be moving fast and hard, and you'll definitely be caught with your pants down if you're switching weapons when they enter the room. Instead, keep your SMG aimed at the door an fire a quick five round burst at anyone who enters. When you run out of ammo, throw a grenade out the door and make a final attack by drawing your melee weapon and rushing out of the room towards the enemy. With any luck, you might be able to take one or two down with you!

Part 9: Butcher and Bolt

This tactic requires a lot of teamwork, patience, and coordination. It's likely one of the hardest tactics to pull of in a non organised server. The tactic involves sneaking far behind enemy lines - so far that they wouldn't expect any enemies to be there - and wreaking as much havoc as possible. Pretty much anything from laying mines, to sabotaging supply lines, to assassinating high ranking enemies is fair game.



HISTORY:

The odds were stacked against the British Empire in late 1940. France was defeated, Food supplies were low, and the prime minister had stepped down. However, the most daunting factor was that the Germans were close - so close that you could see them from England. Since the British army was not fit to defend the island in the event of Operation Sea Lion (The planned invasion of the UK), a new tactic had to be developed. The new prime minster, Winston Churchill, put forwards a new idea. The plan was for the SAS to go far behind enemy lines and preform acts of sabotage and disruption. The tactic was used extensively in North Africa and France, with help from the local resistances. Hitler was so outraged by the tactic, that he ordered the immediate execution of any captured commandos.



IN GAME:

I highly recommend trying out this tactic in an organised squad where everyone knows what they're doing. You should work with the other squads to easily slip through the enemy lines by having them create a distraction (attacking the main objective is enough). As that happens, move your squad along the borders of the map, keeping a highly low profile. If you see enemies as you move along, go prone and wait for them to pass. Once the enemy team realises they're being flanked, the mission will be over before it starts. When you get to the edge of the enemy's territory, it's time to get sabotaging! Plant mines next to tanks and artillery guns, attack enemy supply trucks, assassinate commanders and squad leaders, and generally make sure that the enemy gets held up at their spawn for as long as you can. When you are out of equipment, it's time to evacuate. Instead of running back along the edges of the map, run straight to the objective currently being fought over. With any luck, you'll be able to sneak up right behind the enemy and get in a few melee kills!

Conclusion

Here we are at the end of the article. I hope I've inspired you to try out your own tactics, as well as taught you a bit about WWII History. This article was designed to teach people about WWII history, so I've decided to finish it off with ten WWII facts!

1: A Brown Bear named Wojtek served as a shell carrier for the Polish army during the Italian campaign

2: Malta was the most bombed country during the war

3: During the battle of Pegasus bridge, a British private ran into a french house while under intense enemy fire to go to the toilet.

4: Japanese War Criminal Shumei Okawa was restrained by a guard at the Nurumberg trials after he slapped Hideki Tojo on the back of the head without warning

5: British paratroopers used Bugles to communicate with each other during Operation Market Garden

6: All Landing crafts on D-Day were driven by British soldiers

7: The last Axis soldier surrendered to the allies in 1972

8: Germany made 1,347 Tiger Tanks during WWII - only one is still working to this day

9: The Germans put "Heil H!tler" at the end of every encrypted message, which helped the British codebreakers to crack the enigma code.

10: A British engineer was once working on the tail flaps of a Spitfire when it suddenly took off while she was still on it. After a few minutes, the pilot noticed that the spitfire felt stiffer and turned around to land at the airfield. Once the engineer was brought back to the ground, she was given a cup of tea and sent back to work!


I hope you enjoyed this article, and have a good day. Goodbye!