[updated 25 July 2023]
Theater of War Mission Pack: Operation Barbarossa
Mission: Indirect Fire
“Indirect Fire” is challenging but very doable on General (Hard) difficulty. The object is to destroy 15 flagged German buildings (which includes bunkers, muni/fuel caches, and base buildings) on a large map, within a time limit. You start with two Katyushas, but you can find many more on the map. You can also use flamethrowers, captured Paks, and demo charges to destroy bunkers, caches, and base buildings. Your fighting force is limited but you can get conscripts, frontoviki, snipers, and engineers, and you can capture many German weapons including HMGs, Paks and AT rifles.
Phase 1: Scan the map for the nearest German buildings (flags outside) and then get your two initial Katyushas to start pounding them. Will take 4-6 Katyusha salvos to kill one of those buildings, depending on the firing distance/accuracy. Send your infantry to take the territory point just north of your base and look W-NW of there for 2 abandoned Katyushas. Get those, use engineers to repair, bring them back to your base, and start hitting buildings. Build up a force for taking more territory points, including for example frontoviki squads, engineer squads with flamethrowers, snipers, and conscripts that can reinforce and scrounge German weapons. Use Katyushas to soften up the territory points you’re going to take, if they are manned by German units. Keep one sniper in the tower at your base, and be ready to retreat others to base in case the Germans do a base-rush. Important: never leave your Katyushas idle—they need to be taking down buildings, as you’re very much on the clock in this mission.
Phase 2: Take the territory points to the E of your base and one more to the N. Man the HMGs and Katyushas you find, as you’re able (you hit the MP limit quickly). Keep pounding the German buildings—which include not only the flag-draped buildings but also HMG bunkers, muni/fuel caches at territory points, and base buildings at the far N of the map. Establish a defense line to protect your Katyushas. Take the German stronghold point to the NE of your base, at the E edge of the map, and concentrate/protect your Katyushas there.
Phase 3: Move W to cap the remaining points on the main part of the map, and destroy bunkers/caches (which are the easiest “buildings” to destroy to complete your fifteen). Finish hitting all the flagged German buildings on the map, including the German base (masonry building plus two base-buildings) at the NW corner of the map. If you need more time, concentrate your Katyushas on any random building, preferably one that looks easy to knock down—you get an extra minute of time for each ordinary building you level.
Note that there is a large German base area at the top of the map. It is well guarded with infantry, Paks, Panzer IVs, StuGs, and scout cars. When you cap the points at the top of the main part of the map, these vehicles occasionally charge down at you from the top part of the map. So be ready with Paks and HMGs to greet them—and be sure to bring same if you are venturing to the top part of the map.
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