I am writing in regard to your game rules Over The Top. I have played several games and I have a few questions which I hope you can clear up.
First, I could not find a weapon's firing chart for either the German infantry stands, the trench mortars, or the Minenwerfer stands. Also, the artillery charts are somewhat confusing. For instance, on the German chart there are 10 different references to 15cm guns with no indication as to which is the 155mm corps level howitzer.
Second, how does one set up for operational level staff and forward observer stands. This is with very long scenarios and mini-campaigns in mind.
Finally, I have an idea that you might want to develop: terrain conversion. One cannot read much about WWI without reading how artillery would churn up the landscape.
William Litvak
Answer
The German Infantry data should be ROF 1, 12"/24". The battalion mortar/minewerfer is the 76mm. What is listed as the corps level 155mm should in fact be a 15cm howitzer. Use the 15cm H model 02 or model 13 for 1st line units, and the 1nodel 96 or 02 for the reserve units. The effect of the HE/shrapnel is the same, the difference is in the weight of the gun and its range. Weapons were upgraded during the war, and older weapons were brought back into service to supplement the existing weapons--hence the rather confusing array of artillery of the same type and size.
On operational staff stands and forward observer stands. Staff stands should not show up until a position has been held and fortifted for at least 48 hours. This assumes that as part of the process of digging in and consolidating their position, that the troops are linking up their positions, improving communications, etc., and that the battalion staff has made its way to the new front lines. You may wish to shorten this time by 6-12 hours for veteran units, and lengthen it 6 saw amount of time for trained or green units.
On the defensive, the general rule of thumb in WWI was thayt after 1914, artillery liaison/FOs for the lighter weapons, i.e. 18 pounders, 75mms and 77mms usually operated with the battalion commanders in the front line, heavier divisional weapons links were found at regiment/brigade, and corps artillery operated at the divisional level. If there existed an excellent observation post in the area, one would find spotters from the heavier weapons present, but such posts usually took some time to "net in" and subject to enemy fire, and so weren't always used. Observers balloons were considered far more effective and easier to move about as needed.
In the attack, Allied doctrine was to advance in column battalions, with one battalion in the attack, and a second acting support 400 or so yards behind it. American doctrine held that the lead battalion was responsible only for the phone line back to the supporting battalion, which in turn was responsible to the lines back to regimental/brigade. Veteran infantry officers estimated that the task of maintaining the wire would take anywhere from two to four additional infantry stands away from supporting battalions strength. The artillery liaison officer phone line was part of the system operated by the supporting battalion.
The liaison officer moved with the supporting battalion, which requested fire on those map coordinates sent back to him by the attacking battalion. If the attacking battalion was held up, the liaison officer could move forward to help out, and in veteran units often did.
I suggest that to represent this on the game table that you allow the movement of FOs for light artillery battalions, but restrict the movement to a maximum of 4" per turn (no doubling bonus allow, for being under fire.) They may request fire from their parent unit only by issuing a Call Fire Order. If destroyed in action, they must not be regrouped.
German Stosstruppen
The German Stosstruppen had their own solution to the problems. The first was the use of the captured Russian infantry guns as direct support artillery. The second was a means of not letting their supporting artillery know where they were, but helped boost their morale. At given intervals during an advance, the Stosstruppen would fire rockets to not only show the artillery during location, but to allow units on either side to know where the other attacking units were.
On the question of terrain conversation. The worst cases of No Man's Land tended to be in those sectors held by the British Army and the survivors accounts are very graphic on what they saw a lived in. Part of the problem here is that the British had a knack of finding the worse possible places to fight a battle. Flanders was reclaimed swamp, and was kept dry by a system of canals and tiles (Ypres had been a medieval seaport). On the Somme, a similar situation existed in some parts. Any major artillery barrage would have the effect of destroying the drainage system, and if accompanied by rain, could result in No Man's Land being created in days.
On other parts of the front, the same conditions could take weeks to develop if the ground and weather were more cooperative. On some of the quiet sectors of the front, the situation only reached that point after years of combat.
Hope this helps answer your questions.
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