Mission 09 - Radio Silence | The Campaign Mode Company of Heroes 2 Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
Main Objectives:
1. Liberate Orsha from the German hands:
a. Secure the nearby territories
b. Make it through the German defense lines
c. Seize the German depot and the HQ
Bonus Objectives:
1. Restore communications with the command
2. Complete the mission without restoring the communications
3. Create all of the available tank types
1a. First, you will have to seize the three nearby territories. The enemy outnumbers you so, you need to act fast. Create a mortar team. At first focus on the Western point. It is heavily protected and, which makes things even worse, this is an open area where there aren't too many covers. Frontal attack is troublesome so, try using the sniper to take out the cannon teams silently. Also, smoke grenades will come in handy to provide you with cover as you move around. Anyways, it is almost certain that you will be spotted. Try to draw some of the enemy forces away and return to the base to deal with them one by one, and unleash mortar fire onto the rest. It is a good idea to return to the M3A1 and the engineers with the flame throwers but, only temporarily. You should aim at the M5 with two squads of flamethrower-wielding engineers. To produce them, you first need to build the Tankovij Battalion Command, so try to reach this building as fast as possible. After you have secured the key point, it is also a good idea to build a fuel depot there, to increase the influx of this resource. Also, try to build the motor guards, not only to make the rest of the game easier (but mainly), but also to perform the bonus objective (3).
There will be a German Stuka to fly over the map. It is going to be the permanent occurrence here. It is not too crushing a power but, it will be doing a good job killing out your soldiers and driving you crazy. To minimize the losses, spread your soldiers into various ends of the map when it comes, to prevent them from staying in groups. Also, remember to replenish your losses each time after the raid.
Lay mortar fire onto the next point. Then, reinforced with AT weapon, seize the outpost. Just like in the case of the previous one, build a fuel depot there. In the meantime, it is also a good idea to invest into some heavier equipment, like the T-38.
1b. The Stuka will come flying round again. This time, it will destroy the radio station which will effectively jam all communications. This disables access to the airborne reconnaissance and, you will also receive no reports of the incoming enemy aircraft. You can remedy this by seizing the territory to the East (1), by laying mortar fire onto it and launching an onslaught with M5 and the T-38. You also have an option of not doing that to boost the difficulty level and, achieve the bonus objective (2).
If you still haven't done that already, it is high time that you invested in M5 equipped with flamethrower-wielding engineers. It is a definitely better alternative for the M3A1. It offers not only thicker armor and room to hold two squads, but also allows you to supplement the damaged squads. You can buy another one and equip it with the AA set. They will be very useful e.g. against mortar teams that there is going to be a lot of on the map. Attack another point to the North of the most recent one. You, of course should lay artillery fire on it. After you do, deploy, at least, one AT cannon there. Additionally an HMG an infantry squad and tanks. From the North, you will be attacked, on a regular basis, by armored vehicles, including the StuGs and Panzer IVs. You cannot let them cut through this outpost because the tanks wreaking havoc at the bank can even threaten the HQ. As for now, keep defending this outpost, soon the time to strike will come.
There is only the point to the West remaining. After you lay mortar fire attack it from the bottom with your regular units. At the same time, Send your M5 from the North. Of course, you should focus on the teams of the heavy equipment in the first place. After you neutralize the defenders, the main part of the map will be seized. You now need to cut through the main defense line of the Germans.
Directly to the North, there is a broken bridge. Over the bridge, there are the main defending forces. There is a lot of snipers and AT cannons. Direct attack into the crack will be a suicide. Of course, there are ways to do it. Before you respond to the German defense, dispatch the M5 to the mounds on the ground, on both sides of the bridge where there are still single posts. Burn them up and return while keeping away from the middle of the bridge.
The engineers are able to put up a special, secret weapon, an ML-20 Gun-Mortar. It has a tremendous range and incredible damage. Position it vis-a-vis the bridge within a safe distance, like in the above screenshot.
The ML-20 fire will quickly decimate the enemy forces. When their numbers fall considerably, enter with your tanks and the M5s to finish out the remnants Then, seize the point and the frontline will be broken. Before the final liberation of the city you still need to get rid of several units to the East.
Dispatch mortars and the M5 for support to the East, to the second defense line. On your way you may still encounter some survivors in the form of mortar teams or HMG teams. Once you reach your destination, you will notice that there are lots of entrenched tanks here. Fortunately, most of the m are StuGs that cannot rotate their turrets. Position the mortars to their sides (the screenshot) and lay fire on the tanks, with the M5 as a protection from infantry, and for replenishing losses within the mortar teams.
The mortars are capable of dealing with it on their own but, take the tanks that have been protecting the point, to speed things up, and launch a frontal attack. First of all, make use of the
SU-85, which are long-ranged, and will easily finish off the enemy tanks The entire region will be now under control. The only thing left to do is destroy the two German HQs.
The depot will be, as you should have suspected, protected by a set of vehicles. Including the mighty Elephant, which can easily sweep the Russian tanks away. Before you attack, get here all of your AT cannons. Have, at least three SU-85s and some two mortars. The German defense, although strong, cannot take this much pressure and will soon break. Seize the territory.
There is nothing else left to do, but raze the German HQ down. Directly behind the HQ there are several mortar teams and cannons so, before the attack, lay fire from afar onto it. When there are no other units within range, push forward and finish off the remnants. There is nothing else to do here but seize the region. Orsha has been liberated.