RO2 Engineer

Overview

The German engineer is equipped with the HHL3 AT-Grenade, Satchel Charges and an MP 40 for personal protection. The Russian engineer similarly carries the RPG40 AT-Grenade, Satchel Charges and a PPSh-41. Semi automatic G 41(W) and SVT-40 are respectively available for selection on reaching veteran status.

History

Both Red Army and Wehrmacht employed combat engineers, often as dedicated battalions. Their responsibilities included the building and destruction of fortifications and obstructions, laying and clearing minefields and booby traps, fording and bridging rivers and destroying river crossings, trench digging and a range of other support activities.

In addition, Assault Pioneers were embedded with troops at a platoon or company level to carry out these duties as in direct response to infantry requirements on the battlefield. In this role, the engineer is an primarily an infantryman who uses his additional skills to support an assault.

Gameplay

The Engineer is first and foremost an assault trooper, pushing forward to assault or defend the capture zone. In addition he is equipped to destroy a range of destructible features (such as walls, barbed wire, bunkers ) and tanks.

Tactics

The Engineer’s basic combat tactics are covered in the Assault section, and the engineer should be at the spearhead of any attack. The Engineers anti tank grenade and satchel charges as anti tank weapons are discussed in the Anti-Tank section.

In addition to the above, the Engineer has the opportunity to massively assist an attack by targeting a range of destructible features on the battlefield. When equipping satchel charges, areas of wall, tank traps, barbed wire, closed doors and bunkers may flash yellow, and in general their removal will speed other soldiers advance across the battlefield, though it is important to ensure that comrades are clear of the blast area, or at least warned when satchel charges have been laid. It is particularly frowned upon to destroy these features while in defence, or after the attacking wave has passed, purely “for points” as they are highly likely to cause friendly casualties.

One particularly useful tactic for an experienced Engineer is to abandon unnecessary equipment on spawning to increase mobility and maximise stamina – for example, on infantry only maps, he is unlikely to require anti-tank grenades.

Equipment

Axis

• One MP 40
• Two HHL3 AT-Grenade
• Two Satchel Charges
• (Unlockable G 41(W) on realism and action mode when Engineer class is veteran or above)

Allies

• One PPSh-41
• Two RPG40 AT-Grenade
• Two Satchel Charges
• (Unlockable SVT-40 on realism and action mode when Engineer class is veteran or above)