Mission 07 - Land Bridge to Leningrad | The Campaign Mode Company of Heroes 2 Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
Main Objectives:
1. Secure the Eastern bank of the river
2. Seize the German base
3. Protect the German base
4. Destroy all of the remaining strongholds
Bonus Objectives:
1. Complete this mission without seizing or producing mortar
2. Destroy the German HQs from close distance at the General difficulty level
3. Achieve third rank veterancy with SU-76
4. Destroy or seize the second German howitzer
1. You need to make your way across the river covered with ice. At the other side, there is a German le.F.H.18 howitzer, which poses a considerable threat not only due to its power, but also because it destroys the ice on the river, with the Soviet army going across. So, it is a waste of time to wait any longer and it is best to start pushing forward from the very beginning. The way to the other side will be peppered with all kinds of infantry. You have several assault squads and conscripts at your disposal. The conscripts, due to their disposability, should be cutting through the way in the first place, with the assault squads behind them. Do not hesitate to use both Molotov's cocktails and Oorah! Also fill in any losses in the assault squads by joining with the conscripts.
There are two mortars across the river, which you need to eliminate in the first place,, best with grenades. At this point, you need to decide whether you are going to fulfill the first two bonus objectives (1) (2). If you are playing this mission for the first time, it is not the recommendable solution, because you are not too experienced. The mortar, in itself is heavy and, having no mortars with you will make things even more complicated. Further in the mission, you will have to destroy heavily fortified German bases with short ranged weaponry. Germans will have at their disposal tanks for protection, which is going to make things even more difficult. If you are still bent on achieving the bonus objectives, leave the mortars and focus on the penal battalions and their ability to throw explosives throughout the rest of this mission. They inflict a lot of damage but they have the delay time of 5 seconds. That is why they are good against buildings. It is also crucial that you develop AT grenades at your HQ. Attacking the German bases will hinge on these two abilities. The penal battalions will be showering tanks with grenades and the buildings with the explosives. During the attack, you should also provide support from the other units, especially the HMG, to sweep the enemy infantry off their feet.
If you still want to simply beat the game, order a conscripts to the mortars and have them fire at the nearby enemy positions from here.
Seize the howitzer. It is a powerful long-range weapon. Unfortunately, it cannot leave its position. Either way, it is a good idea to man the gun and, alongside with one guard battalion, order towards the river. Later into the game, the enemy will often walk around the entre map in order to get you from behind. The howitzer, along with the infantry squad will persuade this out of his mind.
You now need to take over the nearby German outpost. In the above screenshot, you can see an HMG hidden inside the building. Take advantage of the wall in the form of a cover, and throw a grenade over it to remove the HMG from its position without sustaining any losses. The outpost, of course, should be meantime under your mortar fire (as long as you do not want to achieve the bonus objective). At this phase, it is worth investing into some other units. A sniper will do good here, you also definitely need to enroll engineers and, at least one, ZiS cannon. Seize also all of the German weaponry.
Seizing the outpost, will mean the performance of the first one of the objectives and the area will be arranged as your new HQ. You will also receive a new ability "Fear Propaganda Artillery". It is a unique ability that allows you to shower the enemy with the propaganda leaflets. The Germans, consumed by the reading, may fall to the ground, be less effective in battle or even retreat.
Your armies will now receive reinforcements in the form of three SU-76, a mobile weapon against vehicles. It is excellent for taking out lightly-armored vehicles. Unfortunately, it is not as effective against infantry, and it is fragile at the same time. It also stands no chance against heavy tanks and it will inflict rather negligible damage to the vehicle while getting destroyed after a few shots. That is why relying on the Su is not recommendable. This does not change the fact that they are useful and it is a good idea to keep them as something to fall back on. Achieving veterancy with at least, one of them is also a requirement set by one of the bonus objectives. (3). Another bonus objective (4) consists in destroying or seizing the second of the German howitzers. Dealing with that will be a good task for the SU-76. Order them towards the howitzer straight away, and get rid of it. Then, order your men back to the base.
2. Launch a frontal offensive and seize the enemy's base. Use the SU-76 to deal with the light vehicles. The sniper and the remaining troops will take care of the rest. After you have destroyed the enemy soldiers, before you take over the base, seize all of the heavy equipment and deploy it facing the covered portions of the map. Especially, you should make sure that the two AT cannons are deployed this way. It is a good idea to deploy several mines also.
3. The Germans will try to recapture the base. It is going to be a long and tough battle. Make use of the nearby buildings and hide your snipers, and the HMGs inside. If you are playing with the howitzers, order them to lay constant fire over the approach routes to your HQ. You should withdraw your SU-76s also, to the back, as soon as the German tanks will appear on the map. Otherwise they will be destroyed pretty quickly. Pound at the Panzers with your ZiS cannons and shower them with AT grenades. The attack will consist of three waves. It is also worthwhile to set the meeting point for the production buildings directly in the battlefield. This way, you will have new units join the battle as soon as they leave the buildings. If you cannot handle it, you can make use of the new ability scorched earth tactic which, for the next two minutes, can lay mortar fire onto the territory. Watch out though, it can easily kill your units as well.
Go North and seize the remaining two key points. To the East of here, there is the first one of the remaining two strongholds that you need to destroy (4a). you can do it quickly, with mortar fire, or with frontal attack using your penal battalions if you are aiming at the bonus objectives, just like it has been written earlier. If you are attacking with the infantry, you also should not forget about smoke grenades to cover from the enemy sight. After you destroy the stronghold, the reinforcements will arrive from the East. Now, you will have the Germans surrounded.
Before you launch the final attack, you should make sure that you have captured the PaK-43 cannon located in the North-Eastern portion of the map. It is a mighty long-range weapon that will be very useful while dealing with the tanks in the last of the Reich's strongholds.
The attack on the last stronghold (4b) can be launched either with the mortar fire or by direct onslaught . It is very well defended so, either way, this is not going to be easy. Right now, however, the enemy will have nothing to respond with and even a failed attack will not have immense effects. If you cannot do it at the first take, simply replenish your forces and repeat the attack. The last stronghold will soon fall and you will finally be able to catch a breath or two.