Only commandos and certain engineers can set demolition charges about the hex map. There are two types of demolition orders, and they are discussed in the following table:
Blow Up Bridge - this is a toggle button that allows you to blow up infantry and tank bridges (shown on the hex map as a green disk with either "I" or "T" printed on them). You can't give this order on its own - you must first have the unit to which you want to give this command alongside the bridge that you want destroyed, click this button and have the very first movement order which goes over the bridge that you want destroyed (you can have other orders after the first movement - but the first movement must be over the bridge that you want destroyed). If an enemy unit moves up alongside the bridge that you are trying to blow up, the the effort to blow that bridge will fail - otherwise there is still a chance that the effort will fail anyway, especially with a small company trying to do the job.
Blow Up Hex - this is a toggle button that allows you to blow up a hex (in which the active unit is presently located in the planning stage) and everything in it. After toggling this button on, you must provide some movement orders that move all units out of the hex that you're trying to blow up. If there are any units from any side present in the hex that you're trying to blow up, the the attempt shall fail, otherwise there is still a chance that the effort will fail anyway, especially if the unit that you try to use is of a company strength. Be carefully about which hexes that you blow up - because when you destroy a hex you destroy not just the terrain, but whatever roads and bridges happen to be around.
Bridges that are represented by green disks with either the letter "I" or "A" printed on them (that is Infantry or Armour bridges) can be blown up by certain units. The following is an example where I use some commandos to blow an Infantry bridge:
The thing that must done before blowing a bridge is to move the unit that you wish to use to blow the bridge up against the bridge in question. After you do that you then make that unit the active unit by clicking on it during the planning stage as I've pictured to the left.
You then move the cursor up to the toolbar and over the destroy bridge command button.
Clicking the mouse will cause the blow bridge command button to toggle to the down position.
You then move the cursor over to one of the movement order buttons.
You click the mouse to toggle that movement order option on.
You then move the cursor down to the hex map and over the hex adjacent to the active unit, which is in turn over the bridge that you want destroyed.
You then hold down the Cmd button to cause the cursor to change into the movement command cursor.
Clicking will result in a movement order being created. Something to keep in mind here is that the active unit shall actually move while its trying to blow the bridge so it needs to be a type that can cross the bridge type in question. Since we're trying to blow an Infantry bridge then a commando unit is alright. Had I tried to use a fully motorised combat engineer unit then I wouldn't have succeeded with the attempt to give an order.
Since the movement order is actually being carried out during the execution phase, I could string together a series of movement orders taking the commandos quite a distance from their original location.
All going well, the bridge should be blown (note that the commandos set their charges as they cross the bridge - hence the movement) but keep in mind that there is a certain amount of chance involved, and that if you try to use a company instead of battalion you could find it takes a few attempts before the bridge blows up.
A few things can stop the order from happening: you could have failed to give the order correctly; there was no bridge that could be blown; an enemy unit moved alongside the bridge and removed the charges.
Giving orders to blow up a hex is very similar to blowing up a bridge. The main difference is that to blow a bridge you must provide the first movement order that goes over the bridge - whereas with blowing up a hex you must merely make certain that the hex in question is empty of all units.
The first step is to place your demolition unit in the hex that you want destroyed and make it the active unit.
Move the cursor to the toolbar and over the blow hex order button.
Click the mouse to toggle the blow hex button command button to the down position.
Move the cursor over any of the movement order buttons.
Click the mouse to select your movement order option.
Move the cursor down to the hex that you want to move the unit to.
Press down the Cmd key to change the cursor into the movement order cursor.
Click the mouse to create a movement order. In fact, since you're moving the unit anyway, you can continue to string movement orders together and move the unit further than just the adjacent hex.
If the roll of the dice is in your favour then the hex should blow up and turn to flame as you can see in the picture to the left. Depending on the initial hex type the fire could remain lit for a varying number of turns. Fire also produces lots of smoke so if your units are near to a burning hex then the enemy shall gain little information about those units.
After the fuel in the hex is burnt out, the hex is left in a destroyed state.
It should be noticed that some hexes can't be destroyed like swamp or water. And that the presence of any units (yours or the enemy's) in the hex that you're trying to destroy will result in no destruction occuring.