uber anti tank units

[Bacillus98]

In regards to anti tank units, I'd like to know others experience with them. In the N44 alt Omaha scenario, a US company of 180 men assault a pillbox (-20) with a SINGLE atg gun defending. The assault fails. I guess the atg had lots of HE. Could someone explain what the game is abstracting? Are there assumed troops with the atg?

[Ricky B]

2 abstractions are in play - not every man is represented in the game, such as most HQ manpower, supply troops, mechanics, etc. Possibly dedicated weapons in the pillbox also, part of the + factor the pillbox confers on the unit. Also, the unit isn't just an AT gun, but also other weapon equipped men from the unit. A German AT unit had its guns but also generally 1 LMG per AT gun also, at least that was authorized. So consider the pillbox held by maybe 20 men with the AT gun and at least 1 LMG, plus any dedicated troops for the fortification.

Ultimately, what you are seeing is that the defender can't "lose" the assault unless all its units disrupt, so a failure to disrupt means the defender will win, period, unless wiped out by assault losses, which are tough to inflict in a Pillbox.

Rick

[Volcano Man]

Right, as Rick said, AT gun units often had LMG teams as an integral part of the unit. For the most part though, an AT gun is weak in an assault but if they are located in a pillbox then you can assume that they have other security elements protecting them.

[MasnarT]

sometimes i encounter vehicles in a trench/bunker and don't find it very difficult to hit them.... it doesn't seem that the trench/bunker offer the same protection to a vehicle as infantry .. am i right?? it shouldn't protect ... how can i fit a tank inside a bunker ???

[Aetius]

sometimes i encounter vehicles in a trench/bunker and don't find it very difficult to hit them.... it doesn't seem that the trench/bunker offer the same protection to a vehicle as infantry .. am i right?? it shouldn't protect ... how can i fit a tank inside a bunker ???

I think the designers felt the same as you. From the manual (around page 41, my emphasis):

Bunkers - Bunkers are the next step up in Fortification development. They cannot be created during game play, rather they start in place at the beginning of a scenario. What Bunkers offer over Trenches is generally timber protection from Direct Fire and overhead protection from Indirect or Artillery Fire. As such, Bunkers only protect non-vehicular units and are treated as Hard Targets in terms of their defense.

Pillboxes - Like Bunkers, Pillboxes are fortifications that cannot be created during game play. They also only benefit non-vehicular units and represent a much more permanent defense complex made of concrete and steel. Therefore units protected by these fortifications are considered Hard Targets.

Vehicle units do benefit from improved and trench hexes, on the other hand, which also makes sense.