[Rules] Can non-personnel units dig in?

[John_S1973]

I am a newbie to PG and really like the game!   I was not sure if digging-in was limited solely to personnel units and leaders or if weapon units (AT guns, APC's, Tanks, other vehicles) can dig in.  It wasn't that unusual for these weapons to be dug in in WW2, particularly on the steppe or desert due to lack of defensive terrain.  Thoughts?

Thanks all for your help!

[plloyd1010]

Everything can dig in except for cavalry, motorcycles and transports. (That last one befuddles me a bit.) APCs can dig in because of their hybrid status.

[treadasaurusrex]

It is SO unrealistic to ban motorcycle and cavalry units from digging in! Dismounting from either is quick & easy and there have always been horse-holders in mounted units. IMHO, this is another example of a bad PG rule that's begging to be changed in the next edition.

[triangular_cube]

It is SO unrealistic to ban motorcycle and cavalry units from digging in! Dismounting from either is quick & easy and there have always been horse-holders in mounted units. IMHO, this is another example of a bad PG rule that's begging to be changed in the next edition.

Dismounting has been off and on included in the series in the module rules. Seemingly based on whether or not the designer remembered it was a thing. Once dismounted they usually couldn't remount though, presumably for ease of bookkeeping?

[goosebrown]

In IA they have mounted and dismounted CAV. Same should happen here with Motorcycle and Cav. A lot of armies used their Cav as mounted riflemen like Dragoons. If they could do this in Napoleonic time, you'd think they could have done it here. 1 in four hold horses I think it generally was.

[plloyd1010]

A big difference between motorcycles and cavalry is that horses walk. When cavalry dismounts, every 4th man stays with the horses. When the troop/platoon (depends on army) moves the horse-handlers follow with the horses. If motorcycle troops dismount and move, the motorcycles stay. Also note that in IA, even dismounted cavalry units cannot dig in.

Moving to the obvious questions, how bookkeeping or counters would be desired to support better simulation? How much would that better simulation detract from game play? My vote would be that motorcycle troops can remount only if they don't move while dismounted.

[waynebaumber]

Where's the bit about Motorcycles not digging in?  16.23 says Cavalry and unarmed transports, though I don't recall ever digging in motorcycles.
However as to changing the rules I am in the keep it simple rule camp. If cavalry and motorcycles dig in they become Infantry and are replaced by an Infantry counter of that nationality.

[plloyd1010]

Where's the bit about Motorcycles not digging in?  16.23 says Cavalry and unarmed transports, though I don't recall ever digging in motorcycles.

There seems to not be. I thought there was something where the rules were talking about motorcycles, but it seems not.

I don't think I have ever dig in motorcycles either. There would have been an opportunity to give treadasaurusrex even more headaches had I dug in some dragoons.

[treadasaurusrex]

Amen! Headaches R US.
Just let motorcycle/dragoon unit dig in. Their motorcycles will still be close by, but they won't be mounted again, until they leave the dug-in hex.

[triangular_cube]

FWIW the dismounting rule from AK was as follows, "During a German/Italian action segment, motorcycle units may dismount. Replace the unit with an infantry unit of the appropriate nationality and strength (Italian BERS and German INF). This counts as te units action for this segment (place a Moved/Fired marker on the unit). Once dismounted the units may not remount. 

AK had no cavalry, and only German/Italians had motorcycles available in the module for context. 

I know its not the only module to have dismounting in it, but I can't specifically recall where else I have seen it. I just happened to have the AK scenario book close at hand.