Remedial Blocked Fire & Assault Hexes

[treadasaurusrex]

In a recent play through with the agile & clever, bugmaster, a question came up regarding firing AT at a distance and THROUGH an existing assault hex.

One may certainly fire AT into an assault hex at enemy AFVs from outside the assault hex/

May one also fire AT shots, THROUGH such a hex at targets within range, and in LOS, that are not in the assault hex? I suspect that the answer is: NO.

[plloyd1010]

You may not fire through the assault hex if friendly vehicles are in the hex.

[Shad]

Please roll 2d6 and consult the "How Angry is my Tank Leadet Comrade" chart.

[cjsiam]

Question...
Can you fire AT through ANY hex which contains friendly AFV? (what about Friendly Trucks? other transport?)

cj

[plloyd1010]

Question...
Can you fire AT through ANY hex which contains friendly AFV? (what about Friendly Trucks? other transport?)

cj

No

[cjsiam]

Question...
Can you fire AT through ANY hex which contains friendly AFV? (what about Friendly Trucks? other transport?)

cj

No

I thought that too---
But....
I don't see that in the RAW....
Direct Fire is explicit about it....
But Anti-Tank fire (other then Assault hex) has no Blocking strictures at all....Friendly/Enemy/etc....

So a scenario where an AT Gun is directly behind a friendly tank---shooting at an enemy tank 4 hexes away through the Friendly Tank hex---there is no blockage,
the AT gun can fire.....
That's how the rules seem to read.

Is that correct?

[Grognard Gunny]

I would say "no", but.... there IS the instance where the AT gun is at a higher elevation than the target.... but then we get into a LOT of legal hair splitting.... 

GG

[cjsiam]

Does anyone find any reference to AT Fire being blocked by anything other the LOS obstacles?

Unlike DF---there is NOTHING called out for Blocking fire for AT guns.....
Firing AT guns through friendly troops, or friendly vehicles LOOKS like it's legal.

I find no reference to anything that precludes it.

Not what I expected, but there it is.

[Grognard Gunny]

I couldn't find anything either. Logic dictates that it SHOULD be there, definitely for the Armored Vehicles (any vehicles for that matter) and safety matters for the foot troops.

GG

[Blackcloud6]

Blocked fire is only mentioned in 7.24 and 10.1:

7.24 Blocked FireUnits may not target direct fire at a hex containing friendly units, nor may they trace direct fire through a hex containing friendly non-armored units (exception: see 10.1). They MAY target bombardment fire at an assault hex. They may also target anti-tank fire at an assault hex IF there are no friendly vehicle units in that hex.

10.1 Blocked Fire
Direct Fire may be traced through vacant hexes, enemy-occupied hexes, or hexes containing only friendly AFVs (enemy-occupied or not). Direct fire may not be traced through hexes containing friendly non-AFV units unless the firing unit is an HMG, AFV or antiaircraft unit. These units may fire "through" hexes containing all types of friendly units, IF the fire is also traced through at least one hex which:

1. Contains no friendly units, and
   
2. Is between the target hex and all friendly units along the line of fire.
   

This rule applies to units firing from a higher elevation through their own troops on a lower elevation as well.

Neither pertain to AT fire, so AT fire can go through friendly units.    So, the answer to the OP's question is "yes."