Dug In Rule

[Charles]

The Dug In rule says a unit counts as down to represent having dug fox holes or piling up sand bags, etc. It makes no mention of terrain alteration. If I read it right, a unit can be dug in in the middle of an otherwise open good going area. My question is if a unit close assaults a unit that is in good going but is dug in, is it a simultaneous combat, or does the attacker go first?

[Nat]

1st question is – which campaign book are you reading?

However my read of the Dig In rules from ‘Duel in the Sun’:

Where Scenarios allow it units can begin a game Dug in.  Units deploy as normal but must be marked as locations can be re-occupied by other units later in game.

Use – Units count as being DOWN when shot at unless they have an ADVANCE or RUN order on them.  IF they are given a DOWN order then the befits are doubled (-4 for shooting or ¼ hits of HE).  Being Dug in gives no benefits to assaults which are worked out as normal, except Tank Assaults as mentioned below.

Dug in Vehicles – Are unable to move at all during the game, but treat every IMMOBLISED result as a crew stunned result instead.

Dug in & Hidden Setup – Hidden setup rules apply fully, but the unit still counts as down when shot by HE.  When hidden setup rules cease applying then only Dug in rules apply.

Dug in V Prelimary bombardment – Dug in has no effect against pre-game artillery.

Dug in V Tank Assault – Dug in units auto pass moral checks when attacked by Tanks which pass over them as if they weren’t there.  However if the tank ends its move on top of any models then they are removed as casualties, and the unit has to take a tank shock moral check / or casualty moral check as applicable.

Digging in During a Game – Optional rule that is NOT recommended – If a unit receives a down order & passes an order check then doesn’t move from that location the next turn it becomes Dug in during the End Phase.  Place the relevant markers /tokens.

[Charles]

Thanks. That’s what I was looking for. That clears it up.

[coljacksimpson57]

To take it a step further; if the unit is dug in in fox holes the normal rules for assaults would still apply (i.e., the assaulting unit would attack first).  However, if the defender is dug in behind a sandbagged position a determination would have to be made before the game begins as to whether or not it is treated as an obstacle. A low sandbag wall 1-2 feet tall poses no obstacle while a sandbag wall 4 feet high would.  These types of high sandbag walls were rare in the ETO but were fairly common in the MTO and PTO.

• This reply was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by coljacksimpson57.

[Nat]

As the rules say – being dug in gives no intrinsic benefit to assaults,  what you are talking about with sandbag walls is all ready covered by the core rules of obstacles soft /hard cover.

There is nothing stopping you putting the initial foxholes immediately behind a brick wall (hard cover obstacle).

[Author]

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