Anti-Tank Ditch MF cost to enter (B27.56)

lightspeed

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Folks,

Have a look at B27.56 (Anti-Tank Ditch).

The last sentence says "An A-T Ditch is treated the same as a trench except...Infantry
must pay two MF plus COT to enter/exit the counter of an A-T Ditch." (italics added.)

What the heck does that mean? Specifically, what does it mean to enter the counter?

B27.4 (Entrenchments) uses the language of moving beneath an counter, and enter/exit
a foxhole/pillbox.

Does the "enter/exit the counter" refer to moving below/above the counter? If it does,
I would argue that it is a curious way to word it.

To summarise my questions, imagine an A-T Ditch in a brush hex.

1. Is the MF cost to enter the hex 4?
2a. What is the MF cost to move beneath the A-T Ditch counter once a unit is in the hex?
2b. What is the MF cost to move from beneath the A-T Ditch counter to above it?

I've looked at the Q and A and errata and cannot find anything...

indy
 

JR Brackin

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1. No normal COT - but if you wish to enter into the AT Ditch then it costs 2 MF + COT instead of 1 MF + COT for a Trench
2a. 2 MF
2b. 2MF
 

Gordon

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I would think that gravity would make it easier to enter into an AT Ditch. Now getting out again afterwards might be harder.
 

JR Brackin

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They tend to be a little deeper than a Trench - so I suppose that is the reason for the extra MF.
 

Juan SantaX

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Yes... I can recall photograps of german soldiers getting out of an at ditch using planks as makeshift ladder
 

lightspeed

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1. No normal COT - but if you wish to enter into the AT Ditch then it costs 2 MF + COT instead of 1 MF + COT for a Trench
2a. 2 MF
2b. 2MF
That's exactly how I would play it, to be sure. I think the rule on AT-Ditch could be written a bit more clearly (without
the "enter the counter" stuff.

Thanks!

indy
 

JR Brackin

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However, you can either be in the AT Ditch or on the outside - so somehow it needs to show the entrance costs.
 

SSlunt

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May be you can not be on the outside. It could be that if you move into the hex you must go into the AT Ditch. Hence INTO the counter. If it is there then you are in it.
 

Eagle4ty

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They tend to be a little deeper than a Trench - so I suppose that is the reason for the extra MF.
The A-T Ditches as represented in ASL are quite generic. As you pointed out the tend to be a bit deeper, especially WW-II types, but in actuality they need only to be wider than a vehicle could span and deeper than the vehicle could vertically ascend or vertically climb, usually about a 60% grade or ~3 foot vertical ascendancy. Much was made of the German 60 Minute Roadblock/A-T ditches late in the war leading to the remark by German civilians that the Americans would spend 50 minutes laughing at the attempt and spend 10 minutes to breach them.
 
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