Prisoners and melee

[Jazz]

A question came up during our game this AM.
The situation:

In a building hex: GO German leader, British squad, British HS guarding a squad sized prisoner. Melee exists on top of everybody.

The prisoners try to attack their guards unsuccessfully

The British Squad kills the German leader

Does the melee still exist at the end of the CC phase? Put another way, Is a prisoner considered "infantry"? Our reading of the rulz says yes and the melee still exists, but it isn't particularly clear or satisfying.

 

[Tuomo]

IIRC the Guard has to be broken in order for the Prisoners to attempt Escape (by attacking the Guard). No?

 

[Doug Leslie]

IIRC the Guard has to be broken in order for the Prisoners to attempt Escape (by attacking the Guard). No?

Not if a melee already exists in the location.

With regard to OP’s original question, once a melee is formed, it will continue until the prisoners are killed or subject to a successful capture DR.

 

[Jazz]

IIRC the Guard has to be broken in order for the Prisoners to attempt Escape (by attacking the Guard). No?

Only if there is no melee in place.

A20.55"...
Once a Melee exists within
the Location, prisoners may, during the CCPh, attack without passing a NTC
and even if the Guard is not broken. ..."

In this instance the melee wuz already in place

 

[Ricardo Garcia]

Not if a melee already exists in the location.

With regard to OP’s original question, once a melee is formed, it will continue until the prisoners are killed or subject to a successful capture DR.

But the prisoners never managed to escape since they didn‘t succeed in their attack to their guards. So in this case the melee would disappear as soon as the German unit is killed. I think

 

[Doug Leslie]

But the prisoners never managed to escape since they didn‘t succeed in their attack to their guards. So in this case the melee would disappear as soon as the German unit is killed. I think

They attacked their guards but the attack was unsuccessful. In that event, they are in melee at the end of the CCPh and will remain so until they are either recaptured/ eliminated or they defeat their opponents in close combat.

 

[Jazz]

But the prisoners never managed to escape since they didn‘t succeed in their attack to their guards. So in this case the melee would disappear as soon as the German unit is killed. I think

A11.15 MELEE: If Infantry of both sides remain in the same Location after all initial CC attacks have been resolved at the end of a
CCPh, they [EXC: bicyclists, skiers] are considered to be locked in
Melee and may not leave that Location or attack except as part of
CC.

From the index:

Infantry: (all SMC & MMC counters on foot; i.e., not mounted as Cavalry or PRC)

Can you quote a rule that removes the melee if prisoners (infantry according to the index definition) are the only units from one side still in the location at the end of CC?

 

[EagleIV]

I agree, since the prisoners were in a Melee at the start of the CCPh and weren't killed during the CCPh (and there are still British in the location) there is still a Melee.

I am guessing that a German HS was with the leader when they jumped the guards and the first round of CC resulted in the CR of the HS, then the British squad joined the fun.