12. RECOILLESS RIFLES (RCL)

12.1 GERMAN/U.S.: German RCL were more like ART than SW. RCL do not have gunshields (gunshields were optional on German RCL, but were small and of little protection to the crew which had to stand away from the weapon at the moment it was fired). U.S. RCL are treated as SW although they too use the C3 To Hit Table.

12.2 RCL are crew-served and fire HE as their main ammunition. U.S. RCL were intended for more widespread distribution as Infantry SW, but their late introduction restricted their use to specially trained teams. Any friendly squad/HS using a RCL does so with captured weapon penalties (A21.13).

12.21 Two SMC may fire a RCL of their own nationality without penalty if they direct no other fire during that Player Turn, but leadership DRM never apply when firing a RCL. Q&A

12.22 A RCL uses the To Hit Table but To Hit Case A applies only to German RCL. The U.S. 57mm RCL may fire during the AFPh even after it or its crew moves in the MPh by adding the +2 To Hit DRM for LATW firing in the AFPh (Case C³). A RCL (and the unit firing it) can never retain concealment when it fires in the LOS of a Good Order enemy ground unit.

12.23 A RCL may never fire from a building, rubble, entrenchment, pillbox, or vehicle [EXC: the US 57mm RCL may fire as per 13.8].

12.24 A RCL cannot acquire a moving (C.8) target or use previous acquisition against it. Only German RCL may Bore Sight. Q&A

12.3 BACKBLAST ZONE: The backblast zone of a RCL consists of the firing hex and the hex or hexes immediately behind it in the opposite direction of the LOF. This zone is determined by extending the LOS of the firing weapon backward through the firing hex a distance of one hex. If this backward extension of the LOS lies exactly along a hexspine of the firing hex (such that it forms a hexside between two adjacent hexes) then both of those adjacent hexes are considered part of the backblast zone.

12.31 Any unarmored unit in the backblast of a RCL when it fires, other than the manning Infantry which fired it, is TI for the remainder of that Player Turn. If those units have already fired or moved during that Player Turn they undergo attack on the 1 FP column of the IFT using the colored dr of the RCL's To Hit DR as an IFT DR. No drm apply.

12.4 Any time a RCL rolls an Original 11 on its To Hit DR there is a chance that the backblast will start a Flame in the backblast zone of the weapon. If the backblast zone contains Burnable Terrain, each hex must be rolled for separately on the Kindling Table (with applicable EC DRM) to determine if a Flame results.