3. THE TO HIT PROCESS
3.1 Firing ordnance is always a one- or two-step process. First the firer must determine if he has hit the target; if he has, he must then determine the effect(s), if any, of that hit.
3.2 COVERED ARC (CA): Unlike Personnel units and SW, which can fire in any direction regardless of facing, the placement within a hex of a vehicle/
EX: E6 Is also within the Gun's CA provided the target crossed the hexsides of the Gun's CA when it entered E6. A8, B8, C9, D9, and E10 are also within the Gun's CA if the range is extended another hex.
3.21 FIRING WITHIN CA: A Gun can fire only at a target within its CA. To fire at a target outside its CA, the unit must first change its CA to bring the target within that new CA. Changing a CA in the same fire phase in which the unit fires incurs a TH DRM penalty (5.1) that lessens the chance of obtaining a hit. This DRM varies in severity depending on the circumstances. See D3.52 for IFE and Canister.
3.22 CHANGING CA WITHOUT FIRE: A Gun may change its CA without firing only at the end of a friendly fire phase (not MPh), and only if at that time it is still able to fire without using Intensive/
3.3 TO HIT (TH) TABLE: The TH process is merely a matter of cross-indexing the "Target Type" classification with the "Range" to the target on the TH Table to obtain a Basic To Hit Number (TH#). Any Gun or Ammo modifications (C4) are added directly to the Basic TH# to achieve a Modified TH#. A Final DR this Modified TH# results in a hit vs the target, which is then resolved on the IFT vs Infantry/
3.31 VEHICLE TARGET TYPE: The Vehicle Target Type can be selected only when firing at a specific vehicle and must be used when firing at an AFV [EXC: firing HE or SMOKE when using the Area Target Type (3.33)]. A hit on the target vehicle cannot itself cause damage to any other vehicle, Infantry, Cavalry, and/
3.32 INFANTRY TARGET TYPE: The Infantry Target Type can be selected only when firing HE [EXC: AP or HEAT vs an unarmored target (8.31, 11.52)] and only against an unarmored target. All AFV (but not their Vulnerable PRC) in the target Location are immune to damage from a hit on this table, other than that resulting from damage to terrain (B24.121): All other in-LOS enemy units in that Location can be hit [EXC: those immune as per 3.4], and all that are hit are then attacked on the IFT with a single Effects DR; see 3.4.
EX: A Russian 57LL AT Gun Prep Fires with HE on the Infantry Target Type at a shellhole hex six hexes away containing an Opel Blitz truck (0 size TH DRM), a Kuebelwagen (+2 size TH DRM) and an Infantry squad. An Original TH DR of 8 for the truck, 7 for the squad (+1 shellhole TEM), and 6 for the Kuebelwagen (+2 size TH DRM) is needed, so if that DR is 6 all three targets will be hit and their fate will be resolved on the "6" column of the IFT with a single Effects DR. An Original TH DR of 9 will not result in a possible hit vs one of the vehicles due to vehicular Overstacking (A5.132), because the Infantry Target Type was used.
3.33 AREA TARGET TYPE: The Area Target Type must be used at all times by mortars and whenever ordnance [EXC:LATW] attempts to fire SMOKE; otherwise it may be selected when firing HE (but not AP/
3.331 TH Cases C1-C4, E, G and L do not apply to the Area Target Type. TEM (Case Q) does not apply to an Area Target TH DR, but TEM that does not grant the target HD status vs that shot (see D4.2-.21) does apply (as per 3.4) to the resulting Effects DR. (See also 1.52 and 1.55 for TEM vs a mortar.) All other TH DRM apply to the Area Target Type TH DR in the normal manner vs each applicable target.
EX: A German 50mm mortar at level 0 Prep fires at a woods-gully hex that contains two enemy squads (one concealed and one Known) in Crest status at level 0 and a third IN the gully. If its TH DR is low enough to hit the concealed squad it will also hit the other two squads, resulting (barring a CH) in a 2-FP attack vs all three enemy units resolved with one IFT DR (and a -1 DRM due to Air Bursts, but with no Crest TEM). Assuming the mortar retains its ROF - which it can do despite using the Area Target Type - It now Prep Fires on a building hex that contains one enemy squad apiece at the ground and upper levels plus a German OT AFV in bypass out of the mortar crew's LOS. The crew's LOS to the ground-level (only) squad is Hindered by a grain field, which will modify the TH DR (Case R; 6.9) vs that enemy squad - but not vs the upper-level squad (3.4). Barring a CH, each squad hit will undergo a 2 FP IFT attack modified by the appropriate building TEM (B23.3; B23.32). If the ground-level squad is hit, the AFV will also undergo a 2-FP IFT attack as per 3.332 (with a -1 DRM for being OT: 1.55) despite being friendly to the firer. See also B9.521 second EX for WP placement. [AP4, J8]
3.332 An Area Target Type hit vs a vehicle [EXC: motorcycle; D15.5] is resolved as per 1.55 (see also D5.311 for mortar Air Bursts). Vulnerable PRC are attacked Collaterally (A.14B) unless otherwise prohibited.
EX: A Russian 76mm Gun uses the Area Target Type to fire HE at a hex that contains a PzKpfw IIIG that, due to being behind a wall, is HD to the firer. The Original TH DR's colored dr is < its white dr, so the tank is hit. To resolve the hit the 6 FP column of the IFT is used, with a -1 Effects DRM (all AF ≤ 4; 1.55); the wall TEM does not apply since it gave the tank its HD status (D4.2). If the wall were instead a hedge, the tank would not be HD but the net Effects DRM would be 0 (-1 [all AF ≤ 4] plus +1 [hedge TEM) = 0). If the tank were instead a truck, the hit would be resolved on the ★ Vehicle Line of the IFT's 6 FP column with a net Effects DRM of 0 (if HD behind the wall) or +1 (if behind the hedge). In both cases, if the vehicle was not destroyed, its non-shocked non-stunned vulnerable PRC would be subject to a General Collateral Attack (A.14B) but would receive no wall/
3.4 MULTIPLE TARGETS: A hit obtained on any TH Table affects only the target hex and, depending on the Target-Type/
3.41 The Infantry, as well as the Area, Target Type may be used to attack a(n) unarmored-target/
3.5 FP MODIFIERS: Most FP modifications do not apply to ordnance attacks. See also C.6.
3.51 Ordnance does not double/
3.52 Ordnance has no Long Range Fire. Since it cannot hit a target outside its listed range (2.25), it cannot harm that target.
3.53 Ordnance FP is not halved for firing at a concealed target, nor for being pinned, nor for firing in the AFPh: However, ordnance HE FP is halved for firing into a marsh or vs fording Infantry/
3.6 IMPROBABLE HITS: When firing under adverse conditions it can become impossible to roll the required TH#. When this is the case (i.e., when the lowest Final TH DR possible for that shot would be a miss), the firer still obtains a hit with an Original 2 TH DR by making a subsequent dr of 1, 2 or 3. A subsequent dr of 1 is a CH, a 2 is a turret/
EX: A German L Gun fires on the Infantry Target Type at a target 37 hexes away, thus requiring a Modified (3.3) TH# of 3. All of the pertinent TH DRM amount to +2, so the German player needs to make a 1 DR to score a hit. Even though this is impossible, the German can possibly score a hit with an Original 2 TH DR. Having rolled the Original 2 TH DR, he makes a third dr. If the dr is 1-3, he has scored a hit; otherwise he has missed.
3.7 CRITICAL HITS (CH): A CH is a hit so well placed that it increases the chance of causing damage on the resulting IFT Effects or TK DR. Even if the target is HD (3.9), a CH occurs on an Original 2 DR during the resolution of a HE (or WP; see 3.76) FFE (1.53), or on an Original TH DR of 2 on the Area/
EX: A CE tank Prep Fires through its TCA at an Infantry unit in a wooden building two hexes away using the Infantry Target Type. There are no Gun or Ammo Basic TH# modifications at this range so the Modified TH# is 8. The only applicable To Hit DRM are cases L (-1) and Q (+2) for a combined To Hit DRM of +1. The tank would score a CH only on an Original DR of 2 (which becomes a Final DR of 3, which is the highest number that is < half of 8). Assuming the Situation remains unchanged until the tank's next shot, it could repeat the same attack, this time adding the -1 Acquisition To Hit DRM of Case N for a combined To Hit DRM of 0. The tank would then score a CH on an Original To Hit DR ≤ 3 (which is also a Final DR 3). Should the situation remain unchanged again until its next shot, the tank could fire again, earning a -2 Acquisition To Hit DRM for a combined To HIT DRM of -1. The tank would then score a CH on an Original To Hit DR 4 (which equals a Final DR ≤ 3).
3.71 RESOLUTION vs NON-ARMORED TARGET: A CH vs a non-armored target is resolved on the IFT (as per A7.3-.308) with the attacking weapon's/
EX: A squad using Non-Assault Movement through a woods hex is struck by a 50mm mortar HE CH. The attack is resolved on the 12 FP column of the IFT with a -3 DRM (deleted by errata -1 [FFNAM] + -1 [Air Burst] = -2).
3.72 RESOLUTION vs ARMORED TARGET: A HE CH vs an AFV caused by a FFE or on the Area Target Type is resolved as per 1.55, but with doubled full FP (as per 3.71) and no TEM of any kind. See also C.7. If the CH involved Air Bursts vs an OT AFV, see also D5.311. Otherwise, a CH vs an AFV has its Basic TK# doubled on the pertinent TK Table (7.31-.34)
3.73 RESOLUTION vs TERRAIN: A CH has no special additional effect vs terrain. Fire and rubble generation are handled as per a non-CH. Q&A
3.74 RESOLUTION vs MULTIPLE TARGETS: Regardless of the number of targets in a Location struck by a CH, the special provisions of a CH apply only to the target(s) determined by Random Selection. Attacks on other units hit in that Location are resolved as if struck by a normal hit [EXC: If a CH is obtained vs a vehicle, the vehicle always receives the CH and any other units affected Collaterally are attacked normally; A.14]. If using the Area Target Type or OBA, and more than one occupied Location is hit, use Random Selection to determine the occupied Location in which the CH occurs. Q&A
3.75 HARASSING FIRE & BARRAGE: A HE CH achieved by Harassing Fire (1.72) or Barrage (E12.) is resolved with double the full FP of that OBA - not double its lowered FP
3.76 WP: The resolution DR for a WP FFE is a special DR used to determine if a CH has occurred as per 3.7. A separate resolution DR is made for each Blast Area hex attacked during the PFPh and DFPh, and for each unit/
3.8 MULTIPLE HITS:8 A Gun of ≥ 15mm but 40mm that scores a non-CH hit while rolling an Original Doubles TH DR on the Vehicle/ 3.9 LOCATION OF VEHICULAR HITS: It is often necessary to know the location of a hit vs a vehicular target in order to determine the correct AF (or in the case of a HD target, whether a hit has been scored at all). An ordnance hit vs a vehicle strikes its turret/
