Why didn't the AT-AT walkers have air support?

Krash · Jedi Knight Joined: Mar 20, 2004 Posts: 3495

Ever wonder why the Empire didn't send TIE fighters to provide air-support for the AT-AT walkers on Hoth? After watching the ground battle of the Clone Wars, you would think the Empire would send both air and ground forces in to crush the Rebel base.

According to "Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology", ray shields:
absorb blasts from laser cannons and turbolasers, and other energy weapons
This would be how the shield protected the base from orbital bombardment.

Meanwhile, partical shileds:
ships must lower theirparticle shields when launching carried craft or fire their own physical weapons.
Which the Rebels had to do each time they launched an escape transport.

Echo base may have been using a combination energy/partical shield. And unless the Empire was going to use an "attack dog...that eats force fields" (Toy Story) they would have to send AT-AT drop ships and any potential air-support to the outer edge of the shield...fly under the shield and attack the generator from underneth. This would lead to the conclusion that TIE fighters and bombers couldn't make the journey around the shield...and follow the terrain to it's source (too cold).

TheRandomMenace · Jedi Knight Joined: Mar 30, 2004 Posts: 1886

ships must lower theirparticle shields when launching carried craft or fire their own physical weapons

This is actually how Anakin blows up the Trade Federation Droid Control Ship in TPM despite "the shields being up" as mentioned by another pilot beforehand. The TF launched a bunch of Droid Starfighters, and thus had to lower their shields, and Anakin flew right in to blow the place up.

Honestly, the real reason there's no air support... most importantly, it wasn't in the script Razz

, but I think perhaps the Empire just doesn't care... they think they've pretty much won the war and air support isn't necessary.

Krash · Jedi Knight Joined: Mar 20, 2004 Posts: 3495

Besides the "it wasn't in the script" reason...try thinking from an in-unvierse perspective.

The cold may have been a factor, even the Rebels were having trouble adapting their T-47 "Snowspeeders" to the extreme conditions. TIE Fighters attempting high speed manuvers in cold atmosphere may have torn them apart.

Beltayn · Jedi Knight Joined: Apr 18, 2004 Posts: 1712

Maybe it was an ego issue between the Army (Veers) and the Navy (Ozzel)? After all, it *IS* the Empire Razz

Maybe Veers (or Vader, since he was on-planet and was involved in the assault on the caverns) decided that the ground forces were capable enough to handle the job (which, in the end, they were).

Or... the Navy intended to use it's fighter support to swarm the escaping Alliance ships (they didn't- the Rebel Ion Cannon took care of that when they nailed the Star Destroyer).

gbonkers · Jedi Knight Joined: Jun 03, 2004 Posts: 78

Ditto!

Krash · Jedi Knight Joined: Mar 20, 2004 Posts: 3495

Having a bit of a power struggle between the Imperial navy and ground forces would be an interesting sub-plot to what we know of the Empire. You think that Veers wanted to look good for the boss (Vader) by taking down the base with only HIS troops? Leaving Ozzel (Piett) to mop up the escaping fighters/freighters?

"Ah, good...our FIRST catch of the day"
You think the Fleet commanders, having been left out of the main battle felt capturing a cruiser and 2 starfighters was beneath them?

Padme92 · Treasury Councillor Joined: Mar 27, 2004 Posts: 2123

...because then George would of had to create air support for the AT-AT's and he didn't feel like going to all that!! Razz

Beltayn · Jedi Knight Joined: Apr 18, 2004 Posts: 1712

I'd have to agree with that line of thinking Razz

Though a few TIE Fighters and TIE Bombers would have taken out Echo Base defenses, objectives can only be taken and held by ground forces...

...unless of course a few of those jet jockeys wanted to land their TIEs and assault the base on foot Twisted Evil

If I remember right... wasn't the main objective of the Empire's assault on Hoth to capture Luke, Solo and Leia? Drop too many bombs or strafe the wrong area and you fail your mission. The Imperials wouldn't have known where thier targets were or what those three were doing.

Padme92 · Treasury Councillor Joined: Mar 27, 2004 Posts: 2123

Would it really matter if they did or not, I mean the Empire still WON!! Cool

Beltayn · Jedi Knight Joined: Apr 18, 2004 Posts: 1712

Padawan92 wrote:

Would it really matter if they did or not, I mean the Empire still WON!! Cool

I agree, but it was a decisive victory- they assaulted the base, captured it, inflicted numerous casualties and destroyed precious vehicles and other equipment (all of which were not easy to replace), and sent the Rebel Alliance on the run again. They still didn't get the big fish, though Wink

TheRandomMenace · Jedi Knight Joined: Mar 30, 2004 Posts: 1886

The crawl of the movie tells us that Vader is looking for Luke... as Mike said, he wanted to capture Luke (I don't think he was worrying so much about Han and Leia, at the time he didn't know Leia was his daughter and he didn't think he could use her to overthrow Palpatine), and he was sure that wherever the Rebels' secret location was, Luke would be there. So he wouldn't want to use air support to take out Echo Base when there's a huge chance Luke would get killed in the process.

JediLionelHart · Padawan Joined: Dec 02, 2004 Posts: 74

Why did Obi-Wan leave Luke with his father's surnname?

Sure makes him a lot easier to find.

gbonkers · Jedi Knight Joined: Jun 03, 2004 Posts: 78

Vader wanted to capture Luke alive...and they probably weren't adopted to the cold either....which of course, you have to ask. Why didn't the Rebels use X-wings against the AT-ATs--because they need them to escort the transport ships. The snow speeders were only to slow down the AT-ATs...that is if they got lucky.

JediKnightPasJoDacle · Jedi Knight Joined: Mar 31, 2004 Posts: 1223

JediLionelHart wrote:

Why did Obi-Wan leave Luke with his father's surnname?

Sure makes him a lot easier to find.

I was actually going to post a thread on that one!