why didnt the walkers get air support?

every general knows that the key to a land bassed attack is maintaining air cover, so did veers drop the ball on this one?

 

Maybe they didn't have the right kind of aircraft that were capable of flying in atmosphere at such cold temperatures. (Remember the rebels talking about the trouble they had adapting the speeders to the cold?)

Also, time was of the essence, and they figured that the Rebels didn't have anything that could stand in the way of the AT-ATs, so there was no need for air cover, in their estimation.

 

Maybe the shield that the Rebellion had up was like the one the Gungans used in TPM. Notice that none of the blasts get through, and all the battle droids that did get through were making contact with the ground. No AAT went through. I think that the shields blocked fast moving objects and the anti-grav engines.

 

Yeah, it's possible the shield created a solid barrier that was also low enough to prevent fighters from covering the walkers. The speeders probably stayed low enough not to be affected. However, after the shield does go down, all hell breaks lose as TIEs swarm the area (at least in Rebel Strike).

EDIT: This could also have to with the little rivalry between the Navy and Army, as Veers wanted to prove the might of the Imperial Army.

 

Why didn't the Empire use gunships to support the walkers. Did they discontinue using them since the Clone Wars?

 

Maybe the Rebel artillery, which wasn't effective against AT-ATs anyway, would have worked against Imperial aircraft? They may have decided air cover would cause them losses and wasn't necessary.

 

The Rebels were using a shield to protect the base, remember Veers saying "the shield is strong enough to resist any bombardment"? Airborne vehicles were unable to get through, but the walkers with their natural grounding were landed outside the shield peremiter and walked through.

 

The Rebels were using a shield to protect the base, remember Veers saying "the shield is strong enough to resist any bombardment"? Airborne vehicles were unable to get through, but the walkers with their natural grounding were landed outside the shield peremiter and walked through.

By "bombardment", he means that the shield could repel laser blasts from Star Destroyers, NOT airborne vehicles. Remember TPM? The TF lasers couldn't penetrate the Gungan shield, but the battle droids could pass through. Likewise, the Rebel shields couldn't stop Imperial aircraft (how do you think the walkers got there in the first place?)

 

then why not hide tie fighters inside the walkers? then they could fly out after the walkers had passed beyond the energy shield.

And the imperial ships must have been able to stand the cold. after all, space is much colder than snow, and the star destroyers had to land on hoth to deploy the walkers in the first place.

 

Walkers can't hold TIEs, but they can deploy speeder bikes or AT-STs.

 

The AT-AT's didn't need air support, they accomplished what they set out to do with very little problems really. A couple walkers got taken out but that is to be expected in any situation.

BUT, with the beginning of the Clone War in Ep II some (or a lot) of people complained that there was too much going on, too much on screen, blah, blah, blah. The Hoth battle would have looked wonderful with an air battle taking place as well, total action and chaos, how much complaining would we hear about that??

p.s. I loved the clone war ground battle in ep II, the more confusion the better. The clones and droids are suppose to know what exactly is going on, not us, we are just watching, it's a war for crying out loud!! OK I'm finished ranting now

 

Likewise, the Rebel shields couldn't stop Imperial aircraft (how do you think the walkers got there in the first place?)

qui-gon-kim, the walkers landed outside the area covered by the shield - they didn't go through the shield.

Vader: "Make ready to land our troops beyond their energy shield, and deploy the fleet so that nothing gets off the system. You are in command now, Admiral Piett."

 

Also, the Star Destroyers themselves did not land on Hoth, the walkers were brought down by smaller landing craft outside the shield.

Finally, I don't think there is space inside the walkers for speeders, or TIE fighters. None of the blueprints, cut-aways, etc. show this capability. Does anyone have a source on this?

 

From the OS:

Inside the AT-AT's armored hull is enough space to carry five Imperial speeder bikes and up to 40 troops. The interior space can be reconfigured to carry two AT-ST walkers instead, though they require partial disassembly to fit inside.

 

Also, the Star Destroyers themselves did not land on Hoth, the walkers were brought down by smaller landing craft outside the shield.

My point is that it would have been much easier for the Imperial to just blast the Rebel base from space with Star Destroyers. With the shield up. they were forced to engage them on the surface.

 

And the imperial ships must have been able to stand the cold. after all, space is much colder than snow

It's all about the humidity and moisture in the air.

 

Because it was 1980 and effects were limited then? lol, Sure, had the scene been done today, not only would have there been more Walkers, but snow troopers running along side, ships flying over head etc, but this movie was made during the youth of the modern special effect. So you know the answer to your question. They had to do with the limitations of effects in those days.

 

You don'ty always need air support for a successful ground operation. We've run several operations here in Afghanistan. with just ourselves.
Perhaps the TIEs were on call, like we Army folks do with Air Force assets? You know, they aren't right there, but they're ready in case we need them. That's my opinion.

And the Gunships were phased out by TESB. Remember the Imperial Shuttle we saw taking off in ANH? I'd say that's the replacement. Gunship's only serious deficiency is that it needs an atmosphere to fly, which forces you to bring your capital ships to the battle. As the TF found out at Geonosis, not a good idea.

 

The Empire has overconfidence in their war machines. The armor for the AT-AT was pretty thick, so I imagine the higher ups thought they didn't need any air support.

 

And the Gunships were phased out by TESB. Remember the Imperial Shuttle we saw taking off in ANH? I'd say that's the replacement. Gunship's only serious deficiency is that it needs an atmosphere to fly, which forces you to bring your capital ships to the battle. As the TF found out at Geonosis, not a good idea.

Have you seen the Clone Wars animated series? Gunships CAN be launched from capital ships in space.

 

Yeah, but did you ever think maybe the Empire was a victim of it's own rule? Has the galaxy not suffered at the hands of the Empire? Technology, supplies are limited, is stuff not made out of scrap parts? This isn't the wealthy days of the Republic. Is it not a grand time during the prequels?, times were good then and slowly get worse as the Empire takes over.

 

No, I haven't seen the Clone Wars cartoon, but I find gunships being space-capable a bit of a stretch of the imagination for one reason:

They're repulsor-(antigravity) propelled. How would they be able to fly in space, where there is no gravity?

Plus, they don't seem to be sealed for space, as the Lambda-class shuttles do, and their technical name is Low-Altitude Aerial Transport/Infantry. Nothing about being space capable. In fact, it even says they're not capable of anything but aerial flight, and at low altitude at that.


And don't forgot the decidedly odd way they were dropped off: The Republic Military Cruisers actually flew into the lower atmosphere of Geonosis. Only then did the gunships come into action, or so it seems.

 

No, I haven't seen the Clone Wars cartoon, but I find gunships being space-capable a bit of a stretch of the imagination for one reason:
They're repulsor-(antigravity) propelled. How would they be able to fly in space, where there is no gravity?


You're not missing anything. And you're right, the gunships can't fly in space.

The cartoon also showed a single Acclamator launching 20 - 70 transports, which is obviously wrong, so you can't use that as a source anyway.

As for Hoth air support, I agree that the shield prevented it. That's the same reason the rebellion didn't use X-wings or Y-wings to attack the AT-ATs.
It turns out that it doesn't matter anyway, since the Empire won the day without them.

 

There was air support at the Battle of Hoth. Whoever told you otherwise was a rebel spy. There were swarms of TIE fighters and bombers. The Americans are not in Baghdad.