AT-AT shielding

[YT300000]

Why in fuck's name would they blow up equipment and kill soldiers when they don't have to? Are you even thinking?

The downed walker's side cannons won't do much against AT-AT's, but against individual troops and AT-ST's, they would be pretty effective. This would slow down the trip towards Echo Base. Sacrificing one walker to keep the rest moving, stopping as many rebels from escaping as possible is something I would have done.

[Howedar]

If the side cannons would have been so effective against infantry, why could they simply not be used to fend off these mysterious Rebel scavengers?

[Sea Skimmer]

The downed walker's side cannons won't do much against AT-AT's, but against individual troops and AT-ST's, they would be pretty effective. This would slow down the trip towards Echo Base.

And you propose that the Rebels will remove, power and utilize them in that role how?

[StimNeuro]

The downed walker's side cannons won't do much against AT-AT's, but against individual troops and AT-ST's, they would be pretty effective. This would slow down the trip towards Echo Base.

And you propose that the Rebels will remove, power and utilize them in that role how?

Not to mention the time limit that they are dealing with...

[YT300000]

The downed walker's side cannons won't do much against AT-AT's, but against individual troops and AT-ST's, they would be pretty effective. This would slow down the trip towards Echo Base.

And you propose that the Rebels will remove, power and utilize them in that role how?

By entering the walker through one of the many hatches, going into the "head," pressing the button on a console which activates the guns, and using the gunner's station to shoot the Imperials.

[YT300000]

If the side cannons would have been so effective against infantry, why could they simply not be used to fend off these mysterious Rebel scavengers?

Lesse, you just got flung out of your seat as the head plunged 30 metres. Then you stagger to your feet. The overzealous officer next to you then self destructs the walker, before you get to the console.

I am only trying to rationalize why they self-destructed, because I am certain that the novel says they did. But seeing as I don't have the novel, I can't provide the quote.

[StimNeuro]

The downed walker's side cannons won't do much against AT-AT's, but against individual troops and AT-ST's, they would be pretty effective. This would slow down the trip towards Echo Base.

And you propose that the Rebels will remove, power and utilize them in that role how?

By entering the walker through one of the many hatches, going into the "head," pressing the button on a console which activates the guns, and using the gunner's station to shoot the Imperials.

This assumes that the Rebel crew can: get past an advancing Imperial army, get past whatever crew and passengers have survived, and overcome the problems that come with trying to get a crashed walker to work properly. It also requires the Rebel crew to wait for an Imperial vehicle to move in front of the downed walker before they can shoot anything and that the Imperial vehicles behind the downed walker won't notice that one of their own vehicles was attacked by another of their own vehicles. Instead of this absurd proposition, the Rebels can simply destroy the downed walker with a snowspeeder, survive, and gain a minor(very minor) moral boost.

[YT300000]

Do you have a better way to rationalize what the novel said [self-destruct]?

For the moment, lets assume that I am right about the novel quote, which my whole theory is based on. If someone brings the quote, and we find out I am wrong, all points are conceeded, the speeder destroyed the walker. Until that does or does not happen, however, I will continue to support my theory.

[The Dark]

Do you have a better way to rationalize what the novel said [self-destruct]?

For the moment, lets assume that I am right about the novel quote, which my whole theory is based on. If someone brings the quote, and we find out I am wrong, all points are conceeded, the speeder destroyed the walker. Until that does or does not happen, however, I will continue to support my theory.

Publius already provided the quote, which contains no mention of a self-destruct. The quote is:

In the trenches, Rebel troops cheered in triumph when they saw the assault machine topple. An officer leaped from his snow trench and signaled his men. Bolting out of the trench, he led his troopers in a boisterous charge against the fallen walker, reaching the great metallic hulk before a single Imperial soldier could pull himself free.

The Rebels were about to enter the walker when it suddenly exploded from within, hurtling great jagged chunks of torn metal at them, the impact of the blast flinging the stunned troops back against the snow.

It "explodes from within," which could be a self-destruct, a fuel explosion, an ammo explosion (I believe Tibanna gas can be explosive under certain conditions)...quite a few different things.

[vakundok]

The grenade also destroyed the walker by causing internal chain explosions.

YT-30000 suggests:
1: The AT-AT is capable of self destruction. (I do not know whether it is backed up.)
2: The side cannons remained operable.
3: The crew decided to sacrifice themselves and the transported troops.
4: The crew was able to activate the self destruction, but was unable to fire on the approaching enemy.

It is a possible explanation. No more, no less.

Side note:
Do not forget that the novelisation differs from the movie. It says that the rebells "were about to enter the walker" and there is no mention of the speeder firing on the walker. It supports the self-destruction more than the movie, in wich the rebells were far from entering and the blasts from the speeder made the explosion less sudden.

[Isolder74]

The grenade also destroyed the walker by causing internal chain explosions.

YT-30000 suggests:
1: The AT-AT is capable of self destruction. (I do not know whether it is backed up.)
2: The side cannons remained operable.
3: The crew decided to sacrifice themselves and the transported troops.
4: The crew was able to activate the self destruction, but was unable to fire on the approaching enemy.

It is a possible explanation. No more, no less.

Side note:
Do not forget that the novelisation differs from the movie. It says that the rebells "were about to enter the walker" and there is no mention of the speeder firing on the walker. It supports the self-destruction more than the movie, in wich the rebells were far from entering and the blasts from the speeder made the explosion less sudden.

It appears that in the movie the Rebels are attempting to demolitioon the walker when the Speeder does the job for them.

[vakundok]

It appears that in the movie the Rebels are attempting to demolitioon the walker when the Speeder does the job for them.

Yes. It is also an explanation, and I support this. (For example, if you want to capture a broken down enemy vehicle, you will not fire on it with heavy weapons.)

[YT300000]

It appears that in the movie the Rebels are attempting to demolitioon the walker when the Speeder does the job for them.

Yes. It is also an explanation, and I support this. (For example, if you want to capture a broken down enemy vehicle, you will not fire on it with heavy weapons.)

The shots from the walker might have been intended to pierce the "neck," making it faster and easier for the rebel troops to get in. I don't think a blast to the neck, which is bereft of any explosive materials, would cause an AT-AT to explode.

[vakundok]

The shots from the walker might have been intended to pierce the "neck," making it faster and easier for the rebel troops to get in. I don't think a blast to the neck, which is bereft of any explosive materials, would cause an AT-AT to explode.

Yes, possible. But do not forget that we saw the side door of the walker opening up when it crushed to the ground. Also do not forget that the walker crushed. It is very hard to say where were explosive materials after the crush.

[YT300000]

So there is not enough evidence to prove my theory, or disprove it.

[vakundok]

So there is not enough evidence to prove my theory, or disprove it.

Yes. that is why I wrote that what triggered the explosion was not exactly known.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

So there is not enough evidence to prove my theory, or disprove it.

Frankly, I don't even know what you're talking about anymore...

[Publius]

So there is not enough evidence to prove my theory, or disprove it.

If you are attempting to support your theory on the grounds that it cannot be falsified, then that would be an excellent example of argumentum ad ignorantiam.

Publius

[YT300000]

So there is not enough evidence to prove my theory, or disprove it.

Frankly, I don't even know what you're talking about anymore...

That the AT-AT exploded via self-destruct.

[YT300000]

So there is not enough evidence to prove my theory, or disprove it.

If you are attempting to support your theory on the grounds that it cannot be falsified, then that would be an excellent example of argumentum ad ignorantiam.

Publius

I am supporting my theory on the grounds that I prefer it to the other one (speeder blast destroying the walker). There is equal evidence for both theories, so I feel all I can do is choose one. I think it is ubsurd that that blast was responsible from the destruction of an AT-AT.

Unfortunately, unlike many things that occur in the saga, this event cannot be totally explained. Just like turbolasers.

[The Dark]

There's a third alternative, that the AT-AT's fall caused a small fire (not unlikely if metal was grinding on metal), which eventually reached some sort of fuel cell or ammunition storage and caused that to explode.

A fourth alternative is that the explosion occurred immediately and was contained by the armor of the AT-AT, but the blaster shots penetrating the neck of the walker opened it up and caused a backdraft, allowing the overpressure to escape and tearing the walker apart from the neck joint.

[vakundok]

It seems that I have to reconsider my point of view about the destruction of the AT-AT.
Let's see the movie (TV show):
1. While the walker was falling the large side door opened up. (Maybe it was just a filming error.)
2. When it crushed to the ground a door (behind and above the large door) fell down.
3. Two speeders attacked the walker with the ground troops.
4. The first bolt pair from the first speeder hit the snow in front of the walker.
5. The second bolt pair from the first speeder hit the head of the walker, above the viewport.
6. The third bolt pair from the first speeder approached the walker followed by the first bolt pair from the second speeder.
7. The left of the pair hit the top (of the front section of the main body) of the walker and began to explode. EDIT: And there was some smoke that appeared to come from the underside of the front section of the main body on both sides.
8. (On the very next frame.) The explosion of the left bolt continued, the right bolt hit the front of the main body of the walker. Some kind of overpressure (EDIT that seems to be dark smoke) bursted the front and central sections of the main body, but interestingly enough did not open up the large side door.
9. It seems that the left (relative to the walker) sides of the front and central parts of the main body separated and an internal explosion got out there.

So, the most important thing is that the speeders did not hit the neck section of the walker.