Bantha Decoy
The Bantha Decoy was one of three Rogue Doctrine tactical maneuvers developed by Luke Skywalker for use by the T-47 airspeeders stationed at Echo Base on the planet Hoth.
History
The plan was derived from a gag that Skywalker and his friends performed in their T-16 skyhoppers at Beggar's Canyon on Tatooine. Skywalker would approach an unsuspecting bantha from behind while his wingman, in another T-16, would cut out in front of the creature, spooking it and causing it to present a profile of its head to Skywalker's following ship.[1]
The snowspeeder combat maneuver involved two speeders approaching an All Terrain Armored Transport walker from behind, flanking it. One speeder trailed the other. As the lead speeder raced past the walker's head, it would veer off across the other speeder's vector. As the AT-AT turned its head to follow the lead speeder, its more vulnerable neck would be exposed to the second speeder's gunsights. This second speeder would then take the opportunity to fire.[1]
This plan was used against the Empire's AT-ATs at the Battle of Hoth.[2]
Sources
- The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook
- The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook, Second Edition
- Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, Second Edition