AT fire in assault hexes

[Blackcloud6]

I read through this thread last night and also the one on CSW that covers the same issue.  I then went back and looked at the appropriate rules and thought about it.  I almost changed my mind because of this sentence in rule 11.0 "A unit with an Anti-Tank Fire value that occupies an assault hex may use Anti-Tank Fire against enemy vehicles in that hex instead of adding their Direct Fire value to the assault total."  This makes me think that the rules imply you have the option to use AT fire or assault fire when tanks are involved in an assault, which is true.  So I almost concluded that separate AT fire in an assault hex is not allowed and must be part of an assault, thus you trigger and assault if you do activate to fire AT Fire.  But before making that conclusion, I reread the threads again and the rules.  What I conclude is the rules do not say anything about AT Fire in an assault hex triggering an assault.  The rules are simply silent on this.  The rules do say using assault movement into a hex (unless reinforcing an assault), or activating to conduct Assault Fire, are what "trigger" an assault and thus the defenders get to fire.  

Rule 12.52 is explicit on allowing AT Fire in an assault hex and does not say anything about it "triggering and assault."  Assault Fire and AT Fire are two distinct forms of Combat in PG (see 7.1) and 12.52 simply allows AT Fire in an assault hex.  Thus by being a distinct form of combat, it can be fired without causing an assault to happen.  It can be part of an assault but does not have to be either when you actually assault or if you just fire AT Fire in an assault hex.

ASLers say, and it is part of the ASL rules: "Concentrate on what the the rules allow: COWTRA."   I think that applies here very well.