The JN-2 Redoubt
A redoubt (stress on the second syllable, otherwise it would be "readout") is an improvised battlefield fortification. Well, perhaps "improvised" isn't the right word. Usually, they were constructed very skillfully. The Maori of New Zealand built redoubts that helped them to repel British attacks on multiple occasions. Beginning in the 18th century, European armies routinely built trenches and placed mounds of dirt in front to protect themselves from gunfire as they advanced. Prior to that, they used large shields, but more powerful muskets rendered those useless. Anyway, now that you know what a redoubt is, I'll explain its significance as it pertains to the JN-2 SAB.
As I mentioned in my previous two posts, the JN-1 does a lot of moving around on the battlefield, but the JN-2 largely stays in one place, with its support vehicle close by. Very close, in some cases. Pictured below are the two vehicles, the JN-2 SAB and JN-2 TO inside a redoubt:
The turrets on both the JN-1 and JN-2 SAB have thicker armour at the front, approximately 100mm at the very front, then gradually tapering down to a mere 50mm at the sides, and it remains consistent around the back, including the doors. On both vehicles, however, the hull armour was 30mm all around. As a result, taking a hull-down position made the vehicle almost invulnerable to enemy fire. Below you can see a front view of the redoubt, as an attacking soldier would see it:
The central cabin is still exposed, of course, but once the bombardment commences, the commander and driver may be able to vacate that position. The driver certainly can, since the vehicle isn't going anywhere. Much of the time, the main gunners will be doing all of the work, while everyone else in the redoubt is sitting about waiting for something interesting to happen. Battles tend to drag on like that at times; sieges even more so.
In order to replenish the ammunition for the JN-2 SAB, as well as for the soldiers in the redoubt, the JN-2 TO was positioned nearby, and its crew could pass shells directly to the SAB gunners. The doors on the SAB turrets would have to be open for this, of course, but these are just solid models:
The machine gun turrets, meanwhile, would help to protect the position. If the vehicle was behind a trench, then those machine guns would end up being part of the area-denial system that heavy, water-cooled machine guns typically are in trench warfare (present tense in context of the world this vehicle comes from, otherwise I'd be referring to World War I, of course).
The JN-2 TO is available in my Shapeways shop:
https://www.shapeways.com/product/TN6CUKHJ9/1-100-jn-2-to-supply-vehicle
I have chosen to upload this one with the mid-production double-bogie suspension, rather than the original torsion-bar suspension, but both versions will become available soon. I still have a few minor changes to make, and once all is said and done, I will then write my beast of an article on Wordpress about the fictional history (I can hear you chuckling) behind the development and use of these five different vehicles... or six, I haven't decided if the JN-1 is going to get the double-bogie treatment or not.