Re: Engineer Satchel Charge Blowback?
 

FWIW the hull and turret side armor of the tank which received the blast are 8 and 15cm respectively. The penetration value of the satchel charge is 18cm. So apparently the game at least sometimes assumes close proximity of the target, as if it's in the firing unit's hex, just as it assumes the ability of engineers to clear mines in an adjacent hex. (IIRC a tank got blown up under similar circumstances during an earlier go at this scenario.)

@Aeraaa: Wasn't aware engineers never suffer ill effects of their own ordnance. In that case SPMBT doesn't "mirror reality" with absolute fidelity. But of course perfection is not of this world, n'est-ce pas ;)?

Re: Engineer Satchel Charge Blowback?
 

Well most definitely. The breaks from reality are several including God's eye, Borg detection (your scout just found a bunker and the tank 3 kilometers away can instantly open fire at the target if it has LOS), EXTREMELY good unit coordination no matter how competent the army in question is and many others. But it is a game you have to love it or hate it the way it is (I personally love it, still playing it regularly after I first installed it in 2011 which makes it my most popular game to date), it is constantly being improved and if you want to play hardcore you can try to set some rules to yourself that better represent reality.