PAGE 2 THEGENERAL 1 Au&n Rill Pliilosoph~Port 50

The TOBRUK System TOBRUK is going to be a difficult game for players to master. It is a complex tactical system The Game Players Magazine When PANZERBLITZ was released in that is increasinglyfaithf ul, intechnical aspects, 1970, everyone agreed that it was a different to the historical period it covers. In short. The Aualon H~tlGENERAL is Wiceted to the presenta- kind of game1 It took quite a bit of getting uswl to. is engrossing-a rare adjective in this tion of eurhoriwllue artkls on me strategy, tactics. and TOBRUK vaslatlon of Avalon Hill gmes of strategy. Historbl art-ktla Once garners became familiar with the system, day of mass produced, one-shot games. aw included only lnsornuch a$ they provide useful back- however, it was quickly recognized as a land- gmulwl informarim on currmt Avalon Hlll titles. THE mark design. It is quite possible that TOBRUK GENERAL k publirhed by the Avalm Hill Cwnoem, rolelv ' for the culrursl edification 01 the eriour game aflclanado, in will have the same impact. THE TOBRUK MARKETING APPROACH me hopes of i-ing the pme aumnr'sprotrcian~of play snd pmviding Lervicer not otherwire avsilabaa M tb Avalon TOBRUK is a different type of game. It is the Hill gem buff. TOBRUK is being marketed in a radically Publrcation is br-momhly with mailings madeclose to most "tactical" land-warfare game Avalon Hill different manner than past AH games. Basically, the end of February, April. JUIW. August, Ocmb~r.and has ever published. Yet, it is very dissimilar to the game is being released in two stages. The hember. Alt editorual adgeneral mailshould besenrto the man-to-man type games producod by other first stage is a limited PRE-PUBLICATION the Avslon Hill Game Cornpaw, 4517 Harfard Rd.. publishers. It is NOT a PANZERELITZ-in-the- Bahimore. MO 21 214. One year subscriptions are 37.50. release hichis being offered only to GENERAL Trial s&cr@tions ot 4 ksues ior 85.00 are availah. A desert. It is a completely new system. The rules subscribers and attendees at ORIGINS I. In- two year subscription is only 612.00. Send cheeks or are constructed in BTI innovative 'Programmed cluded in this will be a special limited run of 500 money orders only. Not responsible for cash lwt in transit. Instruction'~methodwhich means that the rules games which will be numbered and signed by 411 gvbwrigtipn3 rnm vig bulk permil. Airmail and 1st class <vew must k prearranged with the subscription are presented in discrete, self-contained mo- the designers to appeal to the serious game department a1 ditional cost. Address chances must be dules. Each module is related ro one of nine collectors. In the fall, the game will be officially submatted to the subscription department 6 weeks in scenarios. Players are instructed to read each released in the mail order line. Hopefully, this aduance to auaarantee deliuerv. Momid advenisina of anv I module and play the accompanying scenario in typs is accepted. However, km'of importang to the edition will include rules revisions, expanded wargaming community is printed free of charge and-is strict consecutive order.,ln this way, players can Designer's Notes material (some of which mIIciled. absorb and become familiar with many complex appears in this issue) and new experimental . ArtIdes frornubccribers are msichred for publication at rules without being overwhelmed by the totality rules. Owners of the pre-publication edition can the dirnetion ot cur sditorlal staff. Articl~rhould bs of the entire rules package. Since players need update their game by simply exchanging their tvwwritton, doutdewced, and amkm the tenet4 ot pod only read the first module tobegin play. they can Englih uSW. Thre is no limit toword length. Acm-ny- old rules bwkletfor the new one. We recognized iI& enarwlas and diagrams shoutd b. neatly clone in black or be involved in the first scenario30 minutes affer the reality of the situation: a game containing red ink. Phorogrephs should have caption and credit line opening the box. such a mammoth, complex, new system is writinn on back. Reiecred articles will be returd whenwar Besides being an innovative gameon its own Posible. In any snd &I cams. Avelon Hilt accsptr no bound to require some revision and 'tightening'. responsrbility tor UnsDdicitsd memrisl. Author$ of pubtirhsd merits. TOBRUK attempts to bridge the gap Rather than rely on updating via the Question articles which mibn fawraMe wonre frornthe readership baween boardgamers and miniaturists. This is #ill be remunerstsd with free merchandise 01 their choioe. Box. we have guaranteed the game accuracy by not unusual since the first prototypes of the PRE-PLANNED issuance of an updated EDITOR: Donald J. Grmmuocd TOBRUK were essentially miniatures rule edition of the rule book. Why do we bother with GRAPHICS: Jim Hamilton. Randall Reed. Scott Mooras, bmks. The resemblance to miniatures will not Elaine Adkins. Bob Hayws Corer By Jim Hamilton the added expense and time requirements for be lost on those garners familiar with both types EOlTORlAL STWF: .I. A~iolillo.H. Anton. R. Beyma. J. up-dating? Because the system is simply that Dauir. 0. DeWitr, S. Oumn. R. Easton. G. Gyaax. J. of gaming. mod and that irnnomnt. Hamrlton. R. Harmon, T. Hanlert. 8. Lib. R. Limore, L. We realize thit we are open- ourselves ro McAneny, M. McGuire. 0. Miller. T. Oleuon. G. Philtier, L. Why is TOBRUK a new design system? the critic~snthat people purchasing the pre- Pinsky, R. Ploct. D. Roberts, J. Mobinson, M. Saha, B. Because the whole design approach is radically Sinigaglio. H. Torten, L. Z&i. publication edition are buying a 'half-finished' different from other games. This approach is gama To this we answer a resounding 'nol'. COMSULTIWCT EDITOR: Thomas N. Shaw essentially the same Operation Research and CARTOONISTS: T. Smiley. 5. Herchsk WM#eyarebuying is a uniquecollector's item Statist~calAnalysis (ORSA)techniques as used with a Built-in. guaranteed modernization To facilitate correrwn&m, we suggest that all vnvelva by the Department of Defense and private to Aualon Hill be marked in the lower left-hand corner as mechanism. We could have waited until the fall tollow: defense contractors (Rand, et all. What makes it to rebejhistitle. But then, there would have unique is that it is applied retroactively to a beennomllector'sedrt~onand no immediate up- Purchsw of thGENERAL: Sutrscriprion Dept. - Gertruds specific historic event. This is not so coincident- zO*o dat~ngsystem. The whole approach is new, al, since Hal Hock,the man whodid the research Purcharer of bm,play-by-mail kits. and gem pars. Order different. and hopefully quite popular. The 500 mpt. - Cm-irty slaw and developed the basic game system. just aut~graphedcopies sold out within a week of auestionr Concerning Play: Rwch& Dgiw Dspartmsnt. happens to make his living doing ORSAworkfor mailing Vol. 12, No. 1 of the GENERAL. We Note: all questions rhould be throu+lv diagrammed. No a private firm contracted to the DoD. Hal spent aren't content to stand pat on the same oldtried- quastions will hs ansvusred that are not accompanied by e literally years gathering the data and'creating stampsd, d-addresd envslws. Only quaations regsrding and-true design and marketing methods. Judg- the specific computer tools needed tosynthesize rule clarlflcatlanr lnor historical or rubiecrr) mn be ing from the response to the TOBRUK special an-. the game's combat evaluation system. He offer you aren't either. Articles for Publition. Letters to the Editw. Rwwtts for anoroached this aame desian as if he was Rr0~hufe6,3rd Readwrs ReswnSB Page submislonr. Mitorial slbmitting it to thi Army insfead of to Avalon Dept. - hnuld Gr0Unwood. Hill. It is that precise and that accurate. READERS RESPONSE Phomgraph Crsdifs: Pkto File, Avalon, Cellfornia I Right from the start, players will find Typerefting: Colonial Cornpolltion Printing: Mnwch Oftic? Sew-. Inc. TOBRUK a different son of game. There is much The Readers Response in the last issue ENGLISH AGENT: Micheel Hodge. 648 Hi* Rd, N. less terrain than usual-in fact, there isnY any! resulted in some interesting figures which will Finchly. London, Great Britain. Players create their own through the useof field be taken under advisement in considering future Australian Agent: Jedko Games, 111 Beatrice St.. Cheltenharn 3192 Victoria. emplacements. Scenarios are construcred with potential services Avalon Hill can render to ScaWinavian Agent: P 0. Box 329. 13103 Nacka 3, forty or fifty turns--although it is rare that GENERAL readers. Only 38%ofour sample have games go even half that long. There is much ever played wargames with miniatures. How- more dice rolling than most boardgamers are ever, 83%expressed an interest inour providing used to. In fact, the dice rolling is more them with a series of introductory miniatures reminiscent of TRACTICS (a popular set of rule booklets. Of those who have played AVA LON HJL miniatu~erules) than PANZERBLITZ. But most miniatures, 66% still showed an interesf in an players have found that, after a few games, the AH line of miniatures rule books. 66% werealso dice rolling 'blends into the background', interested in buying reduced 8" x 10" hex 4517 Harford Road becoming a necessary evil to allow the detailed sheets. A resounding 8Q% were in favor of a gsme system to handle a wide variance in weapons performance. A.H, PHILOSOPHY.. . ..Continued on Page 1 7 THE GENERAL PAGE 3

(The story of the war in the North Africandesert betwwl, to influence Hitler toallow Romrntl to push intoEgypt in The Gazala Battles off~dallybegan in midalternoon of ]Wand 1943 is incredibly long and complex and bemuse hop of a quick seizure of the Suez Canal. For thii the 26th of May, 1942, when large elements of Italian and of this, many books and articles are available to describe purpose, Herkules was postponed and the troops and German infantry with heavy artillery support assaulted it. This summary will therefore ignore the maneuvers of supplies intended for use in the operation sent to the South African positions on the Gamla Line. the British and Axis forces which led them to their Rommel's army instead. Malta remained unattackd (Scenario two in the game is based upon this action.) To positions of May 26, 1942 and concentrate on the except by air and served as both the staging area for he understand this or any of the other portions of the battle, speciii~events of the mxt four weeks; the Battle of 8ritish El Alamein buildup and the key Royal Navy port however, it is nece~garyto have a limited understandingot from where rubmarineand sutface units could control the the reasons why the Gazala Line was built by the British in Mediterranean and efficiently strangle the Afrika Korps the first place and how the Germans came to attack it. Gazala? Who has ever really heard of the Battle of Gazala by sinking its supply ships sailingfrom Italy. The decision hidesthose who have run across it in general reading or by Hitler for the postponement and subsequent abandon- The Line waaestablished in the period between theretreat in looking for accounts of the Battkof El Alamein?It can mmt of Herkulm would not have been made without the of the Eighth Army under German pressure out of the =rely be said that, of all of the battles of World War 11, Gazab victories, and it was one of the moat serious arra ol Libya known as Cyrenaica (see map) and the few have been so poorly appreciated in importance as has strategic mistakes of the war. beginning of operations in May. It was not designed to be been this one. The battle itsell is not-well recorded in the a truly emaive defensive iine from the outset, but rather histories and its immense and far-reaching impnct on the Finally, the collapse ofthe Camla Line and Tobruk's fall an impenetrable shield behind which divisions could be desert war in general and especially the Battle of El shook the entire British Empire as nothing had since assembld for an offensive unirnpDdod by the Axis. This Alamein throe months later(Alam HaIfa ridge) is almost Dunkirk. Churchill himself was shocked as severtly as buildup necessitated the cstabiirhmtnt of huge forward never properly written into the accounts. By some, the when the Japanese had sunk the battleship Prince of supply dumps immediately behind the line itself and Battle of Gazala, and not the Battle of El Alamein, is Wales and Repulse at the beginning of the war; He throughout the battle the British were restrained in action mgardod as the most important single large engagement received the new from the band of President Rowevelt, partially because of worry that these stores would be or the dart war. while meeting with him in Washington. and his first aptured by the Germans, an idea which as it turns out action was to ask Romevelt directly for the Lend Leaseof was indeed part of Rommel's plan. The reasons for this are many, but primarily consist of 300 of the new Sherman tanks which were intended for three. First, the Battle of Gazala without a doubt was tk equiping the American 1st Armored Division. Roo* line ran from Gazala and the ~astlineon the nonh most brilliant victory of Erwin Rommel's career, velt's immediate answer was yes, and upon that answer almost straight south to Bir Hacheim for a distana of although in achieving it he made some of his most the fate of the El Alamein battle was essentially staled over 40 miles, it was manned by two Commonwealth remarkable blunders. It was upon this victory that because in addition to the 300 Sherman tanks which far divisions, the 1st South African and the British 5Mh. Rommel was promoted to thc rank ofFiM Marsha1,one outclassed all but a few Axis vehicles, 100 self-propelled who= six brigades were dispd in what came to be of the youngest men (49) mrto reach this pdein the guns and masrive stmkof assorted other mattrials were known as "boxes" or defensive positions whiih could be history of the German army. Never before the battle or shippod to the* British without delay. No other single defended from any direction. One additional brigade, the after was Romrnel held in such regard by the Germanand factor was more responsible for the rapid rebuilding of First Free French, was located at the line anchor point at ltalian General Staffs, Hitler, and kgrudgingly, the the Eighth Army than this, and with the new Shermarrs Bir Hacheim in a defensive box of such complexity that British most notably in the form of Witon Churchill. absolutely dominatingthe battkfiild. RommeFsat~empts the poaition was almost impregnable. Behind the line to break through the El Alamein Line three months hter werescattered ~ri0lISmerve forces mostly in boxes and Seeond, without the occurrence of this immense victory became in his own words, a "battle without hope." An two full armored divisions and two armored brigads p&Sy at this time and in this manner, the German Axis loss at Gala or even a less ~pectacularvictory together containing nearly wen hundred tanks, 167 of High Command almost certainly would liave successfully might well have not produced the same response and the which were the newly-arrived American Lend-Lease hunched and wmpkted the planned @ration Her- history of the dcsm way may have unfolded in a Grant's which were far superior to any Axis vehicle at the kuks, the sea and airborne invasion of Malta As it was. mnsider&ly dimerent way. For these reasons, then, the stan of the engsgernent. In the Tobruk fortre~sitself was the collapse of the Eighth Army on the Gazala Line and Battle of Gazala was of overwhelming importance in another full division, the Second South African rein- the subsequent catastrophic fall of the strategic port of changing tkcourse of the desert war. ' forced by one more brigade. Tobruk adthe capture of its huge garrison was enough THEGENERAL

The boxes of the line were marvels of defensive ingenuity entire Atrika Korps arrnor(Scenari0 I). Theresultsare as Rommel now (1 I June) pushed out of the Cauldron area and such a departure from normal British defensive described in the Scenario writcups but in general, the toward the prize of El Adcm with all three German pulicy that field officers frum all fronts Travelled to three brigades were neutrali7ed but at great cost to the divisions plus Ariete at significant strength. The British GazaIa to inspect them. They were surrounded by dense Axis. Rommel at the beginning of the campaign had resisted l~ttlealthough El Adem was not cr,ptured by the minefields and connected by a "mine marsh" of such based his planning on vcry erroneous and limtted German forces on the 11th and thai night the advance complcxity (uvcr onc-half million mines) that the area to knowledge of the British which, as has been mentioned, stopped with the German and Italian divisions separated. this day has never fully been cleared and has killed or was not the case with them. He, for example, had not been Thinking this to beanopportunity to attack the German maimed thousands of Arabs since the end of the war. aware of the strength of the Grant tank or of its numbers divisions separately, the British planned an assault Unlbrtunately, however, portions of this huge screen in the Eighth Army nor had he been aware that new and against the 15th Panzcr to begin on the 12th and to use wcrc unprotcctcd by ftreof any kind and could, therefore, better 6-pounder anti-tank guns were arriving in large two fairly strong armored brigades, the Second and the be breached by Axis rappers. In the battlc as will be numbers (1 12 at the start of the battle). Had he been Fourth tn the attack. related later, this did indeed occur on a large scale. appraised by German Intelligenw of thesefacts, he would have been prepared for a harder fight and planned The battle began as expected hut when assembled in the Facing this formidable barrier Rere nine German and accordingly. As it was. the strength andfightingabilityof jump-off area at Bir Lefa, the two brigades stopped and Italian divlslons and one separate brigade. A total of 5M especially the Britlsh armored units surprised and waited for orders from their divisional commander, tanks (332 German and 228 Italian) could bc thrown shocked him and h~sarmy. General Messervy who was hiding in a dried-up water against the line supported by hundreds of self-propelled cistern (a "bir") after being almost captured by Germans. anti-tank guns and thousands of towed anti-tank Battered Rut not slowed the mass of Germanarmor now This wait was fatal, because Rommel seeing both units weapons including 48 88's which, unlike the British, were continucd to drive north. Ry mlstake theTrieste division immobile with the 15th Pawar to thcir south andthe 21st thought of by the Axis army as offensive as well as had missed Bir Hacheim during the night and raninto the Panzer to their west, ordered both divisions to attack defiinsive equipment and accumpanicd most armored mlnelield north of it instead. so the Italian Arietearmored ~rnmedtalely. attacks. 1-llis was a very potent strike Force and Kommel, division was broken off to attack thc French. Also, the true to form did not hesitate to use it when he felt the time 90th Light broke away to head directly for El Adem inan The subsequent crush~ngof the two brigades(Scenario7) was right. attempt toraquickcoup, and thus only DAK 1-ernainedto was thc most decisive defeat suflcred by the British up drive north. By afternoonthey reached the Knightsbridge until this time and accomplished what Rommel had The time was right on May the 26th. The British, backed area where a heavy British armored counterattack wended to accomplish 16 days earlier, theelimination of by almost complete knowledge of the Axis army (Scenario 4) essfntially stoppcd thc advance. The worst most of the British armor from the field. d~spositions,prcdictcd and expected the attack. had happened to his attack and Rornmel admitted it. His forces were broken up badly with the 90th Light division Littlc necd be said about the rest of the campaign. The Kuinmel had two choices for theassault. He couldstrike involved with huge British forces at El Adem, the 15th German and ltalian divisions had once again been worn the line dlrectly in hope of a breakthrough on a small Panzer and 21st Panzer out of fuel and ammunition on down severcly by the Bir Hacheim and Knightsbridge front lor deep penetration to take theairrieldsandsupply the Rigel and Sidra ridges and the two ltalian mobile fighting and were therefore unable to stop Eighth Army bases at El Adem, or he could launch his forces on the divtsions absolutely stuck by Bir Hacheim. He had lost so from successfully evacuating the line. The Tobruk long trtp down the Ilnc and around Rir Hachetm for the many tanks that, for examplc. only 43 rema~nedin the perimeter was surrounded and, remembering the long purpose of engaging the British armor behind the line. entire 15th Panzerdivision. His supply line was nearly 100 and unsuccessful siege on one year before, Romrnel Knowing that while sign~ficantBritish armored units still miles long and constantly being bombed by the RAF and carefully assembled strong stcike forcesforitsattack over existed he hid no Creedom. thesecond option was chosen. finally, the British armor had becn nowhere near a two day period. He might not have been socautiuus, for To make the British believe that the first optionnas being destroyed. the lortress was not in this case held by tough confident conduclcd Rommel instructed thc DAK (Dcutschc Australian troops, but by unexperienced South African Afrika Korps-the German armored portion of the Axis Rommei, however, was not aware of this last hct and YO and Indian troops who had just witnessed the complete army consisting of the 15th and 2 1st Panrer divtslons) on the next day. the 28th, he ordered the 21st Panzer collapsc of thcir army and werc naturally very shaken. commander. General Cruwell, to take one German division to continue to push north which they did and nlechanized infantry brigade and two Italian infantry reached the coast. Being so strung out like this and so The attack was launched at dawn on the 20th of June d~visionsand all ofthe Axis heavy artillery which wastoo weak. a concentrated Britlsh attack at this timc would (Scenario 9) in the best of Blitzkrieg traditions. The cumbcrsomc for a fighting march of ovcr 50 milts, and ha>e undoubtedly stopped the battle and possibly even forti-ess was surrendered unceremoniously before dawn attack thc north part of the line. To further confuse the ended the desert war. No attack came. On the next day, the next day and yielded the b~ggestbag of booty that had British. trucks with airplane engines and propellers on ihe 29th. Rommel finally pruperly percieved the situation e>er been won in the desert by either side. top were to laisr huge clouds of dust behind the frontal and, unimpeded by the British, gathered the2lst Panzer, attack thus makrng thcm believe largc mobile forces wcw 15th Panzer, 90th Light and Arlete divisions together in Charactcr~st~cally.Rommel's thoughts werc not on assembling there. In the meantime, the actual main the area whtch soon was known as the Cauldron because Tobruk at all but rather down the codstat Alexandria and attack, conslstlng of DAK. the 90th 1.1ght (mechanired ol thc builing Axis activity inside of it. The Trieste the Suez Canal-and El Alamein. infanlry) divihion and twu mobile Italian divisions was to division in the south had breached the "mine marsh" assemble at Rotunda Segilali to begin the long southward north of Bir Hacheim inan area unprotected by fire, and movement to "right hook" the Hrltish Ilne. It was hoped at least some supplies could reach Rommel via this route. References that the British would be surprised and their armor For full supply of (hestrike group, however, a more direct destroyed completely on the 27th with Tobruk itself and wider channel was needed and thls obviously would falltng four days her. best go through the minefield at Sidi Muftah. Report 3. "AFV 4, Llght Tanks M1-MY , Prollle Publmllons By anybody's appreciation, the plan was, on the whole, 4. 'AFV 8, Crusader-Crulssr Mark Vl': Proflle Publications 5. "AFV 11, M3 Medlum (LeefGrsnt)", Prollh? Publicaltons brash to the point of being reckless and seriously weak in But, inmovingin this direction, it wasdiscovered that one 6. 'AFV 6, Valentine Mark Ill",Prollle Publlcatlons key areas. Fur example, no thought was given to the entwe brigade. the 150th. lay astride the desired path in 7. "Armor inProfIle, No. 15, lnlanlry Tank Mlc II Malllda", Proflle possibility that the British armor might indeed not be one of the strongest boxes in the line. Without a direct Publlcailons destroyed on the 27th in whichcasethestrikeforce would ioute the Axis group would have been slowly destroyed, 8. 'Am 1. Panwrhmpfwagen Ill': Proflle Publlcatlons be stuck behind the line living oll a 100 mllc supply link. because not enough supplies could have reached such a 9. Bullons Mililary Vehicle Prints, Series 32 10. "Armor In Proflle, Uo. 8. Panrerkamplwager IV", Prollle No thought seemed to be given to the fact either that the large forcc via the routes available. No optionlay open to Publlcatlons Free French might rcsist the attack of the one Italian Rompel except that of attacking the 150th frontally. 11. Bellons Military Vehicle Prinls Series Ten. division (the Trieste) assigned to take Bir Hacheim and be Between the end of May and the second day of June this 12. "Armor In Prollle+No. 14, M13/4IY, ProOle PuMicatiom in a position to cut this supply line. Inthe battlc, both of desperate battle was conducted (Scenario 5) and for 13. Uarn. WE Inc. publishers these unforseen events did indeed come about. reasons still unknown to this day, no help wasgivento the 14. Aatrtpfj~on:er IY16-I96rl, Dr. F. M. Von merand Etterlln author 150th by the rest of the E~ghtbArmy until after its last 15. Arrilur, R. M. Ogorklewkz author The frontal fetnt attack by Group CrUwell began on platoon had been destroyed. This helpcame tn the form of 16. GPJnron Sr'rpr Weapom of M'M'II, LUOBr aUfhOr schedule at about 2 P.M. on the 26th (Swnariu 2) and a frontal attack on the Cauldron on the 5Lh ofJune, three 17. Genliarr Tnnks IP?J-1945, Ssnger und Ellerlln author sewn hours later the b~gsweep was initiated. Over 10,000 days aCter the collapse of the 150th brigade and long after 18. TM-EM-451, Hantthwk yl' (+rrnarr Mrlilarr Furw~,War the Axis forces in the Cauldron had been almost fully Departmenl lechnicul manual vehicles began tu drive south and thew progress was 18. TM-E30-420. Harirlhuok ufltnkari Milrrarr Forr~s,War Depart- reported to the British every mile of the way by the resupplied and re-equipped. men1 technkal manual efficient '*yes" of the South African Armoured Cark. The 20. Grrri~nnInla~rr?. Il'eaponr (g WWII, Barker author Ceinl had fooled no one and the sweep by night was no The code name for the big, complicated frontai assault 21. Briri~hund 41wriron Infanrrk' U'~upunr of lVWII, Barker aulhor surprisc. But the British Command for some reason did was Ahrrdeen (Scenario 6) and needless to say it was a 22. *Ir>rlrrn Wur ~n ,M~~irafsre,Koms authw 23. 11'~upum u~ldTut.rrt,r, Harrinp fu Brrli~r,Weller author not act on this knowledge and the warning call to disaster, running onto well dug inand extensiveanti-tank 24. Th? Ro~i~ri~rlPap~rs, Uddell Hart editw consolidate the armored divisions behind the Iine which and artillery defenses. Upon its failure Rommel took the had been broken up to achieve better area coverage was opportunity to break out olthe Cauldron in a counterat- For those interested in the design of Tobruk, the nut glven. This meant that three brigades, the Third tack which was very effective. Frce of fear of another Following References are suggested. For all players a Indian Motor at Point 17 1, the Seventh Armored at British attack and no longer hemmed into the Cauldron small selection of books can make the Gazala Battlesand Reima and ~hcFuurih Armorcd at Bir Bcutd, wcrc area. Rommel could free significant German forces the desen war very clear through reading. They are: unwarned that a massive attack was headed in their tinally to go south and disposc of the Free French once directio~~. and for all. Again unhindered by the remainderof Eighth Rr~nmnelby Desrnond Young Rurirri~rla,v a :W~lirarrConiniander by Ronald Lewin It took thcm by surprisc on the mornlng of the 27th. The Army, this savage but one sided battle was conducted Tuhrrrk by Michael CUWer Third Indian Motor was absolutely destroyed (Scenario between the 8th and 9th of June (Scenario 8)and brought Tuhruk,rh? Sror? o/'n Sergr by Anthony Hsck-stall Srnllh 3). the Seventh Motor was forced to retreat quickly, and to a bloody close on the 10th with the evacuation of the TAe SirB Rere: Barrles onti the Fourth Armored was slammed Into by almost the French. Crrsrs IM rhp Dpjprr by J. A. 1. Aqar-HBmltton and L. C. F. Tucker W Medirwrawan andll Middle ~SI,4wlumas byl.S.0. Playfalr The heank~by B. H. Uddell Hnn The AEF of GGr@sr Guns by Frnnk Canparato Afiika Kwps by K. J. Mpcksey, M.C. & Guns IPJ9-45 and 77~Fnxrs of lln h~rtPlul Carre# Mr Hakim by Alchard Hdmes Gre~adesand Morrorn by Ian V, Hog0 &rrxn Charrou by Rubwt Map an& of c-, German AnrCTunC- Guns Toke &se Mm by Cyrll Joty The Rummd Pnprs edltad by B. H. Llddell HM 1nfanrr.1. W@O~D~by John Weelks Wirh Rommd in IR~Desert by K W. Mmidl Pan, Barks by F. W. YonLlsllenlhin Wed! ufdbdnein compdled by Col. O. B. Jarrett DESIGNER'S NC

guidelines influenced the desinn of Tohd and discusses these problems in some detail but obviously for Step 2. All PI.111, Pz.IV and Stuart tanks in the game dhered to wherever possible in each stage of the use in Tobmk the solution just mentioned was impracti- were protected in certain vital areas by armor of cal and assumptionsand approximationshad to be made. considerably different characteristics than that of In general, the entire problem could be boiled down into homogeneous armor by virtue of being hardened to resist three questions as related in the rules: attack. The effect of this hardening had to be considered inasmuch as it wuld either add to or subtract from the 1. Has the target been hit? vehicle's protection depending upon the size of the conducted in a manner which was much more complete 2. Where has the target ken bit? impacting projectile. 3. What has the hit done to the target? than inothergames, and thisanalysis was tokreduced to Step 3. ~11armor plates, whether homogeneous or a workable, playable methodologyusing the best pmsible Reference 2 gives adetailed and very satisfactory method hardend, protect the vehicle by different amounts for answering the first question provided some data about depending upon their sloping with respect to the the firing weapon b known. In geneial, "quasi-battle' attacking projectile. This sloping is not simply the slope of conditions are a~umedexisting on the field with the plate with respect to vertical, butis also the extra slope projectile shape, stability, and especially mmle velocity of the plate in the ground plane and neither effect can be determining whether or not a given target is hit at agiven ignored. This is such a complex problem that an range. For each weapon used in Tubmk, these parameters illustration is in order for better understanding. Assume were either found in references listed later or could be we have an armor date of some thickness beine fir& at: safely assumd, and probability of hit curves such as the example below could be generated foreach and converted into dice rolls for use in the Hit Probability Tables.

and which can be piercd when vertical. Sloping of that plate may cause theattackingprojectileto either ricochet- or even shatter depending upon the projectile type and the hardness of the plate. gh importance to anyone wishingto investigate But the sloping "bonus" enjoyed by the plate must be k design process, the data has been enclosd evaluatd taking into account that, mathematically, the probability of the plate lying exactly perpendicular to the line of fire as shown below (from the top): ng sidenote is in order here. In doing the Question2 could in a similax way be answered by making earch necessary for proper effectiveness a few assumptions about all -Bets an& then a detailed analysis of each. The general assumptions were: a) The aimpoint on each target was roughly in thecentw of the target. b) The only areas on the target which could be hit wm the areas facing toward the firing weapon. For example hits scored on the side plates 'df a target which by definition is facing the weapon with its front areignored is exactly zero. In other words, in any actual battlefield and so on. condition the plate will piobably Lie at some angle to the C) The hits scored on the target are divided according to line of fire such as illustrated below: the amount of area each portion of the target presents to the firing weapon. For example,~upposethe Front Upper Hull plate of a tank target donstituted 113 of the total presented area of the tmk whenviewed directly from the front, then it would be assumed that t/3 of the hitsscored uncertainty existecf For example, most weapons in the on the front of the tank landed on that plate. In reality, this is not mathematically accurate but for usein Tobruk, quite acceptable. -problem is that thae higher rates of fm could only be With theseassumptions, the projected areas of each target Assuming the ground is perfectly tlat (not a bad .used under very special circumstana which, giving the assumption in the desert) and assuming a straight-line , defender the advantage of the doubt, were wumed to be were analyzed wing referenoes 3 through I3 and Area Impacted tables built for AFV. projectile flight to the target plate (a bad assumption ignorable except in certain identifyable Eases (such as anywhere but one which gives the defender the advan- final defensive fires, etc.). The point clear that Finally, the incredibly complicated problem barrages, is of question tage), it can be safely assumed that the plate's vertical on a battlefield such factors as confusion, obsmration 3, whether or not the target was damaged if hit, had to be slope is constant. The horizon~ol slope, however, and leas than perfect knowledge of the enemy all work in addressed. First and foremost, range dependent armor definitely varies as the target faces the firing weapon the defender's behalf but can't be easily modelled in a penetration data for each weapon of interest had to be differently. For example, by definition in the game, a gme. This guideline simply reduces the effect of such gathered and fromamong literaliy dozens of sources, the vehicle belng engaged from the "front" may actually be unplayable factors. data of references 14 through 18 was accepted for initial sitting with up to a 30 degree horizontal angle with respect w.Second, armor specifics for each possible target had Under these three guidelines, the weapons' effsctivenms to the llne of fire. As mentioned before, hits scored on the analyses of Tobruk were conducted in the following ways. to be obtained and vulnerable areas of each target wwe target's side plates in this case are not counted, but that 0 extractd. degree-30 degree bonus to the receiving plate cannot be With this basic mass of data the following step by step realistically ignored, especially when it has a very procedure was followed to determine the results of each significant impact on whether or not the vehicle is A. Anti-armor weapons possible projectilelarea impacted combination in the damaged. During the degert war, incidentally, German The defeat of an enemy armored target by direct-fire is a game. With only five British and six Axis target AFV panzer crews were instructed to approach the enemy at an problem of the foremost magnitude. The question "Will types, incidentally, thii meant 1284 separate and distinct angle, so that this horizontal slope bonus wm maximized. thii projectik defeat this target at this ranger may at first evaluations had to be performed: A serious problem arises, however, in trying to account ,seem to be rather Birnple to answer by just comparing Step 1: Armor 'penetration" data is usually based on for this horizontal bonus in a reaIistic way. For example, projectile penetration to armor thickness and making a static f~ngsof weapons against armor plates of average in the case illustrated above the target could be assumed yes or no decision based on that. In actuality, however, quality which, in the jargon of metallurgy is called to be always facing at the maximum angle of 30 degrees, the problems involved are so complicated that, even at homogeneous armor. Perforation or piercing of thesame but this would really be gving too much of a break to the today's sate of 'ballistics.and m~llurgy,the only sure piate is a considerably harder task, however, and what defender and, of course, assuming the opposite being way of answering the question is by taking the target out this basic perforation capability of the projectile against true, that of only a 0 degree facing would be unfair to him. and shooting at it with theweapon of interest. Reference i homogeneous armor hdto be calculatd. A method had to be developed to account for this effect in PAGE 6 THE GENERAL

a probabilistic way, and to do in sp~ha way as to not game and references 18, 19, and 23 provided the basic again occur in doing this, but for use in Tobruk they are encumber the play of the game with for example another numbers and types of weapons used by the personnel safely ignorable. Artillery battery specifics input to this dice roll. Needless to say, after mucheffortsuchamethod units of each side. When combinad, a firepower value in calculation include the size of each battery (always four was discovered and the IMPACT computer program the form of Gunfire Factors for each personnel unit at all guns or howitzers except the 75mm(F) which was six written to implement it into thegame. Without going into possible range was calculated for each type of unit. guns) ana the individual weaponratesof tire which will be any details of the IMPACT procedures, be it enough to Further elaborating will not be done here, but if related later. Dud rates of ammunition were also say that all important effects, such as plate hardness and interested, a player may refcr to the above references, considered, and surprisingly enough found to be signif- projectile type, were analymd, and the result was such especially number. 22, (aJthough erroneous in spots) for cant that this probabilistic horizontal sloping bonus was more details of this process and data. amalgamated into the Area 1mpactedTablefor each AFV Systems Specifics target. This means, for instance, that say 113 ofa target's C. Artillery and Mortar Weapons A. BOARD total frontal aspect was composed of its front lower hull The evaluation of the effectiveness of these weapons is plate which would represent 12 out of 36 (the maximum strongly affected by a set of assumptions not required in The board chosen for use with Tobruk requires link nurnkr of different results of rolling two dice) "Front the evaluation of the previous two types. These assump- comment because there islittle to it.The75 meterhexwas Lower Hull" hits on its Area Impacted Table. With the tions are very broad, but not unreasonable for a board chosen to allow for reasonable manouver on the board bonus of the target's random facing factored in by the use wargame. Briefly, they are: while prohibiting the longat-range weapon used, the of IMPACT, these 12 hits might be reduced to perhaps 8, 88mm FLAK, from completely commanding m ewge- 1. Any artillely (including dirmt-fire) or mortar weapon ment. In addition, the CEFs of all artillery and monar with the other four being defined as ricochets caused by can be assumed to have associated with it a "CEP", or the target's facing at some angle. weapons used in the game are such that a 75 meter hex will Circular Error Probable, figure which very simply probably receive most of their fire and rounds falling in This is not a pertect solution, obviously, but it at least represents the radius of a circle centered at the target adjacent hexes may be ignored. There is no terrain of any accounts for the problem to some extent and certainly within which 50% of the ammunition fired by that target enough for a commercial wargarne like Tobruk. Even the kind on the board for two reasons. First, the actual terrain will land. This CEP is definitely range-dependent; that is, upon which most of the Gamla battles were fought is partial solution just descrilxd (briefly by the way) hasa as the closer to a target that the firing weapon is, the smaller indeed very flat and featureless. Any "terrain" protection terrific impact on the play of the game. Just notice how the CEP will become although, for some technical desired by the combatants in general had to be provided difficult it is to get a hit to "stick" to the front ofa Pz.111 J reasons, it will never reach zero (perfect accuracy). by they themselves through entrenchments and conceal- Special and this should become apparent. 2. Any tmrget may be approximated by a circle on the ment. Second and most important, though, it was Step 4. Once a projectile is defined as having hit a target ground of some radius R1.. As anexample, a tank may be discovered through play-test of Tobruk predecessors that and not ricocheted, it must be determined whether or not approximated by such a circle: almost any terrain feature of any kind ona battlefield of the projectile(or its fragments if shatterd) has pierced the this size (about 2 miles by 3 miles) absolutely dominates in plate and what damage was done. An almost straight the play of the game. As discussed in the Introduction, comparison of piercing power vs. armor effective Tobruk is intended to be a game of weapons and thickness may be made to answer the first part, and an personnel, and not one of tactics as dictated by terrain. analysis of target internallayout and projectiledesign can Rommel himself in his Papers (reference 24) related answer the second. One examplcof this processshould be exactly this feeling when he wrote: sufficient to illustpdte. as can a section of infantry: Suppose at a range of 6 hexes a Pz.111 J Special using the "01 a11 theaters of operations, Lt was pobably In North Africa Uml 50mm long weapon had scored a Front Lower Hull hit on tho wertoc4 on Ils mosl advencedlormlhe proteponlstsonbolh a Honey tank. A quick comparison of theeffwtivearmor sldes were lullv motorked Iwma6ianrlorwhoreampIoyment the Ilal and obstr;ctimlree dmoiG;ed hitherto undroamd oi thickness of the Honey at this point (70mrn) and the possibilitleg. It was Ihs only mter wiww Ihp prlnclplss d armor piercing ability of the 50mm long APCBC (normal rnotnrlz6.d...... - . . and tankwarlam, as lhev had been lauqhthttheorelleslly armor-piercirq arnmunition),at this range (7lmm) shows and so on. before (he war, could beapplledtoihb lulland fuitherdwelopod. that indeed the round has gotten into the Honey. At this It was the only lheater where the puetank battle belween malor 3. Any munition type, such as an ltalian 81mm monar formations wkfought." spot in the tank, however, is located the transmissionand round for example, may havc associated with it some final drive mechanisms behind which sit the driver and "lethal radius" (RL) within which a target may be hull machinegunner. Since the round has barely managed damaged or destroyed. For example, the 81rnm round B. VEHICULAR UNITS to break throughthe armor plate in front of the finaldrive just mention4 may h described as havingan RLagainst Each vehicle type used by either side during the Garala assembly, it simply doesn't have enough remaining an infantry target of 7.0 meters, within which any man Battles was very unique in performance and pecularities. momentum -(kinetic energy) to continue through the target will probably be killed orseriously wounded by the References 3 through 13 list these specifws in detail but a assembly ~tselfand kill or injure one or both of these two fragments or blast from the exploding round. Against a short list of the most important items will be presented crewmen and so they can be considered safe. However, tank target, for example, this RL lor damaging or here for completeness. the mechanisms of the assembly most certainly will have destroying the tank will obviously be considerably less. been damaged by $he round itself or the fragments of 1. British: Under these three assumptions, then, the effectiveness of armor plate which it probably blew into the assembw fires against various targets may be analyzed. The - U.S. M9 Light tank 'Honey" or upon entering, and so the mobility of the Honey has "Stuart" probably been destroyed and thus, an 'M' kill scored. equations for this analysis are in common use throughout the military Operations Research community and won't Weight - 18 Ions Finally, the 50mm APCBC round, like mwt German and Maxtmum road sped 38 mph be referenced here; although most OR textbooks and - Italian ammunition, was clewrly designed to explode Flst dmspeed - 29 mph after piercing into a target and, in thiscase. the portion of papers discuss them and their derivations in detail. They Maximum armor - Shm consist of: Crew - 4; 2-man turret target entered happens to contain inflammable fluids. Weapons - 1 Shnm M6,t 30 wl Browning The combination of these factors produces a high 1. Probability of hitting a target, PH: MMG'n probability of fire, and thus the '(P4)' result as well. - Maln bnlllc lanh wtmn nsem- - LlflM, lent snd mllabls vohlcb. Not Allorthis, and onk M(P4)<6 is placed on the Honey sheet dlsullod lo tlw mle M battle with 1283 additional evaluations, some trivial. some very tank bul used as one anyway. Sur- complex, needed to be done for analyzing the AFV's prlslngly pod amor for llght vohl- cle, wy sccurnte maln gun. TWD involved in the game. man Zurnl was a nllghl Ilablllhr. 2. Fractional coverage of a target F by one round of lethal radius RL: - Cruk-3 Mk II, C~~dorII B. Gunfire Anti-personnel Weapons Weigh! - I9tcmr Compared to the above, theevaluationsof these weapons Maximum mdppeed - 28 mph Flnt ddsped - 22 mph was relatively simple. In general, any rifle, submachine- Maximum amr - 49mm gun, light machinegun or medium machinegun may be CFsW - 5; %man lurrpt evaluated as having a probability of inflicting a kill or Wespona - 1 2 pounder, 2 Besa MMQ serious (battle incapacitant. all lighter wounds were where R is the distance from the burst to the target, P, S, Use In OalaBaitlea - Maln bank tsnk. ignored in Tobruk) wound on a certain number of man- and SIC parameters. Commenls - Very unrollable *ehiclp wlth s weapon nor qua1 lo sny otner on targets as a function of the: 3. And the fractional coverage FKN of a target with N lhe fleld. Dlsllksd by Ib emand 1. Weapon's rate of fire to include loading times, rounds each covering the target by amount F as no1 feurod by the enemy. Very calculated above: combu6tlble when hll. PwdY sr- stoppages, cyclic rate of fire, and burst fire tactics toavoid ranged armar whkh good s+d overheating. could nsrsr ousn;omo. Ume Sup 2. Range from the firing weapon(s) to the target unit and pm(CS.) vedon had 8" howluor malnly lor Hring smoke. the probability of one round from the weapon hittingone man in the target at that range. Using these three equations, plus other assumptiona 3. The motion or cover state of the target being fired peculiar to Tobruk targets, the artillery and mortar upon. effectiveness may be calculated and, working backwards, References 20 through 22 provided enough data for the related to casualty production so that the same Casualty calculations of these variables for each weapon in the Table used by gunfire weapons may be utilid. Errors PAGE 7

U.S. Ma Mewurn "Grant" - Nomonclalure - Sd. Wz. 139, Marder Ill - 30 tons Nomenclalure ,303 Vlckors Medlum Machlne-pun Welghf - I1 tons Weight In acllon - 42 Ib. - 28 rnph IWaxlmum road sued 26 mDh 17 mph - Crew . 5msn - Flal dasert speed - 17 mph Amrnuirttion lnximum akr - SYmm Marlmum armor - 52mm - 6; 5-man turret. 2-mnn sponoon generally used - Ball, trncmr Crew - 4: 2-mm gun poslllon CEP (lndlreel Ure) . - ;G~~ - 1 75mm M2, 1 37mm M6,3.30 cal Waapons - f TS.Smm(r), 1 MG 97 MMG Rale 01 lire - 500 rprn (cyclic) Browning MUG Use In Garnla Battles Tenk destroyer. - Meln battle lank. - Ammunltlon Comrnants - Effective use of rnndRled--- - eenturar~ dud rale . - - Key Brltlsh tank In battle. Very Ruminn AM gun- on mptuw heavy nrrnor nnd Iwo pwerlul HE round leihal radius . - Cmch chasls. Gun Wasso powerluI Comments - World War I design using Maxlm weapns-on fast and very Mlable Ihal Brltlsh a! Ilr6t thought that chasls. aclion. , Rsllable, effecllve and Iself-propelled a8mm FLAK nuns glren up, unhnpplly, by the Britlsh I had hen Inlroduad. Own -too. infantry only long after the war. limlwd gun traverpe, and tw& Llke 3 mortar, usually anached to I man gun crew Hmlted overall infantry mmpanlea when npodsd - Inlanrry Tank M% Ill. Velenllne II In sodlone ol two. - 16 Ions - 15 rnph - I1rnph 65mm HomenclaIure Carro Armato Tlpo MlS14O Nomenclature .55 inch Boy6 Antl-tank Rllle - Welght - 3; amnn turrmr 14 Ion Welght In actlon ?6 Ib. - 1 2-pounder, 1 Besa MMG Maxlmum road speed 20 rnph Crew l-man Flat deserl speed lnlantry suppwi tnnlt. battle tenk I1 mph Ammunitlon - Msximum armor when needed. 5Ornm generally used Annor plerdng tncendlary Crew Very well hlll and rellable equlp 4; &man turrel CEP {lndlrect tire) - - Weapon9 ment. Slow speed, 2-pounder gun 1 47mm U34 3 Breda 38 MMG Rate uf lire 15 rprn U# In Gazals Battles and two msn crew limited battle Main battle tank. Arnmunltlon dud raw - Commenls elleahemess. Very thick and well- Slow, "M-propelled wffln" wlth HE round lethal radlus - placed armor. weak armor evewwhsre but the Comment Heavy weapon ndnble, and lesr- turret Iront Good gun but no1 good ed, for three times the klck ol a enough lo prevenl many ltsllan shotqun but wsth almogt m urmw- tankers Irom being klllsd In battle. pleretng cnpability. Inasmuch as Unreliable, hlghly combustible . . - Inlanlry Tank Mk II, Mnlilda II il could damage llght vehlcles and Ielg ht - 27 tons when piemd. break the Irack of any tank. It was lnximum road smod - 15 rnph still 01 use untll shaped Ehargo - 11 mph weapons became pnarally avail- - 78mm able In 19d3. - 1; Prnan lurrol - 1 Ppounder, 1 Besa MMG Nomenclalure - Oblce DA 75118, Sernovente - Infantry support tank, ballle lank Welphl - 14 tons Nomenclsturs 2 pounder anll-lank gun when needed. Maximum road speed - 19 mph Waight in actlon 1.8 Ions - Very slow vehlcle wllh llmlted Flat desert speed - 11 mph Crew 5-men offec~due to 2-pounder Maxlmum armor - 50mm Ammunltion maln gun. Very expsnslve lo build craw - 4; no turrei generally used AP non-exploolue shot only due locast hull. Replaeed by Valen- Weapons - 1 75mm U18 CEP (Indirect Ilre) - line belore El Alnmeln. Use In Garala BuIlles - Suppwt field gun Rate 01 Flre 22 mp Comments - BashHy the same whlcle as the Ammunitlon dud rate - MI3140 but wnh fleld gun inslead HE round lethal --*'rls - 01 anlktank gun. Same weak- Standard Brltlsh ATG at bsginntng nes9es = M18/40 bul could life 01 war bul obsolete by 1842. A1 effuctivs HE sheil Ilk8 German Pz. G-la 8tlll maln ATG although . Axis IV out to long range oven whlle on supposedly replaced In arltllery the mow. units by 6 pounder. Small, uncapped - Panzerknmplwagwr Ill, Yo& H shot shattered easily on German - 19.5 tons hard nrmor. - 24 rnph - 17 rnph - BOrnm C. Weapon Units - s; %man turrel Nomenclalure 40mm Antl-nlrcrstl Gun IBolws) - 1 50mm U45 2 MG34 MMG Even though weapons are identified as being used by one Weight in acllon 2.4 tons - Main battlo'tank. side or the other. it must be stressed that both sides in the Crew 6-men The heart of the Afrlks Korm. Fiasl. - desert made extensive use of captured weapons whenever Ammunltion rellable end MI armed although possible. The reason for this was that, unlike AFV's. generally used HE, AP I ahad 50mm unable to cope wlth CEP (indirecl lire) - Grant Exlrn bolted on hard armor weapons in general required no special supplies of spare Rale 01 Ilre 120 rpm (cycllc) W- an PtreCli~ocounter to mosl parts or maintenance equipment to be kept in operation Ammunltlon dud rate - Brilish weapons. and can be set up and used with far less training than in HE round lelhal radius 1.6 metem I the case of an AFV. The following lists the most Comments Swedlsh rlasign stsndardlzed aa important data foreach weapon type wed in thegameby medium AM by many wuntrles - PaMw!4ampfwagon Ill, Mockl J, either side: and stlll In use lodny. Effeclivs in €.pedal maln role bul sondary role as ATG limiled by slghts. WelghI - 29 tons 1. British Mnximum road spssd - 25 mph nat dmspeea - 17 rnph Nomenclsture Muzzle Loadlng Morter, 2 Maxlmum ermor - - 77mm Welght In actlon 10 lb. Crow - - 5: %man lumt Crew - I-man Weapons - 1 Nmm W60,2 MG34 MMG Ammunition Use In Gazala Ealtlss - Yeln ballle tank. gemrally used - HE Nomenclalure 6 pounder Anti-lank Oun - Very dangerous vehlcle-only real CEP (Indirect firs) - 520 meters Weight In acllon 1.22 tons match lor Grant on field but only Rat%of flre - 12 rprn Crew 5-men 19 with OAK on 26 May. Long gun Ammunltron dud rate - - Ammunition very accurale snd lethalalthough it HE round lethal radlus - 1.8 meter generally Used AP nwr-txploslve shot only was lho monl powerhll whlch CEP (Indir~llire) - wuld Rt Into the turret and lhuslh Rats ol +Ire 16 rprn Pz. Ill sarien atopped ds*slopdng at Arnmunltlon dud rate - thls wlnt Llke H, hard extra arm- HE round lethal radlus - Comments Excellent kard-hmlng pieas. Only 112 In handsof Royal Arllllery unlts of Elghih Army at start 01 hrlle. - Panrerkampfwagon IV, Model E Ltk 2 pound-, no HE shell avall- - 22 tons able whrch Ilmlled use. lmpresslw t adm mum road an& - 28 mgh - Medium Mortar, 3" performance convinced Arnerlcan I Flnf dssart &ei- -- - 17 mph Welght In action - 128 lb. srmy to adopt as 57mm ATG. I Maxlmum armor - BDmm Crew - &men clew - % %man turret Ammunltlon - 1 75mm U24,2MG34 MMQ genmlly used - HE, smoke - Support tank. battletank It nepded. CEP (Indirect flw) - &35 metm I Comments - Oood, rellsble tank like R. Ill but Rete of Ilre - 10 rprn Nomenclature French 75mm gun, Model 1807 MI nexl lo usel- In tank ballle due Arnmunltlon dud rate - - Weigh1 in actlon 1.3 Ion6 !oshort gun. Could bombardenemy HE round lethsl rndlus - 7.1 meten crew &men from up lo 30W msters even whll. tommena - Standard BrlRsh medIum mortar Arnmunltlon moulng wlth lethal HE, honrs*~. 6tllf In U# ellhouph modilled. Suf- generally used HE, smoke, AP A few ''S~lal''veraion of Ihe Pz. 1emd f#nm short rnngo in desert CEP (Indirect fire) 22 mslers IV Wth lhe new long-bsrrelod and, Ilkeall Brlllsh rnunltlons, from Rate of flre I2 rprn 75mm were used boginnlng at smsll lelhal radus of fragmenre Ammunition dud rale 30% tion due lo uas of pwr grade met- Blr Hachelm bul not lnduded In t HE round lethal radlus 12 mmlers game. als In Shells. Comments World War I French main fmld gun. PAGE 8 THE GENERAL

Usod by Flee Frenchai Blr Hsehelm Rote d lfre - 10 rpm ily projectile snd hlgh raie 01 fln bolh a9 artillery and ATG. Llmited A-ltbn dud rat% - - rounded out the lhreat to PnkS. rang# and high smrnunltlon h!b HE mmdMhsl radlus - - Wespon Itself, however, was ure rats due to aga limited us& - Light, handy weapon but llke -55 largo, vulnerable W Irngmenta- bul SIX-gunbettew and hlghrated cal Boys hopels66ly oulcla6wd by tlar, snd kavy. Thew weak- flro made buttely #re9 wry eflec- mgeBritish lank. It wuld, how- nmwets corrected In BBmm the. Grant main gun baed upoR evw, at least break Iracku and so ATG'6 later In war. It. was relslned untll Bhm Eharge mapons bscame mallable. 105mm Howitzer

Nomenclawre 25 pounder gun-hcwlaer Nornenclnture Welghl In don 1.8 tons Weight in action Crew %men - 7.92mrn MGM Yedlurn machine crew Arnrnunltlon gun Ammunltlon generally Used HE. AP. 6mOke Welgbl In action - 42 pounds gonorally ussd HE, smoke 4-men - CEP (lndlrea Ilre) 42 rnetm C4W - CEP (indirect flre) - SO meters Rate of Rra 6 rPm Ammunlllon Rnte d llre - 8 rpm Ammunlllon dud rate M% genarally u#d - Ball, AP Arnmunltlon dud rate - 15% HE rwnd kthd radius 13.8 metm CEP (lndlmct flm) - - of HE round lethal radlus - 16.7 meter6 Comment Standard Brltlsh flsldgun untlllong Rate flre - 8W rprn (cydlc) Comrnenls Slandurd Germany army fleld ttre Ammunllhn dud rate - - - utter wsr. Elkctlve ss artllleq - - howltrer untll end of war. Effec- and when necaaanry aa ATQ al- HE round lethal radlus tive, wdl-depigned plew equal though lack of sullabk 6lghl llrnlled - Same weapon # sectlon Ma84 excnpl equlpped with hemy Irlpod In psrlomrams to !25 pounder or range. Amerlean 105mrn. whlch allowed more socuracy and tonger bumla. Llke aectlm weap on, hlgh rate of fire produced am- munlllon pupply problem. Usually 150mm Howitzer altached to company in half-pla 4.5 inch gun toons wllh two wenpona UomtndaRIm - 15 cm. S.F.H. 18 (150mm howlixar) Weight In Wn - 5.4 ton6 Nomenclature - 4.5 inch Gun Crew - &men WelgM In actlon - 5.7 tons Nomenclature - 2.a cm. S.Pz.8.41 (28120 PAK) Ammunltlon Crew - %men Welght In actlon - 491 pounds generally used - HE, smoke AmmunlLion crew - 3-men CEP (indirect flm) - 49 metom generally used - HE, srnoka Ammunltian Rete d llre - 2 rpm CEP (indirect flre) - 45 meter6 gsnsrally used - Armor piercing camposlte non- Ammunition dud rate - 15% Rate of flre - 2 rprn rigid, HE HE round lethal radlus - 23 metm Ammunlllon dud rate - M?b CEP (Indlrect Ilre) - - Cummentp - Slnndard German medlurn how- HE mund lethal radius - 17 meters Rate of firs - 1orpn Iizor. Companion piom lo 105mm Comments - Slandard Brilish medium plew In Ammunlllon dud inte - - LF.H. 18. servl- at Gazala. Long range and HE round lothal radlus - .I4 meters @a& accuracy at range msde plece Commenls - First pmductlon milltary weapon vary sliectks and well respected. lo uae "squeezebore" principle to 105mm Gun gain high wlocity (4550 fil6ec) prolectlle. Small glght and Imm- Uomsnclaium - 106 cm. K18 (IOhrn gun) 155mm Howitzer blllty of ammunition Ilrnlted Weight in setion - 5.5 tons accurate range but lunflsten cw- Clew - 8-men Homenclaiure - u.S.155mm Howllzer MI Eq blde projectile wuld plsm almost Ammunltlon Weight in &on - 6.3 tons sny Brltlsh tank genemlly uwd - HE, emoke Crew - 9-men CEP tlndlred lire) - 30 mows Ammunition Rale of flre - 6 rpm generally uwd - HE, smoke - 5 cm. PAK 58 (Wmm PAK) Ammunltlon dud rate - 15% CEP (indlrd Ilte - 47 meters WaQht in adlon - 2145 poungD HE round lolhal radlup - 11.7 me- Rate 01 are - 2 rpm crew - G-men Comrmnt6 - Standsrd Qerman long range gun. Ammunltlon dud rate - 1596 Ammunltion WRh 1Mmm KfB Iwmsd b#ls of HE mund lethal radiug - 18.8 meters genarally used - APCBC, APCR, HE OAK Army Arlllley. Becsupe d Comments - Standard U.S. medlum howlhr CEP (Indirect Ilre) - - long range, both weapons esp%- stiH in use today. Used In wnlunc- Rate of Ilre - - cially uselul for munler-beltemy tlon with 11.5" gun by Britlsh In me- Ammunllkn dud rats - - IN. dlum batterles at Garah HE mund lethal radlus - 7.5 metera - Standard German ATG and maln nun on Pr Ill d Swcial. Hiah voloc- 150mm Gun hY and excdlent slghls ga*e hlgh 2. German accuracy, but 6peclslAPCR mmu- Mornemlaturn 15 cm. K18 (15hm gun) nltlon rpqulrod to ddwl heavler - - 5 crn. Oranatwerfer 36 (50mm Welght in =lion - 12.5 long Brltish armor. Lethal HE shell for Craw Lmm mortar) use against son largetp. - Welght In actlon - 31 pounds Ammunltson crew - 2-men generally used - HE, omokra Amrnunltlon CEP (Indirect flre) - 42 metem Rate of flre 2 rpm generally used - HE N-. .~clutu~. 75 cm. LIG - - Ammunilion dud rate 15% CEP (lndlred Bre) - 5-20 meters Welght In actlon .m ions - - HE round lothal radlus 29 meters Rete of fire - 12 rprn Crew - %men - Comments Companion plece In Army Artll- Amrnunlllon dud rate - 15% Amrnunltlon - 27 metem lery to 10.5 an.KIB. By far Iangezd- - genernlly uaed - HE, smoke ranged weapon in game. - vory effdlve llght weapon but CEP (lndlrect fire) - 35 meters llke BrlWph 2" and Itnliun 45mm Rate of flre - 6rpm unefuln6?m in dwt limitod due Ammunlllon dud rate - 15% to short range. Powerful HE ehell. HE round lethal rndluo - H.1 meters 3. The Italians Very heavy wmpsred lo 2". - Infanay suppon weawn for brlng- Ing of dlrect lira onto rppislnM large&. Although anllquatd, re- Nornenclaturs 45rnm M85 Brixls (4*m mortar Pined and uPed by German army Welght In actlon 34 pound6 - 8 cm. Grsnntwehr 34 (81mm unll end 01 war. Kept In supporl Ctw 2-men mortar) companlea of rltle regiments along Amrnunltlon Welght In action - 125 pounds generally u9ed HE mw wllh 150rnm version (SLG) not in- Cr - 8-men cluded In game. Attached to corn- CEP (lndlrsct Bra) 5-20 meters Ammunltlon pony in seclions of two. Rate of Are 25 rprn generally usad - HE and gmoka Ammunilion dud rate 20% CEP (Indlrect flre) - 7--42 rnoters YE round lethal radlus 0.7 meler Rate 01 Ilre - lZlpm Mornenclatum - 8.8 m. FLAK 36 menr: Equivalonl weapon lo British 2" Ammunltlon dud rale - 15% or German 5Rnrn. Threw "Red HE round lelhal radiua - 7.5 melers Wsight In actlon - 5.5 tons Devil" grpnadm a1 very high rnto Comments - Very effective weapon u6ually at- crew - 11-men out lo same range a6 othu two IInched to Infantry compnny In half- Ammunition mortare. Its In the desert was plaloona of three weapons. Longer generally uwd - APCBC, HE Ihardon limited Attachnd to range than Britlsh 8". CEP (Indlrect llte) - 24 meters company In ssctlons 01 lhrss Rate ol fire - 15rpm weapons. Arnmunltlon dud rate - 10% HE round lelhal rndlus - 18.0 metera Comm - Mcat famous &orman weapon a1 war. E*cellenl medlurn anU- Nornenclnture - 81mm MS6 (81mm mortar) - PL 6.38 (7.92mm ATR) alrcralt gun, excellent Wd gun Wai~htin actlon - laS pounds Wdght In acllon - 28 pounds when nwded, but most lamous crew - 8-men . Crew - 1-msn as anll-lank pun, especlslly in Ammunition Ammunlllon deperL High-quality opti~snd rta- gsnsrally umd - HE, 6mOke gmmlly used - AP Mth teur gas flller ble ptalform gave most accuracy of CEP (indlrecl Ilre) - 6-m mptws CEP (Indlreet fire) - - any wenpon at Gerala. Hlgh velw- Rate of flre - 18 rpm PAGE 9

- M% The Stuka dive-bomber is as infamous as probably any rifle section to use when needed. The company was E round ktethal radlus - 7.0 motors other weapon of war before or since. In the minds of composed of three of these platoons plus the company - sea mdsr In depplr. Outrangud German tactic planners such as Rommel, however, the commander group of two menarmed like the platoon BrlllsR end German qulvalenta HQ Hlgh rats of flre, accuracy and Stuka was not regarded as being decisive nor, for that leader's and nine-man section, each man armed with an IethaIlty mado il very etlscthh matter,evenremarkably effective except for usein its very Enfield. Every man in the company is assumed to carry Usually attachad to rllle mrnpsny clearly defined tactical role-that of the "heavy artillery" the standard (No. 36) British handgrenade but no other h sectlonm wlth one wonpon. of the mobile divisions. In this role it indeedexcelled, and special equipment. Reference 21 contains data about as such was a critical part of the concept of the Blitzkrieg these individual weapons. Additional data and comment or lightning war about which so much has been written. about the company and largerrifles were carried by "TO&E's". the first group and the standard 6.5mm M9 I MannIicher- Carcano by the second. Both groups were headed by an The basic Tobruk personnel unit is. ofcourse, the infantry NCO who wasusually armed with theexcellent 9mm M38 section from which all larger units are built. The highest Beretta sub-machinegun. Two sections plusan HQgroup echelon whidh can be reached by either side in thegame is formed the platoon and three platoons, 3 headquarters sections and the company group formed the a company, but a full-strength company might represent HQ in the later stages of the battle a unit of batallionstrength company. All company personnel are assumed to carry HE, smoke the M35 O.T.O."Red DeviP' hand-grenade but note that - or even larger. If desired, additional Tobruk counter sets - 35 melerp neither light mortars nor anti-tank rifles are part of the may be added together on the board to form larger - Irprn company. Any of these or heavier weapons had to be Ammlmliim dud rate - 2598 standard unlts than one company, but in the desert a attached to the company from higher echelon units. A11 HE romd lethal rndlw - 13.5 mslsrs battlefield of the board size (about 2 miles by 3 miles) was - Slandard Itanom fleld howilzsr about the correct size to allow for full movement of additional data about the ltalian company or higher but new in anouah nuantllv to echelon organization or weapons may be found in nothing much above a batallion and the mechanics of the replam marweapo-ns. ks godd aa referenw 19. Oenan 105 w Bmlmh 25 poundor. game were designed with this limit in mind. (Players who build higher echelon units on the board run the risk of making the game unwieldy and not much fun to play.) The only other Tobruk personnel units, the CREW's and artillery forward observers, areassumed to be armed with Nomenelalure - t4Dmm U4O Anrsldo (1POmm the appropriate standard rifle and grenades only. The gun) The companies on each side are represented in numbers of CREW's are composed of one NCO gun commander and 5.4 tons WelgM In aellar - men and sub-unit composition on their respective roster the proper number of other ranksand the F.O. isassumed - 8-men charta, but some comments are in order as to the weapons to consist of one officer only. Ammunltlon and any special characteristics of each as used in the - HE, smoke CEP (lndlmct fir01 - 45 melon game. - 2 rprn Annnunlllon dud Vste - a$% I. British-The British desert infantry section contained F. Obstacle/Fortlfication Units HE round lethal radlus - 1BB mstsrs I0 men composed of one non~ommissioned officer - By far Ihe bsst lrsllan nwllum ptecs; on mugh par wllh 4.5" (NCO) armed with sn American Thompson sub- I. The entrenchment counter does not represent rows of Britlsh. machinegun, two men operating ,303 cal. Bren light slit trenches as may be guessed but rather an area machinegun and seven men armed with Enfield ,303 cal. completely covered with personal entrenchments of Mk.3 bolt-action rifles. The platoon is composadof three "hedgehogs" which all sides found to be of most value in D. STUKAS of these sections with a platoon headquarters section of the desert. Since the hex containing an entrenchment seven men allarmed with Enfields and the platoonleader counter is assumed to be completely covered with - Ju-67-81 'Sluka" HQgroup itself of only two men, oneof whom isassumed hedgehogs (not enough to impede wheeled or tracked - 210 mph to carry a rifle and the other just a pistol. In the Ha vehicular travel though), more than one personnel unit is - %men 2" - one-500 Kg. dernolitlm bomb section were usually located the platoon's mortar and assumed to be able to find cover in the hex and the game is lour40 Kg. frsementaUon hmbs Boy's .55 =I, anti-tank rifle but these were oftengiven toa played in this way. PAGE 10 THE GENERAL

A. Infantry made in the game for the use of the heavy(above 15Omm WEAPON artillery, which was in the armies of both sides during th4 A single big mistake in the use of a form of infantry is Gazala Battles. This is because, except in Swnarios2,5,1 usually enough to end a given game where they ace and 9, the heavy artillery of both sides was unavailablefo ...... -...... important. On the attack, this error can occur by use due to the fluid state of the engagements. Also, as i~ bl attempting to approach an enemy position in strength the case of the Stuka, no really suitable targets for large before the enemy is pinned down by fire. On the defense, it caliber fire existed on either side in the Gmala area. Tha 2. The bunker/blockhouse counter represents one large usually happens when units forsake their cover for any weapons were used when available, of course, but fo fortification. The bunker itself is a covered emplacement rason while under fire. In general, infantry. unlike typical desen targets field and medium pieces wen providing full cover and firing openings to personnel AFV's, should never be "thrown" into a situation where suitable. inside and doesn't differ much in construction fromarmy fire may be brought-against them. They should be used to army. The blockhouse, however, h a very strongly- very carefully and players should realiie, like Rommel, In general, three missions are possible for the use o built concrete structure which. in the Gazaia battles, was that their prime use in the desert is to occupy and hold artillery batteries in the game. They are: only found on the Tobruk perimeter. The blockhouses terrain and inflict casualties on the enemy when he is had been built by the Italians as part of the strengthening compelled to erraditate them (such as in Scenario 8). -Destruction missions-where HE fires are brough of the port defensa when they were in control of Tobruk Except when mechanized or when no AFV's are onto point targets for the purpose of destroying then before the Britishoffensive of 1940 whichdrove themout. available, infantry should never be considered as part of a through direct hits; Although good emplacements, the British found the strike force. When forced to participate in an attack, blockhouses to be moredefensive rather thanan offensive under no circumstances should they be allowed to move -Neutralination missiow-where HE fres are brough nature because troops inside could not fire out in any way, toward the enemy without some supporting fire being onto area (personnel or soft vehicles in the open) target! and this is how they are used in the game. placed on the area being assaulted. When in position on for the purpme of inflicting casualties through fragmen. 3. The weapon pit counter by definition contains one pit the defense, they should stay under full cover until Ug tation and; for a weapon to fit in and which provides suitable enemy is close enough to be badly damagtd by fire. This protection for the crew when not manning the gun. may sometimes mean staying under full cover for good, -Harassment missions-where smoke or HE fires an and forcing theenemy toliterally jumpin the trench toget brought onto any target for the purpose of blinding it them out through melee. Properly used, infantry units forcing it to button up, forcing it to seek cover or forcing i may be very expensive to destroy. to move.

B. Armored fighting vehicles Due to the highly mobile nature of most of the game Rommel, as usual, suu~up best ine value of armor in scenarios and the Limitations of artillery(1ongadjustment the desert when he writes (reference 24): times, poor direct hit probabilities with respect to direct- fire weapons, limited shifting of fires for effect) most of the artillery fire missions seen on the board will probably 4. The minefield counter laid by either side is assumed to 'The armor Is the core 01th motorized army. Evemhlng turns on be for harassment. contain a minehld patterned like the German 24 by 64 Rand olher formallons are mere nuxlllerlea" meter field as described in reference 18. Besides anti-tank As in the case of direct fire, once any mission is mines, anti-personnel mines are assumed included in the In the game three key tactical points on the use of armor commenced against a target, it is extremely bad tactics to field and an effective density of4minesper meter of front are most notable. Very simply, they are: cease fire before the desired result of the mission is is reached in the hex. hchf~ld,of course. is asumed to achieved. contain the standard AT or AP mine types used by the -never offer enemy armor-piercing weapons a flank or side laying the field but like withother weapons, captured rear shot except when there is no other alternative; mines were used by all sides extensively. The operating characteristics of each type of mine do not differ from one -never discount the threat of any enemy unit but engage Comments and Game another enough to justify differentiating the fields or their the most threatening first and stay on it until desired effectiveness. damage is achieved. and Deficiencies Tobruk, like any other had to be built withinmany 5. The anti-tank trench counter is assumed to be mme, -never move for any reason other than for self limitations imposed by the fact that reality can't ever be completely cut across by the trench which is ktween 6 protection or to establish a ktter firing position. perfectly modelled. In the cese of this game. however, and 8 feet deep with reinforced walls and sometimes additional constraints arose because of the complexity of covered by boards. The trench hex is assumed to mntain These three points apply equally well to armoredvehicles the methodoIogies used for describing combat results. hedgehogs and the trench itself could obviously be used on the defense or the attack. On the attack. armor, like The effect of this wasvery simply that many vehicles ad for cover. infantry, should be support4 by fire on the objective weapons used by both sides in the actual Gaznla Battle where possible. Enemy anti-tank guns should be were not included in the game. These included the light All of the above units as well as those previously described constantly engaged by machineguns on theapproachand tarlks, arynred car:, and early model medium tanks used should be thought of in terms ol how large they were in finished off with direct fire as soon as possible. Enemy by both sides and a weird assortment of non-standard real life for proper appreciation of their use in the @me. tanks should be outmaneuvered and the prized flank or vehicles and weapons used by theGermmns who were very The following illustration is an oufl~neof one board hex rear shot position awinst them achieved. Undoubtedly adept at putting anything of marginal value to use. with one tank, infantry section, and gunshown inscale to the worst approach tactic to be wed aminst either ATG's Without a doubt, however, the inclusion of these extra or tanks is the direct approach with no fire on the enemy pieces would have contributed little to the game and because, in general, any weapon can sooner or later at would have caused a great deal of extra complexity. least immobilize any AFV. On thedefense the best tactic as just described is that of remaining stationary, selecting A little problem arose in the research for Tobruk when it the most lucrative targets one by one, and once firing on was found that little data was available on British, each hm begun, not stopping until the target has been German, or especially ltalian smll unit tactical doctrine. neutralized. Wherever possible the enormous advantage This showed up particularly in theareas of infantry-tank of taking partial cover in a weapon pit should be and infantry-anillery coordination. Where and how exploited. Friendly infantry should be positioned with or FWs, for example, .were attached and what their around dug in tanks to prohibit the approach of enemy procedures were was unknown, and so approximations infantry. and the positioning of the tanks themselves based on U.S. Army doctrine were implernentedandwcre should k such that outflanking is difficult. When probably within reason. This same approximation was properly positioned and protected, AFV's in weapon pits used wherever other needed data was unavailable, but probably represent the most formidable obstacle to any since all armies generally operate in the same way in enemy advance. combat, the modelling of unknowns around U.S. procedures is probably pretty accurate. C. Artillery As mentioned before, as much emphasis as possible was The use of offboard artillery in~hescenarios of Tobrw placed in thegame on the simulation of weaponeffects. In should be in the role of dir~tsupport of the maneuver some cases, however, such as in the case of determining units on the board. What this means is that playerswould methodologics for resolving the problems of morale, best use artillery available for the purpom of helping units scientific data was completely absent and educated achieve specir~ctasks, rather than use it as just another guesses had to be made. This subjective way of molving available weapon for destruction of enemy targets. The these difhulties is obviously not perfect, but it was the Tactics best example of this is in the use of artillery to blind enemy best solution at hand especially in view of the fact that The purpose of Tobruk is to introduce battlefield positions withsmoke thus aiding in the approach of units research into any area has its limits which must be problems to players through the medium of anenjoyable toward the area being blinded. Artillery definitely may be recognized. In the design of Tobruk, these limits were game. In playing, players should be able to quickly learn used for destruction of enemy units on the bo,ard, of often reached and the resultinggame rule or procedure is what doe and does not work in the maneuvering and course, but the most vulnerable enemy targets, personnel therefore probably not near to perfect. Hopefully, firing of units, but some comments about general tactics in the open and masses of soft vehicles, rarely appear in though, no pan of the Tobruk architecture is designed in are in order. any Tobrrrk seen-io. Note that no provision has been an unrealistic or unreasonable viay. THE GENERAL PAGE I1

THE FIREFIGHTS

Each Fim5ght is ten turns in length and victory is hed exclusively on accumulation of victory points. The Victory Point Table lists all possible pointr to Ix scad by either side which, as can be seen, differ considerably hrn the vdues scored during scenario play. The reason for this is that the tables reflect generalid values of the various units throughout the entire campaign and are intended to show diverse mmures of relative value which were not specfically battlsdependent. For empe, throughout the cam- paign the ca;ture of an enemy AFV would have been of cmiderable imprtance to either side but during scenario five for example, little really mattered except the fall of the British line and so victory corditions are THE TOBRUB BA'ITLEPIBW based kill on taljng the position and not or capture w tallis. %.Hunmlwrru dywl.

,ck~*&..: m+n.dl*, 1. Set Up: a. All units entering the game must enter on the first m. - :Ed b. In those Fihts indicated as occumng on only one mapboard section, units moving outside of the board section are considered to have exited the mapboard. 2. Game Length:- All Firefights are ten turn lonn. SpeciaCBritish must have a 7Smm ammunition limit rules FlREFlGHT F-'NIGHT ASSAULT' 3. Rules: Any experimental or opttonal may be and G~~~~~ an APCR ammunition limit as outlind used. The Fitshave been designed to used be the experimental rules, wih the more intricate experimental rules. A much better way of conducting frontal assaults was 4. Victory Conditions: AU victory conditions are to conduct them at night, but in the desert this was based upon the Firefight Victory Point Table. The side FIREFIGHT D-'CONvOY RAID' very dangerous due to the lack of landmarks which accumulating the mat points at the end of the game could be seen by mmnlight. To compensate for this, often wim. Ties are considered drawn games. Supply and bnsport columns wwld be atta~kedin the illumination wss provided in the form of artillery - open desert by each side using their fastest and or mortar star shelk by.hth sides. a. Only single point score may be credited generally lightest armor. The supply columns were for any one enemy unit. EXAMPLE: Points for ~~dl~escort4 by fightiw forces in the fom of capfwing an M-killed Pzkw4ilh would be 20, 23 -or or at least anti-tank guns: Italian-(As in Firefight E) (i.e., 20 + 3 points for I& MJtiil). Britis-tuart x6 Set UHAsin Firelight E) b. Points may be scored for both M- and F-kills on Germ-Medium Trucks x 10 Special Night Rul-No unit may ever run. Maximum the same vehicle. 25W1 x2 normal firing range for all weapons is 2 hexes st one- 50mm PAK x2 half normal firepower. The British player must dis- FlREFlGHT A-'THE QUEEN OF THE DESERT' Sd. I&. 7 XI mount units at least four hexes from Italltalian positions. 88mm FLAK xl The 3" mortar may not fire HE but may fire star shells In the early days of the war, Italian armored units xl at any hex during any desired turn. When illuminated, were Pzkw IVe often compelled to fight the heavy British units in the target hex and within a two hex radius of it Matilda 11. tanks. The usual result of these engags Set UpGermans enter anywhere on east edge of the may be fired upon at full rate. lhey may also fire at ments med the Matilda I1 the nickname "Queen of mapboard: move first. any enemy unitr within the two hex radius at full rate. the Deaert": British enter anywhere on north and/or south edges. British -MatiIda I1 x3 Specid-Gennans score two points exha for every ItaliarcMI3140 x15 buck successfulIy exited off west edge of board by end of game. Set UpOne side enters from the north edge, the FlREFlGHT C-'NIGHT RECOVERY' other enters from the south edge onto one mapbard When immobilized during a battle and not recovered section. Itdis move first. FIREFIGHT E-'APPROACH IN THE OPEN' immediateIy, vehicles were either recovered by friendly units, demolished by the enemy, or captured FlREFlGHT B-'AN EVEN ENCOUNTER' One of the worst possible tasb to ask infanby to perform was to assault enemy positions over open by him during dadmess. Fierce, short firefights often A much better armored match occurred when Italian ground in daylight. Nevertheless, it often occurred: developed between opposing units doing the recovery M13140's encountered lighter British mor: especially when enemy strength was unhown: or demolition work at night: British-Stuart x6 BritiswM-killed) Carriers x3 British--All 'Pint Platoon' units ACV x2 Italian-MI3140 xl5 2" mortar x 1 Light Truck xl (use as ACV) 3" mortar x 1 Set UHAsin F-t A) PLUS: All 'First Platoon' units Light Truck x5 Germans--(Mkilld) 25W1 APC x3 Italian-Breda 37 MG XI BRmGHT C-'DUEL OF THE BEST' SdKfz.7~2 20mm Breda x I Medium Truck xl (Use as a Sd. Kfz. 7) A duel between Pzkw IIlj Special and Cnant tanks, Light Truck XI PLUS: An 'First Platoon' units the best vehicles on both sides, must have been PLUS: '11ILMG'and'lIIR'groups fascinating. This FhTght sets up such a dud: Hedgehog x4 (NOTE: ACV's may tow Carriers or 25WI APC's and Weagon pit x2 Sd. Kfz. 7's may tow 25011 or Carriers according to BritisL Grant x8 the rules at a maximum rate of one hex per turn.) Set UpItalians set up anywhe~on one se~tionof Germans-PAW IIIj Special x5 board. British enter same section from the south. Set UpThe three damaged Carriers are placed by Set UHAsin FiratA), Germans move fmt. British move first. the German player anywhere in one hard section and PAGE 12 THE GENERAL

the three 25011's by the 13ritish player in the same FIREFIGHT I-'BAlTERY OVERRUN' -Tank unitr were often committed unsuppomd. section. Recovery units enter the section anywhere An artillery battery in the rear areas caught while -Tank units rarely charged enemy positions of any along one edg-h player rolling one die to deter- kind. mine which. A roll of 1 indicates north, 2 south, 3 deployed by an enemy armored breakthrough was in east, 4 west, 5 or 6 are rdled again. Germans move deep trouble. It could choose to hook up and retreat Tank units usually were equipped with the same first. under fre, which was almost never successfuI. or it vehicle type. could stand in place and try to beat off the attack with Special-Enemy vehicles demolished or completely armor-piercing ammunition: -Infantry was almost always without transport. hooked up for towing or king towed at the end of the -Artillery support of any kid was avdable only to claimed BritisL25 pdn. x2 game may be as K-kills or captures respec- ' the most organized amch or defenses. When av&- tively. Friendly vehicles not hooked up, with no 75mrn(f) x2 (treat as 25 m.) Quads x2 ble, units as small as one battery could provide undamaged friendly or undamaged enemy units in the Quads) support. When avdable at all, both I05 howitzers and same hex, may be claimed by the enemy at the end of Medium Trucb x2 (ireat as section 149mm guns were used together. the Firefight as 1M-kills. Any infantry unit may demol- AU 'First Platoon' units except ' 113' ish an enemy vehicle simply by being alone in a hex VICTORY WIW TABLE with it for one turn without moving or firing. As in Firefight F, night condiiions are assumed im be in K-k31 effect. Any damage inflicted on enemy units during the Germans--Wtw IIIh xl0 (vehicles) capfilrd game through combat accumulates points also. nP Smder Set UpBritish set up anywhere in section B. Ger- d M- or (Not F- mans enter anywhere on south edge of section B; Unit Typ I kill killed) FIREFIGHT H-'BLIND APPROACH' move first. Sritaftt Special-British artiUery must not be hooked up or in Stuan 12 In the desert, mindelds were Ellmost always marked process of hookup at start. Vehicles must be at least crusder (and CS) 16 by being encircled by one strand of barbed wire. At one hex away from weapon units. British score 3 Grant 30 night, however, these markings cauld and often were points for every undamaged Pzkw IIIh which has not Valentine- 22 missed with very bad results. This Firef~htsimulates exited the board section along its north Bdgs by the Matilda 3 22 a platoon assault upon a reinforced section sfmng point end of the game. Carrier 8 at night, which caws the mines to be hidden hm Quad 6 view: FREE. FORM SCENAFUOS ACV - 8 British-AU 'Rrst Platoon' units Obviously many fictitious engagements may be con- Light Truck 4 2* ~m- 5 tight Truck x5 structed by players. When this is done, it is suggested that the Firefight Victory Point Table be used to 3" Mortar 10 Germans--' 111 ' infantry section evaluate their outcomes. Some general guidelines about vicm a MG34 MG xl each of the belligerents at Gazala are listed below and Boys ATR 4 hedgehog x4 shwld be followed if possible inasmuch as they were Zpdr. ATG 10 minefields x8 true for most of th~phase of the desert war. Bofors AA - 14 Weapon pit XI British: 6pdr. AT 16 75mm (F) , 12 Set UpGermans set up anywhere in one section -Armor was rarely committed in less than one @sop .. 25 p3r, Ada 16 with British entering anywhere along the south edge of (3 tanks) strength. FO 3 the same section. British move ikt. -Tanks were often used without support. HQ mu1 SpeciaLAll night rules as in Firefight F are in act. Infantry sect~on -Armored units were expected to charge enemy Germans may place minetield counters on board or CREW positioons wherever possible. may secretly record the location of as many as three minef~eld hexes. British must dismount at least four -Armored units were often composed of dierent German Pzkw 111 hexes from the nearest German unit as in Firefight F. kinds of tanks. Wov III 35 --Specialized battlegrwps were almost never creatd. Pzkw IV, 14 FIREFIGHT I-'MUTUAL BOMBARDMENP -Infantry was usually without transport when in Marder 16 25111 6 position. Carriers, however, were almwt always avail- the In desert, opposing troops would sometima be able. 25011 4 stalemated. Sudden, massive, buildups of artillery fire Sd. Kfi. would then occur: -Artillery support was available in UNB as small as Stuka one battery (called "troop" by British) when avdable Staff Car BritisLAU 'First Platoon' unitr at all. The ZSpounder, 4.5", and 155mm weapons were Light Tn hedgehog x10 usually used together. Medium bunkers x4 German: 50mm M weapon pits x2 -Armor was rarely committed in less than one 81mm M minefield x6 platoon (5 tmnkr) strength. MG34 MG 5 2" mortar x3 -Tanks were almost never used alone, mechanized 7.92mm ATR 4 3" momx2 infamy being the preferred companion. 2gm) PAK 5 I5 OWoard: TWO 25 pdr. batteries; 5hPAK 7 15 -Tank units avoided hard points of resisrance and TWO 4.5" batteries 75mm LIG 7 12 upon relied artillery to neutralize them. 88mm FLAK rn 24 Germans-All 'first Platoon' units -Tank units were usually equipped with the same FO 4 hedghog x I0 vehicle type. HQ group bunkers x2 Infantry sectic weapon pits x3 Special combined arms units were often constructed CRE minefield x6 around key weapons such as 88mm FLAK and Pzkw 50mm mortar x2 lllj Specials. Italian 81mm mortars x3 MI3140 12 -Infantry was rarely without immediate transport Semover I0 Offboard: THREE I05mm howitzer batteries available; trucks or APC's. 45mm M Set UpBorh sides set up dl units on one section, no -Artillery support was more often available than in 81mm Mortar more than 10 hexes apart. Germans set up first. British the case of the British and usually in at least three Breda37 Y G move first batteries in strength. The 105mm howitzers and IHknm ZOmm Breda 10 howitzers were usually available to any attack or 12 SpeciaLRemernkr-41 possible rules apply including defense with 105mm guns, 150mrn guns and captured FO smoke shells at mutual player consent. The purpcse of 25 wunder batteries reserved for special fire requests. HQ wuur this Fiftght is to determine which side can best use RifIe group indirect fire, although an assault by one side or the IMian: -Armor was rarely committed in less than one LUG @oup other is psible. No points are directly scored for CREW 3 - 2 counter-battery fm. platoon (5 tanks) sirength. PAGE 13

by Joseph A. Angiolillo, Jr.

Joseph Angiolillo is a familiar name to wargam- ers who srill remember the dark days of wargaming bock in 1965-67 when rh only alternatives to the GENERAL were spirit master chb magazines. One of these. Tactics & Variants, was widely rend by the krd carps of that era. Joe, returning to wurgomes from a vucation of women and higher education, ' was une of irs very besr contributors. Joe and htP Conneciicur cronies wasled no time in regaining topnotchform-taking 1st place honors in ~hreeof the 1973 summer conventions. ' The game presenred here was ploylested 7 time^ ' ai rhose cons and received widespread commendation-many asking iophotocopy the 03 for heir own use. Basically. whar Joe has done is to takeadvantage of thefoci tho; the Ardennes was the scene of two butiles-not just om-and is adapting a portion of the France, 1940 siruation into a scenario utilizing rhe Bulge mapboard and rules. : The net ejfeect is anew game showing you what couId have happened had France'40 been designed along earlier lines and on a dgferent scale.

There has always been interest in World War I1 ' amongst wargamers. Of the 26 wargame titles Diagram 1 published by Avalon Hill 14 have been about a ~gof May 10th ' World War 11 campaign or battle. Naturally, certain armies, campaigns, nationalities, and even regions France 1940 and Battle ofthe Bulge offer endless active motorized infantry divisions, 21 active of the world seem more interesting than others. possibilities to game designers. Variants have been infantry divisions, 8 mountain divisions, 12 A Certain generals possess more charisma than others; designed for Bulge and scenarios are included in the reserve infantry divisions, and I 1 B reserve infantry certain armies possess better tactics and doctrine France 1940 rules. Little work has been done, divisions). Admittedly a few divisions faced Italy, than others; certain areas of the world are more however, on designing a scenario for Bulge. but most of France's firepower faced Germany. challenging than others. During the winter the situation reversed. One of the most interesting areas in Europe is the SEDAN BREAKTHROUGH SCENARIO Germany gained the upper hand. Veteran divisions Ardennes forest in Belgium. Not one, but two What is the difference? Isn't a scenario the same from the Polish campaign moved to the West Wall. important World War I1 battles took place over this thing as a variant? Or is there adifference? Let's look Germany created numerous reserve divisions, green, forested, hilly, New England-type terrain. In at some definitions. expanded other formations, and increased her May, 1940 the Germans smashed French and A variant changes game mechanics. A designer armored force by transforming four light divisions Belgian defense positions during the Sedan break- could vary the order of battle, the combat factors into panzer divisions. In the meantime, the French through. They raced to the Channel surrounding the and combat system, the terrain, the CRT and even did little to improve their situation. The BEF Northern Allied Armies. As a result, France fell; the rules. But he does not touch the title! Battle oj arrived and a few new French divisions were Belgium fell; the Netherlands fell; and Britain the Bulge variants are always about the Battle of the created, but the Allies did not learn the lesson of the escaped by the skin of her teeth at Dunkirk. Bulge. Polish Campaign. Combined arms could be r In 1944 the Germans attempted to destroy the A scenario is just the opposite. The game design staggering offensive weapon. The Allies held ontu Americans in the same way. The result was the is kept intact and another situation is played on the their World War 1 ideas and stayed on the defensive. Battle of the Bulge. There are many reasons why the same mapboard. Only minor rule variations are During this period, called the "Phony War" by Germans failed in their objective of Antwerp in made due to the nature of the campaign. Changes historians, Germany improved her situation in the 1944: loss of air superiority; loss of fuel; loss of are normally made in the units because the designer West to such a degree that she had more divisions on mobile superiority; loss of firepower; loss of a is dealing with a different battle. the field than the combined armies of Britain, veteran regular army. These are only a few reasons. In designing a Sedan Breakthrough scenario for France, Belgium, and The Netherlands. Tactically, But the reasons the Germans failed in 1944 and did Battle of the Bulge a designer should first analyze and in terms of experience, doctrine, and firepower not fail in 1940 is the topic for another article. the campaign. He should then study the cornposi- the German divisions were much superior to their Needless to say, Avalon Hill capitalized on tion of the forces involved and when they arrived. Allied counterparts. pubIic interest in the Ardennes. BarrIe of rhe Bulge Their combat factors and movement factors must When the Germans finally did attack they and France I940 are both excellent games about the conform to the original designer's specifications. In launched their offensive utilizing mass, mobility and Ardennes. Bulge is probably more popular and Barrle of rhe Bulge, divisional artillery is allocated to surprise. In addition, the Germans out-generaled playable. 1 prefer Bulge to France 1940, but many the combat regiments andair superiority is included the Allies by attacking where it was least expected, wargamers are of the opposite opinion. as TAC factors andlor SAC attacks. Naturally, the in the Ardennes. Bulge is a regimental level, advanoe after final touches are added during playtesting. Playabil- Heinz Guderian, veteran panzertruppe com- combat, game which emphasizes playability and ity and balance are added during this stage. mander of the Polish campaign commanded the balance. Many articles have been written on the XLX corps (lst, 2nd, 10th Panzer divisions and the historical inaccuracies in order of battle of the MAY 10, 1940 Grossdeutschland Motorized Infantry regiment). armies and terrain features on the mapboard. In N'orld War 11 began with a bang. Poland fell in Hoth commanded the XVcorps (5th and 7th Panzer spite of these criticisms, Bulge has not lost its one month while the French skirmished with the divisions). They were followed by numerous popularity. (See the numerous popularity polls Germans along the West Wall. The French called infantry formations, including 3 motorized infantry published in Strategy and Tactics magazine.) this demonstration the Saar Offensive. If it were divisions. France 1940, on the other hand, is more oriented properly executed Germany's military defense Of the divisional dommanders undoubtedly the toward historical simulation. It is a divisional and system could have been severely damaged. Germany most talented was Irwin Rommel, commander of corps level double impulse game with numerous had only 40 weak divisions facing the French (12 the 7th Panzer division. He would become most "what if' scenarios built in. Since the French wave I infantry divisions, 9 wave I1 infantry famous for his role in the African Campaign, but actually lost in 1940 and the game emphasizes divisions, I I wave 111 infantry divisions, and 8 wave even in the Ardennes he exhibited exceptional historical simulation, the French are the underdogs 1V infantry divisions). France had 70 divisions on talents. His division was the first to cross the Meuse before the first die is cast. her eastern border (3 light mechanized, 3 cavalry, 7 at Dinant. And he faced the only real counteroffen- PAGE 14 THE GENERA: sive that was launched by the French along the The French reacted by advancing their cavalry getting into position, but the foot troops would ha Meuse. to the Marche-Neufchateau line. Unfortunately, to force march to arrive on time. they could proceed no further. The Belgians had Camelin held back his most powerful reservt booby trapped the roads with demolitions. They They were either too far north with the BEF or not ARDENNES: MAY 10 expected to slow down the Germans but only yet committed. In the morning Rornmel's 7th Panzer division delayed French reinforcements. crossed the Luxembourg frontier and engaged the ARDENNES: MAY 11 first Belgian units at Montleban. The 3rd Chasseurs In the North the French 4th and 1st Cavalry On the 1 1 th Rommel's Reconnaissance battali- Ardennais was wiped out and Chabreleix was in divisions reached Marche and the L'Homme line by on crossed the Ourthe in the morning encountering Rommel's hands by the end of the day. evening. They deployed along the Ourthe River, resistance from French cavalry at Marche. Before On the left, in Guderian's front, the 1st Panzer expecting to gain time for the advancing French assaulting the position, Rommelawaited news from skirmished with the [st Chasseurs Ardennais at infantry. Behind this screen the French 9th and 1st the 5th Panzer. A few hours later it reached Hotton Martlelange while the 10th Panzer drove the 2nd Armies raced to the Meuse. The French 5th and attacked the 4th French Cavalry division. Cavalry back to Jamoigne. Motorized lnfantry division would have no trouble Guderian's forces rapidly advanaed along the Neufchateau road. Aided by numerous stuka attacks, Guderian's Panzers decimated the 5th French Cavalry division at Neufchateau and Libra- mont. Responding to the rapid German advance, other French Cavalry formations destroyed bridges and set up road blocks in the Sedan area. But this strategy was not delaying the Germans at all. In desperation the French fell back to a line east of Longwy. Ninth army sent in its reserves to stiffen the line. Possibly this new position would hold.

ARDENNES: MAY 12 In the north Rommel wasahead of schedule. His pursuance of the French 1st Cavalry division brought him to Dinant by nightfall. Leading elements of the 5th Panzerdivision were transferred to Rommel but the main body was far behind. After dusk reconnaissance groups probed the Meuse, looking for an opening. Hopefully the quick advance would force a gap in the French line.

2901mg. 124mg. 751m. 18mm. 12latg. 78% active. 12% resewel. m3 ms 72atg. 41fg. 36rnm. 12.f~ 6% reservell. 4% landwehr

3081rng. 128mg. 781rn. 18mm. 12lat~. 78% active. 12% reservel. 6% rese~ell.4% Ianclwehr

Sltuatlon May 12th

In the south Guderian got lucky. The French 3rd Spahis brigade missed its assignment and left the Mouvais ford undefended. The 1st Panzer division took advantage of the error and flanked the French 5th Cavalry division, compelling it to retreat to the forts on the frontier. By noon Germans were in St. Menges, only a few miles from Sedan. An advancing French lnfantry regiment was' scattered and then smashed by German Panzers. Only 300 men made it to the French lines that night. PAGE 15

The French reacted with stopgap measures. By

Georges at G H Q was asked to send another division for support. The line against Cuderian would not 1 DIMSION WEAPONS STRENGTH I hold. Finally he sent the 3rd Armored division and the 3rd Motorized Infantry division to the front. Wear Dinantkhe Fmnch sappers blew the Meuse ges. Allied signals were crossed. The Belgians nY bring all the krgesand boats across the river. ey assumed the French would. And the French [led to fortify the Meuse. They assumed the lgiins would. In the meantime French Infantry

HE MEUSE: MAY 13 In the Dinant area elements of Rommel's

bushed by French lnfantry hiding in the bushes.

vering fire,and the bridgehead held. Luckily for

ndred feet above the river and French gunners uld not see the approaching Germans. This terrain is not included on the Buige board t from Dinant northward the Meuse is only penetrable in a few isolated regions. Under cover of the cliffs Romrnel built a heavy bridge at HOUX. In Guderian's front German vehicles surprised the French at Sedan. Sporadic French barrages slowed down the Panzers but there was so little ammunition and transport that the French had to

In the air the Germans utilized their superiority. THE 1940 BULGE SCENARIO The Luftwaffe bombed Sedan causing the city to Using the Bulge board, rules, and CRT you only Germans may use the two adjacent partial hexag- catch fire. The air force also hit the French reserves need new units and a few rule modifications to ons. 2) Exit 70 mechanized factora off the west in the rear areas delaying their arrival. Later it recreate the 1940 situation in the Ardennes. and/or south edge of the board (A through I $launched a massive attack against the Meuse with Based on analysis of the campaign, three things inclusive). 3) Lose no more than 25 mechanized ,bombers and dive bombers covering German would have hurt the German chances to surround factors during the game. The game lasts 10 turns. infantry crossing the Meuse (elements of the 1st the Northern Allied Armies: either a slow break- Other rule modifications based on analysis of :Panzer and GD ~otorized'Infantry regiment). through, too small of a breakthrough, or too many the campaign include surprise, movement bonus, The French 9th Army HQ was staggered by the losses in motorized troops. As a result the following and air superiority. Thus, Allied units have news of Germans crossing the Meuse at Dinant. It victory conditions are utilized for the scenario: restricted movement onthe first turn. Because of the .ordered the 129th Regiment to counterattack. The To win the game the Germans muat meet all surprise and time for orders to come down from Regiment was ripped to pieces by German bombers. three of the following victory conditions. Any other headquarters, only Belgian motorized units may Later 9th Army dispatched Hotchkiss tanks to result is an Allied victory. I) Hold any two of the move on turn I and only at a rate of 3 movement crush RommePs weak bridgehead. The 5th Motor- cities; Namur, Dinant, and Sedan at the end of the points. All other Allied units may not move on the ized, ordered to support the attack, was not ready. game (turn 10) withan uncut route along the road to first turn. 'The Hotchkiss squadrons attacked, but without the east edge of the board. (No AHied unit can have a lnfantry and artillery only double their move- infantry support they could not hold the territory zone of control along the route traced by the ment on roads. Cavalry triple their movement. Germans.) For purposes of attacking Sedan, the Mechanized forces move five times as fast on roads. Against Guderian, 9th Army ordered two -infantry regiments, two tank battalions, and the corps artillery to counterattack. Slow assembly postponed the attack indefinitely.

There were only a few resources left to the French. In the north the 4th North African and advancing 1st Armored divisions were thrown in as stopgap measures but half the tanks were out of gas. The units arrived piecemeal which further weak- ened their holding and attacking powers.

In the Sedan area the 3rd Armored and part of Ithe 3rd Motorized division were ordered to attack. Most of the tanks had already dispersed amongst I The I& bank ofthe Meuse is prorected by clKfs hundreds of feet high. Ithe infantry.-The attack was next useless. - PAGE 16 THE GENERAL 1 The Germans have 32 TAC factors for the entire game. The Allies have 2 TAC factors. In addition the German medium bomkrs can immobilize up to 7 Allied mechanized units at the rate of I per turn after the first turn. Allied mechanized units can onlv , . be ~rnrnobilizedin clear terrain or river hexagons, Q' 1 not city, woods, or rough terrain. The immobilized units are onlv immobilized for I turn. Due to air superiority Gkrrnan units can attack out of supply 1 rang. 1 COMBAT AND MOVEMENT FACTORS I Now that we have the rule modifications, what about the combat and movement factors. Combat 1 factors for the scenario units should be based on 1 firepower (killing ability of weapons) and staying power (number of men in a unit and its armor). These two components were the most important considerations in small arms actions in World War 11. True, you need to consider other factors such as leadership and tactical dc-ctrine, but these can be built into the rules. This fortress at Namur might well have been a tough nur tc crack. An expanded formula was developed based ona ALLiED ORDER OF APPEARANCE well placed machine gun as I factor. The following weapons would have the following factors: Pz 1 = 1, PzlI- 1.5, PzI~I=~,Pz~V=~.~,PZ~~=~,FT~~= 1.7, R35=2,H39=5,S35=8,B1=10,2547mm I AT nun = 2.40-50mm mortar = I, SOmm mortar = 2. I wu FPO 019 46 u21 HHIO VIP K11 MMVR 75mk gun = 7,8&105mm gun -40,150-155rnm gun = 60, and stuka = 10. HAY lo'. Similarly movement is based on both training AT START manuals and actual performance. Usually the movement of a unit is based on its slowest component. In mechanized forces this is often towed artillery and/or motorized infantry which takes time to deploy. Sample movement factors would be: Pz I11,IV = 8, Pz 38 and S 35 = 6, Pz I, 11, H 39, motorized infantry and towed artillery = 5, B 1 = 4, and R 35 = 3. Foot troops, even in a forced march, would move much slower.

MrM UNIT ORGANIZATIONS BuIge stresses uniform formations with varia- tions found in the strengths of the mechanized I1 AM forces. This fact must be included in our I940 scenario units.

Normally, German active divisions included 11 PM more heavy artillery than their French counterparts. They include 3 8-3's. French active divisions would .... . include 3 6-3 regiments. All reserve divisions would include 3 4-3 regiments. French armor (DCR)had &$ 10-5 and 124 demi-brigades. French light mechan- llAM lZ PM ized divisions (DLM) had a 12-5 armor brigade,4-5 mBO b40 36lv3? reconnaissance brigade, and a 4-5 motorized infantry regiment. A French Cavalry division IDLC). . included a 7-3 Cavalrv, brimde- and a 1-5 lS AM motorized infantry brigade. German Panzer 4 tions varied.

la PM But we must consider the real units. not thiir paper strength specifications. The French had more varied organizations than the Germans. For example, the 148th Fortress regiment was partially active and included all the artillery of the 53rd UAM Infantry division. The 77th regiment had 4 lorried infantry battalions and all oi the divisional 75's. 66th and 125th regiments each had their regular infantry component plus half the heavy artillery of the division. The 208th regiment was reinforced for WPM attack by the 4th and 7th tank battalions. The powerful 6m regiment had half the divisional artillery.

COLLECTOR.S MARKET Wanted: Volume 9, No. 3, VoIum 10, No.,4,only Barker. 221 35 Avc. Moreios, Woadhnd Hill$, CA original copy please. 52.50 each. Fimt EO~fimt 91364 served. William RON. 1953 Dwiaht- Avenue. For Sale: Gwd, 1914, Jut, a11 tn mad to exc. Carnarillo, CA 93010 condition. Best offen. AH letters answered. Bab want:to buv Guad. or 1914. Best offer will be Karn, 95 Ferncliff Dr. W. banford. CT06117 203- considered. Like better in good condilim. PBM 23S8936 Wat. Have kit. t'm Napoleon. Yes Lagimoni6re. For Saie: brand new 1914. ktoffer over %15. Also 1W.J Avc. Effingham, Laval, Quebec, ~7~4~2trade Luft. for Alex. ~eo&Butkr. 3915 Ferrarra Wanted: Vol. fO, No. 6, of the Gcntral with St., Jacksoavifk, FL 32217, 333-3306 Guadztlcannl pieces. Will pay goad price and 'Wish to sell Jutknd for$I 1.25. No nieces missinnin excellent condition. Ahn 1914 iae~to hiekt pusrage. Original only, no xerox please. Michael D. w - Madden. WI Briar Bd., Waucanda, ItW4,f3I2) biMer. Jim Stanger. 432 Root St., Park Ridge, 1L 526-7% 66Q68 692-324 1 Wit1 trade xerax of mint Jutbnd for xerox of mint %or Sale: Bismarck (yew good cond.. games or fair originals of out of print games. Need Gett. (Fair mnd.. all u;li<, $25). old ~ut'{store abmt rtf lor 16 mm. Jeff Marshall. 804 Jackson cond., $15) David Bottper. I49 W. Catalwa Dr.. 'Bld., kl Air, h4~21014,879-104% Mishnwaka, IN 46544 (59j255-1660 Must set Bismarck in ~oodcond. for rcasonabT Wargamer turn Pacifist. All wargama must go, price. kill Baumann, 6%4 Devonshire, St. LQU~S. including Anzh, 1st edition $7.00.Original Jutland MO 63 199, Fl-2-HM6 17.00. 1914 57.00. Philip Haax, 4302 Fouatain- Wanted! Bism, for $15. Also Vol. 16, No. 3 of bjeau Dr. New Orleans, LA70125 (584)8M-2460 General with teyte Gulf pieces for $3,originalonly. Will seil or trade U-Boat. No unuxd pads. WlII s1m Ftl3A. Pan, DD,Blitz. and Mid. Frank Kump 3321 PBM Pan, B-krieg. 33,AK, 3R. Your kits for Iast Oxford Ave.. St. taurs, MO 63143. 844-4951 throe. Am I3 years old. Also ireeking ftf opponents. 1Pete Adkiwn, 715 Wickery, Newllano, LA 71461 pieces, 19t4, Guad.. Civil War, and original Anzio. 3 18-2354922 Must he ex, cond. Joel Anderson, Box 54. Buffalo For SaIe: General-back issm 1 have 17 different Lake. MFI 55314,612-833-2108 issues which are out of print. $ZOO each. Send for Will auction 1914, take higk~tbid aver 510.W list or make inquiries or offers. Michael Keikr. 1702 beforcOct. 75. Wish to Af or pbpany AH game, but Meadow Court. Baltimore, M D 21207, 265-6374 mnnot trave!. WiBto buy Guad. Dsvid Caukton,%d For SoL: afig. Jut., mint condition $12 ppd. Barry krPath, Princeton, 08540, (509) 921-2726 H. Jacobs, 7 17 Centre St., Newton, MA 02t58 Would like to trade comokte "Civil War" for For Sak: Guad. original Jut. $12 each. God "Bismarck" in similar wF;ditian. All letters an- condition. Extra score sheers in each. EwIw I& wed.f oha S. Mabska. Jr. 6.4 21 15 AIdrin Rd.. stamp with order far return if gamm already =kt. an.NJ Of7 I2 (201) 512-2819 Thomas Siazas, 145% Flanders. Detroit. MI 48205 Van4 Gusd. and 1914. Wame prim and condition. 526-3422 Atl ktttrs answered. Si Colev. 905 Kenmope Rd.. Mint cond. 1914, counters still unpurwhd Slb.30. Chapel Hill, NC 275 14 942-5k2 1 Leonard Hourvitz, f lM Briarriiffe. Flint. MI 4EW Will trade excellent Blitz. and 3R for 1914. Mike 732-7801 Worcester, 633 Denkn Aw., Etyria, OH 44035 FQFStilt: Mint u-hat 5t8.80, old BBst $6.00,OM ~~TAK.$Crz., Jut., Mid., Pan., R W..Orad,,TAC.. Jutl. f t3.W. old Aneia 512.00. Guad. 515.00. mint CkrnlonviIIe. 1 am 13. Netd Vol. 10, No. 3 of 1914 $15.00. All excellent to mint. JtffOwr, t 183 General with tcytc Gulf piccea. Gdcondition. Woodnoit Dr., Ftint. MI 48507 I3 13) 738-2752 Mac Weathers. Commerce St.. tcrttto. TN 38468 For Sale: t914 E?W in very gaud condition. Wave (615) 853448 I Koslmky, 26958 Havtlock Dr., hrbnHts. Mf $8127 13131 Wanted: old &netah. Send prim fists. Good - >.278-2913 quality reproductinns acaptabk. Must b coin- FF pkte. M.C. Rasmusscn, 1616 Royal Crm. Ho. each. Am willing also to trade, send trade if have h3Austin, TX 78741 441-7285 om. Brad bland, 4!3 Madison, G.P.MI 48236 Want 1914 in goud skaf~.WifI pay a good price. 886813% Please contact- Also looking for-fif oiP-v~nt for For Sale: 2 Guad. games in brand new (never used) :- PBM EQUIPMENT condition $20 each. Also Jut. in excellsnt cohdilion Wat.. Gett.. RW. hw of 13. Kim Wvm.- - 1424 hrnela st., Hurn, ~k 76053 aez-is97 512.00. Keith Vine, 523 Austin Ave., Barringtan 196 PI. J. 08007 547-2979 TI& ef @a~%miifaim OP humiliating Pnr Sale: I ChanceIlomvilic. mint cundition except one bridge mtssing. htoffer. I will pay 9

tpc mlTe Qpp(lm day aft= &Y? YW may

postage. All mil answered. Cart Hoffman, hx Want $11.00 cack. I will MY mtagc. Ako 'kgoad in yaw game rmbut M +w&. 3581,-~niversit~, AL 35486 (219) 348-5319 interested in a trade for ~idl ~irle~M. d~ *gllnst a gPod pmfrsm mtb hie: Bismarck and Luft, hit reford pads; 90 mmes F!etchtr, CSC3/64 ARMOR, APO NY 09702 IWt of ttla f Wdl only one wrry cam? far S2.W. They arc offsct printed and are as good as For Saie: Guad., BMarck. Guad. in exceIlent bg. .lo find out - play tMrn wilf mM k ~r originals. First corn$, first served. Steve Carey. 1323 condition. BMarcL in average. Cud. SIS & up. & myto-wnW wnvmienr.wn wtm of @!&om, Glendak. CA 9 120 1, 242-52M Mitrck SI5 and up. 1 pay postage. Butch Schon- ptctyiq klh SrW th nation. A For Srrk: Antio mint cortdiiian. Never usex man, 537 SE f4th-D. Hilfsboro, OR 97123648437% :wid ERT adcombgt rtwtutiw sybl~ Nothing missing. $12.00 or trade Anzi.0 fox your For Sale: Bismarck: Dispatcher, Guad. C&OI E&O, jnaksr it impouibk to cksr! PBM is m 19 14. Atso good condition. Send offers or condition orig. Jut. Want: Lemans. Air Ernnire. Civil War. antirely ciifkrmt expsrmm from I-W- of name. Scott Petenen. 921 CrinelL PehIama. SSAE for details. knnis ~itzgeraid.83 19 toretto - tm play. It tm ma& bsatw g8mm ~f Ave., Phikr. PA 19k52 Sale: atE10.00. many whham tried it, and all W Wb Far 1914, end bids startinu Highest by 9/20 gets. Game is in condition.-.Ion lan* wtcrd it. PBM ts th mly Wy tD components. ~a~invery god wnd. ktcentlystorc f hatcher, 1012 httery Ln. Nashville. TW 37m gwticicip~rrr in the many ~ationPItWW bought. Will amp! any bids over $20.00. Hurry! 298-3747 -mts htd rwlarly for Amton Hill gamah Qffcr won't last long. Robert Rvdlder, 617 N. Richland Road, Sm Gar-, CA 9M69 744-1221 For We: out of print issues Yol. 10. nos. I& 6uf tk Eaah kit *ts tw C4.s midatwl %if name-msm PBM Oriu. S2.00 for General 'Gmrai." AISO WUI~like ~tffor most AH games. Kevin Rushforth, 1 152 Sherwood Drive, Kaysvilk, ifidldm wwgh mtHiala M play vinwlty %uh?kn.mare far side wisk.Scllinpor trading UT 84037 [MI) 766-0036 , &~~ d gamm, imklbq andurn ub$ Jut. SASE and IOt far info. No calls please. 236 For SaIe: original A,nzio, $I& 1944, Guad. 'Bis- , whish lia atofflrirl j*kkmMMiag tor them S~vmMizuno. 2324 W. PI., Torrance. CA rnI,32%W marck (minus rules fdderf SIScach. All incxftlknt ' n#l aleving EManti condition. you pay lPkk Kuriz, 315 Robert ~3%gamer age wms pW' or A U MPl CfiOKts mi CRT'r for -#I ptoy. :Mm.iaw. 1~7b,aZD.~w~t.:a2i,~igiZi Ave., Richland. WA. 99352 W54988

ME GENERAL PAGE 17

As for ,+incharmor it was undentrength. the 55th Infantry division (4-3) and 2 regiments of A.H. Phlladwphy Cmrinuod from &m 2 the 53rd Infantry division (2 1-3's). Opposing these .he DCR had demi-bripdes of armor+ One had custom made set of pressure-sensitive symbols fO'ccs advancing German Infantry divisiorlx, battalion each of B I and H 35 tanks with no for their own design use while 79% wanted 'lSO Off the south edge of the mapboard- rtillery. The other had the same organization plus expansion kits for PANZER LEADER. The latter is iedivisional artillery. As for the 1 DCR it also had too good a game system to wither on the vine demi-brigades, one with the28th and 37th B Itank Four French divisions arrived too late: 2 DCR with one title so we will definitely lm applying it attalions and the other with the 26th H 39 (10-5 and 124 armor brigades), 9th Motorized to other areas in the future. attalion, 5th Chasseurs-a-Pieds battalion, and all lnfantry division (3 6-S's), 4 DCR without artillery 56% of you were confessed science fiction le divisional artillery. (5-4 and 2 1-3 armor regiments), all at about 18 fans which should put you in good mead when A.M. and 1 DLM (12-5 armor brigade, 4-5 STARSHlP TROOPER makes its debut in the reconnaissance brigade, and 4-5 Motorized Infantry spring. The testing for TOBRUK held up the On the German side the GD regiment was regiment) at about 19 A.M. development of the science fiction game to the ronger infantry than a normal motorized red- point where we figured it was better togo with it lent, having 4 instead of 3 infantry battalions and a as a spring release than take chances with a milar artillery Actually the 2 DLM only passed through the number of batteries. All of the hasty job done in time for Christmas sales. This northwest edge of the board but was included ierman Panzer divisions varied. See the organiza- means that (counting the publication edition of because have used. on chart for more information. it could been TOBRUK)wewill haw3 games availablefwfall delivery; TOBRUK, CAESAR'S LEGIONS. and a DESIGNER'S COMMENTS sailing warship game yet untitled. The latter will Note that the scenario is fairly balanced if the probably be the retail release for the fall. IXSTORICAL NOTES French delay the Germans instead of waiting for STARSHIP TROOPER will, in all probability, Many other French units could have participat- them on There are plenty of delaying follow the same marketing path in the spring. in the battle. Two regiments of the 14th Infantry Units and only tengame If you wish youcould Although we are a bit disappointed with having (4-3's) got lost. The 71/205 infantry include the later aniving French unik along the only 3 newtitles for 1975, it does fall inlinewith :girntnt (4-3) was ordered to attack with the 213th west dgp board with German victory what most of you expect from us according to :&ment but remailled off the board instead. conditions changed to: of the the Readers Responsewhich indicated that 79% imitarlytwo regiments of the 3rd Motorized Allied army. However, this type of game is not much wantedfrom 2-4 new mail order games per year. ifantry division (Ws) did not attack with the rest fun for the Allied player, Among the complaints of our most frequent [the division. Off the south ed~eof the board the critics is our refusal to permit paid advertising of rench held the 7 1st lnfantry diiision (3 4-33), 3rd other puDlishers games in the GENERAL. So we orth &3's), 1st African Infantry division (3 asked the readershipfor their opinion. 56%were olonial Infantry division (3 63's). 1 regiment of opposed to any psid advertising inthe magazine. so we'll continue the old policy in line with the , dictates of the majority of the readers. Since the Elite Club was closed to new membership on GERMAN ORDER OF APPEARANCE January 1st with the termination of the Elite Club deal we have been bombarded with requests to reopen it to new membership. To h.x d IS rmt Dn mw mrrh grid mnd of W iwknw I recap, the Elite Club deal offered lifetime membership inthe Eliteclubwhich entitled card holders to a St discount on all mail order games purchased from Avalon Hill. To join, each individual paid $50 for a total of 6 games. We On hxmd d OUR illVEl bnucan grids 16 and a iwlusim threw in the shipping charges, prim werages and a year's subscription fo the GENERAL as an added bonus. The deal was availableonlyduring 1974 to help promote the 6 game offering we NEW UNIfS ARRIVE OM AMY #AN EOOE YE% made at that time. We will probably open the clubronew membershipthis year but in fairness to last year's members, wilt have to keep the price at $50 despite the fact that we are now cornin0 out with only 3 new games, 26% indicated that they were interested in joining the Elite Club so we'll work up some kind of deal by rhis fall. As expected, many of you want your cake and expect to eat it too. Despite your desire for more games, 68% indicated they wanted to run ORIGINS I1 again next year at the expense of another game. Although we won't be running it, it appears that there will be an ORIGINS I/ next year. So far three companies have volunteered to sponsor it. Hopefully, we can form some type of executive council which can vote on where to hold the national convention each war, and then support it in the same manner that ORIGINS I was favored with this year. At this writing ORIGINS I is still 10 days off but will no , doubt be past history by the time you read this. ' We've experienced many problems that hope- fully can be avoided in future national wns. Things started off with a bang when the manwe had wiginally dealt with at JHU was fired three weeks before the con. What followed was an , endless series of meetings with new manage- ment from JHU in attempts to get the same understandings recognized that had existed A.H. PHILOSOPHY. .. ..Continued on Page 26 PAGE 18 THE GENERAL

BLITZKRIEG NAVAL POWER By Donald Greenwood Surface Raiders = - - - 5s-

A long dormant interest in Blitzkrieg was practicality we'll call them zones A, B, C and I), A * Not cumulative-i.e., a force with both a cruiser reawakened in our editor during his reeentpluyle~l being the closest and consisting of the immediate and carrier do not get +3. eflarts of- the new Blitzkrieg rub jusr released. water hexes surrounding the land mass, and D being Alrhough those rules include a very playable ser of the largest and representing the outer limits of the "Naval Ascendancy" yules to improve the navairole ocean expanse. Each fleet is secretly placed on a in the game they, of necessity, lack ihe nitr.~g~ittj blank counter or card representing area A, B, C, or complexity brought in by actual skip counters, etc. D. This area indicator can be changed every turn to This then, tF the goal of this article-io provide an any of the 4 areas regardless of changes made in Sea ofJcial variant for actuaf naval conflict to coincide Zones. A good system of area differentiation is to wirh the new Blitzkrieg rules. use a standard deck of cards. Remove all face cards THE SHIPS: and use these 12 cards as your area indicaton, Due to the scale of the game it is prudent to utilizing a second deck if necessary. All Clubs would continue to represent individual ships abstractly- Few games have the scope and versatility that be Area A, Diamonds Area B, Hearts Area C, and even in a variant such as this. However, each classof the new enjoys with the revised rules. In Blitzkrieg Spades Area D. This system is especially convenient vessel wili have very real differenws in either search an effort to complete that overall picture we are if you have a deck of miniature novelty cards I" in or combat abilities. Capital ships will be individual- offering this naval variant complete with accorn- length, selling in most novelty shops for approxi- ly represented on counters. The numbers which panying naval counters on the RR page to provide mately 2%. The remainder of the deck will serve as Blirzkrieg aficionados with the final word on their ap~jearon their counters serve as their combat your Base 10 random number indicator. factor for both offense and defense. Carriers haveno updated game. Many of the factors built into this Ships at sea may change stacks', zones and areas variant will seem more logical in retrospect when instrinsic offensive capab~lities orher than the every turn they are at sea. Unlike land movement, aircraft they carry. Aircraft can only be based atsea you've gotten your copy of the new rules as only a naval moves are simultaneous and are resolved on carriers-not arbitrarily assigned to any sea few of the existingchanges will be mentioned herein: before any land or air moves take place. zone. Carrier-based aircraft are lirn~tedto Fighters As Blitzkrieg is based on a loose model of the and Tactlcal types with a maxlmum complement Second World War in Europe we will sirniliarly base of 4 factors per carrier. Sides with more than 1 carrier our variant on the respective forces of Germany and ENCOUNTER: can have as large a sea based airforceas their carrier Britain-France both for historical flavoring and to Naval battles may occur only if vessels of strength can support. Aircraft for carriers must avoid the blase feel of identical forces. opposing sides occupy the same area of the same come from the regular air force allotments of the zone and a check of the Encounter Chart reveals a bell~gerents. 'contact' has been made. Either side may call out the PORT CAPACITY Destroyers and submarines are represented by areas in which it has vessels immediately after designation only. The numerical rating on each All ports will have a physical capacity of 4 naval movement in hopes of being able to check the counters per city hex with water frontage. This is in counter represents the actual number of suchvessels Encounter Chart. Neither side is required to do so. in that fleet and losses are taken in a "change" addition to normal ground and air stacking limits. Should players find they do have forces in the same Stacking at sea is unlimited. In addition, both manner. Should a DD6 counter lose 3 factors it area-either or both may attempt to force a contact would be replaced with a DD3 counter. countries have major naval bases with an unlimited on the Encounter Chart. The Encounter Chart is naval stacking limit and repair capabilities. Only Transports have no ship counters; the unit being resolved by a drawing of I of the 40 remaining cards transported represents the transport vessel. Each major naval bases can undertake repairs of from our deck. If the card drawn lies within the damaged vessels. Blue's bases are 133, L 19. and D7. land unlt at sea has a basic defense strength of 1. If range found on the Encounter Chart players lost at sea, that country's naval transport capaclty is The lone Red naval base is RRR-54. In addition, the proceed to Battle Procedure. new Blitzkrie~rules call for the inclusion of inland reduced by 1 unit until replaced. ports. These have been designated as JJ 3-56, VV-25, D-31 and L-19. Enemy vessels may not navigate ENCOUNTER CHART BATTLE PROCEDURE: rivers. Ports and bases which have been strategically Once battle is joined, players merely exchange bombed via the new BBT Tables cannot attempt fire on the Basic Game Attrition Table. Only repairs nor may ships therein leave port during the Battleships and Cruisers may firealthough Carriers, turn of the bombing's effects. Destroyers, and Transports are susceptible to lo$$ also. All "Back 2" and "A Elim" results are treated MOVEMENT: as No Effect. "Exchange" equals damage of I factor Movement is conducted in the same manner as to the target vessel. Such ships fire in subsequen! Naval Transport with each vessel able to move one rounds at a strength I factor lower than previously: sea zone per turn in either direction. Vessels which Once a ship has been damaged to the point that its leave port must stay in the same sea zone as the port combat factor is 0 it sinks. A "I3 Elirn" result always is located in during their turn of exit. Ships may stay sinks the target vessel. Battle continues until one at sea indefinitely as at-sea refueling and provisions side either withdraws or is eliminated. stop are assumed to take place during the timespan of the turn.'No ship may remain in a seazone which WITHDRAWAL TABLES: does not include a friendly port longer than 2 turns Should either player desire to breakcoi~tactand in succession. Ships at sea are simply placed in any The percentage of a chance engagement in- end the battle they may use tither of the following ocean hex of the sea zone in question with care taken creases the closer one gets to shore due to the tables. not to place them adjaoent to a coastal hex lest they increased activities of land-based observation craft, The Smoke Table may only be used every 3rd be confused with a short bombardment or invasion shore watchers. and the lessened chances for evasive round of battle and if successful ends the battle mission. Care should also be taken in the stacking of maneuvers plus the sheer expanse of the outer immediately. Cards are drawn from the random units. All units stacked together in a hex are regions. number deck. considered a single fleet and separate stacks, even though they may be adjacent on the board, are NCOUNTER CHART INFLUENCES attacked separately should battle result. Thus, if ADD TO CARD DRAWN IF: Blue has 3 stacks at sea in Zone C, each must be Search force includes a carrier separately located before it can be attacked by the Search farce includes a cruiser- enemy. -%arch force is land-based a/c ieaxch force is composed dsu WavaI movement also involves separate area 'arget force is composed of submarhes The Cover and Turn Away Table is more Each complicated. It may be exercised on any turn differentiation within the Sea Zones. Sea Zone ;I :=get farce i- is subdivided into 4, different areas or layers providing the force in question includes either CA's identified by their distance from shore. For and/or DD's. The player attempting to withdraw -.

GENERAL PAGE 19 iiesignates a portion of his force to make a torpedo Aircraft aitack with I strength point per combat Therefore all 10 of the per turn Blue replacement !un to cover the withdrawal of the the remainder of factor regardless of the type (exception: fighters) in factors are susceptible to loss. may the fleet. No fire is exchanged. The defender the same manner as normal ship-toahip action Blue must bring in its 10 replacement factors hke one double strength salvo at any or all of the except that there are no subsequent rounds of every turn from off the board. She does this simply attacking torpedo forces. Surviving torpedo ships battles. Surviving air factors return to base. The by declaring I of 3 Sea Zones (A, B or C) on her planes must undergo AA fire equal to !,$ of the total bay draw I card (cruisers: 2) fbom the Random border. She must still hold a port in that Sea Zone pcd Deck and get a damage result for every ace fleet strength on the Tournament Game Attrition which is not isolated from the other centers of Table with only the defender's losses being assessed. drawn. If the turn-away draw does not succeed production. If enemy forces exist in that Sea Zone a battle continues normal with all vessels consid- Example: 12 MDM bombers attack a fleet of 3 as card is drawn from the set of I2 face cards not used 'enxi in range. Otherwise, the battle ends immediate- cruisers (2). 6 destroyers (I), and 4 transports (0). in the Random Card Draw. If the area drawn is the The bombers attackall 4 transports at 12-4(3-I) and ly. same as that occupied by enemy forces a battle roll a 5, thus destrpying one. The fleet returnsfire at ensues, Thus it is always wise for a sufficient escort 6-12 (1-2), rolls a 1, and shoots down one enemy air COVER AND TURN AWAY to be allotted to the convoy each turn to ensure, if factor. ORP PEW FACTORS REMAINDER OF not safe passage, at least a costly victory for the Red MAKING RUN: FORCE BREAKS forces. Each replacement factor is transported by 1 OFF SUCCESSFULLY SHORE BOMBARDMENT: transport factor. OW DRAW OF: Naval gunfire support and invasionscan only be I-attempted from Area A. All Capital ships located on Replacements: Both Red and Blue have 50 coastal hexes can add '/z their offensive factors to Shipbuilding factors which they must spend during any ground attacks being made against units on the first 5 turns. No additional construction is coastal hexes. Such forces are subject to return fire allowed after the 5th turn. Construction of 10 - --by the opponent's artillery in his following turn. factors per turn is authorized and must be secretly recorded after each turn so that players will know Example: 2 Red BB's (5) and 5 cruisers (2) add, when new forces become available. ten attack factors to an attack. Blue moves in 3 full It takes I full turn in a major naval base to repair strength Breakthrough artillery pieces in their turn damage of 1 point to any ship. and returns fire against one BB at 24-5 (4-1) on the Example: Assume a Red fleet of I Battleship (5) Basic Game Attrition Table and sinks it. and two cruisers (2)attacks a Blue force of 3 cruisers SHIPBUILDING TABLE (2), a carrier, and 4 destroyers. Blue immediately Cost To Build Time To Build: elects to turhaway with his carrier and make a U-BOATS AND ASW: 10 STWS 1 torpedo cover run with his destroyers and a cruiser Whenever U-Boats have established contact to safeguard the Aircraft carrier. with an enemy force they may attack once on the This amounts to 6 torpedo factors and a 5 is BGAT. All surviving DD factors may return their drawn from the random number card deck so the fire. The action 1s then broken off. cover attempt is a success and the carrier and 2 TRANS 1 3 remaining cruisers escape the battle. The forces Example: 6 U-Boat factors attack a convoy making the torpedo run must undergo the doubled of 3 transports, a carrier and 9 DD's. The fire of the 3 Red vessels. Red concentrates his fire on U-Boats take two 1-1 attacks against 2 of the the cruiser and 1 destroyer for an 18-3 or61attack. transports, missing both and a 2-1 on the carrier (4- THE FORCES: Both vessels are sunk. The remaining 3 Blue DD's 21, rolling a "2" and damaging it. The 9 DD's then Both players may start with their forces at sea or draw 3 cards for their torpedo run but fail to draw attack 3 of the U-Boats at 3-1, rolla"6", and sink all in ports of their choosing, an ace. The battle ends. 3. Exmple: A Red BB (5) and cruiser (2) attack Remember: While an "exchange" only equals 3 blue cruisers (2). Both red vessels mass their fire on damage of I point against a capital ship; U-Boats, I cru~serfor a 3-1 attack, roll a 2, and damage I DD's. and transoorts onlv have 1 strenHh- factor 1 cruiser. The Blue cruisersdired their fire on the Red and thus are eliminated when damaged. cruiser, sinking it in a 3-1 attack with a die roll of 1. Ruund 2: the Red BB selects another Blue Cruiser and attacks at 2-1 (5-2). rolls a 5, and damages THE SITUATION: another crulser. The cruisers return fire at 1-1 (5-5) Blue, obviously the greater maritime power, has and miss. Round3: Red again concentrates fire on much the stronger fleet, as would be expected of a the last undamaged cruiser at 2-1 (5-2) and sinks ~t nation bordered on 3 sides by water. However, this with a die roll of 1. Blue returnsfireat 1-2 (4-3, rolls works to both her advantage and disadvantage. Due 2, and damages the Blue, now reduced to two a BB. to the high manpower needs of her navy, Blue's factors (2 damaged cruisers), attempts escape by army has been reduced by the elimination of her making smoke and leaves the battle after drawing a Tenth Army Corps. She is also dependent on deuce on the Smoke Table. Had the battle overseas suppliers for much of her war material. continued the Red battleship could have concen- trated fire on either Blue cruiser at 4-1, or attacked them both at 2-1. MASTER AREA CHART !lk ATTACKS: Carrier-based planes can attack or perform fighter missions in any area of the zone in which they're stationed providing their target has been spotted first by a friendly force. Carrier planes cannot perform land assignments unless stationed in areas A or 6.

Land-based aircraft may attack forces at sea only if the A/C are based in a port of the sea zone in question. Such A/C do not have to count hexes to the target. They can attack any vessels in their sea zone which is in their area radius. See the Master Area Chart. PAGE 20 THE GENERAL I SERIES REPLAY PsnaazerbIitzSituation #4 Robert Livermore- Russian Richard J. Plock-Germn Judge: Roy Easton -, 3 The game was played face-to-face, with all rhe It has heen assum~d/hat rhe road bonus is NOT draw-30%. Furthermore, the probability of a net rules pertaining to face-to-face p1a.v. An electronic negared in a town hex ifrhat hex is occupied b.v a Russian tactical (or better) victory is less than 10%. randomiter ser for 1-6 readour was used inphre of wreck or a,friendly unit. It was also assumed that all Not all that unbalanced. rhe die. units moy siart ou the board and enrer rhe same Why do I think this in view of the disparity of The reul-space line-of-sight determinarion op- road hex with rhe fulIadvantage of the road bonus. forces? The German player has the less burdensome tion was used. bur no orher oorionaior exoerbnen- The neutral cummentarv provided by Rqv task; he must prevent the Russian from doing rat rule was used. Easzon is pre~enred in italics between each move. things. The Russianplayer must, with less rangeand firepower, push the bulk of his force intact onto I INTRODUCTION board #3 and simultaneously destroy significant Situation 4 involves a mobile delaying action numbers of German units. Any changes made to conducted b-r a small but powerful German force equalize the situation should be minor-e.g., give againsr a much larger mobile Russian force. The the German more halftracks in place of the trucks, principle German advanrage is rhe long range of his or replace the Jgpz IV with Jgpz V. Simpler would unirs, since rhe average range of hb A B H class be to reduce the number of Russian trucks or unirs is 16.5 hexes while the average Russian range is increase the number of units required to be on board 7 hexes. This range advantage meam thar the #3-but only by 20r 3 units! Note that making more German can slay back and shoor up the Russians than one of the above changes is too-much. Do NOT without risking return fire. The Russian has only I2 change the character of the situation, which is a armored units and [heir loss w~illseverelycurrail hir beautiful demonstration of the effectiveness of a qffensive capubiliti~s. small force in causing a delay to a large one. The best Russian srra1eg.v involves punching That, in fact, is the key to the German strategy, along rhe main road through the woods at 1-364 DELAY. It is just as important (if not more so) to and H4& ond fimllv capturing Galarl, the delay the Russian by threats (force him to unload adjacent woo&, and Grobyosh by Iurm 5 or 6. infantry by threatening to take out two units with Speed is esseniial in these turns to bring the German one shot, etc.) as it is to destroy Russian units. Keep to bartle and eliminate ai leust I0 German unirs. the number of safe (for the Russian) hiding places Once the desired Rllssian level qf vicrory has been on board #3 to a minimum. Remember, a Russian obtairled b!' e!iminnr ing German units, rhe Russion unit alive and well on board #2 at the end of the Aides in ihe tovns and ~voods,final,'4' s~vaumingoll game counts just as much as one you have of his unirs onto board 3 on turn 10 to prevenr the destroyed. German from get ring a Marginal Victory. Russian unirs should nor be stacked except on iown orslope Russian Setup and Move 1. squares because stacks ore wry rempring targetsfor Of course on the opening move, the Russian the German artillerj. The Russian should concen- player does not know what sort of defensive trate hbJire on exposed German units to achieve the position the German player will assume. He must maximum number of "X" results. The Russian can assume the worst which is that the German player afford io exchange uniu !:I wirh the German while will take up his best defensive position. But the the German ran'!. Russian really can't do much more than get his The German player controls the tempo of the pieces lined up on the main road through board2. game. If he doesn't contest possession oxboards 2& The limit he can get to is 2k4 on the road in front of with rkc Russian, the game becomes a draw. Vha the woods. I have unloaded infantry here so I can does, he rkks losing his unirs and giving a victory to CAT position 214.1 can't prevent the German from rhe Russianr. Since the Russians hove so man-y going in there, but I can threaten him with units, the German will be able ro get a Tactical or subsequent CAT, if he does go in there. A German Decisive Victory only ugaimt 4 poor Russian truck or haiftrack would be destroyed and anything player. The longer ranges of the German units mwr stronger might be dispersed and destroyed subse- be used r o pick oflthe Russians before !hey ger close quently. and the German cannor aflord io stick aroundtv be 1 am also running an attack on the Southern Close Assaulied. Trucks and halfirucks should be flank. Part of my goal is to get as many pieces on prime targets, partieularly if they are rrumporting board 3 with as few losses as possible. To do this I anorhtr unit. Russian armored units are abo prime need a broad thrust and 1 do have enough pieces to rargets since iheir loss will halt he Russian offensive produce that. and allow ihe German to pick ofl the trucks and The line up of the forces assigned to the Russian har~racksar his leisure. player has tanks loaded with infantry leading. This I feel that there is abour a 50% chance of a of course has the effect of keeping the Russian Russian viciory in this scenario and hat it is not as options, open as well as giving maximum potential unbalanced as previously claimed. fire power on the line the German takes. The infantry can spot if they survive CAT. They are also German Preliminary Comments: harder to destroy, if tanks and anti-tank guns are In contrast to the opinion expressed by Mark used. The German weapons are about evenly Saha (General, V. 11 #I, p. 29, May 1974), I regard divided between anti-personnel and anti-tank fire this situation as reasonably well balanced and one of power 100 M 98 (not counting halftracks and the most interesting of the PB situations to play. I infantry) but his anti-personnel weapons consistsol Gennen Turn 1: Both sides have plunged onto the Wrdto grab think the Russian does have a slight edge, but only a just two guns. Thus he win use these against, at their initial positions.ThesymbDlsabonewillbe used toillustrate marginal one. 1 rate it as follows: Probability of most, two pieces. The anti-tank weapons are more the action in the illustrations which follow. Russian victory40%, German victory-30%, numerous, but halved against infantry. Hence,, our ! j'MEE GENERAL PAGE 21

overall approach is to permit the infantry to take the For example, the German Panther located in and guns, This basically imposes leapfrogging with 'punishing fire power, and make sure that some hex 2H4 can get 3-1 odds against my T34185, but the infantry which is very costly in time as well as lsurvive so that our fire power can bz brought to this leaves the SU 85 and the 45mm free to fire at men. r bear on whatever German pieces are spotted. This is him at 3-1 odds; the Panther is also open to CAT. lthe reason for the present set-up. The trucks in the The Panther thus runs high odds of either German Move 3: ,rear can pick up guns and infantry left behind in destruction or dispersal, and dispersal here is Well, he decided to wait. I am not sure, but he these fights. equivalent to very likely subsequent loss. I am also might have been ktter off attacking right away. pressing positions 2868 for similar reasons. Maybe not, he usually gets almost all of his The German player simply cannot afford very survivors onto board#3. If he attacked this move, he German Move 1: heavy losses; if for example he loses just 10 pieces- would have had difficulty with half his infantry out Here is the first of many difficult decisions; the giving the Russian a tactical, he must to win, keep 42 of action. He does not have Iots of time, though. exact choices here can be critical. My strategy is to or more Russian units off board 3, and to tie, he Since his infantry must still load, his attack will concede 4-8 German units; try to hold him to less must keep 32 or more off board 3 while avoiding probably not come before move #5. This should put than 20 units on board #3. Keeping in mind that I further losses. Even if he destroys, say 22 to my 10, me in good shape; the gun is amply paid for. Put the am delaying him (or trying to), I must try to block as he still must avoid losing5 more piecesand still keep Nashorn in anelevated location. No targets to shoot far forward as is safe. Hexes 2L10 and 2M10 hold 9 of the remaining 29 Russian units off board 3. at; just hold. the northern flank for one move. The two halftracks I have to pressure this position so that enough of '$41 and 442 are exposed to fire at 3-1 odds, but for my pieces remain after his firing to destroy or spot him to fire would not only delay thefiringunits, but the German pieces holding me up. But I must also have them exposed to counter-fire from the try to keep my losses at a 2-1 ratio or less with his Nashorn and the gun on H7. In addition, the while advancing. following units would be delayed because of the loss of the road bonus on the slope. I dare not go into 214, the CAT is too dangerous a threat. The gun on Gwman Move 2: 2H7 is a sacrifice. but he will have to unload toget it My first move served its purpose; he unloaded safely. This is the part I am not sure about--should I six units (more than necessary, I feel). Mow he must have one gun on H7 or H8; 2 guns, one on each; 2 either wait to assault my second line, or assault it mobile units; a mobile unit and an infantry? Mobile with less than optimumforce. Eitherway, it is worth units have time to leave next turn; guns get one gun. While it lasts, 1 use thegun onthe 821 unit. destroyed. Halftracks 441 and 442 are to slow him If 1 can disperse it (SO%), it is vulnerable next move down; e.g., he cannot unload infantry on F4 on his to my long range units. I could have added in my move with the idea of a CAT on the town Panther, but it wouId be left exposed. I cannot immediately thereafter. I would have preferred to afford to slug it out now. The Nashorn will go after use infantry, but it cannot get out of range of the his 45mm gun alone; this may be a mistake, but a) I SU 185 next move. The Hummel covers F5 or G4 in want my infantry in thegully, and b) every unit I KO case he tries an immediate push. 1 expect it, the now is one less to worry about later. Mygunis dead, Weape, and the 88mm gun to go to hill 107 next but he has no other targets. My armor in 2B6 is in move. If the Nashorn has no targets, it will go to position to fire at any assault on Golod without 3F8. This will give me plenty of well-positioned fire- being subject to CAT later. Golod is critical; I want power to start hitting his units. It is absolutely to hold it as long as possible. essential that I make use of my greater range and If I had my choice, I would rather have dispersed fire-power; he can afford to lose at a 3-1 ratio and his tank than destroyed the gun. I want to get his still win if all of the survivors reach board #3. It is mobile units. pointless to run; I could never win, and furthermore hecan travel faster than I can. His main thrust has to Turn 2) Rus: There isno excuse for nor artacking the come through Golod; the Northern flank, while it German 442. Had it been destroyed, T-34185's in H- cannot be ignored, is not as important. I could make 6 could have commanckd Gobd. In order to win, a tlank attack in the 0-T region, but it would be she Rwsian must destroy German unirs, nor kt inherently unsound and probably lead to a Russian them escape. Too many units were unloaded; one decisive victory. SMG in 1-7 should take care of the foolhhly placed German anti-tank gun with a CAT. The SMG in 1-4 Turn 1) Rw: The flanking attack m the South is a is blocking the road that the Rtsssiurz~must use. good idea atrhough I prefer to hove the SU-85 b in Tanks should be in I-6, nor hiding in rhe gully. In ;he center. The tanks should be stacked in rhe woods order ro shoot ai the German, you have tospot him. on Hill 132. Two units can get to G5, one to P-5, All in all, a poor Russian move. erc. In this way. 7 armored uniu can hide in the Cer: Now is the time to take advantage of rhe gun woods. Fwthermore, T-34185's in P-5 and 0-5 can over cautiousness of the Russian. Use your a-t before it dies. Against an uggressiiv Russian player, ' shoot up anything in H-6, allowing this hex to be the attack with the Nushorn would have exposed it t occupied by ihe funks on N-6 and M-5. attack; in Ger: This forward posirion is quite good to immediate thk case, it is quitesafesinct although reasonably fragile. Had the Russian been there are no Russian units ro $pol it, another more aggressive, halftrack 442 would be dead and Russian blunder. the position shattered. Tke Nushorn is overexposed and an aggressive Russian wouM knock it out after r~$,firstshot. Best send ir to the rear. Idon'i see any Russian Move 3. wed ro unload an 0-1 gun. This isgoing to be a 1-1 exchange,my~unforhis, since I will CAT his gun located at 2H7. He, Rwian Move 2. however, cost me more than a gun for his; he also This a tough and advanced defense Iine the cost me two turns; I had to unload so much infantry German player has taken. I have to unload more last turn that I cannot be in any position to pressure infantry than 1 care to in order to crack it. 1 want to the line he has running from 2C1 to 2E9 until the make him decide between exposing his tanks to a turn after this one, since this turn all I can do is toget high risk of dispenal or leaving. Dispersal of my tanks reunited with the infantry and next turn German pieces in this situation will probably result load up. in destruction of the dispersed pieces on a He now has heavy firepower on hill#107-an 88, a subsequent turn. The German player cannot afford Wespe, and a Hummel as well as his Nashorn in the Gennan Turn 2: The German Nrrsfrorn (850)has drawn the flrst losses, but be particularly cannot afford losses in his town, so any pressing of his line has to be able to blood bv eliminating the Russian 45mm gun at 13. The Gemen tanks. absorb heavy punishment and still spot for my tanks 75mm AT gun (32)misses with a 1-1 on the SU86 (821). PAGE 22 THE GENERAL

Turn 3) Rus: Too murk time is being lost without killing Germans. Tanks and unloaded ivfantry should be on E-3 and E-5 wirk a ka?frrack or rruck on E-4. Two ranks or Su-83's should be on H-4&5, nor ha!firucks or infunrry. The unirs on E-5 mr doubled but they can be attacked from Hill 107. Some eflbrr should be made in order to rake the woods in B-2 and C-I&L since morrars and the SU- 152 in rhese he-wcon artark Hill 107. Thwfar, rhe Russian has roncmzrated on avoiding casualries raiher than causing rhern and he tnust soon assume rhe iniriarive or lose. Ger: This is a good move. The poorly proierred Nashorn (8501 has been moved out of the Russian's range but it can si ill inJlirt heavy darnage with ir.~ longer range. Kepping the Panther (951) and Jpz IY (8401 out of the battle is u good idea since rhev are rke only really powerful reserves available. The Gerlrron should begin to worrj ubour zhe losses of his disrnountcd unirs since rhese are the Russian virrory condi~ions.

Russian Move 4. German Turn 3: The Russian SMG 1184) eliminates the German 75mm AT gun (32)with a 4-1 CAT. The German This is basically a 'saddle up' move. An withdraws his entire lin~to a position parallel to Golod. uncoordinated or too light attack at this point is worse than none at all.

German Move 4: Finally forced to open up a hole in my line. However, time is on my side, and any breach he tries to utilize should cost him dearly. He has no good hiding places. My pieces are in optimum position for the attack (of course, so are his!) 1 could have moved the Wespe to 3N3 (starting last move), but I think it is better where it is. I think I am in good shape, and am going to fry to win. This means holding here and not running. He appears to be going to lead with his halftracks; most of his tanks appear better positioned for a northern thrust than for the Golod attack. I want to chew up as much as 1 can next turn. The choices here are as critical as on turn I. An alternative approach would have been to put 2 units in the gully (sacrificing one) to delay him a turn. I prefer the one I am using.

Turn 4) Rus: As long as he is massing,firran ariark. Gnrmen Turn 4. No firing takes place as the Russian halts his drive to reload h~sdismounted infantry. he may a3 MY// bring up ever-rrhing rhat he can. There are really not enough tanks for rhe Golod arrack in rke woods at I-3&4 mid H-4M. 1 have not pressed in the center on the hill, since being taken, the stacked SMG and ho~frack. Ger: The itmifhdrau9ulof zhe German rifIe unit this will only provide targets to guns which have Stacked unirs are tempring forgers ,fur Gernran (142) and the haytracks Ieoves a hole in {heline, but none now. The time for such a push is next turn arzillery. The two rife units in E-5 is a good mow rhis won'r mailer if Golod falls. The ha5frrack 442 is when my entry onto board 3 will give his guns inand since the German musr be wr.r lurk!. ro dispersc exposed bur fhere are no Rursian unirs ro toke around the town of Grabyosh plenty of new targets, both of th~mand rhej ran get inro Golod on the advanrage of rhis exposure. The Nashorn should be anyway. nexr f z~rn.There moy be too rnuth on the Sourhern lefi on the slope of Hiii 107 where ir would he ,fYank. Ihr sorrJ thar this aitack didn'z come several doubled on defense and our of range. turns earlier. Ger: Taking ndvaritage r!f the uveru,helming German Move 5: ,firepowel. assetnbled or7 Hill 107, rhe Gerr~lanhad Russian Move 5. He did not push as hard as 1 expected; this may destrojed 3 Russia13 u~tifs.Had rhe h'nsi~ornbeen Here 1 have to expose a lot to getting shot up so be a mistake. 1 can hold Golod one moreturn (I will buck there roo, another T-34/85 n,ould have hem that some can survive to spot, CAT or shoot. Some probably lose a unit doing so), thereby forcing his desrrqsed. T/7e wirhdmn,al is being carried ouz in positions are good defensively as weHas for spotting assault to come through the North. Moreover, I can good urder, nnd 141 ar~d441 cannor be sputtedso and CATing. This is position 2E5. Here by using destroy 3 units without any danger to me. The Gokud is safe jor ariorher rum. I see no reson to both his Hummel and Wespe hecan'tget better than important point is to try to KO his mobile units. unload the Russian n~ortarswhere Pluck suggesrs. 1-1 against bolh rifle units and 3-1 against one unit. With luck, his dismounted infantry will not make it Thus ,far, rhe Gertnan is doing verx ii,ell. The rifle unit on the slope at 2E2 threatens to CAT to board 3 in time. He can CAT Golod next time, three different halftracks witha two thirds probabil- but has no other targets. I think he is mishandling ity of dispersa1, and is also costly in firepower to his mortars-they could be used against my gun 41 on the hill if they were within range (say hex 2D8) Russian Move 6. destroy. He didn't damage me too much. Now is the time Of course it is essential to press the Southern and should ix positioned to threaten to do this next turn. They are his longest range units, and he should to press all along the line. I have placed the SU 152 flank now. But if the German shootsthis up, he can't in a position where it can be shot at, but it is on a use his firepower on hill #I07 against the Northern make use of the fact. I am preventing him from making use of any good hiding places on board 3. slope and has an intrinsic defense of 16. If he wants push and this is the only firepower that is really to shoot it up. it will take a lot of fire power to effective against either flank. The SMG unit was guarantee its destruction. Otherwise this position unloaded at 2E9 to threaten CAT against the Turn 5) Rus: Finally, he atrucks and the urzark is o gives the tank agood firing position, or is well suited halftrack at 2D8. rurher good one wirh onk one unnecessar,v chance to move to a position on board number 3.

PAGE 24

decided to con1 inue wirh his conservative game. He reallv connor afford to Iose many more unit3 and still prevent the Germans from getring ar least a Marginal Victory. The Russians still need to kiit one more Germun woir 10get their Marginal andshould ger 441 andlor 142. Ger: The roll on the overrun of the Rus~ianrfle unir 144 was unlucky bur notfatal. It certain(vseems time to abandon Hill 107since the SU-15.2 js within range and the 88, havingfired, is dead. The German seems to be gelting a litrk careless now. He should have used the haytrack 441 to pick up 142 on C-i and should nor have sent the Panther bark onro board 2. Russian Move 8. 1 missed his 75, but I canguarantee getting his 88 this turn, thus giving me my marginal. Now 1 shall try to keep him from gettinga marginal and try for a tactical. This is going to be hard to do, given the heavy damage he has inflicted on my tanks. For now we are both playing hide 'n seek and shoot at whatever you find. 1 can't load the SMG unit with hi Panther Germen Turn 9: A 2-1 by T34/85 952 disperses the Panther a 1-1 CAT. howeuer. The Russian Rifle Unit 142 at 89 is sitting next to it, so 1 may as well CAT it. I have a 19511 but a 1-2 CATbySMG 182 is unableto destroy it. Russran dispersed at 2-1 by the Wespe and then eliminated by a 1-3 SMG 184 and Rifle 141 do manage to disperse the JgdPzlVw~th Overrun attack from German Halftracks 441 and 442. one third chance of missing him so the placing of my T34185 is a bit risky, but if 1 succeed I will be in a use it to pin and possibly destroy the Panther. get the best possible positioningto destroy units that good position to shoot the Panther next turn and get on the board. It does not matter if he gets one or CAT again. Unless I place the halftrack with the German Move 8: two more of my units now: what I need to do is infantry this turn, I cannot get to board three I do not like the looks of this any more. Lt destroy 5 of his next time. 1got lucky on my overrun anyway, so 1 have decided not to risk two pieces appears that he is going to try to settle for a marginal of the infantry with the halftracks: a draw is adjaaent to the Panther in the same hex. Thus, 1 victory (very wise), and by playing it this conserva- probable. won't get the SMG on board 3, but, hopefully, 1can tivelv he mav succeed. With only two moves left. if he rins everything on the board ind scatters thei, I Turn 9) Rus: The garlie is vet:\. close and will be may not be able to KO enough to hold the draw. derided on ihe lusr tufn. The Panther unforrunarely What I have to do is try to generate as many chances survi~~erlbur I~PJp: I V was dispersed. Moving the as possible to get two units with one shot. Unless he r;fle unit 142 alotig !he road puts it in posirion 10 blunders, I no longer have any winning chances. I CAT Germon units in the gully. Had rhe Gertnan want to try to block as many ofthesafe hidingareas tnow~lrlreHUII~I~IP/ 10rhesourhside uf Hill 107. rhr as I can, otherwise he wins for sure. 1 wish he had SU-85, and all other utlirs. ~vouldnor be saf~in the tried to use the Saha strategy; I would have gul11.. NOWis the time to bring up ever!.~hin~forrhe destroyed many more of his units by now. big rush onro board3 ne-rr turn to decide thegame. Ger: The Panther is holding up 6 Rus~ianunits it i.q 1101 doing badl~.Ifit is dispersednexr Turn 8) Rw: Wiping out rhe 88 guarantees a so too nor rurn, rhe Gertnan willprubabty win since he willk Marginal Vicror.~;ir is now necessary ro see 1ha1 the able to eli~~inate6 Russian units. German cannot get ar least a marginal roo. The CAT by SMG 182 neatly trap the Panther which Russian Move 10. was foolisk(v moved onto Board 2. The Rux.~iaplis 1 didn't destroy his Panther, but at least it is now moving to conserve his units until turn I0 when dispersed along with his JdgPz IV. 1'11 CAT both of thqs will all be tnoved onto board 2. The German them again and hope for the best. I can also get a has been gerting R lilt/@careless andthegame will be shot at his Wespe with a very good chance of very close. dispersal, and my 76.2 has an excellent chance of Ger: The Panther seems rapped on board 2 destruction or dispersal of one of his halftracks. while if would be of more use back on Aaard 3. Putring the ha~tracksin the guliv is a good idea und German Move 10: the HummeI should be moved ro rhe south side of 1 got lucky on his attacks: now the draw is Hill 107 where ir can command rhe guliy. The guaranteed. Had he been able to put my Wespe, German must nou. roncenrrale on killing Russian Panther and Jgpz IV all out of action. my only units to keep them nway from board 3. recourse would have been to try a 1-2 overrunwitha halftrack against his recon unit. Russian Move 9. His 88 is gone and 1 dispened his Panther. Conclusion: Possibly I can destroy it this turn. There is an The final result was: 6 German units destroyed, excellent chance of dispersal if not destruction. Next 29 Russian units on board #3; a marginal-marginal turn 1'11 get the T34185 on board 3. At last I'm ina tie. I may have to revise the opinion I gave in the position to CAT that damn JgdPz IV which just introduction. 1 now think the odds are: 50% Russian destroyed my rifle unit in an over run. My best victory. 25Yb draw, 25% Germanvictory PROVID- strategy now is to try to disperse as much of his ING the Russian player plays for a cautious firepower as possible, and keep my marginal victory marginal victory and does not try to ". . . drive while preventing him from getting one. Thus 1 am head-on, pushing fast and hard, practically regard- playing for a 1-0 win. Not very impressive, but less of losses." I should have done somewhat better; certainly better than 0-1 or 1-1. I did have slightly better luck than my opponent. 1 1 can't shoot at his Wespe and Rummel, but on think my sixth move was more of a mistake than the other hand they can't shoot at anything, if my realized. This, in fact. is what gives the Russian thr CAT works and that is the next best thing to being advantam-the- German has no martin- for error. hrrnan Turn 8: The Russian finally pulls a few of the German diswrsed. or destroved. teeth 8s the SU152 (741) eliminates the 88 (41) and gets a bit lucky with a 1-2dispersal of the Panther (951 )byhis SMG 182. Turn 10) Rus: Thisisit! The,76.2mma-rgunon Hil The German must settle for finally knmkingoff the ~ussianRifle German Move 9: I29 has claitned anorher virlim. 11's been doing verl unit (144) with a 2-1 Ouerrun by the JgdPi IV. Now he is all set for his fnal dash. 1 am trying to ~t.e//. Therp are now 35 Rmian units on board 3: i E GENERAL PAGE 25 ANALYSIS P Z--15 12L\- GUN 88rnrn/L5b Eff Rng 3000m AMMO 92 PEN 4.9" 2 MG 34 8 w+~o.s+HPW~ 17.6 / I< , .>> Y , , . THE FALLACY OF PANZERBUSH by 2LT Robert D. Harmon

DESIGN CREDITS: PANERBLITZ Sirualiom hidden in his own bush). The problem arises when #13-24, PANZERNACHT, LEYTE GULF, 1776 moving units scuttle throhgh mps in the defender's playtest line. The defender has no means to interdict these Let's get one thing straight: a tactical wargame units before they dart into another bush, which cannot approach realism-only complexity. Per- bring us to the point made in the last paragraph. haps wargame simulations can reflect command Prior to the advent of wire-guided AT missiles, functions above division level-the player can push the only way to track and destroy a moving vehicle units around a map in his own Fuhrerbunker and would be to bring a gun-tube to bear and put a approximate the real thing. 1914 is the best example round (or several) into it. (Near-misses count only in of this, with its complexities of mobilization and horseshoes.) Riflemen can easily do so with hand- offensive. held weapons, as long as said vehicle is a truck or This is not true on the tactical game-board, wagon. AA units, with swivel-mounted weapons, however. As a wargamer and an armor officer, I and trained in rapid acquisition and engagement of believe I can safely say 1 do not find the two moving targets, can also perform this function, compatible. Do you want to know what command- particularly as they can spray targets with automatic ing a small armor unit really means? It means tanks fire. I can even stretch a point and admit that breaking down, tanks throwing tracks, mired tanks vehicles with power turrets, with experienced and tanks disappearing altogether because the TC gunners, can also track and destroy a moving AFV. either: 1) thinks he's John Wayne or 2) can't read a But that's it! map. It means inoperative radios and incompetent I am familiar with U.S. field artillery, and have radio operators, and every command frequency out had the opportunity to examine captured German except the one to your CO, who's yelling in yourear, and Soviet equipment. Controls on artillery demanding a situation report (because he knows pieces-and the manual controls provided in tanks, even less about what's happening up the road than as backup systems or otherwise-are invariably you do). It means hearing gunfire somewhere up dual: one crank for traverse, one for elevation. ahead, and holding a map, blurred by the shakingof Moving the tube requires a coordinated combina- the vehicle, in one hand while you're using the other tion of the two. Effective enough for indirect fire to call down artillery that won't, hopefully, fall short (which is off a set of coordinates and dependent on and ruin your day. bursts rather than direct hits) and against stationary A wargame not only spares the wargamer the targets. But a gunner frantically cranking both, bloodshed of modern warfare, but also the while peering througha reticle and trying to track a organixd confusion. No wargame can even moving vehicle, will be hard-put to get a hit. approximate it. The only reason PANZERBLITZ That's under ideal conditions. Try that with an and PANZER LEADER come the closest to the artillery piece that has the traverse and elevation spirit, the feel of division-level combat is because controls un opposiie sides of the gun (as with the they have the virtue of king playable and fast- U.S. 105mm howitzer), or with a fieldpiece that moving, whereas most tactical games on the market doesn't have a direct-fire sight at all. and the get enmeshed in their own complexities. problem verges on the ridiculous. And inherent in Still, a wargame is expected to at least aH dismounted artillery is the face that they have approximate reality, within its own limitations- limited traverse-sooner or later the crew will have that is one of the canons of our hobby. Hence, the to pick up the trails and horse the damn thing victims of the PANZERBUSH Syndrome can't around. understand how PANZERBLITZ units can scurry mt the Russian a unit. SMG 182 is unable to continue the A second facet of the PANZERBUSH con- ' about under the guns of enemy units, which can't dispersal ofthe Panther(951]with its 1 -2CAT, although 184and fire because a) shooting isn't allowed during the troversy is the fact that units can take advantage of 141 do manage to disperse the JgdPz IV (840) again with a 1-1 CAT.The Russian has run out of time and must gain board3 this movement phase and b) when the fire phase does the Spotting rules and hide behind terrain features. I lurn The rssult isa plethora of targetsfor theGerman gunners. roll around, the targets are all hidden in bushes and detect resentment at the fact that moving units can Thetruck(425)at 85 isthe firsttog-hitk B 3-1 fromGerman other cover. hide in much of the map-indeed, many tactical Rifle fire (142).The Humrnel1631) dispatchesa T34/85{982) at Cl, the Nashern eliminates Halftrack 443 at 03 which allows This is indeed frustrating. However, before we wargames on the market have large stretches of IhePanther(951)to make a4-1 Overrun on Recon 133 at C3and combat this by modifying the game (rather than our open, featureless terrain. It should be pointed out 1heWesps(621)daes in another truckI421 )at F2,Thefinal blow own tactics), an examination of the actual condi- here that small-unit leaders must keep their people isstruck by Halftracks441 and 443 with a Overrun of a Russian tions is in order. under cover if they are to survive-20th-Century truck (424) at 08 at 4-1. The biggest complaint of PANZERBUSH weapons have the capability of killing unprotected 31 or more surviw, rhe Russiun.~win, if not, it's a crities is the fact that lateral movement can't be personnel and vehicles with great efficiency. The IDronm. The juiiure to disperse or eliminaie the interdicted by fire. One major point should be made platoon and company commanders in the units Panzher probobty means that the Rome will be a here: a stationary vehicle can ix hit with much moved to and fro on the PANZERBLITZ and Dron'. greater ease than a moving unit; the only exception PANZER LEADER boards will be on the lookout to this is when a moving vehicle is coming straight at for available cover and concealment. CONCLUSION the firing unit-then the target appears stationary in Accordingly, although you, the player. can see The over-cautious Russian strategy was very the reticle: it just grows bigger. all friendly and enemy counters from your Olympi- poor in rhef~rsthalfuf ihegame bur was the correct The way current PA NZERBLITZ rules work, if an vantage-point, your units can't. Hence, even a one for the second hay. Bob acls like a Montgomery the vehicle comes straight at the defender, he'll geta few trucks in a woodline can cause an enemy unit to in a situation thar demundr o Patron. The Germuft chance to shoot back next turn-before the be halted for a turn or so. Although you may know starred out playing ver-v well bur he became careless attacker does (the attacker is usually right next it's a truck, the man in the lead tank may not know afier turn 6. I Q door, in order to expose the defense, who is himself they are, or if he does see them, he would (wisely) PAGE 26 THE GENERAL assume the presence of artillen or infantry A.H. Philosophy Continued from Page 17 somewhere near. So the unit will ha& to deploy and #~ttack'accordingly-they can't barnstorm through. under the old relationship. Shaffer Hall which Sheltering under the same cover is the enemy's had been promtsed to us months in advance by fighting units. It may be argued that a Wespe unit previous management was suddenly taken Fan't help being awarethat the woodline 750m away away for Friday night due to class f~nalsbeing contains two SU-IS2 batteries and two rifle scheduled there. Notice of this change did not ~ornpanies-but seeing them is something else come until after the programs had been printed. again. Sure, HE rounds could eviscerate anything This meant that Shaffer could not be set up for within that 250m-wide hex-in that respect, the Saturday activities until 10PM Friday evening. PA NZER LEADER spotting rule that a firing unit A prior agreement that room reservations would betrays its location and is 'spotter-but 'A'-class be acknowledged by JHU was not kept due to a c) Units with FOF may change facing within weapons, which are usually firing solid-steel AP communications problem. No one received their hex during the friendly movement phase. confirmation of their reservations although their rounds, requiring a direct hit on a visible target. Assistance by vehicular units is not needed, except should not be able to fire into that hex with any rooms were waiting for rhem. At this date we for 88mm and 9Omm units in PAhTZER LEA DER, can only speculate on what effectthis will have results. More on this later. as specified by the general FOF rule for artillery on attendance. But we do have pre- In response to the complaints of the PANZER- therein. Units may not change facing if they have a BUSH lobby, AH instituted Opportunity Fire rules fired during the combat phase immediately preced- registration of over 500 so we are guaranteed that will be the largest wargame con in PANZER LEADER. Basically, OpFire means ing. Units may not change facing ar all during any ORlGlNS more every that a unit that expends '/4 or of its MFin an other part of the turn. yet held. JHU 1s taking steps to help out at we hope be very enemy unit's LOS may be shot at; the firing unit may d) Units under this FOF rule ('A'-class towed turn so to able to report a not move or shoot in its own turn. This means a arty) may utilize OpFire if. and only if, enemy units successful fait accompli in the next issue. dramatic change in the course of play, as opposed to have expended a full % of their MFcontinuously in Only 24% wanted ANZlO pbrn kits and even PA NZERBLITZ. the FOF, in addition to being in the units LOS. OpFire does have snme positive uses-it dnes less wanted them for TACTICSIIso it is unl~kely U~iiirsu using OpFire may not change facing during either will see fruition. However, the AN210 help simulate defensive fire-planning, and helps the next friendly movement phase. curb abuses of the Spotting rules (i.e., trucks and Basic Game is such a good pbm game that we wagons darting past enemy units, carrying infantry may just go ahead and run some as a service to in the most unlikely fashion). But for the reasons 4) Mechanics of OpFire (for PA NZERBLITZ game owners. Only 31 % used the WATERLOO noted above, distinctions must be made between the owners): playing aid in Vol. 1 1, No. 6, yet 82% wanted to various weapons-systems, or we're back to the a) Units able to practice OpFire (under the see more such efforts. Similarly, only 41% used super-artillery of WATERLOO and GETTYS- above rules) may fire at moving enemy units if the the plans for compartmentalization traysprinted target unit has expended 1/4 of its movement in the BURG. in Vol. 1 'I, No. 1, but 79% wanted to see more. firing units LOS. I offer the following, for both PANZER We'll probably continue to use them frorntimeto b) OpFire is done during the enemy movement LEADER and any OpFire applied to PA NZER- time as space fillers. BLITZ: phase. The defending player (the non-moving player) watches as the enemy player moves each I) No 'A'

choose to put the populace on a starvation diet by arm would be in store for its prime intended usage. the Spring of 1942. Because of its central location and the difficulties However, along with all the good; Leningrad that would occur should the city fall, Moscow is possesses an equal amount of poor and possible usually defended most tenaciously by the Soviet trouble points. Foremost among these latent thorns Army. This will mean that, at the beginning of the in the side of the Wehrmacht is the Nemunas River. game when German losses play a less important Almost always heavily defended, this river must be role, the Wehrmacht will face an extremely rigid crossed quickly and in strength to ensure a rapid defense. As the game progresses, naturally, a severe breakthrough to Minsk and eventually the Riga- German casualty rate will hinder swift progress as Dvina River line. A slow, time wnsumingflanking more and more strong units, from the spearheads, effort through the Nemunas-Bug River gap will will have to k dropped off and left behind for flank defeat any plan to seize Leningrad quickly and even protection. However, in the months prior to the with phenomenal success afterward your spear- Russian replacement rate German losses can be heads will be stalled outside the, now free flowing, justified and accepted as a necessary evil in , therefore, of the following is to Luga and Volkhov Rivers. Another threat to the exchange for thecapture of Moscow. The losses that advantages and disadvantages of success of this German effort will be the arrival, at will be inflicted on the advancing Wehrmacht can be e Russian cities and hopefully assist the front, of the Soviet veterans from Finland. If a further rationalized by the knowledge that if the during the decision making portion decisive breakthrough has not been established by operation is successful the General Staff may rest the time Helsinki falls, these additional troops will assured that their advance was over the flower of the bolster any sagging defensive areas and often Soviet Army. A flower that may not ever bloom bjective Leningrad: provide enough of a reserve for the Russian to go again with the loss of this very important objective. When Leningrad is chosen, by the German, as over to the offensive, temporarily. The time the Moscow, is by no means the easiest of the three Finns gain for the Wehrmacht should lx put to the targets to take. In fact, it may wen be classified as best possible use. If the advance eastward is swift the most difficult. The trouble, in capture. could enough the Soviets might even be forced into a stem from any number of possible problems. The garrison situation if required to disengage units in city is protected by an'extremely large amount of Finland to contain a thrust on the main front. This geographic defense lines. Paramount, once again, is last statement, of course, is pure conjecture and its the Nemunas River and Minsk. Close behind this validity will stand or fall in any number of first stumbling point is Smolensk and the Dnepr and situations. Proper procedure and Grand Strategy, Dvina Riven, a tough nut to crack, indeed, if in this instance, will be left to the discretion of the competently defended. With the Pripyat Marshes commanding German General. ~rotectingtheir flank to the South withdrawal can lx expected from one doubled position to the next. Objective Moscow: Unless the Wehrmacht has succeeded in inflicting Moscow, the Soviet capital and heart of the severe, crippling losses on the withdrawing Russian Russian war machine in real life, holds no political Army a frontal advance, eastward, along the and morale boosting after effects in Avalon Hill's Moscow Highway could turn into colossal Napole- recreation of the campaign as it did during the onic disaster. (See Diagram 1.) A two-pronged actual conflict. Therefore, it should be dealt with thrust, on either side of the Pripyat Marshes could like any other objectives on the German agenda for provide the answer. However, for either arm of the conquest. To delve into the advantages of assaulting pincer, whether it be the North or South, to make this city, it is wise to visually scan the mapboard any notable progress a majority of the available first. The initial glance will show you that the tank strength will have to be allotted to one side. geographic position of the city, in the center of the This reduction in striking power may have severe, Soviet Union, would be a definite boon to the long-range, adverse effects on the campaign as a Wehrmacht should it fall into German hands. whole. The Wehrrnacht assuredly will discover itself Future operations against the remaining two cities being channeled into what may turn out to be a would be made a good deal easier with the German tedious and fruitless salient ending abruptly at a 3-1 Army positioned in the center of Russia. Flanking proof defense line. Many times this salient can be lacking the striking power for a frontal assault, you possibilities are boundless and the German Panzer seen being formed in the central sector with

II PAGE 28 THE GENERAL

Srnolensk as the farthest advance position. If this permitted the Wehrmacht should expect a long, thought out and executed hammer blows directed at should turn out to be the case, replacements from hrd struggle without victory. Once the Dnepr has the county's moral and political centers can the Leningrad and the returning units from Finland been breached along a wide front a slow delaying may prove to bejust enoughto provide the Russians campaign is put into practice by the Soviets as they the strength for a Winter counter-offensive. back up gradually eastward toward the relative safety and solace offered by Kursk and Kharkov. If Objective Stalingrad: the Russians are successful in this endeavor, with a Stalingrad, the southernmost city that the sizable troop concentration, the Wehrmacht may German Army must deal with, is given secondary find branching out across the steppe most difficult importance by many for various reasons. To and once again be easily channeled into the salient mention several you would have to say that the formed by Kharkov-Donets River-Rostov. This is distance from the Russo-German border to the city iJerj unstable territory and a Soviet counter-thrust is enough to frighten some away in itself. Another back into the Stalino area may end the campaign in would be that many very good German comman- disaster. Shades of the German Sixth Army. (See ders still live under the popular misconception that Diagram 11.) they will be given the city, without a siege, if they drive hard enough on Moscow. This "gift," so to speak, will be received very seldom if at all. Additional Insight: Therefore, we must assume that the Soviets plan to Diagram I is an example of a very misleading defend Mother Russia with the utmost zeal and Soviet defense. A quick glance will lead to the tenacity and base a conclusion upon that. The conclusion that the Red Army, being unwilling to positive aspects, then, of a Southern Campaign sacrifice the Upper Dnepr River around Smolensk, would be primarily surprise. A very strong sense of hasdecided to fortify its eastern banks and put up a security is created in the Russian camp by the delaying action on the approaches to Moscow. Germnn for the will prove to be numcrous rivcrs (i.e., Dnestr and S. Dug), crossing However, after closer scrutiny, it bccomcs quitc grnl~ndwork assault through a majority of the Ukraine. Therefore, speed apparent that a thrust made by the Wehrmacht, in a futile and frustrating experience. I have attempted and daring are of the utmost importance in this the direction of Rzhev, might very well end in to present, here, the pros and cons of each city to sector of the front. A quick crossing of the Prut disaster. A Russian counterattack back across the assist the Wehrmacht during those crucial and River in June. 1941 in conjunctionwith a thrust into Dnepr will seal off any Germans foolish enough to vitally important first 5-10 moves. After the primary the Lwow area and in July with a move through have moved into the salient. Worse yet, would be a objectives have been decided upon and Germany Hungary is many times sufficient to create disorder Soviet assault into Smolensk; leaving their leading has embarked on her Eastern odyssey, make every and a lack of continuity in the Soviet defense. Once spearheads, on both sides of the pocket, in doubled effort to adhere to the original plan. Opportunities will present themselves as the progress of the a breakout has been achieved. by the Wehrmacht. positions. Reinforcements, from Moscow, will doubled terrain positions are scattered with tremen- suffice to lock shut the eastern edge of the Wehrmacht picks up initiative that appear to betoo dous areas of wide open steppe separating them. "cauldron." The 4-6-4 defending on the river, above good to be true. However, think before you This will greatly cut down on the time, at first the city, serves the purpose of "sweetening the pot"; disengage your heavy units from the line. to attack glance, it looks as if will be needed to arrive at the meaning the Wehrrnacht will have to move at least that 2-3-6 defending a river. 1s the weather about to gates ofthe city. The Southern front is thelargest of eighteen (18) attack factors toward it to achieve a 3- turn bad? Will the lnfantry be able to retrace their the three we are analyzing; therefore, a greater 1 battle. steps, in one turn, to attack their original objective number of troops will be needed to protect it or will the front outrun them and leave them lying sufficiently, thereby weakening the other fronts. Diagram I1 illustrates the head long impetus of dormant in the pacified areas behind the line? Time Land gain is tremendous and quick. If a Southern the German Armies in the South. The Dnepr River works for the Soviets and many clever Russians will assault serves no other purpose than to cut down the has been breached along a wide front and troops use this ruse to lure you away from your objective. necessary time of the campaign in terms of miles and equipment literally pour into the Donets River Playing "hop-scotch" with your tanks is alright and traversed, without loss, it has one major irrefutable Basin (the most direct route to Stalingrad). Once even beneficial during the early stages of the game. plus in its favor. there, the plans call for the final death blow to be Then the Wehrmacht is frightening on interior lines dealt to the reeling Soviet Armies outside Stalin- and transit can be accomplished with a minimum of grad Although the Russians are short of breath they effort. It serves to weaken and stretch the Soviet are always quite capable of forming up formidable defensive front. However, don't be misled into defense lines as they draw closer to their supply traversing half of Russia to get the "easy pickins" bases in the rear. A quick Soviet counter blow after you have committed yourself and your delivered to the rear of the German spearheads will opponent knows, as well as you, where the intended sever communications and supply from the rest of strike will be. Pick your target and make every the Army leaving the advanced German units possible effort to stay with it. stranded and helpless outside of Rostov. The Soviet Union is far from unconquerable The table below exemplifies only five of the provided the German knows where he is going. I many questions a German commander should ask hope that through my commentary and diagrams 1 himself before embarking on a campaign of Eastern have helped, in some way, to shed some light on the Conquest. Each of the questions has been rated on a strengths and weaknesses of the colossus which is scale of three; excellent, good and fair, based upon Russia. the probability of their chances forsuccess. You will notice that 1 purposely omitted a poor or no chance at all rating. This was done to demonstrate that nothing is impossible and that things that "appear" A.R.E.A. RATING SERVICE difficult to overcome are, in reality, only facades to cover weakness. A knowlege of the enemy's intentions plap a major role in any military campaign whether it be genuine or fantasy. To be able to expect things prior to their happening will However, just like the other two cities, a thrust enable you to prepare for and counter them before eliability Experience & Ability Rating. toward Stalingrad has its dark side. As has ken crippling damage can be inflicted on your forces. previously mentioned speed and daring are of 1 I don't object to having my name and addr paramount importance. Should the spearheads of Observations and Conclusions: rinted in TheGeneral with the rating lists. t rate elf: the Wehrmacht be blunted, thereby necessitating a Operation Barbarossa is a gamble. Hitler A-an excellent player slowing of the offensive, the surprise element is lost realized this when he risked sending his legions into B-a good player followed quickly by German hopes of Eastern a two front war in 1941. Due to the immensity of C--an average player Conquest. Decisive battle must be sought in an Russia, it cannot be conquered and occupied as the effort to destroy Sovietresistance before the Dnepr Western nations of Europe could before her. River and Kiev. If an orderly withdrawal is Therefore, only through the use of well planned. .. - . . . .. GENERAL PAGE 29

ar Sir, Tbt Qualiem rlting ba dty.Awrson w could play "puslhrmrs" and/or chtat adget a fmelm as it may seem. Origim of World Letters to the Editor ... high rating, but eooner or latcr he willbtflmdrd IS still at a compratively young stage in the with challen&r from better playen bcupu~he is Hill line. Its main idea, the diplomatic A mar tbc head ofther t nupposedly oneof thcimt of 193539. prwidts a wtllroundcd aspt that reads the GEN~AL. Other than tW, the would buy a game, pky it om. buyanothcr gamt ts leading to World War. only heard thcrn two or three times, but one ofthc Qualificrsratingisneededtogctanideaofhowthe tyw. Tbt GENERAL has trulv been a areat helu verses went something like this: ith this vcnturc in mind, Tht Histonal player got hk AREA rating, span individual can tome. A hearty welld do^" to the rtaii! emmes the main fo-1 point of "Two broken Tm on fire in the Right. pick an opponent who in at the=& degrotofskill a stimulating source of under- Danici Wayne he Lasing their souls to the wind. as himself. nflicts arising in this situation. Coronado. California The flamts ofthe Tigerm m lightingtbe road An added bnuslo thc ratingservicemigM be n of powerful influence allows Ed. Norc: Airhougti we ar~hdlyIikero conieorrt to Berlin." a tournament. At the end ofa bpccZod time perid ion nreded for the vitality of the wilh u stud agalnut buying new games, we do (aseason, ifyou will) the top fifty plryerb have the agree rharfew peopbplay rhegams wlunymore Ifyou ever get a&w lo ligten tbMRbad&to option of cnlcring the Avaion HiH+pnsod rol of Augtria is perhaps one of tht due ro a Iack of exprience wish each om. Moscow", you'll buy tbt album. tournament. There would probably have tobeone tiona of Germany in the opening Improving {he quality ofploy of I0 reumrs hds Jimmie Long game hicto all players tbmt would serve as the Hitler calkd: The rnostdibgraceful low been a goal of !he GENERAL. Shrcvcpon, LA only gam played, so the tournament i. madc as i tht Treaty of Versailles" that which unbiased ado one gum as possible. This is whew the union of Germany and Austria. Being me* cheaters and trauds would k knocked down. If rian himseB by birth, Hitkr intended his they dalincd entering thc tournament, they still **** Dar St: and to lx given bmk to the community of would be deluged with challen~.Some player Dar Sir; In the Jan-Feb Generml, J.R. Jarvinen's article rman pcopk and to bowmt a part of "The might get suspicious gbout that peraon mnd Hcrc we go \nth yet amrhzr mcdification of on Bntish stmtt~yin Sccnario #2 of 1776 ban a complain. pcrhap getting thc pcrson tossed oiiof OUTDOOR SURVIVAL. small innocuracy which could have, depending on Thc only barricr howcvcr, that kcpt h~mirom tkratingservice. Mayk part of theraiingshould This modibation deals with scenario 5, the players involved, a iar-rcaching cfftct. Hc ying out his idea when he firsf came to power h based on thc avcrage rating of thc persons an "Purzuit". Having plrryed thig with 3 players (2 stam, with regard to the Americmn forces at Ft. Italy. Tht Italians had no dairt to havc a individual plays against. guanis and I cseaptc) I find that, with a little Ticondcrom. that Tk dtfcndcrg cannot cmoe. 9 undary with Germany. Instead, they The AREA rating service ghould bc a big - thought on the pmn of the guards, conctrning nor can they be reinforced.' The latter st~temen;is ustria, baause it was a wcak state success. Tbt more people that jam, the better it initial pkctmcnt of thcir ptrson counters, the corrcFt but tht first knot. Inaowrdance with the serve as a cwhion agaiwt Germany. will be. In a year or so it should bccome a-good escapee may be run to enrth hirly quickly. ~uestionBox rulingin the Sept-Oct 1974General, , tbe cntlrc s~tuationcbangcd aftcr an indicator of who's who in Ivargaming. In ordtr to ~vcthe emapee a better chance in tkAmcricsm can hvcthc fort via their batcau. movement to revolutionize the the thrae-person game, or in the two-perbongam 1 feel sure, howcva, that Mr. Jarvincn had Brian Thoman ustrian government failed, and with the Italian ' Wilh pcoplc 01 varying ability, I have devised a submitted the article to you before the Sept-Oct Mina, MN 55424 of Ethiopia in hand, Hitler was in the "tactical" level addition to tht basic rulc that, Gcncral camc om, and thun war nor aware of the Li miwdws .h&d sat. As a resuit, by the end oi 1936 tiole; me AREA raring wbtn thc purarutr cntcrs tkhex containing the rules clarification. have o lot ofporenrialforpromorIng wahw y and Italy had come to an understanding pursued, he automatically finds him. Tht qutstion is. where do the American&go? us 4. ormid acrlvlry. tksiak the miow Thc first mod~f~ationconcerns tbe use of They Fan neither dehrk at the end of Lakc Austria then came into a difficult situation. udpnrop@ of marchiw oppownts ofequaiabtllty "outpost" counters--if the tsleapct cntcrs a tKX George, nor anack St. John&. Either of these Schuwhnig& who wanted an independent and sorring DMZ rhe chronic compblncr~or oe~upicdbyanoutpost,it istreatedasifbeentered positionamanopcninvitationfor tht%ritishirom statc, agrccd with Hitlcr in that Austria, quirrers, ir does oger a medium whereby rmgnC a hex with a guard of equal movcmtnt capbilily. Ft. Ticonderoga to crugh them. lngte~dthey ugh ,independent, wap "A German State." rlon can be'gaiiied. A "Top 20" LIfor vmrs.m At the conclusion of theaapee's turn (after should leave the artillery unit inthe fort and move kuchnlgg had hoptd that his mow toward th ispw~bI@as are tournomenlsfurlwe wjthequrrl wildernessencounter peetion) ifhc has mmdinto the htcay 48 and &8 rupply unit to KKK%. skills. However, the ~ystern4 wkki mep- , -me in Germany would mse Austrian a hcx containinga guard or outpost, the Following KKK38 is the optimum choice bmwto tach onc@ ufrlww rhings Ute ro corn 70 pass. tion in hb homt country. This 4gs oi Vany B calculations are mrde: submt the escapee's that hwc the Britibh supply unit mubt attempt a you are at a![ mn!ere$red in seeing AREA prmore movement factor from that of the guard(s) iorccd march of 6 MP, a highly dangerous ecting with Hitlcr latcr in Bararia, and rmprow cornperition in rhe hobby, ywcan occupying the hex, and develop a number that ip prwedure. Thus, if the British decideto follow the ech~ggwan told to place hi government into mlrr b.v sending in S2.W and an asseummr of eithm m. plus or minm Treat thirnumkrasztro Amwicans vis thtu own batcau, thq will bc hnds of tbc Nazis. Yct cl.m afta this he still .vour skrll l@w/{excelknl. god, oover~e,fair, or for an outpost. If the square contains a river, unsupplied and an~ckingat odds of 1 / 1 (S%/ 5). ored a free election by the people of Austria to novice) lo Awlon Hill. Mark the envelope- subtract 1 from the firsf number. If the hen Of coursc, lht British andcclinc to pursuc, but rrminc whdhcr to bccomc prwNazi or rcmain A TTN: AREA. contains a trail, subtract 1 if thc cxmp has not thin leaves the Americans within striking distance entered the hex at the trail rate. (otherwi~add 1to of Canada. d at thiarction, sent troops to thc basic number). The cscaP& rolls tht die and 1f the BritLh do follow and anack, and ifthe r. Left with no help from the Dear A.H.: adds the developed number to it (remember. Americans can get a -1 or more through the I'd likt to compliment you on tbcprducliou gwasforccd toralpand turn adding a ncgatim number reduces the number to matching of the Tactical Cards. they might win the of 1776. Ihave mmt AA.. games and id that this he Nruig. Hitler hnd again which it isadded). Iftk rcrultingnumkr(dit roll battle decisively, and should at least be able to om rtandn on top of the The advent ed, and he was free to move on. heap. of plus wmtion number) is less than the movement inflict casualties dbproponionate lo thcir rizc. multiple combat and the new tactical mrdsystcm are then left with the quation of the cast of thc hex (conridcred as ONLY plain. lortst, The loss of a major portion of the St. Johns' bas really put the wargumer on a single hex; be effect of thcrv actions on the pm. mountain, or swamp-no river and/or water or expedition could prove disastrous to the British an't sit hck on hk caay ckir waubing bk Austria hara precise bearing to theeffem trail correction). Ihe escapce escapes de!ecrion. pamc plan. cardboard counmrg from a safe distance no, many winrung thc diplomatic war and the . . . The dle must be rolled as many times as thereare he must gd into that hex aodriht . . . rtfm tbt orr nn adequate point vdue. But 1 Charles Stwks pursuereand/oroutp~tsinthchcx. Note that,ifa kft, cnfiladc right. plowuptbe mid*. He can w, c of a strcss should bc pla~don Wtsl Stoetbridge. MA guard hdson the hexsuhsequent tcr theescapee. hew. fed, smell, and taste the cold reality of control of Austria as a part of winning the game produre ie gone through at the cnd oi Ed. Note: A plan ohys looks dqjkent combat. I776 har ro much to offer: the movement the guards wildemcss encounter phase, but oniy of wkn im rhrough molh@r man's eyes. For tactics of P-blirz, the terra* Outdoor herefore, in the light of the qlvestion of for the guard. dence or Control and to stimulatethe role rxaniple. yours tabs into acmm. a British Sdrviwi, and the grandeur of 2% mird Rcicb. For cxampk, thc escapee knds on a hex forced rnarch when Supply 0 not 5Itowed lo fore Of course, 1775 is not without its flaws. W ionsin that rtarc, Iproposethat arollolthc containing both an outpapt, a guard, and a nwr. used to indicate the outcome. A d~eroll of march 1 found to bc a very frustrating error ind&gn is The typeof terrain is forcst.Theescapee isatthe F the KDE and KAE cells of tbc Advancd Gamt or3 Independent and indicating miming 4.5.6 Itvcl, the guard at the D level. icontrol. Thc end result would bF that iI *m CRT. It same tbat the CRT wap deigned 60 thru 1. The outpost is rolled Brit. The correction the hiher the die rollachievedbytheattacker, the y, at the of the game, has a control end lactor is 0 (outpost) - 1 (river) = -1. The escapee in Austria. and tbt country clccttd to Gentlemen: mom c&ctivt was hi6 attack and thug the more rolls 2. 2 -1 = 1, which is less than2(forestlmwc- favor~blethe results would be to him. This is independent, the mmrol counter would mcnt!) = escape. 1 think that your AREA rating gtrvice i8 the 01th 3 points. Otbenvisc, attribute tht best idea Avalon Hill has mme up with in a long generally true; exapt whtn tk playcr who 2. Theguard iu rolled next. The number is: 4 receiveg a WDE or SAE only bas two strength lime. The warnaminn communitv has bten innccd (guard M F) - 3 (empee Mn- l (rivtr) = 0. Tbe points involved. For txamplc, in a cagc of 3-1 hold an elaction but it was done in of a reliable ;ay totest an indkiua~swirgame escapee roilr 1. I - 0 = I. aain less than 2 (forest cdds, if the defender has nvo strength points ina hion and ar B rcrult99% ofthc vok and ulrattnv skiUs. Althounh a svatm such as this mwEmcnt coat), and againencapc. given htx and tht attacker rolls a tkdefender has been ikeon a smalle; scale, the GENERAL 3 3. A~uardatLife Lcvcl Eenters the hex.. . ARB.. .. loam both strength points; howmr, ifthe dit roll rcault of wylderness oncounter, he 1-3 1life kuel, ir a pcrfcn vthiclc lor nplradiog it all omthe country and the world. is 4.5.6, or 7 the defender only lowone strength to F. Now. the numbtr is: 3 (guard) - 3 (emwc) point. This situation dmtrop the anbumption Om of lht ktter thin@ madt psibtby thc - I (rivcr) = I. The escape mlla 3.3 - 1 = 2, hence uderlying the design of the CUT (is., thc bigha sernce is that a person can pick a suitable pbm the pririancr iacrpiured(21sequaltoforest tcrraln the die roll, the more succwful the attack). Uoder k*W opponent. Many playen. including myuclf. art movement, no river.) thc prcamt nyatm, when the defend- hns two hcsitsnt to play pbm hause of opponents that strength points in a hcx, it doesol -"to par either cheat or skip out of a game in progress. Craig E. Ransom for the attacker to roll in the artilleryand 0th These days I feel the trend is to buy n although fortunately those types are In the Baltimore, Md. means of upping tkdie roll. this, Ipay, is a rgame. play it ona or twia, thcn put it inyour minority. Gone will be the days of anxiously . . ludicrous situation. Howem, there is a aimpk to collect duat. This seems like a waste of waitihg to SK il your QppOnCOt has moxd or solution: after each MAE on the CUT placp an y, time mnd effort. Mm pople prohbly skipped. nsterisk (*); after each SDE place two asicriaks tht rules, campaign analpla booklet and Phurt thc situation oi a youn8,ambltiws (**);to the lcft ofthc CRT thisample roomto ion cards to PA NZERBLITL. play a @me. Dar Don, wargamer in an igolated area. He pimp pbm in make the following Footnotes: hen sct it inlhcir dogtt and buy a ncw gamc. Thcy every AH game and winr almost tvmy time. Yet, or AEZ, whichcvcr is greater. mynever play PANZERBUna~in,or, when ParuerSlitrians, or anyone who bas recently he mnnot make bi name known in wargame * ** or DE2, wbiver is gwter. lhcy dogct around toplayingit hawforgotten the read Guhg Archplago, should look into A1 circles, even when he write8 brilliant artichlor the A final note to I776 history b-let\ have rules. There is nothi more frugfrnting than to Stewan's album.-Part, Prcscnt,and Futurc.*The GENERAL. Thm, hkc a miracle, the AREA somt mort In Vol. 11, No. 4 of i% play THE BA 7TLE OF THEBULGEfor a while first cut on slde two is entitled "Roads to rating service is started. Modest as be is, he putb mnarios! and then try to rewociate yournelf with PAN- Moscow."a disturbinglybeautiful rongtht runaa Cemrnl, Roben D. Harmon did swb a fantask himself down as an average player. Inthe monthr @me. bit longer than nim minutes to cover four yearsof that follow, br climb up the rating list by kaps job of cnrichiw the PanzwbItrz Ceminly the can be done for there But 1 believe that the GENERAL turns many war in Russia. and bounds. Soon he is near the top, and is Bdly game 1776; are so many lostam from whkh lo chow tkunits of thcsc typcs into better gnmers. With contests, Tht instrumental work IS largely guitar ad notid and momiud as Bornone who is . . . in for variants, higtoric~l data, game ratinm, etc., violin, bur it's the comtnnt soh-rpoktn imagery in (barring fraud) a very gwd player by anyore who my 1776 box are pleading adionl vco~kbwme mom interest4 in a variety of thc lyrim that dsyouscramblingfwthePa~#r glanccg at the lirr. A ratherdramaticportrayal, but Ron Magnzzu ##z set. Idon't rocall rhc cxact words, buse1 it gets the point across. Penippmy, NJ 07058 ------. 1 PAGE 30 THE GENERAL READER BmS WM GENERAL BACK ISSUES 58 GENERAL wck #suesare rell8ng our 1axt.r than we tan re+,* the 1111 of #how~lbll auanlklc The rollomng canptl.6 uhs laasst l#sr#ngof par* .b#t#unl11111 an *rock. They lell lor 51.5D plul pmL-. CHANCELLORSVILLE '74 Edit Divigion and Brigade Level Game of the Civil War Battle

CHANCELLORSVILLE is the 17th gameto fortunes of div~s~onsshifting every turn from undergo analysis In the REG and fared well nsar annihilation tostunning victories. Unfor- with a cumulative rating of 2.68-the 6th best tunately, the Victory Conditions are not on a such rating to date However, it proved to be a par w~ththe excellent game system. No 'middle of the road'game as far a6 the ratings accounting is made for maintaining lines of were concerned. It fared no better than 3rd or supply, leaving the possibility of a totally worse than 9th in any of ths individual surrounded, entrenched Confederate force categories. The best performance came in the claimrng a victory. "Completeness d Rules" category where it proved 3rd k.est in the line beh~ndAFRIKA KORPS and STALINGRAD This rating sppeara But CHANCELLoRSVILLE remains an valid based on the scarcrty of questions ex~llent same, especially with adjusted to the of the game. ~h~ low Victory Conditions to aid the Union cause. A pornt for the game was the Play Balance plaving time of 3 hours places it in good stead cetegorv-a fault which is corrected, as a fun ingredient in any afternwngarnefest. Some mrsleading playtest reports I& us to change the victory conditions fm the Unron from a 3:l ratio of combat factors to 41 at the last moment. This change was probably too WHAT THE MEAN: Put the much too soon, ~~~i~~~~the union player to ~ultfan be mnsidered like this: Anvthlng have a 3:l factor super~erltyat gerne end goes 2.00 ia petw darn Scores ranging 2-3 sxcslbnt whils 3s must be con- 2 L*; a way towards the play from are ance. sMered pood. 4 throuQh 4.6 would be mnsidered I'l l 11.1 1-11 I I I II I1 I1 fair, with ths uppr half of the 4.5 combination I I f!Wk,iIt0\7.L,la/d'...... I. [ Oc)nslder* pmr' Many of the comments I've heard abut UploSlladd ...... 25 from G.01 tq SlOW. add the board arederogatory due primarily to what rrwn =.Ot to Kim, add ...... ,5N 'rmslO~O' lo add from no1 to &.00, add ...... they classify as a garish color scheme. It 1s a I1501 and up. a0 .... 7- ,.,.. 8 hm r*nunw,duul d-.t"-lhbl. *I.I*LIII.Y,. ,h..Lqll.l Lll "w,*III. A . ,..-, point of view this reviewer does not share. In 1. 2.62 e .ll *,,my my opinion, the highly playable,arnbiguityfrse board rsabigplus. Unfortunately. it wasflawd 2.57 by ths mislabeling of the U.S. Ford--even 3. 2.45 though thrs error is pointed out ~nthe body of 4, ...... 2.26 Good Old School Daze - the rules. 5. 2.52 ' 3.43 The CHANCELLORSVILLEgame system is '' an excellent one-realistically portraying the 7- 3.07 need for a position in depth and mobile 1. 2.55 reserves. Thm 'disruption-push'mmbat system 9, 2.64 lends itself to enremely exciting play with the 10. by# length...... 3 hr., 8 mln.

a

ANZIO: that was a rcplaccmcnt cnlry point. If the ersat7. Q. The Basic Game victory condi!ions cile 9 cities diviuion(x) were ifolaled. the exchange could not (C.15.A). bul only ri arc lislcd. Whnt is thc ninth'? occur unlcas and unlil Ihe turn afler irolation was A. Anzbo! liked. The 3 ersatz divis~onbenter thc gamc Aug. Q. Reference rule D.Z.C. what if aomt Axis 111. 1944. only in the two stronger 000s attackers have aLr superiority. and sornedon'l. all Q. Can the ersatz d~vkionsthcrnsclves be rebuilt against the same dercnder'! u~ingnormal replacementx" A. If at Least hallofthe Axis un~tsattackingenjog A. Yes. Apan-from the option of excbsnging air iuperiority, then the emire attack u*ould be on them For replacements. they arc l~kcany othcr that bash. Howclrr. II lcsb than hall ol the infantry unita. TEE, PAP= AMD Q. Is il rorbidden to retrcat "lorward." that is. attacking uniu (regardlexr olsi7e) do not haw air q TEST M SYdW superiority. the entire altack wuuld not. "khind enemy lines'? Q. Docs K52 contain a rivet? A. No1 s~actl~callv,althouwh Advanced Game be. 7HkPb CEIC~? A. No ~u~~lcrn~ntar~~;le 4 C should have that effect. Q. Does the Italian Cenrauro armored division Aparl from thbs, thcrt are several reasons why (1-1-8) haw an utluck factor through a rough there is no such rule: it 1s not alwap obvioua what terrain hex-side (ref. rule D 4 A.I)? constitutes such a retreat: itcouldconflictwilhthe A. No retreat through rone of control rulc; such rtlrcals Q. Rcfcrcncc rulc D.3.n.2. LIthc Alliebinterd~cta are not always unrealistic. hex (no1 a unit in that hex). would a unit starting D-DAY; ils turn in thal hex lox strattgic movcmcnt'? Q. 1 have secn confl~ctinganswcrs on Ihc A. No. Thc unlt would have lo pasb through the marler of Allied second landings in Ll-Do? Once interdictad hex, and starting its turn in it is not and lor all may Altied units in subscqucnt iurns considered paasing through. nl an invaaion land one coastal hex inenemy zoc? Q. Relerenoe rule E 8 B. would the German 4 A. No, but thcy may landadjaccnt to Gcrrnan Para division enter Jan. 1. 1944 if For any reason 2 units if fortresrv or rivers block the enemy zoc Para is not availabk 10 bc withdrawn (Tor Thc kame jntcrpretation applics to control or rxampk. 11 might have been deutroyed)'! aupply on the beacheu. A. No. 2 Para must exit for 4 Para to enter. Q. Rtfcrtncc Rulc B.4.C.IZ.b. ~f a unit 1s Q. A unu attnckingoutofa lortrebaoracross defending on a river hex. and if alcacked and n river must attack all sdjacenl enemy unit%.But deptroyd, resulting in breakthrough movemtnt. whal if those adincent unus are in a lorlrcas or can thc attackers use that movemenl to cross the separated by yet another river? river and move off on the other side? A. In thalrase, the atLackcr must attack only A. NO those unils whithexer[ a ?oc on the attacked hex and are adjaccnl to the attacker. Q. In the first edition.each orthe3 Germanersau divis~onsmay k exchanged Tor 3 repbcement Q. Du paralroups Innding by sea during an counters when at full strength, or Zcounters when invahjon counl against the inlantry initial lift inverted. Is this still true in the reviscd p;imt? capbility'! A. Ycs. Thc exchange can k done at the start ol A. Ych. the German turn, before movinn. Kemove the ' !I ersatz division or d~vis~onsin qucstion and replace JUTLAND: ill; \- ,. ' p, R L~~~~ 72 cach one with 2 or 3 rnfarrrrr. re~lacements. . Thcac Q. May Capital sh~psf~ri %vcr" (or through) HE'r II(DQ, , :u:b%y A~OYT hdFKLiP/"d7 appmr in thc usual manntr, not at the location Light Ship counters" from which the ersatz division was taktn, unlea A. No. THE GENERAL PAGE 31 Organizations seeking public announce- arnes Stahler made it two wins in a row in ments of tournaments and conventions in the the IGB mini-tournaments by taking the honors GENERAL are reminded that such material must in the recent AFRIKA KORPS contest with 4 be received at least 3 months prior tothe activity ictories. The next IGB event is scheduled for taking piace. We receive many convention jeptember 13 when the highly popular Rich- announcements which we'd be happy to publish thofen's War Demolition Derby of Origins I fame but which must be discarded because the event ,ill be repeated. All garners in the area are would be over by the time the next GENERAL is ~vitedto drop in at 1501 Guilford Avenue for printed. the action. While here, you can look over the half nrice supply of damaged games and enjoy ~mpetitionof all sorts. From time totimewegetinquiriesabout how to read your subscription code. It isa very simple formula. Each nameplateshouldcontain a 1 or 2 The lnterest Group Concept is continuing to digit number followed by a / and another two spread to cities across the country. The UTA digit number. The first number is the month of Historical Simulations Society meets every the last issue of your subscription. The second Friday night in the UTA Student Union Building number is the year. Thus, if you have a 7/75 on in Arlington, TX. lnterested parties should your envelope this is the last issue of your contact John Trice at 7525 LaurieDr., Ft.Worth, current subscription. Readers are asked to note TX76112. that although our current Parts List and Order Form lists prices only through June 30th we lnterest Group San Francisco under the plan no price increases during the balance of direction of Michael Peterson meets bi-monthly 1975 and thus the quoted prices remain valid. at the "Gardens" Recreation Hall, 1919 Alame- da de las Pulgas, in San Mateo. CA. Among their The solution to Contest No. 66 was provided plans for the coming year are a Bay Area by Anzio designer TornJOleson. It featured a tournament based on the WVA-AH 500 struc- commando raid with 82/504 landing at Y65(A). ture of Origins I. Mike can be reached at 41 5- Then the Allies drop 82/505 and 82/325G at 574-5998. X66 (6).A roll of 1-3 is necessary to permit these two reniments to advance next to the German Yet another lnterest Group goes under the unit atY64, for a 4-1 attack (using one of the 3 Avalon Hill Basketball Stratqv League 1975 Champion name of Suncoast Wargaming Confederation Dennis Yost (left)isbeing congrlulatud by LeagueComrnrssion- Alliedair faaors).This isanautomaticvictory,as and draws members from Pinellas, Hillsbor- er Gary Sipes a 4-1 is certain to destroy the 1 step of the ough, and Manatee counties in Florida. Contact Dennis Yost, pictured above, swept the final German erstaz unit. Steven Feller'man, P.O. Box 11 694, St. Peters- round play-offs of the Avalon Hill Basketball burg, FL 33733. Strategy League by besting Paul Oldaker's Houston Rockets team in 3 straight games. Yost, Tom Oleson, thhyperactiw.deumte~ amd who finished second in regular season play in designer of ANZlO is offering a free Errata the 10 team league, edged Don Greenwood's sheet to all Anzio players who request same favored Knickteam in overtime to win the and include a stamped, self-addressed enve- preliminary round before outclassing the Rock- lope for the reply. Interested parties can ets. The Brave's play-offs victory garnered Yast a contact Tom at his 1200 High Ridge Lane, first prize of $50. Santa Barbara, CA 93103 abode.

The A.R.E.A, system continues to grow slowly with a total player pool now in the neighborhood of 800 players. 85% were in favor of printing the "Top 20" listing of A.R.E.A. members in each GENERAL and 71% liked the idea of the GENERAL sponsoring A.R.E.A. pbm tournaments. We agree andthinkthat it will give the hobby a much needed direction so we will implement both suggestions at the earliest opportunity. However, neither project can begin until the player pool builds up a reliable rating. Once enough players have reached the Provi- sional Level (10 rated games) in the ratings we will begin these projects. In the meantime, if you are not an A.R.E.A. member you should try it out-especially if you plan todoany pbm gaming at all.

The new edition of the AFRIKA KORPS rules The German infantry unit is now out of are now available. However, as the changes action, so no Axis ZOC blocks Y63-Y65. The involved with the new edition are limited to a British 46th Division moves Y63-Y62, attacking one page appendix of questions and answers we the German unit at Y61 at 4-1 (with another air do not recommend their purchase unless you factor). This is also an AV. There is now no are really turned on by having the latest version barrier along the South End facing Taranto, so available. If you do order them however, be sure 201 GDs simply moves up Route 7 to Potenza. that you specify the new 1975 edition. The rules Philip Roth, author of Goodbye Columbus and manual sell as a set for $1.25. Contest No. 66 winners who survived the which won the 1960 tUational Book Award for inevitable luck of the draw were: P. O'Neil, Fiction, was photographed for the cover of a Baltimore, MD; J. Platt, Pittsburgh, PA; L. recent book with an Av&n Hill game clearly Bucher, Charleston, SC; W. Lnman, Tuscaloosa, discernible in the background. This is just a little A.R.E.A. members who submit requests for AL; R. Reynolds, Houston, TX; J. Anderson, more evidence of the rising popularity of opponent matches via the A.R.E.A. system Buffalo Lakes, MN; F. Helfferich, Houston,TX; D. wrgaming. The game, seem beyond Roth's left should remember that they don't get a reply Downing, Albuquerque, AIM; 0. Sweeney, Jr., 'knee, is Gettysburg. without a stamped, self-addressed envelope. River Vale, NJ; and P. Flint, Montclair, NJ.