This 5 /2"x8 1/2", 44-page booklet of WWII rules was written by Martin Greenan, and developed by the Southern Maine Wargamer's Association. They show signs of being influenced by early versions of the rules for HO and 1/76 scale armor developed by the Down East Wargamer's Association (central, coastal Maine), to which I used to belong. The D.E.W.A. rules (now being compiled and revised for publication by us) in turn developed from a cross between FAST RULES and TRACTICS, and are familiarly known as HALFFAST RULES.

The D.E.W.A. rules have been featured at DEWCONs at Belfast and Searsport for the past three summers, which were attended by members of the Southern Maine Wargamers. This is not to say that these rules are a ripoff of ours. I'm only tracing their lineage and setting the record straight so you won't think, when our rules come out, that they are a rip-off of these rules. It would be more accurate to say that they share a common ancestry.

As the title indicates, these rules are intended specifically for micro-scale (1:285) models. The ground scale is 1 inch equals 50 yards, and 1 turn represents 120 seconds (2 minutes) of battle.

Each turn is divided into phases as follows: Side A Fires smoke, then Side B; Side Afires "barrage" artillery and mortars, then Side B; Side A moves first impulses, then Side B; both sides simultaneously challenge any blank markers within sight range; Side A fires small arms and machine guns, then Side B; Side A fires tanks, anti-tank guns and individual artillery pieces and mortars, then Side B; Side B moves second impulse then Side A; At the end of each turn both sides roll a die and the winner has the choice of being Side A or B on the next turn.

AFVs (armored fighting vehicles) may fire once per turn. Tables are provided in the back, givino the probability of a hit and the armor-penetrating ability for all important armor-piercing weapons at each of 6 ranges (2", 10", 20", 30", 40" & 60")

For each shot, two dice, one white one 50 colored are rolled. The hit probabilities are expressed in percentages. There is also a chart corrolating these percentages with the die rolls. For instance if the probability of a hit is 25'., then 2 dice rolls totaling 3, 4 or 5 would be hits and all others misses. The same chart that gives hit probabilities also gives the armor-penetrating abilities of each gun type at each range. There are also charts rating every important WWII AFVs armor giving separate values for front, side and rear (along with type of gun mounted, movement rates and weight of vehicle). Now, if the shot is a bit, and if the firing gun's armor-penetrating rating at that range is greater than the armor value of the appropriate face of the target vehicle the target is penetrated and destroyed. If the shot is a hit but does not penetrate then the colored die half of the die roll is consulted and compared to another chart for a chance of hitting a particularly vulnerable spot and penetrating anyway, causing a fire, or breaking a track.

There are three procedures for fire of high explosive, shells, each fairly complex: direct fire (target in sight) by individual guns; indirect fire using - -I spotter) by individual guns; and what they call "barrage" fire, meaning 3 or more identical weapons firing at the same target.

To describe these procedures would require reproducing the 3 or 4 pages of the rules book. Small arms fire, on the other hand, is quite simple. There are only two ranges, 0-1" and 1"-6", with hit probabilities of 50% and 30% respectively. Any hit on an unarm red target is a kill. No distinction is made between various types of small arms except infantry units designated as automatic weapons squads (undefined) have their hit probabilities increased by 10%.

Machine guns are handled the same way except there are three ranges, 0"-1". 1"-6". and 6"- 10" with hit probabilities of 75%, 50%, and 30%. No distinction is made between light and heavy machine guns. Anti-tank rockets, are treated like anti- tank guns except they have different range categories (1", 2",3",4",6" and 8").

I find two things wrong here, First, the armor-piercing ability of these weapons is made to decline with range, as with regular antitank guns, whereas, in fact, the armor piercing ability of these weapons derived not from kenetic energy but from the explosion of a shaped charge. Therefore, their ability to penetrate armor is uneffected by the distance traveled to reach that armor. Second, they make the American bazooka more effective than the German Panzerschreck, both in range and penetrating ability, when, in fact, just the reverse was true.

A great many other matters are covered, such as: terrain; movement limitations and special situations; sighting, cover and concealment; flame throwers, close assault, engineers, rockets, pillboxes, smoke, minefields; aircraft and antiaircraft fire; overrunning infantry and anti-tank guns. All in all, I'd say that, until we publish the D.E.W.A. rules these are the best, published, WWII rules available that I know of. They sell for $3.00 and are available from Martin Greenan, c/o MICHAN Enterprises, Berwick, ME 03901.

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