Ground military units in the Europa system are defined quickly and logically through a standard set of pictorial representations printed on each counter. This boxed symbology constitutes the informational heart of the counter. Knowledge of the rationality behind this symbol code enables players to quickly and easily identify the purpose of each counter.

The current military symbology used in Europa was originally premised on the May 1970 edition of Department of the Army Field Manual FM 21-30, Military Symbols. As explained in the last segment of "Facts Behind the Counters," this Army manual was a logical source. Its standard key was used by most allied forces. For example, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization employed the same series through NATO's standardization agreement (STANAG 2019) on military symbols. Equally important, many of the manual's primary symbols already enjoyed widespread acceptance within the wargaming community. Although the manual dominated early design selections, the Europa system's evolution has required modified or entirely new symbols for some components.

The appearance of Drang Nach Osten in June 1973 established the uniform Europa symbol code. The code revolved around a relatively small nucleus of basic designs that were later expanded and standardized. The following paragraphs illuminate this code and some of its humorous jargon.

Game abbreviations can be referenced in the "Lexicon of Europa Abbreviations," compiled by Tom Johnson in Europa issue 16. Reference should also be made to the previous "Facts Behind the Counters" in issue 17 for further information on adoption of the Vehicular Tank Tread, Crossed Rifles, Cannonball, Cavalry Sword, and Engineer Bridge designs.

Armor units employ the Armored Fighting Vehicular Tread, a standard military design introduced to Europa by Paul R. Banner in Drang Nach Osten. Armor has been variously labeled as Tank, Armored, and Panzer through the life of the Europa system. Vehicular tank treads have escorted every simulation to date and have appeared in DNO, UNT, NAR, TFH, CW, MM, FoF, WD, NE, SP, TOR, FitE, SE, and BF. Future series titles will doubtless rumble forward with the patriarchal "Oval Terror."

Infantry units use the Crossed Rifle symbol, another standard military design introduced to Europa by Paul R. Banner in Drang Nach Osten. Over the course of time, other infantrytype elements, such as Rifle and Emergency units, have also been authorized this basic staple of Europa simulation. Infantry crossed rifles have graced all Europa counter sheets and is thus found in DNO, UNT, NAR, TFH, CW, MM, FoF, WD, NE, SP, TOR, FitE, SE, and BF. There is little doubt that the "Big X" will appear faithfully wherever ground armies clash throughout the rest of the series.

The Cavalry uses the Sword symbol, a time-honored military design first utilized in Europa by Paul R. Banner in Drang Nach Osten. As Europa enthusiasts know, cavalry was used extensively in World War 11. As a result, the diagonal Sword finds a place in almost every Europa simulation, to include DNO, UNT CW, MM, FoF, WD, NE, SP, TOR, FitE, SE, and BF. The cavalry's "Divided Sandwich" will continue to slash through Europa simulations.

Artillery units use the plain Cannonball, a traditional field artillery military symbol brought to Europa by Mr. Banner in DNO. Field Artillery consists of howitzers, cannons, and other field guns used to strike ground targets. Europa standard artillery, first termed Field Artillery, is thus distinguished from specialized artillery pieces used for other or dual purposes.

Field artillery was the casualty- producing mainstay of World War II warfare, and the cannonball appears in all Europa simulations (at least where counters appear) to include DNO, UNT, NAR, TFH, CW, MM, FoF, WD, NE, SP, TOR, FitE, SE, and BF. There is little doubt that the ordinary "Blackball" will continue to occupy much future Europa counter space.

The Engineer units of Drarig Nach Osten employed the Engineer Bridge, a standard military symbol introduced into the Europa series by Paul R. Banner. At this time, the Engineer Bridge was used for all Europa engineer-type units. Differences between combat and construction engineer categories were denoted by movement and combat factors instead of symbology. The symbol became restricted to Combat Engineer units of the Europa system, commencing with the February 1976 release of Their Finest Hour. In either case, the symbol accompanied DNO, UNT, TFH, CW, MM, FoF, SP, TOR, FitE, SE, and BF, and the "Lazy E" will continue to serve as a basic Europa feature.

Mountain Infantry

Mountain Infantry was given the standard Mountain Peak of the military by Paul R. Banner in Drang Nach Osten. The bottom triangle was considered a "functional (duty performed)" symbol by Army FM 21- 30, which described it as a plain shaded mountain and by STANAG 2019 as simply a mountain. Likewise, in Europa, the basic mountaineering triangle is combined with crossed rifles to form mountain infantry.

Other mountain units in Europa incorporate the basic mountain symbol with their own functional graphics. Known also as Mountain Rifle, Alpine, or simply Mountain, the Mountain Infantry symbol has appeared almost everywhere in the Europa system, to include DNO, UNT, NAR, TFH, CW, MM, FoF, NE, SP, TOR, FitE, SE, and BF. Nicknames for this symbol are unknown to the writer.

Ski Units

The Ski unit symbol also first appeared in Drang Nach Osten, and simply represented Paul R. Banner's depiction of skis. The ski symbol thus represents a pair of skis, with the ski tips pointing downward and to the left, in Europa.

The design was improved in appearance for Europa commencing with Fire in the East, and Winston Hamilton has further enhanced its image. Although not generally known, the ski symbol was also the standard military symbol used by Army Manual FM- 21 for Over-snow (prime mover) capability. Europa use of the ski symbol has been confined so far to DNO, UNT FitE, and SE, but more "Hockey Sticks" are slated for some future games.

Parachute Units

Parachute units spawned their wings in Drang Nach Osten through Paul R. Banner's adaptation of the regular military symbol for airborne function. Both Army FM 21-30 and STANAG 2019 described the design as "gull's wings". Europa has retained the gull wings to represent units having actual parachutist-qualified capability. This symbol has appeared in DNO, UNT, TFH, CW, MM, FoF, WD, TOR, FitE, SE, and BF. More "Bat Wings" are expected to drop into future Europa simulations.

Drang Nach Osten also introduced the concept of Parachute Infantry by combining the crossed rifles with a set of gull wings reduced in size. The symbol was taken by Paul R. Banner from the standard military combination design. As used in Europa, the symbol was used to distinguish those units having paratrooper status, but actually unable for one reason or another (usually lack of training or special gear) to conduct full parachute drops of personnel and equipment.

Such units have appeared in DNO, UNT, NAR, WD, FitE, and SE, and the "Double-Crossed Paras" are bound to show up again.

Armored Infantry

The Armored Infantry units also received a recognized military symbol from Paul R. Banner for Drang Nach Osten. The symbol was copied from the standard Army combined symbol for Mechanized Infantry, consisting of infantry crossed rifles superimposed on a armored vehicular tread.

The STANAG 2019 description matches its present Europa designation as Armored Infantry. This symbol was originally defined as "Motorized / PanzerGrenadier / Mechanized" in the unit identification chart of Drang Nach Osten and Unentschieden. The symbol became reserved for actual Mechanized or PanzerGrenadier units when wheels were placed underneath motorized forces in Europa. The "Crossed Potatoes" appear in DNO, UNT, CW, FoF, TOR, FitE, and SE, and are programmed for other midand late- war simulations.

Rocket Artillery

The Rocket Artillery symbol that Paul R. Banner introduced to Europa in Drang Nach Osten was the standard military design for a "light missile or rocket" as depicted in Army Field Manual 21-30, but turned on its side. Heavier versions of such a weapon are designated by horizontal bars in standard military symbology. In Europa, the rocket artillery symbol represents a rocket in flight, with the blunted rocket cap trailed by its flare.

Alternately, the rocket launcher is formed by an open arc that discharges the stylized rocket shaped like a dashed line. Whatever the interpretation, the device has appeared in DNO, UNT TOR, FitE, and SE. No nicknames are known to the writer.

[Referred to hereabouts as Nebelwerfer (German), or Katyushas or Stalin's Organs (Russian) -RG]

Antitank Units

Antitank units also received their Europa debut in Drang Nach Osten through Paul R. Banner. The antitank symbol in Europa represented U.S. Army symbology that was adopted for antitank organizations at the beginning of World War II, when such units were still categorized as a branch of field artillery.

The traditional artillery cannonball was used to replace the crossbar of the letter "A", signifying Antitank, and inverted to avoid confusion with the letter "A" used to signify Anti-aircraft. The symbol is found in DNO, UNT NAR, TFH, M W FoF, WD, TOR, FitE, SE, and BF, and the "A-Tees" will continue to help balance future Europa simulations.

Antiaircraft Units

Antiaircraft units were given the stylized "A" for Antiaircraft, a traditional military symbol dating to the First World War, by Paul R. Banner for Drang Nach Osten. This symbol originally denoted all ground antiaircraft components in Europa.

The categorization was further divided in Drang Nach Osten and Unentschieden to represent combat/motorized "flak / antiaircraft" for German forces and artillery-type "antiaircraft artillery" for Soviet and other axis forces. Their Finest Hour was the first Europa simulation to describe this symbol as Light Antiaircraft, as opposed to Heavy Antiaircraft, but this categorization was not standardized until John M. Astell designed Fall of France.

Now designated as Light Antiaircraft, the symbol has shown up in every simulation, to include DNO, UNT NAR, TFH, CW, W FoF, WD, NE, SP, TOR, FitE, SE, and BF, and more "Scarlet Letters" will be marking upcoming Europa games.

Machinegun Infantry

The Machinegun symbol, initiated in Drang Nach Osten by Paul R. Banner, started a Europa tradition that has since become a foundation of Europa counter design.

The combination symbol represented infantry firepower, shown by standard crossed rifles, being bolstered by a shaded leftside stripe that was used as a "Heavy" or "Specialized Function" designator. The shaded vertical stripe has been employed in the same fashion to feature other "heavy" or "specialized function" combinations during Europa design evolution.

Of historical interest, the shaded stripe was also described in Army Field Manual 21- 20 Appendix J, where the shaded stripe at the left edge of the design rectangle was described as a NATO- authorized modification, unique to the West German military (which used it to denote Mixed units). The Machinegun symbol has appeared in DNO, UNT, NAR, TFH, CW, FoF, NE, SP, FitE, and SE. No nicknames are known to the writer.

Flamethrower Units

Specialized Flamethrower Tank or Flammpanzer units were among the first Europa variations of basic military symbology, being introduced in Drang Nach Osten by Paul R. Banner.

The original flamethrower tank design depicted the flame-projecting nature of the unit by placing a Flame Cannon (or alternately, the Flame released by the weapon) horizontally inside the armored vehicular tread. This symbol appeared in DNO, UNT, TFH, FitE, and SE.

As the series was expanded, a horizontal line was eventually adopted to signify Training status on all counters, an important development that will be explained fully in a forthcoming column. Of course, any horizontal Flame Cannon line could easily confuse the new universal Training symbol if employed for armored units.

In 1989 John Astell and Winston Hamilton remedied this potential problem by rearranging the Flame vertically within the vehicular tread. As such, Flammpanzer units will now have the vertical stem of the letter F, without losing its Flame projection symbology.

Static Infantry

The Static symbol employed in Drang Nach Osten was another standard military design adopted by Paul R. Banner. The open rectangle represents a unit unqualified in any particular combat skills. Static formations were described in Drang Nach Osten and Unentschieden as "positional defense units." With the exception of Case White, which reserved this symbol for National Guard and Landwehr (Land Defense) units, Europa employs the symbol to signify Static-type organizations. It surfaces in DNO, UNT, TFH, CW, MM, FoF, NE, SP, FitE, SE, and BF and more "Empty Puffs" are bound to appear.

Assault Gun Units

Assault Gun units were differentiated by Mr. Banner's adoption of another composite wargaming symbol for DNO. The symbol was of standard military origin, being used to designate self- propelled artillery in Army Field Manual 2130.

In Europa, however, the symbol emphasizes the assault gun's supporting fire function by encasing the traditional artillery cannonball within the armored fighting vehicular tread of the Europa series. During World War II, most nations classified assault guns as either belonging to the artillery or as a distinct branch rather than as part of their armored forces.

During its Europa association, the Assault Gun has also been known as Self-Propelled Gun and Tank Destroyer units. They have appeared so far in DNO, UNT, MM, FitE, SE, and BF. More "OneEyed Tracks" are slated to follow.

Rail Artillery

Rail Artillery was another modified symbol introduced to DNO by Paul R. Banner. Known as Railroad or Railway Artillery in other Europa simulations, the symbol represents the traditional artillery cannonball mounted symbolically on a railroad carriage.

The carriage portion was stylized after Army Field Manual 21-30, which contained two wheels at either-end. The carriage generally signified "railway means of mobility" and this meaning is carried (excuse the pun) into Europa. This symbol has been limited to DNO, UNT, FitE, SE, and FoF but is scheduled for upcoming games.

Future Columns

Future columns will deal with further counter development as the Europa system evolved. This series will eventually form the basis for a definitive guide on Europa series symbols. Comments in response to these articles are invited. Address them to my attention through "Facts Behind the Counters" at P.O. Box 2431, Opelika, Alabama 36801. Local Europa or playtest slang for symbols and any game listing errors are especially welcome.

Finally, an observation was received from master cartographer A. E. Goodwin regarding my article on Gottscheer Hochland in Europa issue 16: "I spotted a couple of errors on the map which accompanied the article. First, you show the city of Szeged as being about 40 km to the NE of Pecs, when in fact the city at that location should be Szekszard. Second, your map shows the city of Fiume falling within the boundaries of Yugoslavia, when it in reality was part of Italy from the beginning of the war.

I bet you copied a post-1941 map because the Italians transferred the Fiume district to the new province of Lubiana after they annexed Slovenia."

My reply is that Goodwin is correct. Master designer John Astell also expressed dissatisfaction with my suggestions regarding Gottscheer Hochland's participation in Balkan Front, and his viewpoint prevails.

Part 2