A tornado touched down in my town today. This may not seem very newsworthy to the folks in the midwest's Tornado Alley, but in this tiny town in western NJ, a little less than 10 miles from where George Washington crossed the Delaware, this is big news. I don't ever recall a tornado hitting our town, but this one did, and the funnel seemed to pick up and set down along a stretch of Yard Road, then meander in a northeastern path, pulling down phone poles and trees, blowing out buildings, and creating a nuisance and then some. Now, if the tornado had touched down five or so miles earlier, it would have landed directly on my house. That's something I prefer not to contemplate... A week earlier, Hurricane Isabelle sashayed through our area and took out our power for a day--minor compared to North Carolina and Virginia--and knocked down a tree in our yard. A couple months earlier, a minor earthquake around 5 or so on the Richter Scale rocked the area. Most of our earthquakes are hardly more than tremors--the local quarry blasts do more shaking than Mother Nature. On our local level, tornado response was just as quick. Extra local and state police were brought in, the road department started in with chain saws to clear away downed trees, the Red Cross arrived with help for the folks who lost enough of their home to have it condemned, the local phone lines and cell phones were ablaze with people checking in on family and friends. Thus, in the midst of this jam, help arrived. I suspect we don't really think too much about the infrastructure of our lives until we get into a jam, or until it disappears. As someone who went without electricity for five days after Hurricane Floyd bashed our area back in 1999, I can tell you computer time and hot showers are much more appreciated on the sixth day than any other. Now, you know I read a lot of wargame magazines and newsletters, and I see an interesting coalescence of requests for more articles. I don't know if we can blame the war for draining people's attentions, or on lay-offs that have fried the incentive on the pink-slip end or forced longer hours on the surviving end. If we're greying, are there more errands to run? I suspect we don't suffer from some sort of creative "gap" like some sort of Cold War missile gap, but we do seem to have some sort of "time gap" to overcome. Most of us put on games. And that would make for an excellent article because you've done all the research already. You have a map, and OOB, and a little history. Hand you a beer and you could probably talk someone's ear off about whatever battle or troops or campaign or weapons are at hand. Most of it is probably inside your word processor already. All it needs is a little massage and, voila, an interesting scenario and background. It doesn't have to win a Pulitzer Prize or a Nobel Prize for Literature. All it has to do is convey information. On the flip side, all of us attend games of one sort or another. Some of them are neat, others not. You don't have to provide a second-by-second, move-by-move description (although you can--I've enjoyed such types of player articles). A one-page "memoir" about the truly interesting aspect of the scenario, or the twist that took place, or a special home grown rule can bring out the neat "hook" that captivated--or repulsed--you during the wargame. We have the tools in a computer. We have the technology in e-mail. Now, if you apply the third "T" -- Time -- we can all enjoy something that we may be able to use when we want to host a game. I know, I know, you probably think everything has been said and done. But allow me to disagree. Wargaming magazines are the infrastructure of our communication. What you may think is old hat is brand new to someone who has just gotten interested in "your" period. Information is constantly being revised or added to depending on academia or other access--things get declassified, regimes topple and records become available, archeological evidence surfaces, and so on. For example, I was talking to Shahram Khan, editor of Pakistan at War, World War II Newsletter, and Warfare in History newsletters on MagWeb.com. We were talking about favorite periods and army efficiency and troop capabilities, and so on, and we started talking about Alexander the Great and the Macedonian invasion of the Persian Empire. I'm a bit of an ancients buff, so I was describing the Macedonian army and its movements, and he suddenly remembered that Pakistan has created three different museums/historical parks based around Alexander the Great. I don't expect to be in Pakistan any time soon, but here's a case of a piece of information that one person knew and figured everyone else did...and I certainly did not. What a great little news item that sort of information would make, and would take about 10 minutes to create, and 10 seconds to e-mail to an editor. Of course, now I want to go to Pakistan...right after I go to Iraq and visit the Arbela battlefield... So, with the holidays upon us, how about committing to helping improve the wargaming infrastructure by writing an article, or a news item, or a description, or scenario, or analysis of something that you hosted, attended, or just mused about. Not only will this help out the editors, it'll help out all of us. A Featherstone "Shout Out" The more I post Wargamer's Newsletters, the more I am amazed at Don's dedication and perserverence at the dawn of modern wargaming. No computers. No internet. Over 200 issues. It's not so much the consistency of the content, which is pretty good, but also the consistency of publishing schedule. Speaking of Shout Outs, I'd like to publicly thank Richard Brooks (The Heliograph), Robert Haggerty (Imperialist Enterprises), and Terry Gore (Saga) for loaning WN issues. Furthermore, I'd like to thank that Scruby Award winner Pat Condray (Armchair General) for personally introducing me to Ken Chapman of the UK, who loaned us a 6-inch thick pile of WNs. Talk about taking some time, but we're scanning and preserving as fast as we can! Armchair General Speaking of the Armchair General, I spoke to an advertising rep for a new magazine called...Armchair General. She was extolling the concept of the cross between military history and a "paragraph game" -- a concept used in the book, "Be Your Own Napoleon" as well as various wargames over the decades. It's due in March or April '04, but when I told her there already was a magazine called Armchair General, she was shocked, shocked, I tell you, that there had been another magazine with the same name. Of course, Pat's magazine ran 1968-1971, so there's enough time not to confuse the two... First Empire Congratulations to Dave Watkins for completing the 12th year of publishing this glossy UK magazine. It's always on-time (bimonthly), on target (from well known to obscure information), and I hope he keeps on publishing for a long time. Of course, he has a ways to go to catch The Courier and Saga (to name a couple), not to mention Hal's MWAN. Best wishes to all, and a Happy New Year! The Magazines Hey, I'm doing my best to follow my own advice... Against the Odds vol. 1 No. 1 (2002) gets a big MagWeb.com welcome as the 110th magazine of our coalition. This colorful and glossy magazine has the subtitle: A Journal of History and Simulation and it certainly lives up to its billing. The premiere issue covers the campaigns of Philip of Macedon, aka the father of Alexander the Great and the fellow who reformed the army and turned a sleepy backwater kingdom into the powerhouse of Greece, culminating in the battle of Chaeronea. Other articles compare the Greek Hoplites vs. Macedonian Phalanx, a glossary of terms, a chronology 400-310BC, a description of personalities, and a look at the Macedonian Companion Cavalry unit. There's also a look at current US government bio warfare simulations. Note that AtO includes a wargame in each issue, but that MagWeb.com does not include the wargame--you have to order it direct from LPS, publisher of AtO. Welcome Against the Odds! Air Power: Journal of Air Combat and Gaming No. 9, 10, and 11 (all 1990) gets a big MagWeb.com welcome as a new magazine of our coalition. This 20-page newsletter centers around the wargame simulation Air Superiority, but is also packed with considerable information about historical air combat--primarily post-WWII--and lots of scenarios. Articles include: The Flygvapnet: Unique Air Force of Sweden, Su-27 Flanker, IAF Kurnass F-4/2000, Fighter Trends: Aircraft Costs and Finances, in-depth analysis of Their Finest Hour (computer game), Origins `90 Tournament Report, How Radars Work, Eagles Of The Gulf (six scenarios), lots of AirSup Q&A, rules, scenarios, and more. Air Power 12 (Nov/Dec 1990) covers modern air forces and supports the airwar simulation: Air Superiority. Articles include: The First Battle Of Britain! A Richthofen's War Variant, Eagles Of The Gulf Part II (1973-1975), Origins `90 Air Superiority Tournament Report: Part 3, and more. Command Post Quarterly 5 (Spring 1994) offers a complete Order of Battle (in CD terms: 1 stand=1 platoon) for Iraqi Armed Forces for the first Gulf War. Also, battles of Magdhara (December 22, 1916), Fort Capuzzo (June 17, 1941), Arras (May 21, 1940), and WWII Soviet Non-Divisional Artillery, US Light Cavalry Regiment 1990s, Air Defense Artillery Battalion 1991, British Tank Brigades WWII, Wurttemburg Mountain Battalion 1915-18, Portuguese Army WWI, and other TO&Es. Courier 62 (Fall 1993) fills in another hole in MagWeb.com...and is the 75th Courier in the archive. Articles include: Battle of Milne Bay, New Guinea: August 27-28, 1942, Battle of Leetown: March 7th 1862, British Campaign in Mesopotamia 1915, Medieval Baltic States, Alexander of Macedon, New Biblical Era Army Lists for DBA, Index to Courier Issues # 55 - 58, Fences for the American Colonial Period, Painting Buildings, Of Cards and Combat: Adding Uncertainty, and all the usual product news, product reviews, and more. Cry Havoc! 42 (May 2003) pumps up the information volume on yellow fever during the Mexican-American War as well as in the French invasion of Haiti during the Napleonic era. Also, articles cover Al-Kindi and the Birth of Cryptanalysis, Sports During WWII, Cher Ami: Feathered Hero of the Great War, book review: With Friends Like These: Reagan, Bush and Saddam, 1982-1990, humor, anecdotes, and more. Cry Havoc! 41 (February 2003) returns in full force with articles on: Typhus Fever and the Destruction of the Grand Army 1812, The Normans: An Introduction, Book Review: The Romano-Judaeo War 66-74AD: A Military Analysis, Visiting Fort McHenry, Coming Home: End of WWII (memoir), War and Peace (Poem), and more. HMGS Mid South Dispatch (August and September 2003) offers up more HMGS Mid South news, plus, a historical look at the Alamo (part 1) and Mexican Army (part 2), wargaming the siege of Baydeux: 1449 to 1450, Pilot Gripes (Humor), review of Modern Spearhead, Lessons Learned from Iraq War, Major Bill Harting Gets HMGS Lifetime Achievement Award, wargames reports, and much more. HMGS Mid South Dispatch (July 2003) has a new editor, but contains the same great mix of military history and wargaming. Articles include: Everything I Ever Needed To Know About Life I Learned As a Helicopter Crewman In Vietnam, History of Super Glue, History Repeating Itself: Iraq and India, Dispatches from the Western Front, Nashcon 2003 photos, news, and more. Europa 26 (1992) sends us back to WWII with articles on: British Army Order of Battle: September 1939 to December 1940, Royal Swedish Air Force, Slovakia and Bohemia-Moravia 1939, Soviet Union 1939, Objective Sweden: The Hypothetical Invasion of Sweden by Germany: July 1943, Balkan Front Revisited, Soviet Pre-War Fortified Zones, Leningrad: 1941 Tournament Protocols, and all sorts of information about the Europa system. Europa 25 (1992) offers up the mixture of WWII history and Europa simulation ideas. Articles include: Part III: Poland (on eve of attack), Europa Air System Modification Ideas, Variant for War in the Desert, Scenario for First to Fight, East Front Chapter 2: The Defense of Odessa, Case for Sea Zones: The Europa Naval Rules Get a Refit, plus the usual news, views, and more. Experimental Games Group 17 (1991) covers the then emerging concept of Matrix gaming with articles on: Napoleonic Peninsula Game PBM December 1808, Naval and Political Campaign Matrix Ideas, Role Play Games and Trait Theory, The Cognitive Pyramid, and Balkan League Matrix Game: Rules for the First and Second Balkan Wars (1912-13). First Empire 72 (September/October 2003) completes FE's 12th year of publishing! Congratulations, Dave Watkins! It's is on newsstands, so if you want the glossy, colorful printed version, now's the time to pick one up. Inside, you'll find: The Rock Against Napoleon: The Importance of Gibraltar, Netherlands Artillery in the Waterloo Campaign 1815: Part II: Artillery Officers, A Brief View of Waterloo: Visiting the Battlefield, profile of General Jean-Toussaint Arrighi de Casanova, Borodino 2002: Re-enactment in Russia, Waterloo Exhibition: Museum Diorama, Napoleonic News Desk, Book Reviews, and more. GameFix 2 (Nov 1994) and 3 (Dec 1994) offer a mix of military history and simulation with articles on: The Great Scud Hunt, USN SEALs, The M-198, Armed USAF Transports, Clipper Ships and Sun Devils: The End of Computer Privacy, Electronic Insurgence: The Battle for Cyberspace, The Armchair General, US Marine Air Wing, Spirit of the Bayonet, Browning M2 Heavy Machine Gun, Battle of Trebia (218BC: Hannibal), Chicken of the Sea (Punic Naval War), The Roman Quinquereme, Battle of Ecnomus, Zen of Wargaming, and more. The Heliograph 137 (June 2003) packs a lot of info with articles on: German East Africa 1888-1891, Maasai Shield Design, Creating Continents and Worlds, book and figure reviews, product news, and much more. HMGS-GL Herald 53 (June-July 2003) continues to cover HMGS Great Lakes with news about chapter activities, wargaming campaigns, and interesting look at toy soldiers and Jane Eyre, Russian Civil War Sources, terrain tips, paint brush care, fiction, news, reviews, and more. HMGS-GL Herald 10 and 12 (1996) continues the quest to post the complete history of Herald issues in the MagWeb.com archive. These issues offer: Tippecanoe Battlefield, 1813 Prussian Army (Nap. Battles Org), Spearhead Overview, Centurion Tank, and the usual plethora of HMGS-GL news. HMGS-GL Herald 13 and 14 (1996) show the growth of an organization and newsletter. Articles include: Battle of Perryville: 8th October, 1862, WWI Naval Game, Spearhead Game WWII Western Front, Reenactment Roundup, Two Wars on Lake Erie, Arab Israeli Wars: Battle of El Al, Seven Years War Campaign Wargame, and all the 1996 news from HMGS-GL. HMGS-GL Herald 15, 16, 18, 20 (All 1997) show the growth of an organization and newsletter. Articles include: Why Wargames Campaigns Fail, Building a Log Stockade Fort, Painting Plastic Figures, 7YW Scenario, Medieval Hungarians scenario, Trials and Tribulations of Convention Planning, Bonnie Prince's Ruse Falters, WWII Battle of Krakov Scenario, a variety of reviews, and all the 1997 news from HMGS-GL. Junior General 3 (July 2003) offers a teacher's perspective of bringing historical simulations to students. Articles include: Battles of Trafalgar (1805), Waterloo (1815) and Ia Drang (1965), as well as a Wild West Adventure, Western Smack Down Saloon Fight, and the Indian Jones-style: Crystal Skulls of Atlantis. HMGS/PSW Messenger (Feb. 1994) provides a series of interesting articles on: 7YW Prussian Column Charge: Its Relation/Interaction with Austrian Cavalry and Austrian Cavalry Doctrine, Turret Layouts of the Ships of the British Grand Fleet 1916, and Modifications to Fire & Fury for the Franco Prussian War 1870-71. Also, HMGS/PSW news, conventions, and more. MicroMark Army Lists continue to proliferate Modern: Air143: American Air Education and Training Command North America 1998-2002 AU12M: Austrian 6th Mountain Jager Brigade 1999+ Austria AS3M: Bangladesh Armed Forces 1989-1998 Asia B50XA: British Hypothetical Armoured Division Late 1945-1946 Europe B54M: British Ghurka Brigade 1980-1997 Hong Kong AR8M: Omani Armed Forces 1994+ Persian Gulf WWII: B70A: British Guards Armoured Division: June-October 1944 France, Germany B79A: British 7th Armoured Division Tunisia June-Aug 1943, Italy Sep-Dec 1943 B82: British 9th Armoured Division July 1942-Sept 1943, UK B90: British 10th Armoured Division Sep-Nov 1942, North Africa B97: British Cyprus Garrison Aug 1942-Jan 1944 B131: British 6th Armoured Division Jan-Jul 1945, Italy B149-150: British 7th Armoured Division Sep 1942 North Africa B151-B152: British 7th Armoured Division Oct 1942 El Alamein North Africa 19th C.: AR21N: Egyptian Army 1821-1826, Egypt, Sudan, Greece, Hejaz MWAN 67 (Jan/Feb 1994) offers an array of military history and wargaming articles, including: Smoothbore Artillery Effectiveness, Battle of Arogi 1868, Battle of Nicopolis 47BC, Adowa and Little Big Horn, Italian Army in WWII: Part4 Armored Formations, African Colonial Wargame Rules, Napoleon's Battles Rules Modifications, Matchlock Miniature Rules (17th C), How to Make a Colonial Steamer, Flank Attacks in Napoleon's Battles, On Wargaming Simulations and Wargames, lots of new product news, reviews, letters, and more. Naval Sitrep 24 (April 2003) packs more modern news and weaponry, plus support for Harpoon, CAS, and other Larry Bond rules. Articles include: Unconventional Mine Warfare: Iraq 2003, Russian Cruise Missiles and Bomber Upgrades, Storm Shadow Deploys: Standoff Cruise Missile, New Chinese Ships and Weapons: Destroyers and Guns, New Faces in the Russian Fleet: Tartarstan, Steregushchiy, Novik, and Gepard, Alternate Capital Ship Designs of the Imperial German Navy, Using Tomahawk in Harpoon, Land Attack Missiles in Harpoon, Operation Tembu 1945 (CAS Scenario), Smarter (and Simpler) Radar (Harpoon 4), Chinese Flank Attack: Su-30MKK Flanker, Making for Some Interesting Scenarios, Alerts: Military News 2003, book reviews, news, rules changes/additions, and more. NOVAG Gamer's Closet mixes military history, wargaming, and other aspects of historical miniatures in a fun newsletter filled with historical articles, gaming tips, quotes, rules, puns, and more. OSG News (July 2003) offers news from OSG, including its updated website, volunteer and sponsorship programs, letters, and more. Note: Sun of Austerlitz, the board wargame of the battle, is out and available. PanzerFaust and Campaign 77 (Jan-Feb 1977) brings us back a quarter century with two historical articles: British 40th Regiment of Foot Regimental History and the Armies of Waterloo (Order of Battle: Allies, Prussians, and French). Plus, wargame strategy and analysis of: Third Reich, Panzer Leader, Panzer 44, WWII, and Monster Games. Plus, a variety of wargame and book reviews, news, and more. Piquet Dispatch Vol. 1 No. 4 (1999) covers the Piquet miniature wargame system with articles on: Battle of Queretaro (Mexico), Franco-Austrian War June 24th, 1859 Order of Battle, Dark Ages Normans, Battle of Stamford Bridge September 25, 1066, a plethora of "PK" House Rules, news, and more. HMGS Rebel Yell 23 (July 2003) covers the group and its Recon '03 convention. Sabretache vol 1 no 3 (July 2003) covers a wide range of historical eras, with this issue concentrating on Verdun 1916. Other articles include Historicon 2003 Photo Gallery, American Civil War Book Buys, Flintlock Musket Info, upcoming US-Canada Field Trip, and more. Saga 92 (Jul-Sep 2003) is on sale now on newsstands as well as direct from the publisher--in paper or electronic format. This issue contains articles on: The Hussites (Part Two), Battle of Northallerton: August 22, 1138, Visiting English Battlefields, Historicon 2003 Convention Recaps, Interview with Robert Avery, reviews, news, and more. Saga vol. III no. 1 (June 1988) and vol. IV no. 5 (September 1990) fill in some more back issues. Articles include: Was There an Art of War in the Middle Ages? (Part 1), The Victories of Arthur (Part 9: Mons Badonicus), Renaissance Naval Warfare Library, Thoughts Prior to the Battles, History and Games: Designs and Options for Simulation, Pharsalus 48BC Tabletop Battle, WRG 7th: A Walkthrough, WRG 7th: Q&A, Creating a Cheap and Easy Wargames Table, and more. Seven Years War Asso. Journal vol. 12 no. 4 (Summer 2002) picks up the information about: Etienne-Francois de Stainville 1719-1783, Chevalier and Duc de Levis, Horsemeat and Mutiny in Canada 1757, Question of Hessian Hat-Pom Colors, Habsburg Field Fortifications, Infantry Fire and Wargame Design, Sweden's Role in the Seven Years War: A Brief Chronology 1756-1761, 18th Century Quotable Quotes, Journal of Horace St. Paul 1757: Part 7, news, and more. Shadis 23 (Jan 1996) is an oldie but goodie with articles on creating lost civilizations, creating villains, a sci-fi Adventure (Bug Hunt), an Elvis sci-fi adventure, random Faerie encounters, fiction, comic strips, lots of product news and reviews, and more. You'll be surprised what you can adapt... Sharkhunters KTB 170 (July/August 2003) covers U-Boats and submarines from around the world and throughout history. This is a particularly good issue. Articles include: Interview with Adm. Erich Topp, Operation Elster Part IV, German Biber Mini-Submarines, SS Laconia (U-Boat attack), U-200 profile, Japanese IJN I-172, Italian Submarines Otaria, USS Seadragon (SS 194) profile, USS Requin memories, Submarines of the Polish Navy, Hydrogen Peroxide: Experimental U-Boat Fuel Source, U-534 to Depart England 2003, From Naval Aviator to Submariner (bios), Joining the U-Boats, Battle of the Atlantic: Italian Submarines, Part 15: Spy for Germany, and all the usual news. Strategist 374 (May 2003) and 372 (March 2003) from the Strategy Gaming Society covers the latest in all types of gaming--family games, wargames, "German" games, strategy games, miinatures, card games, and so on. This pair of issues contain articles on: Battlefront WWII, 15mm Early Imperial Romans, 25mm Vietnam figures, Luck vs. Randomness in Board Games, MicroArmour Discussion, 25mm Vietnam Figures, Game Table Online, Variants and Errata, Auto Racing Games, 1/72 Model Suppliers, Rise and Fall of Hobby Organizations, Year of the Monkey Vietnam 1968, lots of SGS news, and much, much more. Strategist 375 (June 2003) and 376 (July 2003) celebrate its 30th anniversary in August--Congratulations Strategy Gaming Society! Strategist reviews historical wargames among others, and offers revisions, variants, and other analysis and ideas. Articles include: Makers of WW1 Artillery, Terrain Ideas, Timed Moves, Games as Social Activity, Recruiting Local Gamers, and reviews/analysis/strategy of Geronimo, Drive on Stalingrad (card game), Barbarossa, Stadens Nyckel, Mare Nostrum, Lord of The Rings, Puerto Rico, Duel of Ages, Train Raider, Mermaid Rain, Odin’s Ravens, Way Out West, Lunar Rails, and more. Plus, magazine listings, convention notes, news, web sites of interest, and more. Time Portal Passages (Summer 2003) brings more hard-to-find history with a series of articles on 19th Century Russia's "Manifest Destiny." The two main topics, 19th Century Expansion and Russian Enemies of Central Asia, cover Chronology of the Russian Campaigns into Central Asia 1839-1884, Push to the Pacific, Southern and Eastward Expansion, Siberia, Sources, and a series of shorter pieces covering the six main enemies. Also, Anatomy of Designing Rules Sets, Guidelines for Conducting DBA Campaigns, and more. Wargamer's Newsletter 28 (July 1964) goes way back to show us what was the hot topics of wargaming almost 40 years ago. Articles include: Modern Anti-Tank Weapons, French Line Infantry Campaign Dress 1812-1815, New Products 1964, I Hate Dice Too, Spion Cop: 40 Years After, Forming a Napoleonic 20mm Army, 1964 Wargamer's Convention, Airfix Tiger Tank Model, and lots more. Special thanks go out to Ken Chapman in the UK for allowing MagWeb.com to borrow this precious issue Wargamer's Newsletter 10 (Jan 1963) and 25 (April 1964) from Donald Featherstone represents some of the earliest wargaming magazines around. See what was occuring 40 years ago with new products, ideas about lines of communications, generals, weather, casualty determination, charge impetus, map to table ideas, and more. A profile of Robert Louis Stevenson is also included. Special thanks goes out to Richard Brooks, editor and publisher of The Heliograph (which you can read here on MagWeb.com), for generously loaning us this pair of prized issues. #10 was in such delicate condition, we scanned it in as a graphical image. #25 was in better condition, and so was OCRed as normal, though with significant retyping of portions. Back to MWAN # 126 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2004 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com