THE OMPLFAT

JR4TEGI5T WAR GAME HEADQUARTERS

"There's no other store like this in the world" - CHANNEL 7 EYEWITNESS NEWS

"War Gaming - Has also given rise to a specialized store. Its name is the Compleat Strategist"

- NEW YORK TIMES

" ... You can find enough sorties, battles and full scale wars to keep all the classes at West Point

busy for years - NEW YORK DAIL Y NEWS

Hobbyists gather every week at the Compleat Strategist, a Manhattan store specializing in war game paraphanelia, to play battles with 25mm

soldiers - TIME MAGAZINE

At 11 East 33 Street is the Complete Strategist, catering primarily to war games, with enormous

selection of rules and a substantial supply of 25mm figures, as well as books of interest

to all modelers ... - CAMPAIGNS MAGAZINE

The above is just a sample of the interest and attention our New York store has generated in three short years.

Stop in and see for yourself. Our New York store is centrally located just a few steps from Fifth Avenue and The Empire State Building, close to the Pennsylvania and Grand Central Stations and all bus and subway lines.

Our store is the largest of its kind to be found anywhere (we just expanded our selling space). We carry a full assortment of games, rules and figures for the discriminating wargamer-not only the complete line of well known manufacturers such as-A.H**S.P.1. **G.D.w. **T.S.R. ** -but also the creations of smaller organizations and privately produced games. If you can 't find a particular game on our well stocked shelves, we'll do all we can to get it for you.

In addition to a wide selection of military and fantasy

miniatures, domestic and foreign magazines, we sell everything in accessories including several lines of paints, brushes, counters, Hex sheets and dice. Fantasy buffs and science fiction enthusiasts will find figures and games from all manufacturers, books, prints, colorful calendars, rule booklets and a complete line of playing aids .

Both our locations are well stocked and feature game­rooms freely available during store hours.

If you would like a free copy of our new and extensive 25-page Catalog and to be placed on our mailing list , please drop us a note.

All in stock merchandise is shipped within 24 hours of receipt of order. If you'd like to call or mail in your order (to the New York store only), both Master Charge & Visa credit cards are accepted.

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NORTH AMERICA'S FOREMOST MINIATURE GAMING MAGAZINE

FEATURE ARTICLES FRENCH LIGHT TROOPS OF THE SEVEN YEARS WAR . . ..... .. . . . . ..... . .. .... . . ... . ... . .. . . . 4

KEN BUNGER explores " Ia Peti t querre"

THE AVERAGE FiElD STRENGTH FRENCH ARMY - 1812 ..... . ... ... .. . ...... ... . .. ..... . . . .. . 9 JEAN LOCHET rebu ts Louis Bloom' s Napo leonic organization

THE STORMING OF MALAKAR PASS.... ... .. . ............ . ... .. .. . . .. ... ........ . .. . . .. . .. 14 ERIC TEUBER detail s an exc iting Colonia l Batt le

GENCON - 1980 .. .. . . . " . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 19 BOB BEA TTIE reports

RUSSIAN ARTILLERY IN THE SEVEN YEARS WAR .. ............................ ... .. .... .. ... 27 STEVE CARPENTER presents some li ttle k nown facts .

COAT COLORS OF THE FOOT IN THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR........ ... .... . ........ ... ....... 35 LEE YOUNG details the Roya lists and Roundheads.

MORE ON PHASED MOVEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 39 WAL TER SIMON expands on his interes ting ru le ideas.

OUTREMER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 43 FITZHUGH MACCRAE prov id es the army organiza ti on of the Frank ish Chri stian Sta tes

HILL OF CALVARY, 10 JULY 1944 . .............. ... . .. . .. .. . .. . . .. .. .. .. . ..... .. . ... . . . . .... 44 MICHAEL REESE narrates a battle of the W RG Tourney at M ichicon IX

CONFESSIONS OF AN ECUADORIAN WARGAMER ... . .. . . .. .. ... .... .. . . .. . .. .. . . .... .. .. .. 46 JOSE NEIRA R. shows us how easy we have it in the U.S.

DEPARTMENTS SAPPER'S REPORT A W RG Ancients Template by R.A. Hess . • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • 21 THE REVIEWING STAND with Jay Hadley .... . ........... . •. ••••••• • •. . • •. •• . • •••• •••• • •• • • • • • 24 THE COURIER DISPATCH w it h Jerry Chaskes ••• •. . . .••• • • • . ••••••••••••••.• • •• •• .••• •• . • •• •• •• • 33 DISPATCHES FROM THE FIE LD a new Letters to the Ed itor Column. • . . • • • • • . • • • • • . • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 37 VOLLEY FIRE .... . . . .. . .. .. . .. .... ... ... ... . . . . .. .. . ... .. . . ........ . ..... .. ..... ... . . . . . . . 48

, GENCON XII - PAGE 19 COLONIAL WARGAMING - PAGE 14

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~(l-U·ti~lt MANAGING EDITOR: Richard L. Bryant

BUSINESS MANAGER: leo Cronin ART DIRECTOR: joseph Miceli

ADVERTISING MANAGER: jay Hadley CIRCU LA TlON MANAGER: jerome Chaskes

THEME EDITOR: SEVEN YEARS WAR Ken Bunger

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS William Abrams; B.yron Angel ; Stuart Asquith; Phil Barker; Robert Beattie; Rodman Burr; Steve Car­penter; Tom Desmond; Steve Haller; Peter Hollin­ger; Ian Knight; Curt johnson; Doug johnson; Robert Mosca; Eric Ritchie; Bill Sessions; Bruce Weeks.

STAFF CARTOONIST: jose Niera STAFF ILLUSTRATOR: Mike Gilbert

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Philip O. Stearns THE COURIER DISPATCH: jerome Chaskes

THE COURIER PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC. Richard L. Bryant, President

DIRECTORS Ri chard Bryant, leo Cronin, Gloria Miceli

THE COURIER is published bi-monthly at45 Willow Street, Brockton, MA 02401 USA. Back issues are available for $2 .50 (Foreign add 750+ for airmail). Six issues subscriptions are $9.00 USA (Foreign is $10.50 surface rate, $17.00 Airmail 3rd class). All monies in US funds drawn on US banks or interna­tional Postal Money Order. Subscriptions start with NEXT published issue after receipt of payment.

No responsibility is assumed for statements of fact or opinion made by the authors. No responsibility is assumed for unsolicited manuscripts, but all sub­missions are welcome, no query necessary. All submissions should contain a self-addressed ST AMPED envelope.

This magazine and other publications of The Courier Publishing Company are sold with the un­derstanding that every reasonable attempt is made to deliver them safely through the mails. The Courier Publishing Comapny is not responsible for items lost in the mails. Replacements will be pro­vided at their usual cost.

DEALER INQUIRIES (USA), ADVERTISING COpy AND INQUIRIES, SUBSCRIPTIONS AND AR­TICLES to THE COURIER, Box 1878, Brockton, MA 02403. CANADIAN DEALER INQUIRIES: le Champ de Bataille, P.O . Box 996. RR II 1 Mascouche Heights. Quebec JON1 TO, Canada. FOREIGN DEALER INQUIRIES to P.O . Box 1878, Brockton, MA 02403. USA.

Entire Contents Copyright © 1980 by The Courier Publishing Company, Inc.

THE VANGUARD

EDITOR'S NOTES

AN OPEN LETTER TO FIGURE MANUFACTURERS

The obvious cutting back on historical figures over the past few years has alienated many who would have taken up the fascinating hobby or who, once involved, felt an exaspiration so deep that they dropped out of if altogether. I n many cases, you owe your present careers to the interest you once had in Historical Miniature Wargaming. For the most part you entered the business as an extension of your hobby and to provide the items you perhaps felt were too hard to get from England or elsewhere. Have you forgotten your roots? Have you forgotten what it was like to order part of an army, paint it then order the remainder only to find it was discontinued? Have you forgotten what it was like to wait three months for an order promised in a week and your army was not ready for that big game?

You say that historical miniatures has become a small part of the market. All the more reason why you should be able to handle it! There are, I believe, some simple remedies that will help the historical Wargamer without cutting into your ability to cater to the larger market.

1. Do not introduce a new Historical line unless:

a. You are sure enough of your market that you are prepared to maintain that line of one full year.

b. You will give all customers 90 days notice that the line will be discontinued and be prepared to fill all resulting orders.

2. Develop lines with fewer poses - it is difficult to carry a line with, say 100 different figures in it when 40 would suffice. We would rather have the line available for a long time than have a lot of poses .

3. Develop figures and use alloys that allow easy conversion. In the old days I never bought a drummer, a flag bearer or an officer, most could be made from infantrymen.

4. Always have both sides ready before you introduce a line.

5. Allow at least a year between new line introductions.

Finally, if your Historical figure market is too small to pay, consider selling that line to a manufacturer that is willing to specialize in historical miniatures. At least do so for those lines you are dropping but not replacing with newer designs:

DON'T FORGET YOUR ROOTS.

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Here's Why Crescendo of Doom is outselling the 2nd best Avalon HIli Game 2. 377 to 1.

Em the Nazi invasion of Poland , through the heroic defense of tiny Finland against the Russian behemoth , the blitzkrieg conquests of Norway and the Low Countries , the Battle of France, and the seizure of Greece the player is struck by the despair of men and nations alike as seen by the soldiers who vainly sacrificed their lives against a more powerful ag­gressor. This is CRESCENDO OF DOOM ... a gripping game of tactical combat set against the seemingly in ­vincible juggernauts of war-torn Europe. Setting the scene for the colossal struggle of the titans which will follow, CRESCENDO OF DOOM is, nonetheless, far more than a simple prelude to Barbarossa. While fur­ther refining the innovations brought forth in its highly successful predecessors SQUAD LEADER and CROSS OF IRON, CRESCENDO breaks yet even more ground in the realm of realistic tactical combat without disturbing the underlying basic simplicity of a uni ­versally acclaimed game system. CRESCENDO is a welcome extension for the SQUAD LEADER en­thusiast even before he contemplates a single new counter.

In each game you get: .520 double-printed 1/2 " die-cut counters representing the

men and weapons that comprised the combatants of the Western Front ; 1939-1942.

• 804 double-printed 5/8 " die-cut counters representing the complete vehicular and ordnance Order of Battle for the British . French. Polish, and Belgian Armies .

But CRESCENDO OF DOOM offers far more than that. Complete armor, ordnance, and infantry units are provided for Poland, Belgium, Finland, and a host of other minor neutrals including Elite, Line, and Reserv­ist formations for all nationalities. In graphic detail far superior to any narrative account , you will see for yourself how the outnumbered German panzers defeated the superior armor of the French tanks. Ex­perience personally the French frustrations brought on by radioless AFVs and one man turrets . There are no Panthers orT-34s ... here it is the Mk III vs . the Char B, Somua, or Matilda.

And CRESCENDO need not end in 1942 with our 32nd scenario. The entire British Order of Battle is presented for the whole of WWII enabling fans of the Western Desert , Italian, or Normandy campaigns to design their own scenarios for those periods. CRESCENDO OF DOOM is more than just a game. When combined with SQUAD LEADER and CROSS OF IRON, it provides the ultimate in a tactical gaming system which can be used to portray any company or battalion level action. Be forewarned! CRESCENDO is not an easy game. Do not attempt it unless you have first mastered SQUAD LEADER and CROSS OF IRON.

• Two additional 8 " x 22 " geomorphic mapboard sections increasing the possible terrain configurations and adding several new terrain types.

• Comprehensive, illustrated 36 page Programmed Instruc­tion rule book.

• '1llustrated scenario cards for situations 21-32. • Two expanded Quick Reference Data Cards.

{,~ 8 New features include: Fighters

Gliders Trenches Scouts Booby Traps AT Mines

Ghurkas

.~+ 1 40L ./2

; , 3-5-7

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Obstacle Bypass Movement Advanced Bombardment Rules Complete Weather Rules Advanced Berserk Rules Wagons & Sleighs Ski Units Motorcycles & Bicycles Bridges & Demolition Assault Boats

Field Promotions Interrogation HE Critical Hits

Partial Armor Penetration Rivers , Orchards, Mudflats Wounded Leaders ... and much , much more

1m IIHJ C:; .. MES O F ~

COPYRIGHT '979 THE AVALON HILL GAME COM PANY BALTIMORE . MARYLAND Pri n ted in U.S.A .

"CRESCENDO OF DOOM" is Avalon Hill's trademark name for its World War" tactical combat gamette expanding on the original " SQUAD LEADER" game system .

Ownership of "SQUAD LEADER" and "CROSS OF IRON" is necessary to play this game.

The Avalon Hill Game Company 4517 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21214

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FRENCH LIGHT TROOPS OF THE SEVEN YEARS WAR BY KEN BUNGER

For the main armies during the Seven Years War most of the year was spent either in winter quarters or marching during the campaigning season . Not so for the "light troops" , who along with the hussars and dragoons, were in constant contact with the enemy (or the unfortunate local populace) throughout the war. The light troops were active in raids, scouting, foraging and securing ad­vance positions for the main army. This never ending warfare is termed " Ia petite guerre".

This article attempts to describe the organization and uniforms of the light troops that fought in Germany. The hussars and dragoons have been covered in other ar­ticles . Besides the following units, the grenadier com­panies of the line regiments were formed into battalions for similar work. As the war progressed most line regiments also formed piquet, or chasseur, compar.ies . The light corps were generally made up of foreigners and varied wildly in discipline. They could be fierce fighters and in fact distinguished themselves often.

Strength of Light Troops in 1759 (Approximate)

Legion Roya le Vol. Flandre

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1800 948

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Chass. Fischer Vol. Friezen

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2000 1000

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Vol. Austras ie 948 R. Ca ntabres 604 Vo l. Dauphine 948 Fu s. M ontagne 120 Vo l. Hynaul t 948 Vol. Clermont 1200 Vol. Chambefot 150 Vo l. C ramm ont 100 Cd. Brunelli 25

By the end of the war more units were rai sed , as follows : Volontaires Corses (Corsica), Chasseurs de Poncet, Volontaires de Wurmser, Volontaires de Soubise, Volon­taires de Saint-Victor, Fusilier-Guides de Metzenius, Chasseurs de Monet, Chasseurs a pied de Dorigny, and the Chasseurs a pied de Granapre. Also existing were the Volontaires Liegeois, Volontaires Alsace (Geschray) and Volontaires Nassau-Saarbruck.

Some general notes on the uniforms described below are as. follows: Unless otherwise mentioned headware is a black tricorn hat with white tape and black cockade. Helmets are black with a brass crest and varied colored turbans. Swords are carried in black scabbards with brass fittings . Buttons are tin .

Chasseurs de Fischer

This corps ex isted within the French Army from 1743. (see figure 8) Johann Christian Fischer was the brilliant leader and founder of this unit, and all other light corps were patterned after his. In 1756, there were four com­panies of 50 chasseurs a pied and four companies of ~5 chasseurs a cheval. Fischer was mortally wounded In

1761 . The corps was placed under the command of the Marquis de Conflans to continue their active role in. the war. A special ordinance of the King in 1761 reorganized the unit as the Dragoons-Chasseurs de Conflans, now authorized at eight companies of 75 horse. Foot: green coats with no turnbacks, collar or cuffs; green vest and breeches; black gaiters and militron; yellow fleur d' lis on militron front; yellow buttons. (Note: The

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BA B X Ix B A B

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organization and grenadier uniform shown in Mollo's book was not adopted until 1763. Mouillard makes same error.) Horse: green pelisse and dolman, gold button loops and trim, brown fur; red cuffs, breeches and sabre­tache; green housings bordered gold with a design of three crossed gold dauphins in corners (Mollo is correct except dauphins are upside down); militron as for foot; red and yellow sash.

Volontaires de Clermont-Prince

Authorized on 27 April, 1758 at a strength of two com­panies of 53 grenadiers, nine of 105 fusiliers, sixteen of 53 dragoons and two regimental guns. (see figure 7) Dragoon: light brown coat with red lapels, turnbacks, collar and small cuffs; light brown breeches and housings bordered white edged red; white button holes on both vest and coat; red vest; white epaulettes; brass helmet with leopard skin turban and black horsehair crest. Fusilier: same as above, except red breeches and shoulder strap, full cuffs, black gaiters and belt, brass helmet with red turban and white tuft. Grenadier: same as fusilier, except red helmet tuft. Standard: white cross on light brown (b) and red (a) diamond design (figure 4).

Volontaires Entrangers

Formed in 1756 with three battalions . Second battalion went to Canada in 1758 and participated in defense of Louisbourg. Battalion strength was one company of 63 grenadiers and twelve of 53 fusiliers .

On 27 January 1759, the first and third battalions were united under Colonel Vignolles, also taking his name. The strength was one grenadier and sixteen fusilier com­panies. On 22 November, 1759, the unit was named the Volontaires d' Austrasie with the new standard organi­zation of one company of 60 grenadiers, eight of 71 fusiliers and eight of 40 dragoons.

In 1758 the battalions wore a white coat with green full cuffs, collar, turnbacks, lapels and shoulder strap; white vest and breeches. In 1759 the following uniform was authorized. Fusilier: blue coat with red lapels, small cuf­fs , turnbacks and front half of collar; blue vest; white ' button lace, shoulder strap, breeches and belt. Grenadier: same, but fur hat. Dragoon: same, but helmet with leopard skin turban; blue housings with black bor­der; red half-lapels and epauletts. Standard: black with double white cross (figure 6).

Chasseurs de Poncet

Formed on 7 March, 1761 with 7 officers and 200 chasseurs a pied . The uniform was a green vest with

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yellow half-lapels and small cuffs; green overcoat with yellow lapels and collar; green breeches; yellow canvas gaiters.

Chasseurs de Monet

Formed on 31 March, 1761 with 60 chasseurs a pied, 40 chasseurs a cheval and 50 hussars . Renamed Chasseurs de Bonn in December 1761. Chasseur: green coat with white collar, cuffs and turnbacks (Mouillard shows short plain green coat); green vest and breeches; green militron with white trim and cockade. Chasseur a cheval: same, brown Hungarian boots. Hussar: green pelisse with green loops and trim; white breeches and dolman with white loops and trim; red sash; militron and boots as chasseurs.

Fusiliers-Guides de Metzenius

Formed on 20 Febr.uary, 1761 as couriers with the Army of the Lower Rhine. Wore a blue coat, vest and breeches; white button lace, seargants had silver Brandenburgers; black belt; blue housings bordered white; brown sabretasche; black turban on helmet. Strength was 3 of­ficers and 40 men.

Fusiliers-Guides de Plinchamp

Formed in 1756 with 3 officers and 25 men as couriers with the Army of the Lower Rhine. Renamed and in­creased to 40 men under Mr. Brunelli in 1760. Uniform was the same as Metzenius.

Volontaires du Haynault

Formed on 25 March, 1757 from the splitting of the

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