Being a summary of Joseph Morshauser’s letter/article found in Donald Feathertone’s, 1966, book: Air War Games pages 100 to 101.

Lacking war game opponents, Joe spent some time building model airplane kits (WWI aircraft) while watching TV. Finally, while on vacation was able to get together with some opponents and play out an air combat game. Apparently, the game worked out quite well, and in fact he claimed it was, in some ways more fun than land combat games.

His game involved quarter-scale aircraft; (he says ‘larger than Airfix’; while I wonder if he really meant ¼ scale – meaning 25% the size of the real airplane? This seems mighty large for his war game table), a bombing run as well as dogfights. The situation was that three bombers had to run across the table and return a number of turns later. All the while fighter planes were attempting to shoot them down. Of course the bombers had fighter escort, some dogfights were in the mix as well. The game used a ‘Roster System’ to track hits (no knocking planes out of the air with a single hit!). He describes the games as ‘… a hell of a lot of fun’. His rules kept in a bit of detail, as he felt that otherwise the game would be too simple and too short.

The game was evenly matched, points-wise, but with the Germans having fewer fighters, given the inclusion of bombers. The side with the most remaining points at the end of the game was the winner. Points were scored, by the Germans, for bombing run results. In the end the Germans lost; the bombing run didn’t go really well and they lost two bombers on the return. The Allies scored more kills, thus end the game with more points.

The next game described was an air race game. This was modeled after the Thompson Trophy races. Three planes raced around a course marked by checkered pylons. The (huge scale) planes were quite colorful and built by Joe himself. The setup event included stands and spectators. The rules covered all the crazy maneuvering required by the real planes in real races. I the end Joe won the race, beating out Hank in the end. Joe had plans to use more and smaller aircraft in hopes of making a wildly fun game for 6 players.

Notes concerning Joe’s war game setup:

We know that, at least in mid-1963, Joe’s table was 17 feet x 6 feet. If we assume he didn’t have the room for or did not build a larger, the table referred to in this piece is the same (Joe’s address remained the same through the 1960s, again safe to assume same location). Given the assumed size of his war game table, I wonder what scale aircraft were used in the games described? Quarter-scale seems too large for the the size of his table. They would be impressive in that scale, but it seems an unlikely size.

As for rules, to date I’ve not been able to track down, even a summary of his air rules (combat or racing). The search continues…

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Being a summary of Joseph Morschauser’s Sea War Rules 1759 as presented in Donald Featherstone’s 1965 book: Naval War Games pages 84 – 86. Full rules not provided here, as they are currently available in the John Curry reprint edition of Featherstone’s book.

We know that Joe played sea war games and that some of his games were set in the age of sail. More on how we know this at the end of this summary.

As the book does, we too shall jump right into the rules…

The rules specify four types of ships: Sloop of war, Frigate, Ship of the line and Transport/Supply ship. Ship powers are codified in a set of four numbers/values: Fore, Aft and each Broadside (port & starboard). The total of these values is the Ship’s Power (SP). Each time the ship take a hit to the hull SP value is reduced by the number of hits. A ship may fire a Broadside or either Fore or Aft guns.

Movement rates (MR) (Ship speed) are by ship type and are reduced by Sail hits. Once hits have reduced MR to zero (0) ships may only turn in place.

Firing is by guns that bear; part of target ship/base must be within a straight line from end or side of firing ship. Target must be a single ship. Shots may be fired at hull or sails. Roll a number of dice equaling the number of guns firing. Determine hits and apply the result. Guns have a maximum and a minimum range.

Ships move in any direction or combination of directions; except at an angle 45 degrees either side of direction from which the wind is blowing. Measure movement and turns from center point of the ship/stand.

Wind direction (may) change every six (6) turns. Wind direction is determined by roll of a single die. Wind will blow from: north, south, east or west Only.

Enemy Ships may be boarded; maneuver ships to be side-by-side (base to base, broadside to broadside). To board, a ship must have a higher SP rating. Roll a die and on (Joe’s standard) an even roll (2, 4, or 6) the boarding is successful. Failing this roll and the attackers ship is taken instead.

Track ship’s current state with a Ship’s Card – Roster Sheet if you will.

Lastly Joe describes three (3) types of games/scenarios: Destroy enemies Supply ships, Immobilize all enemy ships, and get Supply ships through enemy blockade. Defender earns a point for each (enemy) ship disabled; aggressor earns a point for each Supply ship that gets through.

All-in-all a very nice, simple game in six (6) easy to digest rules; eight (8) if you wish to count sections on Ship Cards and Scenarios.

It has been many years since I last gave this game a go. Since then I have built and sold (or given away) several fleets and played many other sets of rules. Upon re-reading Joe’s rules I have determined that this will be my sailing war game going forward. The rules are clean and simple. Games play fairly quickly and are fun (if my memory serves me correctly). My next war game, set in the age of sail, will not only use these rules; it will use the same ships Joe would have been using in 1965 (perhaps even some of the ships that Joe actually used with his war game setup).

How do we know that Joe played (age of sail) sea war games? Two things are dead giveaways: 1) Jack Scruby mentions – in The Miniature Parade, Winter 1967 issue – that the flip (or lower) side of Joe’s board for his Roster System Ancient War Game is used for naval battles. 2) Joe designed (circa 1962) and Jack Scruby produced a set of four (4) sailing ships (as used in Joe’s age of sail sea war games).
Some additional closing thoughts: I’ve been wanting an Age of Sail war game something along the lines of Bob Cordery’s Portable Wargame. After re-reading Joe Morschauser’s rules, I’m fairly certain that I have hit upon just what I need! A few tweaks here and there to make the game work with a square grid and small footprint. Yes. I did say a square grid; the square grid is really the only grid for sailing games… More on this as soon as I lay down (actually commit to writing) the basics and fire a few broadsides…

From advertisement appearing in Table Top Talk – September 1962; a transcribed version, showing only the Sailing Ships (the other ships included in the original advertisement are the Civil War Ships designed by Jack Scruby.

WAR GAME SHIPS

For the Naval War Game Admiral we now have some nice little ship models … In SAIL SHIP MODELS, the size runs from about 1 ¼ inches (Sloop) to 2 ¾ inches (Ship of the Line). The Sail Ship Models were designed by Joe Morschauser.

Lest the buyer be confused, we state that these models are built for war gaming and are scaled to each other. These are not exquisite miniature ships with all the scaled parts, but are designed only for war gaming and to stand abuse. All models are three dimensional and are sold only as unpainted castings

SAILING SHIP MODELS – 1800 (designed by Joe Morschauser)

J-5 … Sloop (or Brig)

J-6 … Merchantman or small Transport

J-7 … Ship of the Line (3 decker)

J-8 … Large Frigate

* The Sailing Ships have three dimensional hulls and “silhouette” sails

Pictures Added 13 February 2018

Pictures of unpainted ships freshly cast in 2018…

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A short post today.
More of a minor update on progress towards the new Morschauser Files website…

Current activity on Project Morschauser includes filling out a Bibliography of his published works (articles, books, letters, etc.). I know I’ll miss some but will get as many as I can confirm. My focus is on his works that are related to war gaming or of interest to war gamers. Currently the count stands at 42 (cataloged). I have a few more not cataloged yet and several that might not quite fit my criteria.

Last night’s reading included Joe’s article from February 1965 (Look Magazine) titled The Billion Dollar Rifle. I hope to complete my write up (review/summary) of the article by the end of the week.

In recent days I’ve jump started my pet project: Project Morschauser

The end result will be a new website; The Morschauser Files

The new website will replace what we have here on TTT (the existing content will be reformatted and moved to the new site).

I’ve started cataloging everything I have relating to Joe Morschauser. Some I’ve posted in the past, and more that I’ve never posted and some that you, likely have never seen.

For today, a couple of pictures to feed your Morschauser habit:

54mm Britians owned by Joe Morschauser engage in a Colonial war game

A full page advertisement for Joe Morschauser’s book:
How To Play War Games In Miniature

Time for another installment of The Morchauser Files …

FLAT TERRAIN

by
Joe Morschauser

The War Game Digest, Book V Volume III, September 1961

Have you developed an over-stuffed war game table? Are all those little houses, trees, rocks etc. getting in the way of your battle? Sure, you have spent hours and hours building that little house! Sure, you have spent days and days constructing that clump of forest! But can you move? Aren’t your soldiers accessory-bound? Don’t you find it tough to make that dashing flank attack? Naturally you do! And its time you realised that your accessories have taken over your battleground. However, be of good hearth There’s something you can do about it… something which does not involve the rental of a warehouse to fight your war games in.

For several hundred years European war gamers have used little “flat” soldiers. (Don’t say “UGH” you ’round’ men… read on.) Now “flatters” may insist the main reason for their sticking to “flats” is the wide nange of types available, the cost, the weight or a dozen other excusese I know different. The real reason “flatters” stick to “flats” is that they take a fraction of the space occupied by a round of any type.

I have no particular desire to convert you to flats. I myself in my own war gaming use mainly the old—fashioned 54mm round. For a big battle I need a big table which I fortunately have, but even on a big table I found that accessories have been gradually pushing me off. As a result I have done the only sensible thing — I am converting my terrain accessories to “flats”.

These “flat” accessories are strips of cardboard, plyboard etc. cut to the desired.shape. On my table I use the grid system of 4 inch x 4 inch squares. Any “round” house eight inches long would occupy two valuable squares. But the “flat” house is placed along the grid line between the squares thus leaving these squares open for movement of troops. This uses no space at all but gives the desired effect.

You may question how such “flat” houses look when viewed from the end. my answer is “quite good” for after some experiments I have designed my houses in an L-shape. This means that though the house still rests on its narrow edge along the grid lines, its L·shape keeps it upright without any base. At the same time it also means that one can view the house either from the side or end of the table and still get the effect of a solid object.

The best material for “flat” accessories is quite naturally thin plyboard or composition board. But heavy cardboard will do quite nicely. If possible the L—shaped design should be used but if this is just not possible for some reason you can slot a cross-piece of board at either end to provide a solid base. The whole of course should be fastened down to the table with tape, staples or tacks when in use.

Even those completely lacking in artistic talent should have no trouble in designing a house, some trees or a whole forest, low stone walls or groups of rocks. If your imagination is dry at this moment, go to a picture magazine. They are loaded with shots of just the sort of thing you can trace and transfer to your board. Your tools are simple of course, consisting of tape, board, a sharp knife for cutting out your accessory, a pencil and some poster paints for finishing touches. If you wish to get quite fancy you can cut out windows in houses, substituting coloured celophane for glass. Or maybe you wish to leave them open for snipers to shoot through.

You can even make hills or mountains of the “flat” type. In the case of impassable hills or mountains there is no problem. But if you wish to make passable hills you should mark off moves up in the form of lines. Actually troops will never move “up” for this will be impossible. what you do is to draw your move lines on the hills in such a way as to indicate on what turn after the troops reach the base of the hill they are where. Thus, one unit reaching base of hill on turn five, say, gets to the top of the hill on turn seven. Enemy on other side reached base on turn six and is below turn five troops by one move line. Or if you want to get really fancy and make your hills or mountains of plyboard you can put steps of board sticking out on each side of the hill like shelves for troops to actually climb. In this case though you must be sure your mountain has a secure cross base and that this is securely fastened down to the table. (Shelf—steps are of course actually directly above each other not stepped out as in normal war—game hills) I might add here that there’s little to stop you from making a two or three foot high hill with such shelves. So long as you can reach the shelves in comfort your ”flat” mountain or hill can be as high as you like and still take up no more space than a half-inch high wall or fence.

The same type of shelf—steps may be used if one is building a castle wall. The platform on top of the wall can be directly above an area below which is free for troop use. Towers might have several shelf levels and still have open space at their base for movement of men on the table itself. I think I need to go no further with this for I’m sure your imagination is working like mad already…..or you are laughing your head off! But if you are laughing, remember, you may be doing it out of the other side of your face when your war gate table gets so crowded you can’t move troops.

The “flat” technique of terrain and terrain accessories leaves a lot to be desired. It has its limitations to be sure. Those who like pure realism won’t care for it at all. But remember, you scoffers, you can get so real with a war game table you can‘t play war games on it. You won’t be able to fight an “open” battle because there isn‘t room enough. All you will have is a beautiful diorama. And you don’t need a diorama, no matter how beautiful. You need SPACE and “flat” terrain can give it to you like nothing else.

Now lets see, where did those soldiers fall when that mountain turned over??? …

—–

It has been far too long since our last post of an article by Joe Morschauser. Since I still have several in hand, I thought this one would make a nice break from my recent batch of articles by Tony Bath.

As for Flat Terrain. I have played many a game where the houses, fences, rock walls and the like have been just the type Mr. Morschauser writes about. While I have none of these in my collection of terrain, I may well revisit the idea for my next batch of house, and rock walls. Can’t say that I’ve ever used this type of hill, but I can at least picture how these might work out. We do hope you enjoyed this posting. Look for more soon.