Category Archives: History

Wargamer’s Guide to The Battle of the Bulge

The second booklet in Guidon Game’s Wargamer’s Guidebook Series came out around April 1972, and reprinted articles from The Avalon Hill General, International Wargamer, and Panzerfaust collected by Don Greenwood.

These are all about the original 1965 Avalon Hill release of the game, though there is also a review of Guidon Games’ variant Operation Greif.

Contents:
Introduction * Don Greenwood
Before the Bulge * James F. Dunnigan
Operation Greif * Lawrence Schmidt
On the Way to Antwerp * Bob Hultman
Baron von der Heydte Jumps Again * Craig Alder
Bulge Follow-Up * G. Phillies
Allied Defense in Bulge * Len Lakofka
Bulge Commentary * Chuck Lane
How to Lose at Bulge * Myrun Brudnage
How to Capture Antwerp Without Really Trying * Richard Shagrin
Bulge: Isolation & Supply * Mike Carr
Key to German Victory in Bulge * Joseph Pollock
Exploiting the Initiative in Bulge * Don Lowry
Seizing the Initiative in Bulge * Don Lowry

Available on Wargame Vault.

An Introduction to Wargaming

Fox Den will be publishing a few old Lowrys Hobbies/Panzerfaust Publications products other than the magazine for a while, hopefully around the 15th of each month.

When Don Lowry took over Panzerfaust in 1972, he offered a free booklet to all new and returning subscribers. This booklet was a guide to the essentials of board and miniatures wargaming, with listings of prominent publishers and clubs.

Gary Gygax wrote the lead piece for the booklet (reprinted from Lowrys Guidon #1 published a few months earlier), and (at my guess) the section on miniatures wargaming as well.

The information in here is decades out of date, and is presented purely as a snapshot of wargaming in the early ’70s. It is also a rare collector’s item for anyone interested in the period.

Available at Wargame Vault.

Campaign #1

After Don Lowry took over Panzerfaust he found he was receiving far more good history article submissions than he could justify publishing in a gaming magazine. So, Campaign was launched in 1973 as a military history magazine.

It was originally intended  to be bimonthly, publishing alternately to Panzerfaust. However, by the time it was published, this plan had been changed to quarterly, and the first issue had been delayed from April to Summer.

It was also destined to be the only issue of Campaign (in this incarnation), as Don Lowry found that producing two magazines at the same time was more effort than could be sustained (also at this point Lowry Enterprises—the company that held all the various specialized businesses, like Panzerfaust Publishing—was under increasing financial strain), so the magazine was cancelled and subscriptions rolled back into Panzerfaust.

But, Don Lowry also eventually decided to change the name of Panzerfaust, renaming it to Panzerfaust and Campaign in 1976, and then just Campaign about a year and a half later. So, this single issue of a military history magazine is a part of the history of Panzerfaust.

Contents:
Editorial * Don Lowry
Assault at Dawn: The Mexican Army at the Alamo * John B. Lundstrom
The Vietnam Campaign 1950-54 * Gregory H. Hail
War at Sea: The High Seas Fleet * Robert G. Dick
The Soviet Air Forces at the Start of the Great Patriotic War * Ron Mazurkiewicz
Book Review: The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands * Gary Gygax

Available at Wargame Vault.

Panzerfaust #58

Issue #58 of Panzerfaust (May-June 1973) came out late (which is why it skips two months from the previous issue), but in much better editorial shape, and with sixteen more pages (68, including the covers).

The Fox Hole continues to give current perspectives on the issue (on the last page), including Don Lowry’s (non-)involvement with Dungeons & Dragons.

Contents:
Line of Communications * Editor
Prelude to Disaster, The Soviet Army June 1941 * John Lundstrom
Trouble in the Ardennes * Danny S. Parker
Verdun: Design Analysis * Harold Totten
Verdun: Designer’s Notes * John Hill
Waterloo, the Combined Arms Armies * John Hemry
DIPLOMACY: “A Whirlwind of Knives” * Edi Birsan
Game Design: The Invasion of Sicily * Harold Totten
Miniature Warfare * Gary Gygax
Thumbnail Analysis * Tom Wham
G2 Reports * Editor
Book Review * Pete Bennett
Reconnaissance in Force * Pete Bennett
Passing in Review * Pete Bennett
Mail Call

Available at Wargame Vault.