US1292766A - War game. - Google Patents

Description

J. H. HAMMOND.

WAR GAME.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-l9 19w.

1,292,766, Patented Jan. 28,1919.

ARTILLERY INFANTRY CAVALRY ARTILLERY INFANTRY cAvALRY INVENTOR ms manner JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, OF GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

WAR GAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 19, 1918. Serial No. 250,500.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HAYS HAM- MOND, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Gloucester, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in War Games, of which the following is a specification.

Some of the objects of this invention are to provide an improved game apparatus adapted to be utilized bytwo opposed players in playing a war game; to provide an improved apparatus for war games comprising a normally stationary game board and two' sets of opposed movable game pieces representing various military forces; and to provide other improvements as will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a game board constructed in accordance with this invention; and Fig. 2 is aside elevation of two sets of movable game pieces and corresponding measuring instruments forming parts of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, one form of the game apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention comprises a normally stationary game board 10 consisting preferably. of a sheet of comparatively soft cardboard or other suitable material which may be easily pierced by an ordinary pin under moderate manual pressure, and which will hold the pin firmly in osition when the point of the pin is embedded in the board for a short distance. The game board 10 is preferably, although not necessarily, made comparatively thin and correspondingly flexible so that when it is not in use it may be rolled or folded into a compact form for storage. When the board 10 is thin and flexible in construction it is preferably supported when in use in an unrolled or unfolded flat condition upon a suitable flat, horizontal, rigid base, such as the top of any convenlent table.

In the drawing the game board 10 1s shown as of rectangular and slightly oblong countries 20 and 21 are depicted a capftal clty 25, a railroad base 30, a section of railroad 31 leading from the base 30, a naval.

base 35, a railroad 36 connecting the capital 25 to the naval base 35, a railroad terminal 40, a railroad 41 connecting the capital 25 to the railroad terminal 40, a river 45 and its head of navigation 46, and a plurality of forests 47. Other topographic features might also be outlined upon the map. For the convenience of the players a scale 48 in any suitable units of length is marked upon the board.

For use with the ame board 10 two sets 50 and 51 of movzdfle game pieces or units are provided which are adapted to be used respectively by the two opposed players A and B. In the form of this invention shown in the drawings each of these sets comprises a plurality of sharp tempered steel pins provided with colored spherical heads, and including a group of four pins 55 each representing a unit or division of artillery, a roup of four pins 56 each representing a ivision of infantry, and a group of six pins 57 each representing a division of cavalry. The heads of the pins in each group are of the same color but differ in color from the heads of the pins of any other group. For instance the heads of the pins in the three groups 55, 56 and 57 of player A may be colored respectively red for artillery, blue for infantry and yellow for cavalry, while the pins in the three groups for the opposing player B may be colored respectively purple for artillery, green for infantry, and orange for cavalry. The pins of the two players as thus colored may be readily distinguished as all of the pins of player A are in primary colors while all of the pins of player B are in secondary colors.

Patented Jan, 28, 1919.

For measuring the distances through which each of the movable pieces or pins may be moved at each play, each player is provided with any suitable measuring instrument, such for instance as a pair of adjustable dividers 60. These dividers may be conveniently adjusted from time to time by reference to the scale 48 upon the board 10. Although for convenience two measuring instruments are provided, a single instrument would. be suflicient as it might be used alternately by the players as will appear hereinafter.

In utilizing this improved game apparatus in playing a war game any suitable rules may be followed by the two contestin iiave opponent players. The following rules been found to give interesting results:

The two opposed players A and B are assumed to be in initial possession respectively of the two countries 20 and 21 lying upon opposite sides of the board 10, and the object of the game for each player is to capture the capital or the military forces of the opposing player and thus, in either event, win the game.

In starting the game each player may distribute his respective pins or forces 55, 56, 57, between his capital 25, his naval base 35, his railroad base 30, and his railroad terminal 40, by sticking all of his pins into the board 10 at any one of these-points or by sticking some of the pins at each of several or all of these points, any desired proportion of the pins being positioned at any given pointat the election of the distributer.

Preferably before distributing the pins, one player should write secretly upon a piece of paper the initial distribution which he proposes to make of his pins orforces, after which the opponent player then openly distributes his own forces as he chooses and then the first-named player exhibits his previously recorded proposed distribution and distributes his forces accordingly.

After the forces have been thus distributed the two players ordinarily have alternate plays or moves, but a player may move either one or more of his pins or divisions at each play depending upon the positions occupied by his pins at the time.

Each pin or unit of artillery, infantry, or cavalry may be moved from any given position in any direction over the mainland 15, over the ocean 16, around or over any of the islands 17, along any of the railways or along either of the rivers. Either player may move his pins through his own forests but not through the forests of his opponent.

Each pin is moved by steps measured by the corresponding dividers 60, each pair of dividers being ordinarilyset to measure a single step of for instance one inch.

Over the mainland 15, 20, 21 in a single play one unit or pin 55 or 56, representing either artillery or infantry, may be moved but one step, but a unit 57 of cavalry may be moved two steps or two units of cavalry .may be moved one step each.

Along a railway any unit, whether of artillery, infantry, or cavalry, maybe moved three steps, or three units may be moved one step each, or one unit may be moved two steps and another unit one step in a single lay. p Upon the ocean 16 and from the mouth of either river 46 to its head of navigation any pin or unit may be moved two steps at a time, or two units may be moved one step each.

weaves In moving from the land to the sea or fromthe sea to the land, a unit must first be moved to the border of the land or sea and then the player must lose one play in embarking or dis'embarking his unit. He may however, embark or' disembark his unit at any point along either river 45 between its mouth and its head of navigation 4 6 without losing a play.

Either player may cross the river in his own country without losing a play but cannot cross the river in his opponents country without losinga play.

A single pin or unit of artillery is consid: ered equal in, fighting strength to two units of infantry, or two units of cavalry, and the tures the unit of cavalry or infantry under consideration. If, however, llG'SllOlllCl bring up only an equal force, for instance, one unit of artillery against an opposing unit of artillery, the forces would be neutralized and neither unit would be captured. A force of a given fighting strength may not, however, be moved past an opposing force of equal'strength Within the gun range, which may be assumed to be, for instance, one inch.

To further illustrate the meaning of superior forces, the player having two cavalry units or one cavalry unit and one infantry unit within gun range of his opponents single unit of cavalry or infantry overpowers his opponents single unit and removes the overpowered unit fromthe board.

When either player captures the railroad base 30 of his opponent by occupying it with a force superior to the opposing force which may be positioned there at the time he thereby prevents his opponent from using any of the railroads comprising his corresponding system. The opponent may, however, recapture his railroad base and thereby regain control of his corresponding railroad system.

To retain the use of his forces upon the ocean, the player must retain his naval base against its possession by a superior force. If either player succeeds in capturing the naval base of his opponent he thereby puts his opponents entire fleet out of commis- Isaion until his opponent recaptures his naval ase.

It is to be noted that the opposite sides of the map are substantially similar in arrangement and approximately duplicates cavalry or of one unit of infantry, he capbut arranged in reverse order, so as to substantially equalize the conditions of terrain and objectives in the two opposed territories initially held respectively by the two players. While this is the preferred arrangement it is evident that it is not imperative that the map should be thus arranged.

Although only a single form has been shown herein in which this invention may be embodied and only a single set of rules has been disclosed herein for utilizing the devices of this invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific apparatus disclosed or to the particular rules set forth, but might be embodied in various forms and used for playing various games without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a game board having delineated thereon a map, of a plurality of sets of movable game pieces each provided with a sharp point whereby each game piece may be securely positioned upon said board, and a measuring device for measuring the moves of said game pieces.

2. The combination with a game board having delineated thereon a map, ofa plurality of sets of movable game pieceseach provided With a sharp point whereby each game piece may be securely positioned upon said board, and a two-pointed measuring device for measuring the moves of said game pieces.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination with a game board having delineated thereon amap representing a mainland, a contiguous ocean, a plurality of islands in said ocean, a pluralityof rivers running through said mainland, and a plurality of differently characterized objectives including a capital, a railroad base and railroads and a naval base arranged upon each half of said mainland, and a plurality of sets of game pieces adapted to be moved over said map.

4:. In a game apparatus, the combination with a game board having delineated thereon a map representing a mainland, a contiguous ocean, a plurality of islands in said ocean, a plurality of rivers running through said mainland and a plurality of differently characterized objectives including a capital, a railroad base and railroads and a naval base arranged upon each half of said mainland, and a plurality of sets of game pieces adapted to be moved over said map, each of said sets of game pieces comprising a plurality of pins provided with heads and said pins being divided into visibly distinguishable groups representing different branches of military service.

Signed at Gloucester, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, this sixteenth day of August, A. D. 1918.

JOHN HAYS HAMMOND. [1 s.]

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