ABOUT

How do the rules work.

These are W.W.II era Wargames rules using alternate movement and firing. There are limited written orders to enable the command structure, radio links, call of fire etc to be reproduced without slowing the game down.
Limited ammunition is also a feature of the rules, which means players make their shots count, and don't waste time and effort firing at everything in sight like in an arcade game. Coupled with the command structure, artillery and air strikes are called where they are needed most, and not used every turn just because you have them.
Vehicle damage can be cumulative as well as a straight KO, for example a Sherman tank cannot KO a Tiger tank through it's frontal armour at all. The Sherman must get around the side or rear. However there is a remote chance of a lucky hit causing track damage, or a turret jam. The chances are slim, and with limited ammunition are you going to take the chance?
Aircraft, anti-aircraft and air to air combat are covered but extremely simplified to get a quick result as this is a ground battle.
There is an easy to use variable ground scale, so a game can be quickly adapted for a small or large gaming area, or the use of different scale figures.
These rules use a scale where 1 figure represents 1 man and 1 model represents 1 vehicle. Typical 15mm and 20mm scale battles require 50 to 120 figures, and 10 to 20 vehicles with no upper limit. Numbers can be in the 100's if 6mm scale is used.
There is a points system for those who need one.

What the rules contain.

The Rule set is A4 sized book with 54 pages. Over 40 full colour diagrams, photographs, illustrations and worked examples. There are 2 full colour quick reference play sheets, also included are 3 Army lists for Northwest Europe 1944-45.

Miscellaneous and optional features such as amphibious and airborne operations, engineers and field works, ammunition resupply, cavalry actions plus a few others are covered within the rules.

What are Army lists?

In addition to the Rule book there is a large selection of Army lists that can be bought individually.
As quick reference sheets they contain vehicle, weapon and ammunition details for use with Panzer Marsch!. Also included are basic organisation charts for an army down to the level of what each man in a section or squad is armed with. Everything you need to know about an army is there on one easy to use reference sheet.
All the separate Army lists are A4 in size, doubled sided, full colour and laminated for durability.

A history of Panzer Marsch! at the North Hull Wargames Club.

Historically these rules became the in house rules of the North Hull Wargames Club in the mid 1970's through the Club President at the time - the late Pete Gilder.
The originals were hand written by Pete using a collection of his ideas and a few others, indeed a hand written version was still in use by Pete at his Wargames holiday centre for many years after. These may be familiar to some gamers, and indeed provided inspiration for Colin Rumford's Rapid Fire Rules published a couple of years ago.
Steve Dunn and Tom Spinks at the Club modified and developed the set for use with 6mm scale, introducing different artillery and aircraft methods for use at the Club, while Pete Gilder decided to stay with the very simple set for the Wargames holiday centre, on the grounds that visitors to the holiday centre needed to grasp the rules in a couple of minutes, just like participation games at Wargame shows and Conventions.

In 1982 the rules were in type for the first time, plus the introduction of a Russian Army list. By 1983 they were being used at display games around Northern England, still using 6mm scale. They are being used in the accompanying photographs of an article by Steve Dunn in Wargames Miniatures Magazine number 12 back in 1984. At this stage we were giving copies away at our display games, as they amounted to only 4 sides of A4 sized paper.
In the mid 1980's Graham Birkley became involved in rule mechanism developments and the Army lists grew to include the 1940 period, the North African desert and even the Japanese - but nobody made the Army.
In 1989 20mm scale came back into fashion in a big way. The rules were given options that apply to 6mm and 20mm only. More display games and Magazine articles followed along with an increasing range of 20mm scale figures and kits.

By 1998 the rules still only existed as 4 sides of A4 in the form of quick reference play sheets. New Club members could not get used to the un written rules not on the play sheets, and a few rather questionable interpretations were starting to be used.
A 6mm scale Normandy Invasion Campaign had just finished that had lasted for about 8 years using these rules. Some of the Club members wanted to do it again but using 15mm or 20mm scale. For the benefit of all, a proper rule book was required with lots of examples on official interpretations. This work was begun by Graham Birkley in early 1999 to make his job as Umpire for the next Campaign easier. Steve Dunn went to work on bringing all the Army lists and vehicle technical details up to date, plus the artwork for the rule book.
In December 1999 the rules and lists went into print.