CHAINMAIL Legitimacy in OD&D

CHAINMAIL Legitimacy in Original D&D

If maybe not be-all end-all, it's absolutely a relevant point of inquiry for me going forward. 

Firstly, by reading OD&D, it's obvious that CHAINMAIL is meant to be used as a baseline for this new game, the LBBs are littered with references to it and as mentioned, and I at least didn't feel like I understood OD&D fully before reading CHAINMAIL. It is also obvious that without CHAINMAIL, OD&D lacks necessary procedures such as morale and a complete combat system (the "Alternative" system presented is just a mechanic for hitting a target). 

To me, and likely a good chunk of contemporary players, it's not always obvious how to use CHAINMAIL in OD&D. As mentioned, there are at least three combat systems in CHAINMAIL, all used  for different purposes. Intuitively, I would guess Man-to-Man would be used in most encounters, in the Underworld and Wilderness, perhaps in conjunction with the normal mass combat tables. Specific systems are rarely mentioned  explicitly in the rules: In Book 1, under Fighting Capability, reference is made to the [CHAINMAIL] Fantasy rule, as modified in various places herein If this means the Fantasy Combat Table specifically is difficult to discern. In Book 3, under Land Combat a valuable instruction is offered how exactly to use CHAINMAIL with OD&D:

The basic system is that from CHAINMAIL, with one figure representing one man or creature. Melee can be conducted with the combat table given in Book I or by the CHAINMAIL system, with scores equalling a drive back or kill equal only to a hit. Battles involving large numbers of figures can be fought at a 20:1 ratio, with single fantastic types fighting separately at 1:1 or otherwise against but a single 20:1 figure. 

From this we get a hint on how to use CHAINMAIL with OD&D - basically use CHAINMAIL but one figure is one man and one kill is one hit. Very useful overall.

To me, the most intuitive way to interpret one figure represents one man or creature is that it refers to the normal mass combat tables, but at a 1:1 rather than the CHAINMAIL 20:1 scale - the mass combat system is the only of the three systems using 20:1 figure scale.

The second sentence Melee can be conducted with the combat table given in Book I or by the CHAINMAIL system, with scores equalling a drive back or kill equal only to a hit. seems to me the Fantasy Combat Table is the system referenced, since that is the only one I recall has a mechanic to "drive back" an enemy. 

These are the main explicit mentions on how to use CHAINMAIL in D&D. There are other clues scattered throughout the books, in the Fighting Capability columns of the classes in Men & Magic for instance, where Man, Hero, Superhero and Wizard are the reference points from which to deduce fighting capability of a given level. This is referencing the normal combat tables or man-to-man combat, take your pick. 

Was D&D played with CHAINMAIL in the 70s? 

I have seen it hypothesized that systems were used interchangeably whatever system fit the need of the situation. I have also read in more than one place that, the OD&D boards, for example, where a few folks who played OD&D in the 70s lurk. The conclusion seems to be that neither the Twin Cities groups or the Lake Geneva groups did in fact use CHAINMAIL for OD&D to a large extent. D&D sold well, however, and the majority of people playing it were naturally not part of those founding groups. Among these normal grunts, is my impression,  the Alternative d20 system was prevalent for practical reasons. But considering the game rules prescribes CHAINMAIL, I take it for granted CHAINMAIL was used to play D&D at the time.

In case you're wandering why it's important how people (Gygax and Arneson in particular) played in the 70s - either CHAINMAIL works well with D&D or it doesn't? - Of course it's important!

How to play D&D with CHAINMAIL? 

As discussed, I assume the most intuitive way to use CHAINMAIL, is to use a mix of man-to-man and the mass combat rules for Underworld and Wilderness, and general low level play, and for mass combat use mass combat rules and fantasy  combat. Done. That's not how I will likely do it, however.