Chapter H in itself is not really necessary as the counters ares self explanatory, or is there data not on some counters?
Chapter H, in its current format, is absolutely essential for the effective use of the vehicles and ordnance within the ASL system. There are numerous examples of vehicles/weapons in this game which possess characteristics and limitations too numerous to be described on a 5/8" piece of cardboard. Some prime examples would be the Stielgranate 41 projectile when used with the German Pak 35/36 AT gun, the very commonly encountered Japanese Type 89 heavy grenade launcher ('knee mortar'), the numerous versions of British Carriers, U.S. halftracks, and so on and so on.
While it may seem to some that an elimination or severe editing of these vehicle/ordnance descriptions may appear to be beneficial from a rule book size reduction standpoint, the result would most likely be a ineffective employment of these weapons during a game. I can recall many examples over the years where a thorough understanding of the capabilities of my own and
especially those of my opponents weapons had a profound influence upon the outcome of a scenario.
Another benefit of the concise historical information contained within the Chapter H notes are the specific explanations for the characteristics of certain weapons systems which might motivate both novice and veteran players alike to pursue additional historical research for themselves. As you may have noticed, not all of the members of this forum are scholars of military history, and an elimination of some of the information in Chapter H could very likely lead to a plethora of questions on the order of: "Why does the M4 Sherman receive the possibility of Multiple Hits?"... "How come Panther's have Stall numbers on the back of the counter and the early T-34's do not?". See the current thread on the U.S. M3a1 in the Rules and Errata sub-forum for a great discussion by veteran players regarding the interpretation and clarification of the Chapter H notes for this commonly encountered vehicle.
Speaking only for myself, I consider the Chapter H notes in their current format to be informative and historically enlightening, and one of the most enjoyable reading experiences within the ASL system. I would be very disappointed if they were reduced to an abbreviated, acronym-soaked series of tables and charts with little or no historical context, all in the name of rule book size reduction. Thankfully, the designers and current stewards of the official ASL system appear to regard Chapter H as a labor of love, and are unlikely to change this portion of the rule book.