Smokescreens and Mines

A couple more clarifications needed as I work my way through the rulebook…

Smokescreens. In the second para (on p33) the smoke screen is originally placed at the end of the first movement, has a randomly rolled “circumference” (assume diameter was meant) and either remains stationary (pot/float) or moves with the vessel (device). The smoke effect “screens the rear of the vessel – making it obscured” but here are no explicit rules referencing obscuration when line of fire/sight passes through an area of smoke.

So questions –

Is smoke an area effect; as is implied by giving it an area and a position?

Or is it a marker for the vessel that laid it which specifically (and only) affects rear shots as explicitly written at the end of the section?

The rules seem inconsistent on this.

I may assume that there are two separate rules for two separate mechanisms here; the static area blocking smokescreen for smoke pots and the rear obscuring smoke marker for smoke devices attached to boats.

Either that or the reference to smoke obscuring shots to the rear of a vessel is more descriptive than rule setting and the smoke screens are always circles that either follow the vessel or remain static and actually obscure shots with line of sight that intersect regardless of the aspect?

Minefields. As pointed out elsewhere the referenced “Mine Hit Chart” is missing. As is the “point cost” of the minefield mentioned later.

Again there seems to be inconsistent descriptions of the way mines work. Area minefields are defined with hits allocated by the missing hit chart. It looks as if this mechanism applies only to Contact Mines as Magnetic Mines and Pressure Mines are defined as having point locations rather than area locations – with 8cm AoE around as specific point. This seems more consistent with the “Battleships” secret placement mentioned in the sidebar or double side counters (mine/decoy) could also be used to mark these discrete mines.

Is this distinction between Contact (area) Minefield and Magnetic/Pressure (discrete) Mines correct?

Also It is stated on p35 that a magnetic mine is actuated on a D10 roll of 1. Then in the next paragraph that small and tiny ships set it off on a D10 roll of 1 (as well). Then, later in the degaussing section, it is stated that a ship with degaussing gear will “only” set of a magnetic mine on a D10 roll of 1 (as well as well…).