• I love the new scale of ships in Pac and Euro! I’m so used to Revised where a nation has MAYBE 7-10 ships at max. Now several powers start the game with 7-10!  :-D


  • I am so freaking excited to play this game and the set up looks awesome, but I am getting sick of all those history buffs who say the set-up isn’t historical. I want a set up that is fun to play, which is what Larry is providing. If they made this game historical then the allies would win every time. Gamers seriously stop the whining.


  • @cressman8064:

    I am so freaking excited to play this game and the set up looks awesome, but I am getting sick of all those history buffs who say the set-up isn’t historical. I want a set up that is fun to play, which is what Larry is providing. If they made this game historical then the allies would win every time. Gamers seriously stop the whining.

    make me  :x

  • '18 '17 '16 '15 Customizer

    @cressman8064:

    I am so freaking excited to play this game and the set up looks awesome, but I am getting sick of all those history buffs who say the set-up isn’t historical. I want a set up that is fun to play, which is what Larry is providing. If they made this game historical then the allies would win every time. Gamers seriously stop the whining.

    Much of the “whining” is going on because we are skeptical of game balance, not simply because it may not be historical.

    While the game should be as historically accurate as possible, I think most of us would welcome tweaking with unit placements/amounts to even out the matchup in the long run. Otherwise it might not usually be “fun to play”, as you put it.


  • From the looks of things this game will be very balanced with a slight edge to the Allies.


  • Those scaling issues are very disappointing.  However, I don’t think they’re that hard to fix. The main problem is the Pacific setup has waaaay too much aircrafts although the scaling of navies seems totally correct. (Brits have more destroyers and cruisers in Europe than Japan and as many battleships.) And maybe a few infantries can be removed in some spots of the Pacific map (like Malaya) but it’s not as much necessary IMO. Basically removing half the japanese airpower (14 aircrafts is enough) would make the setup much better. Most of allied aircrafts should be removed too (why does ANZAC has 4 fighters?!? 1 would be enough) along with about half of the three very ugly 6 infantries piles in eastern Russia. I tried this and I was able to get very nice and much more “credible” global setup on a historical point of view by removing exactly the same IPC values in units on both sides. Is it balanced? I don’t know but as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t look bad…


  • @San:

    Those scaling issues are very disappointing.  However, I don’t think they’re that hard to fix. The main problem is the Pacific setup has waaaay too much aircrafts although the scaling of navies seems totally correct. (Brits have more destroyers and cruisers in Europe than Japan and as many battleships.) And maybe a few infantries can be removed in some spots of the Pacific map (like Malaya) but it’s not as much necessary IMO. Basically removing half the japanese airpower (14 aircrafts is enough) would make the setup much better. Most of allied aircrafts should be removed too (why does ANZAC has 4 fighters?!? 1 would be enough) along with about half of the three very ugly 6 infantries piles in eastern Russia. I tried this and I was able to get very nice and much more “credible” global setup on a historical point of view by removing exactly the same IPC values in units on both sides. Is it balanced? I don’t know but as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t look bad…

    I agree the setup should have some resemblance to historical reality, and the 2 halves of the game should be compatible.

    The Allies did have a huge, huge army at Singapore in 1940, so I think that’s OK.
    There was no BB at Singapore in 1940.  They didn’t arrive until 1941, from what I looked up.

    Removing half of Jap planes might be a bit drastic, but I agree they seem to have way too many, and ANZAC surely shouldn’t have 4.

    Have heard complaints that 18 Russian infantry out east isn’t right - should be more mechanized, etc……


  • WE together should come up with a historical 1940 setup once both come out. The people who made it didn’t look up any facts regarding who had what and where. Balancing does not have to only be a function of the set up.

    After a time i will make an entirely new map based on these with a more credible set up. But first we should study the prospect of a historical setup.

    One thing immediately that seems missing is the rule for Japan on her first turn of DOW where all allied ships defend at 1. This was a good rule in AAP and made a huge difference to address the compensation of extra japanese pieces.


  • @Imperious:

    WE together should come up with a historical 1940 setup once both come out. The people who made it didn’t look up any facts regarding who had what and where. Balancing does not have to only be a function of the set up.

    But first we should study the prospect of a historical setup.

    Sounds good!  I understand it is possible to be TOO historically set up (since various geographical barriers and the Russian winter, etc. are not simulated), but I’m sure a lot of us agree that this 1940 game needs to be set up a lot CLOSER to historical reality than it is.

    From what I was researching last week about military positions in the Pacific in 1940, the P40 game setup leaves a LOT to be desired.  I’m afraid I agree with IL that they apparently didn’t look up any facts regarding who had what and where, based on the knowledge I do have of military positions in 1940, and based on what research I did last week to check on whether an all out J attack in 1940 really did have all those juicy targets.  (Answer - “no”)

    Personally, I’m not really interested in a perfectly historical setup.  But I would like to see the top 10 (for example) most egregious misrepresentations remedied!!  Starting with my own pet peeve - there wasn’t a single battleship at Singapore in 1940!
    Lead the charge, IL!


  • Yea you START with historical and then tweak with balancing the game. I know for a fact that adding 30 japanese planes could not have been any result from any historical starting point.

    Rubbish. Pure Rubbish.

    We will get the job done right 100%

    I will start the study of the AAP40 map and have something in a week or so. From this starting point ( based entirely on historical) you guys address the balancing phase. First is to show it as it should be.


  • I’m with you guys. First let’s design a new setup for the global game using the original map. 1) It should be realistic. 2) It should be at least “somewhat historically accurate”. 3) Scale should not be too much unbalanced knowing that 100% scale balance is not possible. 4) Army strengths in the setup should not only represent numbers but also quality, terrain, leadership and even opportunism. 5) It should be balanced (this is the hardest part I guess…) 6) Finally, it should be fun.

    Rock on!


  • Spain has 6 infantry and Turkey has 8.

    So Spain would be harder to capture, but not impossible.

    I have already formed the information on land sea air OOB for June 1940. I will post just what the facts say in terms of totals, then we can decide placement etc…


  • @Imperious:

    Spain has 6 infantry and Turkey has 8.

    So Spain would be harder to capture, but not impossible.

    I have already formed the information on land sea air OOB for June 1940. I will post just what the facts say in terms of totals, then we can decide placement etc…

    Haha - sweet.  We’re working on improving on the game weeks before it’s released.  :-D

    We’re waiting right here for your next post, IL.  Will be interesting to see historical numbers next to OOB setup….

    I know the Germans destroyed like half of Russia’s airforce on the first offensive, because they were grounded and not expecting German attack.  IIRC Russia had the largest army in the world before the German attack, and had a tremendous number of aircraft…

    Anyway - can’t wait to see some stats.  Might start working on obtaining them myself…


  • OK then here are some figures:

    Ship Type BB CV CA DD SS AP Fighter T Bomber
    Germany 1 1 2 2 1
    Italy 2 2 3 3 1
    Japan 3 2 3 5 2 4
    UK 4 2 4 8 2 6
    USSR 1 1 1 1
    France 2 2 3 3 1
    Anzac 1
    USA 3 2 3 8 4 6
    Spain 1 1
    Argentina 1
    Brazil 1
    Turkey
    Dutch 1

    BB  3
    CV  4
    CA 10
    DD 20
    SS  30
    AP
    FIGHTER
    T BOMBER
    BOMBER

    http://www.members.tripod.com/~marcin_w/index-soam.html
    http://ww2f.com/north-africa-mediterranean/27491-turkey-ww2.html
    http://members.tripod.com/marcin_w/index-2.html
    http://ww2total.com/WW2/History/Orders-of-Battle/Great-Britain/British-and-Empire-Armies-September-1939.htm

    by the end of 1940 Bulgaria had around 300 combat aircraft,
    In spring of 1941, the mobilized Bulgarian armed forces consisted of 16 infantry divisions, two cavalry divisions, one motorized brigade, seven air regiments

    Organisation: In May 1940, the French Army on the north-east front, which stretched from Switzerland to the North Sea, was divided into the 1st and 2nd Army Groups and the 7th Army.
    These forces comprised:
    • 63 infantry divisions (of which 30 were regular) ;
    • 7 motorised infantry divisions;
    • 3 armoured divisions;
    • 3 light mechanised divisions;
    • 5 cavalry divisions;
    • 13 fortress divisions.
    • The general reserve comprised a further 17 infantry, 2 motorised and 3 armoured divisions.
    French Air Force
    The Air Force had suffered considerable neglect between the wars, and its performance in 1940, with machines which were in general much inferior to those of the enemy, was not impressive. Indeed, according to French sources, only 420 modern fighters and 31 heavy bombers were serviceable when the Germans struck in May.
    Total French front line strength on 10 May 1940 was 1,604 aircraft (764 fighters, 260 bombers, 180 reconaissance planes, 400 liaison aircrafts).
    Total strenght of the French Air Force together with Aviation Colonaile: 1,200 fighters, 800 reconaissance planes, 1,300 bombers.
    Equipment of Luftwaffe First Line Units on September 1, 1939
    Aircraft Strength
    He111 bombers
    780
    Do17 bombers
    470
    Do17 reconaissance 280
    Ju88 bombers
    20
    Ju87 dive-bombers
    335
    Bf109D fighters
    235
    Bf109E fighters
    850
    Bf110 destroyers
    195
    Ar66 fighters 5
    Ar68 fighters 35
    Hs126 tactical reconaissance 195
    He46 tactical reconaissance 100
    Coastal aircrafts 205
    Miscellaneous 65
    Total 3,960

    Approximate organisation strength of the major types of the German Army divisions in 1939:
    Infantry Division motorised Infantry Division Mountain Division Panzer Division Light Division
    Units total 87 4 3 5 4
    Officers 500 500 ? 400 400
    Officials 100 100 ? 100 100
    NCOs 2,500 2,500 ? 2,000 1,600
    Privates 13,400 13,400 ? 9,300 8,700
    Total men 16,500
    (35 divisions from first wave 18,000) 16,500 ? 11,800 10,800
    Infantry Regiments 3 with 3,000 men each 3 with 3,000 men each 2 with 3,000 men each 2 with 3,000 men each 1 or 2 with 2,000 or 3,000 men each
    Machine guns MG34
    500 500 220 220 460
    Mortars 140
    (54 x 8.1cm, others 5cm) 140
    (54 x 8.1cm, others 5cm) 90 50 60
    Infantry guns 25
    (6 x 15cm, others 7.5cm) 25
    (6 x 15cm, others 7.5cm) 14
    (2 x 15cm, 12 x 7.5cm) 10 10
    AT Pak 3,7 cm
    75 75 48
    (6 x 4.7cm) 50 50
    Howitzers and guns 48
    (12 x 15cm, others 10.5cm leFH)
    48
    (12 x 15cm, others 10.5cm leFH)
    32
    (16 x 7.5cm, 8 x 10.5cm leFH, 8 x 15cm) 28 24
    (10.5cm leFH)

    AA Flak 2 cm
    12 12 12 12 12
    Armored Cars 3 30 - 100 100
    Tanks - - - 324 86
    Trucks 500 1,700 - 1,400 1,400
    Cars 400 1,000 - 560 600
    Motorcycles 500 1,300 - 1,300 1,100
    Sidecars 200 600 - 700 600
    Horses 5,000 - ? - -
    Horse-drawn carriages 1,000

    Basic British Army units:
    Infantry Division (motorised) Armoured Division
    Total units 25 1
    Infantry brigades 3 with 2,340 men and 99 officers each 2 battalions with 1,560 men and 66 officers together
    Total men 13,600 ?
    Artillery 36 x 18 pounders, 36 x 4.5inch Howitzers or 18/25 pounders ?
    Anti-tank guns 75
    (2 pounders or 25mm) ?
    Tanks 28 light tanks, 44 Universal Bren carriers 104 cruiser tanks, 20 scout cars

    British Forces total:
    897,000 men, 26 divisions, 1,146 tanks, about 2,600 guns
    1,911 planes (747 fighters, 871 bombers)
    15 capital ships, 6 aircraft carriers, 61 cruisers, 181 destroyers, 59 submarines

    The peacetime strength of the Japanese army was 17 divisions.
    By 1940 it had 2 divisions in Japan and Korea, 12 in Manchuria and 27 in China (total 41 divisions).
    Even in 1943 the commitment in China still amounted to 25 infantry divisions, 1 armoured division, 11 mixed brigades, 1 cavalry brigade and 1 flying division - a total of 620,000 men and 14,000 vehicles. This force, known as the Kwantung Army, was called upon to provide a constant stream of reinforcements for the Pacific War, and by 1945 its units were understrength and too weak to pose any real threat.
    The Manchurian Army proper in 1939 had a strength of some 75,000 men in infantry and cavalry units.
    Basic Japanese fighting units:
    Infantry Division Armoured Division Army Amphibious Brigade Navy Naval Landing Force
    Total units 40 1 ? ?
    Infantry regiments 3
    (aprox. 2,500 officers and men each) 1 brigade
    (3,800 officers and men) 3 battalions with 3,200 officers and men 2,000 officers and men
    Cavalry regiments 1
    (950 officers and men) - - -


  • Cavalry regiments 1
    (950 officers and men) - - -
    Total men ? 10,500 4,000 aprox. 3,500
    Machine guns 120
    (only in MG companies) ? ? ?
    Howitzers and Fieldguns 66
    (48 x 75mm, 18 x 70mm + independent field artillery companies) 12
    (8 x 105mm, 4 x 155mm) ? 8
    (4 x 3inch, 2 x 75mm, 2 x 70mm)
    Anti-tank guns 18
    (37mm) 18
    (47mm) ? ?
    Anti-aircraft guns ? 20
    (4 x 75mm, 16 x 20mm) ? ?
    Tanks 10-17
    (tankettes) 270 - -
    Vehicles aprox. 300 1,580

    Army Air Force:
    There was no independent Japanese air force. The Army and the Navy each had their own air service. Each was nominally controlled by the Emperor. Actual control was vested in the General Staff, the Army and Navy Ministries and the Inspector General of Aviation.
    The function of the Japanese Army Air Service was to provide support for the ground troops and to conduct counter-air force operations. It was not expected to initiate strategic operations on its own behalf, as was the case with the RAF for instance.
    The Air Service was relatively small at the outbreak of war and Japan’s highly-trained pilots were soon casualties. Their replacements lacked the necessary flying ability to take on the growing technical and numerical superiority of the Americans. Partly as a response to this shortage kamikaze aircraft were introduced. The kamikaze aircraft was simply an aimed bomb in which the pilot sat over an explosive charge and aimed the aircraft at the target. First used at Leyte Gulf, these planes caused some consternation to the American forces; but overall their effect was negligible to the final outcome of the conflict.
    The Japanese Army Air Service was organised into five air armies with clear areas of operations. Coordination was achieved between the Army and the Air Service by placing the air forces in each theatre under the command of the theatre commander. The largest Japanese tactical organisation was the air division, two or more of which would form an air army. Beneath this was the air brigade; two air brigades formed an air division. The composition of the brigade was flexible. Its HQ was small and concerned primarily with tactical planning. It was usually composed of three or four air regiments; each regiment was equipped with the same type of aircraft (fighters, or light or medium bombers) divided into three or four companies. The company was the most important operational unit; it was normally of nine aircraft, divided into three sections, each of three aircraft.
    The total strength of the Japanese Army Air Service in 1940 was 36 fighter (324 planes), 28 light (252 planes) and 22 medium bomber (198 planes) and 29 reconnaissance companies (261 planes), with a personnel total of 33,000 officers and men.

    Naval Air Force:
    Apart from 370 training and reserve machines, the Japanese Naval Air Force totalled aprox. 1,400 aircraft. There were 660 fighters, 330 carrier-borne strike aircraft, 240 twin-engined shore-based torpedo-bombers specifically intended for fleet cooperation, and 520 flying boats and seaplanes.
    All these aircraft were organised in the Combined Air Fleet, based at Kanoya, and were subduvided into the 1st Air Fleet (the Carrier Fleet) and the 11th Air Fleet (under Vice-Admiral Nishizo Tsukuhura) shore-based in Formosa and Indo-China. The fleets were further divided into air flotillas (each commanded by a rear-admiral), which where themselves composed of two or more air groups. Each air group comprised a base unit and 12 to 36 aircraft with 4 to 12 in reserve, depending on size. The combat formation was the air division of about nine aeroplanes.
    During 1939-40, the Soviet armed forces were undergoing a period of transition. New weapons and tactical ideas were being developed, but misguided and often stultifying central control meant that there was little sense of initiative or responsibility, and important advances in any sphere were often left in isolation. The excellent progress made in tank construction, for instance, was counterbalanced by the absence of an effective radio-communication system, without which tanks were severely restricted.
    The Soviet Union placed great reliance on cavalry because of vast distances, poor road and rail communications and the inability of Soviet industry to provide vehicles for all of such a huge army.
    The Soviet Union was divided into 13 military districts and 2 military commissariats.
    The Army was essentially a standing army which was run by professional cadre, but it relied on conscription for the mass of its personnel. Men were liable for military service for a period of 22 years from the age of 20 to 41.
    The peacetime strength of the army was estimated at 1,800,000 men, while mobilised strength could be as high as 11,000,000.
    The baleful influence of Stalin over the Soviet armed forces during the 1930s culminated in the purges of 1938 which decimated the officer corps. Almost inevitably, the most able and outspoken officers were destroyed by the purges and this was a significant factor in the poor performance of the Red Army in the Winter War against Finland in 1939. It has been estimated that Soviet casualties were about 200,000 men during this short campaign.
    Basic Red Army units:
    Rifle Division Cavalry Division Heavy Tank Brigade Light Tank Brigade
    Total units 110
    (including 23 Territorial divisions) 44 4 21
    Infantry regiments 3 with 2,900 officers and men each 2 motorised rifle battalions
    (total approx. 1,900 officers and men) 2,745 officers and men 2,745 officers and men
    Cavalry
    regiments - 4 - -
    Total men 19,000 ? ? ?
    Machine guns 417
    (174 heavy 7.62mm Maxim, 243 light 7.62mm Degtyares) ? ? ?
    Mortars 100+
    (50 to 120mm) ? ? ?
    Howitzers and Fieldguns 100
    (12 x 152mm, 28 x 122mm, 42 x 76mm, 18 infantry guns) approx. 50
    (76mm) 46 guns, self-propelled or moved by tractors 46 guns, self-propelled or moved by tractors
    Anti-tank guns 72
    (45mm) ? ? ?
    Tanks 22 T-26, 16 T-37
    64
    (BT or armoured cars) 136 T-28 (one Brigade with 2/3 T-35s), 37 BT, 10 flame-thrower tanks 278 BT or 267 T-26
    Lorries and tractors ? ? 521 521

    Red Air Force
    Throughout the 1920’s and 1930’s the Soviet Government made enormous efforts to build up a large modern air force, but the difficulties in finding suitable designs and the machines and materials to mass produce aircraft were enormous.
    To overcome the lack of pilots and mechanics the government poured money into the voluntary organisation Osoaviakhim (Society for the Support of Defence, Aviation and Chemical Defence). Soon after its formation in 1927 it had a membership of three million which had grown to 13 million by 1936. Aero clubs were set up to provide pilots, mechanics and parachutists, and until 1940 all Red Air Force volunteers came from this source. Shortages of instructors, training aids and aircraft meant that the standard attained was very low, however, and it was finally decided to select Air Force recruits from the annual military draft.
    Between 1935 and 1937, 3,576 aircraft, including a large proportion of four-engined bombers, were produced, but as the numbers increased so effectiveness decreased because the technical standard of the aircraft industry was falling behind developments in more advanced industrial nations.
    The Red Air Force had its first practical experience in the Spanish Civil War and this resulted in certain organisational and operational changes, but it was the traumatic experience of the Winter War against Finland (in which some 1,000 Soviet aircraft were lost) that really showed up the alarming shortcomings in training, tactics and equipment. Red Air Force commanders were not ignorant of these defects but the purges of 1937-1938, which removed many senior commanders, meant that the remedies undertaken were not necessarily the most effective.
    The Air Force of the Red Army (VVS-RKKA) was divided into two basic components. The first was the Air Force of the Red Army which consisted of fighter and ground attack regiments under the direct control of a Military District (later Front). The second component was the Long-Range Bomber Force which was at the disposal of the State Commissariat of Defence for tactical deployment on any front when necessary.
    In April 1939 a thorough re-organisation within the Air Force took place. The largest formation was now the air division, which comprised between four and six air regiments (formerly brigades). Each regiment consisted of about 60 aircraft with additional reserve planes (usually about 40 aircraft).
    There were three types of Air Regiment:
    bomber regiments with four squadrons of 12 aircraft each;
    fighter regiments with four squadrons of 15 aircraft each;
    ground attack regiments with four squadrons of 15 aircraft each.
    The squadron was divided into wings of three aircraft.
    The Air Force attached to a Military District or Front included a number of fighter and bomber regiments, while mixed regiments with both bomber and fighter components were attached to army corps, which also retained their own reconnaissance squadrons.
    important aircraft types in 1939 number of planes
    Beriev MBR-2 flying boat approx. 1,500 built 1933-42
    Illyushin II-4 bomber 1,528 built 1937-39
    Polikarpov I-15 fighter
    approx. 1,000+
    Polikarpov I-16 fighter approx. 5,000
    Tupolev SB-2 bomber approx. 6,000 built 1936-1941
    Tupolev TB-3 heavy bomber 800 built 1931-1939


  • Total Finnish Forces at the Winter War:
    400,000 men, 9 divisions
    145 planes
    2 coast defence ships, 5 submarines

    http://ww2total.com/WW2/History/Orders-of-Battle/Fleets-September-1939.htm

    By May 1940, the number of divisions in the German army was as follows:
    • 129 infantry divisions;
    • 8 motorised infantry divisions (3 Waffen-SS);
    • 10 panzer divisions;
    • 3 mountain divisions;
    • 1 cavalry division;
    • 2 airborne divisions;
    In addition the SS-Verfuegungstruppe (from April 1940, known as the Waffen-SS) provided three motorised infantry divisions and a brigade. There were now over two-and-a-half million men under arms in the German Army, of which the Waffen-SS contributed about 100,000.
    For the invasion of France the German Army was organised into three army groups:
    Army Group A (von Rundstedt) with 45 1/2 divisions including 7 panzer;
    Army Group B (von Bock) with 29 1/2 divisions including 3 panzer, and
    Army Group C (von Leeb) with 19 divisions.
    Army Group C held a defensive position against the Maginot Line while the main offensive was launched by Rundstedt’s Army Group A in the Ardennes with a subsidiary invasion of Holland and Belgium undertaken by Army Group B.
    From 9 April (when German troops invaded Denmark and Norway) to the armistice with France on 25 June, the German Army confirmed the superiority of its organisation and tactics. Losses in Norway were 5636 men; the invasion of France and the Low Countries cost 27,074 killed, 111,034 wounded and 18,348 missing. On some single days in World War I the losses were higher.
    German Air Force (Luftwaffe) and Airborne Forces:
    For the campaign in the West the Luftwaffe deployed 3,902 aircraft (1,482 bombers and dive-bombers, 42 ground-attack planes, 1,016 fighter planes and 248 Bf110 twin-engined fighters).
    Colonel-General Kesselring commanded Luftflotte 2 with I, IV and IX Fliegerkorps in support of General von Bock’s Army Group B.
    Colonel-General Sperrle commanded Luftflotte 3 with II, V and VIII Fliegerkorps in support of General von Rundstedt’s Army Group A.

    The forces within the Territorial Air Zones based in Italy were organised as follows:
    • Northern Zone: 7 wings of bombers (approx. 315 planes) and 3 wings (plus one group) of CR-42 fighters (approx. 210 planes);
    • Central Zone: three wings of bombers (approx. 135 planes) and two wings and a group of fighter planes (approx. 150 planes);
    • Southern Zone: five bomber wings (approx. 225 planes) and one fighter wing as well as an autonomous fighter group (approx. 90 planes) and divebomber group (approx. 25 planes);
    • South-Eastern Zone: one wing of night-bombers (approx. 45 planes) and float-planes and a group of obsolescent CR-32 fighters (approx. 30 planes).
    • the largest of the overseas commands was that based in Libya and comprised four bomber wings (approx. 180 planes) ; a fighter wing and three other fighter groups (approx. 150 planes) ; and two groups plus two squadrons of colonial reconnaissance aircraft (approx. 60 planes).
    The Italian Air Force begun the war with nearly 2,000 operational aircraft ready for combat and with almost the same number in reserve.
    Italian Navy (Regia Navale)
    Mussolini hoped that the Regia Navale would play an important part in any Mediterranean war. He saw control of the sea (Mare Nostrum - Our Sea - was how he described the Mediterranean) as an essential prerequisite for expanding his empire into Nice, Corsica, Tunis and the Balkans.
    Picture: a heavy cruiser of the Zara class is firing the guns.
    Italian naval building accelerated during his tenure of power, and by June 1940, the Navy comprised:
    • 4 battleships;
    • 8 heavy cruisers;
    • 14 light cruisers;
    • 128 destroyers;
    • 115 submarines;
    • 62 motor-torpedo boats.
    There were 1,235 Italian merchant ships, totalling 3,448,453 tons.
    The Navy lacked aircraft, and was dependent on the Air Force for protection and reconnaissance. This was an unsatisfactory state of affairs; co-operation was poor, and although the torpedo-bombers and reconnaissance aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica were effective, high-level bombers did not have much success against ships at sea.

    Basic US Army units in 1942:
    Infantry Division (motorised) Armoured Division Tank Battalion Tank Destroyer Battalion
    Total units (in summer 1942) aprox. 28
    (42 in December 1942 including armoured) aprox. 5
    (16 in 1944-45) 2 +
    (65 in 1944-45, often being combined in groups of 3-5, sometimes with mechanized infantry units) 3 +
    (80 in 1945)
    Infantry regiments 3
    (each with three battailons, each with 860 men) 1
    (with three battailons, each with 860 men, all mounted on half-tracks) - -
    Total men 14,253 10,900 729 1,250
    Machine guns 280
    (147 x .30, 133 x .50) aprox. 93
    (49 x .30, 44 x .50) - -
    Mortars 138
    (81 x 60mm, 57 x 81mm) 46
    (27 x 60mm, 19 x 81mm) - -
    Artillery 48
    (36 x US 105mm Howitzer, 12 x US 155mm Howitzer)


    Self-propelled howitzers 24
    (18 x 75mm, 6 x 105mm) 54
    (105mm) - -
    Anti-tank guns 109
    (37mm M3A1 , later 57mm) ? - -
    Anti-aircraft guns anti-aircraft battalions were controlled by the Army
    Vehicles 1,440
    (note: this capacity was not enough to move all equipment and personnel simultaneously) 1,000+ - -
    Armoured Cars - 68
    (M8) - -
    Tanks - 227
    (159 medium M3 Lee or M4 Sherman, 68 Stuart)
    68
    (51 medium M3 Lee or M4 Sherman, 17 Stuart)
    36
    (M10)

    US Army Air Force
    In the 1930s there were dramatic strides in civil and commercial aviation, and by the eve of the war the United States was the world leader in civil aviation. Army aviation lagged sadly behind. Its aircraft were not capable of meeting the demands of the war to come, and production was quite limited in comparison with the industry’s potential. In 1938 only 1,800 military aircraft were built, and 2,195 in the following year. But in 1939, when the 1935 Neutrality Act was repealed, the American aircraft industry began to recover. (The Act had put an embargo on the export of all military material to belligerent countries, with the aim of keeping America out of war.) France and Britain were major new customers for American aircraft, and the 1941 Lend-Lease Act gave this production a new boost.
    In 1939 the USAAC had a total of 2,400 aircraft, while the U.S. Navy Air Force had 2,500 aircraft, 600 of which were carrier-based.
    When war broke out the Army had 3,305 aircraft in a state of readiness, while the Navy had about 3,000 aircraft ready.
    Basic British and Empire Army units in August 1940:
    Infantry Division (motorised) Armoured Division
    Total units approx. 29 - 33 3
    Infantry brigades 3 with 2,340 men and 99 officers each 2 battalions with 1,560 men and 66 officers together
    Total men 13,600 ?
    Artillery 72
    (36 x 18 pounders, 36 x 4.5inch Howitzers or 18/25 pounders or 25 pounders) approx. 48
    (25 pounders)
    Anti-tank guns 75
    (2 pounders or 25mm) approx. 48
    (2 pounders)
    Tanks 28 light tanks, 44 Universal Bren carriers 220 cruiser tanks

    Total British and Empire divisions in France on 10 May 1940: 10
    Total British and Empire divisions in Great Britain in August 1940: 26 (2 armoured), all short of equipment.


  • OK then here are some figures:

    Ship Type  BB  CV  CA  DD  SS  AP  Fighter  T Bomber
    Germany  1      1  2  2  1     
    Italy  2      2  3  3  1     
    Japan  3  2  3  5  2  4     
    UK  4  2  4  8  2  6     
    USSR  1        1  1  1     
    France  2      2  3  3  1     
    Anzac                  1     
    USA  3  2  3  8  4  6     
    Spain            1      1     
    Argentina            1           
    Brazil                  1     
    Turkey                       
    Dutch              1

    BB  3
    CV  4
    CA 10
    DD 20
    SS  30

    what this chart means is take units by type and divide by 3,4,10,20, or 30


  • So using your data IL, with a ratio of:

    Fighter: 1:150
    Tac (best I can tell): 1:150
    Bomber: 1:600

    Germany: 7 Fighter, 4 Tac, 2 Bomber
    Japan: 9 Fighter, 2 Tac, 1 Bomber
    UK: 5 Fighter, 1 Tac, 1 Bomber
    Italy: 4 Fighter, 1 Tac, 1 Bomber

    Russia/US have huge air forces, hard to tell how many units they should have based on quality/experience, but my guess is:
    US: 8 Fighter, 3 Tac, 2 Bomber
    Russia: 4 Fighter, 2 Tac, 1 Bomber

  • '18 '17 '16 '15 Customizer

    Wow… I am impressed. I really like that you guys are doing all this but, do you have any sort of day job? This is a lot of work…


  • So using your data IL, with a ratio of:

    Fighter: 1:150
    Tac (best I can tell): 1:150
    Bomber: 1:600

    Germany: 7 Fighter, 4 Tac, 2 Bomber
    Japan: 9 Fighter, 2 Tac, 1 Bomber
    UK: 5 Fighter, 1 Tac, 1 Bomber
    Italy: 4 Fighter, 1 Tac, 1 Bomber

    Russia/US have huge air forces, hard to tell how many units they should have based on quality/experience, but my guess is:
    US: 8 Fighter, 3 Tac, 2 Bomber
    Russia: 4 Fighter, 2 Tac, 1 Bomber

    OK this is great… BUT you need to qualify some of the planes and ‘discount’ the numbers ( by type) of really inferior types like old WW1 biplanes that inflate the total and really saw no action or could not be classified at front line planes.

    I did this with some of the old battleships, rating Germany down a BB because of either pocket battleships ( which are really more like a cruiser) and old WW1 BB’s

    ON the Carriers some of the old small carriers were counted at 50% rate into my figures ( example: Hermes and Hosho)

    I think your numbers in view of this may be off by 1 plane here and there. PLease check.

    Today i will work on Land and lets compare notes.

    Once we know what each had in terms of total pieces we can begin to study the placement and plug in the numbers to build us a historical setup.

Suggested Topics

Axis & Allies Boardgaming Custom Painted Miniatures

23

Online

17.0k

Users

39.3k

Topics

1.7m

Posts