So in a way, what they were capable of transferring was directly related to the infrastructure they had at the destination? If one of the divisions in Burma already had an artillery, reinforcing with additional batteries was likely fine. Sending a battery on its own without the HQ and supply chain would be very unwise. I would further assume that trying to do something similar with tanks would be even less wise due to the need of specialized maintenance and repair units?
Sir John Valentine Carden Survives. Part 2.
- Thread starter allanpcameron
- Start date
I'm pretty certain they had some independent artillery batteries but off the top of my head I can't think of any "mainstream" (ie, non-SF) infantry or armour units that were smaller than battalion/regiment sized.
You can transfer a battery from 1st (Field) Regiment to 2nd (Field) Regiment easily enough if you really need to (especially if the two regiments are both equipped the same, otherwise you need to retrain the transferring battery or really complicate the QM's job). Theoretically you can do the same with infantry/armour but the regimental system can complicate it, although it's not impossible and some men served with two or three different regiments in both World Wars if manpower needs demanded it.
You can transfer a battery from 1st (Field) Regiment to 2nd (Field) Regiment easily enough if you really need to (especially if the two regiments are both equipped the same, otherwise you need to retrain the transferring battery or really complicate the QM's job). Theoretically you can do the same with infantry/armour but the regimental system can complicate it, although it's not impossible and some men served with two or three different regiments in both World Wars if manpower needs demanded it.
MacArthur: Cooperate? Rubbish everybody just needs to do what MacArthur tells them to do......
If Malaya holds while, as is still likely, the Philippines fall I don't see MacArthur remaining a prominent figure. A lot more questions will be asked about what he had been doing while he was supposed to be building the Philippine Army. (Bugger All from what I can tell).
You underestimate the dark packed MacArthur made for his bloody PR powers. He will probably try to spin it that Britian and the Commonwealth somehow should have moved forces to support him when they had their own commitments.
That or try to pin the blame on them.
I can actually see the unmitigated ass saying that as well at least in private.
When is the 6th Australian due to arrive? Also what is the status of the 1st Australian Armoured Division and in particular its 1st Armoured Brigade?
That seems very very plausible. After all, in OTL after the end of the invasion of Iran, the 17th brigade was detached from the division and was sent to Egypt. Moreover, the soviet counter-offensive in Moscow starts in a couple of days. Even those that believe the USSR will collapse would think that such event will take place during the next campaign season at best. So there is more than enough time for the 17th Indian to get trained in Iran, waiting for a possible soviet defeat.
Combining the OTL events and the timing at the Eastern Front, it seems that such exchange of formations will be very easy to pull.
And Wavell is not going through attrition due to a continuous air campaign. The RAF Middle East command can send a trickle of aircraft after the Japanese attack, over the winter.
Now that I think of, having schedule the movement of 4 divisions (5th Indian, 6th & 9h Aus, 11th African) since autumn 1941, there is significant lift capacity at theater level. Is it fair to assume that the British have the capacity to move another two divisions from Egypt to SE Asia by February ?
MacArthur mantra that everyone should know and learn by heart:
MacArthur is always right
I will listen to MacArthur
I will not ignore MacArthur's recommendations (read: orders)
MacArthur is God
And, should something go wrong
It's everyone's fault but MacArthur
Joke heard in the Officers mess somewhere South East Asia Command.
What's the difference between Douglas MacArthur and God?
God knows he's not Douglas MacArthur.
Um, aren't there 58 Matilda IIs that arrived? Or have some broken down?
Edit: yep, confirmed, 58 MIIs arrived.
Edit: yep, confirmed, 58 MIIs arrived.
Last edited:
allanpcameron
Donor
HQ squadron (4) remains on Singapore Island. Each Division gets one Squadron. So Heath has two Squadrons in his Corps (36). The Aussies have the other (18). (=58)
More tanks than the Japanese will have and better ones too. Weren't there also some american tanks in transit as well?
Look More Closely Later
Gone Fishin'
In fairness (urgh) to Macarthur, after mind-1940 he's having to compete with the British for stuff like vehicles/tanks/ammunition, in the aftermath of the Fall of France, and the domestic USA army.
The Fall of France upset a lot of metaphorical apple-carts.
A lack of equipment doesn't excuse terrible leadership.
A thought does occur, can submarines be used to run supplied (from Singapore) to the Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor to keep those troops in the war?
Last edited:
I don't think they could make enough runs to really make a difference like you would need to seriously under arm them to do get meaningful quantities through them. It's also as risky as all hell since cargo handling operations on the generation of subs we are talking about will be dicey.
I was thinking ditch the torpedoes (since they're making supply runs, they shouldn't need them), and fill their bays with cargo. Taking, f.e. the Porpoise class, that can take 16 torpedoes, which as a weight of 1.5 tonnes per torpedo (1,456 kg for the Mark 14), gives a total usable load of 24 tonnes.
Last edited:
Probably would be better having the US pig boats do it at least until they get working torpedoes.
Still not sure if it would move enough supplies to make a difference