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Old 01-08-2011, 12:09 AM
James Langham James Langham is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by raketenjagdpanzer View Post
This is one that always made me go hmm...

There's instances of US tank divisions that consist of 2500 men and 30 vehicles (which can be TOW equipped humvees, M109 SP guns, M60s, captured PT-76's, etc. etc.; it's never really specified, is it?), or infantry divisions of 900 men and no vehicles (or worse yet armored divisions with no vehicles, etc.)

Why wouldn't (what was left of) theater command just regroup all of the units under a single prewar divisional size broken down into brigades, companies, platoons etc.

It would seem to make a hell of a lot more sense than the piecemeal units scattered hither and yon.

Of course I understand that after the failed summer offensive a lot of those units are scattered for a reason, and it's not like you can just pick up the satellite phone and ring up Brussels for guidance, or check the GPS to locate those other scattered units!

But really, if you assume a couple of things: one that OpOrd Omega doesn't go down until after Christmas or later and that two whatever orders DO come down from MilGov and CivGov don't conflict, I can't see a reason why you wouldn't just reform under a divisional banner.

Just say: Okay, this is now the 999th Armored Division, create your TO&E based on what you do have, refuse your ranks, base out of a surviving POMCUS location (or REFORGER location, maybe Bremen) to keep a supply line going and put an end to the Mad Max stuff before it starts.

Assuming that it worked, and that likewise you could build a German Panzergrenadier division...I mean, that's two full-strength divisions. Real divisions, too, not 6 tanks here, 10 APCs there, etc.
In a British context the morale effects of rebadging everybody would be massive. In the UK there is an immense tribal loyalty to units.

There is also the factor of inertia. Until someone higher up organises, nobody at a lower level will action.
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