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Old July 18th, 2007, 10:50 PM
PMN1 PMN1 is offline
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More advanced radio communications

If the kind of radio communications in use in 1940 with the various combatants were in use in 1914, what changes would you expect?
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Old July 20th, 2007, 10:25 PM
Red7 Red7 is offline
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I think what you’re getting at is the command and control process at Brigade+ level. The advances in communications however wouldn’t have led to massive changes in doctrine without corresponding advances in motor vehicles, tanks, more mobile support weapons. Although at unit level, mission command could more easily be given at company or platoon level, and individual units could exploit breakthroughs far more efficiently.
Basically it comes down to speed, yes you can now communicate far faster, but you can’t exploit that because you can’t actually move any faster.
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Old July 21st, 2007, 05:04 PM
wiking wiking is offline
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I disagree about the lack of ability to exploit a break in. The entire way that the artillery would function would be changed, as the platoon leader can adjust fire and relay any information back to the commander instead of the hours required in OTL to get information back and orders forward.

I forsee a more mobile bloody war that wears out both sides quicker, which in the end might give one side or the other the break they need to push the enemy over the edge. The allies several times almost broke through the German lines, but because of the the time lapse in letting the generals know about the success, the Germans reenforced the line and held. The central powers might even collapse earlier if they tried to deal with Russia while sitting in the West.

But the Schlieffen plan might work if the Germans had better communications to firm up the line and report recon info quicker.
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