1945 equiping your military in diffrent parts of the world

How different would you equip your Army if it was in North Africa ,Rest of Africa , Mideast , Europe , the Pacific, Asia or South America in 1945 .

This is not a RPG Game this is an actual discussion Thread on how would your nation build and equip its military in 1945 depending on were you are located in the world and who makes up your population .

If your country is mostly rain forest would you want the same equipment if you were in north Africa or even Europe .
Also would you want the Same Equipment if your nation Was like Brazil or the Belgium Congo or even a South East Asia nation they all have rain forest in them but they each have a different type of Population and political climate .

And just to make you think about it the Great , Major and Supper powers are still Around in there 1939 Boarders .
 
Come on there is no takers on this thread .
Would you need the Tiger tank if you were facing the Japanese tanks in Burma or Thailand or might you go with a tank like the M-24 which is lighter and a lot cheaper to up keep and maintain .
 
If you are in jungle or mountain country, and you have no heavy lift helicopter, you have no choice but to abandon heavy artillery for pack guns. Before WWII all pack howitzers were 75mm pea shooters. By late war the Austrians did come out with the pretty good 10.5 cm GebH 40. That's really in a league of its own.
 

NothingNow

Banned
General -
For Armor -
M4A3 or M4A4 Sherman if I can get them, preferences are for M4A3E8s with the 76mm, or Sherman Fireflies.
M24 Chaffee or M5 Stewart for a light tank. SPAA should be M19 GMC if I can get anything. The more rugged the country, the more likely that Light Tanks are going to be my Bread and butter.
Tank Destroyers are also a regional thing, but the M18 Hellcat and SP 17pdr Achilles are good choices, being fast, mobile heavy hitters.
Armored cars are limited in effectiveness given the region and terrain, but the M8/M20 combo are good scout cars, if under armed and armored given the region.
German designs are comparatively unreliable, and the Soviet designs tended to be rather cramped for the crews. I'm not likely to expect heavy armor anyway, since that's a rather regional thing. If it is a real threat M36 Jacksons, Jagdpanthers and SU-100s would be able to deal with it, although Heavy Tanks like the IS and Pershing might have to be looked into seriously.

Artillery -
25pdr or American 105mm Howitzers should be good, ammunition is widely available. Should use Long Tom as a companion piece if needed. If the terrain's to mountainous, we dig in, and use pack guns, Mortars and Rocket launchers.
Anti-tank weaponry should be a combination of either Bazookas or Panzerschrecks, and a number of Towed 17pdrs, 88mm or 90mm guns if I can't get Sherman Fireflies.
AA is a mix of Bofors and either 88 or 90mm AA depending on what the Anti-tank gun is.
The M2 Browning is to be used on everything with a pintle mount, and as the general choice on aircraft if proper Autocannons aren't standard, or can be made to fit well.

Infantry Weapons -
Domestically produced Madsen guns as the Squad MG, and go for the Mp44 or SVT-40 if I can get any. If not, the SMLE/Bren Combo is also a good option.
Depending on how wet the locale I'm working in is, the Mondragón rifle and LMG in 7mm Mauser could be a good option for a general service system. MG42s are a good choice for a GPMG as well, but I'd rather not be shackled to 8mm Mauser just because of an MG.
81mm Mortars are the standard of the day, and bloody useful, so we'll use them.

Aviation Assets -
Douglas Invaders are always a good choice, as are Corsairs, Thunderbolts, IL-2s and Typhoons (or Sea Furies if we can get them.) Other than that it's again, quite a regional thing.
Strategic Bombers are a more political decision, but If we're going for it, it's the B-29 or Lincoln. If we can't get them, we go for the B-32, which is the closest option.
For Transports, C-46s, C-47s, C-54s and Any members of the Constellation line should be fine, with the general preference being towards the C-46s and C-47s, unless we're doing something stupid like transporting Tanks by air.
Sea Planes are a necessity for real ASW work at this point, so I'd say go with the Sunderland, PBM and PBY-6A, but if the Boeing 344 turned into something, it's replacing the Sunderland and PBM on the preferred list.

Naval Systems -
Highly regional, and subject to domestic needs and requirements. Still, Castle and Flower Class ships are decent for ASW work, Minesweepers are vital, and Torpedo Boats/Gunboats are essential for riverine and inshore operations.
Type VIIC and Type XXI U-boats would be preferred for general use, but depending on the local conditions and needs, Type II and Type XXIIIs might be needed for local defense. If we're assuming Strategic use, Gato and Balao class subs, along with the Type IX submarines are the best options that would be more or less easily available.

Oddities -
LVTs will be useful for any sort of coastal operations, or just plain river crossings.
Flamethrowers might be useful for certain operations along with Incendiary munitions.
Shotguns are to be kept on hand, if not necessarily issued to front-line troops. If nothing else, we'll use them for any potential COIN ops, and for training. Skeet Shooting's cheap, effective, and makes for better marksmen.
Armored Trains are hit or miss. They're useful under certain circumstances, but still limited. If we use them, we're building them with a good number of AA weapons and Armored Drasines might be more useful.
Railway guns are useful as Siege artillery. We probably won't need them, so I won't discuss them.

Regional -

Europe-
I'm getting as much modern kit as I can, and going with the MG42/STG44/Panzerschreck combo for the infantry. Armor will still go with the Sherman as the base system, with some sort of Heavy Tank and Tank Destroyer backing it up, SPAA is going to be integral. Aviation assets will be from the general list, plus Bombers, but might have more of a tendency to Air-Superiority and Tactical Bombing. Anti-Air assets are no-longer a Divisional or regimental thing, they are now distributed down to the Battalion level if needed. Czechoslovak border fortifications shall be the model for the National Defensive network, and we'll make sure we can blow any bridges in the country with two-hours notice. ASW is a priority for the navy if we're coastal, and we should maintain a decent enough force to prevent anyone from thinking we're easy prey if they attempt a naval landing. However, anything larger than a Destroyer Leader is going to attract notice, so we'll focus on Torpedo Bombing, Submarines and Torpedo Boats.

Latin America-
Everyone's fairly self-concerned, Poor, or an American puppet, so a decent enough navy, good Armor and a decent Airforce will work wonders. Still, it's best not to rock the boat, so we'll copy the Brazilian lead politically, keep our submarine force on the down-low, and generally stick to Chaffees, M19 GMCs and American-style Tank Destroyers. Depending on the Need, long range submarines could be useful, and a Battlecruiser is a good way to win a bit of national prestige if we're on the coast without ringing too many alarms. However, a Carrier is a better investment if we can afford the Air wing and escorts for it. If we can swing it, getting a Colossus or an Independence-class, a few Sumner-class and a Cleveland-class as escorts would be marvelous cover for the purchase a few dozen Type IXs or Balaos, which would be much, much more useful.

Middle East/North Africa-
Armor and Airpower rule the day in the Desert and in Mesopotamia. As such, put money into AA assets, Armor, and Aviation in general. Stick with the European force structure for the most part, excepting the reduced need for fortifications, but we should still build some. Armored trains could be useful here, even if just to patrol the tracks and defend vital supply shipments. Logistics is far more essential than usual, so we'll need to beef up the proportion of rear-echelon troops, and maintain a list of usable wells and Oasis, and what the normal discharge is. We'll put Sand filters on everything, and generally adopt a Cotton Drill for the uniforms with a Woolen or Cotton Drill Cloak for nighttime in the desert. Look in to getting some of those Cloak Tents the Germans and Soviets are using. Depending on the local weather, the Mondragón rifle and LMG should be good options.

Asia- We'll start with the Latin American list, but there's really not as much need for heavy armor, and the M8 is a great Tank Destroyer for dealing with anything the Japanese can throw at me. Still, Focus on Aviation, at least for defensive use and CAS, and if the terrain's right, fortify thoroughly. Flamethrowers and flame tanks might be needed if we're fighting the Japanese, but mostly for offensive operations. If I'm a Soviet Neighbor, I'm going to buy some armor from them, get my Aviation and AA assets from abroad, and make overtures about the need to advance socialism, while fortifying my nation until it is a single giant fortress. Naval assets are a local thing as well, but a good submarine force, ASW equipment and enough surface vessels to present a threat and suitably patrol my waters is generally what I need. Torpedo Bombers will be very useful, and Strategic bombers might be necessary to strike at enemy infrastructure, but might not be worth the investment.

So there, That's my thoughts on the matter. What do you guys think?
 
General -
For Armor -
M4A3 or M4A4 Sherman if I can get them, preferences are for M4A3E8s with the 76mm, or Sherman Fireflies.
M24 Chaffee or M5 Stewart for a light tank. SPAA should be M19 GMC if I can get anything. The more rugged the country, the more likely that Light Tanks are going to be my Bread and butter.
Tank Destroyers are also a regional thing, but the M18 Hellcat and SP 17pdr Achilles are good choices, being fast, mobile heavy hitters.
Armored cars are limited in effectiveness given the region and terrain, but the M8/M20 combo are good scout cars, if under armed and armored given the region.
German designs are comparatively unreliable, and the Soviet designs tended to be rather cramped for the crews. I'm not likely to expect heavy armor anyway, since that's a rather regional thing. If it is a real threat M36 Jacksons, Jagdpanthers and SU-100s would be able to deal with it, although Heavy Tanks like the IS and Pershing might have to be looked into seriously.

Artillery -
25pdr or American 105mm Howitzers should be good, ammunition is widely available. Should use Long Tom as a companion piece if needed. If the terrain's to mountainous, we dig in, and use pack guns, Mortars and Rocket launchers.
Anti-tank weaponry should be a combination of either Bazookas or Panzerschrecks, and a number of Towed 17pdrs, 88mm or 90mm guns if I can't get Sherman Fireflies.
AA is a mix of Bofors and either 88 or 90mm AA depending on what the Anti-tank gun is.
The M2 Browning is to be used on everything with a pintle mount, and as the general choice on aircraft if proper Autocannons aren't standard, or can be made to fit well.

Infantry Weapons -
Domestically produced Madsen guns as the Squad MG, and go for the Mp44 or SVT-40 if I can get any. If not, the SMLE/Bren Combo is also a good option.
Depending on how wet the locale I'm working in is, the Mondragón rifle and LMG in 7mm Mauser could be a good option for a general service system. MG42s are a good choice for a GPMG as well, but I'd rather not be shackled to 8mm Mauser just because of an MG.
81mm Mortars are the standard of the day, and bloody useful, so we'll use them.

Aviation Assets -
Douglas Invaders are always a good choice, as are Corsairs, Thunderbolts, IL-2s and Typhoons (or Sea Furies if we can get them.) Other than that it's again, quite a regional thing.
Strategic Bombers are a more political decision, but If we're going for it, it's the B-29 or Lincoln. If we can't get them, we go for the B-32, which is the closest option.
For Transports, C-46s, C-47s, C-54s and Any members of the Constellation line should be fine, with the general preference being towards the C-46s and C-47s, unless we're doing something stupid like transporting Tanks by air.
Sea Planes are a necessity for real ASW work at this point, so I'd say go with the Sunderland, PBM and PBY-6A, but if the Boeing 344 turned into something, it's replacing the Sunderland and PBM on the preferred list.

Naval Systems -
Highly regional, and subject to domestic needs and requirements. Still, Castle and Flower Class ships are decent for ASW work, Minesweepers are vital, and Torpedo Boats/Gunboats are essential for riverine and inshore operations.
Type VIIC and Type XXI U-boats would be preferred for general use, but depending on the local conditions and needs, Type II and Type XXIIIs might be needed for local defense. If we're assuming Strategic use, Gato and Balao class subs, along with the Type IX submarines are the best options that would be more or less easily available.

Oddities -
LVTs will be useful for any sort of coastal operations, or just plain river crossings.
Flamethrowers might be useful for certain operations along with Incendiary munitions.
Shotguns are to be kept on hand, if not necessarily issued to front-line troops. If nothing else, we'll use them for any potential COIN ops, and for training. Skeet Shooting's cheap, effective, and makes for better marksmen.
Armored Trains are hit or miss. They're useful under certain circumstances, but still limited. If we use them, we're building them with a good number of AA weapons and Armored Drasines might be more useful.
Railway guns are useful as Siege artillery. We probably won't need them, so I won't discuss them.

Regional -

Europe-
I'm getting as much modern kit as I can, and going with the MG42/STG44/Panzerschreck combo for the infantry. Armor will still go with the Sherman as the base system, with some sort of Heavy Tank and Tank Destroyer backing it up, SPAA is going to be integral. Aviation assets will be from the general list, plus Bombers, but might have more of a tendency to Air-Superiority and Tactical Bombing. Anti-Air assets are no-longer a Divisional or regimental thing, they are now distributed down to the Battalion level if needed. Czechoslovak border fortifications shall be the model for the National Defensive network, and we'll make sure we can blow any bridges in the country with two-hours notice. ASW is a priority for the navy if we're coastal, and we should maintain a decent enough force to prevent anyone from thinking we're easy prey if they attempt a naval landing. However, anything larger than a Destroyer Leader is going to attract notice, so we'll focus on Torpedo Bombing, Submarines and Torpedo Boats.

Latin America-
Everyone's fairly self-concerned, Poor, or an American puppet, so a decent enough navy, good Armor and a decent Airforce will work wonders. Still, it's best not to rock the boat, so we'll copy the Brazilian lead politically, keep our submarine force on the down-low, and generally stick to Chaffees, M19 GMCs and American-style Tank Destroyers. Depending on the Need, long range submarines could be useful, and a Battlecruiser is a good way to win a bit of national prestige if we're on the coast without ringing too many alarms. However, a Carrier is a better investment if we can afford the Air wing and escorts for it. If we can swing it, getting a Colossus or an Independence-class, a few Sumner-class and a Cleveland-class as escorts would be marvelous cover for the purchase a few dozen Type IXs or Balaos, which would be much, much more useful.

Middle East/North Africa-
Armor and Airpower rule the day in the Desert and in Mesopotamia. As such, put money into AA assets, Armor, and Aviation in general. Stick with the European force structure for the most part, excepting the reduced need for fortifications, but we should still build some. Armored trains could be useful here, even if just to patrol the tracks and defend vital supply shipments. Logistics is far more essential than usual, so we'll need to beef up the proportion of rear-echelon troops, and maintain a list of usable wells and Oasis, and what the normal discharge is. We'll put Sand filters on everything, and generally adopt a Cotton Drill for the uniforms with a Woolen or Cotton Drill Cloak for nighttime in the desert. Look in to getting some of those Cloak Tents the Germans and Soviets are using. Depending on the local weather, the Mondragón rifle and LMG should be good options.

Asia- We'll start with the Latin American list, but there's really not as much need for heavy armor, and the M8 is a great Tank Destroyer for dealing with anything the Japanese can throw at me. Still, Focus on Aviation, at least for defensive use and CAS, and if the terrain's right, fortify thoroughly. Flamethrowers and flame tanks might be needed if we're fighting the Japanese, but mostly for offensive operations. If I'm a Soviet Neighbor, I'm going to buy some armor from them, get my Aviation and AA assets from abroad, and make overtures about the need to advance socialism, while fortifying my nation until it is a single giant fortress. Naval assets are a local thing as well, but a good submarine force, ASW equipment and enough surface vessels to present a threat and suitably patrol my waters is generally what I need. Torpedo Bombers will be very useful, and Strategic bombers might be necessary to strike at enemy infrastructure, but might not be worth the investment.

So there, That's my thoughts on the matter. What do you guys think?

I like how you reason out your units for different areas of the world and took in Regional political Climate as well .
 

NothingNow

Banned
I like how you reason out your units for different areas of the world and took in Regional political Climate as well .

Thank you, not to mention actual climate and geography.
Thinking about it, put Cloak-tents, Machetes and entrenching tools down on every one of those lists. The things are just plain useful. As would a keffiyeh, Tagelmust, bucket hat or a proper wide brimmed hat in any "Hot" climate.
 
Thank you, not to mention actual climate and geography.
Thinking about it, put Cloak-tents, Machetes and entrenching tools down on every one of those lists. The things are just plain useful. As would a keffiyeh, Tagelmust, bucket hat or a proper wide brimmed hat in any "Hot" climate.

Also you might want to use smaller caliber weapons if your people are mostly from the Far east because at that time most were around 5 Ft 2 in Tall for the men .
 

NothingNow

Banned
Also you might want to use smaller caliber weapons if your people are mostly from the Far east because at that time most were around 5 Ft 2 in Tall for the men .

Yeah, something like the STG-44 would be better given the cartridge, but it's more an issue of sizing the stock differently and issuing slightly shorter infantry weapons in general, although it wouldn't be as much of a headache as it seems.
The JGSDF and Koreans didn't run into any other issues really until they started to move to 105mm and then finally 120mm tank guns, where upon they moved to auto-loaders. Indeed it seems at times that Russian tanks are perfectly designed for the average Chinese man of 1940.
 
Yeah this point regarding load carrying capacity is a point I have taken into one of my own TL's. Although I seriously wanted my Army to have SLR's, their higher weght led me to go with the AK 47. However Nothing Now I like your Army selection.
 
Air Force:

P-51 and Mosquitoes since they share the Merlin Engine
B-24 bombers and AC-47 transport since they are plentiful and share the same P&W R-1830 engine.
Short Sunderland Mk V as flying boat, since it also use the R-1830. I now have a full spectrum of combat aircraft with only two engine types to service.

Navy:

See if the Americans will sell me some Fletcher class destroyers and Gato submarines, or else pay the British to finish the last few T class boats. A handful of Landing Ship, Tank would be very nice.
Copy the German S-Boot for fast attack.

Army:

Vehicles:

Surplus T-34-85 or Shermans are all fine with me. But I would want a license to build Centurions as my next generation tank.
M3 Half track
M5 Gun Tractor
LVT-4 Amphibious Landing Vehicle
GMC CCKW trucks and the DUKW Amphibious truck derivative
Jeeps

Arty:

British 25 pounders plus Soviet 122mm M1938 in combination for divisional artillery
Either American 155mm M114 or Soviet 152mm M1943 for Corps arty
10.5 cm GebH 40 for pack howitzer
75mm M20 Recoilless rifle for AT
60mm, 81mm, and most importantly the M1943 120mm mortars

Small Arms:

Gar Gustav RCL for anti-tank
MG42 combined with SAFN-49 rifle, both are in 7.92 Mauser
Mauser bolt action based sniper rifle
MP44 (reliability is questionable, so SAFN-49 will be my mainstay). Get rid of it when the AK-47 becomes available. Until then the MP44 will replace the SMG in the squad.
Either M2HB or DShKM HMG
ROKS flamethrower
Browning HP pistol

__________________________________

IMO it makes no difference at all what terrain you face or how big your soldiers are. Most countries will need to deal with multiple terrain and climate types. The above will be suitable for all occasions. Certainly you would want the excellent Soviet 120mm mortar since it's both light and an acceptable substitute for artillery in difficult terrain, but backed up with heavy arty when the terrain permits. By late war a number of light weight weapons such as the M20 and Carl Gustav recoilless could take the place of earlier heavy ATG. Using smaller caliber small arms is driven by doctrine rather than size of the soldier. The Chinese in Korea used Soviet equipment without difficulty and the British issued the same weapons to their Gurkha units.
 
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