A New Balance

[Not James Stockdale]

Panzer IV (Custom Design)

Weight: 49.9 tons
Crew: 6 (Commander, Driver, 2 x Gunners, Loader, Radio Operator)
Armor: up to 60 mm
Main Armament: 10.5 cm L/19 Gun
Secondary Armament: 3.7 cm L/47 Gun (Secondary Turret), 4 x 7.92 mm Machine Guns
Engine: V-12, liquid cooled
Operational Range: 100 km
Speed: 18 km/h
Entered Service: 1933

What are this tank's prospects for modernization? Will it stay like a Churchill for infantry support or could it mount a heavy anti-tank gun like the Tiger or late Pz. IV? I doubt the two turrets will prove particularly useful in combat.

Also, with the threat of the Soviet Union so close, what are the Germans worried about at sea?

 

[Jim Smitty]

What are this tank's prospects for modernization? Will it stay like a Churchill for infantry support or could it mount a heavy anti-tank gun like the Tiger or late Pz. IV? I doubt the two turrets will prove particularly useful in combat.

Not great, think Soviet T-35 multi-turret design. Even the Germans weren't that happy with it but it was fielded because the other VK prototypes fielded in that contest were even worse than that.

Also, with the threat of the Soviet Union so close, what are the Germans worried about at sea?

Right now their greatest fear is facing a British-Soviet Tag Team. Well nightmare really.

 

[sloreck]

Good stuff. Basically all of the ships of all nations that are coal fired are obsolete as of the late 1930s. The issues of manning to stoke coal fired boilers, space needed for coal, etc are real issues even for ships designed to operate only in limited areas.

 

[Jim Smitty]

Good stuff. Basically all of the ships of all nations that are coal fired are obsolete as of the late 1930s. The issues of manning to stoke coal fired boilers, space needed for coal, etc are real issues even for ships designed to operate only in limited areas.

Its one of the reasons the Germans don't have any reserve battleships. They had a pair of Helgoland like BBs in reserves per the Bern Naval Treaty when it broke. However, they really didn't like how those were design and they were getting ready to send those to the breakers anyway when the treaty broke so they when ahead even through they could kept them. They can't afford whole sell replacing all those coal fired ships. They view those coal fire ships as useful, but obsolete.

 

[sloreck]

I expect that rather quickly those ships will go to salvage, and the turrets go to coastal batteries, or even some monitors designed for Baltic service/amphibious assault support.

 

[rommel12]

Good update, it would be a little strange that the army of Babiera after the war remained separate. Is 1937, for me I think that perhaps by that date the Germans without the treaty of versailles have to have a better vehicle and not better economy. The Germans have twice the French population.
The updating of austrohungria must be very difficult with its political system and have three armies. The common or regular army hardly united by different ethnic groups that many do not want each other. The army Honvédség that the Austrians do not trust for being very nationalist and only serve the interests of Hungarians and the Landwehr jercito that are with the only one that count I think.

 

[Jim Smitty]

Good update, it would be a little strange that the army of Babiera after the war remained separate. Is 1937, for me I think that perhaps by that date the Germans without the treaty of versailles have to have a better vehicle and not better economy. The Germans have twice the French population.
The updating of austrohungria must be very difficult with its political system and have three armies. The common or regular army hardly united by different ethnic groups that many do not want each other. The army Honvédség that the Austrians do not trust for being very nationalist and only serve the interests of Hungarians and the Landwehr jercito that are with the only one that count I think.

Speak of the devil, I'm working on the Austro-Hungarian update as we speak. Fuck if its not making me wanting to pull my hair out.

 

[Jim Smitty]

Austria-Hungary

Government Type: Personal Union Constitutional Monarchy (it's complicated)
Head of State: Emperor-King Franz Ferdinand [1]
Regent Head of State: Archduke Otto of Austria [2]
Head of Government (Austria): Minster-President Ralph Helmfried [3]
Head of Government (Hungary): Prime Minister Henrik Bendeguz
Power Status: Great Power
Population: 57,391,013 (1937 Projected)


Minister of War: Peter von Severin
Minister of Navy: Pista Gellert
Minister of Air: Norbert Illes
Chief of the General Staff: Generaloberst Erick von Erik


Conscription:

Conscription within the duel monarchy is a mess. There are three different armies all within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Making matters worse is the fact Austria-Hungary is hemorrhaging demographics that are a minority within the Empire. Many of these minorities don’t want to serve in the Common Army nor either the Austrian or Hungarians Armies. Then many people who had perform their two years of service migrate to any nation willing to take them which weakens the reserves. Further the Austrians and Hungarians neglect the Common Army to pay for upgrading their own armies. Outside the Mountain units in the Common Army moral is poor in general save for the more elite mountain units as no one really wants to be there.


Army
Army Chief of Staff (Common Army): Generaloberst Rade Rudolf
Army Chief of Staff (Imperial-Royal Landwehr): Generaloberst Friedhelm von Viet
Army Chief of Staff (Royal Hungarian Honved): Generaloberst Janos Ferenc


Unit Strength:

45 Infantry Divisions (Common Army), 12 Infantry Divisions (Imperial-Royal Landwehr), 9 Infantry Divisions (Royal Hungarian Honved), 9 Mountain Divisions (Common Army), 9 Cavalry Division (Common Army), 6 Cavalry Divisions (Royal Hungarian Honved) 3 Cavalry Divisions (Imperial-Royal Landwehr), 3 Mountain Divisions (Imperial-Royal Landwehr)


Equipment:

The Austro-Hungarians had generally left their small arms stay behind the rest of the world even through they have some talented gunsmiths within their empire. Instead of putting the time and money into making a semi-automatic rifle like many others have, the Austro-Hungarians have decided to instead improve their Mannlicher rifle and call it good enough. The M1895/26[4] fires a spitzer 8 x 56 mm bullet which is far more powerful than the round used by the M1895. However the straight pull bolt action 1895/26 is still overmatched by more modern semi-automatic rifles.


Unlike every single nation the Austro-Hungarians have fielded a stripper clip fed pistol. The M1913[5] is cambered in 9mm Steyr. The pistol is rugged and can handle a great deal abuse and keep working. The only totally new small arms field by the Austro-Hungarians is the M1935 Submachine Gun[6]. During the Great War the Austro-Hungarians didn’t field a submachine gun nor did they buy the license for the German design MP-17. The Austro-Hungarians worked on a number different designs during the 1920s but didn’t field any of them. Yet they decided to field the M1935 which has a number of odd features for a submachine gun. These include a quick-change barrel along with a foldable bipod that is more along the line of light machine guns than submachine guns. This is primary because the Austro-Hungarians want to use the M1935 in the light machine gun role. Further it has a weight in the bolt that can be removed to increase the weight of fire or added to slow the rate of fire. That said the weapon is well like by the lucky few who have been issued it. For the heavy machine gun the Austro Hungarians use the Schwarlose Machine Guns but modernized to make it lighter and easier to move.


Infantry Support Weapons

The common hand grenade within the Austro-Hungarian Empire is the Modell 1933 Eierhandgranate[7]. The Modell 1933 is an upgraded version of the hand grenade used during the Great War. It uses four different color fuses that tells the user how long the fuse is set for. These range from zero to eight seconds. During the Great War the Austro Hungarian Army when down its own path on mortars none of which were that good. Yet it wasn’t till the early 1930s that the Austro-Hungarians started to upgrade them with more modern designs. The first designed fielded was the 5 cm Minenwerfer 32[8]. The next step up from the 5 cm design is the 8 cm Minenwerfer 34[9]. Currently the Austro-Hungarians are working on a 12 cm design slated to be fielded sometime between 1939-1940.


Artillery

In the area of artillery the Austro-Hungarian Army is radically different than just everyone else. Because of the nature of their army or more to the point their armies, means that how artillery is used and even divided is a freaking nightmare. The Common Army has the largest artillery allotment for all three armies. The Imperial-Royal Landwehr has a lighter artillery allotment than the Common Army that is such it would put it on the same in terms of numbers of many reserve formations in other nations. Then the Royal Hungarian Honved isn’t allowed to have artillery over 8 cm in size and the allotment is very light in numbers. The Royal Hungarian Honved allotment is lower than many colonial formations.


With this imbalance in how artillery is allotted to the three armies has caused the Austro Hungarian Armies to fall behind in terms of advances made in advances made with artillery[10]. Their systems have been upgraded where possible but this is taking time as there is a lack of funding. This is notable because the Hungarians have been pushing for larger allotments for their Royal Hungarian Honved and an increase to artillery up to 10 cm for increases in funding to modernize artillery in the other Austro Hungarian Armies.


On the anti-armor and anti-air fronts the Austro-Hungarians have been more active in designing modern designs. For its anti-armor weapon it uses the 3.7 cm Pak 34. For light anti-aircraft work they make use of the 2 cm Flak 31 and for larger anti-air missions they use the 7.5 cm Flak 36. Unlike field guns or howitzer how these weapons are deployed within the empire and its three armies is much more even with only slight differences in allotments.


Light Goliaths

Name? (I suck at coming up with Austro-Hungarian Names for equipment) (FCM 36)

Weight: 12.6 t
Crew: 2 (Commander, Driver)
Armor: up to 40 mm
Main Armament: 37 mm L/35 Gun
Secondary Armament: 8 mm Machine Gun
Engine: V-4, liquid cooled
Operational Range: 150 km
Speed: 25 km/h
Entered Service: 1936


Air Force
Air Force Chief of Staff: General der Flieger Sigmund von Matthias


Aircraft Strength:

2,250 front line aircraft


Equipment:

Austro Hungarian Fighter I (How do you name these?) (IAR 80)

Crew: 1
Powerplant: 14 cylinder, radical
Speed: 329 mph
Range: 450 miles
Service Ceiling: 32,000 feet
Armament: 4 x 8 mm machine guns and up to 500 lbs of ordnance
Entered Service: 1937


Austro Hungarian Fighter II (Gloster Gladiator)

Crew: 1
Powerplant: 9 cylinder, radical
Speed: 419 km/h
Range: 450 km
Service Ceiling: 10,100 m
Armament: 6 x 8 mm machine guns
Entered Service: 1934


Close Air Support

Austro-Hungarian CAS I (Curtiss A-12 Shrike)

Crew: 2 (Pilot, Gunner)
Powerplant: 9 cylinder radical
Speed: 285 km/h
Range: 850 km
Service Ceiling: 4,700 m
Armament: 5 x 8 mm machine guns, and up to 225 kg of ordnance
Entered Service: 1934


Tactical Bomber

Austro-Hungarian Tactical Bomber I (Bloch MB.200)

Crew: 4 (Pilot, Bombardier/Navigator, Radio Operator/Gunner, Gunner)
Powerplant: 2 x 14 cylinder, radicals
Speed: 285 km/h
Range: 1,100 km
Service Ceiling: 8,000 m
Armament: 3 x 8 mm machine guns, and up to 1,200 kg of ordnance
Entered Service: 1935


Navy
Chief of Naval Operations: Admiral Zsolt Pisti


Total Strength:

When the Treaty System Broke in 1934

1 Semi-Colossus Battleship, 14,510 Tonnage
12 Colossus Battleships, 315,440 Tonnage

Total Capital Ship of 329,950 Tonnage against a limit of 330,000 tonnage

1 Aircraft Carrier, 33,400 Tonnage

Total Aircraft Carrier of 33,400 Tonnage against a limit of 150,000 tonnage


Active

12 Battleships
1 Aircraft Carrier
5 Heavy Cruisers
15 Light Cruisers
46 Destroyers
22 Submarines (Various)


Pre-Commission Work Ups/Fitting Out/Slip Way/Laid Down/Ordered

2 Battleships
1 Heavy Cruiser
8 Destroyers
4 Submarines


Reserves

3 Semi-Colossus Battleship
4 Light Cruisers
12 Destroyers
8 Submarines


Ship Overview (Cap Ships and Carriers)

Semi-Colossus Battleship

Radetzky Class Semi-Colossus Battleships, Reserve

14,510 tons displacement, coal fired boilers, triple expansion steam engines, 20.5 knots, 4 x 30.5 cm L/45s in twin turrets, 8 x 24 cm L/45s in twin turrets, 20 x 10 cm L/50s casemate, 4 x 7 cm AA Guns

SMS Radetzky
SMS Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand
SMS Zrinyi


Colossus Battleships

Tegetthoff Class Battleships

20,000 tons displacement, coal oil spray fired boilers, turbine driven, 20 knots, 12 x 30.5 cm L/45s in Triple Turrets(Superfiring), 12 x 15 cm L/50s castmate, 18 x 7 cm AA Guns

SMS Tegetthoff
SMS Viribus Unitis
SMS Prinz Eugen
SMS Szent Istvan


Monarch Class Battleships

24,560 tons displacement, coal oil spray fired boilers, turbine driven, 21 knots, 10 x 35 cm L/45s in Triple/Twin Turrets (Superfiring), 14 x 15 cm L/50s castmate, 16 x 9 AA Guns

SMS Monarch
SMS Wien
SMS Budapest
SMS Kronprinzessin Erzherzogin Stephanie


Habsburg Class Battleships

31,900 tons displacement, oil fired boilers, turbine driven, 26 knots, 12 x 35 cm L/50s in triple turrets (Superfiring), 12 x 15cm L/50s casemate, 4 x 9 cm AA Guns

SMS Habsburg
SMS Árpád
SMS Babenberg


Erzherzog Karl Class Battleships

41,500 tons displacement (Official), 42,400 tons displacement (Actual), oil fired boilers, turbine driven, 31 knots, 10 x 41 cm L/45s in Quad/Twin Turrets (Superfiring Forward), 12 x 12 cm L/45 in Twin Turrets, 8 x 7.5 cm AA Guns

SMS Erzherzog Karl


Ersatz Class Battleships

51,050 tons displacement, oil fired boilers, turbine driven, 31 knots, 11 x 41 cm L/50s in Quad/Triple Turrets (Superfiring Forward), 18 x 12 cm L/45s in Twin Turrets, 8 x 7.5 cm AA Guns

Ersatz One, Laid Down
Ersatz Two, Ordered


Aircraft Carriers

Lissa Class Aircraft Carriers

33,400 tons displacement, oil fired boilers, turbine driven, 26 knots, 4 x 21 cm L/45s castmate, 8 12 cm L/50s Twin Turrets/Castmates, 4 x 9 cm AA Guns, 42 Aircraft

SMS Lissa


[1] Suffered a heart attack two months ago and is recovering.

[2] Franz Ferdinand’s son and next in line for the Austro-Hungarian throne.

[3] Yeah, there really isn’t anyone to base these guys off.

[4] 35M Puska

[5] Steyr M1912

[6] ZK-383 Submachine Gun in 9 mm Steyr

[7] Model 39 Grenade “Egg grenade”

[8] 5 cm Granatwerfer 36

[9] 8 cm Granatwerfer 34

[10] The Austro-Hungarian Artillery system is a god damn cluster fuck. I’m not trying to figure it out nor cover it, sue me.

 

[rommel12]

Very good update, how horrible must be the policy in austriahungria should be very lucky to keep your system running. As the army was supposed to be a disaster being the most affected the common army and its main problem is that they can not reach something better since the Hungarians put a price so that they continue with the same policies since they do not want to share power.
A question how the treaty works I do not remember as it is called that it was realized like every 10 years in the empire is equal or has been modified.

 

[bolhabela]

Nice update. The Austro-Hungarian army is really a mess. I just wanted to add that Pista and Pisti are not used as names. Both stand for Istvan and are used just amongst frends and family. Officially it's always Istvan

 

[Kuamong]

The Austro-Hungarian military looks like a damn mess. I don't blame you for not going more in depth on them than on the other nations. The only thing that would make it less of a mess would be if those three armies answered to a single high command, but from looking at the update, I highly doubt that.

 

[sloreck]

OTL in the Common Army you had units made up of specific minorities. What this meant was that a large number of the lower rank folks were only fluent in their own language which makes everything so much fun when units next to each other have difficulty communicating (let alone some officers and the men). While the most commonly shared language would be German this would not be spoken well, if at all by many minorities. Of course, the Imperial Army would use German and the Hungarians Hungarian. Most officers in the Honved would probably speak German, but enlisted less so. Some Austrian officers would speak Hungarian, but very few enlisted. While the Common Army would have the largest mixture of languages, both the Imperial Army and the Honved would have minority conscripts whose ability in the majority language would be suspect at best.

On top of the language difficulties, a fair number of minorities don't like each other. Young men full of testosterone whose ability to communicate with other may be little more than insults and curses, who have a history of hating the other guys, and have weapons handy. What could go wrong??

 

[Jim Smitty]

OTL in the Common Army you had units made up of specific minorities. What this meant was that a large number of the lower rank folks were only fluent in their own language which makes everything so much fun when units next to each other have difficulty communicating (let alone some officers and the men). While the most commonly shared language would be German this would not be spoken well, if at all by many minorities. Of course, the Imperial Army would use German and the Hungarians Hungarian. Most officers in the Honved would probably speak German, but enlisted less so. Some Austrian officers would speak Hungarian, but very few enlisted. While the Common Army would have the largest mixture of languages, both the Imperial Army and the Honved would have minority conscripts whose ability in the majority language would be suspect at best.

On top of the language difficulties, a fair number of minorities don't like each other. Young men full of testosterone whose ability to communicate with other may be little more than insults and curses, who have a history of hating the other guys, and have weapons handy. What could go wrong??

One of the problems Austria-Hungary is facing is those minorities saw what happened to the Italians and Serbians in the aftermath of the Great War. Its scared many shitless. Its one of the reasons between 1914-1937 the Austro-Hungarian Empire only added about 5 to 6 million people to their empire. These minorities are running to any nation that will take them Czechs and others (Mostly Czechs through) that can pass themselves off as German go for the United States. Others go to South Africa or the Imperial Federation where if you are a White Christian than you are welcomed. Basically no questions asked. Others go to South America or Mexico. Because they are scared that it would happen to them next. And with the Austrians and Hungarians not on the best of terms something is going to have to give sooner or later. Its one of the reasons they aren't putting the money into their army nor air force.

 

[Alias]

So Jim, what's South Africa demographics like with more European immigration?

 

[Jim Smitty]

So Jim, what's South Africa demographics like with more European immigration?

Population are anywhere from 5 to 10 years ahead of OTL in numbers. As to a break down of demographics, I'm not getting that detailed.

 

[Doragon]

I'm not getting that detailed.

*dies laughing*

 

[lukedalton]

One of the problems Austria-Hungary is facing is those minorities saw what happened to the Italians and Serbians in the aftermath of the Great War. Its scared many shitless. Its one of the reasons between 1914-1937 the Austro-Hungarian Empire only added about 5 to 6 million people to their empire. These minorities are running to any nation that will take them Czechs and others (Mostly Czechs through) that can pass themselves off as German go for the United States. Others go to South Africa or the Imperial Federation where if you are a White Christian than you are welcomed. Basically no questions asked. Others go to South America or Mexico. Because they are scared that it would happen to them next. And with the Austrians and Hungarians not on the best of terms something is going to have to give sooner or later. Its one of the reasons they aren't putting the money into their army nor air force.

Frankly A-H is in much trouble and not 'just' for the tension between Austria and Hungary, but by this stage there will be a demographic crisis more or less like OTL France in the period due to the war loss, the Serbian revolt and more importantly the forced mass exodus of Italian and Serbian plus much of the various minorities; and unlike France i don't see the Hapsburg Empire as a land of mass immigration.
Sooner or later someone with a functioning brain in Wien will make 2 plus 2 and will try to stop the bleeding, maybe with the carrot or maybe with the stick but it will try.

 

[Jim Smitty]

Frankly A-H is in much trouble and not 'just' for the tension between Austria and Hungary, but by this stage there will be a demographic crisis more or less like OTL France in the period due to the war loss, the Serbian revolt and more importantly the forced mass exodus of Italian and Serbian plus much of the various minorities; and unlike France i don't see the Hapsburg Empire as a land of mass immigration.
Sooner or later someone with a functioning brain in Wien will make 2 plus 2 and will try to stop the bleeding, maybe with the carrot or maybe with the stick but it will try.

Yeah Austria Hungary isn't going to be a fun place to be in the near future. Even more so as the minorities are hell bent to get the fuck out at all cost. Even some Austrian-Germans want out. Its going to be fun to watch what happens next.

 

[lukedalton]

Yeah Austria Hungary isn't going to be a fun place to be in the near future. Even more so as the minorities are hell bent to get the fuck out at all cost. Even some Austrian-Germans want out. Its going to be fun to watch what happens next.

Holy clusterfuck batman; well pass the popcorn

 

[Jim Smitty]

Holy clusterfuck batman; well pass the popcorn

Give me time young padawan. Even through I'm starting 1st/3rd person updates in 1937 with a yearly recap up for every year its going take some time for things to come to a full boil.