Land warfare capacity.
P1. No tanks.
P2. Very little artillery.
P3. Motorized transport is limited.
P4. No shipping for troop transport.
P5. Maybe 4 divisions ready for combat.
The problem is that a shooting war is in progress and the political necessity it to do something to the Nazis now. Russia is a basket case and it needs help, but that is a logistics headache and it will have to be solved the way it was. Slow and steady is the only way. The Arctic Route is not the way. Right now the Persian Gulf and La Perouse Strait routes are the two routes that must be established for as long as the peace holds with Japan..
The army, (mostly light infantry formations.), if it is committed, can only be committed to the Middle East as a reserve force to provide base defense and security to the USAAF as it builds up in Palestine. More on what this means when I discuss the air farce situation
Naval Situation>
Pacific.
1. PACFLT is screwed. It can barely secure the SLOCs to Hawaii. Parading aircraft carriers along predictable routes to be ambushed by submarines (USS Saratoga Lesson and later USS Wasp) is insane.
Atlantic:
2. Currently 70% of US naval surface strength is committed to the Atlantic. Two -three aircraft carrier task forces are wandering around aimlessly, maybe putting in training, and three surface action groups are clearly deployed in a forward power projection posture.
a. Iceland.
b. UK waters.
c. Gibraltar.
Commander of LANTFLT is competent. The CNO, however, is an idiot. Nothing in this ATL has been done about the eastern sea frontier, the torpedo crisis
(which has been known since 1939) or at the other mismanaged USN bureaus. Neither has anything been done past the old show the flag Neutrality Patrol process to institute a war convoy and ports management control system in the North American Sea Frontier. Hence, disaster is in progress for the Battle of the Atlantic; only 6 months early. Naval sit-est GRIM.
3. A buildup of USAAF presence begins in the Middle East.
Because of the American flight line available and in production, this air farce will have to be built out of medium bomber groups and the existent American fighter types in production. It will be a grim introduction into modern air warfare.^1
B1. P-38 => op-rad 1000 km, serv-ceiling effective 13,000 meters
B2. P-39 => op-rad 250 km serv-ceiling effective 5000 meters, power falls off
B3.P-40 => op-rad 500 km serv-ceiling effective 5000 meters, power falls off
B4. P-43 => op-rad 300 km serv ceiling effective 7000 meters, wings lose lift.
That is your fighter line.
As for bombers? The comedy team of Douglas and Martin are ready to put on their floor show.
C1. Douglas A 20 Havoc
C2. Martin Maryland
C3. Martin Baltimore
C4. Martin Marauder
C5. Martin Super Marauder (See ^2)
Spitfires can be borrowed or license built (Canada) until the Apache/Mustang finishes development. It will not be ready until mid 1942. Pour scarce research dollars into the P-38 TO FIX IT and quit messing around with Curtiss. In fact JAIL the politics playing war-losing profiteer-mesmerized idiots running that company and nationalize it.
See ^3.
^1 Every B-24 needs to go to the US Navy. As in right now. PB4Ys need to stand up as ASW wings and start operating on the American east coast and in Iceland. To hell with HAP Arnold and the 1920 National Defense Act. (Hint. Hint.)
^2
Another stupid war production board decision. The damn thing was
in progress.
^3 But that leaves the B-17 as the only Army air farce heavy bomber? Tough tiddly winks. Strategic air bombardment this early in the war has to wait for the E,F, and G and requires an escort fighter. Right now the game is North Africa and PLOESTI and hurt the Germans there.
What puts Ploesti in range?
[Map] Approximate bomber route for Operation Tidal Wave ...
Thou shalt invade French Syria early and often.
See previous comments.; To hurt them now, means cutting off the OIL.