World in Flames is the computer version of Australian Design Group classic board game. World In Flames is a highly detailed game covering the both Europe and Pacific Theaters of Operations during World War II. If you want grand strategy this game is for you.
Don't know if this is what you are looking for. It is a summary description of the Territorial Forces raised by NZ. It excludes the 2NZEF (2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force) forces that saw action in Nth Africa and Italy (2nd New Zealand Division – initially the New Zealand Division) and the Pacific (3rd New Zealand Division)
As part of the preparations for the possible outbreak of war in the Pacific, the defensive forces stationed in New Zealand were expanded in late 1941. On 1 November three new brigade headquarters were raised (taking the total in the New Zealand Army to seven), and three divisional headquarters were established to coordinate the units located in the Northern, Central and Southern Military Districts.
• The division in the Northern Military District was designated the Northern Division, and comprised the 1st and 12th Brigade Groups. The 1st Brigade Group had been formed prior to World War II, and the 12th Brigade Group was one of the new headquarters; both these units were part of the Territorial Force and were manned by part-time reservists.
• The division in the Central Military District was designated the Central Division, and comprised the 2nd Infantry Brigade and 7th Brigade Group.
• The division in the Southern Military District was designated the Southern Division, and comprised the 3rd and10th Brigades, and the 11th Brigade Group.
• [Give the Kiwis kudos for their imaginative divisional naming system][:D]
The New Zealand Army was further expanded following the outbreak of the Pacific War. The Territorial Force was fully mobilised on 10 January 1942, and reinforced by 7000 men who had originally enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force for overseas service. The role of the Territorial Force was to counter any Japanese landings in New Zealand, and it was organised into both mobile and fortress units. The Home Guard would support the Territorial units in the event of an invasion.
About April 1942 the three divisions stationed in New Zealand were transformed into mobile formations and renamed, and the Northern Division became the 1st Division; the Central Division became the 4th Division and the Southern Division became the 5th Division respectively. Until September Territorial Force units across New Zealand were held at eight days notice to respond to an invasion, and defensive positions along the country's coastline were permanently manned.
The forces stationed in New Zealand were considerably reduced as the threat of invasion passed. During early 1943 each of the three home defence divisions were cut from 22,358 to 11,530 men. The non-divisional units suffered even greater reductions. The New Zealand Government ordered a general stand-down of the defensive forces in the country on 28 June, which led to further reductions in the strength of units and a lower state of readiness. By the end of the year almost all of the Territorial Force personnel had been demobilised (though they retained their uniforms and equipment), and only 44 soldiers were posted to the three divisional and seven brigade headquarters. As the war situation continued to improve almost all the remaining Territorial Force units were disbanded on 1 April 1944.
Smokey
warspite1
Smokey2 this is great. Have you got the source please? If so I can then look to use this in the NZ Territorial counter. I have almost finished the NZ Motorised division, the Auckland militia is 80% done and so the Kiwi's can be finished in time for launch [:)]
Now Maitland, now's your time!
Duke of Wellington to 1st Guards Brigade - Waterloo 18 June 1815
And here is the 1st SNLF Division counter write-up:
[2171] [Japanese 1st Special Naval Landing Force Marine - by Robert Jenkins]
.P Due to the scale of World in Flames and the unit sizes in play, the depiction of units of the Japanese Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) – which were generally deployed in numbers smaller than a brigade - has to be necessarily ahistorical. It is right that these units are included within the game however, and World in Flames allows the Japanese player to build one SNLF corps and two divisions.
.P This counter represents a fictional 1st SNLF Division, while counter 2172 depicts an equally fictional, 2nd SNLF Division. The corps unit appears on counter 2175.
.P During World War II the Japanese did not operate an autonomous marine branch in the way that their US counterparts did. However they did make use of naval troops. Such troops were used to land at vital points – often ahead of a larger force – to seize key objectives.
.P The forerunners of the SNLF (Kaigun Tokubetsu Rikusentai) were used for the first time during the fighting against Russia at the start of the 20th Century. Having proved their worth there and later in Manchuria, the Japanese began raising SNLF units at each of their four main naval bases. Counter 2175 provides a list of the main SNLF units that were available in December 1941.
.P As said above these units, which ranged in size from 750 to 1,600 men, were operated mostly individually, although on a few occasions units were combined.
.P The SNLF were used as elite infantry in the early stages of the Pacific War and were involved in almost all the early campaigns as the Japanese seized one objective after another and inflicted defeat after defeat upon the Allies.
.P Trying to piece together a definitive list of all the SNLFs, their numbers, their deployments and their ultimate fate is next to impossible. However the list below gives an indication of the main operations undertaken by these elite units.
.B Conquest of the Philippines - 1,400 men of the 1st Kure SNLF, and a similar number from the 2nd, took part in the invasion of the Philippines in December 1941.
.B Conquest of the Dutch East Indies - 3,500 men of the combined 1st and 2nd Sasebo SNLFs combined with the 850-strong, parachute-trained 1st Yokosuka SNLF to capture the island of Celebes in March 1942. The 2nd Kure SNLF took part in the earlier Battle of Tarakan.
.B Conquest of Timor - 850 men of the 3rd Yokosuka SNLF were parachuted onto the island.
.B Conquest of Borneo - 750 men from the 2nd Yokosuka SNLF landed on British-owned Borneo in December 1941.
.B Guam - 370 men of the 2nd Maizuru SNLF assisted the capture of Guam in December 1941.
.B Wake Island - 450 men from the 2nd Maizuru SNLF attacked, and were repulsed by, US the US Marine garrison in December 1941. Reinforcements were used for the second attempt later that month, in which 1,000 men from the 2nd Maizuru were deployed - this time successfully.
.B Midway - had the Battle of Midway gone as planned for the Japanese, a mixed force of navy and army troops would have attempted to seize the island. The navy troops would have been provided by the 2,800 men of the 2nd Combined SNLF, made up of the 5th Kure and 5th Yokosuka SNLFs.
.B New Guinea - Elements from the 3rd and 5th Kure, 5th Yokosuka and 5th Sasebo SNLFs (1,500 men) took part in the Battle of Milne Bay in September 1942. This was one of the first defeats inflicted on the Japanese in a land battle.
.B The Solomons - Elements of the 3rd Kure SNLF took part in the initial landing in the Solomon Islands (May 1942). After the American landing on Guadalcanal in August 1942, many SNLF units were dragged into the hopeless fight for the island chain and were bled white, including the 7th Kure, 4th Maizuru, 6th Sasebo and 5th Yokosuka.
.B Defence of the Gilbert Islands - 1,112 men of the 6th Yokosuka SNLF (re-named the 3rd Special Base Defence Force) and 1,497 men of the 7th Sasebo SNLF were wiped out, almost to a man, while defending Tarawa Atoll in November 1943.
.B Defence of the Marianas - Both of the parachute-trained Yokosuka SNLFs (1st and 3rd (merged into the 1st)) were destroyed defending Saipan in June 1944.
Did you know I still have the original information that was submitted on the SNLF?
warspite1
No I didn't. The current write-up is only about six lines....
Now Maitland, now's your time!
Duke of Wellington to 1st Guards Brigade - Waterloo 18 June 1815
LG 1943
This unit represents the Imperial Japanese Armys amphibious units.
1 SNLF 1937 SNLF 1940 Special Naval Landing Force (Kaigun Rikusentai)
The Japanese did not have a separate Marine Corps. Originally Rikusentai meant a group of sailors detached from a warship for a special or temporary mission. And later it was included to mean a group of sailors sent from one base force to another. SNLF units were formed as regimental size units varying in size from 700 to 1,800 men. Due to the formation and dissolution of these units the title “1st SNLF” is meaningless.
2 SNLF 1940 Special Naval Landing Force (Kaigun Rikusentai)
The Japanese did not have a separate Marine Corps. Originally Rikusentai meant a group of sailors detached from a warship for a special or temporary mission. And later it was included to mean a group of sailors sent from one base force to another. SNLF units were formed as regimental size units varying in size from 700 to 1,800 men. Due to the formation and dissolution of these units the title “2nd SNLF” is meaningless.
This is a little extra not part of the original write up
Order of battle of the Battle of Shanghai
Imperial Japanese Navy
Shanghai Special Naval Landing Force - Rear Admiral Denshichi Okawachi
1st Battalion Lt. Cdr. Uroku Hashimoto
2nd Battalion Lt. Shigeshi Sano
3rd Battalion Lt. Shegeru Ito
4th Battalion Disbanded at the outbreak of war, guns were dispersed to the infantry units
9th Battalion Lt. Cdr. Torashige Tsukioka
Special Naval Landing Force reinforcements as of August 1, 1937 from 3rd Fleet
8th Sentai NLF
1st Destroyer Sentai NLF
3rd Destroyer Sentai NLF
LG 1943
This unit represents the Imperial Japanese Armys amphibious units.
1 SNLF 1937 SNLF 1940 Special Naval Landing Force (Kaigun Rikusentai)
The Japanese did not have a separate Marine Corps. Originally Rikusentai meant a group of sailors detached from a warship for a special or temporary mission. And later it was included to mean a group of sailors sent from one base force to another. SNLF units were formed as regimental size units varying in size from 700 to 1,800 men. Due to the formation and dissolution of these units the title “1st SNLF” is meaningless.
2 SNLF 1940 Special Naval Landing Force (Kaigun Rikusentai)
The Japanese did not have a separate Marine Corps. Originally Rikusentai meant a group of sailors detached from a warship for a special or temporary mission. And later it was included to mean a group of sailors sent from one base force to another. SNLF units were formed as regimental size units varying in size from 700 to 1,800 men. Due to the formation and dissolution of these units the title “2nd SNLF” is meaningless.
warspite1
Yes, that's it. I did not realise that it was you that did these.
Now Maitland, now's your time!
Duke of Wellington to 1st Guards Brigade - Waterloo 18 June 1815
I have finished the Kiwi Territorial and have a draft for the Kiwi motorised corps
[2009] [New Zealand Auckland Militia - by Robert Jenkins]
.P "With gratitude to the past, and with confidence in the future, we range ourselves without fear beside Britain. Where she goes we go. Where she stands, we stand". These were the words of Mickey Savage, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, in September 1939. They were uttered on the 5th of that month, 2 days after the British declaration of War on Germany.
.P The write up for this counter honours the men and women of this sparsely populated, relatively small country, located on the other side of the world and 11,000 miles from the United Kingdom - the "mother country" to which Mr Savage pledged allegiance.
.P Ask yourself this question; which Allied power, after the United Kingdom, spent the most (as a % of its national income) during the war? Yes, it was New Zealand.
.P Other facts:
.B Population in 1939 - 1.6m
.B No. of men and women who served in fighting formations - 140,000 (155,000 in total)
.B War dead - 11,928
.B War dead as a ratio to population (per million) was the highest of all the Commonwealth countries - 6,684.
.P New Zealanders fought in all the main campaigns of World War II alongside their Commonwealth brothers:
.B The first major naval engagement of the war featured a cruiser from the New Zealand Squadron of the Royal Navy - HMS (later HMNZS) Achilles. Two Kiwi's were killed in the battle.
.B 77 pilots fought in the Battle of Britain, 11 of which paid the ultimate price.
.B Eight New Zealanders won the Victoria Cross (the highest award for bravery in the face of the enemy - available to most Commonwealth countries) in World War II:
.B Keith Elliott - 22nd Battalion (Bn), 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF)
.B John Hinton - 20th Bn 2NZEF
.B Alfred Hulme - 23rd Bn 2NZEF
.B Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu - 28th (Maori) Bn 2NZEF
.B Leonard Trent - Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) attached to the Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command
.B Lloyd Trigg - RNZAF attached to the RAF Coastal Command
.B James Ward - RNZAF attached to the RAF Bomber Command
.B Charles Hazlitt Upham - 20th Bn 2NZEF is the only combat soldier to have won the award twice.
.B New Zealanders fought with distinction in the Western Desert, Crete, Italy and in the Pacific as well as other theatres fighting within other Commonwealth units.
.P New Zealand had nothing like the industrial capacity of Canada or even
Australia, but she was vital to the viability of the United Kingdom in a way that is less than well known. The dominion was able to help keep Britain fed during the
war, initially exporting all of her surplus food to the UK. In 1943-44 calls upon her foodstuffs became acute - the US forces in the Pacific needing feeding and British supplies were critically low. As a result, the New Zealand 3rd Division was disbanded to allow more manpower to return to the land to help resolve the crisis.
.P As can be seen, New Zealand played her part and more in the final Allied victory.
[2011] [New Zealand 1st Motorized Corps - by Robert Jenkins]
.P There was no New Zealand unit with this designation in World War II. This counter represents the forces that New Zealand sent overseas during the war.
.P New Zealand sent one formation to Europe and one to the Pacific; the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF) and the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force In the Pacific (2NZEFIP) respectively. Each force was built around one division.
.P The first division to be built up was the 2nd Infantry Division. The division was modelled along the lines of a British Army infantry division, with the core of the division being its three infantry brigades, numbered 4,5 and 6.
.P The first formations of the 2nd New Zealand Division were sent to the United Kingdom in early 1940 and, once the threat of invasion had passed, were then sent to Egypt, just in time to take part in the ill-fated expedition to Greece.
.P The key units of the division at the time was as follows:
.B 4th Brigade: 18th, 19th and 20th Infantry Battalions
.B 5th Brigade: 21st, 22nd and 23rd Infantry Battalions
.B 6th Brigade: 24th, 25th and 26th Infantry Battalions
.B 27th Machine Gun Battalion
.B 28th (Maori) Battalion
.B 4th, 5th and 6th Field Regiments
.B 7th Anti-Tank Regiment
.B Divisional Cavalry Regiment
.B Divisional Engineer Battalion
.B The 14th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment was not fully formed until November.
.P The division was commanded by Lieutenant-General Bernard Freyberg VC and was to remain under his command the entire war.
.P The 2nd Division was sent to Greece in March 1941 as part of a force that consisted of mostly Australians and New Zealanders (ANZAC). The decision to send Commonwealth troops to assist the Greeks in their fight against the Italian invaders was controversial, and after the Germans launched their own attack on the country at the start of April, there was only ever one outcome; the small Allied force was evacuated to the island of Crete towards the end of the month.
.P The following month, the Germans attacked Crete using paratroops to seize key airfields, and using these to fly in reinforcements. For this battle 10th Brigade, which had been forming in Egypt, replaced 6th Brigade which needed to be taken out of the line to rest and refit. Despite some episodes of heroic resistance, the Allied troops soon found themselves being evacuated once more. Crete cost the Kiwi's almost 4,000 casualties and only in November would the division be in a fit state to return to action.
.P The British launched Operation Crusader that month. This operation was designed to relieve Tobruk. The battle, with the New Zealanders in the forefront, swung one
way and then the other; the Kiwi's broke through to Tobruk but took heavy
casualties once again and was withdrawn from the frontline.
.P By now, with Japan in the war, there was a possibility that the division would be returned home to defend the home country. However, the Americans agreed that they would send troops to New Zealand to allow the 2nd to remain in Egypt.
.P Field Marshal Rommel began his Gazala offensive in May 1942 and successfully threw the British Army back, capturing the port of Tobruk as he did so. The 2nd New Zealand Division, which had been sent to Syria following Crusader, was sent to Mersah Metruh, near the Egyptian-Libyan border, in order to try and stem the German advance. At one point the division was surrounded by the Rommel's forces, but they managed to breakout and reached El-Alamein to await the next attack.
.P The attack came on the 1st July in what became known as the First Battle of El-Alamein. During this battle the Kiwis severely mauled the Italian Ariete Motorised Division, but the battle was essentially a stalemate.
.P The scene was now set for Rommel's final attempt to reach Cairo - The Battle of Alam Halfa - which ended on the 5th September, and with it, the last chance for the Afrika Korps to reach the Nile. The 4th Brigade did not take part in the battle as it was decided to convert the brigade to an armoured formation. However the rest of the division fought bravely as ever, but continued to suffer heavy casualties in doing so. But with Egypt safe, it would soon be time for the British Army to turn to the offensive once more, and for this next operation, the 2nd New Zealand Division would once more be in the forefront of the attack.
.P For the 2nd Battle of El-Alamein the division was reinforced at various times with two British infantry and one armoured brigade. 2nd New Zealand was part of XXX Corps which was stationed in the northern sector of the battlefront, and which would launch the main attack. Then, with the battle won, the New Zealand Division was in the forefront of the pursuit of the retreating German and Italian troops.
.P The division continued to head west and in January 1943 Tripoli, the Libyan capital was captured by the 8th Army as Remnants of Rommel's army headed for Tunisia, where they would make a stand. There, the New Zealanders were key in helping to break Rommel's grip on the defensive Mareth Line. The Tunisian campaign ended in the middle of May 1943 and the division was once more able to get some
rest and refit.
.P At this time there was further debate over whether the division should be brought back to the Pacific, but it was decided to keep them in the European theatre. The division did not take part in the invasion of Sicily, but was sent
to Italy at the end of 1943, complete with their 4th brigade - now armoured. After briefly fighting the Germans along the Sangro River, the division was moved to assist the attack on the Gothic Line - and specifically to a town named Cassino. The Battle of Monte Cassino was one of the bloodiest for the Allies and it took no less than four assaults before the Germans were finally beaten back. The New Zealanders were not there for the last assault however. Casualties were sufficiently high that the division was taken out of the line.
.P From June 1944 onwards, with D-Day having been a success, the Italian Campaign became more and more of a sideshow. The Allies fought their way slowly up the Italian mainland, liberating town after town, each one being paid for in blood. Finally, in early May 1945, the Kiwi's entered the Adriatic port of Trieste. The German surrender followed seven days later on the 9th May.
.P In stark contrast to the war record of the 2nd Division, the 3rd Division saw little action.
.P The units for the 3rd Division began forming in earnest after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. By August 1942 the key units of the division were as follows:
.B 8th Brigade: 29th, 34th and 36th Infantry Battalions
.B 14th Brigade: 30th, 35th and 37th Infantry Battalions
.B 17th Field Regiment
.B 144th Independent Battery
.B 144th Light Howitzer Battery
.B 33rd Heavy Coast Regiment
.B 28th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment
.B 29th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
.B 20th Field Engineers
.P The division was commanded by Major-General Sir Harold Barrowclough.
.P The division was sent to New Caledonia to continue the process for building up, and the 2nd Tank Brigade joined the division in September 1943.
.P That month the division finally saw combat. The Americans had landed on the Solomon Island of Vella Lavella in August. In order to release American troops,
the 14th Brigade was given the task of clearing the island of Japanese. This they achieved by the first week of October at a cost of 64 casualties.
.P Two more small-scale operations were carried out by the division; the 8th Brigade launched an amphibious landing operation in the Treasury Islands in late October. The islands were cleared of Japanese by the start of November. The division's last operation was carried out by the 8th Brigade. This operation was designed to clear the islands, located north of Bougainville, of Japanese troops and began in January 1944. When the operation was wound up the following month, the decision was taken to disband 3rd Division in view of the manpower shortage that New Zealand faced at the time (see New Zealand Auckland Militia Counter).
Now Maitland, now's your time!
Duke of Wellington to 1st Guards Brigade - Waterloo 18 June 1815
[2882] [South African Cape Town Militia - by Robert Jenkins]
.P This counter provides an overview of South Africa’s involvement in World War II.
.P When the United Kingdom declared war on Germany in September 1939, the dominions of Australia, Canada and New Zealand were, for the most part, quick to rally behind the mother country and declare war on Germany also. The situation in South Africa was a little different.
.P A number of South Africans had non-British ancestry (Afrikaans) and memories of the Boer Wars, in which the Afrikaners fought the British at the end of the previous century, remained fresh. Most Afrikaners were opposed to fighting a war alongside the British and against Germany.
.P The Prime Minister of South Africa at the time, Barry Herzog, was himself born into a German immigrant family and during the Boer War he fought against the British. Not surprisingly therefore he proposed a stance of neutrality for South Africa. But on the 4th September 1939, the day after the British and French went to war with Germany, the South African parliament refused to pursue this route. Herzog was deposed and replaced by Jan Smuts. Although of Afrikaans descent and a former Boer fighter himself, Smuts view what the the United Kingdom was a friend of South Africa.
.P Although Smuts was now in charge, the Second World War, and South Africa’s role in it, continued to divide the country. As Prime Minister, one of his first tasks was to sort out the not inconsequential matter that the South African armed forces were in no fit state to fight a war. There was no conscription and an all-volunteer force was needed. In some cases Afrikaners did put on uniform, but this was more likely to be for reasons of needing work than for any agreement with the war. South Africa allowed non-whites to join the armed forces, but only in a non-combatant role.
.P These problems of course caused issues in terms of the numbers of units the South Africans could field. In September 1939 the South African Army numbered less than 4,000 men, although there were almost 15,000 in the Active Citizens Force (a body that provided peace time training and that could be called upon in time of emergency). However, the number of volunteers that did sign up meant that the Army could proceed to form three infantry divisions. In actual fact only two of these served in the North and East African Campaigns (see 1st South African Infantry
Corps counter). The 3rd Division never left South Africa (see South African Territorial counters) and was eventually disbanded.
.P The South African Army was also limited in terms of where it could be deployed. Volunteers were asked to sign up to a document that meant they could be sent anywhere in Africa (Smuts recognised that Italy would be likely to join the war). When the Axis forces were later kicked out of North Africa the South African Army put into operation plans to create two armoured divisions. Unfortunately the problems of manpower and the need to get people to volunteer to fight outside of Africa restricted these plans such that only one division was capable of being put into the field (see 4th South African Motorised Corps).
.P In 1939 the South African Air Force (SAAF) contained less than 2,000 men. Half a dozen Hurricane Mk 1 fighters, one Fairy Battle and one Blenheim represented the entirety of their frontline aircraft. Immediate plans were put in place for the purchase of 720 aircraft and for a rapid expansion in personnel. Within two years the position had been transformed and South Africa contributed a modern air force to the Allied cause with an excellent training arm that was used to train British pilots and those of other Allied nationalities.
.P At its peak, the SAAF contained 26 squadrons. Around 9,000 South African airmen served with the Royal Air Force and other Allied forces.
.P In September 1939 navy consisted of less than 10 people and no ships, although the South African Division of the Royal Navy had a Volunteer Reserve of around 600 sailors. Again the position was quickly changed and the newly named, Seaward Defence Force, was soon operating minesweepers and four anti-submarine vessels along the South African coastline. Some of these vessels were sent to the Mediterranean at the request of the Royal Navy.
.P The Seaward Defence Force and the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (South Africa) became the South African Naval Force in August 1942. Over 10,000 South Africans served during the Second World War. Later in the war the South Africans took delivery of three Loch-class frigates for anti-submarine duty. Around 3,000 sailors fought and died in Royal Navy ships, including the aircraft carrier Hermes, the battleship Barham, and the cruisers Gloucester, Neptune, Cornwall, and Dorsetshire.
.P The number of South Africans who volunteered for the armed forces is difficult to get accurate figures for, but it is believed that there were around 335,000 volunteers, of which 12,046 were killed.
Now Maitland, now's your time!
Duke of Wellington to 1st Guards Brigade - Waterloo 18 June 1815
Okay the South Africans are almost done - just the 1st Infantry Corps to finish off [:)]. Here are the 4th Motorised Corps and the Territorial
[2884] [South African Territorial - by Robert Jenkins]
.P The South Africans have two Territorial counters in World In Flames. These
counters represent the troops that would likely have been available to defend the
homeland in the event of a direct threat to South Africa.
.P In 1939 the population of South Africa was split; some were in favour of joining the war against Germany, while others were against (see South African Cape Town Militia counter).
.P The South African government did not impose conscription and relied instead upon a volunteer force to man its armed forces. This decision, while no doubt politically necessary, gave rise to problems with the army finding it difficult to recruit sufficient men for their proposed army.
.P Two infantry divisions were formed (see 1st South African Infantry Corps counter) that were deployed in the North and East African theatres, but the South African Army was unable to fully form a third division. As a result the 3rd Infantry Division never left the home country and many of its troops were simply used as replacements for the 1st and 2nd Divisions.
.P In the event of invasion these trained troops would have been available to form the core of one or more divisions. While fighting a war thousands of miles from home may have been difficult to attract volunteers for, a direct threat to a nation's security would almost certainly have led to a better response, and there was a big reserve of manpower that the nation could call upon. For this reason the South Africans have two Territorial counters. In addition it is likely that the non-white troops that volunteered for active service (but were only allowed a non-combatant role due to the country's racial policies) would have been more readily accepted.
Now Maitland, now's your time!
Duke of Wellington to 1st Guards Brigade - Waterloo 18 June 1815
[2885] [South African 4th Motorized Corps - by Robert Jenkins]
.P This is a "what-if" counter. The South African Army fielded two infantry divisions in the early part of the war (see 1st South African Infantry Corps counter). Due to the problem of attracting sufficient volunteers to join the army, keeping both infantry divisions in the field was soon proving a big challenge however.
.P It was decided that one way to alleviate the problem of a lack of troops was to turn the infantry divisions into armoured divisions; the latter requiring a smaller infantry component.
.P Unfortunately, the plan to create two armoured divisions proved to be woefully optimistic, largely as a result of the 2nd Infantry Division being taken into captivity when the Libyan port of Tobruk fell to the Afrika Korps in June 1942.
.P After the triumph at El-Alamein and the successful pursuit of the Afrika Korps back to Tunisia, it was decided to disband the 1st Infantry Division in January 1943 and begin the process of conversion of this division. Raising a second such division never happened as not only was there a problem of raising sufficient volunteers, but those volunteers had to agree to fight outside of the continent of Africa.
.P The 6th South African Armoured Division, commanded by Major-General William Poole, began forming in early 1943. It spent just over a year in training in Egypt before being shipped to Italy in April 1944.
At that time the division consisted of:
.B 11th Armoured Brigade
.B 12th Motorised Infantry Brigade
.B Note the 13th Motorised Infantry Brigade was available to join the division only in early 1945. During its time in Italy, where it served until the end of the war, the division was reinforced by the British 24th Guards Brigade pending the arrival of the 13th Motorised Brigade.
.B 1st / 11th Anti-tank Regiment
.B 1st / 6th Field Regiment
.B 4th / 22nd Field Regiment
.B 1st / 12th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
.B 7th / 23rd Medium Regiment
.B Note the dual identification reflects the fact that many units could be formed only by merging existing formations.
.B Other divisional units
.P As an armoured division, the 6th was not really what the Allied commanders in Italy wanted; this was due to the fact that the terrain fought over in the Italian Campaign was far from ideal tank country. However, by early 1944 the need for troops overrode that concern.
.P The 12th Motorised Brigade were the first troops of the division to go into action. The Brigade fought at the Battle of Monte Cassino, initially under the command of the 2nd New Zealand Division.
.P After the fall of Cassino the Brigade was sent to join the rest of the division. Initially attached to the Canadian 1st Corps, the division was under the command of the British 13th Corps in June when it won a victory near the town of Celleno. Later than month however, the South Africans lost a whole company of men during an attack on the town of Chiusi.
.P The following month saw the division advance on Florence as the left wing of the XIII corps and the Italian city was entered at the beginning of August. At the end of that month, Captain Gerard Norton won the Victoria Cross (the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy for British and Commonwealth forces) at Montegridolfo. This was part of Operation Olive, an offensive against the Gothic Line.
.P Throughout September and October the division fought under the command of the US IV Corps and also under direct command of the US 5th Army before being pulled
out of the frontline for rest and refit.
.P The division returned to action in time for the Spring Offensive (Operation Grapeshot) in February 1945, after which the 6th Armoured Division earned strong praise from the US 5th Army General Mark Clark.
.P The Italian Campaign had cost the South Africans 3,543 casualties, of which 711 were killed.
Now Maitland, now's your time!
Duke of Wellington to 1st Guards Brigade - Waterloo 18 June 1815
[2882] [South African Cape Town Militia - by Robert Jenkins]
.P This counter provides an overview of South Africa’s involvement in World War II.
.P When the United Kingdom declared war on Germany in September 1939, the dominions of Australia, Canada and New Zealand were, for the most part, quick to rally behind the mother country and declare war on Germany also. The situation in South Africa was a little different.
.P A number of South Africans had non-British ancestry (Afrikaans) and memories of the Boer Wars, in which the Afrikaners fought the British at the end of the previous century, remained fresh. Most Afrikaners were opposed to fighting a war alongside the British and against Germany.
.P The Prime Minister of South Africa at the time, Barry Herzog, was himself born into a German immigrant family and during the Boer War he fought against the British. Not surprisingly therefore he proposed a stance of neutrality for South Africa. But on the 4th September 1939, the day after the British and French went to war with Germany, the South African parliament refused to pursue this route. Herzog was deposed and replaced by Jan Smuts. Although of Afrikaans descent and a former Boer fighter himself, Smuts view was that the United Kingdom was a friend of South Africa.
.P Although Smuts was now in charge, the Second World War, and South Africa’s role in it, continued to divide the country. As Prime Minister, one of his first tasks was to sort out the not inconsequential matter that the South African armed forces were in no fit state to fight a war. There was no conscription and an all-volunteer force was needed. In some cases Afrikaners did put on uniform, but this was more likely to be for reasons of needing work than for any agreement with the war. South Africa allowed non-whites to join the armed forces, but only in a non-combatant role.
.P These problems of course caused issues in terms of the numbers of units the South Africans could field. In September 1939 the South African Army numbered less than 4,000 men, although there were almost 15,000 in the Active Citizens Force (a body that provided peace time training and that could be called upon in time of emergency). However, the number of volunteers that did sign up meant that the Army could proceed to form three infantry divisions. In actual fact only two of these served in the North and East African Campaigns (see 1st South African Infantry
Corps counter). The 3rd Division never left South Africa (see South African Territorial counters) and was eventually disbanded.
.P The South African Army was also limited in terms of where it could be deployed. Volunteers were asked to sign up to a document that meant they could be sent anywhere in Africa (Smuts recognised that Italy would be likely to join the war). When the Axis forces were later kicked out of North Africa the South African Army put into operation plans to create two armoured divisions. Unfortunately the problems of manpower and the need to get people to volunteer to fight outside of Africa restricted these plans such that only one division was capable of being put into the field (see 4th South African Motorised Corps).
.P In 1939 the South African Air Force (SAAF) contained less than 2,000 men. Half a dozen Hurricane Mk 1 fighters, one Fairy Battle and one Blenheim represented the entirety of their frontline aircraft. Immediate plans were put in place for the purchase of 720 aircraft and for a rapid expansion in personnel. Within two years the position had been transformed and South Africa contributed a modern air force to the Allied cause with an excellent training arm that was used to train British pilots and those of other Allied nationalities.
.P At its peak, the SAAF contained 26 squadrons. Around 9,000 South African airmen served with the Royal Air Force and other Allied forces.
.P In September 1939 navy consisted of less than 10 people and no ships, although the South African Division of the Royal Navy had a Volunteer Reserve of around 600 sailors. Again the position was quickly changed and the newly named, Seaward Defence Force, was soon operating minesweepers and four anti-submarine vessels along the South African coastline. Some of these vessels were sent to the Mediterranean at the request of the Royal Navy.
.P The Seaward Defence Force and the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (South Africa) became the South African Naval Force in August 1942. Over 10,000 South Africans served during the Second World War. Later in the war the South Africans took delivery of three Loch-class frigates for anti-submarine duty. Around 3,000 sailors fought and died in Royal Navy ships, including the aircraft carrier Hermes, the battleship Barham, and the cruisers Gloucester, Neptune, Cornwall, and Dorsetshire.
.P The number of South Africans who volunteered for the armed forces is difficult to get accurate figures for, but it is believed that there were around 335,000 volunteers, of which 12,046 were killed.
Guys we must have some Aussies here - Neilster for one. I really could do with some info on the Aussie economy in WWII - just high level stuff on industry and production would be good please.
Now Maitland, now's your time!
Duke of Wellington to 1st Guards Brigade - Waterloo 18 June 1815
1. Internal communications were poor. To reach NW Australia from the East or South required an aircraft or ship.
2. Most of the population of 7 million was concentrated in the SE.
3. The economy was primarily agricultural and although its industry was advanced for the Pacific region it was ill suited to the needs of modern war production. Great efforts were made to rectify this, however, and Australia became an important source of useful goods like canteens, mess kits and spare parts as well as some weapons. Australia also designed the excellent Sentinel tank but by the time is was to be put into production there were ample supplies of Shermans available.
4. Australia's major economic contribution to the Pacific Theatre was as a source of food.
5. Excluding the Soviet Union, Australia was perhaps the most militarised of the Allied powers. The economy was rigidly centralised and government control over people's lives reached extraordinary proportions. Both sexes were subject to conscription for military and labour service. Nearly 900,000 Australians served, including 40,000 women (nearly 14% of the population). Over 500,000 were sent overseas. About 27,100 personal died. 8,000 of those died as prisoners of the Japanese.
6. The bombing of several Northern Australian cities and the perceived threat of Japanese invasion led the government to plan a scorched earth defence with a retreat to the SE of the continent.
Source: The Pacific War Encyclopedia by James F. Dunnigan & Albert A. Nofi
And a lot of the above is virtually word for word from that so it may require re-jigging if that is required.
1. Internal communications were poor. To reach NW Australia from the East or South required an aircraft or ship.
2. Most of the population of 7 million was concentrated in the SE.
3. The economy was primarily agricultural and although its industry was advanced for the Pacific region it was ill suited to the needs of modern war production. Great efforts were made to rectify this, however, and Australia became an important source of useful goods like canteens, mess kits and spare parts as well as some weapons. Australia also designed the excellent Sentinel tank but by the time is was to be put into production there were ample supplies of Shermans available.
4. Australia's major economic contribution to the Pacific Theatre was as a source of food.
5. Excluding the Soviet Union, Australia was perhaps the most militarised of the Allied powers. The economy was rigidly centralised and government control over people's lives reached extraordinary proportions. Both sexes were subject to conscription for military and labour service. Nearly 900,000 Australians served, including 40,000 women (nearly 14% of the population). Over 500,000 were sent overseas. About 27,100 personal died. 8,000 of those died as prisoners of the Japanese.
6. The bombing of several Northern Australian cities and the perceived threat of Japanese invasion led the government to plan a scorched earth defence with a retreat to the SE of the continent.
Source: The Pacific War Encyclopedia by James F. Dunnigan & Albert A. Nofi
And a lot of the above is virtually word for word from that so it may require re-jigging if that is required.
Cheers, Neilster
warspite1
Thank-you.
Now Maitland, now's your time!
Duke of Wellington to 1st Guards Brigade - Waterloo 18 June 1815
[2003] [Australian Sydney Militia - by Robert Jenkins]
.P "Fellow Australians, it is my melancholy duty to inform you officially, that in consequence of a persistence by Germany in her invasion of Poland, Great Britain has declared war upon her and that, as a result, Australia is also at war. No harder task can fall to the lot of a democratic leader than to make such an announcement". So said Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies on the 3rd September 1939.
.P The write-up for this counter honours the men and women of Australia who were quick to enter what was then a European war, standing shoulder to shoulder with the "mother country", the United Kingdom.
.P At the outbreak of war the population of Australia was around 7,000,000. Like the other dominions, the economy was not highly industrialised, its main economic
strength coming from its raw materials and agriculture. However, efforts to create an industrial sector had begun between the wars and this policy bore fruit on a limited scale during World War II.
.P In 1939 the Australian Army numbered 80,000 men; most of whom were members of the Australian Army Reserve or Militia (a 3,000-strong full time force also existed). At the outbreak of war the government announced it was to create an army for overseas service. This was named the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF) - the First AIF had fought in World War I.
.P The AIF was a volunteer force, with many men transferring from the Militia to the AIF. Conscription was put into place to keep the Militia numbers up to the required level, to ensure adequate defence of the homeland and to provide trained replacements for the AIF. A number of divisions were formed during the war:
.B 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Infantry Divisions, These four divisions made up the 2nd AIF (see Australian 2nd Corps Counter).
.B 3rd, 5th and 11th Infantry Divisions were Militia formations. These units fought in the Pacific Campaign (see Australian Territorials Counter 2004).
.B 1st, 2nd, 4th, 10th and 12th Infantry Divisions. These were also Militia formations and never served outside of Australia (see Australian Territorials Counter 2005).
.B 1st and 3rd Armoured Divisions. These units never fought as complete armoured divisions (see 4th Mechanised Corps Counter).
.P After years of neglect through a lack of cash, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in September 1939 consisted of two county-class heavy cruisers (Canberra and Australia), three light cruisers (Sydney, Perth and Hobart), a WWI-vintage light cruiser (Adelaide), five destroyers (Stuart, Vampire, Vendetta, Voyager and Waterhen) and two sloops (Swan and Yarra). These ships were to give excellentservice to the Allied cause in both the European and Pacific theatres, although sadly at significant cost. The RAN suffered a number of ship losses, resulting in the deaths of 2,170 men out of the 370,000 that served during the war.
.P At the outbreak of war, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) contained just ten squadrons and was equipped with largely obsolete aircraft. This situation was soon remedied and the RAAF began to grow fast. Australian pilots served both in their own air force and with British and other Commonwealth units. Twenty-one Australians fought in the Battle of Britain and two-thirds were killed. By the end of the war, the RAAF had grown to be the fourth largest in the world with over 70
squadrons. 215,000 men and women served with the RAAF and of these, just under 6,500 were killed.
.P By the end of the war around 1,000,000 had joined the colours and 575,000 of those fought overseas. Just over 27,000 Australians were killed.
.P Unlike the other dominions of the Commonwealth, Australia herself came under attack during the war; the Japanese launched a bombing raid on the port of Darwin in February 1942, causing a number of civilian casualties. Japanese midget submarines also attacked Sydney harbour later that year - although the attack was a failure. The populace were also subjected to rationing.
.P For a country with a relatively small population of 7,000,000, Australia pulled her weight and more in ensuring Allied victory.
Now Maitland, now's your time!
Duke of Wellington to 1st Guards Brigade - Waterloo 18 June 1815
