Merchant Fleet Comparisons

[DarkHorse2]

According to a reputable source, the German Merchant fleet consisted of the following from 1939-1945:

German Merchant shipping numbers and tabulated inventory, with build and losses per year. First number is last years balance. Second number is the new builds . The third number is the loses and figure after = is the end of year balance, which then becomes the first number of the next row down.

V Large >7000ton Merchants
1939 : 167 + 8 -10 = 165
1940 : 165 + 5 -24 = 146
1941: 146 + 1 -33 = 114
1942 : 114 + 0 -15= 99
1943 : 99 + 1 -16 = 84
1944 : 84 + 2 -19 = 67
1945 : 67 + 2 -34 = 35

Large 5000-7000 ton Merchants
1939 : 148 + 8 -10 = 146
1940 : 146 + 1 -41 = 106
1941: 106+ 2 -19 = 89
1942 : 89 + 2 -16= 75
1943 : 75 + 1 -11 = 65
1944 : 65 + 9 -33 = 41
1945 : 41 + 1 -28 = 14

Medium 3000-5000 ton Merchants
1939 : 184 + 11 -10 = 185
1940 : 185 + 0 -24 = 161
1941: 161 + 2 -33 = 130
1942 : 130 + 2 -15= 117
1943 : 117 + 3 -16 = 104
1944 : 104 + 0 -19 = 85
1945 : 85+ 0 -34 = 51

Small 1000-3000 ton Merchants
1939 : 476 + 13 -9 = 480
1940 : 480 + 4 -29 = 455
1941: 455 + 2 - 43 = 414
1942 : 414 + 4 -33= 385
1943 : 385 + 15 -28 = 372
1944 : 372+ 10 -69 = 313
1945 : 313 + 2 -102 = 213

Steamers 100-1000 tons
1939 : 424 + 16 -7 = 433
1940 : 433 + 4 -20 = 417
1941: 417 + 2 - 19 = 400
1942 : 400 + 4 -19= 385
1943 : 385 + 4 -20 = 369
1944 : 369+ 6 -64 = 311
1945 : 311 + 2 -92 = 221

Taking the numbers as Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT), should be able to calculate a reasonable estimate of total GRT as follows (using 1941):

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146 (ships) * 8500 tons (est avg for Very Large Merchants)
= 1,241,000 GRT

106 (ships) * 6000 tons (est avg for Large Merchants)
= 636,000 GRT

161 (ships) * 4000 tons (est avg for Medium Merchants)
= 644,000 GRT

455 (ships) * 2000 tons (est avg for Small Merchants)
= 910,000 GRT

417 (ships) * 500 tons (est avg for Steamers)
= 208,500 GRT

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3,639,500 GRT (Germany beginning of 1941 total)

For perspective, England's 2012 Merchant navy amounted to over 59 million GRT.
(see - https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Merchant_Na ... d_Kingdom))

However, in contrast, Soviet Union's merchant fleet has been cited as 1.1 million GRT, roughly 1/3 the size of Germany (see attached). Additionally, those 1.1 millions tons of merchant shipping are spread over the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Far East Asia and Artic Oceans.

Yet, for some reason, in WiTE2, the Soviet Union is granted 2.5 times as many cargo ships as Germany in the Baltic Sea alone. (52 vs 20 Cargo Ships).

This has never been right....

[Pat_ge]

You are absolutely right.

I once got hold of a number of around 1 mio. BRT (tons) of shipping capacity that was under the command of Navy logistics in the Baltics.
For the scope of the game this would mean endless transport capabilites depending just on enemy activity.
But even when Leningrad has been taken, i.e. the Baltic changes to a sort of home sea, there are attritions, losses and never enough capacity.
But with Leningrad port it is logic, that most of AGN would have been supplied through the port and the rail system going south and east and thereby taking pressure from the lines from Germany east.

But what does the game?
Supply Leningrad via rail ...