Nit Pickie Scenario changes
Posted: Thu May 04, 2023 11:11 pm
I recently posted some some OB change recommendations for the Final Beta that may or may not appear and honestly are not nearly all of the OB/Map changes I use in my custom scenario. Most of them are very minor changes, just for flavor mostly, no where near updating the entire game and only those areas I've taken an interest in and researched. I'm very much an Allied/Good Guys Fan Boy, I've made no changes to the Japanese, or even looked at them in the editor.
I used scenario 1 from the recent Beta release to update. Scenario attached in zip file.
Highlights:
Revamped UK Malaya Command
Singapore docks
In the 1920's when Britain decided to built a major naval base at Singapore a 50,000 ton capacity floating dock was built in the Clyde and shipped in three parts to Singapore (Admiralty Floating Dock IX). In 1939 a 5,000 ton capacity floating dock was purchased from the Dutch East-Indes and relocated to Singapore (Admiralty Floating Dock X). Both have been added. The British sunk both when Singapore fell, the Japanese were able to eventually re-float and use both.
In 1938 the British completed construction of the largest graving dock (dry dock) in the world at that time in Singapore. The King George VI graving dock was 1,000 feet long, 130 feet wide and 35 foot deep. Iin the game Pearl Harbor has the dock capacity to handle the Yamato (100,000t capacity for 65,000t ship) this capacity in real life is split between two dry docks, the King George VI graving dock could and did handle 80,000t Queen Mary/Elizabeth ocean liners.
AA units
The British official campaign report shows the Malaya command had 70 Heavy (3.7"), 78 light (40mm) and 24 3" AA guns. I've moved all 3.7" and 3" AA guns and most of the 40mm and put them in the assorted AA units stationed at Singapore.
1st Hong Kong and Singapore Heavy AA Regiment - 24x3" AA guns (3 batteries of 8 guns each)
2nd Hong Kong and Singapore Heavy AA Regiment - 24x3.7" AA guns
3rd Hong Kong and Singapore Light AA Regiment - 24x40mm guns (unit only had 2 of 3 batteries, 12 guns each)
3rd Heavy AA Regiment RA - 22x3.7" guns (unit reportedly only had 22 guns)
1st Indian Heavy AA Regiment - 24x3.7" AA guns
assigned to the 1st Indian AA (separate units in game, more flexibility to the player):
1st Indian Light AA Battery
5th Indian Light AA Battery
Eighteen guns instead of the normal 12 for each light AA battery, the Indians had reportedly manned 60 guns upon their arrival in Singapore.
This leaves another 18x40mm AA for the Singapore CD Fort.
New Zealand Pioneer Companies
It took forever, I was searching the wrong service, but I was finally able to find the True Unit Designator for the New Zealand Pioneer Companies, Royal New Zealand Air Force Aerodrome Construction squadrons. The one in Singapore was No.1 RZNAF Aerodrome Construction Squadron and the one in Auckland was No.2. I could not find True Unit Designator's for the other two and just went with No.3 and No.6. I did find one hint that they may have been the North Island and South Island RNZAF Aerodrome Constructions Squadrons.
Artillery
The British had seven Field Regiments and one Mountain Regiment in Malaya, one artillery regiment per Infantry brigade. Five Field regiments had 24 guns the other two had 16, the Mountain regiment had 24 guns. Using Wikipedia as my primary source for assignment I've assigned the eight regiments out to the infantry regiments. The five 24 gun Field regiment have 25pdr guns, the two 16 gun regiments have 4.5" Howitzers and the Mountain regiment has 3.7" Mountain Guns.
Volunteer forces
I used the excellent Malayan Volunteers Group web site (https://www.malayanvolunteersgroup.org.uk/) to update the various volunteer forces in Malaya.
Malaya Regiment
A regular army unit which initially consisted of just one Bn raised pre-war, it expanded to two Bns on 1 Dec 41. 1st Bn split off one company to serve as a nucleus of the new Bn. 1st Bn had three companies (27 Malay Inf Squads) and the 2nd should had two (18 Malay Inf Squads.).
Revamped UK Burma Command
My primary source here was the Burma Campaign website (http://www.rothwell.force9.co.uk/burmaweb/index.htm)
The Burma Rifles Regiment had been the 20th Burma Rifles Regiment of the Indian Army before the administration of Burma was split from India in 1937. On 7 Dec 14 the Burma Rifles Regiment consisted of 14 battalions, 8 (1-8) were regular army formations, the 9th was a holding bn, the 10th was training, and finally 11-14 were territorial bns. The eight regular army formations would have the same organization as any Indian infantry bn and since the British did not think the Burmese made good soldiers and did not begin recruiting them until around 1939, Burmese units were nearly 40% Indian. The four Territorial bns were under trained, under equipped and used only as Line-of-communication troops.
There also existed an Auxiliary Force of four infantry battalions (Railroad, Rangoon, Tenasserim and Upper Burma) and a small AA regiment. This being a British colony, the Territorial forces were Burmese while the auxiliary forces were primarily British, Anglo-Burmans and Anglo-Indians. The Railroad Auxiliary bn was spread along the rail lines. Lack of Training and under equipment similar to the Territorials.
Burma Infantry Division
I redid the organization and made it a regular three bde/three bn per bde organization (216 Burmese Infantry Squads, 108 Indian Infantry Squads). This left the 7th, 8th Burmese Rifles and 1st Bn KOYLI as extra bns.
When Burma was separated from Indian there were nine bns of Burmese Military Police, a paramilitary force used to maintain order and suppress Burmese independence movements. Six Bns became the Burmese Frontier Force and guarded the border regions. As tensions heightened with Japan, the Frontier Force organized five mobile detachments of various sizes that were assigned positions along the Thai/Chinese border to monitor. By the time war started the Frontier Force battalions were mere shells with just administrative staff and training centers. The Frontier Force was never organized as a single force, instead spread along the entire border as needed. They were intended to prevent minor border incursions, and harassing and slowing down major incursions. During the campaign they served as flank guards and reconnaissance units. When the war started the Frontier Force was approximately 75% Indian.
The other three Military Police bns remained as a paramilitary police, two bns were assigned to Rangoon and the other distributed up country to maintain order. This force was also mostly Indian.
23rd Australian Infantry Brigade
I have renamed the three 'Bird' units back to 2/21, 2/22 and 2/40 Australian Infantry and removed the attached artillery guns. I've added the 2/14th Field Regiment and the 14th Anti-tank company as parts of the 23rd Australian Brigade for reassembly. Both the 2/14th and the 14th remained at Darwin when the three infantry battalions were wisely deployed separately and widely for ease of destruction by the advancing Japanese.
Of course other changes here and there scatted everywhere. By the time anyone reads this, I will of course have made more changes.
The 80,000 ton Queen Mary in the KGVI graving dock for conversion to troop ship, August 1940
I used scenario 1 from the recent Beta release to update. Scenario attached in zip file.
Highlights:
Revamped UK Malaya Command
Singapore docks
In the 1920's when Britain decided to built a major naval base at Singapore a 50,000 ton capacity floating dock was built in the Clyde and shipped in three parts to Singapore (Admiralty Floating Dock IX). In 1939 a 5,000 ton capacity floating dock was purchased from the Dutch East-Indes and relocated to Singapore (Admiralty Floating Dock X). Both have been added. The British sunk both when Singapore fell, the Japanese were able to eventually re-float and use both.
In 1938 the British completed construction of the largest graving dock (dry dock) in the world at that time in Singapore. The King George VI graving dock was 1,000 feet long, 130 feet wide and 35 foot deep. Iin the game Pearl Harbor has the dock capacity to handle the Yamato (100,000t capacity for 65,000t ship) this capacity in real life is split between two dry docks, the King George VI graving dock could and did handle 80,000t Queen Mary/Elizabeth ocean liners.
AA units
The British official campaign report shows the Malaya command had 70 Heavy (3.7"), 78 light (40mm) and 24 3" AA guns. I've moved all 3.7" and 3" AA guns and most of the 40mm and put them in the assorted AA units stationed at Singapore.
1st Hong Kong and Singapore Heavy AA Regiment - 24x3" AA guns (3 batteries of 8 guns each)
2nd Hong Kong and Singapore Heavy AA Regiment - 24x3.7" AA guns
3rd Hong Kong and Singapore Light AA Regiment - 24x40mm guns (unit only had 2 of 3 batteries, 12 guns each)
3rd Heavy AA Regiment RA - 22x3.7" guns (unit reportedly only had 22 guns)
1st Indian Heavy AA Regiment - 24x3.7" AA guns
assigned to the 1st Indian AA (separate units in game, more flexibility to the player):
1st Indian Light AA Battery
5th Indian Light AA Battery
Eighteen guns instead of the normal 12 for each light AA battery, the Indians had reportedly manned 60 guns upon their arrival in Singapore.
This leaves another 18x40mm AA for the Singapore CD Fort.
New Zealand Pioneer Companies
It took forever, I was searching the wrong service, but I was finally able to find the True Unit Designator for the New Zealand Pioneer Companies, Royal New Zealand Air Force Aerodrome Construction squadrons. The one in Singapore was No.1 RZNAF Aerodrome Construction Squadron and the one in Auckland was No.2. I could not find True Unit Designator's for the other two and just went with No.3 and No.6. I did find one hint that they may have been the North Island and South Island RNZAF Aerodrome Constructions Squadrons.
Artillery
The British had seven Field Regiments and one Mountain Regiment in Malaya, one artillery regiment per Infantry brigade. Five Field regiments had 24 guns the other two had 16, the Mountain regiment had 24 guns. Using Wikipedia as my primary source for assignment I've assigned the eight regiments out to the infantry regiments. The five 24 gun Field regiment have 25pdr guns, the two 16 gun regiments have 4.5" Howitzers and the Mountain regiment has 3.7" Mountain Guns.
Volunteer forces
I used the excellent Malayan Volunteers Group web site (https://www.malayanvolunteersgroup.org.uk/) to update the various volunteer forces in Malaya.
Malaya Regiment
A regular army unit which initially consisted of just one Bn raised pre-war, it expanded to two Bns on 1 Dec 41. 1st Bn split off one company to serve as a nucleus of the new Bn. 1st Bn had three companies (27 Malay Inf Squads) and the 2nd should had two (18 Malay Inf Squads.).
Revamped UK Burma Command
My primary source here was the Burma Campaign website (http://www.rothwell.force9.co.uk/burmaweb/index.htm)
The Burma Rifles Regiment had been the 20th Burma Rifles Regiment of the Indian Army before the administration of Burma was split from India in 1937. On 7 Dec 14 the Burma Rifles Regiment consisted of 14 battalions, 8 (1-8) were regular army formations, the 9th was a holding bn, the 10th was training, and finally 11-14 were territorial bns. The eight regular army formations would have the same organization as any Indian infantry bn and since the British did not think the Burmese made good soldiers and did not begin recruiting them until around 1939, Burmese units were nearly 40% Indian. The four Territorial bns were under trained, under equipped and used only as Line-of-communication troops.
There also existed an Auxiliary Force of four infantry battalions (Railroad, Rangoon, Tenasserim and Upper Burma) and a small AA regiment. This being a British colony, the Territorial forces were Burmese while the auxiliary forces were primarily British, Anglo-Burmans and Anglo-Indians. The Railroad Auxiliary bn was spread along the rail lines. Lack of Training and under equipment similar to the Territorials.
Burma Infantry Division
I redid the organization and made it a regular three bde/three bn per bde organization (216 Burmese Infantry Squads, 108 Indian Infantry Squads). This left the 7th, 8th Burmese Rifles and 1st Bn KOYLI as extra bns.
When Burma was separated from Indian there were nine bns of Burmese Military Police, a paramilitary force used to maintain order and suppress Burmese independence movements. Six Bns became the Burmese Frontier Force and guarded the border regions. As tensions heightened with Japan, the Frontier Force organized five mobile detachments of various sizes that were assigned positions along the Thai/Chinese border to monitor. By the time war started the Frontier Force battalions were mere shells with just administrative staff and training centers. The Frontier Force was never organized as a single force, instead spread along the entire border as needed. They were intended to prevent minor border incursions, and harassing and slowing down major incursions. During the campaign they served as flank guards and reconnaissance units. When the war started the Frontier Force was approximately 75% Indian.
The other three Military Police bns remained as a paramilitary police, two bns were assigned to Rangoon and the other distributed up country to maintain order. This force was also mostly Indian.
23rd Australian Infantry Brigade
I have renamed the three 'Bird' units back to 2/21, 2/22 and 2/40 Australian Infantry and removed the attached artillery guns. I've added the 2/14th Field Regiment and the 14th Anti-tank company as parts of the 23rd Australian Brigade for reassembly. Both the 2/14th and the 14th remained at Darwin when the three infantry battalions were wisely deployed separately and widely for ease of destruction by the advancing Japanese.
Of course other changes here and there scatted everywhere. By the time anyone reads this, I will of course have made more changes.
- AFD9-1.jpg (295.13 KiB) Viewed 2243 times
- Queen_Mary_in_Singapore_Gaving_Dock_Aug_1940.jpg (70.57 KiB) Viewed 2243 times
