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This is primarily for Alby, but others may want to use the editor to make these changes--

The Weapons Company D has way too many HMGs -- while it DID have 24 HMGs available, only 12 were crewed -- the remainder were kept in the battalion weapons pool. So, this formation should have only three HMG platoons.

This skews my notional Infantry Company D+ : in actual practice, a rifle company would have its organic 2 MMGs, with two HMG sections (2 guns each) attached to it. This still allows for each rifle platoon to have 2 MGs as fire support.

The presence of these "reserve weapons" helps explain why the USMC battalion HQs were so large -- later in the war, the battalion weapons pool could contain shotguns, bazookas and flamethrowers in addition to the reserve MGs -- somebody had to keep track and guard all this spare ordnance. The infantry battalion indeed had an awesome array of firepower at its disposal, and this is also why the individual squads are available with such a variety of weapons loadouts.

A thing I've been thinking about since starting my Marine campaign is that the Stuart tanks have too few HE rounds. The M3A1 has 2/3 AP to 1/3 HE, which sounds like a "European" ratio.

ORIGINAL: Terminus

A thing I've been thinking about since starting my Marine campaign is that the Stuart tanks have too few HE rounds. The M3A1 has 2/3 AP to 1/3 HE, which sounds like a "European" ratio.

Yes, you're right. The threat of Japanese armor was minimal, but the capability to kill them was maintained in the early days. The later M4A1s & M4A2s, which replaced the M3s in 1943-44, have a higher percentage of HE. Also, the 37mm ATGs were removed from the battalion weapons companies and placed under regimental control.

Note: I am working on THE definitive USMC OOB . Some units were wrong, and I corrected them. I'm still working on the formations. New information has become available, and I will use it.

Looking forward to more USMC goodness....

Ray