Argh... very little posting time today... damn work...
(E, stuff on SA is still coming... no time this weekend )

BUT- a friend brought this up while chatting, and it really struck me...

Looking for some information or, ideally, numbers and stats, on the ratio of Logistics and Support personnel to actual combat troops. In other words, how many support people were needed for each troop in combat?
Limit this to military support personnel. I don't want to include civilian support- things like munition production, etc. Just military support personnel, and their ratio to the combat troops. Data from any/all nations...

Anything?

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Seriously, all today is missing is free cotton candy and the annual Bay State Hooker Parade to make it any better.

That's a bit tricky to tell for Germany on the Eastern Front...the numbers changed as the supply lines went longer, the occupied areas went larger, the type of engagement changed from advance to defense to retreat.

It's also a matter of definition, f.ex. do police units, local militsia and security divisions count as combat troops etc.? Was the Navy onthe Eastern Front merely a support unit? What about the Luftwafe bombers transporting goods and wounded when not busy on bombing Russian cities and villages? W"hat about Organisation Todt, NSKK, National train employees (Reichsbahn) etc. pp.?

Actually it's quite rocket science to tell the ratio with some accuracy unless you limit it to the very easy formula Field Army (Feldheer) less non-combat troops and beggage units (Wehrmachtsgefolge) in the Field Army compared to non-combat Field Army plus Replacement Army (Ersatzheer) plus Police plus "Wehrmachtsgefolge".

Cheers,

[ 25. February 2003, 02:01 AM: Message edited by: AndyW ]

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