Originally posted by Kevin Mc Carthy
The same logic would say that a division should have 2-4, or even 10 times as much MP to simulate the logistics tail that a combat division needs to operate. Armies don't account for the RAMFs.
The way I see it:
One MP = 750 men. This has been stated clearly numerous times by Max I and when it comes to HoI Max I and Vulture are as good authorities as Johan.
For an infantry division 10x750=7500 men, however it's also been clearly stated that HoI divisions are built on the German model of 15.000 men. In other words, only 50% of the men in the division are modelled in-game and the rest is abstracted.
The reason for this is IMHO that a division under normal circumstances has a high proportion of support units but combat losses are primarily among the teeth of the unit (riflemen and direct fire support weapon crews). If the full manpower cost was counted then in most cases casualties would be overstated, thus exacerbating the already existing problem of daily loss rates being too high.
For ships, the manpower cost should IMHO closely match historical crew numbers as they are effectively in the "teeth".
In the end there's a number of non-moddable factors such as provincial AA manpower, industrial manpower etc and I suggest that a certain flexibility in the approach is needed.