Losses around Maginot

[Aodhan_]

At the start of war end of Aug start of Dec 1939 I will have (in single player).

100 to 120 Inf divisions 20 width.
24 Light Pz divisions about 18 width if memory serves me right.
10 mountain divisions 20 width.
20 to 30 garrison divisions for coastal defence.
10 suppression of MP and 4 cav.

Think that's it.

 

[Emren]

If you are Germany you need more ARM in your divisions in most cases. Running the doctrine plus Germany's ministers means you can weight your panzer divisions towards more armor and less infantry.

The MECH and MOT are there to provide some defense and ORG, but the ARM and SPART are there to provide the firepower, breakthrough, and hardness. That is where panzer divisions really shine. Even if the enemy can pierce your panzers, they are still in deep trouble if your panzer divisions have high hardness, high breakthrough, and high firepower.

Here's a good started 40 width formation. This template shows stats with Panzer IVs and most (but not all) of the mobile warfare tree completed. No XP on the vehicles, and no ministers.

View attachment 262997

Even without MECH, it has a hardness of 68%. It has plenty of firepower and breakthrough. The speed will be better once you appoint some ministers. And it has enough ORG to stay in the fight for as long as it needs to. If you upgrade to MECH, it gets some better stats, including 77% hardness. But MECH is so expensive, especially early in the game, that I find it prohibitive for mass inclusion in panzer forces until later. (There are some issues with speed on MECH I, but that's a whole other discussion.)

The MAINT is there for keeping the equipment from facing breakdowns, the LOG is there to keep your division in supply, the ENG is there to help with terrain. And the Recon is there to speed the division up on open terrain.

Isn't it better to replace the artillery with signals, AA, or even a field hospital? You've plenty of soft attack..?

 

[Secret Master]

Isn't it better to replace the artillery with signals, AA, or even a field hospital? You've plenty of soft attack..?

I don't put support AA in panzer divisions. If I think I need it, I put SPAAT. A few of those will shred enemy planes. Support AA duesbt have the punch I need.

Signals is not something I value for panzers. If we don't reinforce to width on the attack, I just manually order the attack. And for mobile warfare, I don't need the planning speed increase.

I stopped caring for hospitals after my last Barbarossa. I learned how to just cycle the panzers off the frontline and train their XP up when recovering from an offensive. I also don't care about manpower losses as Germany. I'll suffer 3 million dead if it means defeating the Soviets. And Logistics or extra firepower will make that happen faster than hospitals.

The better question to ask, though, is whether or not it's better to add support ART or just leave the spot open.but this is a basic template. There are deeper questions we can get into later.

 

[mergele]

Yeah I recently figured that out as well. If the arrow AI wouldn't start fight against massive doomstacks that would be helpful. Are there any mods to prevent this?


Thank you for the tips and template. The tank division template is really useful. I always thought soft attack trumps breakthrough.

One thing I also wonder is how many divisions Germany can effectively support by the outbreak of the war. I always go with 5 x 24 40-width stacks.

5 full tank armies? Complete overkill, 1 tank army is plenty, maybe 1.5 or 2. I've even done it with 6 tank divisions (Not in the "anything goes way" but actually tanks as spearheads doing all the important breakthroughs).