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Thomas C. Theiner

@noclador

Apr 28

How to do mobilization for war in the perfect way: the @USArmy in #WWII:

When Germany invaded Poland the US Army consisted of just 6× divisions (1st ID, 2nd ID, 3rd ID, 1st CAV, Hawaiian Division, Philippine Division).
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In October 1939 the Army added the 5th ID and 6th ID. Afterwards the US Army fielded 8× divisions.

After the Germans invaded France with 141× divisions, the US Army activated another 4× infantry (4th, 7th, 8th, 9th) and 2× armored (1st, 2nd) divisions.

Total: 14× divisions.
2/n

In fall of 1940 the National Guard was federalized. This added 10× infantry divisions (27th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 35th, 36th, 37th, 41st, 44th, 45th).

In spring 1941 a further 8× National Guard divisions were federalized (26th, 28th, 29th, 33rd, 34th, 38th, 40th, 43rd).
3/n

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Thomas C. Theiner

@noclador

Apr 25

Today Germans found out that raising and stationing a Panzerbrigade in Lithuania will cost up to €11 billion...

Of course, because if you devastate your military for 30 years and create gaps in personnel, materiel, etc. it costs MORE to rebuild than it would have cost to
1/5

maintain your military. Germany between 1989 and 2024 reduced its battalions (active and reserve) by the following %:

CBRN Defense -63,64%
Artillery -92,68%
Reconnaissance -45,45%
Paratroopers -66,67%
Signals -66,67%
Air Defense -100,00%
Gebirgsjäger -25,00%
Panzer -91,76%
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Army Aviation -70,00%
Light Infantry -96,98%
Logistics -83,70%
Panzergrenadier -82,81%
Engineers -83,33%
Medical -84,00%
Bridging -92,86%

Total: -87,47%

Disbanded the units, paid to have the equipment and materiel scrapped, sold of the bases, and retired the people with the
3/5

Read 5 tweets

Thomas C. Theiner

@noclador

Apr 19

The air defense of a large country is difficult.

People have forgotten the insane density (and cost) of NATO's Cold War SAM belts.

In Germany alone the HAWK belt consisted of (from North to South):
• 24× German
• 12× Dutch
• 8x Belgian
• 35× US Army
• 12× German

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HAWK sites, each of which was filled with radars and missile launchers. (Photo: the Dutch HAWK site on Velmerstot in Germany).

Between the SAM belt and the border mobile radars, and short range air defense systems like Gepard, Roland, Chaparral, VADS, etc. as well as mobile
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Javelin and Stinger teams covered the units operating there.

And behind the HAWK SAM (Surface to Air Missile) belt followed a second SAM belt, with long range NIKE HERCULES missiles, which carried nuclear warheads. All this was backed up by German, US Air Force, British
3/8

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Thomas C. Theiner

@noclador

Apr 2

On April Fool's Day the head of the German Navy's Naval Aviation the #Marineflieger joked that the Marineflieger would finally get fighter jets again...

This should NOT be a joke.
This should be a high priority investment for the Bundeswehr.

A thread about 🇩🇪🇩🇰🇸🇪🇫🇮🇵🇱🇬🇧:
1/17

During the Cold War the West German & Danish navies' tasks were to:
• prevent the Soviet Baltic, East German & Polish fleets from transiting the Skagerrak
• prevent Warsaw Pact amphibious landings on the Danish isles

For this the German forces in Schleswig Holstein & the
2/17

Danish military were assigned to NATO's Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (BALTAP) Command.

To defend the sea approaches BALTAP had 30 submarines, 56 missile boats, some 60 mine layers, and land based Harpoon missile batteries (which were transferred to Ukraine in June 2022).
3/17

Read 17 tweets

Thomas C. Theiner

@noclador

Mar 31

The Soviet Union was losing the war against Germany.

Only the 🇺🇸 US industry saved the Soviets.

In 1941 in seven months of war in the East the Wehrmacht suffered 285,400 irrecoverable losses vs. 3,137,673 irrecoverable Soviet losses. A ratio of 1 to 11 (!).
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In the 12 months of 1942 the Wehrmacht suffered 500,700 irrecoverable losses vs. 3,258,216 Soviet irrecoverable losses. A ratio of 1 to 6.5.

BUT from 1941 to 1942 Soviet average monthly losses decreased by 176,700 troops... because US Lend/Lease materiel began to arrive.
2/6

Especially helpful were 312,600 American trucks (which incl. about 187,900 Studebaker US6). This allowed the Soviets to motorize their rifle divisions and vastly improved Red Army logistics. (The Soviet Union only produced 150,000 trucks during the entire war).
3/6

Read 6 tweets

Thomas C. Theiner

@noclador

Mar 31

About the loss of British combat power:

During the Cold War the British Army was the smallest of the four big (🇬🇧🇫🇷🇩🇪🇮🇹) European NATO armies.

The British Army fielded 13 brigades (+ the Royal Marines' Commando brigade), while Germany fielded 38 and Italy 25 brigades.
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France fielded 12 divisions, which each had the strength of 2× standard NATO brigades.

But no one complained, because at the time the Royal Air Force was the biggest air force on the continent with some 800+ fighters & bombers. Only France fielded a comparable air force.
2/6

And the Royal Navy was the second biggest navy in NATO with more ocean-going ships than the French, German and Italian navies combined (!).

But after the Cold War, and especially under the Tory governments since 2010, the British Armed Forces have been wrecked.
3/6

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