WesWorld

Don't you mean 'mutilated'?

Fun thing is, though, I used my modify-photos-software to remove the red ball markings but though nobody would notice those stripes on her tail to be setai markings. Well, and along comes Walter...

Quoted

Originally posted by HoOmAn
Anybody interested to buy some F-6E or F-8B fighters?

Nobody?..... Uh, hadn´t expected actual, albeit slightly used, RSAF planes are rated so low. Xo)

I don't really need more fighters for any of my countries at present.

SAE really wants to sell to Brazil? Okay then, all of them please!

Btazil? Erhm.... No, thank you.

Peru might be a possible home for them, though.....

*Hey get away from my prime Hawker Hurricane importer*

An Argentine scrap dealer would love to buy them...

Scrap is an option, or civilan disposal as unarmed fast runabouts. I think in general WW has too many producers and not enough buyers. There seems a glut of older types and newer export types.

Maybe Siam? (not sure of the general Air Force picture there)

Persia would seem to be another option: they've been buying SAE planes for a while now (along with whatever else they could get their hands on).

Quoted

Originally posted by Hrolf Hakonson
Persia would seem to be another option: they've been buying SAE planes for a while now (along with whatever else they could get their hands on).

The Army will be reduced in size after the War (as soon as RL don't get on the way) but the Air Force could try to create an standard to get rid of the pletora of aircrafts being used. Is a possibility after the War that we can put an order for some F-6's.

So I've been slowly tinkering with the concept of how big could/should my airforce be. This is what I came up with. I use 1937 since thats when I stopped updating the Dutch AF.

Preamble :
Attempting to set forth a reasonable airforce for the WesWorld Dutch, based on their belief that the 1938-1944 time frame is the most favorable for SATSUMA to initiate a war.

Summary:
My theory is comparing #s of aircraft is less relevant than # engines as the later is a better metric for how complex and expensive the plane is.

A 4-engine heavy bomber could take the resources of 5 fighters, and a dozen aircrew. A medium bomber was likewise far more expensive. Since calculating aircrew or hours of construction can be messy, particularly for hypothetical aircraft, I’d rather use number of engines as a substitute for “value”.

As Hrolf said, the historical Luftwaffe of summer 1939 (according to Wikipedia) had a aircraft strength was 4,201 operational aircraft; 1,191 bombers, 361 dive bombers, 788 fighters, 431 heavy fighters, and 488 transports.

Presuming 2 engines/bomber or hvy fighter and 3.5/transport that gives 6,101 engines.
Notably, no recon, training or seaplanes are listed, though they were apparently on hand.

Like the OTL Germans, the Dutch have been arming for a coming war in the near future, but have roughly half the factories, albeit a base population of 100mil, with the NEI having roughly the same per capita income as Bahrat.


Philosophy:
Dutch Airforce 1937 forward

The Dutch airforce underwent reorganization and grew subsequent to the South American war, which in particular highlighted the deficiencies of heavy bombers and the problems of attrition.

The current specific status and planes of the Dutch airforce are no longer being updated. Please presume that the Dutch field reasonable quantities of up to date aircraft, skewed towards fighters. Older aircraft are transitioned to support squadrons, and used as reservist craft.

Planes are generally retained 3-4 years in active service, with some moved to the reserves in 2-3 years. The reserves are intended to keep pilots in readiness, and to be operational units once attrition destroys the 1st line service units.

The Dutch expect that attrition rates will be high, and that after several weeks of conflict, the presence of any, if only elderly, aircraft will be of boon. This also aids in keeping a pilot pool larger than the number of active fighters.

Dutch air philosophy is to contest air control and deny the opposition free use of airspace. Fighters being cheaper and less demanding of personnel, there has been a conscious decision to favor fielding many fighters over fewer bombers, and there are no heavy bombers.

The Dutch plane design places an emphasis on keeping wingloadings relatively low and landing gear robust. Fokker controls are generally well liked by pilots. Seat armor and radios have been standard for years, and self-sealing tanks have entered service. Primary weaponry is the 13.2mm MG, firing the old Mauser AT-round in API form. “Anti-bomber” weaponry is Madsen 20mm or 23mm cannon either singly or in pairs. Offensive payloads are generally designed around either 100kg bombs for light bombers/fighters, or 1 aerial torpedo for bombers/seaplanes.

Aircraft command is centralized by region. Naval Air Control takes primacy in regions with major bases. Air Search radars and integrated AA have been coming into service. There are generally several primary strips for each wing, a separate strip for reserve elements. In the NEI, there are prepped fall back strips with supplies. These fall back strips generally have been graded around the canopy cover and require the removal of the last trees to become serviceable.

Lessons from the South American war have led to an adoption of a finger-four arrangement and a fast strike philosophy for land bombers. Land bombers are intended to interdict airfields and rear areas near battlefields, but all bombers and seaplanes are equipped for air dropping torpedoes, as part of the maritime strike capability desired for sea control.


Numbers :

Aircraft Wings are generally arranged in four combat squadrons, with each squadron now 16 planes. A 5th, service squadron, is a mixture of reconnaissance, transports and trainers dedicated to the wing. Typically 1 trainer of each squadron type.
A typical wing will consist of :
1. Squadron of “interceptor” fighters : Examples D-XXIII, G-1, FW-187
2. Squadron of “Fighters” : Examples : D-XVIIE, D-XXI, D-XXII
3. Squadron of “Fighters” : Examples : D-XVIIE, D-XXI, D-XXII
4. Squadron of “Bombers” : Examples : T-IX, G-2
5. Half-squadron of “transports” : Examples :
6. Quarter-squadron of “trainers” : Examples :
7. Quarter-squadron of “Reconn” : Examples : G-3

Airwings are roughly as follows :
Netherlands : 10 wings
Sumatra : 4 wings
Java : 4 wings
Borneo : 2 wings
Moluccas : 1 wing
Celebes : 1 wing
Suriname : 1 wing

At Phuket, Soerabaja, Dongalla, Ambon and Balikpapan there are squadron of floatplane fighters

There are 34 Half-Squadrons of Seaplanes in the DEI, 2 in the Netherlands, and 2 in Suriname.

Transport squadrons are located at 6 locations in the DEI : 2 Java, 1 Sumatra, 1 Borneo, 1 Celebes, 1 Moluccas.

Additionally, there are usually 1 reservist fighter squadrons (D-VIIC) and 1 bomber squadron (T-V) and 1 trainer squadron associated with each wing.

Finally, at major fleet bases – Den Helder, Rotterdam, Soerabaja, Phuket and Balikpapan there are reserve carrier airwings with 48 fighters, 32 torpedo bombers


This totals :
23 air wings :
Interceptor : 23x16 = 368
Fighter : 23x16x2 = 736
Bomber : 23x16 = 368
Transports : 23x8 = 184
Resv ftr : 23 x 16 = 368
Resv bmb : 23 x 16 = 368



Trainers : 23x4 = 92
Recon : 23x4 = 92
5 floatplane sdq : 5 x 16 = 80 floatplane ftrs
38 half squadrons : 34x8 = 272 seaplanes
6 transport squadrons : 6x16 = 96
Carrier fighters : 5x48 = 240
Carrier bomb : 5x32 = 160
Resv train : 23 x 16 = 368

Totals
Interceptor : 368
Fighter : 1104
Nav fighter : 240
Float fighter : 80
Nav Bomb : 160
Bomber : 736
Seaplane : 272
Transports : 280
Trainers : 460
Reconn : 92
-----
3,792

But only 4,912 engines in the Ftr/Bomb/Trans categories, 2/3 that of the Luftwaffe for those branches. Further, that includes 736 reserve aircraft, so only 3,808 first line engines – less than 2/3 the OTL German numbers. Without the resource constraints German production was facing pre-war, I don’t think that’s unreasonable for the Wesworld Dutch to be fielding.

Note : planes actively on carriers and seaplane carriers are omitted due to lazyness, just the Naval airstation component listed.

Great post, really. Wish I had something similar for the RSAF.... Now that I´m working on planes anyway.

Fantastic work !!! Chapeau !!!

I wish also, that i have something similar for the CAF. But may be, you have only too much time to make this

Indeed a great write-up.

I'm trying to build up a proper RAF OOB too. Hope to get that done within the month.

Quoted

Originally posted by parador
But may be, you have only too much time to make this

When I'm in the office and hit writers block or need a break, I tinkered with this over the past month or so.

I've always intended the Dutch to focus on a fighter-heavy force to field larger numbers at a reasonable cost...while I was unhappy to find my initial projected airforce was still a bit larger than reasonable, I was able to trim and it worked out.