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[SIZE=3]Case Study I: French Light Aviation Forces in the Atlas-Rif Revolt[/SIZE]
The Situation: The rebellion of Berber tribesmen in Morocco saw the Armee de l'Aire handed an unusual challenge. The Armee de l'Aire had, through the 1930s, focused on what it saw to be the most likely sort of coming air-war, with strategic bombing supported by air-defense and reconnaissance operations. This theory appeared to be reinforced by observation of the South American War, although the supposed inviolability of strategic bombers was reevaluated. The Atlas-Rif Revolt, however, had no occasion for the strategic bomber, and light aviation assets were required to deal with small bands of nomadic, desert-dwelling rebels. In addition, the Armee de Terre required cargo aircraft to drop parachute troops. This was a particular weakness for the Armee de l'Aire of the day.
The Lesson Learned: The lightest bombers in the French arsenal, the Breguet 690 and the Loire-Nieuport LN.401 dive bomber, both saw immediate service in the conflict. The LN.401 lacked the payload to be truly useful, carrying only 225kg of bombs. The larger Breguet 690 was more expensive to operate but proved more useful and survivable, and sparked further orders for the type. Another unique innovation during the war was the use of helicopters, specifically the Dorand G.IIb. A group of these helicopters, purchased to equip a trials group in 1937, arrived in Morocco in 1938 and proved themselves in spite of their mechanical woes. One to two Dorands often accompanied military convoys, and on at least a dozen certified occasions, the presence of the helicopter proved decisive in disrupting a Berber ambush. The tribesmen often fired on the helicopter, thus giving away their position, or fled the scene upon the helicopter's overflight. The Armee de l'Aire also demonstrated a marked weakness in cargo aircraft, but this shortcoming proved hard to overcome in the short term; the military often had to lease civil aircraft in order to accomidate their own needs.
The Response: The Armee de l'Aire took immediate steps to acquire new aircraft based on the lessons of the Atlas-Rif Revolt. The Nord Normandie, a four-engine transport first conceived in 1936 and ignored by the Air Force, abruptly received a much higher level of official support, although as of the date of writing the Normandie has not yet entered production. The Armee de l'Aire also acquired the license to build the Swiss C-3603 ground-attack aircraft, some of which appeared in the late stages of the Revolt and showed excellent versatility. However, inter-service rivalry between the Armee de Terre and the Armee de l'Aire led to the foundation of the Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre (ALAT) in early 1939, with the new organization being responsible for operating helicopters and light spotting aircraft. ALAT's relatively junior status and the limited development work to date on helicopters has prevented the organization from exerting much influence, however. Purpose-designed ground attack aircraft are currently in development, including a counter-insurgency aircraft being jointly designed with Thailand, and other designs proposed by Arsenal, Bloch, and Breguet.
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[SIZE=3]Case Study II: The Chilean Navy's Amphibious Force[/SIZE]
The Situation: In 1937, when war broke out between the Peruvian government on one side, and the Colombian and Chilean allies on the other side, the Chilean forces faced a difficult opponent: not the Peruvian armies, but the geography of the border. In the high, dry regions of the Andes, Atacama and Altiplano, supplying troops for an overland campaign would prove unimaginably difficult. While the Chileans could count on a railway connection for defense within their own borders, they knew they could not supply any troops attempting to move north into Peruvian territory, where no railways or high-capacity roads existed. Instead, the Chileans depended on their time-tested method: the "naval descent", as practiced in the War of the Pacific, moving up the coast with navy-supplied landing forces. However, times had changed since the 19th Century, and the Chilean military identified several factors they saw as crucial to the success of a "Naval Descent": naval supremacy, aerial supremacy, and a tenable, high-capacity landing zone. While the Chilean Navy quickly worked to achieve naval supremacy - and achieved aerial supremacy with the help of the Atlantean and Chilean Air Forces - it was the third requirement that proved difficult. The long coastline of Peru is often rocky or desolate and there are few deep-water ports, all of which were defended by Peruvian forces. The Chilean commanders, after testing the Peruvian defenses during the Pisco Raid, discovered to their alarm that they lacked the capability to disembark ground forces sufficient to achieve decisive success in a "naval descent". The war ended before Chilean forces could resolve the difficulties they faced.
The Lesson Learned: By the end of 1937, the Chilean Navy had analyzed the results of the Pisco Raid and their own inability to conduct their expected "naval descent". The problem they found was twofold. While the Navy had four old destroyers converted to troop transports, these were at best suitable for landing small opposed raiding parties. Landing in wooden surfboats was a wet, dangerous affair, with the troops exposed to enemy fire as they landed. Further, there was no capability to land the larger accoutrements of war - artillery pieces, tanks, and trucks full of supplies. Only through an uncontested coup-de-main (as occurred in the Pisco Raid) could the Chileans hope to seize the sort of port necessary to land and supply follow-on units. The Chileans determined they needed a method of landing a sufficient body of men, as well as their supporting mechanized or motorized elements, on a contested open beach. This capability required both specialized ships specifically designed for the purpose and a substantial change in Chilean doctrine.
The Response: At the end of the war, the Chilean Navy consulted closely with both allied navies and ASMAR, the indigenous Chilean shipbuilding firm, then conducted a number of theoretical staff exercises to build a new doctrine. Requests went out to civil industry for possible equipment to re-equip the Chilean Marines to improve their capabilities. By the end of 1939, the Chileans ordered three modern landing craft capable of discharging troops or light vehicles, evaluating them for future orders, and in 1940, ASMAR laid the keels of two landing ships, and after evaluating the landing craft, placed a sizable order. These light landing craft can be launched from merchant ship lifeboat davits, allowing the Chileans, in emergencies, to convert civilian steamers into troopships. As of the date of writing, the Chilean Navy boasted three purpose-built landing ships with three more under construction; the Chilean Marines also started receiving deliveries of an amphibious truck that can swim ashore with troops or cargo. This activity has not been relegated solely to new equipment, but also to training. In 1938, the Chilean Marines published a new doctrinal handbook, then revised it in 1941. Amphibious exercises were conducted in January, and further exercises are in the planning stages for later this year. The Chileans have also continued very close cooperation with their allies, seeking further experience and knowledge.
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[SIZE=3]Case Study III: Czechoslovakian forces in Afghanistan, 1940-41[/SIZE]
The Situation: As part of the League mission to aid the Kingdom of Afghanistan in driving out rogue Persian Nationalist elements, the Czechoslovakian Army agreed to contribute a composite force consisting of a cavalry regiment, a motorized infantry battalion, an artillery regiment, and an armoured battalion. Experience in combat soon demonstrated to the Czech leadership that their composite force, which the Czech leadership hoped would offer flexible alternatives to all possible missions, was ill-equipped to work together. The pairing of horsed cavalry and tanks proved a particularly disastrous failure, as the tanks were either limited to the advance of the horsemen or deprived of their support. In turn, the motorized infantry could follow the tanks on the road, but rarely across country. The Czech commanders swiftly addressed organizational shortfalls through ad hoc reorganizations and unit retaskings, and are set to complete their deployment and return to Europe in the next few months.
The Lesson Learned: The Czech leadership felt horsed cavalry would be most valuable and flexible for use in the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan, and intended to support it with quantities of motorized infantry and tanks. The Czechs learned that the horsed cavalry was valuable for patrols emphasizing a light footprint or in close country, but was ill-suited for cooperation with mechanized units. As of current reports, the Czech troops have more regularly fought dismounted. By contrast, the motorized infantry battalion performed admirably, particularly in collaboration with and in support of the Czech tanks. The use of dedicated and well-trained sniper units also received high admiration. The Czechs and Irish also imitated the Yugoslavian Army in the creation of a Pandur unit for light infantry operations.
The Response: The greatest challenge for the Czechoslovakian leadership will be taking the lessons of the Afghanistan deployment and making them applicable to the modern battlefield of Europe. Already, the Czech Defense Department has indicated that they intend to fully motorize all their remaining horsed cavalry, and shall retain only a few small units for patrol and security operations, and will form their tanks into a number of armoured brigades. Skoda has begun work on an armoured infantry carrier similar to those designed in France, Germany, and elsewhere; and new tanks are reportedly being designed. The Army leadership has also proposed the idea of the "Motor Submachinegun Battalion", a truck-mounted infantry unit armed almost exclusively with automatic weapons, which would provide unparalleled firepower in close country. Regardless of the measures that are finally adopted, the Czechoslovakian Army clearly has already learned much but wants to learn more from their Afghanistan experience, and are demonstrating both industriousness and ingenuity in applying those lessons back to the defense of their homeland.
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1. Ouest (France)
2. France (France)
3. Sud-Est (France)
4. Nord (France)
5. Indochine, Corse et Algerie (France)
6. Iberia
7. Denmark
8. Japan
9. Germany
10. Warsaw Pact Mixed Team (Bulgaria, Greece, Poland Romania, Turkey, Yugoslavia)
11. Belgium
12. Switzerland-Luxembourg Mixed Team
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Marching Column
Cadets and Military Academies of France
- Military Polytechnic School
- National Gendarmerie Officer School
- Saint-Cyr Special Military School
- Military Inter-arms School
- Military Academy of the Technical and Administrative Corps
- Naval Military Academy
- Marine Commissariat Officers Cadet School
- Military School of the Air
- National Gendarmerie NCO Academy
Foreign Contingent
- Atlantis:
---- 1x company of the 2nd Battalion 1st Corsairs Brigade
---- 1x company of the Atlantean Zouaves Division
---- 1x battalion 35th Grenadiers Division
- Russia:
---- 2nd Naval Infantry Battalion, Baltic Fleet Naval Infantry Brigade
---- Main Military Chorus and Band of the Russian Defense Ministry
- Chile:
---- CEAA No. 1 (Compañía Especial de Asalto Anfibio) of the Chilean Marines (aka "Marine Cossacks")
---- 1x platoon drawn from each of the twelve infantry brigades and the two cavalry brigades (all marching on foot)
---- 1x platoon of the "Blue Berets" Paratrooper Battalion
---- 1x platoon of the Chilean Carabineros
- Colombia:
---- 1x composite battalion formed from a platoon each of the 1st through 9th Infantry Divisions
- Britain: 1x company of the Coldstream Guards
- Canada: 1x company of the 1st Battalion, Governor-General's Foot Guards, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, and 1x company of the 2nd Battalion, Cameron Highlanders, 4th Canadian Infantry Division
- United States: C Company, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, and 1x company of the 1st Battalion 1st Marine Regiment 1st Marine Division
- Germany: 1x company of the Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 138 and the regimental band
- Brazil: 1x company of the Batalhão de Infantaria de Montanha and a platoon of students of the Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras
- Bulgaria: 1x company of the 13th Grenadier Regiment
- Yugoslavia: 1x company of the Army Demonstration Battalion
- Denmark: 1x composite company (1x platoon of the King's Jutland Foot Regiment, 1x platoon of the Danish Caribbean Infantry Regiment, 1x platoon of the Bissau Foot Regiment, and 1x platoon of the Danish Somalia Regiment)
- Belgium: 2x companies of the 1st Regiment, 3rd Liege Division
- Netherlands: 1x squadron Queen's Own Royal Guard Dragoons
- Greece: 1x company of the 5/42 Evzones Regiment.
- Nordmark: 1x company of the Livgrenadjärregementet ("Life Grenadier Regiment")
- Lithuania: 1x company of the Lithuanian Life Guards and 1x composite company (1x platoon Lithuanian Security Force, 1x platoon of the Lithuanian Police, and 1x platoon of the National Rifle Association)
- Luxembourg: 1x company of the Corps de la Garde Grand Ducale, plus the military marching band.
- Switzerland: 1x company of the Swiss Grenadiers Battalion 20.
- Iberia: 1st company of the 1st Marine Division
- Italy: 1x company of the Carabinieri
- Latvia: the Latvian Army Band and the Latvian Navy Band
- Romania: 1x company of the 1st Guard Division and 1x company of the Regiment Garda Mihai Viteazu
- Czechoslovakia: 1x company of the 11th Infantry Battalion
- Argentina: The 23 Tercio de Infantería de Marina.
- Hungary: 1x company of the 6th Light Field Division
- South Africa: 1x company of the Royal Black Watch of the Northwind Highlanders
- Siam: 1x company of the 2nd Infantry Division and 1x company of the 6th Infantry (Marines) Division, plus two war elephants with handlers
French Navy:
- French Navy Naval Fusiliers
- French Navy Submarine Force
- French Navy Surface Forces
- French Naval Aviation
- French Navy Maritime Gendarmerie
French Army:
- French Army Armoured Cavalry Branch (represented by the 1ere Brigade de Reaction Rapide)
- French Army Parachute Forces Units
- French Army Infantry and Mountain Troops
- French Army Artillery Command
- French Army Engineers Command
- French Army Marine Troops
- French Army Transport Command
- French Army Materials and Quartermaster Command
- French Army Signals
- French Air Force Air Fusiliers
- French Air Force Air Gendarmerie
- French Air Force Logistics
- Interior Ministry Security Service
- National Firefighting Officer Commissioning Academy
- Paris Fire Brigade
- French Foreign Legion Foreign Engineers
- French Foreign Legion Foreign Cavalry
- French Foreign Legion Foreign Infantry
Mounted Column
- Atlantis: 1x squadron of the Imperial Cuirassiers (ceremonial horse troops)
- Russia: 4th Squadron, 2nd Regiment, 1st Cavalry Brigade, from Kiev Special Military District (mounted)
- Australia: 1x company of the Australian Light Horse
- Britain: 1x company of the Household Cavalry, the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards)
- Bulgaria: 1x mounted lance (platoon) of the Life Guards
- Ireland: 1x mounted company of the 5th Battalion, 1st Irish Guards Brigade
- Lithuania: 1x mounted platoon of the Lithuanian Security Force
- Poland: 1x Squadron of the 5th Regiment of Zaslaw Uhlans
- South Africa: 1x squadron of the Black Widow Company of the Wolf's Dragoons
French:
- Mounted Fanfare Band of the French Republican Guard
- Cavalry Regiment of the French Republican Guard
- 1x squadron Algerian Spahis
Mobile Column
- Atlantis:
---- 2x tank companies of the 3rd and 9th Tank Battalions
- Russia:
---- A Company, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Tank Brigade (10 T-40 tanks)
---- C Company, 4th Battalion, 1st Tank Brigade (10 BTR-35)
---- A Battery, 2nd Artillery Battalion (12 SU-40 122mm SP Guns)
---- B Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Independent Heavy Tank Brigade of the Western Special Military District (10x TT-37 tanks)
---- A Company, 1st Assault Gun Battalion of the Western Special Military District (10x ShU-40 assault guns)
- Chile: Composite company of the 1st Panzergrenadier Brigade (160 men, 8 M3 halftracks, 4 M41 tanks)
- Colombia: 1x company of the 5th Mobile Brigade
French:
- Motorcycle Squadrons, French Gendarmerie and French Republican Guard
- French Army Operational Force High Command
- Alpine Hunters Regiment, Army Mountain Troops
- French Army Transportation
- French Army Materials and Quartermaster Command
- French Army Motorized and Mechanized Infantry
- French Army Artillery Command
- French Army Armored Cavalry Branch (Spahis, Hussars, Dragoons, Cuirassiers and Tanks)
- French Army Engineers Command vehicles
- French Army Marine Infantry vehicles
- French Army Marine Artillery
- French Foreign Legion mobile vehicles (infantry and engineers)
- Paris Fire Brigade
Aircraft Flyover
- Atlantis:
---- 9th Strategic Bomber Squadron of the 23rd Bomber Regiment (Heavy) of the 1st Heavy Strategic Bombing Division (12x Spartan B4 Valiants)
---- 14th Fighter Squadron of the 4th Fighter Regiment (12x Spartan F-17 Vipers)
- Russia: 1st Regiment, 3rd Bomber Aviation Division from the Moscow Military District (15 ANT-35B four engine bombers)
- Chile: 1x flight I-02Ns (Navy), 1x flight Coatis (Air Force)
- Colombia: 1x squadron Spartan SP-20 "Corsair II" fighters from Comando Aereo de Combate No. 3
- France:
---- G.C. I/2: 76x VG.60 Revenants
---- G.C. I/3: 76x VG.60 Revenants
---- G.C.N. V/6: 76x MB.178CN night-fighters
---- G.B. I/50: 66x Lioré et Olivier LeO 451 twin-engine bombers
---- G.B. I/56: 66x Farman F.380 high-speed bombers
---- G.B. I/58: 66x Bloch MB.162 heavy bombers
---- G.B. I/57: 66x Bloch MB.162 heavy bombers
---- G.A.O. 506: 12x Caudron C.710 reconnaissance planes
---- 5e Groupement Aérien de Porte-avions: 32x Bloch MB.1050 Milans, 16x Latécoère Late-550 Épaulard torpedo bombers, 16x Breguet Br.890 Épaulard dive bombers
---- Flyover of four Arsenal VB.20 trials fighters and four Farman F.400 Ourse bombers
---- One Air France MB.970 Transatlantique airliner
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