WesWorld

Having completed the tables of organization and equipment for the formations encompassing the Royal Yugoslav Army, I ran the numbers for its personnel requirements at the nominal war establishments of its current divisions, brigades and smaller units.

The total for these was 311,237 - comprising 11,403 officers, 46,207 warrant officers and other non-commissioned officers and 253,627 enlisted personnel, the majority of whom would be conscripts. I allowed a further two percent for miscellaneous, five percent for the permanent training divisions and slightly under one percent for staff positions, for a total of 336,000 officers and other ranks on the regular establishment. This may seem large compared to Yugoslavia's probable population, which I have not worked out.

In any event, the current force is far smaller than the establishment I inherited upon taking over Yugoslavia at the start of 1937. At that time the Army consisted of twenty-one huge infantry divisions (each one numbering more than 25,000 men), three cavalry divisions, three motorised brigades and a host of artillery and antiaircraft units, a total force numbering more than 592,000 officers and men on paper.

While a full order of battle update will have to wait until the close of the year (notionally the latest round of augmentations has only just begun) the reduction to 336,000 officers and men represents a 43% reduction from the situation at the start of 1937 - a reduction of more than 250,000 men. Whatever the ratio of Yugoslavia's military establishment to its Wesworld population might be, the burden of the latest establishment is lighter than the old establishment.

I have not yet detailed the establishments of the reserve forces; I think I need to allow my addled brain the opportunity to relax before I move in that direction.