Orbat Web Magazine
Historical Military Organization
Volume: 2
Issue: Cumulative Index (Issues 1-12)
CONTENTS
Index [PDF] Volume 2, Issues 1-12
Index [Excel] Volume 2, Issues 1-12
EDITORIAL
In the first quarter of our second year, we have presented 69 articles by 27 different authors. Many of them are old hands, generously continuing to share their research. However, fully 40-percent of our authors are making their first appearance in Volume 2. While the regulars are valued for their ongoing contributions, those who contribute even the occasional article are important. In addition, it is always a pleasure to see new contributors; the more authors who contribute material, the more varied and interesting our magazine can be.
As with Volume 1, our articles are dominated by material on armies. This reflects the interests of our contributors rather than the bias of the editor. With rare exceptions (generally duplicative material less detailed than something that already appeared) almost everything submitted is published. For readers who would like to see more air and naval material: send it in.
Some of our readers have expressed a desire to see sources listed in all of the articles. Most of our contributors do show their sources, although some articles reflect the result of years of research on an army or area rather than a small number of easily listed sources. As a history major in my undergraduate years, I certainly appreciate seeing the sources. This is primarily valuable for others who might be interested in learning more about the army or battle—it lets them know where they can find more details. However, no article is ever rejected simply because the sources are not indicated.
Our new quarter begins with the next regular issue on October 29.
Volume: 2
Issue 12
CONTENTS
The Army of the Potomac from Chancellorsville to Gettysburg Richard A. Rinaldi
British Army Level Commanders 1914-1919(Graham Watson and Richard A. Rinaldi)
Soviet Rifle Regiments 1939-1945, Part Two [Version 8] Craig Crofoot
Italian Commando Superiore Forzo Armate Albania, 1941 Alexis Mehtidis
Battle of Midway: U.S. Order of Battle Eugene Kim
Battle of Midway: Japanese Order of Battle Eugene Kim
EDITORIAL
Gettysburg may be the most studied battle of the US Civil War; there are books that deal only with a single day. Lists of the units for both armies are not exactly difficult to find. The first article is not intended to be just another order of battle for the Army of the Potomac. Rather, it is a review of all of the changes in units and organization that occurred in between the loss at Chancellorsville (one of the more humiliating defeats) and its best victory barely two months later. The army changed more than just its commanding general during the interval—and that change was just three days before the battle began.
Our next article is a list of the commanders of British armies and theaters during the First World War.
Part Two of the list of every Soviet rifle regiments continues with Version 8, covering the regiments of the 201st to 280th Rifle Divisions.
Mr. Mehtidis’ detailed examination of the Italian Army in the Balkans continues with a list of all their units in Albania on 21 March 1941. As before, this is accompanied by a detailed glossary of Italian designations and military terms.
Finally, one of our newest contributors turns from the US Civil War to provide extremely detailed orders of battle for the US and Japanese forces in the 1942 battle of Midway. Militarily and psychologically, this is regarded as a turning point in the Pacific War, coming after the many disasters of December 1941 and early 1942.
As a reminder, in each quarter we have 12 issues with articles and then the next week is a cumulative index for the current year. Thus, the issue posted October 22 will be the index for the first quarter of Volume 2, and Issue 13 will appear on October 29.
Volume: 2
Issue 11
CONTENTS
1st Bull Run Order of Battle [Revised] Eugene Kim
Fort Donelson Campaign Order of Battle Eugene Kim
German Armies, Franco-Prussian War Richard A. Rinaldi
The Russian Army, 1914 [Part Two] Mark Conrad
Order of Battle of British Salonika Army, September 1918 James Hanafin
Soviet Rifle Regiments 1939-1945, Part Two [Version 7] Craig Crofoot
EDITORIAL
After Issue 10 was posted, Mr. Kim discovered that an incomplete version of the 1st Bull Run Order of Battle had been submitted. We are posting the completed version of his research. He then continues his series of early US Civil War battles with the February 1862 campaign that first drew attention to General Grant.
The next article gives a complete order of battle for the German armies at the onset of the Franco-Prussian War.
The second part of what will be a complete order of battle for the 1914 Russian Army, including support units, is available in this issue. Part One (in Vol. 2, Issue 7) covered the Army command, military districts, and army corps. This part contains every division of the army.
Mr. Hanafin returns to our publication with complete details of the British Salonika Army towards the close of the First World War.
Finally, the complete list of Soviet rifle regiments continues. Part Two began with the 201st Rifle Division, and Version 7 covers from there through the regiments of the 270th Rifle Division.
Volume: 2
Issue 10
CONTENTS
French Imperial Guard 1813-1814 Richard A. Rinaldi
1st Bull Run Eugene Kim
Soviet Rifle Regiments 1939-1945, Part Two [Version 6] Craig Crofoot
Italian 11th Army in Albania, Selected Orders of Battle, 1940-1941 Alexis Mehtidis
Papua New Guinea [Australian Rule] Leigh Ingram-Seal
Bougainville Island [P.N.G.] Leigh Ingram-Seal
EDITORIAL
We begin with a look at the French Imperial Guard following the disasters in Russia. The Guard was actually at its peak strength in the 1813-1814 campaigns, but far from its peak in quality.
A new contributor gives us the orbat for the first major Civil War engagement, First Bull Run (July 1861). The list of commanders shows many that would become famous later on as the war progressed. Ironically enough, the main Confederate force was designated the Army of the Potomac, an appellation much better known in connection with the Union.
Part Two of the Soviet rifle regiments expands to cover the regiments of the 201st to 260th Rifle Divisions.
Our Mediterranean expert gives us still another detailed look at the Italian Army in the 1940-41 campaign. The glossary and abbreviations he provides would probably allow almost any non Italian speaker to glean order of battle information from Italian publications.
We end with two more of Mr. Ingram-Seal’s reviews of the military and paramilitary forces in Southwest Pacific islands.
Volume: 2
Issue 9
CONTENTS
British Armoured Car Regiments: Part One Richard A. Rinaldi
Soviet Rifle Regiments 1939-1945, Part Two [Version 5] Craig Crofoot
‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’: Notes on Italian Forces in the Ionian Islands, Greece, April 1941-September 1943 Alexis Mehtidis
EDITORIAL
What with one thing and another (your editor fleeing a business meeting in Washington, DC ahead of the storm and your publisher residing in a hard-hit area) this issue of the magazine is a little shorter than normal. We hope to be back to regular length next week.
The article on British armoured car regiments deals with the units, organization, and equipment of the Second World War. A future article will cover the post-war period.
Part Two of the Soviet rifle regiment series is now in Version 5, covering all regiments of the 201st to 250th Rifle Divisions.
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin is a well-regarded novel by Louis de Bernieres about the Italian occupation of a Greek island in World War II. (The US-made film, with Nicholas Cage as Captain Corelli, was not favorably recieved.) It thus forms a suitable starting point for the title of Mr. Mehtidis’ detailed notes on the Italian forces in the Ionian islands. However, as he wrote in forwarding this particular article, these comprehensive lists of units do not capture any of the context of the operations covered. In addition, for this particular article, we are missing the information on the scale of Italian casualties suffered when the Germans moved in to forcibly disarm the garrison units.
This may be an unavoidable side-effect of a magazine devoted to orders of battle. We primarily provide lists of units, sometimes with organizational and command details. So far at least we have had few articles on operations or particular battles. In one sense that is fine: nobody needs yet another summary of some famous battle; our readers probably already have access to detailed volumes on those of interest to them. However (subtle hint to possible contributors) it might be interesting to receive some articles—with orbats, of course—on lesser-known campaigns or battles.
Volume: 2
Issue 8
CONTENTS
6e Armée: Order of Battle 1914—1918 Duncan Maclean
Soviet Rifle Regiments 1939-1945, Part Two [Version 4] Craig Crofoot
Swedish Air Force, 1939-1945 Ola Spang
US Parachute Infantry in World War II Richard A. Rinaldi
Indo-Pakistan War 1965: Cavalry Orbats Ravi Rikhye
Republic of Fiji Military Forces Leigh Ingram-Seal
EDITORIAL
We begin with a superb document from one of our newest contributors: the day by day order of battle for the French Sixth Army during the First World War. In addition to its exact composition (corps and divisions), the article includes information on its sectors, battles, and artillery strength. Mr. Maclean indicates that if this is well received (and it certainly ought to be) he will endeavor to prepare similar articles on the other French armies. I hope that our readers will encourage that work.
The Soviet rifle regiments series, now in its second part, moves on to include regiments in the 201st to 240th Rifle Divisions.
Another of our new contributors provides an overview of the Swedish Air Force in the Second World War.
In Issue 4 we had an article on the US glider infantry in World War II. This issue provides a companion piece, on the parachute infantry. Unlike their glider counterparts, paratroopers received an extra $50 a month in “hazardous duty pay” (usually called “jump pay”). Considering that the base pay for a sergeant in 1952 was only $60 a month, that extra pay was a significant amount.
A contribution from our editor, giving details on the cavalry (armored) regiments of the Indian and Pakistan armies during the 1965 war. This provides designations, assignments, TOEs, and information on tank inventory totals for the two countries.
Finally, we end with a review of the strength, organization, and armament of the military forces in Fiji from the Second World War to the 1990’s.
Volume: 2
Issue 7
CONTENTS
The Russian Army 1914, Part One Mark Conrad
Italian Alpini Units 1914-1918: Company Designations Duncan Maclean
Soviet Rifle Regiments 1939-1945, Part Two [Version 3] Craig Crofoot
Italian Co-Belligerent Forces Richard A. Rinaldi
The TOW Light Anti-Tank Battalion 1980-1993 - A Short History [Open article] Roger W. Houston
The Royal Navy in 2001 Colin Robinson
EDITORIAL
Our first article is a superb beginning to a complete orbat for the Russian Army just prior to the outbreak of World War I. Part One covers the Army command, military districts, and army corps. This will be a shared series with Journal of the Soviet Army.
A new contributor provides us with details on all of the Italian Army’s Alpine units in World War I, including designations down to the company level (as each company was individually numbered).
Part Two of the Soviet Rifle Regiments series will cover all regiments of the 201st to 400th Rifle Divisions. Version 3 adds the 211th to 220th Rifle Divisions. Mr. Crofoot and I are tempted to start a contest guessing how many pages a complete document with every rifle regiment would be. (Adding Part Two into a master document with the regiments from the first 200 rifle divisions is now up to 74 pages.)
Returning to the Italian Army, albeit in a different war, is an article on the co-belligerent forces. These were raised by the Allies following the 1943 invasion of Italy.
One of our regular experts on the US Army provides a look at light anti-tank battalions, all of them from the Army National Guard. These utilized the TOW (Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire guided) anti-tank weapon, a 221mm missile with a maximum range of about 3,000 meters. The missile itself weighed 24 kg.
Finally, we have an article on the administrative and operational organization of the Royal Navy in 2001.
Volume: 2
Issue 6
CONTENTS
Soviet Rifle Regiments 1939-1945, Part Two [Version 2] Craig Crofoot
9th Italian Army Order of Battle, Strengths and Comments, Albania, December 10th, 1940 Alexis Mehtidis
Italian Division Reference [Open article]
Army Abteilung Kempf, 4 July 1943 Alan Wilson
Army Groups Royal Artillery Richard A. Rinaldi
Short Histories of the PLA’s 12th, 13th, 14th, 20th, 26th, 27th and 39th Group Armies [Open article] Xinhui
EDITORIAL
Part Two of the Soviet Rifle Regiments series moves to Version 2, covering the regiments of the 201st to 220th Rifle Divisions.
Back from a working vacation guiding tours, Mr. Mehtidis gives us another of his exceptionally detailed looks at the Italian Army during the campaign against Greece. These articles are valuable not just for the orbat material, but for the glossary of Italian military terms and military abbreviations he provides.
We have had several articles in recent months on the Italian Army in World War II. While every division was numbered, all but the coastal divisions had names as well. Different sources sometimes refer to them by number, sometimes by name, and sometimes both ways. To help with those and with articles yet to come, we are providing a table listing all Italian divisions in alphabetical order by name, with the corresponding full identification. The document then lists all of the divisions in numerical order.
Mr. Alan Wilson returns with the orbat for Army Detachment [Armeeabteilung] Kempf at the beginning of the Kursk offensive. Fourth Panzer Army was covered in Issues 4 and 5; Kempf was the other principal army from Army Group South involved in the German attacks.
Your editor provides a look at the AGRAs of the British Army. In the Second World War these were generally only groupings of field artillery. Following the war, AGRAs could be either field or anti-aircraft, and the designation lingered in use until 1961 when the few remaining formations were retitled as brigades.
From a new author we move into a new area for us, with brief histories of seven of the Peoples Liberation Army’s group armies. We have had very little on the Far East so far, and nothing prior to this on China.
Volume: 2
Issue 5
CONTENTS
Dominican Republic Army—History Adrian J. English
Serbian Army on April 15, 1916 Marco Clemente Pellegrini
Soviet Rifle Regiments 1939-1945, Part Two [Version 1] Craig Crofoot
National Guard Armored Cavalry Regiments Richard A. Rinaldi
Note on Origins of Pakistan 6 and 9 Divisions and 14 [Para] Brigade Mandeep Singh Bajwa [Open article]
Dutch New Guinea Leigh [Open article]
EDITORIAL
Our South American expert has provided a revision to his history of the Dominican Republic’s Army. For those who also subscribe to the contemporary material, this makes a nice companion to Mr. English’s revision for the current Dominican Republic Army posted on Sunday, August 24, 2003 (Volume 7, Number 21), on the Contemporary Orbats page.
The article on the Serbian Army in spring 1916 reflects the close of this series and, in effect, the end of the Serbian Army. The country was largely overrun in autumn 1915. The army withdrew into Albania and Montenegro, and was later evacuated by the Allies to Corfu. After refitting there it would be sent to the Salonika front. The government left with the army. Following peace, Serbia gained parts of the Austro-Hungarian empire in a new Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia).
We are happy to report that the Journal of the Soviet Army editor is continuing his series on Soviet rifle regiments in the Second World War. Version 1 of this new series, termed Part Two, covers the 201st to 210th Rifle Divisions.
The armored cavalry regiment was a post-World War II creation of the US Army to handle the cavalry reconnaissance function. Its origins and organization, along with a discussion of the Regular Army regiments through about 1980 appeared in Volume 1, Issue 21. The first issue of Volume 2 included a discussion of how the present 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment was formed from elements of the 9th Infantry Division, a test organization for non-armored motorized units. In this issue we have a complete listing of the armored cavalry regiments in the Army National Guard from 1949 to the present.
Our next article provides information on the formation of two divisions formed by the new state of Pakistan following the partition of India; both were later disbanded as surplus to requirements. It also contains information on a brigade of 2nd Indian Airborne Division inherited by Pakistan.
From a contributor known to us only as “Leigh” we have summary information on Dutch New Guinea, especially the 1962 confrontation with Indonesia which led to cession of the territory to that nation.
Volume: 2
Issue 4
CONTENTS
An Outline History of the Paraguayan Army 1777—1990 Adrian J. English
US Naval Operations 1862 Robert Tomita
Serbian Army Order of Battle (1915) Marco Clemente Pellgegrini
Soviet Army 2nd Rifle Division Michael Avanzini and Craig Crofoot [Open without subscription]
4th Panzer Army, 4th July 1943 [Strengths] Alan Wilson
US Glider Infantry in World War II Richard A. Rinaldi
EDITORIAL
Our expert on South American armies, Mr. English, provides a detailed examination (although he terms it an outline) of the Paraguayan Army over a period of 22 years.
The series on the Union Navy in the US Civil War continues with the second year of the war.
Mr. Pellegrini’s series on the Serbian Army in the First World War continues with 1915.
The editor of our sister publication, Journal of the Soviet Army, has teamed with Michael Avanzini to begin a new series termed “Armies of the Bear.” This will be a complete listing of every Soviet rifle division of any type active during World War II, including activation/inactivation data, components, commanders, and assignments (front, army and corps) during the war. The file on the 2nd Rifle Division is a sample of the type of information that will be available in this series.
Following on the orbat of Fourth Panzer Army contained in Vol 2, Issue 1, Mr. Wilson provides details on the personnel and equipment strengths of that force.
When we think of airborne, we think of men and equipment landing by parachute. However, the original concept for US airborne divisions had more infantry and artillery slated for delivery by glider than parachute. Your editor examines the designations, service, and TOEs of US glider infantry in World War II. Following the war, glider-borne units, like their parachute counterparts, would become "airborne" and abandoned the use of gliders.
Volume: 2
Issue 3
CONTENTS
Polish Crown Army - Campaign 1660 Boguslaw Goscieniecki
US Naval Operations 1861 Robert Tomita
Fortified Sebasatapol Mark Plant
Winterwar in Finland: Swedish Volunteer Corps.pdf Ola Spang
Soviet Rifle Regiments 1939-1945 [Version 20, I] Craig Crofoot
Soviet Rifle Regiments 1939-1945 [Version 20, II] Craig Crofoot
Soviet Air Force Aggressor Force Constantine Pehlivanov
EDITORIAL
Our friend in Eastern Europe, Mr. Goscieniecki, gives us another of his detailed examinations of the early Polish Army. The number of different kinds of cavalry and infantry would be complicated enough, but notice the sheer multitude of small units (many under 100 men, often just the size of a modern platoon). Then try to imagine leading all of this in combat.
In Volume 1, Mr. Tomita covered all of the land engagements of the US Civil War, with the associated Federal troops. This issue begins his new series, in which he turns to the US Navy during the same conflict.
Another veteran of Volume 1, in which he gave us details of the Allied forces encamped in Odessa, Mr. Plant returns with an examination of the Allied forces in Sebastapol. Like the earlier article, this deals with the 1919 Western intervention in the Russian Civil War.
A new contributor, Mr. Spang from Sweden, gives us the organization of the Volunteer Corps from that country that aided the Finns in the war with the Soviet Union.
Creator of a companion publication, Journal of the Soviet Army, Mr. Crofoot’s series on Soviet rifle regiments is now at Version 20, covering every regiment in the 1st to 200th Rifle Divisions. The list of regiments in the first 200 rifle divisions marks the end of this series. We hope that he will begin a new series, starting with the 201st Rifle Division, continuing on through the sequence of rifle divisions.
Mr. Pehlivanov provides a look at the Soviet Union’s 1521 Fighter Airbase, designed to improve the skills of their fighter pilots, like similar programs in the US Air Force and US Navy.
Volume: 2
Issue 2
CONTENTS
Serbian Army at the Beginning of the First World War Marco Clemente Pellegrini
Spanish Civil War, Battle of Jarama: Nationalist OOB (Feb. 1937) Jose Maria Serrano
Czech Army Order of Battle September 27, 1938 (Part 2) Boguslaw Goscieniecki
Soviet Rifle Regiments 1939-1945 [Version 19, I] Craig Crofoot
Soviet Rifle Regiments 1939-1945 [Version 19, II]Craig Crofoot
4th Panzer Army, 4th July 1943 Alan Wilson [Open article]
Austrian Army 1990—1998 Richard Morati
EDITORIAL
Those who were subscribers for the first volume may want to re-visit Issue 48 and Mr. Pellegrini’s administrative order of battle of the Serbian Army. As a reminder (and for new readers), the Serbian Army was organized in Bans, indicated by a Roman numeral following the designation. Thus 7th Infantry Regiment I, 7th Infantry Regiment II, and 7th Infantry Regiment III are three completely different units (from the I, II and III Bans, respectively).
From the Spanish Civil War we have a look at the Nationalist orbat for the battle the Jarama. Using five brigades, the Nationalist offensive aimed to cut the Madrid-Valencia road. It began 6 February 1937 and the offensive was largely over by 12 February 1937. The Republicans began a counter-attack on 17 February 1937. The battle was over by the end of the month; the Nationalists gained a salient about 10 miles deep and somewhat wider; they had about 20,000 casualties and the Republicans about 25,000.
Another of our returning regular contributors provides the second part of a very detailed order of battle for the Czech Army at the time of the Munich crisis. The first part appeared in Volume 1’s Issue 34.
The comprehensive list of every Soviet rifle regiment in the Second World War expands to cover ten more rifle divisions. The current version has all of the regiments from the 1st to 190th Rifle Divisions.
Also from the Second World War is an order of battle for Fourth Panzer Army just before the start of the offensive against the Soviet salient at Kursk. In addition to the details on units, Mr. Wilson has included an extensive list of sources for German and Soviet orders of battle as well as the Kursk battle itself.
Coming into the era of “recent history” is an article on the Austrian Army in the 1990’s. Although in French, with a few notes inserted it should easily be understandable to those who read English. For those interested in the current Austrian Army, they have a very detailed web site at http://www.bmlv.gv.at/. That site was the source of the Austrian eagle inserted into the article.
CONTENTS
Volume: 2
Issue 1
Deutschen Heeres as on 30 March 1899 Damon Wills
Alpenkorps Marco Clemente Pellegrini
Italian Army Order of Battle in Albania, September 4th,
1940 Alexis Mehtidis
Soviet Rifle Regiments 1939-1945 [Version 18, I] Craig Crofoot
Soviet Rifle Regiments 1939-1945 [Version 18, II] Craig Crofoot
United States Air Force 1979-1980 Robert Tomita
Death of a
Division, Birth of a Concept: The Evolution of the 2nd Armored Cavalry
Regiment from the 9th Infantry Division (Motorized) Roger W.
Houston
EDITORIAL
Welcome to the second year of our Historical Military Organization web magazine. Our aim, as given in the solicitation below, is to find and publish information on any country, era, campaign, or battle. Our many contributors are sharing their research with the community of those interested in orders of battle. For our purposes, “historical” is roughly anything up to 1999 and as far back as anyone can go. The current record for earliest period is an article on the Roman legions.
Our first article this issue comes from a new contributor to our magazine, and is an exhaustive look at the German Army in 1899. The amount of detail it contains is impressive, even for those of us who have done research into the German Army in the period before the First World War.
This is followed by a look at the Alpenkorps from its formation until September 1915. Despite the name (Alpine Corps) it was actually a division, and this document provides details down to company level. A young infantry officer from Württemberg (Erwin Rommel) would first gain fame in 1917 while serving in the Alpenkorps.
The orbat for the Italian Army in Albania goes down to the veterinary, bakery, and dental units. While lists of divisions and combat units are usually the most interesting (everyone would like to be a commander, not a supply officer), this order of battle is a useful reminder of the many supporting units that are required to keep a modern army in the field.
The list of Soviet rifle regiments in World War II moves steadily forward. Regular readers know by now that the version number indicates how many rifle divisions are included (this is a cumulative document). Version 18 thus indicates all of the rifle regiments assigned to the 1st through 180th Rifle Divisions; each version adds ten more rifle divisions. There are a lot more rifle divisions to cover, and then the guards rifle divisions and other formations after that.
Having rested after his series covering every engagement in the US Civil War and the US forces, Mr. Tomita returns with an article providing almost everything there is to know about the US Air Force in the 1979-80 period. He will return to the US Civil War in future issues, looking at the Union Navy.
Finally, we have a look at the demise of the experimental 9th Infantry Division. This was intended to test the concept of a motorized division, essentially devoid of armored vehicles. The division was the idea of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Edward C. Meyer. As a study prepared for the Command and General Staff College noted, there was no Army-wide consensus on the need for the division. When Gen. Meyer retired his successor abandoned the organization; the alternative to the big, heavy armored and mechanized divisions would be the light infantry division.[i]
Publications by our Friends
The official history of The Royal Corps of Signals by Cliff Lord and our frequent contributor, Graham Watson, has finally appeared in print. The full title, The Royal Corps Of Signals: Unit Histories Of The Corps (1920-2001) And Its Antecedents, gives a good idea of what the book is about. It is available from its publisher, Helion & Company; the publication is a limited edition of 1000 copies. (Your editor has copy number 71.) Links at the Helion site will take you to a description of the book. Since the British Army, unlike the US, does not publish official lineage volumes, it is the work of private individuals like this that records their lineages.
Rich Rinaldi
July 30, 2003
Volume: 1
Bonus Article
Contents
Greek Ground
Forces in Crete and Their Small Arms, November 1940-May 1941 Alexis
Mehtidis
Editorial
Those who have purchased music on CD may be familiar with the idea of a “bonus” or “hidden” track on the CD. This is an additional song, which was either not contained on the original album, or which is not listed on the official contents of the CD. We are doing something similar this week, which constitutes a “vacation” for your editor. We return to our normal schedule next week, which will feature the first issue of Volume 2.
Mr. Mehtidis had an article on this subject in our Issue No. 43. He recently found some additional information and sent a revision. We are including it as an “open” (not password-protected) document. This gives non-subscribers a sample of the kind of material available in our magazine. Orders of battle of the Commonwealth and German forces for the battle of Crete are not hard to find. Some even give an indication of the designation and strengths of the major Greek units. But (at least in English) you will probably not find anything with this level of detail. Mr. Mehtidis not only covers the creation of units on the island, he gives details of the available small arms and even the available supply of ammunition for those units. Not every article in every issue will have the same degree of rare detail, but this author is not the only one of our contributors who produces original material.
Those who are not subscribers may wish to check the cumulative index for Volume 1 (available as an Excel file, which allows sorting, or as an Adobe pdf document) for lists of the amount and range of material published during our first year.
Rich Rinaldi
July 23, 2003