BELLIGERENT FORCES

Evening Star, Issue 23369, 12 September 1939, Page 8

BELLIGERENT FORCES

STRENGTH OF RIVAL POWERS FRANCE'S HUGE ARMY BRITAIN'S OVERWHELMING NAVY Armed strength on paper has often proved an uncertain criterion of effective strength in war, but at the present time it is worth while to review available .recent figures of the armies navies, and air forces of the belligerents in Europe:— The following statistics of the armies engaged are taken from a table compiled last November by Major-general H. J. Reilly, United States Army: — Trained Active. Reserve. France 726,000 5,300,000 British Empire ... 323,000 655,000 Poland 266,000 1,44i,000 Turkey 132,000 529,000 1,447,000 7,931,000 Germany ... ... 750,000 3,100,000 A computation in another form was published in May by tbe ‘ News Chronicle,’ London; — France 700,000 6,500,000 Great Britain ... 185,700 1,000,000 Poland 450.000 4,000,000 Turkey 200,000 700,000 L 535.700 12.200,000 Germany ... 1,000,000 6,000,000 (or more) ESTIMATE OF DIVISIONS. The following is a recent estimate by Major G. B. Eliot, an American writer, of the number of divisions that the belligerents could put into the field; —

AIR STRENGTH. Air strength is notoriously difficult to gauge, because for some time Governments have ceased to divulge particulars. Major Eliot has given the following figures of probable numbers of machines five or six months ago:—

Germany ... 4,000 4,000 1,000 * Maximum monthly building capacity on war basis. The ‘ News Chronicle ’ in May placed Britain’s machines, home service only, at a conservative figure of 1,750, with a monthly output of more than 600. It stated that according to the rearmament schedule the number should he 2.300 bv 1940. Other total figures given were: —France, 2,500; Poland, 1,500; Turkey, 500; Germany, 4,200, with a monthly output of 800. French production in January was stated to he 80 machines a month by the Air Minister. M. La Chamhre, who, estimated it would reach 200 a month by the spring. The commonly-accepted German replacement figure has been doubted in many quarters, and it should bo noted that air armament statistics give little or no indication of whether machines are new or obsolescent. WARSHIPS OF POWERS. Figures of naval strength are more authoritative than any others, as much information is made public in times of peace. The following may be regarded as correct to about June last:— In

The British statistics do mvt include the very big number of auxiliary vessels which would normally ho mobilised in war time.

w u £ 3 o J> a a O S d> o c <• ££ France . 32 1 4 2 40 Groat Britain . 4 1 2 12 Poland . 30 5 1 30 Turkey . 22 3 0 18 88 13 5 100 Germany .. . 49 3 4 38

First ReplaceLine. Reserve, ment. Great Britain 2,600 1,300 600 France 2,000 — 200 Poland 900 400 50 Turkov 300 — — 5,800 1,700 850

Service. Bldg. Proj Great Britain — Capital ships 15 5 4 Aircraft carriers ... 7 5 1 Cruisers 64 19 4 Destroyers ; 174 24 14 16 Submarines 55 4 i Motor torpedo boats 20 7 — Minelayers 1 4 — France— Battleships _£> 7 3 2 1 Aircraft carriers ... 1 — Cruisers 19 1 2 Destroyers 53 12 12 Torpedo boats 12 — — Motor torpedo boats o 4 — ■ .Submarines 79 *Or projected. 15* Turkey— Battle cruisers (old) 1 — — Cruisers (old) 2 —■ ■— Destroyers 4 4 — Submarines 5 8* — Minelayers — 4 — *Two building in Germany. Germany— Battleships ... ... 0* 4 — Pocket battleships 3 — — Aircraft carriers ... — 2 — Cruisers 6 9 — Destroyers 22 8 — Torpedo boats 24 18 — Motor torpedo boats 20 12 — i Submarines 57 *OId vessels. 16 —