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JeffroK -> RE: Austrailian troops (10/22/2012 4:16:25 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: jmalter
there's 2 kinds of Aussies - AIF & CMF, roughly corresponding to the standing army & the national guard in the USA. the Australian Imperial Force was sent to Egypt, & its troop strength was augmented w/ volunteers from the Citizens Militia Force. w/ the outbreak of the Pacific war, conscription was started to enlarge the CMF, but it retained its home-defense purpose until laws were amended in 43 to allow its use in SWPAC. thus, in the game AIF can go anywhere, but you must spend political geld to xfer a CMF unit to an unrestricted command. iirc, the US Congress also had to pass legislation to allow NG units to transfer to USArmy control.
At the outbreak of WW2 Australia was defended by 2 armies, the Permanent Military Force (PMF) which provided the Staff Corps and permanent garrisons and coastal artillery and the Australian Military Forces (AMF) otherwise known as the Militia, with approximately 80,000 men.
As with World War 1, to provide a force to go to Europe to fight the Government quickly raised a third force, the Australian Imperial Force (AIF).
The volunteers for the AIF cames from all walks of life, while many Militia units or Soldiers tried to enlist there was also a lot of hurdles put in there way by the upper echelons of the AMF. This continued until well into 1942.
While many Militia men volunteered, there were as many who had good reason, their job, family or a belief that a European war was not theirs (Largely due to Australia's losses in WW1 and the belief they would be mismanaged byu the British Army), it took the japanese attacks to change this attitude.
Between 1939 and 1941 the AIF formed approximately 36 Infantry Battalions, 3 Divisional Cavalry Regiments, 4 Machine Gun Battalions, 4 Pioneer Battalions, 4 Anti Tank Regiments, 12 Field Regiments,6 Armoured Battalions and a number of Independent/Commando Companies plus many Corps units. These formed 4 Infantry and 1 Armoured Divisions. The AMF numbered approximately 60 Infantry Battalions, 4 Divisional Cavalry Regiments, 25 Light Horse/Light Horse Machine Gun/Motor Regiments, 20 Field Regiments, 11 Anti Tank Regiments & 6 Armoured/Tank Battalions in up to 7 Infantry and 2 Armoured Divisions.
The volunteers for the AIF cames from all walks of life, while many Militia units or Soldiers tried to enlist there was also a lot of hurdles put in their way by the upper echelons of the AMF. (Some of this was the need to keep a Home Defence Force in place.) This continued until well into 1942.
PS 9th Australian Div was allowed to remain in the Mid East only because FDR agrred to send another US Division to Australia in early-mid 1942, should have an option to bring it home if the Division is sent elsewhere or (as many mods do) hard code both 31 & 42 US Inf Divs to arrive in Australia.
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