quote:

ORIGINAL: wdolson

The issue isn't any set limits for how many pilots you can have in a nation, some countries are pilot limited because the replacement rate is very low. When you burn through your replacement pilots for the month, you won't get any until next month. The Chinese and Dutch are especially low on pilots. This represents the shortage of suitable candidates in those countries.

China had such a shortage of pilot material during the war, one of their top aces was born and raised in Portland, OR.

Bill

quote:

ORIGINAL: Revthought

I understand the Dutch--the Netherlands is occupied, so it's pretty difficult to get new pilots; however, commonwealth countries? We aren't talking a "total war" situation here, but is it really the case that Australia and Canada lacked "suitable candidates" for flight school?

Canada had a population of 11 million and in 1945 the 4th largest Air Force in the world. Australia had roughly 7 million. Both countries were industrialized Western countries. I find it difficult to believe there were not a plethora of "suitable candidate."

And clearly, given the size of the RCAF in 1945, this clearly wasn't the case.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Revthought

Canada had a population of 11 million and in 1945 the 4th largest Air Force in the world.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Revthought

I understand the Dutch--the Netherlands is occupied, so it's pretty difficult to get new pilots; however, commonwealth countries? We aren't talking a "total war" situation here, but is it really the case that Australia and Canada lacked "suitable candidates" for flight school?

Canada had a population of 11 million and in 1945 the 4th largest Air Force in the world. Australia had roughly 7 million. Both countries were industrialized Western countries. I find it difficult to believe there were not a plethora of "suitable candidate."

And clearly, given the size of the RCAF in 1945, this clearly wasn't the case.

quote:

ORIGINAL: wdolson

quote:

ORIGINAL: Revthought

I understand the Dutch--the Netherlands is occupied, so it's pretty difficult to get new pilots; however, commonwealth countries? We aren't talking a "total war" situation here, but is it really the case that Australia and Canada lacked "suitable candidates" for flight school?

Canada had a population of 11 million and in 1945 the 4th largest Air Force in the world. Australia had roughly 7 million. Both countries were industrialized Western countries. I find it difficult to believe there were not a plethora of "suitable candidate."

And clearly, given the size of the RCAF in 1945, this clearly wasn't the case.

First the game only represents units and people who were assigned to the Pacific and some restricted pilots in Continental North America. Canada also only sent volunteers overseas and this led to manpower shortages in the army. At the end of the war they violated that pledge and sent some draftees overseas and into combat which angered many back home.

Canada sent very little of their forces to the Pacific. Beyond a Canadian unit in Hong Kong at the start of the war, the Canadians had pilots in RAF squadrons and some Canadian units on RN aircraft carriers, as well as a joint US and Canadian special forces unit in the Aleutians. But of the Allies on the map, Canada sent the smallest percentage of their forces to the Pacific by a wide margin. Most of Canada's forces were in Europe for the duration. The bulk of Canadian pilot training was for pilots destined for RCAF units in Europe and these don't show up in the game. If they did, it would allow the Allied player to use gamey tactics to fill out Canadian units more than they could have in the real war.

Australia was also heavily committed against Germany and Italy when the war in the Pacific began and the Australians were very nervous because their forces at home were so thin. Australia really did have virtually no fighters at the start of the war and had to wait for American lend lease P-40s before they could deploy any squadrons to protect the Solomons. Australia could raise more pilots than represented in the game, but they needed to keep a force of RAAF units going in Europe and the Med and those pilots are not represented in the game.

Bill

quote:

ORIGINAL: JeffK

Is the question, What do the "Commonwealth" pilots represent?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alfred

quote:

ORIGINAL: Revthought

I understand the Dutch--the Netherlands is occupied, so it's pretty difficult to get new pilots; however, commonwealth countries? We aren't talking a "total war" situation here, but is it really the case that Australia and Canada lacked "suitable candidates" for flight school?

Canada had a population of 11 million and in 1945 the 4th largest Air Force in the world. Australia had roughly 7 million. Both countries were industrialized Western countries. I find it difficult to believe there were not a plethora of "suitable candidate."

And clearly, given the size of the RCAF in 1945, this clearly wasn't the case.

You have installed the game and at least started to play one of the official campaign length scenarios, right?

It does help to know what is contained in the scenarios rather than jumping to conclusions which are not supported by the facts.

Alfred

quote:

ontained in the scenarios rather than jumping to conclusions which are not supported by the facts.

quote:

ORIGINAL: BillBrown

quote:

ORIGINAL: JeffK

Is the question, What do the "Commonwealth" pilots represent?

A guess would be those Commonwealth countries not directly represented.
South Africa, Rhodesia, Kenya come to mind.