My question would be why did you feel the need to create a second book?
Phases of the moon? Not sure that the information is totally relevant. Now, I admit, I don't own the book so I have some questions if you'll allow.
You show on one of the previews a list of deployment dates for some Allied formations. Have you done that for every nationality?
The intent of the deployment listings is to give some idea of the relative rarity of the formations in the battle line. To that end, I have not provided deployment dates for, say, every Red Army rifle division, German infantry division, or Japanese infantry brigade - though I do provide other information for those formations.
The formations for whom I've indicated combat deployment theatres and/or years are:
Romanian Divisions (Infantry, Security, Cavalry, Motorized, Armoured, Fortress, Reserve and Guards)
British Infantry Divisions
British Armoured Divisions
British Airborne Divisions
Australian Divisions
Canadian Divisions
Indian Divisions
New Zealand Divisions
South African Divisions
Finnish Infantry Divisions (composition only)
German (Army) Motorized Infantry Divisions
German Light Infantry Divisions
German Jäger Divisions
German Light Divisions
German Mountain Divisions
German Panzer Divisions
German Panzergrenadier Divisions
Waffen SS Divisions (all types)
Luftwaffe Field Divisions
Luftwaffe Parachute Divisions
Italian (pre-defection) Divisions (infantry, mountain, alpine, (semi-)motorized, assault, air-landing, cavalry, parachute and armoured)
Japanese SNLF
US (Army) Infantry Divisions
US Armoured Divisions
US Airborne Divisions
US Army Ranger Battalions
USMC Divisions
You list comprehensive OOB info, how comprehensive? To the Regiment level?
Division and Regiments show basic unit structures. Artillery is generally down to the battery level, anti-aircraft, engineers, recon and armour down to battalion level (info on vehicles and ordnance are in the ASLRB), and infantry battalions are broken down all the way to squad level.
does it cover the entire timeframe (and represent the corresponding strength and TOE changes) or just a select year?
1939-1945, some forces have more detailed information than others. I have one breakdown of a Nationalist Chinese battalion, but from what I understand, they had a sometimes chaotic organization as compared to western armies; similarly, the Japanese had an extensive system of cross-attachments or augmentations above and beyond their A and B type divisions.
Formation breakdowns include:
Belgian Infantry Division
Greek Infantry Division
Dutch Infantry Division May 1940
Dutch Infantry Regiment Dec 1941 (East Indies)
Norwegian Infantry Brigade April 1940
Polish Infantry Division September 1939
Yugoslavian Infantry Division April 1941
Hungarian Infantry Division July 1942
Romanian Infantry Division June 1941
Romanian Security Division 1942-43
British Infantry Division 1942-1945
British Armoured Division 1943-45
British Airborne Division 1944-45
Australian Jungle Division 1943-45
Finnish Infantry Division 1939-40
Finnish Infantry Division 1941
French Infantry Division 1939-40
French Motorized Infantry Division 1939-40
German Infantry Division 1939-42
German Infantry Division 1943-45
German Mountain Division 1939-45
German Panzer Division 1940-45
German Cavalry Division 1939-40
German Parachute Division 1943-45
Luftwaffe Field Division 1942-43
Italian Infantry Division 1940-43
Italian Infantry Division (North Africa) 1942-43
Italian Motorized Infantry Division (North Africa) 1942-43
Japanese Infantry Division Type "B" 1940-45
Red Army Infantry Division 1939-40
Red Army Infantry Division 1941
Red Army Reduced Infantry Division July 1941
Red Army Infantry Division June 1942
Red Army Infantry Division July - December 1942
Red Army Infantry Division 1943-45
Red Army Rifle Brigade 1941-42
Red Army Mountain Division 1940
Red Army Ski Brigade early 1942
Red Army Ski Brigade September 1942 - January 1945
Red Army Cavalry Division 1939-1941
Red Army Cavalry Division July 1941
Red Army Light Cavalry Division 1941
Red Army Cavalry Division 1943-45
Light Tank Brigade 1939-40
Heavy Tank Brigade 1939-40
Red Army Motorized Division 1941
Red Army Tank Division Jul-Jul 1941
Red Arm Tank Division Jul 1941-1945
Red Army Tank Brigade Aug 1941 - Dec 1941
Red Army Tank Brigade Dec 1941 - 1942
Motorized Rifle Brigade Apr 1942
Red Army Tank Brigade 31 Jul 1942-Nov 1943
Red Army Tank Brigade Nov 1943-1945]
Red Army Mechanized Brigade Sep 1942-1945
Red Army Airborne Brigade Nov 1940
Red Army Airborne Brigade 1941
Red Army Airborne Brigade 1943
US Army Infantry Division 1942-45
US Army "heavy" Armored Division 1942-45
US Army "light" Armored Division 1944-45
US Army Mountain Division 1945
US Airborne Division 1943-44
US Airborne Division 1945
USMC Infantry Division 1942-May 1944
USMC Infantry Division May 1944-1945
These are just the charts; some timeframes not covered by the charts are covered in the text instead. For example, the Japanese Infantry Division Type "B" chart is also applicable to the Type "A" Division, with changes described directly in the text, rather than devoting space to another diagram. Similarly, the late USMC Division chart is applicable to both the "F" and "G" Series organization with a few footnotes.
The point of the divisional charts (which also break down the regiments into number of infantry battalions as well as a breakdown of supporting units, in the case of artillery and mortars to the battery level with type of tube/barrel) is to give some idea as to what an infantry battalion might expect for support. In other words, I've focused on the infantry. So while I don't break down a typical armoured battalion, I do break down the infantry battalions in, say, a Panzergrenadier division. For every formation level breakdown I just listed, there are corresponding infantry/cavalry battalion breakdowns down to the squad level, in ASL terms.
Parts of what I read look intriguing, but I'd like more information as to how detailed the book is. Not ready to spend $50 bucks without more info.
No copies are in print in anyone's hands yet, including mine. My best advice - the book isn't going anywhere. Hang tight and see what others have to say. If you have a particular area of interest that you want to know whether or not the book addresses it, send me an email and I can consider sending a couple of sample pages to you.
madorosh@shaw.ca
The detailed (squad-level) breakdowns in ASL terms include:
Belgian Infantry Battalion May 1940
Greek Infantry Battalion October 1940
Greek Cavalry Battalion October 1940
Dutch Infantry Battalion May 1940
Dutch Infantry Battalion Dec 1941
Norwegian Infantry Battalion April 1940
Polish Infantry Battalion September 1939
Yugoslavian Infantry Battalion April 1941
Hungarian Infantry Battalion
Romanian Infantry Battalion June 1941
British Infantry Battalion 1939-1942
British Infantry Battalion 1942-1945
British Motor Battalion 1940-Apr 1942
British Motor Battalion Apr-Sep 1942
British Motor Battalion 1943-45
British Parachute Battalion 1942-43
British Parachute Battalion 1943-45
British Glider Battalion 1944-45
British Independent Company 1940
British Commando 1940
British Army Commando 1943
Australian Jungle Battalion 1943-45
Nationalist Chinese Infantry Battalion
Finnish Infantry Battalion 1939-40
Finnish Infantry Battalion 1941
French Infantry Battalion 1939-40
French Motorized Infantry Battalion 1939-40
French Motorized Dragoon Battalion (type DLC) 1939-40
French Motorized Dragoon Battalino (type DLM) 1939-40
German Infantry Battalion 1939-42
German Grenadier Battalion 1943-45
German Mountain Troop Battalion 1939-1945
German Schützen Battalion (Motorized) 1939-42
German Schützen Company (Armoured) 1939-42
German Panzergrenadier Battalion (Motorized) 1942
German Panzergrenadier Battalion (Motorized) late 1943
German Panzergrenadier Battalion (Motorized) 1944
German Panzergrenadier Battalion (Motorized) late 1944
German Panzergrenadier Battalion (Armoured) late 1943
German Panzergreandier Battalion (Armoured) 1944-45
German Cavalry Battalion 1939-1941
German Cavalry Battalion 1944
German Parachute Battalion 1939-42
German Parachute Battalion 1943
German Parachute Battalion 1944-45
Luftwaffe Field Battalion 1942-43
Italian Infantry Battalion 1940
Italian Infantry Battalion 1941
Italian Infantry Battalion 1942-43
Japanese Infantry Battalion 1939-45
Japanese SNLF 1940-45
Japanese Airborne SNLF 1941-42
Japanese Raiding Regiment 1944
Japanese Glider Regiment 1944
French Secret Army and FTP Tactical Organization (manpower only)
Red Army Infantry Battalion 1939-41
Red Army Reduced Strength Infantry Battalion July 1941
Red Army Infantry Battalion Jan-Jun 1942
Red Army Infantry Battalion Jul-Dec 1942
Red Army Infantry Battalion 1943-45
Red Army Reduced Strength Infantry Battalion 1943
Red Army Rifle Brigade Battalion 1941
Red Army Rifle Brigade Battalion 1942
Red Army Mountain Company 1940-Apr 1943
Red Army Mountain Company Apr 1943-1945
Red Army Mountain Battalion 1944-45
Red Army Ski Battalion Winter 1941-42
Red Army Ski Battalion Oct 1942-1945
Red Army Line Squadron (cavalry) 1939-41
Red Army Motor Rifle Company 1939-41
Red Army Light Cavalry Squadron 1941
Red Army Line Squadron 1943-45
Red Army Motor Rifle Battalion 1939-40
Red Army Motorized Infantry Battalion 1941
Red Army Infantry Battalion (as in Tank Brigade) Aug 1941-Dec 1941
Red Army Motorized Rifle Battalion Dec 1941-Jul 1942
Red Army Motorized Rifle Battalion Apr 1942-Nov 1943
Red Army Motorized SMG Battalion (as in Tank Brigade) Nov 1943-45
Red Army Motorized Rifle Battalion (as in Mechanized Brigade) Sep 1942-45
Red Army Parachute/Glider Battalion Nov 1940-Sep 1941
Red Army Parachute/Glider Battalion Sep 1941
Red Army Parachute Battalion 1943
US Army Infantry Battalion 1942-45
US Army Armored Infantry Battalion 1942-43
US Army Armored Infantry Battalion 1943-45
US Army Mountain Battalion 1945
US Glider Infantry Battalion 1942-44
US Parachute Infantry Battalion 1942-45
US Glider Infantry Battalion 1945
USMC "D" Series Infantry Battalion 1942-43
USMC "E" Series Infantry Battalion Apr 1943-May 1944
USMC "F/G" Series Infantry Battalion May 1944-1945
