spob20 Yugoslavia corrections/suggestions

[zastava128]

Here's my big list of corrections and suggestions, primarily focusing on the communist partisans and later Yugoslav army (who will probably see the most use in campaigns anyway). The only thing that's still missing is the artillery (incl. AA), which I will post soon, when I've studied its organizational structure a bit more.

I've ignored "one-off" vehicles, training vehicles, as well as the stuff captured after Germany surrendered (note that the fighting in Yugoslavia went on for a week or two after the capitulation).

Almost all the listed equipment can already be found in the OOB of the nation that produced the item in question - I've noted the few exceptions.

Unless noted otherwise, all entries refer to the Partisans and later Yugoslav Army (not the Royal Army, četniks, ustaše etc.).

Sources:

* Bojan B. Dimitrijević: German Panzers and Allied Armour in Yugoslavia in World War Two (2013, in English). - for all armoured vehicles
* Tino Jelavić: No.352 (Y) R.A.F. Squadron (Nova Gradiška 2003 - in English) - for the Spitfires and Hurricanes
* Bojan B. Dimitrijević: Jugoslovensko ratno vazduhoplovstvo / Jugoslav Airforce 1942-1992 (Belgrade 2006, in Serbian only)
- for the Yak-3
* Reports from appendices in Ivo Omrčanin: Enigma Tito (Washington 1984, in Croatian). - for the PIAT and Boys ATR
* http://www.vojska.net/eng/world-war-...n/audrey-1943/ (in English) - mentions British delivered AT rifles


Aircraft

1. Correction: Units 268 and 269 (Hurricane and Spitfire) should remain available until 12/46. As per Yugoslavia's SPMBT OOB, these remained operational until the 50's.

2. New: Yak-3 Ubiytsa: This was actually the most common Yugoslav aircraft since 1945.
Date: 1/45 onwards

3. New: Spitfire Mk.IXe: Yugoslavia repeatedly badgered the British to give them more advanced planes. The British refused, but eventually did give them four damaged or inoperable MK.IXs. These were repaired by the Yugoslavs, and got to see some action in the last week of the war. Not sure if worth including.
Date: 5/45 onwards


Tanks

1. New: T-34/76 M1943. Originally captured vehicles deployed by the Germans were in turn captured by Partisans and used for the fighting around Trieste.
Date: 5/45 onwards

2. Correction: unit 280 (Somua S-35) - availability should be until 12/45.

3. Correction: unit 72 (T-70) - never used on Yugoslav soil, not even by the Soviet Red Army. Should be removed.

4. New: Italian CV-33/35 LF (flame tank) - several captured in 9/43. Lack of ammo meant they saw little or no action until 1945.

5. New: Italian CV-38 - several captured in 1944. Problem is that sources often don't distinguish between them and the other CV series tankettes. Earliest photo of one I have seen is from 10/44.
Date: 10/44-12/45

6. New: R-35 - captured tanks.
Date: 11/41-12/45

7. Correction: unit 279 (CV-35) should be size=1

8. Correction: units 73, 105, 110 (various Stuarts) should remain available to 12/46. The FlaK version (unit 111) is OK as-is, since they were retired from service soon after the war.

9. New: Italian M15/42 - captured tanks, may have been used in the last week of the fighting. Not sure if worth including.
Date: 5/45 onwards


Tank Destroyers, Assault Guns, SP Arty:

1. Correction: units 6 and 7 (SU-76M, SU-85) - not used by Yugoslavia until after the war. These vehicles were present in the country, but all were part of the Soviet Red Army. Should be removed or changed to 1/46-12/46 for "what if" scenarios.

2. New: Italian SMV L.40 47/32. Captured vehicles.
Date: 11/44 onwards

3. New: German JPz38(t) Hetzer. Captured vehicles.
Date: 3/45 onwards

4. Formation 144 (M8 HMC): organized into batteries of 4 vehicles.

5. Formation 145 (M7 HMC): organized into batteries of 3 vehicles.


Other Armoured Vehicles

1. Correction: unit 8 (Autoblinda) - availability should be 9/43 to 12/45.

2. Correction: unit 9 (SdKfz 222) - only captured after the war. Date should be 6/45 onwards, or the unit should be removed entirely.

3. New: American M3 Scoutcar (9/44+), Canadian Lynx (4/45+) - these were used only in very small numbers (6 scoutcars, 2 lynxes) as command vehicles. Not sure if worth including. Will need a new formation if you do.

4. New: Italian AS-37 Protetto. A few dozen captured after Italian surrender, plus a few more in 1945 (the German Ordnungspolizei in Yugoslavia used them). Will need a new Formation.
Date: 9/43 onwards

5. New: Italian Fiat Armoured Trucks. Same comments and dates as for AS-37.
-spob34, unit 364 can simply be renamed and used to represent this unit.

6. New: White AM. Used in small numbers (around 3) by Royal Army. Not sure if worth including. Will need a new formation.
-can be found in spob06, unit 407.
Date: 1/30-4/41

7. New: 250/1, 251/1 captured in small numbers since early 1945. Will need new formations if introduced.

8. Correction: unit 100 (AEC mk II): date should be 9/44-12/46.


Infantry AT weapons

1. New: Boys AT rifle: According to a British Office of Strategic services report, 72 were delivered in 11/43 and more later.
Date: 11/43-12/44

2. New: PIAT. According to a British foreign office report from 8th January 1945, 88 were delivered *by* 11/44.
Date: late 1944 onwards


Misc.

1. Suggestion: I think cavalry should be available from 1942, as it was historically used by the various local militias/guerillas and the reformed Yugoslav army.

2. Suggestion: Formation 25 (Heavy Trucks) uses the same vehicles as other Truck formations... Perhaps the ZiS truck from the Soviet OOB could be added to remedy this?

3. New: The Yugoslav army received Soviet 50mm mortars as aid.
Date: 1/45 onwards.

4. New: Schwarzlose HMGs - used by just about every guerrilla and militia group in Yugoslavia.
Date: 5/41-12/44
-can be found in spob 19, unit 90


Ustaše/Croatian tanks

1. Here's some additional tanks they employed, together with date they entered service (all would remain until 12/44, in accordance to the other Ustase tanks in the OOB):
* PzKw 39H 735(f) : 1/44
* TKS (Polish) : 5/42
* PzKw Ib : 9/41
* L6/40 : 1/44
* CV-33 : 8/41 (note that these are not the same as the “Ansaldo” present in the OOB)
* CV-38 : 1/44

2. unit 286 (Reno FT-17): there's no evidence they were ever used in their original ground combat role – they were mounted on armoured trains. Probably should be removed, or at least limited to 7/41-12/41.

3. unit 282 (PzKw IVh): were acquired in late 1944, not 1943.