Among various shortcomings in our beloved boardgame I put the inadequate
initial deployment very high on my list together with lack of
territories. As a mean to adjust initial deployment to more historycal
one, I took a look on some more complex WW2 games and adapted an initial
deployment in June 1942 scenario of one such "monster" games to
Axis&Allies combat model. Here are the results:

Soviet Union:

Russia - 5 INF, 2 ARM, FTR, ICX, AAG
Karelia - 4 INF, FTR, SUB, ICX, AAG
Caucasus - 6 INF
Soviet Far East - 2 INF, SUB


Germany:

Germany - 5 INF, 2 ARM, FTR, SUB, ICX, AAG
Southern Europe - 4 INF, ARM, FTR, BOM, BBS, SUB, TRN, ICX, AAG
Western Europe - 3 INF, SUB, AAG
Eastern Europe - 5 INF, ARM, FTR, BOM
Ukraine - 6 INF, 3 ARM, FTR
Finland-Norway - 3 INF, ARM, FTR
Libya - INF
North Atlantic sea zone - SUB


Commonwealth:

United Kingdom - 4 INF, ARM, FTR, BOM, BBS, 2 TRN, ICX, AAG
Eastern Canada - INF
Anglo-Egypt Sudan - INF, ARM, FTR, SUB
Gibraltar - BBS
Persia - ARM
India - 2 INF, TRN
Australia - INF
South Africa - INF


Japan:

Japan - 2 INF, FTR, BBS, TRN, ICX, AAG
Manchuria - 3 INF
Kwangtung - 4 INF, FTR
French Indochina-Burma - INF
Philippines - INF, TRN
Carolines - BOM, BBS, CAR+FTR
Solomons - SUB


United States:

East US - INF, 2 ARM, BOM, BBS, TRN, ICX, AAG
West US - 2 INF, FTR, BBS, TRN, ICX, AAG
Hawaii - INF, CAR+FTR, SUB
China - 5 INF
Sinkiang - INF


>From this deployment it is possible to distinguish the Eastern front
from other minor theatres. Germany's offensive power is roughly the
same, but defensive increased significantly making any Soviet offensive
as costly and risky as historical Soviet counteroffensive which was
smashed in Spring 1942. Soviet Siberian armies were already concentrated
against Germans by Spring 1942 which is recognized in this deployment.

German sub fleet is now represented according to its historycal
strength. Italian/German significant sub activities in Med are possible
now. Italian air force (too often overlooked) is here together with
Kesselring's LuftKorps. After capture of Tobruk Rommel wasn't capable of
mounting full offensive against British without significant
reinforcements. Those forces are waiting in Southern Europe to be
transported.

RAF resources were more present in Med than in India and this fact is
recognized too.

The bulk of Japanese ground forces was deployed in China (Kwangtung),
not in Burma nor in Manchuria. The number of troops deployed to Pacific
was rather small compared to millions of soldiers in Asian mainland.

US did have an Atlantic fleet. I don't why this fact has been forgotten
by game designers. Now US transport has an escort to try to fend off
full strength of German u-boats. USAAF yet has to be built. Therefore
only the core of 8th AAF is present. 
Chinese forces were concentrated in what was labelled as "China".
Sinkiang is vasteland. The strength of "Flying Tigers" was to weak to
deserve been represented in game. I considered putting two Soviet
infantry units in China instead of two US (to represent Mao's
communists), but I dropped the idea eventually.


So here it is. You may play, criticize, comment or disregard. I am open
to discussion, as always.

Drax (dkramari@www.zap.hr)