An example of combat ineffective rates in real combat

[Mustang]

Your Vietnam example is a good one & if I remember US army training was modified due to it.
In green units the figures were far worse more like only 3 or 4 men returned fire. This was also fairly common in WWII for a some nations.

I did not know this. I had thought the Marshall results were totally bunk.

It makes sense that training would be a big factor. Also ammunition supply. Some of the insurgent armies in the game are very ragtag in real life with only a handful of bullets to go around per man.

The high ammunition expenditure in Western armies isn't that unique though.

http://www.ww2f.com/topic/26670-ammu...on-total-tons/

http://www.sturmvogel.orbat.com/WarEcon.html

Of course germany had ammunition problems.... I mean, they were at war with 50 countries.... their guns were blazing nonstop for 6 years !!!!!!!!!!!!!! German gunfire killed and wounded about 30 million soldiers.

In 1944 germany produced more ammunition than anybody. However, they were at war with everybody, so they had to produce more ammunition because they fired their guns more.

Ammunition production 1944 (for ground forces):

Heavy rounds:

Germany - 108 million rounds
US - 85 million rounds
Britain - 11.3 million rounds

All types:

Germany - 281.1 million rounds
US - 227.3 million rounds
USSR - 94.8 million rounds

tons:

Germany - 3.35 million tons (for ground and air forces), guess 2 million for ground
US - 1.45 million tons (only ground forces)

Small arms:

Germany - 5.28 billion rounds
US - 6.57 billion rounds
Britain - 2.46 billion rounds

In 1943:

all types:

Germany - 217.7 million rounds
US - 156.9 million rounds
USSR - 85.8 million rounds

tons:

Germany - 2.8 million tons (inclusive)
US - 0.8 million tons (only ground forces)

So really everyone was throwing thousands of rounds at the enemy for each kill. This makes sense I suppose in mechanized forces where an APC or truck is available for rearmament and high rates of fire are sustained for several days during a given battle.

[gila]

[quote=Mustang;821355]

So really everyone was throwing thousands of rounds at the enemy for each kill. This makes sense I suppose in mechanized forces where an APC or truck is available for rearmament and high rates of fire are sustained for several days during a given battle.

Not really,in the RL aspect.
Consevation of ammo was a big issue late in the war for germany as most of her factories were bombed,it got so bad that they had reserve fire until certain of a hit or else had little else for defence.
In game terms,this is not reflected,except some air units evaporate, but not many have had an issue with supplies,,, not all nations can be tracked per date time and avail. supplies of said nation.