Naval Strength at the Outbreak of War

(showing principal war vessels only)

Numbers

on 1 Sept 1939

Under Construction

on 1 Sept 1939

GREAT BRITAIN

Battleships

15

6

Aircraft Carriers

7

9

Heavy Cruisers

15

—

Light Cruisers

41

9

Anti-aircraft Cruisers

8

16

Minelayer Cruisers

1

1

Modern Destroyers

113

24

Older Destroyers

68

—

Modern Submarines

53

11

Older Submarines

12

—

Escorts (Corvettes etc.)

54

80

Fleet Minesweepers

44

10

Gun Monitors

2

—

FRANCE

7

4

Battleships

1

—

Aircraft Carriers

7

—

Heavy Cruisers

12

3

Light Cruisers

78

27

Destroyers

81

38

Submarines

56

30

Minesweepers & Gunboats

GERMANY

Battleships

2

11 (only Bismarck completed)

Older Battleships

2

—

Pocket Battleships

3

—

Aircraft Carriers

—

2 (neither completed)

Heavy Cruisers

2

3 (only 1 completed)

Light Cruisers

6

6 (none completed)

Destroyers

22

12

Torpedo Boats (S-boote)

20

13

Submarines

62

50

ITALY

Battleships

6 (4 under refit)

—

Aircraft Carriers

—

1

Heavy Cruisers

7

—

Light Cruisers

12

1

Fleet Destroyers

61

—

Escort Destroyers

73

—

Submarines

116

—

Comparative Military Strengths

(on 10 MAY 1940)

Actual Total Combat
Strength of Aircraft

Artillery
Strength

France 3,097

Germany 7,378

Britain 1,150

France 10,700

Belgium 140

Britain 1,280

Netherlands 82

Belgium 1,338

TOTAL 4,469

Netherlands 656

Germany 3,578

Divisions at Front

Germany 135

Tank Strength

France 117

Germany 2,439

Britain (BEF) 13

France 3,254

Belgium 22

Netherlands 10

Source: Blitzkreig Legend by Karl Heinz-Frieser

Aircraft Production 1940

SINGLE-ENGINE FIGHTERS

(monthly averages)

Germany

Britain

United States

1939

Monthly Ave.

128

85

—

1940

1st Quarter

113

159

—

2nd Quarter

197

342

12

3rd Quarter

210

480

91

4th Quarter

89

447

156

1941

1st Quarter

160

486

146

2nd Quarter

326

557

152

TWIN-ENGINE AIRCRAFT

(monthly averages)

1939

Monthly Ave.

219

151

—

1940

1st Quarter

264

151

24

2nd Quarter

435

288

24

3rd Quarter

470

365

28

4th Quarter

369

339

20

1941

1st Quarter

366

375

51

2nd Quarter

353

428

106

3rd Quarter

454

438

169

4th Quarter

373

407

224

FOUR-ENGINE AIRCRAFT

1940

1st Quarter

3

—

5

2nd Quarter

3

1

—

3rd Quarter

3

3

6

4th Quarter

3

11

9

1941

1st Quarter

5

25

17

2nd Quarter

5

34

18

Sources: BA-MA ZA3; The Strategic Air Offensive Against Germany 1939–1945 Volume IV, Appendix XXIV; GSWW Vol. II, Table IX.III

Armaments Production 1939 – May 1940

PRINCIPAL ARMY WEAPONS,
GERMAN & BRITISH, SEPTEMBER 1939–MAY 1940

WEAPONS
German / British

Sept–Dec 1939

Jan–April 1940

May 1940

Rifles
(1000s)

279 / 18.7

310.4 / 26.8

101 / 11.1

Machine
guns (1000s)

12.7 / 6.9

14.7 / 7.4

5.2 / 2.9

Field
Artillery

773 / —

675 / 51

217 / 63

Heavy
Anti-aircraft

192 / 224

317 / 234

86 / 94

Tanks

247 / 314

283 / 287

116 / 138

GERMAN & BRITISH TANK PRODUCTION

Germany

Britain

Pre-War

3,503

1,148

Sept–Dec

1939

370

314

1940

1,888

1,093

1941

3,263

4,841

Source: British War Production, Table 25, and BA-MA RH8/v3743

Armaments Production 1940 – 1941
(in US $1 billion 1944 prices)

1940

1941

USA

1.5

4.5

Britain

3.5

6.5

USSR

5.0

8.5

Germany

6.0

6.0

Japan

1.0

2.0

Source: GSWW Vol. V/IA, Table II.V.4

Increase in Armaments Production
1940 – 41

(percentage of preceding year)

1940

1941

USA

150

200

Britain

250

86

USSR

52

70

Germany

76

0

Japan

—

100

Source: GSWW Vol. V/IA, Table II.V.1

The Effects of the Blockade on Germany:
Imports of Raw Materials into Germany
(1938 = 100)

1939

1941

July

109

January

17

August

99

February

30

September

66

March

13

October

49

April

24

November

44

May

17

December

57

June

29

Source: GSWW Vol. V/IA, Diagram II.II.3

The Effects of the War on British Trade:
Imports & Exports

(1938 = 100)

1938

1939

1940

1941

Imports

100

97

94

82

Exports

100

94

72

56

Source: Fighting With Figures, Table 9.4