WORLD WAR TWO FACTS
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U.S. Active Military Personnel (1939-1945)
| Year |
Army |
Navy |
Marine Corps |
Total |
| 1939 |
189,839 |
125,202 |
19,432 |
334,473 |
| 1940 |
269,023 |
160,997 |
28,345 |
458,365 |
| 1941 |
1,462,315 |
284,427 |
54,359 |
1,801,101 |
| 1942 |
3,075,608 |
640,570 |
142,613 |
3,858,791 |
| 1943 |
6,994,472 |
1,741,750 |
308,523 |
9,044,745 |
| 1944 |
7,994,750 |
2,981,365 |
475,604 |
11,451,719 |
| 1945 |
8,267,958 |
3,380,817 |
474,680 |
12,123,455 |
|
Includes officers and enlisted personnel. |
Profile of U.S. Military Personnel (1941-1945)
Volunteers:
38.8 % (6,332,000) |
Draftees:
61.2 %
(11,535,000)
Of
17,955,000 men examined for induction 35.8 % (6,420,000) were
rejected as physically or mentally unfit for service. |
:Overseas service:
73% of all military personnel served overseas.
Average time overseas 16.2 months. |
Combat survivability (Out of every 1,000):
8.6 were killed in combat
3.0 died due to
reasons other than combat
17.7 received combat wounds (non fatal)
|
Noncombat employment:
38.8% of the enlisted personnel had rear echelon assignments - administrative, technical, support or manual labor. |
Average pay:
Enlisted $71.33 per month.
Officers $203.50 per month. |
Average length of service:
33 months. |
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U.S. Armed Forces Losses (1939-1945)
| Branch of Service |
Killed in Action
(KIA) |
Wounded in Action (WIA) |
| Army/Army Air Corps |
234,874 |
565,861 |
| Navy |
36,950 |
37,778 |
| Marine Corps |
19,733 |
67,207 |
| Coast Guard |
574 |
432 |
| Total |
292,131 |
671,278 |
|
|
| |
Killed in Action
(KIA) |
Died as Prisoner of War (POW) |
| Merchant Marine |
6,833 |
62 |
|
Prisoners of War (POWs)
| POWs held by |
American |
British |
French |
Dutch |
Polish |
Yugoslav |
Germany |
Italy |
Japan |
| Allies* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
630,000 |
430,000 |
11,600 |
| Germany |
90,000 |
200,000 |
765,000 |
|
68,000 |
125,000 |
|
550,000 |
|
| Japan |
15,000 |
108,000 |
|
22,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
| *Excludes prisoners held by the Soviet Union |
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Aircraft Production (All Types)
| |
1939 |
1940 |
1941 |
1942 |
1943 |
1944 |
1945 |
Total |
| U.S. |
2,141 |
6,086 |
19,433 |
47,836 |
85,898 |
96,318 |
46,001 |
303,713 |
| Britain |
7,940 |
15,049 |
20,094 |
23,672 |
26,263 |
26,461 |
12,070 |
131,549 |
| U.S.S.R. |
10,382 |
10,565 |
15,737 |
25,436 |
34,900 |
40,300 |
20,900 |
158,220 |
| Germany |
8,295 |
10,826 |
12,401 |
15,409 |
24,807 |
40,593 |
7,540 |
119.871 |
| Japan |
4,467 |
4,768 |
5,088 |
8,861 |
16,693 |
28,180 |
8,263 |
76,320 |
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Military Losses (1939-1945)
| |
Aircraft |
Vessels* |
| Germany |
95,000 |
672 |
| Japan |
49,485 |
433 |
| Italy |
4,000 |
300 |
| U.S. |
59,296 |
157 |
| Britain |
33,090 |
296 |
| Australia |
7,160 |
|
| Canada |
2,389 |
|
| New Zealand |
684 |
|
| India |
527 |
|
| France |
2,100 |
129 |
| Netherlands |
|
40 |
| Norway |
|
40 |
| Sweden |
272 |
|
| Denmark |
154 |
|
| Greece |
|
22 |
| Yugoslavia |
|
13 |
| Soviet Union |
|
102** |
| Other |
|
36 |
*Submarine, frigate & larger vessels.
**Unconfirmed number.
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|
Merchant Ship Losses (1939-1945)
| Britain |
3,194 |
| U.S. |
866 |
| Other Allies |
1,457 |
| Neutral |
902 |
| Germany |
|
| Japan |
2,346 |
|
Japanese Ship Losses
(1941-1945)
| Sunk by |
Naval Vessels |
Merchant Vessels |
Total |
| |
Number |
Tonnage |
Number |
Tonnage |
Number |
Tonnage |
| United States |
611 |
1,822,210 |
2,117 |
7,913,858 |
2,728 |
9,736,068 |
| Allies |
45 |
69,636 |
73 |
211,664 |
118 |
281,300 |
| United States & Allies |
10 |
14,864 |
12 |
57,923 |
22 |
72,787 |
| Accidents |
13 |
50,338 |
97 |
268,948 |
110 |
319,286 |
| Japanese Mines |
- |
- |
21 |
67,197 |
21 |
67,197 |
| Unknown |
7 |
8,598 |
26 |
98,519 |
33 |
107,117 |
| Total |
686 |
1,965,646 |
2,346 |
8,618,109 |
3,032 |
10,583,755 |
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United States Sinking of Japanese Ships (1941-1945)
| Sunk by |
Naval Vessels |
Merchant Vessels |
Total |
| |
Number |
Tonnage |
Number |
Tonnage |
Number |
Tonnage |
| Submarines |
201 |
540,192 |
1,113 |
4,779,902 |
1,314 |
5,320,094 |
| Navy-Marine Corps Aircraft |
172 |
724,638 |
447 |
1,608,959 |
619 |
2,333,597 |
| Army Aircraft |
70 |
62,165 |
240 |
639,667 |
310 |
701,832 |
| Surface Ships |
112 |
277,817 |
11 |
43,349 |
123 |
321,166 |
| Mines |
19 |
17,995 |
247 |
591,660 |
266 |
609,655 |
| Aircraft and Other Weapons |
35 |
196,633 |
55 |
247,016 |
90 |
443,649 |
| Navy Shore Batteries |
2 |
2,770 |
- |
- |
2 |
2,770 |
| Unknown |
- |
- |
4 |
3,305 |
4 |
3,305 |
| Total |
611 |
1,822,210 |
2,117 |
7,913,858 |
2,728 |
9,736,068 |
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Disclaimer : This information is intended to be a general
compilation of war time facts. It is NOT the definitive
source. References vary on numbers. |
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Sources:
1)Goralski, Robert; World War II Almanac: 1939-1945, New York, Putnam's Sons, 1981
2)Enock, Arthur; This War Business, London, The Bodley Head, 1951
3)Naval Staff, The Admiralty, Report, London, 1945
4)Department of Naval Intelligence, United States Navy, Report, 1945
5)Compere, Tom (ed.); The Navy Blue Book, Volume 1, Military
Publishing Institute, 1960
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