I recently came across an old article from the March 1978 issue of MILITARY REVIEW, in which the author discussed the concept of the Relative Combat Power (RCP) of two opposing forces. The problem, said the author (Major R. G. Rosenberg), is that there are many subjective parameters which relate to the RCP (training readiness, logistics support, etc.), yet the tendency is to rely solely on neatly defined quantifiable data such as the number of divisions or number of tanks. I remember, years ago, looking at a book by Colonel T. N. Dupuy, NUMBERS, PREDICTIONS & WAR, which essentially discussed the same subject matter. Dupuy's book was published in 1979, and at the time, several wargaming articles offered the opinion that the book would be invaluable to wargamers. Dupuy's method of calculating the effective power of a force consisted of quantifying some 25 factors, and placing them in a huge equation, which resulted in a number called the Combat Power Potential (CPP). The 25 factors included such parameters as air superiority, weapon effectiveness, terrain factor related to artillery, terrain factor related to armor, leadership, and so on. Dupuy's CPP's for the two opposing forces were compared, and if one side's CPP was higher, that side should win the battle. In effect, Major Rosenberg's RCP followed along the same lines as Dupuy's CCP. The RCP first tabulates a "force ratio", and then multiplies it by favorable factors, which he termed 'combat multipliers', and then reduces it by 'combat reducers'. The RCP calculation started out with a value of 1 for a US infantry battalion. With 4 battalions in an enemy motorized rifle regiment and 3 battalions in an enemy tank regiment (the reference is to the Ruskis), the average enemy regimental RCP becomes 3.5, since, says the author, the average number of battalions is 3.5. Now the Ruski regimental RCP is further degraded, since the firepower of an American unit is 1.4 times that of the enemy... and so we divide 3.5 by 1.4 and come up with 2.5, the Ruski regimental RCP. For artillery, the basic assumption is that a US artillery battalion generates 0.35 of the fire power of a single infantry battalion. But here, too, the Ruskis get knocked down... their battalion artillery firepower is assumed to be 70 percent of the firepower of a US artillery battalion. Hence the Ruski artillery battalion's RCP is 0.35x0.7, or 0.25. The example given in the article illustrates an encounter in which an attacking enemy force swamps the US forces... 5 US infantry battalions (a brigade) plus 5 US artillery battalions face 6 Russian regiments supported by 12 artillery battalions. Calculating the numbers as given above for the US battalions, the US RCP totals 6.7. For the enemy, using regimental values, the RCP is 18. Alas! The author goes no further in his analysis, stating that the above RCP's must now have 'modifiers applied in a subjective manner'... to adjucate the combat. Just when it was getting interesting! Back to PW Review July 1999 Table of Contents Back to PW Review List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 Wally Simon This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com