WORLD WAR TWO FACTS
|
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 |
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)
|
Non-combatant 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. |
|
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 |
American |
British |
French |
Dutch |
Polish |
Yugoslav |
Germany |
Italy |
Japan |
Held by Allies* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
630,000 |
430,000 |
11,600 |
Held by Germany |
90,000 |
200,000 |
765,000 |
|
68,000 |
125,000 |
|
550,000 |
|
Held by Japan |
15,000 |
108,000 |
|
22,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
*Excludes prisoners held by the Soviet Union |
|
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 |
|
Military Losses (1939-1945)
Country |
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.
|
|
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)
from all sources
All Sources |
Naval Vessels |
Merchant Vessels |
Total |
Sunk by |
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 |
|
Japanese Ship Losses (1941-1945) from United States forces
United States Forces |
Naval Vessels |
Merchant Vessels |
Total |
Sunk by |
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 |
|
Disclaimer : This information is intended to be a general
compilation of war time facts. It is NOT the definitive
source. References may vary on numbers. |
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
|