User blog comment:Cfp3157/Season 3 Episode 9: Charles de Gaulle vs. Chiang Kai-Shek/@comment-4661256-20130727224315

'El Alamein's "ANOTHER WORLD WAR TWO BATTLE? YES!" Edges:'

 Pistols: Modele 1935A vs. Luger P08:  The French weren't really famous for their awesome firearms (in fact, only the MAT-49 submachine gun became well-known, and that's because of its use in Vietnam), and that's because they are too busy being invaded so they don't have time to work on good weapons. So obviously a piece of crap like the Modele 1935 is not going to compare to the Luger P08 - let me explain why. Firstly, the French 7.65 round is about the equivalent of a 7mm round, much smaller than the already dinky 9mm of the Luger. That means one of Chiang Kai-Shek's men has the potential (if he's badass enough) to take an entire magazine of those pea-sized 7mm rounds and keep on the attack. One of de Gaulle's men won't face the same luck if an entire 9mm mag is fired into him. The Luger's larger-caliber round gets it the edge here.

Edge: Chiang Kai-Shek

 Submachine Guns, Part 1: ''' Sten Mk. II vs. MP18: ''' Both SMGs have a 32-round magazine, but the MP18's is a drum mag, meaning it's going to be a pain in the rear end to reload it because it's so big and bulky. The Sten's magazine is a box mag, so it's a simple eject-n-switch to reload with the Sten. They both have a very decent 500 rds/min (which is good, too high of a rate of fire and you'll shoot your whole mag in less than a second). Finally, the Sten weighs a good two pounds less than the MP18, weighing down the French troops a lot less than the Chinese. The Sten's easier-to-reload magazine and lighter weight get it the edge.

Edge: Charles de Gaulle

 Submachine Guns, Part 2: MP40 vs. Grease Gun:  The Grease Gun's .45 ACP is of larger caliber than the MP40's 9mm, giving the Chinese fully-automatic stopping power. The MP40 does have a marginally higher rate of fire (500 rds/min vs. 450 rds/min), but it doesn't make that much of a difference. Sure, the MP40's also got 2 extra rounds per mag, but 2 rounds oftentimes doesn't make that much of a difference in an all-out firefight like the one being simulated here. The Grease Gun's larger-caliber round gets it the edge here.

Edge: Chiang Kai-Shek

''' Battle Rifles, Part 1: Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk. I vs. Type 24 Rifle: ''' Both have an effective range of 500 m (550 yds). The Type 24 "Chiang Kai-Shek" rifle's Mauser round is superior to the British .303 round (the Mauser was originally a hunting rifle, so the larger caliber round was able to take down big game). However, the Lee-Enfield gets the edge thanks to its larger ammo capacity - it can take 10 rounds before it needs to be reloaded, while the Chiang Kai-Shek rifle can only take 5. More ammo, more casualties.

Edge: Charles de Gaulle

 Battle Rifles, Part 2: MAS-36 vs. Mosin-Nagant:  The Mosin-Nagant's 7.62 round is still a modern-day military rifle and much larger than the MAS-36's 7mm round. The Mosin-Nagant also outranges the MAS-36 by a good 150 yards without a telescopic sight; add a scope and it blows the MAS away. The Mosin-Nagant is a rugged, reliable rifle and it was made famous on the Eastern Front in Stalingrad for good reason - it's accurate, and gets the job done. Easy edge for the better weapon.

Edge: Chiang Kai-Shek

''' Machine Guns, Part 1: FM 24/29 vs. Bren Mk. II: ''' The Bren has a larger magazine, larger caliber round, and a higher rate of fire. However, the FM 24/29 is based off of the more reliable B.A.R. which gives it a more robust internal firing mechanism. I'm calling this one a draw.

Edge: Even

 Machine Guns, Part 2: MG42 vs. M1919 Browning:  These are cetainly two deadly belt-fed mankillers, but the MG42 weighs a great deal less than the Browning, has a faster rate of fire, has those high-caliber Mauser rounds, and has a greater psychological impact on its targets. The MG42 was known as the "German buzzsaw" because of the noise it made when firing, and it was the terror of the Allied soldiers on the Western Front. The Browning's a lethal MG, but it's not as fearsome as the MG42.

Edge: Charles de Gaulle

 Tactics: Free French Forces/First Indochina War vs. Chinese Resistance/Civil War:  Both of these generals were forced to fight against the Axis powers to protect their own countries, then went on to lose a second war after WWII. But the thing about Chiang Kai-Shek is that he very well could have won the Chinese Civil War, if Mao Zedong had actually did crap. The stuff saying Mao fought off the Japanese is Communist propaganda - Chiang did all the fighting for Mao while he sat around and waited for the Nationalists to exhaust their manpower and resources, then attack them while they were weak afterward. If Mao had pitched in and fought back, Chiang Kai-Shek might very well be a Chinese national hero. Meanwhile, de Gaulle fled to Britain at the first sign of Nazi aggression and mustered a very lukewarm French resistance to support British SOE operatives landing in Vichy or Occupied France. Not to say the French people weren't good fighters - just that de Gaulle was a poor leader. The British spies were pretty much all captured because de Gaulle cared so little about the operation and just wanted to shoot up Nazis. Then, he came back to France, finding a hero's welcome after hiding like a rat in Britain, and lost pathetically against the Viet Minh in Indochina. Sure, de Gaulle was a revolutionary and an anti-Fascist, but that doesn't make him brave or a good warrior. Chiang Kai-Shek actually fought and defeated the Japanese, and was taken by surprise when Mao attacked him while he was weak. Easy edge for Chiang.

Edge: Chiang Kai-Shek

WINNER: CHIANG KAI-SHEK

He might not have the better machine guns but his battle rifles and SMGs dominate the mid- to close-ranged firefight. Chiang Kai-Shek's greater dedication to his cause and his better combat experience allow him to outmaneuver and outfight de Gaulle, who commanded his troops from behind a desk nine times out of ten. Finally, the Chinese Nationalist forces were better equipped because the United States actually supported their Allies and supplied the Chinese to fight against Japan, while the British gave no rat's ass about France and left them to fend for themselves against the Nazis. Better weapons, better logistics, and better fighting spirit lead Chiang Kai-Shek to victory over Cheese-Eating Charles de Gaulle.