User blog comment:BattleGames1/BattleGames1's Season of War Episode 1 - Long Range Desert Group vs Easy Company/@comment-4661256-20140421045757

El Alamein's "Yeah... Obviously I'm Gonna Vote on This One" Edges:

 Melee: Commando/FS Knives vs. Trench/KA-BAR Knives:  To me, the British knives are primarily designated for slashing attacks, and the FS knife in particular is a fluid weapon that allows for easy transitions from a downward slash back to an upward one thanks to the gentle curve of the handle - it's ergonomic. The American knives, alternately, are flat-out annihilating - brutal, punching stabs or else vicious tears are both easy wounds to inflict with either the Trench knife or the KA-BAR. The blade lengths are similar enough that the differences are negligible - 6.5 inches vs. 6.75, not much of an advantage there. Honestly, the more effective knives on both sides (in my opinion) will be the FS knife and the KA-BAR, and although my personal preference goes to the FS knife, the KA-BAR certainly has its merits, so I have to agree with you, BG, and call it a draw.

Edge: Even

 Short Range: S&W vs. M1911:  Yeah, this is an easy comparison to make. The M1911 is semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and even makes up for any slight disadvantages that a pistol would usually suffer in stopping power when compared to a revolver with its damning .45 round. The revolver is by no means a poor weapon, but it's outdated compared to the Colt.

Edge: Easy Company

 Mid Range; Thompson vs. Thompson:  The Thompson is a formidable weapon, especially in a WWII setting. So, I guess, according to the info in your blog, Easy Company's Thompson can go semi- or fully-automatic, which will be a huge advantage. Yeah, the LRDG's Tommy gun has a faster rate of fire, but with a small 20-round mag that can easily prove to be a disadvantage as the operator will blow through ammo really quickly. It's very close, but the improvements made on Easy Company's SMG make it marginally more effective in a variety of situations, giving it the edge.

Edge: Easy Company

 Rifles: SMLE vs. M1 Garand:  The SMLE has a larger magazine - 2 rounds, sure, might not seem like a lot, but remember that this is a bolt-action rifle. Every shot counts. That being said, the M1 Garand is semi-automatic, and does have an auto-ejecting clip. It comes down to the effective firing range. Not only does the SMLE have a 100 m advantage over the M1, but remember that the LRDG is the long-ranged desert group. They're going to perform superbly at a distance, making even as simple a weapon as a bolt-action rifle lethal in their hands.

Edge: Long Range Desert Group

 Machine Guns: Vickers vs. Browning:  The drum-fed mechanisms of the Vickers are more reliable - belt-fed MGs tended to jam with some frequency during WWII (I'm not saying this is guaranteed to happen, because that pisses me off when on Deadliest Warrior they decide that one jam in a situational test means that the gun is prone to jamming), so the Vickers will likely jam less frequently than the Browning. But like I said, probably neither will jam. The Browning does have a larger feed system with the belt, but it requires two men to operate. Its slower rate of fire is a disadvantage here because the heavy machine guns need that speed to lay down suppressive fire - the Vickers will be able to do that much more effectively  than the Browning. Ultimately, both have their advantages: the Vickers can be used by just one man, has a faster rate of fire, and is more reliable. The Browning has a larger feed system, a more controllable fire rate, and (I think) the larger round. Calling it a draw.

Edge: Even

''' Grenades: Mills vs. Mk. II; ''' It's pretty marginal of a difference, but I guess one second of a shorter fuse allows for quicker deployability, and the 30 m extra of blast radius makes it slightly more lethal, depending on how closely together Easy Company sits.

Edge: Long Range Desert Group

 Grenade Launchers: EY vs. M7:  Eh, they're both pretty much just a mechanism fitted over the barrel of the rifle used to fling regular grenades at longer distances. And they're both kind of awkward and cumbersome to lug around.

Edge: Even

 Launchers: Breda vs. Bazooka:  The Bazooka is a single-shot weapon and had much difficulty actually penetrating the armor of many Axis armored vehicles. The Breda, alternately, apparently was much more effective against vehicles of similar size. Now, given that the LRDG was a lightly outfitted unit, it's not like they're going to be rolling in with tanks, so I'm pretty sure that a Bazooka could knock out a jeep or whatever, but the Breda hits harder, faster, and at a longer range.

Edge: Long Range Desert Group

 Mortars: OML vs. M2:  Yeah, you said it BG. The M2 has a faster rate of fire, a longer range, and therefore a more effective area of effect against potential targets. The OML is certainly a useful battlefield implement, but it's just outclassed by the M2 in this scenario.

Edge: Easy Company

 Vehicles: Chevy vs. Dodge:  The Chevy can carry more weapons, making it better protected while offering substantially reliable mobility in a hostile desert environment. On top of that, it can hold more people - I just hope they get out before some dumb Bazooka rocket sends the car up in flames. It's all about mobility and firepower for these vehicles, though, not armor, and the Chevy brings more bang for the buck than does the Dodge.

Edge: Long Range Desert Group

WINNER: LRDG

I'm not gonna lie, when it comes to history I'm somewhat of an Anglophile, but I steadfastly stand by my decision. The fact remains that the LRDG operate primarily at a distance, meaning that they will get the opening shots of the battle - and the most accurate and effective ones. The terrain in Greece is remarkably similar to the rocky North African and Italian landscapes they're used to dealing with, unlike the urban French and Belgian towns that Easy Company has fought in. The LRDG are better suited for a low-scale firefight like this one, whereas Easy Company fights in full-fledged battles that included fire support, radio assistance, and reinforcements - none of which will be really present in this battle.

I'd also like to dispute the point that Easy Company was "more important" to WWII than LRDG. The LRDG really harassed the Germans and Italians in North Africa, slowing them down enough for Montgomery's 8th Army to compose itself around the town of -- you guessed it -- El Alamein. If the LRDG hadn't been successful in their delaying actions, Rommel could easily have plowed through British defenses and secured control of the Suez Canal and the oil-rich fields that lay beyond - therefore supplying his drained Panzerarmee Afrika and allowing him to divert men and vehicles to the Soviet front, making an Axis defeat there less likely. Easy Company really just rode on the successes of the British through France - without victory in North Africa, there would be no Allied victory in Italy - and by extension, none in Russia or France.