I am pretty sure that you will not be able to help me with this, but I sure am curious as to just what the formula is for Ammunition Supply Effect. "Retro-engineeering" this one is proving to be frustrating in the extreme - any possibility of some help?

Sorry for the delayed response...but we've been a little busy here.

The charts in NPW were not drawn by using a mathematical formula. There were developed based upon a few data points and then hand drawn to connect the points. Back in the 1970s, when the book was prepared (before PCs), hand drawing charts was not unusual.

When the TNDM was done.....a series of formulas were created by Dr. James Taylor (Naval Post-Graduate School -- the Lanchester expert) that replicated these charts. This included inserting a table of "errors" so as to match the formula directly to the charts. An article on this was prepared by Jose Perez and is in our International TNDM Newsletter (which we eventually hope to post as a download on this site....as soon as we get back to this).

Furthermore, for the TNDM, the methodology for calculating the OLIs of MFM (Mobile Fighting Machines) was changed to better reflect modern tank design. That revised formula turned the VSF (Vehicle Supply Factor) into a formula:

VSF = Time Firing/Total Time

Time Firing = 60 Basic Load/RF (minutes)

Time Resupplying = 10 minutes

Total Time = Time Firing + Time Resupplying

Substituting and combining terms gives the following formula:

VSF = 6 BL/(6BL + RF)

Now, I do not know how closely this matches the tables in NPW. As it is a TNDM formula for a revised methodology.....a direct insertion in the QJM may not be advisable.

Hope this helps.