Column 3 shows that a force of 841, the part remaining after a force of 1,000 had annihilated a force of 500, would have 653 left after annihilating a second force of 500. Taken in connection with columns 1 and 2, this indicates that it is easier to defeat two separated _equal_ forces than two separated _unequal_ forces of the same aggregate value; that the weakest way in which to divide a force is into _equal_ parts. This fact is mathematically demonstrated by Mr. F. W. Lanchester in a recent book called "Air Craft in Warfare." TABLE III ------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Col. 1|Col. 2|Col. 3| |---------------------------------------------|------|------|------| |Value of offensive at beginning A| 970 | 569 | 841 | | B| 800 | 200 | 500 | |Damage done in 1st period by A| 97 | 57 | 84 | | B| 80 | 20 | 50 | |Value of offensive power at end 1st period A| 890 | 549 | 791 | | B| 703 | 143 | 416 | |Damage done in 2d period by A| 89 | 55 | 79 | | B| 70 | 14 | 42 | |Value of offensive power at end 2d period A| 820 | 535 | 749 | | B| 614 | 88 | 337 | |Damage done in 3d period by A| 82 | 54 | 75 | | B| 61 | 0 | 34 | |Value of offensive power at end 3d period A| 759 | 526 | 715 | | B| 532 | 32 | 262 | |Damage done in 4th period by A| 76 | 53 | 72 | | B| 53 | 3 | 26 | |Value of offensive power at end 4th period A| 706 | 523 | 689 | | B| 456 | 0 | 190 | |Damage done in 5th period by A| 71 | | 69 | | B| 46 | | 10 | |Value of offensive power at end 5th period A| 660 | | 670 | | B| 385 | | 121 | |Damage done in 6th period by A| 66 | | 67 | | B| 39 | | 12 | |Value of offensive power at end 6th period A| 621 | | 658 | | B| 319 | | 54 | |Damage done in 7th period by A| 62 | | 66 | | B| 32 | | 5 | |Value of offensive power at end 7th period A| 589 | | 653 | | B| 257 | | 0 | |Damage done in 8th period by A| 59 | | | | B| 26 | | |