tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post5025181839680044666..comments2024-03-28T02:27:45.688-07:00Comments on Chant du Départ: 77 Years AgoOldAFSargehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-79746516787051827052019-06-05T14:21:33.259-07:002019-06-05T14:21:33.259-07:00Did not know that, pretty cool.Did not know that, pretty cool.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-13038587698025294002019-06-05T13:18:05.275-07:002019-06-05T13:18:05.275-07:00Sportsfans/
FYI George Gay is the guy who started...Sportsfans/<br /><br />FYI George Gay is the guy who started <i>Executive Jet </i>..<br />..virgil xenophonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14577165785872035948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-10992045260382291912019-06-05T13:07:36.050-07:002019-06-05T13:07:36.050-07:00One of the great things about our enemies in WWII ...One of the great things about our enemies in WWII was that they didn't play nice together a lot of the time.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-59288770333418241402019-06-05T10:32:36.664-07:002019-06-05T10:32:36.664-07:00Hey Old AFSarge;
Sorry I didn't respond ea...Hey Old AFSarge;<br /><br /> Sorry I didn't respond earlier, am out of country. Those were awesome pics you posted, some I never seen before and I thought I have seem them all. I had read a book that talked about the divisiveness of the Japanese General Staff, the Army concentrated on the Soviets as the major threats and the Navy focused on the Americans. It took a consensus to get anything going, and the Japanese attack on Midway was brought on by the Doolittle Raid, it united the Imperial General Staff to "do something" about those pesky American carriers. MrGarabaldihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05768774166065615995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-8247529361981564472019-06-05T09:27:53.464-07:002019-06-05T09:27:53.464-07:00And that's a great saying.And that's a great saying.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-23954302374257497382019-06-05T08:48:52.200-07:002019-06-05T08:48:52.200-07:00Yes, the Zero's had a fast climb rate relative...Yes, the Zero's had a fast climb rate relative to other aircraft (according to Wikipedia 15.7 m/s (3,090 ft/min)). But physics is physics, if they were at sea level it would take them ~4 minutes to reach 12000'. The attack would be over by then. And, Pawel, you're correct, but that makes the first part of my first sentence what awes me such about the outcome of the battle. If they hadn't arrived overhead at virtually the same time the Torpedo Bombers were under attack, the Zero's might have regained altitude and the battle might have ended differently. I've got a favorite saying "If If's and Buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas." juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-38871891903834825632019-06-05T05:10:50.592-07:002019-06-05T05:10:50.592-07:00Yes, winter in New England is a challenge at times...Yes, winter in New England is a challenge at times. As for California, remove the idiots who are trying (and failing, no surprise) to turn the state into a socialist paradise and things will improve. The state itself has some breathtaking beauty.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-9388051547745672842019-06-05T02:24:30.039-07:002019-06-05T02:24:30.039-07:00it was little more different, considering fast cli...it was little more different, considering fast climb rate of Zero, there have been ample time to regain altitude before DB arrived... also as far as I know, at least some Zeros attacked the DB but without much success as they have been overtaking them in dive flight due to much smoother aerodynamics. Plus at least one fighter squadron (Thatch) arrived at exact time and drove off some Zeros<br /> Paweł Kasperekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17636249014878876718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-41530523643888103532019-06-04T21:59:49.583-07:002019-06-04T21:59:49.583-07:00Perhaps our paths crossed at airshows back in the ...Perhaps our paths crossed at airshows back in the day.<br /><br />PaulPaul L. Quandthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11734944159912671900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-11288569604466654722019-06-04T21:40:53.084-07:002019-06-04T21:40:53.084-07:00I met him, too, at the Chino airshow where he was ...I met him, too, at the Chino airshow where he was signing his book.drjimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05647484115197408897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-54084926870672025472019-06-04T19:45:27.571-07:002019-06-04T19:45:27.571-07:00I had the honor and privilege to meet George Gay a...I had the honor and privilege to meet George Gay at an airshow years ago.<br /><br />Thanks for the post.<br />Paul L. Quandt Paul L. Quandthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11734944159912671900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-41217830587808672512019-06-04T18:28:49.190-07:002019-06-04T18:28:49.190-07:00Three hours later, and three inches of rain later,...Three hours later, and three inches of rain later, we were at 74 degrees. 30 degree drop in 3 hours. Water is an excellent coolant, isn't it?<br /><br />As to how beautiful New England is, well, we have had no snow for lots of years, which means no snow, salt, slush, blizzards, New Englanders trying and succeeding in driving poorly in said conditions. And no snow/salt/snow-salt mix to eat our cars.<br /><br />Everywhere has some good points, even California (though any good points seem to be disappearing rapidly...)Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-655963786776679032019-06-04T16:02:03.174-07:002019-06-04T16:02:03.174-07:00Sounds interesting!Sounds interesting!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-5684385476620214402019-06-04T15:34:30.182-07:002019-06-04T15:34:30.182-07:00Well, if the Dive Bombers hadn't arrived overh...Well, if the Dive Bombers hadn't arrived overhead at altitude at the exact time the Zeros were at low altitude putting paid to Torpedo 8, the outcome might have been quite different. Hence the "Hero to Zero" comment earlier. Nagumo had to have let out a "yippee" when he saw the last torpedo bomber go in the drink. Probably lifted his head to the sky to let out that "yippee" but what came out was really "Awww...Sheeet!"<br />Sarge could probably come up with an exception, but to the best of my knowledge that's the quickest reversal of fortune in history.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-31987712246613201622019-06-04T14:56:32.178-07:002019-06-04T14:56:32.178-07:00Check the awesome anthology of alternative histori...Check the awesome anthology of alternative histories, "Rising Sun Victorious" for scenario where Nagumo lucks out and wins...<br />It does cost allies time, money and blood, but Kido Butai is eventually trounced in Battle of Los Angeles, and first Essex sails thru successfully defended Panama Canal to start 1943 US counteroffensivesPaweł Kasperekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17636249014878876718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-375591436861036872019-06-04T14:52:07.636-07:002019-06-04T14:52:07.636-07:00sometimes, the gods of war just roll dice and one ...sometimes, the gods of war just roll dice and one does come with a crit...<br />- but the one who rolls the most dice has the most chances...<br />land based and torpedo squadrons have been all bad rolls for entire morning of that fateful day, until McClusky and Co. arrived on a shiny rolling "20"Paweł Kasperekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17636249014878876718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-69483676658143906212019-06-04T14:36:18.508-07:002019-06-04T14:36:18.508-07:00Thanks for the tip!Thanks for the tip!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-63310580766645842092019-06-04T14:26:44.614-07:002019-06-04T14:26:44.614-07:00There's a very good book about VT-8, called A ...There's a very good book about VT-8, called A Dawn Like Thunder, by Robert J. Mrazek. Among the facts in the book: Only half the squadron was in action at Midway; the other half had left the combat zone to be equipped with new TBF Avengers. After Cmdr. Waldron was killed, the squadron was commanded by a guy named Swede Larsen, who was such a swell commander that on two occasions his enlisted aircrewmen tried to shoot him, and were restrained by other aircrewmen. Larsen didn't report either incident, apparently on the theory that "two of my men tried to frag me" wouldn't look good on the old resume. The squadron transferred from the Hornet to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, saw heavy action there, and was decommissioned at the end of 1942. A very interesting book, well worth a read. Old 1811https://www.blogger.com/profile/09079719195789200332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-47106627633921696502019-06-04T13:34:28.156-07:002019-06-04T13:34:28.156-07:00The last time I was in Florida (late July 2008, Pe...The last time I was in Florida (late July 2008, Pensacola) the weather was hot, hot, hot, humidity not too bad, tolerable. The last day there, the humidity soared into the stratosphere. I was surprised we were able to take off when we left.<br /><br />Lived in Mississippi in the summer, I learned my lesson. I can handle cold, heat and humidity, not so much.<br /><br />I won't tell you how beautiful New England is right now.<br /><br />But it is.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-36324042689756396822019-06-04T13:31:23.487-07:002019-06-04T13:31:23.487-07:00I had the original versions of Squad Leader, bough...I had the original versions of Squad Leader, bought the first of ASL, didn't like the concept, didn't like the rules, and (as you state so eloquently) it was (IMHO) unplayable. The originals were excellent games in their own right, ASL was a good idea (maybe) executed poorly.<br /><br />Sunspots and radio propagation? Jeebers, just factor that detail in.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-47921971431206854472019-06-04T13:28:13.859-07:002019-06-04T13:28:13.859-07:00Good coverage on that comment Beans.Good coverage on that comment Beans.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-25321139971438037432019-06-04T12:58:36.996-07:002019-06-04T12:58:36.996-07:00Good morning/afternoon/evening, (nny)US. Hope the...Good morning/afternoon/evening, (nny)US. Hope the world, or at least the weather, is treating you well today.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-67876201582957787372019-06-04T12:57:41.559-07:002019-06-04T12:57:41.559-07:00Some of the variant rules for the venerable Avalon...Some of the variant rules for the venerable Avalon Hill Gettysburg dealt with hidden troop movements (having a 3rd person as a ref,) alternate troops (Custer's cavalry being one of them) and weather. Mostly hot and humid as only west central Pennsylvania can be in a wool outfit, but what happens if you get one of those fast developing hard summer storms?<br /><br />All the little variations is what made Avalon Hill's Advanced Squad Leader so unplayable. The jungle rules themselves cover weather rules for seriously micro-micro terrain, rather than just lumping it under basic movement and visibility modifiers (Roll a die and see the effects of this hour's humidity on visibility and another on morale and another on propagation of radio signals due to sunspot activity and the effects based on degrees latitude above or below the equator (okay, that last one dealing with sunspots and radio propagation, not so much, the others, yes.)) Turned the game into a three player game - Side A, Side B, and Mother Nature. Almost got it down to roll playing, kinda Dungeons and Dragons meets Squadleader with Mother Nature as the DM.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-57146367484108110782019-06-04T12:51:04.272-07:002019-06-04T12:51:04.272-07:00On the weather front here, seeing as we kinda broa...On the weather front here, seeing as we kinda broached that topic talking about variables in games...<br /><br />104 degrees F. 0-2mph semi-light-not-really-there-breeze, 25% humidity (thankfully,) and stuck between two massive storms, one to the west and one to the east.<br /><br />It sucks. Even the dog doesn't want to go out. I think his poop bakes dry on the way down.<br /><br />Gaaahhhhhh..... There's a reason my house used to have a pool, and days like this are one of them. Bleh...Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-20701192970413640862019-06-04T11:06:05.006-07:002019-06-04T11:06:05.006-07:00Hi Skip.Hi Skip.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.com