OOC and MIA

[gurusql]

Just wanted to introduce myself, my first name is Rick. Jonathan has been kind enough to offer me a spot in the game.

I have been away from gaming for a number of years and I decided that this was great way to get back into it. I played CT in the 80's, but only other systems since that point. I thank you all for letting me join your story.

I am trying to drink from the fire hose and take it all in.

[shaidar]

Welcome aboard Rick.

There is certainly a lot to take in

[BackworldTraveller]

Well enjoy yourself.

And as a piece of advice - "Read & notice the entries where your character walks into a fire-fight"

[Tiglath]

Welcome aborad gurusql!

I'll try to move events along and introduce your PC directly but (no doubt as is universal) I'm hindered by elements of "Covidity" indirectly slowing me down...

[shaidar]

Cool, it's all hands to the pumps!

[BackworldTraveller]

Cool, it's all hands to the pumps!

It's a desert planet!

[shaidar]

Trying to think of a more sandy equivalent...and failing

[gurusql]

Hoping that you are all healthy and safe (in reference to the covidity comment). I have "completed" reading the 42 pages of materials and working with Jonathan to appear in the action.

[shaidar]

I'm certainly intrigued as to how that's going to be done not that I doubt Tiglath's ingenuity, quite the opposite

[joertexas]

I'm certainly intrigued as to how that's going to be done not that I doubt Tiglath's ingenuity, quite the opposite

At least Prerna's fully dressed now...

[shaidar]

LOL, that would have been quite the introduction

[joertexas]

LOL, that would have been quite the introduction

Well, why not? Everyone else in the place saw her. Of course, some of them are now dead

[BackworldTraveller]

When this is all over, the HQ's ability to deploy and monitor electronic security devices needs serious overhaul. We have basically been caught completely flat footed in our own barracks twice, and have no sight of half the spaces from which a threat can emerge. n.b. we have no idea whether the path to our purported getaway vehicle is even practical.

[shaidar]

Well, we didn't have anyone with the right skills, and higher priorities for the money we had.

I'm not sure how much we'll get out of this, if we get paid then hundreds of thousands. At this point I don't think we'll get the salvage rights for the ship in orbit.

[BackworldTraveller]

I'm not sure how much we'll get out of this, if we get paid then hundreds of thousands. At this point I don't think we'll get the salvage rights for the ship in orbit.

Is that the one we arrived on?

[shaidar]

No, I meant the blown up pirate one. But you never know if it all goes south.

[Tiglath]

When this is all over, the HQ's ability to deploy and monitor electronic security devices needs serious overhaul. We have basically been caught completely flat footed in our own barracks twice, and have no sight of half the spaces from which a threat can emerge. n.b. we have no idea whether the path to our purported getaway vehicle is even practical.

In fairness the issue here has been that you're not the "Kings of your own castle" but guests (deliberately allowed only limited resources) in someone elses's. That's one of the ongoing planks of the Inchin experience ... and what's just dropped in your lap now actually arcs back to Collace!

There's quite a lot going on...

[The Bindoner]

Fun passage from a book written by a war correspondent just after the events. Gatehouse at the culmination of Crusader, a splendid example of the British officer

When it refers to having 5 or 6 of his remaining tanks - he started with a regiment brigade.

It's a good book, I could have picked many passages, but something about this on seemed to speak to the moment. One more effort:

[Tiglath]

The Western Desert (especially in the early era) was an entirely colourful affair and, if such a thing can be had, a "clean" war. Rommel, blundering into a British field hospital (lost not exploring) but with more "front" than Brighton, enquired if there was anything they needed but because he was a gent he turned up the day after with the goods! My research into the Biafran War as background for this campaign is surely the very opposite spectrum of human endeavour but then the Western Desert doesn't have mercs in light aircraft with bolted on rocket pods taking out MiGs!

I'll recommend Mark Urban's Tank War: The "Filthy Fifth" RTR going all the way through from the Fall of France to '45. It reveals one of the (obvious when you were there) oddities of war in that a tank crew could do that. They either died in one "lump" - or Darwinian survival made them better. As per that extract the 8th Army really were the real deal and no matter how "sexy" the Africa Korps may have been Royal Tanks (backed by their usual partnership of two batteries of 25 pounders) would just do the job. If one element didn't kill you then the other surely would and the tanks were effectively armoured FOOs for the "killing arm" - the artillery.

By the end of the war the Brits really were "tired" and the gallantry had gone. Following the careers of the tank crews to Rethem in Germany '45 they encountered unexpected resistance from the Kriegsmarine(!) garrison and 105mm Flak (the 88's big brother). It was later revealed that the Kriegsmarine and their mostly teenage ratings had decided (with horrifying tragedy) to mount the defence as a "pissing contest" against the Wermacht! Careless of that fact 5RTR stormed the town "brassing up" anything that offered resistance and taking prisoners on a discretional basis (rumours of German atrocities vs. POWs abounded). Now out of HE and MG ammo they retired (their attached infantry having failed a morale test) to return the next day. The CO having mentioned the "unexpected resistance" to HQ performed a recce in person for the next day's attack. To his surprise he found that the Germans had gone. Having reached the town centre he reported the unexpected success. HQ seemed "put out". They informed him that Monty had decided to deal with the "stalwart defence" (and actually settle the Kreigsmarine / Wermacht dispute with his own "Last Argument of Kings") with several squadrons of Lancasters who were now on final approach to obliterate Rethem. Thankfully the CO "escaped" with barely 15 minutes in hand to cancel the raid.

[Tiglath]

As a complete aside but based on my personal acceptance of "it was obvious if you were there but why didn't you write it down!!!" as an approach to military history.

The strange "lottery of losses" referred to above re: tank crews is echoed by Wing Cmdr Patrick Gibbs in his Torpedo Leader (Beauforts out of Malta). Rather than attritional losses a torpedo strike squadron would either patrol fruitlessly or be committed to a high value target that they would either sink or be annihilated in the attempt.

This rather "British" finding is perhaps blindingly obvious to those knowing of VT-8's attack at Midway but that in turn has to be taken in context and I therefore must recommend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd8_vO5zrjo

The Japanese perspective of this pivotal battle is (at least for me) fascinating and his presentation of "Nagumo's Dilemma" takes you right to the point where a chain of events causes an experienced naval commander to make entirely the right choice... and Dick Best kicks his Dauntless into a vertical dive.