Excalibur Squadron OOC Thread

[Altito Asmoro]

Yay.

Nearly done playing scavenger hunt in the goddamn desert.

Hip hip hor-fucking-ray

You live in Egypt?

[The balkens]

No

[Altito Asmoro]

No

Scavenger hunt in goddam desert...

Sounds like attempting to hunt for food in the desert. Like Egypt on the ancient times.

[The balkens]

i meant the weapons.

thank god major cutler was there to keep us from destroying the.....oh....

fuck cutler.

[Altito Asmoro]

i meant the weapons.

thank god major cutler was there to keep us from destroying the.....oh....

fuck cutler.

You hunt food and weapons in the desert of Egypt?

[The balkens]

i meant the weapons.

thank god major cutler was there to keep us from destroying the.....oh....

fuck cutler.

You hunt food and weapons in the desert of Egypt?

i also ride dolphins and beat up sharks with my bare hands.

chuck norris checks for me in his closet.

[Altito Asmoro]

You hunt food and weapons in the desert of Egypt?

i also ride dolphins and beat up sharks with my bare hands.

chuck norris checks for me in his closet.

Wait. Our battle hasn't finished yet.

*throw grenades at balk, then take cover!*

[Morrdh]

Wait. Our battle hasn't finished yet.

*throw grenades at balk, then take cover!*

Must you do this again?

[The balkens]

i also ride dolphins and beat up sharks with my bare hands.

chuck norris checks for me in his closet.

Wait. Our battle hasn't finished yet.

*throw grenades at balk, then take cover!*

I.G.N.O.R.E cannon

[Altito Asmoro]

i also ride dolphins and beat up sharks with my bare hands.

chuck norris checks for me in his closet.

Wait. Our battle hasn't finished yet.

*throw grenades at balk, then take cover!*

Forget it then.

[Neu Engollon]

I have been reading Soldiers of Fortune by Tony Geraghty (I read a lot of books on mercenaries and their history). But he talks a lot about the SAS and their SOE predecessor. An interesting point was made that much of early covert, commando tactics came from the British (mis)adventures with the Boer Kommandos and also the IRA tactics. They borrowed heavily from the South Africans and Irish in how to fight unconventionally. Churchill was, of course, a big proponent of Commandos after experiencing their tactics firsthand during his service in the Boer War.

I thought Lancearc would dig that Irish connection. Good read, anyway. Just thought of that relevance. Carry on with your shenanigans.

[The balkens]

I have been reading Soldiers of Fortune by Tony Geraghty (I read a lot of books on mercenaries and their history). But he talks a lot about the SAS and their SOE predecessor. An interesting point was made that much of early covert, commando tactics came from the British (mis)adventures with the Boer Kommandos and also the IRA tactics. They borrowed heavily from the South Africans and Irish in how to fight unconventionally. Churchill was, of course, a big proponent of Commandos after experiencing their tactics firsthand during his service in the Boer War.

I thought Lancearc would dig that Irish connection. Good read, anyway. Just thought of that relevance. Carry on with your shenanigans.

i fired the ignore cannon.

i though the SAS was created during ww2, then reactivated in the 50s?

[Altito Asmoro]

I have been reading Soldiers of Fortune by Tony Geraghty (I read a lot of books on mercenaries and their history). But he talks a lot about the SAS and their SOE predecessor. An interesting point was made that much of early covert, commando tactics came from the British (mis)adventures with the Boer Kommandos and also the IRA tactics. They borrowed heavily from the South Africans and Irish in how to fight unconventionally. Churchill was, of course, a big proponent of Commandos after experiencing their tactics firsthand during his service in the Boer War.

I thought Lancearc would dig that Irish connection. Good read, anyway. Just thought of that relevance. Carry on with your shenanigans.

i fired the ignore cannon.

i though the SAS was created during ww2, then reactivated in the 50s?

Yep. That's true.

[Neu Engollon]

i fired the ignore cannon.

i though the SAS was created during ww2, then reactivated in the 50s?

Yep. That's true.

SOE doesn't predate SAS or SBS by very much. They were virtually created around the same time.

[Morrdh]

I have been reading Soldiers of Fortune by Tony Geraghty (I read a lot of books on mercenaries and their history). But he talks a lot about the SAS and their SOE predecessor. An interesting point was made that much of early covert, commando tactics came from the British (mis)adventures with the Boer Kommandos and also the IRA tactics. They borrowed heavily from the South Africans and Irish in how to fight unconventionally. Churchill was, of course, a big proponent of Commandos after experiencing their tactics firsthand during his service in the Boer War.

I thought Lancearc would dig that Irish connection. Good read, anyway. Just thought of that relevance. Carry on with your shenanigans.

I knew the inspiration for the British Commandos came from the Boer, but I'll put this on the To-Read list.

Got In Rommel's Backyard and the Commando Pocket Handbook to read first.

Though it was Combined Operations that had command over the Commandos, SOE had command over undercover agents working in Occupied Europe.

[Neu Engollon]

SOE was in 1940. SAS wasn't formed by David Stirling until summer of 1942.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Op ... _Executive

wiki says 1941 for SAS, the SOF book by Geraghty says 1942, both dates are after SOE approval in Parliament.

[Neu Engollon]

Though it was Combined Operations that had command over the Commandos, SOE had command over undercover agents working in Occupied Europe.

This is true, but I think SOE used a lot of the same commando units, borrowed from the SAS and elsewhere, during later operations that required more than an agent or adviser. In Greece and Yugoslavia, a lot of US Rangers and paratroopers served during SOE ops also, in conjunction with SOE agents who usually had lead on a team. Again, some reading I have done. I also dig books about resistance and partisans.

[Morrdh]

Though it was Combined Operations that had command over the Commandos, SOE had command over undercover agents working in Occupied Europe.

This is true, but I think SOE used a lot of the same commando units, borrowed from the SAS and elsewhere, during later operations that required more than an agent or adviser. In Greece and Yugoslavia, a lot of US Rangers and paratroopers served during SOE ops also, in conjunction with SOE agents who usually had lead on a team. Again, some reading I have done. I also dig books about resistance and partisans.

Believe it was after Operation Frankton that Combined Operations and SOE started working together.

[Kouralia]

I have been reading Soldiers of Fortune by Tony Geraghty (I read a lot of books on mercenaries and their history). But he talks a lot about the SAS and their SOE predecessor. An interesting point was made that much of early covert, commando tactics came from the British (mis)adventures with the Boer Kommandos and also the IRA tactics. They borrowed heavily from the South Africans and Irish in how to fight unconventionally. Churchill was, of course, a big proponent of Commandos after experiencing their tactics firsthand during his service in the Boer War.

I thought Lancearc would dig that Irish connection. Good read, anyway. Just thought of that relevance. Carry on with your shenanigans.

Not just that: the entire British Army Doctrine of WWI was evolved from experiences in the first srsbsns war for the British Empire. I say it's that because the Boer War, not WWI was the first war to majorly involve White Imperial Troops.

Mad Minute and payment for being a marksman ftw.

[Morrdh]

Mad Minute and payment for being a marksman ftw.

Yes, I recall something about the sheer weight of fire that a rifle section armed with Lee-Enfields could put out made the Germans think that they were actually machine guns.

Us Brits may approach a new war in the same way we finished the last in terms of doctrine* but we adapt quick enough.

*When the Troubles in Northern Ireland started in 1969 the British Army deployed the same signs written in Arabic that had been used in Aden a couple of years earlier.

[Neu Engollon]

I have been reading Soldiers of Fortune by Tony Geraghty (I read a lot of books on mercenaries and their history). But he talks a lot about the SAS and their SOE predecessor. An interesting point was made that much of early covert, commando tactics came from the British (mis)adventures with the Boer Kommandos and also the IRA tactics. They borrowed heavily from the South Africans and Irish in how to fight unconventionally. Churchill was, of course, a big proponent of Commandos after experiencing their tactics firsthand during his service in the Boer War.

I thought Lancearc would dig that Irish connection. Good read, anyway. Just thought of that relevance. Carry on with your shenanigans.

Not just that: the entire British Army Doctrine of WWI was evolved from experiences in the first srsbsns war for the British Empire. I say it's that because the Boer War, not WWI was the first war to majorly involve White Imperial Troops.

Mad Minute and payment for being a marksman ftw.

Makes you wonder how a successful guerrilla campaign run by Lawrence with Arab allies against the Turks can happen, and then you have Gallipoli, in the same war and same theater, can happen also, after lessons learned pre-WW1. I know there's a lot of other factors there, but it still boggles the mind.

[The Two Jerseys]

Though it was Combined Operations that had command over the Commandos, SOE had command over undercover agents working in Occupied Europe.

This is true, but I think SOE used a lot of the same commando units, borrowed from the SAS and elsewhere, during later operations that required more than an agent or adviser. In Greece and Yugoslavia, a lot of US Rangers and paratroopers served during SOE ops also, in conjunction with SOE agents who usually had lead on a team. Again, some reading I have done. I also dig books about resistance and partisans.

A few months ago I saw a TV program about Operation Tombola, where the SAS was operating behind German lines in Italy in cooperation with the partisans. They managed to stage a coordinated raid on a corps HQ and openly fight with the Germans while supported by a 75mm howitzer.

It seems that the demarcation line is that SOE had control over the more covert cloak-and-dagger missions, while missions involving direct action with enemy forces fell under Combined Operations' control.

[Kouralia]

Makes you wonder how a successful guerrilla campaign run by Lawrence with Arab allies against the Turks can happen, and then you have Gallipoli, in the same war and same theater, can happen also, after lessons learned pre-WW1. I know there's a lot of other factors there, but it still boggles the mind.

Gallipoli was commanded by the dregs of the army, IIRC (not completely, and they weren't all retarded). Additionally massive mistakes made early on resulted in pretty much no chance of winning. Really in most cases in Gallipoli it was one or two memn's fault.

Mad Minute and payment for being a marksman ftw.

Yes, I recall something about the sheer weight of fire that a rifle section armed with Lee-Enfields could put out made the Germans think that they were actually machine guns.

Mons or Marne, I can't remember which one it was. Something like 15 rounds aimed expected of a soldier, with the maximum being 41 ever done. By some Garrison SgtMaj IIRC.

Us Brits may approach a new war in the same way we finished the last in terms of doctrine* but we adapt quick enough.

*When the Troubles in Northern Ireland started in 1969 the British Army deployed the same signs written in Arabic that had been used in Aden a couple of years earlier.

Eh, we're not that bad. Socially we learned from the mistakes of WWI in WWII (I think we got conscription going before the war was even declared, and we basically dusted off all of the 'working perfectly' organisations from WWI), while in WWI it was the first ever war of its type. We didn't do badly making mistakes, we did incredibly well to make so few. Even when we did make mistakes, in many cases we managed to persevere and overcome the odds, and we always learned the lessons.

A case in point being Gen. Rawlinson - first commanding the victory of the Somme which is (ironically) synonymous with defeat in the British mind, and later he commanded the Battle of Amiens: which was probably the most successful and inventive operation of the war: with soldiers on bikes trying to get all the speed they could when through enemy lines and full on combined arms warfare.

[Goram]

Mons or Marne, I can't remember which one it was.

It was Mons.

[Kouralia]

Mons or Marne, I can't remember which one it was.

It was Mons.

Mm, I'm round my dads house atm so I haven't got all my A Level notes for WWI with me. A very good book (from the extracts we've been given) IMO is Mud Blood and Poppycock by Gordon Corrigan. Obviously all History is to some extent opinion, but I think it's actually pretty balanced:

He's an ex-Major, so potentially Pro-Army Bias. However, he never comes across as this beyond the main thrust of his argument which is 'many civilians will find it hard to understand many of the things that were/had to be done without proper baby-steps explanation' Then he provides that explanation and the usual names, dates, figures, facts in order to back it up. And they rarely seem like cherry-picked figures, for example in the chapter on Discipline (Oh noes, not field punishment #1! D: ) many of the figures for who got what punishment etc. come from the entire Army in France.

However, obviously this is irrelevant to the RP. We got a talk by Dr Gregory Fremont-Barnes unfortunately (we were meant to go and see Dr Duncan Anderson at Sandhurst, the only school in the country which goes to Sandhurst annually, but he was in Afghan... D: ) he didn't talk about anything beyond the Boer War.