Excalibur Squadron OOC Thread

[Calizorinstan]

I would have to say one of the biggest military blunders would be the Japanese attacking the Aleutians, that did not work out so well for them!

[Goram]

for the french well lets compare
they lasted about as long as Poland despite
having 6 months to prepare
were only facing a threat on one front (unlike poland who had either german or russian territory at every cardinal point around them.)
had additional help
also they could have ended the war back in september when there were very few german units not involved in the Polish campaign

"Having six months to prepare"

I think you'll find they did prepare. They'd been preparing for ten years, building the Maginot Line. They prepared to fight the war they wanted to fight, i.e. they wanted to force the Germans to exhaust themselves by attacking a strong static defence. French officers during the First World War (like everybody else) had been indoctrinated in the Cult of the Offensive, believing that offensive action was the only course to take regardless of the situation. That line of thinking had cost France 1.3 million dead. You can see why they weren't overly keen on offensive action anymore. Unfortunately for them, the idea of the static defence had been made largely obsolete by developments in tank tactics. The French had mobile units in the Ardennes, it's not like they left their northern flank completely unguarded as most people make out. The Germans actually had a lot of trouble getting through the Ardennes, due to the sheer number of vehicles trying to get into the area. If the Allies had possessed any kind of meaningful air-ground capability, they could have inflicted terrible losses there. Of course the Germans broke through the BEF and the French Seventh Army in the Ardennes, won a decisive victory at Sedan and the rest is history.

The French were prepared for war, it's just unfortunate that they had prepared to re-fight the last war as opposed to modernising to fight this war.

Just for the record, the Polish fought extremely well; particularly during the first few days. However, this does not make them as superior to the French as you clearly think they are. As I previously mentioned, the French (after Weygand) took over, fought much better. They used the Somme river as a natural line of defence and utilised an elastic defence, trading space for time, to hold of the Germans as long as possible. The French were not all the pushovers that popular history and the History Channel would have people believe.

[United Kingdom of Poland]

for the french well lets compare
they lasted about as long as Poland despite
having 6 months to prepare
were only facing a threat on one front (unlike poland who had either german or russian territory at every cardinal point around them.)
had additional help
also they could have ended the war back in september when there were very few german units not involved in the Polish campaign

"Having six months to prepare"

I think you'll find they did prepare. They'd been preparing for ten years, building the Maginot Line. They prepared to fight the war they wanted to fight, i.e. they wanted to force the Germans to exhaust themselves by attacking a strong static defence. French officers during the First World War (like everybody else) had been indoctrinated in the Cult of the Offensive, believing that offensive action was the only course to take regardless of the situation. That line of thinking had cost France 1.3 million dead. You can see why they weren't overly keen on offensive action anymore. Unfortunately for them, the idea of the static defence had been made largely obsolete by developments in tank tactics. The French had mobile units in the Ardennes, it's not like they left their northern flank completely unguarded as most people make out. The Germans actually had a lot of trouble getting through the Ardennes, due to the sheer number of vehicles trying to get into the area. If the Allies had possessed any kind of meaningful air-ground capability, they could have inflicted terrible losses there. Of course the Germans broke through the BEF and the French Seventh Army in the Ardennes, won a decisive victory at Sedan and the rest is history.

The French were prepared for war, it's just unfortunate that they had prepared to re-fight the last war as opposed to modernising to fight this war.

Just for the record, the Polish fought extremely well; particularly during the first few days. However, this does not make them as superior to the French as you clearly think they are. As I previously mentioned, the French (after Weygand) took over, fought much better. They used the Somme river as a natural line of defence and utilised an elastic defence, trading space for time, to hold of the Germans as long as possible. The French were not all the pushovers that popular history and the History Channel would have people believe.

I wasn't saying that the Polish were better, Also I wonder what would have happened if france had just told Belgium where they could place their complaints and had built the maginot line all the way to the channel.

[The Tiger Kingdom]

"Having six months to prepare"

I think you'll find they did prepare. They'd been preparing for ten years, building the Maginot Line. They prepared to fight the war they wanted to fight, i.e. they wanted to force the Germans to exhaust themselves by attacking a strong static defence. French officers during the First World War (like everybody else) had been indoctrinated in the Cult of the Offensive, believing that offensive action was the only course to take regardless of the situation. That line of thinking had cost France 1.3 million dead. You can see why they weren't overly keen on offensive action anymore. Unfortunately for them, the idea of the static defence had been made largely obsolete by developments in tank tactics. The French had mobile units in the Ardennes, it's not like they left their northern flank completely unguarded as most people make out. The Germans actually had a lot of trouble getting through the Ardennes, due to the sheer number of vehicles trying to get into the area. If the Allies had possessed any kind of meaningful air-ground capability, they could have inflicted terrible losses there. Of course the Germans broke through the BEF and the French Seventh Army in the Ardennes, won a decisive victory at Sedan and the rest is history.

The French were prepared for war, it's just unfortunate that they had prepared to re-fight the last war as opposed to modernising to fight this war.

Just for the record, the Polish fought extremely well; particularly during the first few days. However, this does not make them as superior to the French as you clearly think they are. As I previously mentioned, the French (after Weygand) took over, fought much better. They used the Somme river as a natural line of defence and utilised an elastic defence, trading space for time, to hold of the Germans as long as possible. The French were not all the pushovers that popular history and the History Channel would have people believe.

I wasn't saying that the Polish were better, Also I wonder what would have happened if france had just told Belgium where they could place their complaints and had built the maginot line all the way to the channel.

It is an interesting thought, but the Maginot Line was MASSIVELY expensive as it was - extending it by 30-40% would have been no easy endeavor, especially during a worldwide depression.
Besides, numerous French generals were against the idea - at some point, they needed a battlefield to actually fight the Germans on as opposed to the rough equivalent of an impassable wall covering the whole frontier. Moving forces through the Line to advance would likely have been a bitch, and the Germans could simply focus their efforts on the tiny passages through the lines the French left.
Leaving part of the frontier open on the Belgian lines would have, in theory, allowed the French Army to maneuver and take offensive action. Building a massive wall across the whole thing would've just been a recipe for stalemate - a repeat of 1916 at best.

[Morrdh]

I would have to say one of the biggest military blunders would be the Japanese attacking the Aleutians, that did not work out so well for them!

The Japanese attack on the Aleutians was a decoy to draw American forces away from the real target of Midway, probably would've worked if the Americans hadn't cracked the Japanese codes.

Not so much a blunder, more the enemy figuring out what you're up to.

[The Tiger Kingdom]

Update:
Unfortunately, due to a large presentation I gotta do, an IC post likely won't be up until Thursday night. After that, seeing as how I'll be by myself and with little to do this whole weekend, it'll be a regular Excaliburthon. Including the long-promised one-shot roundup (I realize that's a total misnomer now, seeing as how we're almost all doing continuous series).

Also, small note: no hints will be given for the upcoming operation until this operation has fully concluded, unlike the last few times.
Make of that what you will.

[Goram]

I would have to say one of the biggest military blunders would be the Japanese attacking the Aleutians, that did not work out so well for them!

The Japanese attack on the Aleutians was a decoy to draw American forces away from the real target of Midway, probably would've worked if the Americans hadn't cracked the Japanese codes.

Not so much a blunder, more the enemy figuring out what you're up to.

A couple of recent historians (Parshall and Tully, I think their names are) argue that the Japanese attack on the Aleutians wasn't a decoy. They suggest that the Japanese wanted the Aleutians to guard their Northern Flank.

You can find it in their book Shattered Sword: The untold story of the Battle of Midway. Haven't read it all, but what I have read was quite good.

[Morrdh]

A couple of recent historians (Parshall and Tully, I think their names are) argue that the Japanese attack on the Aleutians wasn't a decoy. They suggest that the Japanese wanted the Aleutians to guard their Northern Flank.

You can find it in their book Shattered Sword: The untold story of the Battle of Midway. Haven't read it all, but what I have read was quite good.

A possibility yes.

Though the attack on Dutch Harbour happened before the Battle of Midway, had the Americans not cracked the Japanese codes then its possible that they've would've diverted their forces to the Aleutians and wouldn't have been able to defend Midway that easily. Even with the intel gleamed from Purple a few in the American High Command believed the Aleutains were the main target.

[The Two Jerseys]

Read this at lunch today. Care to guess what song was playing in my head the rest of the day?

[The Tiger Kingdom]

Read this at lunch today. Care to guess what song was playing in my head the rest of the day?

"Bomber", by Motorhead?

[The Tiger Kingdom]

Still pimping this out, btw. Come on, get indulgent with it! This is basically free reign to talk about and define your chars/the Excaliburverse:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/R ... urSquadron

[The Two Jerseys]

Read this at lunch today. Care to guess what song was playing in my head the rest of the day?

"Bomber", by Motorhead?

Really? First guess and you completely skip the obvious choice?

[The Tiger Kingdom]

"Bomber", by Motorhead?

Really? First guess and you completely skip the obvious choice?

Tiger never takes the easy path.

[The balkens]

Still pimping this out, btw. Come on, get indulgent with it! This is basically free reign to talk about and define your chars/the Excaliburverse:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/R ... urSquadron

I don't know what to put though!

[Morrdh]

Charlie's French excursion continues.

Sabres In The Night, Part VII

Much to his relief, and displeasure, Charlie soon discovered that Rankin had also survived the crash but had sustained a blow to the head which left him out cold. According to Josée it had been less than a day since the crash, though since he had drifted in and out of conciousness it had felt much longer for Charlie. Thankfully a pickup had been arranged for that night and so they would be out of here before Jerry found them.

Their hostess at first had been cold, turn out they had crash landed on one of the outlying fields of her farm and she was less than pleased with having German soldiers crawling all over the place. Though after chatting for a while over some cheese and biscuits she had started to warm up a little, her father had been a soldier during the Great War and gassed during the fighting round Verdun leading to him passing away some years later. She also had a brother who was a soldier as well, however she hadn't heard from him since the German invasion in May and she had had little luck finding out his fate from the authorities. Plus her role with the Resistance was mainly storing supply caches and providing a safehouse, also a radioset was stashed on her farm and regularly moved around when not in use.

Despite still feeling a bit sore Charlie made his way back upstairs to grab his belongings and change into some civilian clothes, if stopped by German patrols their cover was that he'd been injured in a farming accident and they were taking him to the local doctor. Whether or not Jerry brought the story remained to be seen, though it wouldn't be hard for Charlie to put on a convincing show of being injured. He passed by the door of Rankin's room and decided to check to see whether his fellow airman had woken up yet, though he found an empty bed and an open window swinging gently in the breeze.

Arse. Charlie cursed before hurrying back to the kitchen.

[Goram]

Today, if you didn't know, is the 70th Anniversary of Operation Chastise.

133 men in 19 specially modified Lancasters attacked three dams in the Ruhr valley, destroying two of them. 56 aircrew were lost, of which 53 were killed.

Apres Moi Deluge.

[Goram]

"Bomber", by Motorhead?

Really? First guess and you completely skip the obvious choice?

YEAAAAAAAAH

Just got home from Derwent, where they held an anniversary flypast over one of the practice dams. One PR.19 Spit, two 617 Tornados and the BBMF Lancaster. All low, all fast and all sounding incredible.

I feel so incredibly high off it, I'm pretty sure I'd fly if I jumped out of the window.

[Morrdh]

Really? First guess and you completely skip the obvious choice?

YEAAAAAAAAH

Just got home from Derwent, where they held an anniversary flypast over one of the practice dams. One PR.19 Spit, two 617 Tornados and the BBMF Lancaster. All low, all fast and all sounding incredible.

I feel so incredibly high off it, I'm pretty sure I'd fly if I jumped out of the window.

Have seen a clip of a 617 squadron Vulcan flying over Derwent as part of a Dambusters celebration, though it was related to the fact that 617 squadron was disbanding as a Vulcan squadron and reforming as the current Tornado squadron it is today.

[The balkens]

(snip)

[Morrdh]

Well I got a couple of books out from the library today.

The first is Arctic Airmen by Ernest Schofield & Roy Conyers Nesbit, basically covers RAF operations up in the Arctic Circle during WW2. Useful since it covers the PBY Catalina in RAF service and the activities concerning Spitsbergen and North Russia that the RAF took part in.

Second book is The RAF Regiment at War 1942-1946 by Kingsley M. Oliver, I have a copy of KM Oliver's other book on the RAF Regiment's history but this one is focused on the Regiment during WW2.

[The balkens]

Well I got a couple of books out from the library today.

The first is Arctic Airmen by Ernest Schofield & Roy Conyers Nesbit, basically covers RAF operations up in the Arctic Circle during WW2. Useful since it covers the PBY Catalina in RAF service and the activities concerning Spitsbergen and North Russia that the RAF took part in.

Second book is The RAF Regiment at War 1942-1946 by Kingsley M. Oliver, I have a copy of KM Oliver's other book on the RAF Regiment's history but this one is focused on the Regiment during WW2.

my family history is like a friggin history book, every page i see in our picture collection is as follows:

Totenkopfs, imperial german army, imperial german navy and other german imperial military branches.

and prussians, prussians everywhere.

[Morrdh]

Well I've got a new tabletop wargame project, get my army sorted out for a Weird War 2 game.

So I present a 'group shot' of my Secrets of the Third Reich army; 2319 Field Squadron, RAF Regiment.

[The Two Jerseys]

Really? First guess and you completely skip the obvious choice?

YEAAAAAAAAH

Just got home from Derwent, where they held an anniversary flypast over one of the practice dams. One PR.19 Spit, two 617 Tornados and the BBMF Lancaster. All low, all fast and all sounding incredible.

I feel so incredibly high off it, I'm pretty sure I'd fly if I jumped out of the window.

Of all the Dambusters March videos you had to post the one we can't see in the States...

And if anyone wants to check out the BBC News website, they've got a small orgy of Dambusters articles today.

[The Tiger Kingdom]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalright, no work to do tonight besides a massive pile of laundry and a few readings, so Excalibur is back in action!
One-shot roundup commencing now.

[The Tiger Kingdom]

Still pimping this out, btw. Come on, get indulgent with it! This is basically free reign to talk about and define your chars/the Excaliburverse:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/R ... urSquadron

I don't know what to put though!

Use the "index of indexes" - it's basically a gigantic list of every trope subcategory with the tropes in sub-sublists.
It's a bit cumbersome, but it's not too hard to get the hang of.