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Didn't the Italians do something similar with their capital ships? Red and white striped decks?
Keynes' Cruisers Volume 2
- Thread starter fester
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Yes, red and white diagonal stripes on the deck forward of the front-most turret. They had a significant problem with being mistakenly attacked by their own air force in the Med.
Yes
But Dragoon also could be a part of the overall plan to invade France, destroy German Armies in the West and advance to Berlin.
I wonder if (4) might be a major move in the Central Pacific.
Story 2513
Central Greece, May 8, 1944
The Nepalese man who only five years ago had not been more than twelve miles from his birthplace shifted his shoulders. The trench periscope went from left to right. Across the valley, he could see the German position that was central to the defending regiment's defensive scheme. Half a dozen machine guns had trails locked in an enfilade, a thick minefield bolloxed up the most logical secondary attack path, and half division's worth of guns were zeroed in on all of the reasonable assembly areas.
Across the valley, a Bavarian private who had been conscripted in 1939 and then volunteered for the parachute regiments looked through his trench periscope and saw the position that the enemy had been holding as a knife pointed at his regiment's heart. The knife wielding bastards were tough in night ambushes but mainly they called in artillery, and when the artillery was not available, they called in air strikes. So far, little hate had fallen on his position today. A few smoke shells to recaliberate ranging tables was all.
Seven miles to the south, another convoy of Canadian built trucks pulled off to the side to unload their cargo of shells to the 5.5 inch battery.
The Nepalese man who only five years ago had not been more than twelve miles from his birthplace shifted his shoulders. The trench periscope went from left to right. Across the valley, he could see the German position that was central to the defending regiment's defensive scheme. Half a dozen machine guns had trails locked in an enfilade, a thick minefield bolloxed up the most logical secondary attack path, and half division's worth of guns were zeroed in on all of the reasonable assembly areas.
Across the valley, a Bavarian private who had been conscripted in 1939 and then volunteered for the parachute regiments looked through his trench periscope and saw the position that the enemy had been holding as a knife pointed at his regiment's heart. The knife wielding bastards were tough in night ambushes but mainly they called in artillery, and when the artillery was not available, they called in air strikes. So far, little hate had fallen on his position today. A few smoke shells to recaliberate ranging tables was all.
Seven miles to the south, another convoy of Canadian built trucks pulled off to the side to unload their cargo of shells to the 5.5 inch battery.
Story 2514
Portsmouth Harbor, England May 9, 1944
The tall, slim general who was the assistant commander of the division slowly strolled around the assault transport. In every compartment he stuck his head into, his men were responding to their isolation in different ways. An assault engineer platoon had a poker game going that looked like it had already cleared out several privates' earnings for the month. An infantry company was doing sprints up and down ladders with a sergeant "encouraging" the laggards. Other assault teams were quietly playing cribbage or reading. More men were reading letters from home while the more conscientious wrote what could be their last letter, struggling to say as much as they could without running afoul of a censor. It did not matter, in every compartment, he spoke for a minute or two and then listened to the privates and corporals tell their story as to what they would do once this needed but ugly job was done.
Three hours later, he made it back to his bunk, took off his shoes, called for a cup of tea (a new habit he had adapted since arriving in England in December) and began to go through several dozen urgent memos before the ships lights were extinguished a few minutes before sunset.
The tall, slim general who was the assistant commander of the division slowly strolled around the assault transport. In every compartment he stuck his head into, his men were responding to their isolation in different ways. An assault engineer platoon had a poker game going that looked like it had already cleared out several privates' earnings for the month. An infantry company was doing sprints up and down ladders with a sergeant "encouraging" the laggards. Other assault teams were quietly playing cribbage or reading. More men were reading letters from home while the more conscientious wrote what could be their last letter, struggling to say as much as they could without running afoul of a censor. It did not matter, in every compartment, he spoke for a minute or two and then listened to the privates and corporals tell their story as to what they would do once this needed but ugly job was done.
Three hours later, he made it back to his bunk, took off his shoes, called for a cup of tea (a new habit he had adapted since arriving in England in December) and began to go through several dozen urgent memos before the ships lights were extinguished a few minutes before sunset.
Reminds me of the scene out of “The Longest Day” where 2 guys on a transport wind up talking to each other, but never learn each other’s names.
..._
Story 2515
Algiers, French North Africa May 10, 1944
The harbor was almost empty. A single Liberty ship had arrived that morning. An LST with a serious engineering casualty was floating high in the water as her cargo had been transhipped to other vessels. Half a dozen wooden warships were patrolling near the coast. Up and down the North African littoral, every harbor, anchorage and protected bay was quiet.
The harbor was almost empty. A single Liberty ship had arrived that morning. An LST with a serious engineering casualty was floating high in the water as her cargo had been transhipped to other vessels. Half a dozen wooden warships were patrolling near the coast. Up and down the North African littoral, every harbor, anchorage and protected bay was quiet.
So we are definitely looking at a possible combined DDay/Dragoon. The WAllies are going to invade northern France and Southern France to outflank the Germans in Italy, or its a combined attack on Brittany with those transports in North Africa needing to leave slightly earlier than those in England.
Regarding the Central Pacific.
It should be the start of the Monsoon season over there and thus a bad time to commence operations.
Perhaps something to do with keeping the reincarnation of Joan of Arc in power?
Story 2516
Scapa Flow, May 11, 1944
The carriers were tied up. Their hangers were empty as the air groups had flown ashore late in the afternoon the day before. The battleships Nelson and Rodney had anchored long enough for fuel lines to refill their bunkers and reams of photographs to be brought ashore. RAF Spitfires and Mosquitoes had been roaming at will from the Scheldt to La Rochelle. Every flight generated thousands of images. Many flights were producing intelligence that only the statisticians and theatre level analysts cared about except that the presence of an aircraft over a beach told the Germans nothing as every beach was being overflown on a regular basis. The few beaches of actual interest had every picture ever taken replicated hundreds if not thousands of times. Grease pens circled key marks and firing off-sets had been calculated. Those pictures were now aboard the gunships of Home Fleet. And the gunline had just passed Stornaway on a minimum deviation course to Portsmouth at a steady eighteen knots.
The carriers were tied up. Their hangers were empty as the air groups had flown ashore late in the afternoon the day before. The battleships Nelson and Rodney had anchored long enough for fuel lines to refill their bunkers and reams of photographs to be brought ashore. RAF Spitfires and Mosquitoes had been roaming at will from the Scheldt to La Rochelle. Every flight generated thousands of images. Many flights were producing intelligence that only the statisticians and theatre level analysts cared about except that the presence of an aircraft over a beach told the Germans nothing as every beach was being overflown on a regular basis. The few beaches of actual interest had every picture ever taken replicated hundreds if not thousands of times. Grease pens circled key marks and firing off-sets had been calculated. Those pictures were now aboard the gunships of Home Fleet. And the gunline had just passed Stornaway on a minimum deviation course to Portsmouth at a steady eighteen knots.
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Should that not be La Rochelle?
Otherwise thats a looonnngggggg mission to New York State LOL
Story 2517
Attu, Alaska May 11, 1944
The voyeur without sound judgement hunched down as the wind tried to push him off the path. Thick fog had rolled in during the morning and the birds migrating from Siberia, Japan, Korea and Manchuko were busy searching for the island as they were coming back to their summer grounds. He entered the hut and passed the readings off to the meteorologist who actually seemed to be enjoying himself. An hour later, the report from a recently launched weather balloon was collated and added to all the information that needed to be sent first back to Anchorage and then distributed across the United States and eventually to London. The radio operator prepared the encoded message and began to work his magic.
The voyeur without sound judgement hunched down as the wind tried to push him off the path. Thick fog had rolled in during the morning and the birds migrating from Siberia, Japan, Korea and Manchuko were busy searching for the island as they were coming back to their summer grounds. He entered the hut and passed the readings off to the meteorologist who actually seemed to be enjoying himself. An hour later, the report from a recently launched weather balloon was collated and added to all the information that needed to be sent first back to Anchorage and then distributed across the United States and eventually to London. The radio operator prepared the encoded message and began to work his magic.
Story 2518
Thule, Greenland May 11, 1944
The Free Danish garrison of twenty seven men completed their routine mission. Another weather report with readings from a weather balloon had been encoded and sent to London. A dozen other weather stations on the iced in colony had also made their routine reports.
The Free Danish garrison of twenty seven men completed their routine mission. Another weather report with readings from a weather balloon had been encoded and sent to London. A dozen other weather stations on the iced in colony had also made their routine reports.
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