The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[Canoerebel]

9/25/44

Back from the AT. More about that later. Thanks for all the comments and well wishes. Acepylut, I feel the same way.

Peep Show II: The Allies are in mid-op to bring in reinforcements and critical supply. This will involve Death Star and should take another 10 days or so. What if anything John does in the Formosa/China theater during this window is the real question. Today was fairly quiet. Allied strat bombing vs. Kagoshima scored some hits.

[Canoerebel]

9/25/44

Strategic Map: Here's what's going on elsewhere.

[Canoerebel]

7/15/17

Our Appalachian Trail backpacking trip started in Damascus, Virginia, at noon last Saturday. About five minutes up the trail, this store sign reminded me of my nefarious opponent.

[JohnDillworth]

What if anything John does in the Formosa/China theater during this window is the real question.

Bet you a dollar he does exactelly what you think he will do....send a bombardment force. not enough supply for PT boats? Might want to comb your Capital ships and cull some of the ones with the highest night experince because he will come

[Canoerebel]

In the South, 90% of walking on the AT is in the woods. Occasionally it crosses balds or meadows, like this old farm field near Deep Gap, Virginia.

[Canoerebel]

On the trail just east of Damascus: more typical woodland scenery. But this looks like a smooth, level trail. Mostly, the trail goes up or down (usually steeply) on roots and rocks that batter old feet. Usually, while walking, the backpacker isn't totally absorbed by the beauty and grandeur of the experience. Mostly it means dealing with aches and pains and sweat and thirst and thoughts of the next break or stop or meal. But every now and then there's a brief moment to enjoy the surroundings.

[Canoerebel]

My 20-year-old son Jackson at Saunders Shelter, eight miles east of Damascus, Saturday afternoon. He is a fine backpacking companion.

We elected not to stay at this lovely shelter in a piney grove. We pressed on another 2.5 miles and tent camped in a rather dismal pine grove by an old pond. A bullfrog chorus all night long.

[Canoerebel]

Sometimes, though, the scenery is surpassingly lovely, as in the Grayson Highlands of Virginia.

This is our backpacking companion, Anne, who is a 20-year-old rising junior at UNC Chapel Hill.

At dusk at Groundhog Creek Shelter, North Carolina, four years ago, a daddy and his daughter came down the trail and joined me and my boys and another friend for dinner. Thus began a close AT backpacking friendship that has continued every summer. This year, instead of there being the six of us, it was down to the three of us: Anne (trail name "Babushka"), Jackson ("Jack the Napper"), and me (various trail names, all involving perspiration in some form or fashion).

[Will_L]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

7/15/17

Our Appalachian Trail backpacking trip started in Damascus, Virginia, at noon last Saturday. About five minutes up the trail, this store sign reminded me of my nefarious opponent.

Rotisserie Chicken Subs, wonder where he'll deploy those against you.

[JohnDillworth]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

My 20-year-old son Jackson at Saunders Shelter, eight miles east of Damascus, Saturday afternoon. He is a fine backpacking companion.

We elected not to stay at this lovely shelter in a piney grove. We pressed on another 2.5 miles and tent camped in a rather dismal pine grove by an old pond. A bullfrog chorus all night long.

Love this photo, thats what it's all about. Thanks for sharing

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

In the South, 90% of walking on the AT is in the woods. Occasionally it crosses balds or meadows, like this old farm field near Deep Gap, Virginia.

Hills and rocks in northern PA...and blisters![;)]

[JohnDillworth]

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

What if anything John does in the Formosa/China theater during this window is the real question.

Bet you a dollar he does exactelly what you think he will do....send a bombardment force. not enough supply for PT boats? Might want to comb your Capital ships and cull some of the ones with the highest night experince because he will come

Bet you a dollar he does exactelly what you think he will do....send a bombardment force. not enough supply for PT boats? Might want to comb your Capital ships and cull some of the ones with the highest night experince because he will come

Hmmmmm, now that I think about it your capital ships might be behind on the latest radar upgrades. WOudl make a difference in night fighting me thinks

[BillBrown]

At dusk at Groundhog Creek Shelter, North Carolina, four years ago, a daddy and his daughter came down the trail and joined me and my boys and another friend for dinner. Thus began a close AT backpacking friendship that has continued every summer. This year, instead of there being the six of us, it was down to the three of us: Anne (trail name "Babushka"), Jackson ("Jack the Napper"), and me (various trail names, all involving perspiration in some form or fashion).

Old Sweaty? [8D]

[Canoerebel]

I've been called (by myself) names like Pig Pen and Sweat Heifer. (The latter is the name of a steep trail in the Great Smokies, and I like it even though a heifer is a female critter.)

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth
Hmmmmm, now that I think about it your capital ships might be behind on the latest radar upgrades. WOudl make a difference in night fighting me thinks

John is right - many of my ships have been campaigning in the DEI since leaving Pearl a year ago. There has been little down time since then and no decent port available for upgrades until Manila was taken.

I've begun cycling ships into an upgrade program, but it's just getting underway. There has been progress made (like BB South Dakota, two CVEs and a CVL). Right now, three BBs and three CVEs are upgrading at Manila, but have about 19 days each left. A long time to get this job done.

So, as John suspicions, my combat TFs at Formosa are mostly in need of upgrades. So things aren't optimal but they must stay and serve hard until Death Star can return. Already, a lot of time has passed. At the most, I think DS will be back in Formosa in seven days. John's window to score points will remain open but his opportunity to create serious military issues for me is closing. By "serious military issues," I mean destroying or ruining the Allied army in coastal China or seriously interfering with the Allied conquest of Formosa (via bombardments and bombings). The latter window is really shut now, I think.

[Canoerebel]

9/26/44

NoPac: KB posted in NoPac, providing security for a mission important to John.

[Canoerebel]

9/26/44

Death Stars: The critical effort to get Half Death Star and Its Herd from CenPac to Luzon (or the DEI, an alternative if real problems arise) is going smoothly.

I think Half DS is strong enough to sail in proximity to Truk and any other Japanese base along the route of travel.

[Canoerebel]

9/26/44

Peep Show II: Three divisions are swapping around. In two days, two fresh divisions will attack at Karenko. These should be the core of the group that will finish off the last stout enemy resistance on the island. Japanese troop numbers on Formosa reduced now from a high of 185k to 53k (40k at Karenko; 13k at Hengchun.

Strategic Bombing: Most bombers declined to fly or got lost in the night. Tomrrow, large raids ordered vs. Nagasaki and Kanoya.

China: No Japanese units encroaching on coastal bases yet. I'm watching carefully.

Vietnam: Lots of enemy activity here and there; John has notions of ways to make trouble; I deem this theater mainly immaterial to the outcome of the war until things are settled in Formosa, China, and possibly Hainan Island. The only reason I'll eventually turn my attention to Indochina is to beat up enemy ground units.

Ground Units Score: I've lost 24k; John's lost 11k. A year or so back, the ration was me 21k to John 3k. So the Allies are winning at a 2.5:1 or 3:1 ratio, which I expect will increase as time goes on. But I have to guard my coastal China army carefully. In a few weeks, once Death Star returns and Formosa is Allied ground, coastal China will be fully secured.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I've been called (by myself) names like Pig Pen and Sweat Heifer. (The latter is the name of a steep trail in the Great Smokies, and I like it even though a heifer is a female critter.)

Sweat Hoofer works just as well without the gender confusion. [:)]

[ny59giants]

Vermont - Mt Mansfield is not too bad a hike, but the trail down to Stowe has some challenging sections. You will need to focus on the trail and not the scenery. I know this is at least 10 years away. [;)]

New Hampshire - Mt Washington will be a serious challenge. Besides the elevation (6288 ft), the weather up there can be nasty. Snow in late August and winds can go over 100mph.