Notes from a Small Island

[dave sindel]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Youngest Son and I are heading to the Appalachian Trail early, early in the morning. We'll be up in the Old Dominion State for four days.

One of the pleasures of hiking is the hours and hours of time to think - letting my mind wander, thinking of the profound, routine, creative, or whatever. There's a Scripture verse that encourages "Be still and know that I am God." It seems hard to be really still today, given electronics and busy schedules, but on backpacking trips it's pretty much long hours of walking, making it easy to "be still" even when I'm sweating, aching and wishing I was back home.

Sometime Tuesday, we'll finish. Then we'll make the long drive south from Virginia through Tennessee and back into Georgia, deep into the night. Then my thoughts will turn to this game and the complex situation in NoPac, October 1944.

Y'all have a good weekend.

Have fun and hope the weather is good for you and your son.

[Canoerebel]

We have returned from the lovely, cool Virginia Highlands after four days and 45 miles of backpacking. I mentioned last post that there's lots of "quiet time" while hiking to ponder the important things of life. I meant that. And I did that. But not as much as I thought. Yesterday, while hobbling along on hurting feet amidst a lovely fern forest atop Glad Mountain, under cloudless skies swept by a cool, dry wind, I realized most of my thoughts run along these lines: I'm tired. My feet hurt. This climb is too steep. This descent makes my feet hurt more. I'm hungry. I need to pee. These bugs are bothering me. What was that noise? Is that bear poo? I wonder how far I've fallen behind my son? Why am I doing this? I can't wait to get home.

I'm glad to be home. My feet hurt. My feet smell really bad.

[Capt. Harlock]

Is that bear poo?

Well, do bears . . . you know.

[adarbrauner]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

We have returned from the lovely, cool Virginia Highlands after four days and 45 miles of backpacking. I mentioned last post that there's lots of "quiet time" while hiking to ponder the important things of life. I meant that. And I did that. But not as much as I thought. Yesterday, while hobbling along on hurting feet amidst a lovely fern forest atop Glad Mountain, under cloudless skies swept by a cool, dry wind, I realized most of my thoughts run along these lines: I'm tired. My feet hurt. This climb is too steep. This descent makes my feet hurt more. I'm hungry. I need to pee. These bugs are bothering me. What was that noise? Is that bear poo? I wonder how far I've fallen behind my son? Why am I doing this? I can't wait to get home.

I'm glad to be home. My feet hurt. My feet smell really bad.

Don't know what to say.

There are many people, even beyond the 50s and the 60s and sometimes a little even more, who keep hiking, hard.

[Canoerebel]

I've spent the day doing three things:

1) catching up at work
2) figuring on what adar's telling me
3) reviewing the combat report (but not yet playing the Combat file).

I've learned two things from number 3: (a) Ketoi Jima will be a long, tough battle; not like Guadalcanal, I think, but like Iwo or Okinawa; and (b) enemy air got into my herd of empties; I think LBA from the Kuriles is the culprit, not carrier air; perhaps they struck at long range; I hope I didn't somehow issue orders steering them closer to those bases. Losses may be high from a points standpoint though I don't think it means anything from a prosecuting-the-war standpoint.

I hope to run the turn late this afternoon or tonight, after I finish up at work.

[tarkalak]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

We have returned from the lovely, cool Virginia Highlands after four days and 45 miles of backpacking. I mentioned last post that there's lots of "quiet time" while hiking to ponder the important things of life. I meant that. And I did that. But not as much as I thought. Yesterday, while hobbling along on hurting feet amidst a lovely fern forest atop Glad Mountain, under cloudless skies swept by a cool, dry wind, I realized most of my thoughts run along these lines: I'm tired. My feet hurt. This climb is too steep. This descent makes my feet hurt more. I'm hungry. I need to pee. These bugs are bothering me. What was that noise? Is that bear poo? I wonder how far I've fallen behind my son? Why am I doing this? I can't wait to get home.

I'm glad to be home. My feet hurt. My feet smell really bad.

Sounds like a great hike. [:)]

[Canoerebel]

10/17/44

Ketoi: I'm just beginning the combat replay. Here's how things look early.

[Canoerebel]

10/17/44

Ketoi: Riff-raff round up.

[Canoerebel]

10/17/44

Ketoi: Strong bombardment TF hits Ketoi. Damage is modest but it is encouraging that combat squads were hit. Usually, you have to work through the support squads before scoring against the frontline guys.

[Canoerebel]

10/17/44

Ketoi: Often, in my experience, a second bombardment TF doesn't score well. This one does okay.

Both these bombardment TFs will replenish at Shikuka. Replenishing and bombarding in this environment - mines, subs, threats of air or surface attacks - will always be risky. Erik won't always strike, but he'll pick his moments.

[Canoerebel]

10/17/44

Ketoi: Bloodsucker patrol.

[Canoerebel]

10/17/44

Ketoi: Search aircraft picking up the Herd of Empties out on the periphery. This augers ill for later.

[Canoerebel]

10/17/44

Burma: Allied bombing campaign has been going on for weeks or months, with occasional ground attacks. Forts have been whittled from six to one. I'm showing this because it's the first air strike that managed to score meaningful numbers.

NoPac is the heart of the war, so I've focused the AAR there. But the campaign in Burma has been long and hard-fought. I havne't been pushing. I like Erik having his troops so far forward. We're getting closer to the point where I'll be ready for things to happen, so Toungee is of interest.

[Canoerebel]

10/17/44

Ketoi: Erik did send KB after the empties. I sure didn't think he would. This won't be pretty.

[Canoerebel]

10/17/44

Ketoi: A partial list of one TF of empties taking damage.

[Canoerebel]

10/17/44

Ketoi: Emtpy tankers hit.

[Canoerebel]

10/17/44

Ketoi: Replenishment TF.

[Canoerebel]

10/17/44

Ketoi: Tankers x 2.

[Canoerebel]

10/17/44

Ketoi: Sobering ground attack results, though forts drop to 4.

[Canoerebel]

10/17/44

Ketoi: The list of Allied ships sunk is a long one. Some AOs, TKs and DEs also went down.

What next? I need to do some calculations. If Erik used flank speed, that will enter into the equation. I may have the Herd of Empties move north to rendezvous with Death Star. Or I may simply scatter the Herd and send them towards the safety of the Aleutians.