At dawn we slept...in the cab on the way back from Olongapo

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Disco Duck

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: Disco Duck



A lot of people here in San Antonio are replacing their shingles after the recent snow. About eight inches total. Those with solar panels have to have a contractor remove the panels before getting the roof done. Then they have to put them back on. I would be looking at metal shingles. But nobody around here seems to be doing it.

It is also very hard for metal roofs to burn but I don't think that they are actually shingles.

Heck, maybe even get different colored shingles to make a design on the roof. [:D]

Or even make words or a phrase on the roof, but I won't post my suggestions here. [:-]

https://www.metalroofingsource.com/meta ... /shingles/

These are the types of roofing panels that I was thinking for a metal roof. If you live where you can get a lot of snow, the snow can/will slide right off. If so, have something to divert it away from walkways.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Building-Ma ... 5yc1vZapwh

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: Disco Duck

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe




It is also very hard for metal roofs to burn but I don't think that they are actually shingles.

Heck, maybe even get different colored shingles to make a design on the roof. [:D]

Or even make words or a phrase on the roof, but I won't post my suggestions here. [:-]

https://www.metalroofingsource.com/meta ... /shingles/

These are the types of roofing panels that I was thinking for a metal roof. If you live where you can get a lot of snow, the snow can/will slide right off. If so, have something to divert it away from walkways.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Building-Ma ... 5yc1vZapwh

We had metal shingles installed in Texas that look just like regular shingles (except maybe better) to cut down on the cooling bills (and after a hailstorm destroyed the old roof)... they worked so well that we also had them installed when we moved to Virginia, although the bills weren't nearly as bad. They don't get the discoloration that the regular shingles do... and we also have solar panels. No problems after 5 years. They (the shingles, not the solar panels) are supposed to be proof up to grapefruit size hail (although they will probably dent if the hailstones were that big).

Of course they are also fire proof, and the first installers (in Texas) also pointed out that they blocked infrared surveillance from spy satellites! [:D]

The shingles are pricey though.

[Bif1961]

Good old WIPAE SIGINT

[Cap Mandrake]

HOA gave up on the fire risk argument and simply denied my roofing request based on "aesthetics". Completely subjective and arbitrary. If I were Raquel Welch in her prime and came to the meeting in a sabretooth tiger bikini they would not approve metal shingles. I think this is retribution for saying Gruppenfuhrer Vatshername had the a missing x chromosome

[witpqs]

More pink flamingoes.

[RangerJoe]

A built in beer keg in front along with a cupid dispensing wine. [:D]

[RangerJoe]

Heck, simply call them racist - in court documents!

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Also, before the Israelis destroyed the kitchen, SG made a great dinner and invited PG over and there was much wine and adult beverages and then I had reached my limit so I went upstairs to go to sleep and before you know it they come upstairs and wake me up and everyone is in their birthday suits and now she keeps trying to invite herself over for dinner...the poor dear.

Pictures or it didn't happen.

By ra way-what's going on in the Marianas?

[Cap Mandrake]

Ah, yes, the Marianas. You will have to keep this hush-hush because we are afraid to tell Admiral King an General Marshall. At the start it went well. The lead fast AP's with the carriers approached to within about 5 hexes of Guam and 4 hexes of Tinian and Rota with complete surprise. The Vals and IJA medium bombers and Tojos at Guam and farther North (Pagan) sortie out and are destroyed almost to the plane (about 150 enemy planes lost to 5 of ours). Guam is hit by all the TBF's at has about 40% runway damage. Essentially no CAP. Tinian also damaged. A single LCI landing Aussie commandos on Anatahan is hit but does not sink and the Aussies take Anatahan which is to be used as a base for seaplanes and AKE's. ASW group at Guam sins two midget subs.

[Cap Mandrake]

No Japs spotted except some midget subs. Still some shot up Vals left on Pagan but no fighters. A dozen planes at Tinian. Guam has like 5 bombers left but no fighters left on mouseover so we proceed with the plan.

Saipan has no planes except recon but is dangerous so Washington and another fast BB are sent to take out the naval guns and AF on Saipan the TBF's again are set for a morning attack on Guam. First landing at Rota is before sunrise......well..it seems Musashi and another BB's were loitering NW of the Marianas and charge directly toward the main USN body. They run into Washington and friends and the fight is on. Bad...bad....bad. Washington is hit on the first volley and blows up into oblivion after five hits of all caliber. Alaska is hit badly and on fire. The USN DD's sink one IJN DD.

[Cap Mandrake]

That would be bad enough but the KB shows up, apparently sprinting down from the North because they literally bypassed about 20 AK's headed for the PI in singlets about 2 hexes apart. [8|]

One of the CVE TF's with 6 CVE's stops to refuel itself so is about 200 nm east of the CV's and the other 6 CVE's. They take the main brunt of the huge carrier attack, losing one CVE outright and 5 other CVE's damaged. USN has a huge CAP up and the IJN planes pay a high price (about 350 destroyed). The USN TBF's are attacking Guam AF in the morning so the US counterattack is all SBD's but without adequate fighter escort so we pay a high price as well (about 125 planes) and fail to achieve a single hit on a carrier. A Jap afternoon attack goes after the USN and RN CV's but is murdered by the CAP and AAA and achieves no hits. Half the returning CVE TBF's from the Guam attack have no place to land so the remnants start landing on the CV's instead and every single CV except Essex is unable to conduct flight ops because of overstacking.

There is nothing to do but run away.

[Cap Mandrake]

I am having 6 bathrooms and the kitchen remodeled by a mostly Israeli contracting crew. The bosses are all Israeli and the workers are all Mexican. [:D]

I tried to save the countertops in the kitchen but the contractor was right. Many of the cabinets were wrecked by leaks. The sinks needed to be replaced as well. I found an Egyptian mouse under the built in microwave. I know he was Egyptian because he was a mummy. He looked like a furry King Tut. I think he was from the Classical Era.

So many decisions.

I go around asking people..."does this seem like a warm gray or a cool gray"?

[BBfanboy]

Can you disband or withdraw any of those CVE squadrons and transfer the planes to the CV squadrons? If that can be done you get replenishment and the number or squadrons can be reduced to 5.

BTW that grey looks "moldy mouse gray" to me ...

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Can you disband or withdraw any of those CVE squadrons and transfer the planes to the CV squadrons? If that can be done you get replenishment and the number or squadrons can be reduced to 5.

BTW that grey looks "moldy mouse gray" to me ...

Right. I tried that. Doesn't work. You cant disband remnants of a carrier squadron into another squadron at sea. I was able to get 3 CV's and 3 undamaged CVE's to operational status by flying off remnants or full (but depleted) squadrons off to Ponape and Eniwetok and USS Long Island to get the group number under 5. This doesn't work if you have to leave any damaged planes from the squadron behind because they still count in the group total. In a few cases I was able to bring in full F6F and TBF squadrons from Ponape. In a few cases there were good pilots trapped on heavily damaged CVE's. You can get them out with transfer.

[Cap Mandrake]

Anyway..so we have parts of two regiments already ashore at Tinian. All the amphibious group are ordered to run away with light surface forces covering them and the CV's and undamaged CVE's which still have quite a capable fighter force.

The lads on Tinian (about 1500 troops) get a unit citation. We have to protect the remaining 100,000. The Aussie commandos on Anathan are able to safely re-embark and get away. Somehow, one of the staff forgets to press the cancel unload button on one of the amphibious groups at Tinian and freaking Musashi apparently still has some burrets reft. A CL/DD cover force does a creditable job of defending them but four transports are hit and nobody else gets ashore.

The heavily damaged CVE's try to make Eniwetok (several under tow). I wouldn't give them much of a chance. Except for the screw up for the amphibious group at Tinian the withdrawal goes tremendously well. The KB retreats to Pagan (probably to restore their air groups which have been decimated so the USN CV's and battle ready CVE's move out of range of the KB. The IJN brings in at least 160 Nells and Bettys and many Tojos and Zekes to Saipan, which is undamaged, and Rota and a few to Guam which IS damaged but can apparently still operate fighters. The come at the CV's and massive knot of troops transports in perfect order and they are murdered by a CAP of about 200 F6F's and F4F's. About 150 Nettys shot down and 50 Zekes and Tojos. A few get through and are shot to pieces by the 11,000 pt AAA of the USN/RN carrier TF.

[Cap Mandrake]

When the sun comes up, the IJN carrier bombers can't reach the UNS/RN carriers or the main transports but they can reach the poor bastards converted to hulks at Tinian...and sink 4 with the loss of about 2500 troops.

[Cap Mandrake]

There is a massive movement of Jap air resources from Singapore and Malaya and Kendari and Boela toward the Marianas and Beazelbob. These are picked up by our recon so we take advantage of this "opportunity":

1) A snap landing of 2 Aussie brigades at Sibolga which goes very well owing to the movement of the IJN bombers from Singers. We surge medium bombers to Sinabong and mess the IJA garrison unit at Sibolga. RAF fighters from Sinabong shoot down a bunch of Lillys and Sallys trying to hit landing forces. The IJN sends a cruiser force up the west coast of Sumatra but they are spotted and we suspend landing operations. Even so there are enough forces ashore to take the place the next day.

[Cap Mandrake]

2) Kendari is almost completely stripped so we move some P-38's to Koepang and send all the B-24's from Darwin in one giant raid and wreck the AF in one attack.

3) Boela has only about 20 planes and the surface force guarding there is also dispatched toward the Marianas so we bring in P-47's and Hurris and P-40K's and sweep the plce clean. The next day the B-24's switch over to Boela and wreck the AF. This allows a big resupply of Dobo (level 8 now) and Kaimana on NW NG (level 5) so we finally have air superiority over Kendari and Ceram. The next day the remaining Jap A/C move over to Ambon so we sweep the crap out it and then turn loose the B-24's again and Ambon AF is KO'ed.

[Cap Mandrake]

Meanwhile, the poor bastard wrecked CVE's are not having fun. One succumbs to flooding on its own. One is sunk by Jap carrier planes while making 4 kts. 3 other are caught be subs while making 6-8 kts.

So that is 3 BB, 2 DDs, 6 CVE's, 4 AP's and 4000 soldiers (counting those ashore at Tinian which give up after about a week). 4 CVE's damaged but survive.

Japs loose about 600 planes including 150+ Nettys and hundreds of carrier planes and we lose about 180 but this includes essentially 2 SBD-5 CV squadrons which are hard to replace.

All the other transports make it back to New Ireland and Ponape.

The only thing that can be said is it opened up opportunities in the Sundas and Sulawese

[BBfanboy]

Cap Mandrake: ...Sinabong...

I see you have retained some of what you learned at the Greyjoy School of Nomenclature. [:D]