Bring me the head of Diego Garcia...and the Mayor of Addu Atoll too!

[Dixie]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Mynok


I thought Swordfish were stringbags.....[&:]

Much as "Netties" are Nells and Betties with similar performance envelopes and mission profiles, I believe that the vernacular "stringbags" refers to both Swordfish and Vildebeest aircraft in the same derivative category.

Indeed old boy. It's just that the Swordfish is more widely known so is generally thought of as THE Stringbag.

[Dixie]

ORIGINAL: sprior

Today:

Allied aircraft
Vildebeest III x 9


Allied aircraft losses
Vildebeest III: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAK Ikushima Maru
xAK Johore Maru
xAK Tatuwa Maru, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

and then:

Allied aircraft
Vildebeest III x 6


Allied aircraft losses
Vildebeest III: 5 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Chokai
xAK Fushimi Maru, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk

Wizard show Old Boy! Absolutely capital! Back in time for tea and tiffen eh? And then to the evenining dance to find a couple of popsies, a top drawer time for all.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: sprior

Today:

Allied aircraft
Vildebeest III x 9


Allied aircraft losses
Vildebeest III: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAK Ikushima Maru
xAK Johore Maru
xAK Tatuwa Maru, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

and then:

Allied aircraft
Vildebeest III x 6


Allied aircraft losses
Vildebeest III: 5 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Chokai
xAK Fushimi Maru, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk

That really is damned impressive. 15 sorties..1 plane lost, 5 torpedo hits (33%). 5-10 more days like that and we will pay them back for the Sydney raid.

Somebody, however, needs to tell the lads to stop ganging up on already sinking ships and spread the damage around.

[BrucePowers]

The ones that are burning are easier to see[:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

Air losses through the end of January (Mayan calender)

Clearly there aren't too many spare P40E's lying about. Most of these losses are from the Pearl harbor raid and the fight over Luzon.

Another observation: Brewsters are sort of cool looking (in a flying coffee can sort of way) but there are a hazard to troops on the ground due to a habit of falling upredictably in great balls of fire.

The Nell is fragile, apparently due to the innovative, but unsuccessful, self-aerosolizing gas tank.

Most of the Bettys are lost to operational causes as are a goodly number of zeroes.

[Cap Mandrake]

..which, when combined with grapeshot can be quite lethal....

[Cap Mandrake]

*****KNIL "HQ", Bintan Island, South China Sea, 45m SE of Singapore, January 29, 1942******


Lt. Col. Renner, KNIL, came from a long line of military men. There was a family tradition to uphold. That is why it hurt so much to be posted to an island of little military significance in charge of an engineering detachement of only 15 men and one ancient RNZAF Singapore III float plane. A Colonel...15 men and a broken down heap of bolts. Maybe if they had an airplane mechanic or something or some spare parts or a vehicle or even a Radio Flyer wagon to carry the heavy stuff. Nothing...absolutely nothing, save for half a dozen spanners, a breaker bar and a case of ball peen hammers. Oh, the shame.

Sure, there was the dust up when he was found half naked with the local Sultan's daughter, but that was 8 months ago. Can't a guy make a mistake? All 15 men of the unit have been assembled. He is determined to make his mark. If it is not to be in battle, then he will leave a mark on the business world. He steps to the podium.

"Men, thank you all for coming. I would like to talk to you all today about an exciting step toward financial independence....multi-level marketing......"

[Cap Mandrake]

OK...can someone explain to me why different Buffalo I squadrons have different silhouettes on the "game pieces"? Even RAF squadrons have different silhouetttes. I can see it for a dedicated recon unit, I suppose, although I don't think the airframe was different.

I suppose it seems like I am desperately waiting for a turn and that I have no life, but that would be a misperception on your part.

[Cap Mandrake]

There is nothing quite like a mortal threat to unite people who can barely tolerate each other under other circumstances. I might be talking about Churchill and Stalin or Chiang Kai-shek and Stilwell or de Gaulle and just about any other sentient human being....but I am not. I am talking about my neighbors, Christians, Jews, Budhists, Hindus, conservatives, Obama voters <shudder>...even my neighbor who built his $10,000 mailbox on my side of the property line and thinks the LA Times is too conservative [X(] can be united under the proper circumstance. The circumstance is, in this case, to combat a common peril to our liberty, to our American way of life, the HOA.

The street has 20 homes but they are well spread out. All the traffic has to go out one way, which is not too bad as there are less than 60 residents, perhaps even 50 or less. So far so good. Unfortunately, a developer bought a home at the top of the street on about 7 acres and wants to subdivide into 8 lots.

Naturally, this isn't very popular with the rest of the street. The developer has to get approval from the County which has declined to act until the HOA took a stand. The HOA Board of Directors were advised to act like spineless jellyfish by their equally spineless attorney, who is also covered in slime, did I mention that? See..it's like this, the developer's attorney is also without spine but at least has an exoskeleton so he scared the HOA's attorney and long story short....the HOA BOD approved the plan in a secret contract without formal input form the other residents on the street. [:@][:@]

Now we are fighting mad so we cook up an idea. The left turn at the end of the street is dangerous because of line of sight issues and oncoming traffic. We advance the argument the situation will be more dangerous with 50% more homes. The BOD hires a a traffic engineer to study the issue. Now, we are feeling our oats. We got them now. High fives all around. They invite us to the board meeting to discuss the decision. We all go. They bring their attorney. We bring ours. These guys are being paid by the hour so they are arguing about Robert's Rules of Order during the meeting. I am not kidding.

Anyway, last agenda item...the decision of the board on the dangerous left turn. We all lean forward, "The traffice engineer has...blah, blah, blah...determined that...blah, blah, blah....is indeed a dangerous left turn due to topography and blah, blah blah." WE WON! High fives all aorund. The BOD spokesperson continues, "The Board of Directors has therefore determined, in the interests of safety, to....<pause for dramtic effect> make this intersection a right turn only intersection."

[Alfred]

Cap Mandrake,

Back in the days of WITP II(b), wasn't there a certain Frau Braun who interfered with your life? Could she not be introduced to the developer? Alternatively, how about that Mayan hosekeeper of yours making some more midnight calls to the developer's wife?

Alfred

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Alfred

Cap Mandrake,

Back in the days of WITP II(b), wasn't there a certain Frau Braun who interfered with your life? Could she not be introduced to the developer?

Sound idea, but the HOA attorney's name is Brown. I think he is related to Frau Braun somehow.

Alternatively, how about that Mayan hosekeeper of yours making some more midnight calls to the developer's wife?

Alfred

If she were Samoan that might work but she is about 4ft 8 in ht. and about 2ft 4 in diameter. Plus she doesnt speak any
English (she calls "bagles", "Bay-gohs"). Now if the developer has a Mayan wife or is in possesion of some stolen artifacts or something, then it might work.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

"The Board of Directors has therefore determined, in the interests of safety, to....<pause for dramtic effect> make this intersection a right turn only intersection."

Sounds like you have grounds to sue for them neglecting their fiduciary obligations to act in the benefit of the homeowners in favor of benefit to someone else. (I am not a lawyer, so you'll have to add slime.) Have your present lawyer (or a better one) send them a threatening letter about suing the HOA and each member of the board who voted for that as individuals.

It's not about what legal theory will win. They decided to avoid pain by siding with the 3rd party developer. Convince them that more pain lies in siding against you.

Their decision is going to devalue your property, increase your travel time to and from home (reducing quality of life), and cause global warming that will flood Al Gore's waterfront condo.

[princep01]

Signed in with the ever popular EFATOM. What is this.....an atom found only in the European Foundation of Atomic structures and physic journals? Why is EFATOM important enough to warrant such high notority?

Anyway....as to the HOA Nazis and their reptilan scribes, proctors, lawyers and other thieves; I'd saw this. An infestation of crabgrass and Johnson grass on 8 neighborhood lots would serve as a excellent lesson. An unfortunate outbreak of the same said infestation at the home of the ChairLizard of the Home Owner's Association of Snoops, Commissars and other officious undesirables would also serve as an appropriate warning of the devastation to come.

Silently placed, untraceable, intractable, ugly, unkillable weeds always strike unmitigated terror into the hearts of all suburbia.

[khyberbill]

Silently placed, untraceable, intractable, ugly, unkillable weeds always strike unmitigated terror into the hearts of all suburia

Unless you live in Florida or Houston where they call it "blanket" or St. Augustine grass.

[Cap Mandrake]

Anybody else wonder what the deal is on the A-24's which show up in Oz In Jan. 41 in AE?

The U.S. Army Air Forces sent 52 A-24 Banshees in crates to the Philippine Islands in fall 1941 to equip the 27th Bombardment Group, whose personnel arrived separately. However with the attack of Pearl Harbor, these aircraft were diverted to Australia and the 27th BG fought on Bataan as infantry. While in Australia, these aircraft were reassembled for flight to the Philippines, but missing parts including solenoids, trigger motors, and gun mounts delayed shipment. Plagued with mechanical problems the A-24s were diverted to the 91st Bombardment Squadron and designated for assignment to Java instead. The A-24s had worn-out engines, no armor plating, and no self sealing fuel tanks. Referring to themselves as "Blue Rock Clay Pigeons", the 91st attacked the enemy harbor and airbase at Bali and damaged or sunk numerous ships around Java. After the Japanese shot down two A-24s and damaged three so badly they could no longer fly, the 91st received orders to evacuate Java in early March, ending a brief but valiant effort.

The Banshees left in Australia were assigned to the 8th Bombardment Squadron, 3rd Bombardment Group, to defend New Guinea. On 26 July 1942, seven A-24s attacked a convoy off Buna, but only one survived: the Japanese shot down five of them and damaged the sixth so badly that it did not make it back to base.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SBD_Dauntless

In AE, they show with 35 experience pilots which really does make them "clay pigeons". I have a plan. I figure we can make one capable A-24 squadron from the pilots of the two Enterprise squadrons which are still in Northern Oz with only 4 SBD's between them and no replacment SBD's showing up in Oz.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: princep01

Signed in with the ever popular EFATOM. What is this.....an atom found only in the European Foundation of Atomic structures and physic journals? Why is EFATOM important enough to warrant such high notority?

Anyway....as to the HOA Nazis and their reptilan scribes, proctors, lawyers and other thieves; I'd saw this. An infestation of crabgrass and Johnson grass on 8 neighborhood lots would serve as a excellent lesson. An unfortunate outbreak of the same said infestation at the home of the ChairLizard of the Home Owner's Association of Snoops, Commissars and other officious undesirables would also serve as an appropriate warning of the devastation to come.

Silently placed, untraceable, intractable, ugly, unkillable weeds always strike unmitigated terror into the hearts of all suburbia.

Operation Show Them Our Johnsons has been approved. You are a future unindicted co-conspirator.

[Grollub]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Anybody else wonder what the deal is on the A-24's which show up in Oz In Jan. 41 in AE?

The U.S. Army Air Forces sent 52 A-24 Banshees in crates to the Philippine Islands in fall 1941 to equip the 27th Bombardment Group, whose personnel arrived separately. However with the attack of Pearl Harbor, these aircraft were diverted to Australia and the 27th BG fought on Bataan as infantry. While in Australia, these aircraft were reassembled for flight to the Philippines, but missing parts including solenoids, trigger motors, and gun mounts delayed shipment. Plagued with mechanical problems the A-24s were diverted to the 91st Bombardment Squadron and designated for assignment to Java instead. The A-24s had worn-out engines, no armor plating, and no self sealing fuel tanks. Referring to themselves as "Blue Rock Clay Pigeons", the 91st attacked the enemy harbor and airbase at Bali and damaged or sunk numerous ships around Java. After the Japanese shot down two A-24s and damaged three so badly they could no longer fly, the 91st received orders to evacuate Java in early March, ending a brief but valiant effort.

The Banshees left in Australia were assigned to the 8th Bombardment Squadron, 3rd Bombardment Group, to defend New Guinea. On 26 July 1942, seven A-24s attacked a convoy off Buna, but only one survived: the Japanese shot down five of them and damaged the sixth so badly that it did not make it back to base.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SBD_Dauntless

In AE, they show with 35 experience pilots which really does make them "clay pigeons". I have a plan. I figure we can make one capable A-24 squadron from the pilots of the two Enterprise squadrons which are still in Northern Oz with only 4 SBD's between them and no replacment SBD's showing up in Oz.

Sorry if I puncture your balloon, but those Banshee sqn's will only accept army pilots ... :-/

[Cap Mandrake]

Why there are no SBD's in the replacement pool.

Douglas plant, El Segundo.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Grollub

Sorry if I puncture your balloon, but those Banshee sqn's will only accept army pilots ... :-/

Oh, bloody Hell!

[Cap Mandrake]

********Douglas SBD assembly line, El Segundo, Calif., Januray 29, 1942********



Supervisor: Why the Hell do we have only two guys working on engine fittings for 16 aircraft?

Union Thug: The rest are on a coffee break. 20 minutes every 2 hrs per contract.

Supervisor: Holy Hell, there is a war on. Haven't you guys heard? Do you realize in stock WITP we might have 800-900 SBD airframes in inventory by now?