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I know this is a crowd of landlubbers, but you love military history of all kinds, I'm sure.

For that reason, I'd like to invite you to read "Midway Remembered"

A little late but still pertinent. The Midway battle took place 61 years ago on June 6th 1942. It turned the tide of war in the Pacific.

Since there many lovers of the sea and those majestic craft that ride upon or under her, I thought you might enjoy it.

I'd be interested in your thoughts. Its a rather long article but I think it will be worth your while. It gives some inside personal views of what those men felt during those momentous days.

http://www.wargamer.com/articles/midway ... efault.asp

Thanks,

A great piece of work, WB. Very immersive: once I started I lost track of time and read it thru to the end....its (ugh!) 2:30AM

Well done, sir!

Tell me about it Jim! I spent 14 hours today back on this one eyed time devourer! I guess I'm back in business, eh?

Thanks for the encouragement, my friend...WB

Very nice!! Not being a seafarer (?) much, I found it very interesting and informative. I love mini articles, (I am sure it was not a mini endevour on your part ), that get to the point and are still detailed enough to give a well rounded understanding of the event. Thank you for your efforts, I look forward to further ones, btw I loved the Barbarossa article previously.

It was indeed, more than a mini-effort, TBone. I do thank you for the encouragement. We will have more, though not all quite that size.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I learned a lot by doing it. I had never come to a final conclusion on what at least I consider the turning point in the battle (there were many actually).

Wild Bill

Another fine piece of detailed work by WB.

If you liked that one...be sure to check out the link below the Kunel's Signature...it will take you over to the site where you can read many other interesting articles (by WB and others) in the archives.

It really makes this old sailor hunger for a good naval sim from Matrix. Maybe "Steel Greyhounds", based in part on SP?

There are many Midway wargames, always been a favorite beginning with the Avalon Hill boardgame version, flawed as it was.

Pick your carrier sim set in PTO, you will find Midway.

For further reading, the classic on the subject if from Gordon Prange, "Miracle an Midway" - I read it about once a year. Everything you wanted to know, including the most intensive post-battle critque I have seen anywhere. There are at least a dozen major mistakes IJN made in planning and execution of Midway. Prange outlines every last one of them.

If you want a true strategic - operational game involving the entire WW2 in PTO, there is none better than the one and only PacWar, available right here from Matrix. Undoubtedly the most unfriendly user interface created. It is at the same time one of the greatest wargames ever released, Grigsby has never been better than he was with this one.

Also try the Australian "Carrers AT War", a clasic in its own right, though not intended to be competitive with GGPW. We could go on and on - we don't need to. Difficult NOT to find wargames including Midway in one way or another.

Bing

Long time no see, how are you Bing?

Thanks for the book recommendation Bing; I've bought titles that you suggested in the past and have yet to be disappointed.

I found Miracle at Midway (hardcover) here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/st ... 86-4367939

Its used, but described as 'like new'. If you don't mind the wait (sometimes as long as 3 weeks), you can save even more by having them shipped at 'book rate'. The above book cost $7.49 ($4 + $3.49 shipping)!

My introdution to Midway was the 1976 movie. I was almost 14 at the time, and to this day I remember my reaction to the scene of the pilot trying to extinguish his burning flight suit: it was the moment I discovered that it wasn't all 'cool' explosions and flashy machines. Afterwards, I watched war films with an entirely different mindset.

Kunnel:
Having the story of the "Midway" drilled into me from my first days as Naval Aircrewman on PB4YB, (Privateers) and hearing about it from veterans of that days action, I still found the hair on my neck creeping up while reading your excellent version. More (young) people, other than wargamers should read these historical events.

Great Job Boss

Thanks for the memories

Thank you Chief. Man, do you go back that far? The Privateer was the single ruddered version of the B-24, wasn't it? A fascinating plane.

I remember once trying to build it from an old plastic model B-24 kit and some other pieces of other kits. Never finished it.

Coming from a Naval man, I am very grateful. Thanks for the encouragement.

My first ex-wife is re-married to a retired Chief. He is a great guy, served on a destroyer in WW2 in the Atlantic. He, probably like you, has some stories to tell. I'll bet you have some good ones!

Wild Bill

Wild Bill:
Yeah, basically single tailed B-24. Most of my sea stories are dull. When your in Patrol Aircraft you usually bore holes in the sky or snoop where you claim you never went..hehehe...we were never there. My stories are from pre Korea and Post WW2 and on to the Nam era. When I retired I was flying crew in P3B Orions, now that was a step up from Pby2B's. Many of my shipmates were from WW2. My lead Radio operator on my crew was in Torpedo 8 as a radio op, the morning of the ill fated flight he was grounded by the air surgeon for head cold...lucky guy..he went on to get an air medal later in the war. My chief Mech was a prisoner of the Japanese, he was captured after the fall of Corregedor (?) Another radio Op in the same squadron was in the SB2C squadron there at Midway, on a carrier. I even had a stewards mate that was a guerrilla fighter in the Phillipines for the entire occupation, he was awarded medals for his service/heroism in 1951, mail was slow in the jungles, I guess. Also having been stationed on Midway I speak Gooney Bird very clearly. Oh I wanted to be assigned to a Catilina squadron so bad, but.......

Awk Awk

Well, let me take a moment to lift my virtual helmet and give you a snappy salute of gratitude for your service not only to our country but to me and my family.

I've loved the military since a tot when my Dad went off to WW2. I was too young for Korea and too old for Nam. But I've always had the highest respect for the men who stood on the parapets of freedom, guarding the gates for me and mine.

Thank you Chief!

Wild Bill

I just remembered I once did a high school paper on the battle of Midway. Though I cannot share your patriotism (I am not a US citizen), I do agree that this battle should be remembered. War is never a good thing IMO, but when something needs to be done and war is the only option, I can merely respect the would-be heroes that risk their lives for a chance of another man's freedom. Midway was one of the battles of a war in which this ideal of freedom was the centre of motivation for some. In that respect I would say: thank you Midway's veterans for making the effort!

Barnes & Noble have the paperback of Prange's "Miracle at Midway" for $18.00 - unless the later printing runs were cheapened, the binding is good. My copy is paperback, has lasted through years of hard use, binding is intact.

Wars are a fact of the human condition. Like them or not, there has never been a period in history when a war was NOT going on somewhere on this planet. The so-called Victorian era of peace was anything but, all you have to do is look at the historical record to learn of the constant conflict thoughout the Empire. Prelude to the worst organized slaughter in history, World War I.

The men who fought at Midway were doing so because it was their duty. Leave the high-minded stuff to Hollywood and (during WW2) the propaganda writers. The Japanese made it easy for us by attacking Pearl Harbor. I believe it is fair to say not one single person went into the Battle of Midway with "truth, justice and the American way" in mind. That would include professionals and citizen soldiers, sailors and airmen.

They all talked the same way: We have a job to do, let's do it and go home. You see, there was then in effect a principle which today's wimps have tried to eradicate: Duty. Men on both sides in the Battle of Midway were simply doing their duty.

Fortunately for us, military professionals continue to be taught this principle, and they demonstrated it wonderfully well in Iraq. There was a reason for the series of films DoD commissioned Hollywood to make during WW2 entitled, as a series "Why We Fight". The plain truth is, most men who fought for us had no idea. Democratic principles have no place when someone is shooting at you, with the intention of killing you. Life becomes a narrow focus: Kill them before they kill you.

Dream away for a different world if you want. The reality - if there is one which can be summariazed in words - is there will always be someone who believes use of force against fellow humans will get them something.

Gmenfan - Doing MS Train Sim, just wrote a review for an add-on. How ya been? Giants gonna be any good this season? Do you realize it is less than three weeks for summer camp to open? The Mooch has already made a difference, the players can feel it.

Bing

Fortunately for us, military professionals continue to be taught this principle, and they demonstrated it wonderfully well in Iraq.

Might I note that as a European historian I would make a VERY big difference between the second world war and the biggest armed robbery in the world, thank you very much. You may call me an idealist, but I do see a very distinct difference between the actions of Roosevelt and the actions of Bush jr. In world war 2, freedom and political ideals DID play a role. In the last war against Iraq, oil and election day were the main focus, IMO.

At least we agree on one thing: war is usually fought for gain of something or other. What that gain is, is what makes the difference. And yes the men that fight 'do their duty', but some actually believed in what they did, I am sure.

What a great read , thank you . I enjoyed it very much.