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Post by quincannon on Feb 21, 2015 7:20:32 GMT -6
LBH was not Betio.
Ryan had well trained United States Marines, well fed and fresh off the boat, and Custer had slum sweepings with no training to speak of, tired to the point of exhaustion, on a miserable diet. These things make a difference, and if you don't believe me, try it some time.
It is a grave mistake to compare one battle to another. False assumptions are made like the ones Mark made above.
Don't ever make the mistake of believing the old adage - You don't have to train to be miserable. You do have to train to be miserable and none of Custer's were and it showed, by poor individual and collective performance. Ryan succeeded where Custer failed, BECAUSE OF TRAINING.
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Post by quincannon on Feb 21, 2015 9:35:26 GMT -6
Montrose: Fully concur with you estimates.
One other thing regarding Ryan at Betio. That was the 2nd Marine Division, the Silent Second, and they had recent combat experience on Guadalcanal, the last regiment, the 8th Marines, landing on the day I was born. They also had opportunity to absorb and train replacements. They were all used to training and operating together as units, and they had the time to plan and reconnoiter. They had Plans A thru Z if necessary. This takes nothing away from Ryan. On the contrary, Ryan and those with him only did what good units are trained to do, adapt to changing situations and overcome the unexpected, and they did it well. Custer's bunch could not take the trash to the curb without a roadmap.
Snowing today and tomorrow Ian, and we expect up to 16 inches total. So, you can expect some more for the web site, as soon as I do a bit of building on my current projects. Nimitz, George H. W. Bush, and Bonhomme (not Bon Homme) Richard, named after you know who's ship. Remember we bury our pirates at the Naval Academy.
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Post by dave on Feb 21, 2015 10:39:08 GMT -6
QC Do you craft all your models from wood? Regards Dave
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Post by quincannon on Feb 21, 2015 11:36:41 GMT -6
Plastic for those three Dave. My preferred medium is metal. I have about four hundred fully restored WWII metal recognition models and included in that total are seventy five or so fully restored Triangs, made in the UK in the period 1955-1965. I just finished SS United States from that later group. I can't paint liners in the black and white worth a damn, so I WHIFFED it as a Joint Theater Command and Control Ship, designed to house and operate a forward deployed element of CENTCOM and renamed it USS John J. Pershing (I thought the name fitting based on the WHIFF designed purpose). Highly modified from a liner with helicopter platform, and updated sensor suite.
I would love to work in wood like my buddy Des, but alas I am a no talent bum.
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Post by Yan Taylor on Feb 21, 2015 12:45:02 GMT -6
Chuck if I told someone in Widnes that the British and Americans (and probably the French too) held a naval engagement off the coast of Yorkshire (England) in 1779 they would laugh at me and if I mentioned John Paul Jones they would think I was talking about the bass player from Led Zeppelin, but it is true and one of those snippets of history that gets lost in the midst of time, and thanks for bringing that up.
Yes there is nothing like a drop in temperature to get you creative juices flowing and keeping warm whilst you work.
Ian.
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Post by quincannon on Feb 21, 2015 15:10:14 GMT -6
That was when Bonhomme Richard engaged HMS Serapis. I was actually referring to him invading some bar up in Scotland when he was in Ranger.
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Post by herosrest on Mar 10, 2015 11:24:36 GMT -6
Helensburgh?
I was with a group of lads back in the 80's who mounted a weekend sortie to Portsmouth, UK on the hunt. We collided with the arrival and shore-leave of a CVN......... things did not go well. Fond memories. Safest place was a restaurant used by the officers.
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