gunnergoz

From what I read, it was Marine Harrier maintenance guys that did the initial fighting, led by the squadron CO, subsequently KIA, who led them into the fray packing only his sidearm because he'd somehow been separated from his carbine. Guts, through and through. Makes you glad the Marines are on our side. (Which, mostly, they are unless the fleet's in and its liberty call in Oolongapo. )

I'm holding out for the M13-40 variant.

Just heard from a friend who is stationed on the base and was there during the raid. The raid was furthered by a blowing sandstorm which apparently blinded many surveillance cameras. That sounds like either canny TB planning or really good luck, but my bet is on the former. The UK's QRF took 5 hours to get to the scene. The raid took place on their side of the base. My friend, not a Marine himself, thinks things would have gone differently if the raid had been tried on the USMC side of the base.

Don't let these fools round here hector you, Hector. Welcome and have fun!

Taking out as many bad guys as possible in a sudden, devastating and overwhelming attack, then pulling out when you have accomplished that, is one thing. Sticking around trying to make friendlies out of the rest of them in a culture where foreigners are either the enemy or the prey, is another, as in asking for trouble for as long as you remain in country.

https://vimeo.com/46805017# Brought back many, many wonderful memories of boyhood days in the back yard. No wonder I like these effin' games. And maybe why I still find pebbles working their way out of the skin on my knees...

If we can't do it in 10 or 11 years, what makes you think "going Roman" is going to do it in a year? We don't have the troops to occupy the entire country without imposing a draft, nor the funds nor national will to stay there as long as it would take to nation build it into a semblance of a stable democracy, which I'd guess would take at least 2 or three generations.

An update from the same site: http://theaviationist.com/2012/09/17/vma-211-commander/ Apparently the CO of the Marine Harrier squadron was killed in the attack. That really adds to the propaganda fuel for the other side. Anything that seems to strike and dull the Americans' technical edge, is potentially like landing a big haymaker punch for the opposition. We tout our technology as being a war-winner and they are showing just how frail and vulnerable that technology can be. The opposition's gains from the raid are not based on how much they factually damaged, but in how much the influence they gained with the civilian populace. It is sort of like counting coup by Native American plains warriors. The mere fact you touched the other guy, gives you cred.

Who in their right mind would install a video card while leaving the PC powered, RAM up and the HD running?

http://theaviationist.com/2012/09/16/vma-211/ Looks like this incursion was one of the worst in terms of how far they got and how much damage they inflicted. Makes you wonder who was watching the wire: don't they have those aerostats on duty 24 hours a day? Did these guys not only have US uniforms but also our vehicles? The US media seem to be glossing over this story to a great extent.

Don't believe the M-15's were used after WW2 but I could be wrong. M-16's definitely made it to Korea and some of the Maxon mount quad 50's were being used in Vietnam, mounted on trailers and on gun trucks.

Probably separated from the HT to make a training aid. And those HT's were particularly favored postwar to make farming utility vehicles/tow trucks, though I doubt they lasted long in that service. From what I hear they were being almost given away by then.

There's a difference between informed stupidity and stupid misinformation.

I just got some sort of weird legal letter from Runescape/jagex claiming they plan to sue me for trading something "outside of the game environment." They cite all sorts of intention of pursuing civil action against me. The email account they sent the email to is mine, but certainly not one I used to ever contact this gaming firm. In fact, I've never been to their gaming site before today (just to see where the googled url led) or opened an account there, under any email address or identity. This seems like some sort of fishing - or phishing - expedition to me. Anyone else here experiencing anything remotely like it, particularly from this firm? After verifying the firm exists, I did respond to their email in the negative but it still weirds me out. UPDATE: It was a phishing email. Verified that through the runescape site and, believe it or not, their legal department actually responded to my email. That address was at least correct. So all ends well, since I didn't click any of the links in the original email, thank goodness.

I seem to recall some of the larger halftrack prime movers had interleaved wheels as well. And tons of grease fittings.

I liked Das Boot quite a bit but found the end to be pretty self-indulgent pathos. I would have much preferred an ending where they simply sail off into the sunset, never to be seen or heard from again...like most real U-boats and their crews.

Excuse me, is the the Pearl Harbor Movie Fan Club? (Ducks and runs for cover.)

Nice reading that again, lots of food for thought.

Well, if she disguised herself as the periscope, it might get X-rated pretty quick! :eek::D While we're talking about good WW2 movies, I have to add to the list the fabulous (IMHO) Bridge Over the River Kwai. And while we are mentioning all-time-stinkers, let me tip my hat (and the garbage pail lid) to Battle of the Bulge. That is all.

It's your right and mine. Least it was last time I checked.

The OP that started the thread stated he lived near O'Hare and saw what he thought was a six-engine aircraft flying from it. The subsequent posts were about other sightings. I simply rolled the sightings up into one for point of argument. If the Russians have a new plane that is so hush-hush, they are not going to jeopardize security flying over Finland with it. Chechnya, maybe, Georgia, probably, but Finland? And risk being taken down by some farmer with his grandpappy's Suomi?

SPR has flaws, but at least treats the subject respectfully. Inglorious Basterds was simply awful, respecting neither the era, history, the actors or anything else. It was simply an exercise for Tarantino's massive ego to play with WW2 props and costumes. I almost swore off Brad Pitt after that abortion, and I genuinely like the guy and think he's a good actor. As for the three films cited by the OP, I'm afraid I can pass on all of them. The Russian film seems to be simply what they call over there a "serial" (multi part TV melodrama) made large - and with no better quality than the rest of the ilk. Which is a shame, because I've seen genuinely good Russian war flicks - this just happens not to be one of them. The other two movies to me seem clearly ripping off the some of the stylistic and presentation elements of SPR without any of the redeeming features of acting and historic detail. For one thing, I'm sooo tired of WW2 women being portrayed to look like modern college coeds or someone you want to meet on match.com. Both films look like the best thing that can be said about them is that they gave some WW2 reenactors and tank owners some time to play war and earn some gas money. Guess I'm getting awful picky and finicky in my old age. Or maybe I just need to change my Depends.

Sorry, I can't agree with you Michael - I don't see the Russians creating some new mystery plane and flying it into O'Hare to show it off and then disappear it again. My conclusion after following this thread is that it is simply the result of observer mis-ID. Sure wouldn't be the first time that's happened.

Personally, I think Chinese history reveals that they will only invest in those projects which have a clear chance of bringing them a decent return on investment in the near term. They may think in long term ways, but their motivation today is clearly what benefits today's and tomorrow's bottom line...not that 50 years from now.

I concur with Dowly and suspect that Soviet experience probably would verify that, as the war progressed and urban combat became more common, infantry AT weapons like the panzerfaust and 'schreck would have been truly ubiquitous threats to tanks. The fact that the faust lent it self to use by quickly trained militia operators made the situation even worse for tankers, since even youths and oldsters could be handed one and be turned into a lethal tank killer, albeit often a suicidal one.