Top ten regretables in WG-related history

[FierceKitty]

4. Old Kingdom Egyptians and Sumerians were contemporaries but, with the possible exception of one fairly crude graffito, there's no evidence of military interaction.

Heavens! How much do you need?

[fsn]

10. That the worse a culture behaves the more likely it is to have cool uniforms and cool "toys!"

I am trying to think of some example to refute this .... and apart from the Spitfire and Centurion (coolest of all toys), I can't.

Except perhaps the RCMP.

[toxicpixie]

1 The Russians instead of invading Poland in 1939 supplied the Poles with equipment.

They were ready to intervene directly in Czechoslovakia in '38 - the troops were ready to go at the Soviet border but Britain and France brokered a peaceful resolution. After spending the best of a decade trying to warn about the Nazi's and drum up an anti-Nazi coaltion they then gave up, correctly divining the imperialist countries were more anti-Soviet than anti-Nazi. Which bears that rather awkward fruit so little later...

A good "what if" is the Czechs say "stuff it" and take Russian help, and whether that sparks a '38 war between a deeply unready Nazi Germany, a pre-purge Soviet Union and a host of "independent" central European states, then possibly dragging in Britain & France...

[FierceKitty]

This wasn't a "what if" thread!

[toxicpixie]

No, but from many PoV not supporting the Czechoslovakians was certainly a regrettable incident; from a wargamers PoV you can have an amazing range of exciting engagements if anyone did. It immediately brings in Poland and/or Romania as well, as neither was very willing to let tens of thousands of Soviet troops through their borders...

[fsn]

It is regrettable that the following didn't happen: 

• Napoleon taking on Wellington's Peninsula army in 1813.
• Wellington leading said Peninsula army over the water in 1815 to sort out the little disturbance there.
• Alexander getting over his bout of tummy ache and deciding that China looked like a good bet
• The French fleets had joined with the Royal Navy in 1940 and so avoided Mers-el-Kebir and various other unpleasantnesses. The Battle for the Med might have been a bit different. Perhaps Crete could have been held? Certainly Rommel would have had a harder time of it getting supplies through with a French squadron in being, especially if French North Africa had also snubbed Vichy.

[Leman]

I do miss the average die.

Try Honours of War SYW rules - the average die is very important and the rules are really good.

[Dr Dave]

Apart from stories of B-29s what would they have to tell us?

Rota in the Marianas became part of the live fire range area for the 5th Amphibious Group in the build-up training for Olympic and Coronet. So Rota was bombed and shelled because it was there!

It must have been akin to living at the end of a gunnery range without ever knowing when or why. It's not so much that I'm interested in what they'd have to say, I think that I'd just make fun of them - It appeals to the devil in me! 

[Dr Dave]

I do miss the average die.

On a scale of 2-5, exactly how much do you miss it? 

[Raider4]

.... and apart from the Spitfire and Centurion (coolest of all toys), I can't.

And the Mosquito. And the Lancaster. And the B-29. And the Martlet/Wildcat. And . . .

Hmm, it does seem the Allies had all the cool aeroplanes in WWII (although I do like Me-262). Jerry just stuck to the AFVs.

[fsn]

Yers. I had the Mosquito and Lancaster in the list ... then wanted to put in the Tempest and the Beaufighter and the Corsair and the Avenger and the Mustang and the Liberator and then edited myself.

Jerry just stuck to the AFVs.

... and for the Italians it was mostly the uniforms.

[Ithoriel]

Oh, per-lease!

Me 109, FW 190, Ju-87 Kanonenvogel, Me 162 Komet, Me 262 Schwalbe, Arado AR 234, Horten Ho 229 and the world's first cruise missile! Toys so cool they should be kept in a fridge

[Orcs]

This wasn't a "what if" thread!

Come now FK, you have been a member long enough.  Did you really expect the thread not to get Hijacked?

[fsn]

Oh, per-lease!

Me 109, FW 190, Ju-87 Kanonenvogel, Me 162 Komet, Me 262 Schwalbe, Arado AR 234, Horten Ho 229 and the world's first cruise missile! Toys so cool they should be kept in a fridge

Nah. Fw189 Uhu, Me321 Gigant, Bv141, Hs129 with 75mm, Fw200 Kondor. They're cool.

OK. They're FSN cool.

Which probably means they're just a bit weird.


Actually, I think a lot of the Italian A/c were very elegant designs ... just under powered and under armed.

[Orcs]

Actually, I think a lot of the Italian A/c were very elegant designs ... just under powered and under armed.

I believe if you look closely at early marks of the AB41 Armoured car you could often distinguish the words "Fray Bentos" on the armour. 

[Leman]

The First day of the Somme was a brilliant success, followed by sweeping cavalry charges. Plans for a land battleship remained firmly on the drawing board.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

That would be because the creeping barrage perfectly cut the wires...