Page 18 of 104

Posted: 2008-05-28 02:56pm
by Starglider
Excellent stuff. The author clearly enjoys writing the battles. :)

It should be an interesting contrast between the B-52 bombing and the wyvern bombing. :)

Posted: 2008-05-28 03:08pm
by The Vortex Empire
As usual, I almost feel sorry for the Baldricks. They haven't even reached the lines of mines and razor wire yet, and already they're taking massive casualties.

Posted: 2008-05-28 03:13pm
by [R_H]
The Vortex Empire wrote:As usual, I almost feel sorry for the Baldricks. They haven't even reached the lines of mines and razor wire yet, and already they're taking massive casualties.
Their northern flank hasn't even fully entered the main zone of resistance yet, and their southern flank is moving slower...and they've already sustained 10% casualties.

Posted: 2008-05-28 03:20pm
by K. A. Pital
At what ranges it actually occurs? If the Russian divisions have the Nona in any considerable numbers, the "wall of fire" could be maintained by firing mines up to as close as 400 meters away from the actual Russian positions, reaping a "second harvest" of dead demons right there. :lol:

Posted: 2008-05-28 03:33pm
by Sidewinder
JN1 wrote:It seems that some of the RAF Tornados lost in '91 during airfield attacks were due to USAF PIs marking the bomblet damage as 'strafing' and tasking a re-attack.
What's a PI? (I'm assuming you're not referring to private investigators.) And how did they contribute to the Tornados' losses? By mistakingly thinking the targeted airfields weren't damaged to the point they couldn't be used, and ordering the RAF pilots to launch another attack on them? By not coordinating USAF attacks with the RAF, leading to midair collisions and/or friendly fire incidents?

Posted: 2008-05-28 03:37pm
by NecronLord
Read this with 'The Russian Artillerist's March' playing. Very appropriate.

Posted: 2008-05-28 03:38pm
by Stuart Mackey
Stuart wrote: Cheered at the thought, she folded her wings, expelled gas, and dropped like a stone on the defense position beneath.

.”
How unlady like.
Still, now we know what being under harpy attack sounds like..Stuka's wailed on the way down.

Posted: 2008-05-28 03:41pm
by Wyrm
Lady Gray? Can I expect carpet bombing?

Posted: 2008-05-28 04:19pm
by Surlethe
Wyrm wrote:Lady Gray? Can I expect carpet bombing?
Almost certainly. I believe it's already been hinted at in the story.

Posted: 2008-05-28 05:11pm
by JN1
Sidewinder wrote:
JN1 wrote:It seems that some of the RAF Tornados lost in '91 during airfield attacks were due to USAF PIs marking the bomblet damage as 'strafing' and tasking a re-attack.
What's a PI? (I'm assuming you're not referring to private investigators.) And how did they contribute to the Tornados' losses? By mistakingly thinking the targeted airfields weren't damaged to the point they couldn't be used, and ordering the RAF pilots to launch another attack on them? By not coordinating USAF attacks with the RAF, leading to midair collisions and/or friendly fire incidents?
A PI is an RAF term for a Photographic Interpreter - the guys who work out what the pics show. Not sure what the USAF calls them.
Basically yes, they did not believe the airfields had been put out of action. I came across this bit of info in a book called 'Cold War, Hot Wings - Memoirs of a Cold War Fighter Pilot 1962-1994', by Squadron Leader Chris J. Bain (retired).
During Desert Storm the author was attached to the DIA at Bolling AFB. He claims to have encountered a great deal of ignorance about non-US capabilities, such as what the JP233 could do, for example mistaking the holes dug by the bomblets for strafing damage ('bloody big gun then', as he remarked to the PI responsible).
The Iraqi airfield in question was Shaibah, which if memory serves is now ironically the location of a large British Army base, which was tasked for a return visit. I would need to check as to whether any Tornados were lost on repeat attacks to be 100% sure, but it does seem as if they were put in unnecessary danger.

Bain's book is a good read, though he's a bit opinionated at times for my taste, and I'm not sure I agree with his belief that Augusto Pinochet was a benevolent dictator.

Posted: 2008-05-28 05:47pm
by CaptainChewbacca
Do Russian soldiers still call each-other Tovarisch? I thought that went out with the iron curtain.

Posted: 2008-05-28 06:58pm
by Eulogy
If radar screws up harpies like that, imagine what it's already doing to the naga. Looks like Detroit won't be taking much damage if the naga are that bothered by radar; it might even buy enough time for McElroy and friends to kill the naga while they are still assembled.

Posted: 2008-05-28 07:06pm
by Starglider
Eulogy wrote:If radar screws up harpies like that, imagine what it's already doing to the naga.
Radar at that intensity would screw up humans, probably worse than the demons; microwaves at high enough intensity will simply cook you.
Looks like Detroit won't be taking much damage if the naga are that bothered by radar;
Detroit does not have 2000 narrow-scan radars focused on it, and even if it did, they couldn't affect demons back in hell unless a portal is already open.

Posted: 2008-05-28 07:31pm
by CaptainChewbacca
I must say, I'm kinda starting to hope that Hell has some tricks left in the bag, otherwise its going to be a rather boring and one-sided war. Unless, of course, the Baldricks go guerilla.

Posted: 2008-05-28 07:52pm
by Typhonis 1
The other side is watching, remember? Heavens forces are getting a nice little lesson.

Posted: 2008-05-28 08:22pm
by fusion
Who or what are the BUFFS? I have no idea...


Anyways very very very good and tasty.

Posted: 2008-05-28 08:26pm
by JointStrikeFighter
Big Ugly Fat Fellows;

B-52's

Posted: 2008-05-28 08:45pm
by Agent Fisher
BUFF really stands for Big Ugly Fat Fucker

Posted: 2008-05-28 09:49pm
by Scottish Ninja
Agent Fisher wrote:BUFF really stands for Big Ugly Fat Fucker
What I was about to say; "Fellow" is a euphemism I saw first in a children's book on airplanes ostensibly wishing to avoid inflicting such a horror on a child's fragile mind, or more likely the backlash from that child's parents after they find out where their kid picked up such language.

It's silly, though; if they didn't want us to see that, they might as well have just left it out rather that lie.

Posted: 2008-05-28 09:51pm
by Ritterin Sophia
fusion wrote:Who or what are the BUFFS?
Saint Curtis is displeased with you.

The Big Ugly Fat Fucker.
The Gray Lady.
The B-52 Stratofortress.
All are one.

Posted: 2008-05-28 10:03pm
by Col. Crackpot
Image

:twisted:

Posted: 2008-05-28 11:00pm
by fusion
General Schatten wrote:
fusion wrote:Who or what are the BUFFS?
Saint Curtis is displeased with you.

The Big Ugly Fat Fucker.
The Gray Lady.
The B-52 Stratofortress.
All are one.
Who is Saint Curtis? :D

Anyways, 1.5 million is still a lot to kill...

Things can still go bad such as the first rows of tanks being destroyed.

Posted: 2008-05-28 11:39pm
by R011
fusion wrote: Who is Saint Curtis? :D
Why, it's General Curtis Emerson LeMay, first commander of the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command.

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

Posted: 2008-05-28 11:40pm
by Hawkwings
Saint Curtis LeMay, of course! Head of SAC, "Peace is Our Profession"

Posted: 2008-05-29 12:24am
by Vympel
This particular battalion had guns that were an odd hybrid, old D-21 122mm
D-21 122mm? AFAIK, no such thing. Do you mean the classic/ superb D-30?