Anyone here ever read this book?

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

I think the taking of Iceland was absolutely brilliant but I wish more time had been spent on the details of the ground war in Germany.

__________________
1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

The basic source for the book was Larry Bond's _Harpoon_ war game.

I liked the book, but there were a few problems that I've identified with the events in the book - notably modern aircraft carriers are 'post panamax' - too large for the current canal configuration. [Now, if we had built the planned Montana class BB's back in 1944....]

Actually I have Harpoon Classic 97 and used to play it a lot. (And that was before I read the book) The graphics are worse then solitaire but it's very in depth and enjoyable. (It's a good thing you can speed up the time....imagine playing it in real time )

You're right about the canal restrictions! In the back of my head I knew that carriers couldn't fit through it but while reading I didn't put much thought into it. (The entire section on that transit is about two pages long....)

The rate of munitions was particularly true and something that modern theorists seem to never be able to plan ahead for correctly.

__________________
1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

The New York Times had some mention of this book within the past week.

great book, was required reading back in the day, in many military theory classes, because of the details.

Especially in regards to Radar and the usual unknowns such as calibration and what you think you're looking at on the screen might not necessarily be what's out there (I'm referring to the faint with the drones against the Nimitz group which was quite brilliant.)

__________________
1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

I used to play it in real time, and at 1:1 scale as well ;-)

In a previous life, I was the DCA on a FFG - and also qualified on the bridge and in CIC.

Lots of ships are too big for the current canal - not only the QM2, but even the original RMS Queen Mary. Carriers are _much_ larger [120k tons for a CVN vs 80k tons for the QM2]. Even making the canal large enough for RCI's 'portable islands' [Oasis of the Sea class] would still not be big enough for large container ships and oil tankers.
I recall something about 'the last bullet, in the last battle, of the last war' - today's procurement system seems to be focused on buying _one_ - then shutting the factory down.

Hmm, Halyburton, O.H. Perry or Underwood class?

Would it be a breach of security if I asked just how difficult it is to track a diesel sub running on battery's


Perhaps it's time to kick the Nicaragua Canal project into gear...


It was in the news a fair amount that even the 'small scale' wars in Afghanistan and Iraq drained small arms ammunition stock to a great degree. Of all the things I would think are able to be easily supplied in quantity I would think bullets would be at the top of the list. (Not including transport)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooqyba8OAsY

__________________
1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

Perry Class [FFG-8] - The ship is due to be stricken from service, have the rest of the weapons removed and transferred to Pakistan.

I don't know - I've never tried ;-)

Seriously, my CIC 'skillset' was for handling a 'pop up' threat. [And keeping the chair warm until the GQ watchstander [the XO] could get there.] Once he was there, I was off to DC Central.

I think what's under consideration is expanding the current canal - no Edward Teller inspired 'sea level' passage [1950's 'Project Plowshare'].