harryRIEDL

Kennedy may have been a playboy but he did at least have a decent war record with the PT boats(with certain amount of myth making attached). Not as impressive as Khrushchev but then again he was a political generation ahead and Khrushchev should be compared with Ike where they are more alike.

Fully agree on Keegan first world war Neibergs Fighting the great war is also well worth a read

The RAF also had problems as theirs was the heaviest and also had some rather tired engines http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brewster_F2A_Buffalo#British_Commonwealth_.28Malaya.29 rebuilt DC-3 engines on the heaviest version of the Buffalo not happy combination especially when against Zero's

fascinating topic learning a some new acronyms

One interesting fact I think relates to this was the Siege of Vienna where in the In Our Time about mentions that during that same year their were two other big sieges in China and India the 1680s and Vienna was was the only one which was long standing siege and assault. In India the gates were open by a traitor and in China due to warfare at time it was a brief siege. this siege is reflective perhaps of what could be the western way as both of the other siges were an expression of power plus someone to open the gates job done Vienna its a long attrition siege. You seem to see a lot of these in Western History http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00k9h9g

What an interesting topic even if this a major necro thread interesting seeing the break down in figures. Wondering are their figures for spares sent for all the allied equipment from Merlin's, to browning spares

I'm sure that's not the only USN ship with an RN officer aboard; maybe the only destroyer. Have a look here: http://ukinusa.fco.g...nce/royal-navy/ I believe according to Wiki that its the only one with a permanent officer. Of course their is a constant swapping. 'Churchill is the only U.S. Navy vessel to have a Royal Navy Officer permanently assigned to the ship's company.[2]; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Winston_S._Churchill_%28DDG-81%29

Ah, but she wasn't called HMS Winston S. Churchill, so they could always say they were thinking not only of Winston (prime minster 1940-45 & 1951-55, First Lord of the Admiralty 1911-15, other Cabinet posts, British army officer who sought front line command) but also his illustrious ancestor John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough (I cycled through there a week ago, BTW), great general, & victor of Blenheim, Ramillies & Oudenaarde. While the Americans do have USS Winston S. Churchill Burke class. Which according to wiki is the only vessel in the US Navy to have a permanent RN officer attached. I do like the RN naming convention especially for the larger vessels

Is that based of an auto 5 one of brownings semi auto degines

LCS-1 is also looking really bad as well, ultra-low manning and unpainted aluminum isn't a good combo. http://militarytimes.com/blogs/scoop...-DB113-247.jpg http://www.navy.mil/management/photo...-DB113-140.jpg Taken from Defence talk

A Particular favorite as well, also like Leffe blond as well. I personal prefer the German Wisse Beer the Belgium Witbeer. Erdingers particularly good. Had some Fullers Honey dew forgot what a great beer it was

very nice enjoying reading this especially as my god father is out in Afghanistan to write a book about 617 squadron experiences there. I have just read a weeks diary their of his feeling out in bastion and following the RAF pilots and Maintenance personnel. Apologizes for slight hijack. Hope to read more

Same here 8.5 hours through on steam I loathed the opening act 1 and it took me for ever to complete due to finding very dull going. So im only on act 2

From both family and academic study It wouldn't have changed all that much due to factor of the rebellion of 1936 and the Anglo-Iraqi-Persian conflicts during the early phases of the war would be made much worse with Palestine in open revolt could have changed the result of the desert war. As my Grandparents made it out of Austria, Czechoslovakia pre war(uncle was on the hit list post Anshullus and was on the last train out of Vienna)Even with the various Jewish Support groups their wasn't the funds or frankly the inclination by Jewish diaspora to leave the comfortable Europe to Palestine which was barely developed filled with people who loath them with a passion generally lacking skills to prosper (the lack of Jewish agriculture workers being the best example that Rothschild family had to train prospective returnees. Thought the holocaust espaically Poland but prominent elsewhere was the belief that it was just another pogrom which could be dealt with like all the others not that it was genocide. Another factor which is very important is the extremely politically devied nature of Jewish politics with only a small amount of Zionist with the prominence of socialist and similarly left influenced parties which were against Zionism which meant that even if the border was open and their was a way of funding the trip a majority would remain until it was too late. Soviet Jews and Soviet occupied areas would struggle (possible that they could do the same long journey which Anders and the various Poles did earlier if was explicit but their is still the problem of the Arabs being rather pro nazi and just waiting for an excuse too attack the British and Jewish immigration would be the perfect cause). This compounded by the actions of the the Haganana and Irgun(pretty sure they are a pre war founding) actions in 1936 especially in respect of British causalities caused by Jewish groups without any of cultural feels vis a vis with Arabs in regards for the first world war and the streak of Orientalism with is very clear in Forgin office In 1939 it wasn't quite so clear that Hitler and by the time it was clear it was too late. One of the most depressing aspects of the Holocaust is the belief that they were too important to be killed and that all the German war work was what made them too important to killed outright maybe starved but not murdered outright. The three major issues are the Unwillingness of the Jews to move, and the unusually divided nature of the European Jews not helped by Stalin promising a bit of Russia for a Jewish homeland(vague but at the time more promising than Palestine) The dislike of the Arabs and the Nazi supporting nature of the arab leadership the Grand Mufi being the clearest example of the pro Nazi nature of the Arabs. The extreme challenge for the UK in the early war with the added burden of sorting the jews and Arabs to work things out while fighting all comers until 1941. With the best will in the world the UK couldn't open Palestine up as it antagonisms neutral parties when the UK is at breaking point and one final issue is that it could antagonize the Turks(or weaken the UK enough for the Turks to attempt trying to grab the middle east again highly speculative thought) Info mainly from Gartern History of the Jews and Gilberts History of the Jews and Rubenstine The Myths of Rescue (who happened to be the tutor on the module I did)and Abban Aban on Israel(can't remember the title ) and history of the Jews in Europe.