Alt-history writing project

[BDK]

Puts a new perspective on “Gig ‘Em”.

[randy]

[Captain Wheelgun]

Given the enemy, the Texas forces simply must have a weapon known as the "Gig" in their arsenal.

Hmmmm. Given the results of the first battle, that might be a good nickname for the Model 1935 torpedo.

[Captain Wheelgun]

Here’s another snippet. Unexpected help, and an unexpected headache...
(Note: Sir Henry is Sir Henry Tizard, who in our timeline lead the Tizard mission, bringing to the US such goodies as the cavity Magnetron for RADAR, prototypes of the proximity fuse, jet engines, and research into nuclear weapons.)

Removed due to upcoming publication of Book 2. See my post on 09/07/2022 for more info.

[randy]

I realize this is a different timeline, but the radio geek in me kind of tripped over the Brits using "RDF" as the acronym for RADAR (Radio Detection And Ranging).

RDF is pretty firmly embedded in my mind as "Radio Direction Finding", used for navigation and, in our timeline, to locate U-boats transmitting their daily detailed reports to that micromanager Doenitz. The allies were able to localize and destroy several U-boats, using units that had no knowledge of Enigma. (although those units were often in the right place to do the RDF and close on the targets as a result of Enigma intercepts, unknown to them)

[Captain Wheelgun]

I realize this is a different timeline, but the radio geek in me kind of tripped over the Brits using "RDF" as the acronym for RADAR (Radio Detection And Ranging).

RDF is pretty firmly embedded in my mind as "Radio Direction Finding", used for navigation and, in our timeline, to locate U-boats transmitting their daily detailed reports to that micromanager Doenitz. The allies were able to localize and destroy several U-boats, using units that had no knowledge of Enigma. (although those units were often in the right place to do the RDF and close on the targets as a result of Enigma intercepts, unknown to them)

From the research I’ve done so far, the British deliberately used ‘RDF’ for their early radar, hoping to cause exactly that kind of confusion if anyone overheard it being mentioned. RADAR was the American term, and as I understand it wasn’t until after the war that it became the standard name everyone used.

That’s also why I came up with a different name for the Texan’s system.

[randy]

OK, that makes sense.

And now that I think about it, I don't think the Brits used the term RDF during WWII for their DF operations. Closest I can recall was their HFDF (High Frequency Direction Finding) pronounced as "HuffDuff". It was the system they used (land and ship based) to localize U-Boat transmissions.

(assuming my memory isn't totally out to lunch. Been a long time since I last read up on that stuff).

[MiddleAgedKen]

Tickled to see the mention of the cavity magnetron. Herman Wouk had British scientists explain it to Victor Henry in The Winds of War. Pug Henry got the undivided attention of the Air Corps general he briefed about it (General Fitzgerald, who turned up again in War and Remembrance) when he mentioned the RAF had started installing it in their night fighters (this was in 1940).

[Captain Wheelgun]

Here’s a short action snippet. The offensive has begun...

Removed due to upcoming publication of Book 2. See my post on 09/07/2022 for more info.

[randy]

Good, however,

Just because you touched on one of my pet peeves

I don't know that I would include avoiding the runway:

1. Autogyros are not going to need a lot of room, and could operate from taxiways or the ground beside the runway if needed.

2. Thermobarics are not going to do any significant damage to runways.

3. Even GPs are not going to do a lot of damage, and would not do any significant damage to a runway unless the laydown was purposely planned to do so.

This is a pet peeve from my targeting days. One of the ways you can tell an amateur when planning an attack on an airfield is that they target the runways first.

For a lot of reasons, they are poor targets and usually not worth the weapons (or risk to aircrews; Ask the Tornado crews that went after Iraqi runways using the JP233 "runway denial" weapon system). Much more productive places to bomb.

The only exception is if you want to degrade operations for a short period of time at a very specific time window (for instance keeping fighters on the ground while strike package passes through their area). Even then you are only degrading sortie generation, not stopping it.

Usually better to just put some fighters over head and kill them as they take off. (i.e. the "Wheels Up, Blow Up" model from DESERT STORM).

/Rant Off