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  1. Matt

    Retention of the Douglas SBD Dauntless aboard US Carriers post-Philippine Sea

    I'm really inclined to agree. Plus the GM produced Wildcats were filling a tactical niche despite their obsolescence. By this point the Dauntless isn't doing anything a Hellcat or Corsair can't do.
  2. Matt

    Question What would Uncle Sam do for a young pregnant widow of a US Navy serviceman in 1942

    While the draft did drive plenty of 18 year olds to "voluntarily" enlist as to avoid service in the infantry, it did not take 18 years olds . Estimates are as high as 65% of all personal were driven by the draft in one form or the other, so I don't want to diminished that. It was so important...
  3. Matt

    Question What would Uncle Sam do for a young pregnant widow of a US Navy serviceman in 1942

    No, not everyone would. Even today the SGLI benefits are elective and require the service member to pay a small amount per month. Its something like 20 bucks a month that only a fool would decline. The WW2 benefits would be the same way, and some guys would have not opted in because not...
  4. Matt

    Question What would Uncle Sam do for a young pregnant widow of a US Navy serviceman in 1942

    A Service member could elect to pay for SGLI insurance that would disperse through the VA. During WW2 the max benefit was $10,000.00, which is equivalent to roughly 185k now. Post-war, if her husband's remains were known and accessible the government would provide at no cost to relocate...
  5. Matt

    What if the JSDF was rearmed with the Type 4 Chi-To and the Type 3 Chi-Nu medium tank?

    A year after the establishment of the JGSDF? Sounds like they were fairly ambitious.
  6. Matt

    State of the Vietnam Era US Military

    So, I started my career in 2000 almost as a bookend for guys of @Carl Schwamberger cohort. Mostly we got story and they can be of dubious reliability. So there were plenty of stories of the cut to nothing budgets, the drug use, and officers wearing side arms in barracks. The first of the...
  7. Matt

    The US air force is not created, the USAAC remains

    How the heck did this turn into a conversation about the F35?
  8. Matt

    M4A3E8

    They successfully mated an M26 turret to an M4.
  9. Matt

    TIK's assessment as to why Hitler started ww2

    Jesus, don't listen to a thing TiK has to say about economics or politics.
  10. Matt

    British Replacement System during the World Wars

    How were individual replacements handled in the British Army during the World Wars at the unit level? How did the regimental system that Britain is famous factor in? Having spent a good deal of time and energy studying the organizational history of the US Army in the 20th Century, I have a...
  11. Matt

    Shadows in the East

    Well, drat... Gonna have to go with the alternative title then.
  12. Matt

    Shadows in the East

    My apologies for digging up my old material, but since I'm one of the TLs authors I want to give an update. Ed (Bulgaroktonos) and I still talk about this work all the time, which is impressive since it's been more that 10 years since it started. Obviously it has gone long dormant, but I...
  13. Matt

    Army equipment that shouldn't have seen service

    Separate upper and lower receivers. Remove bolt carrier group and charging handle. Remove retention pin to separate bolt and firing pin from the bolt carrier group. Buffer and buffer spring. That's it.
  14. Matt

    Photos from World War Z

    It's a Ma Deuce fitted with a blank firing device.
  15. Matt

    US Army 1938-42 sanity options?

    With old STANAG magazines with green or black followers we loaded 27 rounds. There's no telling how old those magazines are, and how weak the springs are. For the new magazines with tan followers you could load the full 30 rounds.
  16. Matt

    Lower enlistment age in the US

    Army does OSUT training, meaning you go through basic and infantry ot MoS school with the same batch of enlistees. The Marine Corp does not. Still the pipeline for both would be ~6 months. So take myself- I was actually one of the youngest kids in my high school class, being born a couple...
  17. Matt

    Lower enlistment age in the US

    You can enlist in the US at 17 with parental consent, with shipping to recruit training/basic training contingent upon completion of high school. This requirement when combined with the initial training pipeline means most 17 year old recruits have turned 18 by the time they reach their first...
  18. Matt

    Alternative History Armoured Fighting Vehicles Part 3

    The FO calling the mission would call for "high angle" as part of the method of engagement portion of the call for fire. This will reduce the potential range of the howitzer, but means the round will come in closer to the vertical. Like @wietze said you would use your organic mortars more...
  19. Matt

    Military Aircraft that should have never been built?

    So, the Department of the Navy is not the Navy. National Defense Act of 1947 Sec 206: The term ‘‘Department of the Navy’’ as used in this Act shall be construed to mean the Department of the Navy at the seat of government; the headquarters, United States Marine Corps; the entire operating...
  20. Matt

    Alternative History Armoured Fighting Vehicles Part 3

    Close terrain like mountains or urban build up can create "shadows" for field artillery. Not enough to completely neutralize it but it still needs to into consideration. It would be most pronounced in dense urban build up with sky scrapers.
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