Good use for those end flaps, I cut out my box tops and pin them to the floor joists.
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@Seanmcandrews That’s a cool idea 
Thanks man. Yeah I agree. My stash still have started and unstarted kits in them. However, I bought 2 of these Concrete Mixer Sets and both complete kits fit inside one box. So I had an extra empty box 
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Finished, Acid For The Children, and now reading a ghost story: The Missing, online only and I can’t figure out how to link the link
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Picked up this first volume fairly cheap on ebay. Although I’d heard of the JVP I hadn’t realised there was an attempt at a full on Maoist insurgency that arose from among the Sinhala population, prior to the later much more drawn out Tamil insurgency. Such a grim story of incompetence and brutality. 
Cheap vol 2 is already in the bag from Amazon, on the look out for 3; vol 4 is still awaiting publication I think.
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K-129 was lost in 1968 and the CIA launched Project Azorian with the Glomar Explorer to recover the sunken submarine in the mid 1970’s. That much is factual and rest is clouded in mystery, even after the fail of the Soviet Union. Allegedly, neither side wants to discuss the matter even these days and secrets remain.
The author of Red Star Rogue asserts the Soviet ballistic missle submarine K-129 was destoryed in 1968 during an unauthorized launch attempt of one of K-129’s nuclear ballistic missles. Pearl Harbor was saved when the nuclear warhead’s fail safe device, detonated the missle in the launch tube during the unauthorized launch attempt.
The author says the stories about recovering Russian code books was merely a cover story for the REAL mission which was to determine what K-129 had attempted.
It’s implied K-129 mission was to start a war between the US & China to strengthen the USSR’s position.
Fascinating book…
Remind’s one of William Katz’s North Star Crusade released in the mid 1970’s. The officers on an American Ballistic Missile Submarine turn out to be rogues - belonging to a right-wing conspiracy aimed at triggering a nuclear war they are convinced that America can win
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If there is any truth to this it is very scary and disturbing. Would Putin try something similar?
There is always a danger with “ultimate weapons”.
If a soldier goes nuts, or even a group of soldiers, he/they will not be able to achieve
much with some handgrenades, assult rifles and knives.
If a small group hijack their own submarine or nuke carrying aircraft the results will be worse …
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I’m about half way through The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 by Rick Atkinson (Book 2 of The Liberation Trilogy), and I am enjoying it. Maybe it’s just me, but even with the benefit of hindsight the way Atkinson presents the Allies it’s really incredible that they won the war! I don’t know, perhaps I’m reading too much into it, but is seems that in every engagement in North Africa, Sicily, & Italy (so far) the Germans seem to kick the Allies butt from here to next Tuesday, then all of a sudden, the Germans withdraw, and Allies win the campaign. Did anyone else feel this way?
I did find it humorous that during the Salerno campaign, the Americans were taking so many Italian prisoners that they had to turn them away to come back another day. It’s like they had to make an appointment to surrender. And the did!
Jim
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I think part the “problem” has to do with the generally accepted view of how the war was fought. We got our butts kicked at Kasserine (not as bad or as devastating as generally excepted), learned our lessons, then kicked German ass the rest of the way till December 44. Many people don’t really understand that victory in Europe was not inevitable. The Allies made just as many mistakes as the Germans, generals made poor decisions, etc.
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That sort of dirty trick would be right on par with the weasel like nature of his lying fascist authoritarian regime in my opinion.
I think many accounts of individual actions, battles and campaigns seem that way because they are tactical analysis. Often the Germans look and are brilliant on that level of operations.
However, when one considers just how poor Germany’s overall strategic decision making was during WW2, Hitler & the German General staff look like a band of buffoons and arrogant fools. They allowed their country into a war that they had a very low chance of winning.
Example - the General staff knew before launching Operation Barbarossa their supply lines would break down in 1941 a few hundred miles into the USSR because they didn’t have the logistical ability to support the advance. Their supply system had very nearly imploded during 1940 in the six week campaign conquering France. They knew what sort of insane gamble was at hand. Absolutely criminal and more of the German General Staff probably should have met their proper demise at the end of an Allied rope like the Russian’s wanted.
Ultimately, it always seems to me without Churchill & British resolve to stay in the war in 1940, Nazi Germany might have pulled it off.
No question about the defiant bulldog Churchill. Gets my vote as the man of the 20th century.
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Beyond Stalingrad by Dana V. Sadarananda or @Armorsmith as we know him on the forum is an outstanding read packed with information.
Well researched with details like Colonel Theodor Busse’s early impressions of General Erich von Manstein. Gritty play by play account of the Wehrmacht’s life and death struggle to restore the front after Stalingrad. Well written, color commentary and analysis of a critical yet often overlooked pivitol campaign.
For those who have familiarity with the events from books like Panzer Battles the book deep dives into detail and has deeper explanation of events and decisions. Once again, the 11th Panzer Division, the Ghost Division comes to life as the “mobile fire brigade” that’s seemingly everywhere helping contain the German disaster at Stalingrad and restore the front. Manstein’s unique abilities and qualifications to literally pull a rabbit out of the hat under duress proves quite amazing.
Very Highly Recommended.
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Next up for me, Nick Bryant, a BBC reporter’s book that’s a history of the present that allegedly reveals how American’s decline over the last four decades - paved the way for Donald Trump.
Objectively, I think this should be an interesting reading seeing what the BBC reporter has to say. Just started today…
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I re read Catastrophe 1914:Europe goes to War by Max Hastings,enjoyed it so much that I ordered two others by him
Armageddon:The Battle for Germany
Inferno:The World at War 1939-1945
Enjoying Inferno now,and saving Armageddon for vacation next month
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Wade was not paid or coerced in any way to buy or read my book.
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Sleepwalkers by Margaret McMillan is another great book about the beginning of the Great War. Her book Paris 1919 is an awesome book about its end.
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American Knights The Untold Story of the Men of the Legendary 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion.
Used lots of letters form participants. Good boots on the ground view of the war.
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