WW2 Choice of Theater Operations?

[otomik]

I'd don't know if this really counts, but I'd want to an american mercenary like the flying tigers fighting for the kuomintang against the chinese collaborators and japanese. they were some of the first to strike against the japanese after pearl harbor, on base they lived like colonials with generous pay and bonuses. and if you ask me they got a raw deal with mao tsedung hiding and gathering his forces in the interior while KMT did all the fighting against the japanese, the communist chinese gov't are finally starting to respect their contributions to the chinese people.

so I guess that means I'd fly a P-40 and then I'd want a Shansei 18 Shi (chinese nationalist copy of Mauser C96 with select fire in .45ACP) with maybe a shoulder stock in case I went down in enemy territory. it's nickname was "box cannon"
http://www.iar-arms.com/mausereview1.htm

 

[Correia]

Who am I kidding? I'm an accountant. I would be a REMF. Somebody has to do paperwork.

My maternal grandfather was a airplane mechanic, and later crew chief. He served in North Africa.

My paternal grandfather was a dairy farmer. He was told to stay home and keep milking those cows.

 

[GW]

My father started the war on a subchaser in the Atlantic then was transferred to the Pacific to serve as CPO on a salvage tug. He said the worst time was at Okinawa.

 

[Croyance]

The black pilot was clearly visible. Dad loved those Tuskagee airmen, and always spoke glowingly of P-38s, too.

The P-38 was a highly under-rated plane. That British fuel did it no favors and since the 8th AAF was stationed in England it got a bad rap.
It was found that the P-38 could take another 20mm cannon with 250 rounds with no loss of performance, but this was not implemented. Imagine that added to the 20mm cannon and 4x.50 BMG.

I think with the negative connotation of "mercenary" that it is wrong to call the Flying Tigers that. They were volunteers - it was a way to get around the pre-War politics of America. The deal was that they could return to service at their full rank. It wasn't about money or business.

 

[Diomed]

It was found that the P-38 could take another 20mm cannon with 250 rounds with no loss of performance, but this was not implemented. Imagine that added to the 20mm cannon and 4x.50 BMG.

I have never heard this. Source?

 

[Croyance]

I'd have to find the book again. It was one specificaly about the P-38's history (including pre-war development) and listed many experimental variants.
I think it was cool that it could carry two torpedos or a 2000 lb "bunker buster" + 330 gallon (I think that was the capacity) external fuel tank without removing equiptment.

I would definitely take the 20mm cannon over some extra .50 BMG though.

 

[Dionysusigma]

Bastogne, with a Garand, enough bandoleers, and a pot of hot coffee. And my Lucky Strikes.

It was a frozen hell, but I'd rather be there than sick, sweating, and surrounded by a bunch of Marines.