Q's about the East Africa book

[cawest]

i hope this is the right place. I have a few q's about this book. GDW sent me and email about and I bought it. its a very good book. I love the volunteer units.

now for my questions.

LCAC 90... is this 90 hover craft or is this a class but the number are missing?

AR-8 Jason... When it was built it had 4 single mounted 5inch/38 turrets. if they pulled her out of mothballs. those turret mounts might have been used. maybe pulling them off an WW2 DD and refreshed. or they could be 76mm AA turrets. With the war going on a unarmed Navy ship might not have been a great idea. how about quad 50's. those would be good for self defense in a friendlish harbor.

I'm still working my way in detail of the book.

Why the Olifant trade? that is the top line SA tank..would Rooikat's have been better. I don't think the SA can built "new" olifants but they can make Rooikats.

i'm not wanting to nitpick...

[Olefin]

LCAC 90 is a Landing Craft Air Cushion ship, built in 1997 as the 90th ship of its class

The Olifant that the South Africans are providing is the Mk1A version - the most up to date version at the time was the Mk1B which they aren't willing to give in trade to the US

When Jason was sent she had several 40mm mounts as well as 50 cal machine guns that she was armed with - they didn't mount the 5 inch guns before she sailed

Thank you for the questions and please feel free to ask more if you have them

[cawest]

Originally Posted by Olefin

LCAC 90 is a Landing Craft Air Cushion ship, built in 1997 as the 90th ship of its class

The Olifant that the South Africans are providing is the Mk1A version - the most up to date version at the time was the Mk1B which they aren't willing to give in trade to the US

When Jason was sent she had several 40mm mounts as well as 50 cal machine guns that she was armed with - they didn't mount the 5 inch guns before she sailed

Thank you for the questions and please feel free to ask more if you have them

thank you for your quick rely. second off this is your book and it is better than some books that have come out of large companies.
the guns on the Jason is good info and now she can be used a wider game role. (recover of a high value cargo shipwreck)
the idea of the older tanks but still second line tanks being traded make since. tanks are the queen of the battlefield and the MILGov love having them and pay threw the nose for them. US units do not think as highly of a wheeled big gun tank even if they can do the job using less fuel and spare parts.

so it is one hover craft.

[Olefin]

Yes its the only hovercraft that was still in the US when the amphibs with the Marines sailed to Kenya - basically the Marine Regiment was put together using dribs and drabs and anything they had left - so its more of a Frankenstein monster of a Marine Amphib Unit - with equipment and helos and ships that were all that they could find - in most cases ones that had been used for training and thus were far from "new issue"

If you look you can see several units are like that - i.e. they got whatever was available - thats how the M48A5 tanks showed up in Kenya - they were being prepared to ship to Turkey and instead they got grabbed and sent to Kenya

[cawest]

story tie ins or mission ideas for the navy.


i know you left nuggets about a pirate sub and pirate bands,

Can i add two? If you use them them fell free... i have no claim on these ideas.

The hunt for Kostianty Olshansky a Ropucka-c LST from the Yemeni Navy. what was she carrying when she was lost (yemeni east coast is fulling hiding place and some island in the red sea.

The hunt for NO 305 Nikolay Golubkov and Alligator Class ship. supporting the Red IO fleet and running supply to friendly military. she would be better for a more southerly area like Madagascar (CIA/DIA have a lead on her). tanks T55/T34's (they needed the better equipment somewhere else) BTR-70 and BTR 152, ammunition and AN-2 Colt with spare parts.

[lordroel]

CIA is CivGov, wonder if they also have some operations in Kenya, against MilGov.

[Olefin]

In East Africa the CIA and DIA have joined together in the ISA organization that is also working in the RDF area

February 2001

A new US ambassador arrives in Kenya, selected by Ambassador Thayer. The combined CIA/DIA operation in Kenya joins the ISA organization that has generated such dividends in the Middle East

However that is only where Ambassador Thayer's influence has led to that occurring in Africa - which is pretty much limited to joint CIA/DIA operations Eastern Africa and South Africa - outside that area the two groups are still very much in competition with each other - i.e. in Western Africa for instance both groups are very much at odds with each other

[James Langham2]

I loved it even though I need to revise my history a bit now...

I am working on details of the British unit and will upload shortly.

[Olefin]

Originally Posted by James Langham2

I loved it even though I need to revise my history a bit now...

I am working on details of the British unit and will upload shortly.

thank you very much James - means a lot coming from you - always loved the stuff you have created and posted as well!

[lordroel]

Originally Posted by Olefin

In East Africa the CIA and DIA have joined together in the ISA organization that is also working in the RDF area

February 2001

A new US ambassador arrives in Kenya, selected by Ambassador Thayer. The combined CIA/DIA operation in Kenya joins the ISA organization that has generated such dividends in the Middle East

However that is only where Ambassador Thayer's influence has led to that occurring in Africa - which is pretty much limited to joint CIA/DIA operations Eastern Africa and South Africa - outside that area the two groups are still very much in competition with each other - i.e. in Western Africa for instance both groups are very much at odds with each other

So the DIA and CIA work side by side in the areas you mention but are in a cold war ore semi-conflict in other areas.

[cawest]

I don't remember what book it was in but one of them had gun boats made out of LCM 6 and 8s.

IF Kenya and make new members of this class in there shipyard. could they trad them. the Nile river, the two huge lakes. the Congo and other areas could use them (tigres river for the RDF). This might be product that has a wide appeal. they could sell two versions. one with weapons and one with out guns but homemade flamethrowers.

[cawest]

working an idea but this is ref South Africa not East Africa cut might have some use there also.


So the timeline is before the Nuks started to fly or maybe just as they started. Dealing with South Africa still has some public issues. Your country (us, UK pick whatever ones fit you) needs some or all of the fallowing items. chrome, manganese, platinum, vanadium,vermiculite, ilmenite, palladium, rutile and zirconium or you need Gold and diamonds to help pay for things. most of these are used in high end steels.

Now your forces might be short some items so you might want to pick up some G6 or G7 155mm guns. or Atlas made Cheetahs (updated Mirage III) or Impalas.

Now the issues.

so what do you take? its a warzone so you will need a military escort for your ships. (lets call it two to three ships one should be a cargo carrying ship)

Now the problem what do you trade for what you need? can not pay in cash (your public would not like that and give you another issue at home you do not want to deal with).

Now how much does what you have, will get you how much of what you need?

if you like the idea you all may take it and bend it to your wishes. or is this a pipe dream?