Best use of the Agamemnons (BC(P))--and other Ships

SharkHunter wrote:Actually, my argument isn't necessarily that the RMN is going to disperse their fleet to cover their Alliance partners (as they did against Haven), it's that the Mandarin's strategy of desperation demands two things, a) the acquisition of RMN or Haven technology, and b) lies that they can sell to enough of the League assembly to keep the general population of the core worlds asleep instead of "at the wheel", aka paying attention.

SWM wrote:

SharkHunter wrote:Actually, my argument isn't necessarily that the RMN is going to disperse their fleet to cover their Alliance partners (as they did against Haven), it's that the Mandarin's strategy of desperation demands two things, a) the acquisition of RMN or Haven technology, and b) lies that they can sell to enough of the League assembly to keep the general population of the core worlds asleep instead of "at the wheel", aka paying attention.

If you go back to your earliest post in this thread, you'll see that you did suggest that Manticore needed to disperse its ships to defend Zanzibar, Minette, Casca, etc. That's what made me say that those systems are not part of the Grand Alliance.

SharkHunter wrote:--snipping--

Jonathan_S wrote: Yeah Switzerland's terrain advantages for defense helped it remain pretty neutral during WWII. But I seem to recall reading that even they weren't able (or at least willing) to enforce the neutrality of their airspace - that Germany was able to make military overflights without interference. Mountains bristling with hidden defensive bunkers and guns, and tunnels wired to blow, don't help you with driving back Luftwaffe planes taking a shortcut across your territory.

True about the terrain advantage, but much of the Swiss heartland is not in the Alps, it was reachable by armed forces. However, during the World Wars, especially II, it wasn't just the terrain advantage, it was also cartographic positioning, because the Nazi's would have loved to take down the Swiss and had drawn up plans to do so. However, the Swiss army mobilized something like a million and a half men in three days, and there wasn't any way to get at the Swiss armies without bogging down in extended battles (vs. the blitzkrieg battles, all won by the 3rd Reich), no simple way to get armor into the mountains where the Swiss would retreat to if attacked. (a strategy called the National Redoubt).

After the Blitzkrieg, at any time those same extremely well trained (and often German speaking) Swiss forces could have come down on the flanks of the logistics train required to support German operations in the rest of Europe. In the economies of war and the need to keep Allied armor off the continent, Hitler was forced to leave them be. The other advantage held by the Swiss was that they had the only currency acceptable for use to neutral parties for critical supplies needed by the German armies, (tungsten, etc.)

Maybe that's where the Maya Sector is headed in the current Honorverse, once the Barregos/Rozak plan is fully effected and they get their near- Manticoran quality ships delivered.

PalmerSperry wrote:

stewart wrote:(1) Neutrality is effective ONLY if it is recognized
In WWII Switzerland and Sweeden were neutral and not invaded by Germany because (a) there were multiple routes around them -- Germany had already occupied Norway and from the Winter War of 1940, had Finland and an ally against USSR. Switzerland was not blocking Germany's routes to either Italy or France.

Sweden compromised it's neutrality both in favour of the 3rd Reich and in favour of the allies. Switzerland had (some of) the rail links through the Alps between Germany & Italy, and had the tunnels wired with explosives in case either Germany or Italy got ideas. (Supposedly the explosives where not removed until years after the war ended.)