Modern day Guns Of Naverone

[Þorkell]

Why use 2 SEALs and 2 SBS, instead of just having a whole unit (patrol, squad, or whatever you call such a small unit) from either?

[Polkageist]

Originally Posted by weby

Man portable fiber optic guided weapons are a thing and you do not need to destroy the whole fort for the scenario. Such weapons will hit exactly where you want them as you can actually "fly" them and take out the guns. It does not matter if the thing was repairable over time, as the scenario in the movies was a time critical need to pass.

Good point, I just read the synopsis of the plot and the guns only need to be out of commission for a day or three to ensure a safe and complete rescue of the british troops.

One thing the stories note is that it's tough enough to withstand bombing and previous commando raids failed, which is probably due to the location (behind enemy lines) and alertness of the guards. Plus, it's heavily fortified so it won't be a skeleton crew. Let's say, a company's worth of guards alone plus whatever unit actually operates the guns, so around 300ish soldiers occupying a fortified position.

Not easy to sneak into, even for really well equipped special ops goons.

Anyway, they'll need at least a half-dozen missiles I suspect.
I looked up what a 'formidable' coastal gun battery would be and the example was the German/British batteries along the straits of Dover.

three 16-inch, four 15-inch, three 11-inch, and four 8.3-inch guns

Pretty tall order for one missile, and it better be a direct hit on the gun itself.

The time-travel thingy doesn't say where or how exactly the arrive, so I'll assume that they can 'arrive' equipped and capable and at altitude. Precision parachute landings are a thing for special forces dudes, so have them arrive some thousands of feet above and land on top of the fortress. From there they can deploy rappelling gear to head down the cliff face and into the firing platform. Clean it and place explosives on/in the guns. Modern plastic explosives are way better than the dynamite they used in the story, with precision timers, reliable remote detonation, and a heck of a lot more kick per pound.

Rappel down to the ocean and escape in inflatable devices. Hopefully even in a waiting boat by a local confederate.
Actually, if they need to organize a local person to pick them up, then they could probably do the parachuting thing via a local bomber. The Germans might fight off a bomber squadron but I doubt they'd bother to chase off a lone aircraft. See Japan's ambivalence towards weather flights which allowed the Enola Gay to fly unmolested over Hiroshima.

[weby]

Originally Posted by Polkageist

Good point, I just read the synopsis of the plot and the guns only need to be out of commission for a day or three to ensure a safe and complete rescue of the british troops.

One thing the stories note is that it's tough enough to withstand bombing and previous commando raids failed, which is probably due to the location (behind enemy lines) and alertness of the guards. Plus, it's heavily fortified so it won't be a skeleton crew. Let's say, a company's worth of guards alone plus whatever unit actually operates the guns, so around 300ish soldiers occupying a fortified position.

Not easy to sneak into, even for really well equipped special ops goons.

The point of something like those missiles is that you do not need to sneak close. You can be several KM away. That is way outside any reasonable "close defense" in WW 2 era.

Anyway, they'll need at least a half-dozen missiles I suspect.

Likely, but a fit trooper can carry more than one missile. So one carries the heavier launcher and the three others 2 missiles each.

I looked up what a 'formidable' coastal gun battery would be and the example was the German/British batteries along the straits of Dover.

Pretty tall order for one missile, and it better be a direct hit on the gun itself.

Yes, the actual guns are the obvious targets. Being able to see from the missile point of view makes such hits easy on stationary targets.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Þorkell

Why use 2 SEALs and 2 SBS, instead of just having a whole unit (patrol, squad, or whatever you call such a small unit) from either?

Because the Army and the Navy both want to perform the operation, and the Special Forces Command satisfies its internal politics by giving each a slice of it. You're lucky not to have the Air Force and Marines force some guys into it.

[Þorkell]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

Because the Army and the Navy both want to perform the operation, and the Special Forces Command satisfies its internal politics by giving each a slice of it. You're lucky not to have the Air Force and Marines force some guys into it.

As I understand it SBS are Marines and SEALs are Navy. The former are British while the latter are American. So why mix things up so heavily?

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by TGLS

Equipment: M-28 Davy Crockett

If nuclear overkill is acceptable, forget the gun. Just take one Tomahawk cruise missile, and start in any friendly area you like within a thousand kilometers of the target. Not really an exciting game that way, though.

[Dr. Beckenstein]

Sayyyy....

If you have a time machine, why do you not send a team further back, just before the war and bury a really big bomb with a timer under the ammunitions locker / the fuel tanks / whatever?

Just a suggestion. I mean, you have time machine.

[ericthered]

I made this recommendation in the other thread: drones and night fighting gear. And serviceable radios. That gives you a huge advantage.

Originally Posted by Dr. Beckenstein

Sayyyy....

If you have a time machine, why do you not send a team further back, just before the war and bury a really big bomb with a timer under the ammunitions locker / the fuel tanks / whatever?

Just a suggestion. I mean, you have time machine.

Well, at least one possible reason is that you have a cross-time conveyor, not a true time machine.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Þorkell

As I understand it SBS are Marines and SEALs are Navy. The former are British while the latter are American. So why mix things up so heavily?

Idiotic jealousy on a NATO-wide scale?

[Þorkell]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

Idiotic jealousy on a NATO-wide scale?

Wouldn't that lead to a 27 man commando team?