What would you do if you and some gear where transported to the Napoleonic era?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 15:31:20 -0400

So I have recently gotten into the genre of alternate history fiction. One of the better ones is the Ring Of Fire or 1632 series, which the big question is what would happen if you took a small US town an pluncked it into the middle of Germany during the Thirty Years War.

It got me thinking so my question to you RP is this: What would you do if you and some gear where transported to the Napoleonic era?
Rules are so:
No vehicles
Any electronic needs rechargeable batteries, that are recharged through a hand cranked generator.
Assume ammunition is in infinite supply
You can outfit a platoon in modern tech(just not Tier One spec Ops stuff), and a battalion in pre Vietnam Era tech.
What would you take?
What would you do?
How would you do it?

Response by CSM David Heidke made Oct 8 at 2015 3:51 PM

CSM David Heidke — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 15:51:22 -0400

Try "Island in the Sea of Time", by S.M. Stirling It's about Nantucket being moved back in time to the bronze age.

There is a companion series called "Die the Fire" which was the converse of what happened to the present timeline when the events of Island took place.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Oct 8 at 2015 4:02 PM

SN Greg Wright — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 16:02:56 -0400

SPC Private RallyPoint Member Also try Taylor Anderson's Destroyermen series:

"Anderson’s outstanding first novel combines alternate history and seafaring in a way that recalls S. M. Stirling’s splendid Island in the Sea of Time trilogy. Two U.S. four-stacker destroyers on the run from the Japanese in the spring of 1942 sail into a mysterious squall. The USS Walker emerges upon an alternate earth, where the dinosaurs were never wiped out."

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 8 at 2015 4:08 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 16:08:34 -0400

I would take my iphone so I could play Candy Crush while I watched history.

Response by CSM David Heidke made Oct 9 at 2015 6:05 AM

CSM David Heidke — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 06:05:22 -0400

I'm reading 1984 right now. Rereading from high school.

Back then it was an alternate future, right now sadly it doesn't seem like alternative history.

Response by SSG Gerhard S. made Oct 9 at 2015 8:34 AM

SSG Gerhard S. — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 08:34:12 -0400

Harry Turtledove...

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Oct 9 at 2015 8:47 AM

SSG Warren Swan — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 08:47:10 -0400

A platoons worth of .50cals, M4's a few mini guns (why not), they were used in Nam? Some 240's A C5's worth of HESCO barriers to build my outpost. A ton of TA-312's, with wire to run from point to point. They can be hand cranked for power. I would proably allow the troops to use Nam era flak vests being the weapons used against us are only effective up close and all of my crew served weapons can reach out and touch them at twice or three times the distance. With my HESCO barriers I'd set up my outer perimieter, on lower ground, another set of them to make a second barrier surrounding living quarters and such, and a third set which would protect the TOC and be the final defensive line at the highest point. I forgot I'm taking my Colors with me so ol Nappy won't forget who's about to whoop his tail. Ohh and food. I'm going to need a C5's worth of Strike Force meals, T-rats, beef jerky, and ice cream. Joes go crazy when you mention ice cream. I also want the bridge crew of the Starship Enterprise as my command team. Scotty would be there too along with Bones.

Response by MSgt Darren VanDerwilt made Oct 9 at 2015 1:26 PM

MSgt Darren VanDerwilt — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 13:26:03 -0400

The greatest tool is your mind, I'll take along 20th century mechanical engineering books. A Battalion of Horse Dragoons broken up into Rifle (Lee-Enfield Rifle #4 Mk 1), Artillery (M2 mortars & M2A1 Howitzers), Hospital (including medications, medical books/guides), field radio/telegraph equipment, C rations, refrigeration, and canning supplies, Equipment (horse drawn wagons/limber, tents, fatigues, boots, helmets, web gear, etc., modeled after WWII U.S. Army).