USN WW2 "Heavy Metal" Battleships 1/3000

The USN certainly had a lot of heavy metal on the books at the start of WW2. Admittedly most of it was left in a re-conditioned burning state after the Pearl Harbour attack (rebuilding if not sunk), but the pre-war building program brought on stream some very useful battlewagons in 1942-43, critical certainly for Guadalcanal operations (see below, Pearl Harbour "targets" left and being the "pre-war new design stream" as in the North Carolina [2] and South Dakota [4] classes [and a hypothetical USS Montana] on teh right):  

Late 1943-144 the "new breed" of Iowa class ships started arriving, along with the rebuilt boys who had caught it at Pearl Harbour (see below, column one being the Pearl Harbour and Atlantic Fleet, column two being the "reconstructed" Pearl Harbour battleships [the ships serving in the Atlantic avoided this indignity], column three being the "pre-war new design stream" as in the North Carolina [2] and South Dakota [4] classes [and a hypothetical USS Montana] and finally column four the scary 16" Iowa Class [4] and Alaska [2] large cruiser/battlecruisers):  

This is a phenomenal industrial ship building production rate (something the IJN could not think of matching), considering it was alongside the construction of the Essex class fleet aircraft carriers (a total of seventeen during the war and seven more shortly after in late 1940's) and there was also the ten Independence light aircraft carriers. Build baby build was obviously the US motto! 

Corona Virus - Loose yourself in some books

There are always "books" ...

In the professional wargame category I have plenty of books to skim, read and re-read (see below, Sabin's [Lost Battles and Simulating War], GLB [Successful Professional Wargames], Dunnigan, Perla [The Art of Wargaming] are old classics long read, but I have plenty of other stuff with interesting idea in abundance, mainly it seems from the History of Wargaming Project):

Then there are the books from the historical category and there are plenty of them on the bookshelves (see below, the Pacific War is my current theme which ties in with the 1/3000 Navwar models, so this is a small section of my dusty books):

Or a general scientific interest (see below, Blink if a good lite-read):

Slightly heavier but packed full of thought provoking ideas (see below, I particularly like Newton's "apple" on the front cover):

And let's not forget the rules which I have bought and should have really read by now. This is a large category. Carrier and Tokyo Express are specifically solitaire games so ideal for the current circumstances(see blow, XTR Victory at Midway is a personal favourite of mine that I am playing via email to an independent umpire against an unseen third party):

Hopefully chances are by the time you read "one or more" book and played "one or more" games then the Corona Virus thing will have all blown over! Famous last words. Anything not done by the end of the lock-down needs seriously to be put on the "never happening" project shelf!

Churchillian Page Turner .. Churchill's Hour

Just finished this WWII "fictional" narrative on Churchill's trials and machinations during 1941, Everything from domestic politics, tempestuous family relationships to tumultuous world events with the ever pressing strain of trying to induce the US into WWII (see below): 

A light enjoyable read but nevertheless thought provoking.

PS4: AIR CONFLICTS - Pacific Carriers

If you cannot beat them then join them!

The 'family' (ahem, eldest son with his elbows to the fore, but the others make sure he does not get it all his own way as we all have 'our own' games) got a PS4 as the big Xmas present. The sounds of action packed "Lego" fights (Marvel Super Heroes and Lego Dimensions) along with the mandatory shuffling sounds of heaps of small Lego pieces (quite evocative) echo through the house for most of the weekend! When the tired kids are off to bed and the wife thinks she'll get a bit of piece and quiet I slip away into WWII Carrier Combat (see below, WWII PS4 game and a custard tart, does it get any better?)

So far I have made it to Midway on Rookie setting with the easier Arcade control settings (call it a need for easy gratification) but the Cap and AA keep shooting me down as I try and take out the Kaga and Akagi.