Officer of Engineers

The PLA can actually forced a landing and there are few scenarios in which they can take a port or a runway but none that would suggest that they can keep a port or a runway.

It is still within the relm of possibilities that the PLA may even engage a RoCA corps in a battle of annihilation but after that, the PLA on Taiwan would be spent regardless if they win that battle or not.

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Chimo

Officer of Engineers

One of the things that bugs the hell out of me with the Mainland-Taiwan thing is that very few people even bothered to look at the details and drum up the big numbers out of the blue as if they mean something. I've spent the last 10 years trying to identify the divisions and the commanders who would do the actual invasion. With the exception of the PLAN Marines, not one division has even tried to go on a 100 mile sea trip. Have any of you gotten sea sick before? Do you seriously expect to fight effectively after you emptied your stomach?

Taihang

If you are given pills it'd be alright for a few hour trip.

Taihang

You are too serious about the technical details of Chinese invasion of Taiwan. If half of Taiwanese army is willing to put up a real fight PLA won't have a chance.
But the reality is different.

Btw I didn't know San Jose is in the country of yours.

Feanor

So the PLA isn't really preparing for re-taking Taiwan in any meaningful fashion?

Officer of Engineers

You also would be half asleep.They've probably done enough map exercises to make their map makers rich.

Taihang

No. There are others than sleeping pills.

Taihang

Double post deleted!

Officer of Engineers

They all work by sedation of the balancing organs around the ear. Translation: you're half asleep.

Feanor

Does caffeine and sugar counter act it?

Officer of Engineers

Some people just need a good night sleep while others need to be knocked out. However, the most effective (translation: works for the most people) is mild sedation of the balancing organ.

Tigeranger

montion sickness pill like Dramamine will also make you sleepy.

HistoricalDavid

I may not be a Marine but I do know that if I'm in a landing craft crossing a hundred miles of water while laden down with equipment and facing potential fire from the ROCAF and ROCN, I do not want to be half-asleep, in case I have to swim.

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HD Ready?

Taihang

Most sedative drugs have unknown mechanisms of inhibiting neuron cells in central nerve system. They help you to escape motion sickness by putting you into sleep (interrupting cell membrane function, to be more specific). Anti-cholinergic drugs (anti-N receptors) are the main anti-motion sickness drugs that may or may not bring a minor sleepy side effect (sedative effect shall we put it). None of the marketed sedatives is classified as anticholinergic drug.

The soldier boys with high levels of adrenaline (which is also anti-cholinergic by nature) in their blood will not fall into sleep or even feel asleep by taking anti-cholinergic pills (or anti-motion sickness pills).

Officer of Engineers

I've take it that you've never travelled 100 miles of water before. Your adrenaline maybe pumping in the 1st 15min to even half hour but it won't be pumping an hour into it and certainly not 5 hours into the trip (ie, your ships have to get out of port to organize themselves before embarking on the assault).

Either way, until your troops are put to sea in a training exercise, you won't know what percentage of your troops would be affected by sea sickness, drugs, or just plain confusion ... and it would be a poor commander who finds out during an actual operation.