The Dumbest Men in the World...
...have been identified:
MANAMA, Bahrain - USS Cape St. George (CG 71) and USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) returned fire on a group of suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean, killing one and wounding five, approximately 25 nautical miles off the central eastern coast of Somalia in international waters at 5:40 am local time, March 18.
Cape St. George, a guided missile cruiser, and Gonzalez, a guided missile destroyer, were conducting maritime security operations in the area as part of Combined Task Force 150...they spotted a suspect vessel towing two smaller skiffs bearing west toward the coast. As Gonzalez’s boarding teams prepared to conduct a routine boarding of the suspect vessel, the two Norfolk, Va.-based Navy ships noticed the group of suspected pirates were brandishing what appeared to be rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers.
The suspected pirates then opened fire on the Navy ships.(emphasis added)
Just to let you know, the armament of a guided missile cruiser is:
Armament: two Mk 41 VLS for Standard missiles, Tomahawk, ASROC; Mk 46 torpedoes, Harpoon missile launchers, two Mk 45 5-inch/54 caliber lightweight guns, two Phalanx CIWS
While the armament of a destroyer is:
Armament: two MK 41 VLS for Standard missiles, Tomahawk; Harpoon missile launchers, one Mk 45 5-inch/54 caliber lightweight gun, two Phalanx CIWS, Mk 46 torpedoes (from two triple tube mounts)
I don't think a couple yahoos with RPGs and machine guns were going to make much of an impression, unless they were trying to make our guys laugh to death...a 1,000 points for cajones, pirates, by minus a million for stupidity.
Posted by Mark Noonan at March 19, 2006 05:04 AM
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Comments
Mark, I'm sure Amnesty Intl., Human Rights Watch, and ANSWER are on their way to ensure the captured pirates aren't tortured. And have they retained the services of Ramsey Clark?
OT, Mark: What's up with C-Span? Lately, I've been tuning in between 0700 and 0900, attempting to get a broader perspective than that afforded by talk radio. I have to endure Washington Journal and many of the kook callers. It seems to me that C-Span is a bit tilted to the left--even its other programming favors the likes of Schumer, Reid, and other lefties in D.C.
What say you, Mark? If anyone else with an objective take wants to chime in, please do so. Thanks...
Posted by: keefer at March 19, 2006 07:25 AM
Dumbest?? I thought you would talking about Congressman Murtha. I love his constant use of percentages that are totally wrong, this morning on MTP.
Posted by:
Bob at March 19, 2006 09:37 AM
What's next? A dozen guys with AK-47s try to board an amphibious assault carrier? The only hard part of the battle would be the Marines fighting /each other/ for who got first crack at 'em. *g*
Posted by: Chuckg at March 19, 2006 02:04 PM
You must not learn at all from anything ever. Have you ever heard of the USS Cole? Maybe they will make them laugh? Thank God there are some people who don't underestimate everythig and are stupid enough to think they are safe.
Posted by: steve at March 19, 2006 02:29 PM
Reread those armament lists again, Mark.
They are anti-ship and anti-aircraft weapons.
They are just about useless against a little boat that is close enough for boarding.
The pirates knew what they were doing. Their only mistake was in thinking that Americans naval personnel were weak and unable to fight with small arms. Guess they forgot about the Marines, too.
Posted by: The Small Town hick at March 19, 2006 05:36 PM
Sorry half-assers. The Cole was not punctured by an RPG. The RPG could not do more than knock the paint off of even a destroyer, about the smallest seagoing combat ship. The Cole was hit with a shaped charge, much like a limpet mine in design, in a rubber boat at close... and we're talkin' CLOSE range. And that was in port, rules of engagement are quite different than on the high seas. I'm not sure what our usual grousers are up to with these ignorant carpings but as usual, it is not much.
Posted by: megapotamus at March 20, 2006 03:45 PM
Just for purposes of clarification, the main weaponry listed for the Aegis class crusiers and destroyers are correct, however, the Phalanx Close-In-Weapons-System (CIWS or See-Whiz) can be used against surface targets as it is a 20mm six-barrelled Gatling Gun based on the Army's Vulcan air defense weapon. That also said, the unsuccessful attack on the destroyer The Sullivans and the attack on the Cole resulted in the addition of several small caliber weapon systems to these ships, including the Mk 38 25mm cannon (the same one as mounted on the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle), the classic and very potent .50 caliber machine gun, as well as 7.62mm M-240G machine guns. Anything left intact would be left to the Marine detachment and the ship's master at arms. BTW, Only one dead and five wounded?...sounds like remarkable restraint considering what could have been used...
Posted by: Jeff at March 24, 2006 01:44 AM
Post a comment
Mark, I'm sure Amnesty Intl., Human Rights Watch, and ANSWER are on their way to ensure the captured pirates aren't tortured. And have they retained the services of Ramsey Clark?
OT, Mark: What's up with C-Span? Lately, I've been tuning in between 0700 and 0900, attempting to get a broader perspective than that afforded by talk radio. I have to endure Washington Journal and many of the kook callers. It seems to me that C-Span is a bit tilted to the left--even its other programming favors the likes of Schumer, Reid, and other lefties in D.C.
What say you, Mark? If anyone else with an objective take wants to chime in, please do so. Thanks...
Dumbest?? I thought you would talking about Congressman Murtha. I love his constant use of percentages that are totally wrong, this morning on MTP.
What's next? A dozen guys with AK-47s try to board an amphibious assault carrier? The only hard part of the battle would be the Marines fighting /each other/ for who got first crack at 'em. *g*
You must not learn at all from anything ever. Have you ever heard of the USS Cole? Maybe they will make them laugh? Thank God there are some people who don't underestimate everythig and are stupid enough to think they are safe.
Reread those armament lists again, Mark.
They are anti-ship and anti-aircraft weapons.
They are just about useless against a little boat that is close enough for boarding.
The pirates knew what they were doing. Their only mistake was in thinking that Americans naval personnel were weak and unable to fight with small arms. Guess they forgot about the Marines, too.
Sorry half-assers. The Cole was not punctured by an RPG. The RPG could not do more than knock the paint off of even a destroyer, about the smallest seagoing combat ship. The Cole was hit with a shaped charge, much like a limpet mine in design, in a rubber boat at close... and we're talkin' CLOSE range. And that was in port, rules of engagement are quite different than on the high seas. I'm not sure what our usual grousers are up to with these ignorant carpings but as usual, it is not much.
Just for purposes of clarification, the main weaponry listed for the Aegis class crusiers and destroyers are correct, however, the Phalanx Close-In-Weapons-System (CIWS or See-Whiz) can be used against surface targets as it is a 20mm six-barrelled Gatling Gun based on the Army's Vulcan air defense weapon. That also said, the unsuccessful attack on the destroyer The Sullivans and the attack on the Cole resulted in the addition of several small caliber weapon systems to these ships, including the Mk 38 25mm cannon (the same one as mounted on the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle), the classic and very potent .50 caliber machine gun, as well as 7.62mm M-240G machine guns. Anything left intact would be left to the Marine detachment and the ship's master at arms. BTW, Only one dead and five wounded?...sounds like remarkable restraint considering what could have been used...