Pirates

[BLHTAZ]

I don't see the big deal. It's a little bunch of guys playing a childs game. Brush them under the carpet and go on with life...it's not worth my time to worry about.

[jpdocdave]

I don't see the big deal. It's a little bunch of guys playing a childs game. Brush them under the carpet and go on with life...it's not worth my time to worry about.

 

thats sad, and a huge problem with our country right now. you're entitled to that opinion and thats fine.

 

the captain, his crew, and their families didn't look at this as a child's game. the rest of the world is looking at our country, we have been targetted by terrorists, and we stepped up and showed that ain't gonna fly (911). ever since, we've been going down hill, giving terrorists rights, giving money to countries that don't like us. obama is bowing to saudi kings, these people are not like you and i, they look at these things as signs of weakness. we came dangerously close to looking weak in this pirate crap also, and once these countries determine we aren't the type of people we used to be, there will be more 911 type problems.

[HOrnbrod]

I don't see the big deal. It's a little bunch of guys playing a childs game. Brush them under the carpet and go on with life...it's not worth my time to worry about.

 

I see the big deal. I have plenty of friends and relatives who are sailors on civilian container ships and tankers who sail those waters regularly. All they allowed to defend themselves with are firehoses and handguns they smuggle on board. I'd like to see the laws change now after this. Mount some 40mm or 5"/54 deck guns on the merchantmen and get the sailors some quality USN gunnery training. One shot across these pirate vessels' bow will send these aids infested bastids steaming back to whatever hole they came from. AAAAAAAAAAARG. :cheers:

[Randy in Maine]

So what do you do when they use an RPG on a chlorine or oil tanker?

[jpdocdave]

So what do you do when they use an RPG on a chlorine or oil tanker?

 

this is true, there's a balance some where. but the pirates goal is not destroying the ship, its stealing the cargo isn't it?

[HOrnbrod]

So what do you do when they use an RPG on a chlorine or oil tanker?

 

What do you expect? I'd still like to have some firepower as a deterrent like the MSC tankers do and be able to blow the bastids out of the water. What do you recommend - do nothing? Negotiate? :nuts:

[Wildman]

So what do you do when they use an RPG on a chlorine or oil tanker?

 

this is true, there's a balance some where. but the pirates goal is not destroying the ship, its stealing the cargo isn't it?

 

NO, there goal is to extort the ship owners out of $$$$$ for "safe" return of the ship, cargo, and crew.

 

There is alot of back ground info on this subject, and one ship and crew have been held "hostage" since October..........so, in the long run........this is old news, with just some "updates" of the past week.

 

What the Pirates have done, is to raise the cost of shipping in that area up to the point than the receivers of the cargo have to pay more for the shipping cost, like in the insurance costs and the other costs in running the ships in a longer direction.

 

If you follow up on what the whole setup is, there are only a few "pirates" that make the large sums of $$$......the "retired" fishermen that are the pirates out at sea, receive only a few thousand dollars for there part, and the the fat cats back on land reel in the wealth of it all.

 

The amazing thing of the past week is.......this is the first "American" that had been taken off his ship and held as a hostage since like 1804.

 

The end results were well placed.

 

Hooyah! Navy SEALs - Well done shipmates! :USAflag:

 

:thumbsup:

 

Now that I've "fueled" a political topic, I will back down and :peek:

[Eagle]

So what do you do when they use an RPG on a chlorine or oil tanker?

You don't allow any small craft within RPG range.

 

The proverbial "shot across the bow" and all that ...

 

 

Besides, they don't want to blow the cargo any more than the ship's owners want them to blow the cargo. If the pirates sink the ship or blow up the cargo, there's nothing to ransom, just a bunch of VERY unhappy money men with the wherewithal to apply serious political pressure to the people with the authority to wipe the little schmucks off the face of the planet.

[Eagle]

http://www.usmm.org/men_ships.html

 

Copied from the above:

 

Liberty Ships

Upon seeing the design for the Liberty ship which was based on a British ship first built in 1879, President Roosevelt named her "the ugly duckling."

 

The first of the 2,700 Liberty ships was the SS Patrick Henry, launched on Sept. 27, 1941, and built to a standardized, mass produced design. The 250,000 parts were pre-fabricated all over the country and the 250-ton sections, complete with portholes and mirrors, were miraculously welded together in as little as four and a half days. A Liberty cost under $2,000,000.

 

[Photo of Liberty ship SS John W. Brown courtesy of Project Liberty Ship]

 

The Liberty (officially an EC2) was 441 feet long and 56 feet wide. Her three-cylinder, reciprocating steam engine, fed by two oil-burning boilers produced 2,500 hp and a speed of 11 knots. Her 5 holds could carry over 9,000 tons of cargo, plus airplanes, tanks, and locomotives lashed to its deck. A Liberty could carry 2,840 jeeps, 440 tanks, or 230 million rounds of rifle ammunition.

 

Libertys carried a crew of about 44 and 12 to 25 Naval Armed Guard. Liberty Ship Crew

Some were armed with:

 

* One 4 inch stern gun

* Two 37 mm bow guns

* Six 20 mm machine guns

 

About 200 Libertys were lost to torpedoes, mines, explosions, kamikazes, etc. during WWII. Two Liberty ships, the SS Jeremiah O'Brien in San Francisco and the SS John W. Brown in Baltimore, survive as "museum ships" open to the public for tours and occasional cruises.

 

...

 

Victory Ships

The Liberty's maximum speed was 11 knots, making her easy prey for submarines, so early in 1942 designs for a 15 knot ship were begun. The first of 534 Victory ships, the SS United Victory, was launched on February 28 1944, and like the Libertys, used production line techniques. The next 34 Victory ships were named for each of the Allied nations; the subsequent 218 were named after American cities, the next 150 were named after educational institutions, and the rest received miscellaneous names. Attack Transports were named after Counties, except one named after President Roosevelt's personal Secretary, Marvin H. McIntyre.

 

[sS United Victory being fitted out, Mast Magazine, May 1944]

 

The Victory ship (officially VC2) was 455 feet long and 62 feet wide. Her cross-compound steam turbine with double reduction gears developed 6,000 (AP2 type) or 8,500 (AP3s type) horsepower. One diesel Victory, the Emory Victory (VC2-M-AP4) was built. The VC2-S-AP5 was the designation given to Attack Transports built for the Navy (Haskell class). The three AP7 type were Victorys laid as AP3 or AP5 which were cancelled after VJ Day, and completed as combined passenger/cargo ships for the Carribbean trade.

 

Typically, Victorys were armed with:

 

* One 5 inch stern gun

* One 3 inch bow gun

* Eight 20 mm machine guns

 

Three Victory ships (Logan, Hobbs, and Canada) were sunk during World War II, all by kamikazes during the invasion of Okinawa. These Victorys carried a total of 24,000 tons of ammunition (54 million pounds or 24,000 metric tons), including the majority of 81 mm mortar available in the United States. This loss severely restricted combat during the invasion.

 

The SS Lane Victory in San Pedro, CA is open to the public for tours, occasional cruises, and can often be seen in movies and commercials. This floating museum was named after Isaac Lane who was born into slavery and later founded Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee [Alex Hailey, author of "Roots" is a famous alumnus]. The Red Oak Victory is being restored in Richmond, CA and the American Victory in Tampa, FL

 

A 61 minute, color video featuring the Hannibal Victory's maiden voyage filmed by U.S. Maritime Commission in 1945 shows the loading of railroad cars and locomotives on the ship, explains the various crew jobs, shows "routine" life on board a wartime ship during her voyage from San Francisco, and unloading in the Philippines. Available from: Amitor, 7055 SW 184th Ave, Aloha, OR 979997 ($18 incl S&H)

[jpdocdave]

^problem solved.

[HOrnbrod]

If you follow up on what the whole setup is, there are only a few "pirates" that make the large sums of $$$......the "retired" fishermen that are the pirates out at sea, receive only a few thousand dollars for there part, and the the fat cats back on land reel in the wealth of it all.

 

Typical third world crap Bob-man. 5% of the fat cats control the other 95% of the population. And there's not a dayem thing you can do about it. Who knows what we would do if we were unfortunate enough to be born in as one of the doomed 95% in one of those craphole countries. :(

 

And there's nothing "proverbial" about a 5"/54 or bigger shell screaming across your bow. It's craptacular. An RPG-7 has an max. effective range of about 500 meters; the 5"/54 deck gun is more than 13 nautical miles and can fire 16-20 rounds per minute. No contest. I'd be beatin' feet if I was in a Somali pirate scow. :D

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE48N67320080924?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

[jpdocdave]

If you follow up on what the whole setup is, there are only a few "pirates" that make the large sums of $$$......the "retired" fishermen that are the pirates out at sea, receive only a few thousand dollars for there part, and the the fat cats back on land reel in the wealth of it all.

 

Typical third world crap Bob-man. 5% of the fat cats control the other 95% of the population. And there's not a dayem thing you can do about it. Who knows what we would do if we were unfortunate enough to be born in as one of the doomed 95% in one of those craphole countries. :(

 

to stir the pot some more....seems our countries leaders are pointing our country in that direction as it is now anyway. socialism at its best. :waving:

[Wildman]

 

Typical third world crap Bob-man. 5% of the fat cats control the other 95% of the population. And there's not a dayem thing you can do about it. Who knows what we would do if we were unfortunate enough to be born in as one of the doomed 95% in one of those craphole countries. :(

 

 

Third world country :hmm:

 

That's how I feel some days with some of the Contractors I've worked for over the years :rant:

 

:rotf:

 

But, yes, Most of us have it a lot better that people of the 3rd world :D

[CEThomas]

The last time we were in that hole and watched them drag our dead crew through the streets from our Blackhawk that went down, we should have paved over the county. Now is no different, they have NO respect for life!!! :USAflag:

[CEThomas]

But, yes, Most of us have it a lot better that people of the 3rd world :D

 

Take a trip to a 3rd world county and you will see just how good we do have it :thumbsup:

[Wildman]

But, yes, Most of us have it a lot better that people of the 3rd world :D

 

Take a trip to a 3rd world county and you will see just how good we do have it :thumbsup:

 

I've been to Tennessee............does that count :hmm:

[Akula69]

But, yes, Most of us have it a lot better that people of the 3rd world :D

 

Take a trip to a 3rd world county and you will see just how good we do have it :thumbsup:

 

I've been to Tennessee............does that count :hmm:

 

LOL! :D

[HOrnbrod]

I've been to Tennessee............does that count :hmm:

 

No, but Mississippi does. :D Thank God for MS otherwise Alabama would be rated last in everything. :cheers:

[jpdocdave]

They tried again.

 

Quote:

(CNN) -- The Liberty Sun, a U.S.-flagged cargo ship bound for Mombasa, Kenya, was attacked Tuesday by Somali pirates, according to a NATO source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Pirates attacked The Liberty Sun, a U.S.-flagged cargo ship, but were unable to board.

 

"The pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons at the vessel, which sustained damage," said a statement from New York-based Liberty Maritime Corporation, which owns the vessel.

 

The ship was carrying U.S. food aid for African nations, the statement said.

 

The pirates never made it onto the ship and the vessel is now being escorted by a coalition ship, still bound for Mombasa, officials said.

 

Two senior defense officials said the Liberty Sun was being escorted by the guided missile destroyer USS Bainbridge. It is the ship carrying Richard Phillips, the captain of the container ship Maersk Alabama, which was hijacked last week. Phillips spent days as a hostage of the pirates before being rescued Sunday.

 

Katy Urbik of Wheaton, Illinois, said her son, Thomas, was aboard the Liberty Sun at the time of the attack. She shared the e-mails he sent as the ship came under fire.

 

"We are under attack by pirates, we are being hit by rockets. Also bullets," said one e-mail sent Tuesday afternoon. "We are barricaded in the engine room and so far no one is hurt. [A] rocket penetrated the bulkhead but the hole is small. Small fire, too, but put out.

 

"Navy is on the way and helos and ships are coming. I'll try to send you another message soon. [G]ot to go now. I love you mom and dad and all my brothers and family."

 

"My heart stopped after I realized there wasn't going to be a 'just kidding' after his comment," Katy Urbik said.

 

 

About 1½ hours later, Thomas Urbik sent another e-mail to his mother, which said, "The navy has showed up in full force and we are now under military escort ... all is well. I love you all and thank you for the prayers."

 

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04 ... index.html

 

sounds like the navy kicked some booty