U.S. Warships sink 2 Pirate ships
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. Navy warship fired on and sank two skiffs used by pirates Sunday to hijack a merchant vessel off the coast of Somalia, U.S. officials said Monday.
The destroyer USS Porter enters port at Souda Bay, Greece, in 2006.
The USS Porter responded to a distress call from the merchant vessel carrying benzene, the officials said. Sunday's shooting took place in international waters, they said.
At the request of Somalia's government, a second U.S. warship, the destroyer USS Arleigh Burke, is now shadowing the merchant ship inside Somali waters, the officials said.
In recent years, warships have stayed outside the 12-mile limit when chasing pirates.
The officials said that when the Porter fired on the skiffs tied up to the merchant vessel, it was not known the ship was filled with highly flammable benzene.
The U.S. ships are part of a international coalition that operates in the region to stop piracy and terrorism.
In June there was a similar incident when the USS Carter Hall fired warning shots to attempt to stop a hijacked Danish cargo ship off Somalia, but the Hall had to turn away when the pirated ship entered Somali waters
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/10/29/somalia.pirates/index.html
The destroyer USS Porter enters port at Souda Bay, Greece, in 2006.
The USS Porter responded to a distress call from the merchant vessel carrying benzene, the officials said. Sunday's shooting took place in international waters, they said.
At the request of Somalia's government, a second U.S. warship, the destroyer USS Arleigh Burke, is now shadowing the merchant ship inside Somali waters, the officials said.
In recent years, warships have stayed outside the 12-mile limit when chasing pirates.
The officials said that when the Porter fired on the skiffs tied up to the merchant vessel, it was not known the ship was filled with highly flammable benzene.
The U.S. ships are part of a international coalition that operates in the region to stop piracy and terrorism.
In June there was a similar incident when the USS Carter Hall fired warning shots to attempt to stop a hijacked Danish cargo ship off Somalia, but the Hall had to turn away when the pirated ship entered Somali waters
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/10/29/somalia.pirates/index.html
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Aaaarrrggghhhh matey!
Now we have to translate that into Somali![8D]0 -
Somalia man of war0 -
A little target practice, A sub sneaking up on them would be even better...imo,,nambu 0 -
Hey guys,,,,My nephew is on one of those ships,,,and thier mission is to intecept pirate ships,,,he loves it !! 0 -
Why should we give a damn what the government of Somaliet wants?
17 Rangers' deaths cause me to not give a F*** about that whole place.
D.0 -
Is Johnny Depp okay? [:0] 0 -
I would think these merchant vessels would have a couple of snipers on board. Those little motorboats start moving in with the pirates and their AKs, you pick off the first pirate at 300 yards, the rest might get an attitude adjustment.
Or, the merchant ship could wait until the little pirate boat had pulled alongside, and toss a couple of grenades into the boat.
Those pirates are vicious, and are known to torture, and to kill the crews of ships they capture.0 -
quote:Originally posted by spookster
Hey guys,,,,My nephew is on one of those ships,,,and thier mission is to intecept pirate ships,,,he loves it !!
Hells yeah! A couple of dudes in a bass boat with AK47s, VS a Chit load of MA Deuces.......................................Sounds fun![:D]0 -
quote:Originally posted by phillip
quote:Originally posted by spookster
Hey guys,,,,My nephew is on one of those ships,,,and thier mission is to intecept pirate ships,,,he loves it !!
Hells yeah! A couple of dudes in a bass boat with AK47s, VS a Chit load of MA Deuces.......................................Sounds fun![:D]
A 5" gun would be more fun[:D].....0 -
quote:Originally posted by dongizmo
quote:Originally posted by phillip
quote:Originally posted by spookster
Hey guys,,,,My nephew is on one of those ships,,,and thier mission is to intecept pirate ships,,,he loves it !!
Hells yeah! A couple of dudes in a bass boat with AK47s, VS a Chit load of MA Deuces.......................................Sounds fun![:D]
A 5" gun would be more fun[:D].....
[:D][:D][:D]
What a great live fire drill! And the sharks will clean up the mess.0 -
I had a friend a few years ago who was in the Royal Navy.He spent a lot of time in the area around the Bahamas and Bermuda.He reckoned that there were lots of piracy going on down there.He said the same,they are nasty and vicious.He also reckoned a lot of the smaller craft that go missing in the Bermuda triangle are victims of pirates. 0 -
5" gun loaded with grapeshot.[:D]Dave 0 -
quote:Originally posted by allen griggs
I would think these merchant vessels would have a couple of snipers on board. Those little motorboats start moving in with the pirates and their AKs, you pick off the first pirate at 300 yards, the rest might get an attitude adjustment.
Or, the merchant ship could wait until the little pirate boat had pulled alongside, and toss a couple of grenades into the boat.
Those pirates are vicious, and are known to torture, and to kill the crews of ships they capture.
Now they take the higher officers on the ships and hold them for ransom. The company's pay-up and don't say anything.0 -
The latest
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. destroyer has entered Somali territorial waters in pursuit of a Japanese-owned ship loaded with benzene that was hijacked by pirates over the weekend, military officials said Monday.
The destroyer USS Porter, shown in 2006, sank pirate skiffs tied to the stern of the hijacked vessel.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke entered Somali waters with the permission of the troubled transitional government in Mogadishu, U.S. officials said. In recent years, warships have stayed outside the 12-mile limit when chasing pirates.
The ongoing operation was confirmed to CNN by two military officials familiar with the details.
Gunmen aboard two skiffs hijacked the Panamanian-flagged Golden Mori off the Socotra archipelago, near the Horn of Africa, said Andrew Mwangura, a spokesman for Kenya's Seafarers' Assistance Programme.
The Golden Mori radioed for help Sunday night. The Burke's sister ship, the USS Porter, opened fire and sank the pirate skiffs tied to its stern before the Burke took over shadowing the hijacked vessel.
When the shots were fired, it was not known the ship was filled with highly flammable benzene. U.S. military officials indicate there is a great deal of concern about the cargo because it is so sensitive.
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Benzene, which U.S. authorities have declared a known human carcinogen, is used as a solvent and to make plastics and synthetic fabrics.
U.S. and NATO warships have been patrolling off the Horn of Africa for several years in an effort to crack down on piracy off Somalia, where a U.N.-backed transitional government is struggling to restore order after 15 years of near-anarchy.
In June, the destroyer USS Carter Hall fired warning shots in an attempt to stop a hijacked Danish cargo ship off Somalia, but the American vessel had to turn away when the pirated ship entered Somali waters.
In May, a U.S. Navy advisory warned merchant ships to stay at least 200 miles off the Somali coast. But the U.S. Maritime Administration said pirates sometimes issue false distress calls to lure ships closer to shore.
The pirates are often armed with automatic rifles and shoulder-fired rockets, according to a recent warning from the agency.
"To date, vessels that increase speed and take evasive maneuvers avoid boarding, while those that slow down are boarded, taken to the Somali coastline and released after successful ransom payment, often after protracted negotiations of as much as 11 weeks," it advised.
The agency issued a new warning to sailors in the Gulf of Aden, between Somalia and Yemen, after Sunday's hijacking was reported. E-mail to a friend
All About Pirates Somalia0 -
quote:Originally posted by use enough gun
5" gun loaded with grapeshot.[:D]Dave
[:D]0 -
Down to Davy Jones' locker they go. 0 -
Excellent! It's about time. And yes, you would think merchant vessels would carry small arms, but most don't. 0 -
What more can you expect. The merchant ships cannot be armed so it is cherry picking time. Just like some American citizens cannot be armed. They are fodder to the hijackers. Tom 0 -
My bet is the vessles would be armed if they could,but can't for some reason....like INSANE GUN LAWS. 0 -
Why would it be illegal for a merchant vessel to carry some sniper rifles? 0 -
Because then the Laws of the Sea would call it a Warship.
Merchant ships can only have defensive (Shotguns or pistols) weapons. Some now have those sound cannons.
In time of declared war, they have welded gun emplacements on the merchant vessels, up to 5 inch Guns, with Marines to man them.0 -
Forget those expensive warships. All we need do is send this man...he'll solve the pirate problem.
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I almost pity those poor pirates.[:(]
NOT![:D]0 -
quote:Originally posted by Flying Clay Disk
Best thing would have been to rescue the crew of the benzene ship and tow it right into the port of Mogadishu and torpedo it...better yet an LNG super-tanker! F'in SAVAGES!
Hmmmmmmm. I like your idea better. I'll tell Chuck to hold off.0 -
quote:Originally posted by allen griggs
Why would it be illegal for a merchant vessel to carry some sniper rifles?
Due to international/UN law merchant vessels can not be armed, But the do hire Security firms that do and some times deploy "security officers" on board the ships!0 -
quote:Or, the merchant ship could wait until the little pirate boat had pulled alongside, and toss a couple of grenades into the boat.
Why waste a grenade. I would think a 20 lb rock dropped from from the deck of a merchant ship into a wood skiff twenty feet below would take care of the pirates. Or maybe a nice flamethrower utillizing some of the benzine gas on board.0 -
OK, the ship can only use shotguns.
These new saboted slugs get good groups at 150 yards.
The pirates must close with, and board the merchant ship in order to achieve their goals.
Let them get 100 yards away, and shoot the guy with the AK with a 12 gauge saboted slug. I doubt that these pirates have a strong warrior spirit, they are rats, thugs, and bullies. I also doubt that they are good shots with their AKs, they are probably masters of "spray and pray [to Allah]."
When they see that 2 inch exit wound appear in the middle of Muktar's back, they will turn tail and run.
If not, shoot the guy driving the boat. I bet it wouldn't take but a couple of well aimed shots to run off 3 or 4 pirate boats.0 -
I don't keep up with changes to maritime law, and if somebody told me the Un somehow outlawed weapons at sea I wouldn't be surprised, but as far as I know ships are governed by the laws of the country who's flag they fly and international maritime law. The last I knew ships have the right to defend themselves.
For reasons I don't understand, most merchant vessels choose not to defend themselves. Most have a standard practice of taking evasive action and calling for help. Most merchant vessels don't even run repel boarders drills. Many don't even run fire drills. It's not uncommon to pass a merchant at sea with nobody on the bridge or in the pilothouse.
A simple 100 PSI fire hose can be effective in repelling boarders, but only if you use it.0 -
Most Captains I sailed with said they would never heave to for some little boat - they would order full speed, and try to just pick a heading that makes it hard for them to board due to sea condition. Most ships I sailed on had a Shotgun on board. A shotgun barrel can be hard to see sticking out a Scupper or fairlead, and shooting from a small,bouncy boat at a small target nearly directly above and highly angled will be a "luck" shot.
Bow and stern thrusters on most ships, and the ships are getting bigger - the Pirates will need a strong constitution and a bit of luck to climb the sheer sides of 40-60 feet, especially in anything but calm and flat seas. The ships can provide nearly twenty knots of wind, without help from nature! Couple of seamen with 37mm flare guns, a couple with knives, a couple with boathooks, and a canny Captain, and I'll bet it would be real hard to get aboard!
Full Astern when the little boat is alongside will wash them away, same with Bow and Stern Thrusters.0 -
+1 on the 2.5 inch fire hose at 100 psi. Would swamp a small craft in about 2 seconds. Forget the fog nozzle- go for the straight stream. 0
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