Crew of Quest shot dead

It would also help if the pirates painted 'PIRATES' along both sides of the hull so the submarine can tell them apart from the other boats that have 'INNOCENT FISHERMEN' painted on the sides.

Or maybe, just sink any old boat they come across.

Perhaps we should ask the RYA to insist that pirates wear the Jolly Roger.

They could then dip it to RN vessels who would leave them alone as they are nice Pirates.

Nasty Pirates who don't dip would then be targeted by a cruise missile.

I think that would work, probably.
 
It would also help if the pirates painted 'PIRATES' along both sides of the hull

As with the "how accurate is a rifle from a yacht" question elsethread, I'm strictly responding to the assertion that you can't chase and destroy a speedboat with a submarine. I'm not commenting on whether you should.

Pete
 
. . . the response to this unfortunate outcome should be contrasted against that to the RN's more cautious approach with the Chandlers when this type of approach was exactly what most, though not all, were advocating

Exactly. I don't ever want to be rescued by US forces - it is too often fatal for the hostages.

- W
 
Last edited:
Given that they had started it I wish they had gone the whole hog and made them all walk the plank. The US armed forces seem to have no compunction about bombing women and children and shooting up Reuters journalists so why be so squeamish about a few pirates?
 
Perhaps the Chandlers were lucky that the RN did not try to rescue them.

Perhaps the USN slightly over reactyed by using 4 warships to deal with this and by escalating things that far frightened the pirates into panicking.

18 months in grotty captivity would be preferable to summary execution.
 
Curiouser. The Pirates (via Reuters) blame the US for starting it. Then their lot execute their only security???? The US say a seal killed one with a knife (?) Were they attempting a 'rescue'? And the remaining 13...Thats a lot on a yacht, were captured. Pres they gave up as they expected humane treatment, or an exchange. All very odd.

Perhaps the idea that they had hidden small arms, and tried their luck, might be feasable. Handing out Bibles over there does not seem to exempt carrying arms.
 
Last edited:
As with the "how accurate is a rifle from a yacht" question elsethread, I'm strictly responding to the assertion that you can't chase and destroy a speedboat with a submarine. I'm not commenting on whether you should.

Pete

I'll sit on the naughty step for an hour.

Or mebbe half an hour.
 
It doesn't take much imagination to think of several ways to sink a speedboat with an 8000 ton submarine.....
 
18 months in grotty captivity would be preferable to summary execution.

There were several people here who said quite forcefully that it would have been better for the RN to attack the Chandlers' yacht, even if they died as a result. They were surprisingly silent when the Chandlers posted here later on. :rolleyes:
 
Top