http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,166190,00.html

I just thank the Lord above that none of our Sailors or Marines were hurt.

- Chris

 

I love that they keep calling it a missile. Sounds ominous and spectacular, quite news worthy yes?

From what I have read it is in actuality either a rocket propelled grenade or a mortar shell. The Fox article says Katyusha rocket. All of these warheads are typically small enough to hold in your hands. They are possibly lethal to an armored crew carrier or maybe even a light tank, but not any reasonable sized ship in the US Navy, but will definitely kill anyone unfortunate enough to be in the way.

However the ships mentioned are assault ships, essentially mini aircraft carriers. From the kearsage webpage http://www.kearsarge.navy.mil/Facts.htm

You can see that these ships are of a class not to be triffled with. Unless the shell hit a gasoline storage or ammo bunker, it would be highly unlikely that the ship would be significantly damaged. Maybe a greasy stain on the hull.

Yet the press makes it sound spectacular and that the ships were in great danger. A few men were in danger but the ships would have been fine. Not to minimize the value of the men, but this is a relatively minor incident created by some persons who think that they could actually have hurt the ships with essentially pea shooters.

Too bad the crew didn't see who did it and open up with their chain guns. You would have needed a mop to pick up the pieces. But then I am sure we would have heard about how our sailors were barbarians harming some local Imam saying prayers.

Oh well, our media sensationalizes yet another relatively minor incident.

Just my opinion,

Jim Henderson

 

Level the place into GLASS.
We ended World War II.

 

I agree that the media is defenitly overdoing the story here. It was not like they launched an Exocet missile at it. There is worry though, there are so many combustibles on those ships that it wouldn't take much to light one off. Look at what happend to the USS Forrestal CV-59 when a bomb went off and set off many more munitions.

- Chris

 

If the ship had responded with force, the captain and crew probably would have been brought up on charges of unnecessary force. Seems to be the way the war is going. Hurt a r**head and get prosecuted.

Ford Truck Enthusiasts (FTE) is a Family Friendly web site. Do not
post mean-spirited, badgering, foul language, sexually explicit,
racial epithets, derogatory or defamatory content, in any form.

 

..Closed...