r/CombatFootage 13d ago

In 2006, Somali pirates attacked the USS Cape St. George and USS Gonzalez Video

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

24.0k Upvotes

9.4k

u/U_HWUT_M8 13d ago

There’s easier ways to commit suicide

5.3k

u/_PM_me_your_MOONs_ 13d ago

Suicide by battleship sounds way better than suicide by cop.

1.7k

u/bulgedtrunnion 13d ago

Suicide by battleship would make a great band name or album/song title.

1.4k

u/_PM_me_your_MOONs_ 13d ago Silver Take My Energy

Hell yea. Suicide by Battleship and their hit songs, it ain't gay if it's underway and My lips are SEALed

304

u/GalaxticSxum 13d ago

It ain’t gay if it’s midway

30

u/mamamackmusic 13d ago

Wouldn't that be suicide by aircraft carrier?

→ More replies
→ More replies

97

u/PsPhenom89 13d ago

Don’t forget their classic “Down Unda”

→ More replies
→ More replies

199

u/Longbow92 13d ago

Imagine a bunch of pirate boats going against an actual Battleship,

"Order guns to starboard and fire"

Just wipe out everything with the muzzle blast alone, although those shells are gonna land somewhere.

311

u/OP-69 13d ago Bravo Grande!

not even that

the ammount of anti air guns that could be turned towards the pirates would be insane

Perry this you fucking casual

opens up with 20 quad 40mm bofors and 50 20mm oerlikons

160

u/DumpsterB4by 13d ago

The CWIS would turn those boats into toothpicks

51

u/KTM890AdventureR 13d ago

They must have been using human aimed 50 cals.

56

u/mrteas_nz 13d ago

Gotta put some sport in it...

It's also valuable training you don't get every day.

→ More replies

22

u/SoylentVerdigris 13d ago

Both of these ships each have a pair of human aimed 25mm autocannons for basically exactly this situation. In fact, the example picture for the Mark 38 25mm gun on Wiki was taken on the Gonzalez.

They do typically have a handful of .50s as well.

13

u/OP-69 13d ago

Probably still used the .50s

.50s cals take less time to get into action and its more likely the pirates already started to leave by the time the 25mms were available

9

u/kjg1228 13d ago

The Gonzalez for sure knew about these boats like an hour before this was taken. If they wanted to use 25mm then they would have.

→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies

102

u/reformedjerkoff 13d ago

"Parry this you fucking casual".. best laugh I've had today.

17

u/skavenslave13 13d ago

He said Perry, not parry, referencing commodore Perry. That reference.... (chef's kiss)

→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies

211

u/DreamOfTheEndlessSky 13d ago

The hardest part of doing that with a US battleship is finding an operational one, seeing as the last (Missouri) was finally decommissioned in 1992.

These two named above are a Ticonderoga-class cruiser and an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, respectively.

142

u/swervey 13d ago edited 13d ago

I remember watching the Missouri and Wisconsin bombard Iraq on the eve of Desert Storm on CNN. I guess that was the last hurrah for our battleships.

Edit: desert not dessert

112

u/brownhotdogwater 13d ago

It was. Big guns are not in style anymore. It’s a bomb you can place on the hood of a car 300 miles away now.

23

u/[deleted] 13d ago edited 8d ago

[deleted]

→ More replies

60

u/Kolby_Jack 13d ago edited 13d ago

When I'm elected President, my first order will be to prioritize the creation of nuclear-powered railgun battleships. Fuck missiles and bombs, just make a bullet that goes so far and so fast that it does as much damage as a bomb!

Vote for me in 2028! I'm not old enough to be eligible in 2024!

33

u/PM_ME_YOUR_ANYTHNG 13d ago

The navy is working on railguns already they're just running into the issue of, once you get to the amount of mass they want to fire the force to accelerate it is also pushing on each rail outwards so it destroys itself with every shot, the real thing is lasers

17

u/backagain_again 13d ago

Navy has given up on rail guns for now. Focusing on hypersonic missiles.

→ More replies

19

u/Kolby_Jack 13d ago

Oh, of course, lasers for point defense, railguns for long-range bombardment. Unlimited budget, I'm sure they can figure it out.

14

u/PM_ME_YOUR_ANYTHNG 13d ago

Well the navy called it off recently have they hit the $500m mark for R&D and didn't have any long terms solutions yet

29

u/Kolby_Jack 13d ago

That's why America needs ME in the Oval Office! I don't know shit about anything, but you can bet your ass that my policies will be based on two priorities: is it funny, or is it awesome? Ideally both, like giving wedgies to autocrats on diplomatic visits, but either/or would be fine as well.

→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies

80

u/raven1121 13d ago

I like to think of the movie "Battleship" where they reactivate Missouri in less than a hour as a documentary

https://youtu.be/-iGp8D9832Y

44

u/Kitahara_Kazusa1 13d ago

That movie makes absolutely zero sense but it's still badass as fuck

15

u/jassi007 13d ago

I fucking love when they drift slide the battleship

→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies

293

u/almaperdido 13d ago

yes but none are as epic as taking on a battleship with a few dingy's and 30 of your buddies though

→ More replies
→ More replies

4.6k

u/ExaminationRich6913 13d ago

Probably not the best life choice to attack a U.S. warship in a 10 foot wood boat.

1.1k

u/StuRap 13d ago

Sure. Maybe it doesn't work 99 times out of a 100 but... lol

550

u/Reverendbread 13d ago

I have a good feeling about it this time guys

14

u/imapieceofshitk 13d ago

They probably thought Under Siege was as real as all the other things Steven Seagal did.

→ More replies

132

u/LokiMyAoki 13d ago

So you’re saying there’s a chance!

→ More replies

69

u/Meltedmfer 13d ago

I think you could try this an infinite amount of times with the same results but I get your point

→ More replies
→ More replies

36

u/Barbarossa_25 13d ago

They were probably high on khat and watched the Leroy Jenkins clip.

→ More replies

189

u/serr7 13d ago

There was actually an exercise in 2002 I think where the guy commanding the “opposing” force managed to sink a considerable amount of US navy ships with speedboats, so much so they had to restart the exercise and restricted the opposing teams actions.

148

u/pm0me0yiff 13d ago

Not speedboats, I think?

If I remember correctly, they were each given a certain amount of make-believe capital to invest in a fleet, and while one side used a traditional fleet of large warships, the opposition just built a shitload of small, fast torpedo boats. Enough torpedo boats got through to really ruin the other fleet's day.

118

u/ActualWhiterabbit 13d ago

It was actually a submarine disguising itself as a fishing vessel during war games. There was a documentary about it.

→ More replies
→ More replies

32

u/StonedGhoster 13d ago

That was Lt Gen Paul Van Riper during Millennium Challenge 2002. First, the small boats were used to figure out where Blue force's ships were. Then Red (Van Riper's team) used a ton of cruise missiles and destroyed sixteen ships, including an aircraft carrier. Lastly, the small boats swarmed the remainder ships and destroyed a bunch more. The exercise was restarted and Van Riper was prevented from doing pretty much anything. I've taken part in exercises in which entire recon teams were destroyed and then, by my next shift, fairy dusted back into existence. Some officer I heard said, "My recon teams would never be destroyed like that, the enemy wouldn't be able to find them." I was like, "Well, sir, you stuck them in the middle of a god damned field because you paid zero attention to the terrain at the outset."

→ More replies
→ More replies

2.9k

u/Weary_Statistician35 13d ago

When was the point that they realized they fucked up? Lmfao

1.9k

u/FormerPatrolJockey 13d ago

Most likely when they started actually taking return fire lol

653

u/Ceramicrabbit 13d ago

Not too long after this most merchant ships were armed as well there's a lot of first person combat footage of private security companies fighting off pirates

489

u/IlluminatedPickle 13d ago

I think even at this point it was pretty common for them to run with armed guards.

The security companies board the ships outside of ports, in international waters, so they don't have to follow the gun laws of whatever port they'd be getting onboard at.

So they come packing some serious heat.

459

u/_BMS 13d ago

I remember reading something about how these private security companies maintain boats/ships that are basically floating armories in international waters so they can arm the security guards as they board merchant vessels, then take the guns back before they enter a country's territorial waters. Otherwise they'd have to just chuck the guns overboard which isn't very economical.

224

u/IlluminatedPickle 13d ago

Yep.

I've even seen photos of the security guys carrying RPGs.

50

u/MembershipThrowAway 13d ago

I believe it, I once was able to sneak into a building because the security guard was distracted playing Fallout 3

→ More replies

41

u/banned_after_12years 13d ago

High jacking one of those floating armories sounds like a good plot for a movie.

→ More replies
→ More replies

29

u/K1lledByAmerica 13d ago

I was in the Navy and we did a personnel transfer like this inside the Suez Canal.

The spooks said "yeah this is illegal but they're not going to do anything about it" lol

10

u/IlluminatedPickle 13d ago

they're not going to do anything about it

"Did somebody say Suez crisis 2.0?"

"N-n-n-n-no?"

→ More replies
→ More replies

72

u/[deleted] 13d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

114

u/Ceramicrabbit 13d ago

Wiping them out is bad for their business I guess

→ More replies

53

u/Nokneemouse 13d ago

I've seen one video where they attempt a boarding, and an entire boat full gets slaughtered. Full auto fire from both rifles and a belt fed weapon.

20

u/kahek5656 13d ago

Huh. All videos I've seen ends in warning shots.

21

u/SoLongSidekick 13d ago

Most are just warning shots, but there is one video I'm aware of that sounds like what he's talking about. Entire skiff gets murked then collides with the side of the "target" ship because no one is alive to pilot it.

→ More replies
→ More replies

501

u/Weary_Statistician35 13d ago

Those merchants are shooting holes in our boats! Keep fighting!

77

u/Rockabs04 13d ago

The merchant of death 💀 lol

→ More replies
→ More replies

18

u/yesyesnoyess 13d ago

more like heavy ass dope shit return bombardment

→ More replies

60

u/Leto2AndTheCrew 13d ago

It’s very funny to see them be like “oops, my bad” and speed away.

→ More replies

4.2k

u/Deadbird80 13d ago

Why the fuck would they do that? 😂

1.3k

u/auge2 13d ago edited 13d ago

The real story behind this:
The US warships trailed them in the night and sent a boarding crew to the pirates "mothership" at dawn.
The boarding crew got fired upon, they withdrew and the pirates chased them back to the warships and opened fire with RPGs.

Thats what you can see in this video.
Since the pirates had 3 small vessels, at least one of the small boats in this video should be one of the US boarding boats.

And before you ask: the "battle" was too close for the main guns.

Source

419

u/Ron-Swanson-Mustache 13d ago

Too close, switching to Ma Deuce!

426

u/ViolentEncounter 13d ago

Remember, switching to your M2 Browning is always faster than reloading CIWS

55

u/anormalgeek 13d ago

Aww man... I wanted less "tuktuktuktuktuk" and more "BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP".

21

u/SeaworthyWide 13d ago

R2D2 of death, looking all around silly like then turns into a Chad A10...

God I love it

→ More replies

71

u/LikesTheTunaHere 13d ago

Once that fat lady starts singing it really is over.

143

u/Ron-Swanson-Mustache 13d ago

There's a reason the last M2 gunner has yet to be born.

As I said before, the battle for independence of the colonies on Mars will be using a M2. And an e-tool.

43

u/Squrton_Cummings 13d ago

The Legion of the Damned books are set 800 years in the future and every mech still mounts an air cooled .50 cal mg. on one arm.

→ More replies
→ More replies

11

u/banjowashisnamo 13d ago

A Coast Guard officer once told me he admired the .50 cal's ability to turn a 40 ft boat into two 20 ft boats and flotsam.

→ More replies
→ More replies

157

u/Milkslinger 13d ago

On March 15, the United Nations Security Council encouraged naval forces operating off the coast of Somalia to be vigilant and take action against piracy. Pirate attacks against aid ships have hindered UN efforts to provide relief to the victims of a severe drought in the area.

context

236

u/Moon_Atomizer 13d ago

Interesting. So basically:

Out doing pirate shit.

Oh shit a whole ass battleship is onto us. Play it cool guys.

Oh shit they're sending dinghies. Play it cool... too close too close... Fire?? Fire!!

Ok we're real fucked now. Go out and try to take hostages from the boarding boats it's our only hope!

(bald eagle noises and rain of fire)

33

u/Clockwork_Kitsune 13d ago

Red tailed hawk noises, really.

→ More replies

61

u/improbablywronghere 13d ago edited 13d ago

Two whole ass battleships by the end of it. Gotta respect the balls on engaging like that just…. Wow…

Guys obviously they aren’t battleships I am responding to the comment above me which is making a joke. Let your hair down and relax for fucks sake.

→ More replies
→ More replies

18

u/Kindly-Biscotti9492 13d ago

And before you ask: the "battle" was too close for the main guns.

Also probably a waste of 5 inch (main gun) ammo.

10

u/GumbysDonkey 13d ago

Man we fired off the 5inch for fun on the USS Normandy. I still have 3 shells in my garage 15yrs later.

→ More replies
→ More replies

1.8k

u/marcus_lepricus 13d ago

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take ¯(ツ)

452

u/Burnsie92 13d ago

They missed a good percentage of the shots they did take.

234

u/crockett5 13d ago

Warning shots, the point they decided to hit the target they destroyed it.

139

u/xbearsandporschesx 13d ago

yah, directly after you see a muzzle flash come from the pirates skiff, they got lit up like a christmas tree

→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies

45

u/TheElderCouncil 13d ago

Considering how they were shot at, the opponent didn't miss any of them.

26

u/keep_it_kayfabe 13d ago
  • Wayne Gretzky
    • Michael Scott
→ More replies
→ More replies

534

u/[deleted] 13d ago

[deleted]

592

u/Inigo93 13d ago

Heh... I recall stories of the US Navy hanging lights on cruisers and such to make them look like freighters at night. Come on, boys... let's play.

199

u/daysondaysfam 13d ago

The midrats hit different with a nice show to watch. 😅

→ More replies

58

u/JustaRandomOldGuy 13d ago

Didn't pirates attack a Navy supply ship? Not realizing it's still a Navy ship and can fight back.

24

u/AnotherLightInTheSky 13d ago

Gets to. Gets to fight back.

→ More replies
→ More replies

36

u/PrisonSlides 13d ago

Age of empires level of patrolling a trade route

32

u/appsecSme 13d ago

Barbarians attacking your AEGIS cruiser in Civ 5.

→ More replies

15

u/thepeoplesfist 13d ago

Did they also sing “Louie Louie”?

→ More replies

16

u/samueltingram 13d ago

Name the game. And, happy cake day.

42

u/Inigo93 13d ago

Dodgeball. If you can dodge ball ammo, you can dodge a wrench.

→ More replies
→ More replies

51

u/Deadbird80 13d ago

That makes sense

39

u/Claymore357 13d ago

Navy gave them the biggest no u

94

u/Icemasta 13d ago edited 13d ago

Nope, nothing like that at all.

USS Gonzalez spotted a larger skiff towing 2 smaller skiffs, fitting the profile of a pirate mothership configuration. They stalked it for a day. At dawn, they sent 2 small boats to board under the cover of darkness, but were found out and fired upon. The boarding team fled back to the US ships while returning fire, the 3 skiffs followed, then the pirates engaged the US ships.

You can see 5 small boats in the water in the first half of the video, 2 of those are US boats.

36

u/IlluminatedPickle 13d ago

I've heard a different story, that the Cape St George and the Gonzalez were chasing down the pirate mothership, and these chucklefucks thought this would work as a distraction to pull them off the chase.

→ More replies

51

u/G-T-L-3 13d ago

Ok. That explains it.

I wonder why the US ships allowed them to get that close though? Why not blast them a little out farther? Or maybe the Americans didn’t see them as well until they were that close?

239

u/Zdrack 13d ago

From my time doing security in that area of the world, a lot of times the pirates hide their weapons until the last moment, and the US blasting some poor innocent fisherman's boat doesn't look good on a news headline

28

u/Gryphon0468 13d ago

If they’re hiding weapons until last moment, they would have been close enough to see the bug fuck off cannons in the fore and aft of the ship no?

37

u/MisterSergeant 13d ago

Wonder what time of day it was? Can’t see shit in that 6am gloom. Conditions might’ve been bad too

11

u/my_name_is_reed 13d ago

That was thermal video. Could've been night time.

→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies

21

u/Fresh-Concept77 13d ago

Surface search goes out over the horizon depending on the height of the radar. At night those destroyers are masking as fishing boats or yachts during counter piracy operations. Somalis doesn’t know better and take every opportunity to hijack what comes close to their waters.

→ More replies
→ More replies

31

u/nrtphotos 13d ago

That was my first thought as the video begins and you can’t even see the full silhouette of the American cruiser that is dwarfing the pirate vessels. It’s kind of hilarious that the pirates actually engaged the Americans.

→ More replies

97

u/tomina69 13d ago

They were not very smart?

→ More replies

20

u/Iwannabesomebody 13d ago

You gotta have ambition!

8

u/JimsonTweed26 13d ago

And ammunition

→ More replies
→ More replies

708

u/Magnum2XXl 13d ago

Wait, they attacked a warship with fishing boats????

425

u/StuRap 13d ago

sounded good back in the ideas room

123

u/sgp1986 13d ago

Someone was in there like "AGILITY"

→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies

1.0k

u/StalkySpade 13d ago

Who won?

1.0k

u/theforbinprojects 13d ago

Some will tell you the US Navy, but in their hearts, the pirates won

86

u/knbang 13d ago

Some of the pirates have massive hearts.

103

u/Quatro_Armour98 13d ago

Massive holes in their hearts.

→ More replies
→ More replies

117

u/Overwatcher_Leo 13d ago

Their hearts, which can be seen scattered all across the sea.

→ More replies
→ More replies

253

u/pistcow 13d ago

YOU DECIDE

130

u/Pythagoras_101 13d ago

ePiC rAp BaTtLeS oF hIsToRyYyYyYyyyyy

→ More replies

28

u/MrOwnageQc 13d ago

Jesus christ, what a throw back

18

u/pistcow 13d ago

but that came out in 2010...which was 13 years ago...

21

u/MrOwnageQc 13d ago

It would have cost you nothing to not make me realize that 13 years ago is not, in fact, 2000. 😭

35

u/ahu747us 13d ago

Who's next!?!?

→ More replies

594

u/Fluffiebunnie 13d ago

I can understand mistaking a military supply ship for something to be looted. But those are a fucking US Navy cruiser and a destroyer.

98

u/SexMasterBabyEater 13d ago

"That cargo ship is transporting massive guns! Let's steal them!"

→ More replies

184

u/BeltfedOne 13d ago

That day, they learned...

134

u/Dozerdog43 13d ago

Learned a lot that day- what a Navy Cruiser and Destroyer looks like, learned how to swim, learned how to fuck around and find out……

→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies

326

u/Trowj 13d ago

This is literally the stupidest fucking target they could’ve gone after

94

u/Reverendbread 13d ago

Cue them floating up to the death star in those boats

→ More replies

30

u/Insolent_redneck 13d ago

I can't think of anything worse than a US Destroyer to try and strong-arm... like c'mon guys, use your heads. Preferably on something other than piracy, but if you're gonna be a pirate, at least be a good one. Or join a merry crew that has cheeky adventures instead of fucking around with the most technologically advanced warships in human history lol.

16

u/RrtayaTsamsiyu 13d ago

IIRC there's basically no decent way to earn income in Somalia, ridiculous amounts of weapons, lots of people with nothing to lose, and billions of dollars of stuff just floating by a few miles offshore. Place is designed to create piracy lol

→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies

766

u/Current-Scratch4973 13d ago

Did they want to die? I'm so confused.

685

u/FormerPatrolJockey 13d ago

They were confused, didn’t know it was a military ship.

635

u/Big_Turd_Sniffer 13d ago

The massive guns weren’t a clear indicator lol

425

u/FormerPatrolJockey 13d ago

Probably low visibility, dark outside. That’s my guess. These guys are professionals I tell you what.

131

u/Twin_Turbo 13d ago

Yeah it was night outside

119

u/PharFromPharm 13d ago

What was it like inside?

→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies

137

u/Shrek1982 13d ago edited 13d ago

They were confused, didn’t know it was a military ship.

Apparently they did: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_of_18_March_2006

25

u/AggressiveSloth 13d ago

I love these Wikipedia match ups

Srength

1 Cruiser, 1 Destroyer

VS

3 Skiffs

26

u/iLike2Teabag 13d ago

So the pirates had the upper hand in number of vessels, and still lost. Smh my head

→ More replies
→ More replies

10

u/Grand-Ad4235 13d ago

What a bunch of dolts. Attacking 2 US Navy warships in some wooden fucking boats 🤣

20

u/KneeDeep185 13d ago

The wiki article is absolutely hilarious.

Result: American victory

Belligerents: 1 cruiser, 1 destroyer vs 3 skiffs

10

u/Signal_Obligation639 13d ago

Result American victory

ROCK FLAG AND EAGLE

→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies

12

u/Endura3 13d ago

They turned around pretty quickly

→ More replies

504

u/lostmesunniesayy 13d ago

I'm reminded of a famous quote by Winston Churchill: You done fucked up son.

180

u/joelingo111 13d ago

"Tis better to cum in the shower, rather then, to shower in the cum."

John Fortnite Kennedy

11

u/MrJanCan 13d ago

Speak for yourself.

→ More replies
→ More replies

217

u/TheBLue101 13d ago

Wrong fucking boat

→ More replies

296

u/no_melody 13d ago

Full story here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_of_18_March_2006

The pirates did not mistake the boats for merchants as many have commented.

110

u/Kowboy_Krunch 13d ago

Okay, that makes more sense. The 2 boats firing at the beginning of the video were US RIBs withdrawing after taking fire.

35

u/SpaceCage 13d ago

The beligerent sides comparison made me lol. 1 cruiser, 1 destroyer vs 3 skiffs

27

u/MyDiary141 13d ago

The part that got me was "a spokesperson for the somali pirate militia said"

→ More replies

14

u/lark_song 13d ago

Today I learned the pirates had a spokesman.

→ More replies

12

u/North_Cardiologist85 13d ago

“American Victory” lmao

→ More replies
→ More replies

560

u/ThatCryptographer622 13d ago

That's a Bold strategy Cotton...

133

u/-Anonymously- 13d ago

Let's see if it pays off for them.

→ More replies
→ More replies

334

u/WombRaider47 13d ago

In 2007, Somali pirates were fish poop at the bottom of the ocean.

30

u/joelingo111 13d ago

Amazingly, only one died

→ More replies
→ More replies

242

u/Spazfreak 13d ago

A true underdog story.

14

u/AmericanBillGates 13d ago

I didn't hear no bell

→ More replies

152

u/timmy_deeznuts 13d ago

“You are without a doubt the worst pirates I’ve ever heard of” -US Navy

48

u/The1rod 13d ago

Ahh but you have heard of us!!

→ More replies
→ More replies

105

u/mtgdrummer13 13d ago

Lot of effort to commit suicide but whatever doesn’t float your boat

→ More replies

75

u/Zestyclose_Love_4894 13d ago

Lucky they didn't get the CIWS treatment.

37

u/CEDoromal 13d ago

Serious question. Can CIWS even aim that low? I haven't seen them aim below the horizon.

19

u/GadenKerensky 13d ago

At a distance, they have enough depression, and at a distance is where they will use CIWS against light surface targets if they deem it prudent.

And at a distance is where any light surface target engaged by a CIWS will be reconsidering its life choices.

→ More replies

38

u/SirNiflton 13d ago

My dad was on the cape St. George in the 90s, he reports that the ciws would be a waste of resources, the dual .50 mounts around the ship are sufficient.

→ More replies

37

u/andy02m 13d ago

At second 23- what is that black thing? An exhaust? Or a weapon? Something else?

13

u/Bisping 13d ago

Water.

→ More replies

35

u/KaleidoscopeNo8980 13d ago

When a single ship costs more than your country’s entire gdp

→ More replies

40

u/Doodoopeepeedoodoo 13d ago

What's filming the boat in the first half of the video?

92

u/tomina69 13d ago

Probably the other US boat from the title

40

u/Doodoopeepeedoodoo 13d ago

Ah right. I apparently can't read.

59

u/mookie2times 13d ago Silver

There are worse things than not being able to read… like not being able to see that you are attacking two battleships while on fishing boats.

→ More replies
→ More replies

18

u/numberbruncher 13d ago

Well that seems to have gone about as well as I expected after reading the title

190

u/Geartone 13d ago

This is a good metaphor for what would happen if Russia went up against NATO.

268

u/wirthmore 13d ago

Russia did. In Syria, 2018.

Russian forces approached a US base at a refinery on the "US" side of a river that Russia and the US had agreed to stay on their respective sides. US contacted their Russian counterparts via the deconfliction line, and Russia disavowed any association with the group.

The Russians apparently assumed the US would not want to get into combat with escalation potential and would withdraw.

It was the nailiest "nail" imaginable for the US military "hammer." The US military is designed to fight the Warsaw Pact / Soviet / Russian military, not to be an occupying force in Iraq and Afghanistan or be peacekeepers in Somalia.

200-300 Russians and Syrians were killed. No casualties on the US side.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/24/world/middleeast/american-commandos-russian-mercenaries-syria.html

115

u/ReadBastiat 13d ago

"The Russian high command in Syria assured us it was not their people. My direction to the chairman was for the force, then, to be annihilated.. And it was.” - Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis

25

u/sgtabn173 13d ago

Miss having the secretary of offense. Dude was/is amazing

→ More replies

8

u/kbotc 13d ago

Wasn’t it suspected to be Wagner at the direction of the MoD, and some local militiamen who wanted to use the tactic of “shell them out of the position” like they used early on Ukraine, totally ignoring that the US had air superiority?

Then close air support just wiped the map.

→ More replies

149

u/tuskedkibbles 13d ago

No casualties on the US side.

How dare you discount that one Syrian militia guy getting a sprained ankle.

81

u/Budpoo 13d ago

IIRC something similar happened during the Spanish American War.

During the Battle of Manila Bay the US wiped out the Spanish fleet at the cost of a single sailor who died of heat stroke.

31

u/Reditobandito 13d ago

I always knew the sun was a spanish sympathizer

→ More replies
→ More replies

42

u/Kev1n8088 13d ago

That guy must have been bullied for weeks.
"Imagine being listed as the only casualty on the Wikipedia page. Goddamn it Mohammad, would have been a perfect op if you didn't step in that ditch."

11

u/RS994 13d ago

Imagine getting annihilated and finding out a ditch did more damage than your whole attack

→ More replies
→ More replies
→ More replies

12

u/incidencematrix 13d ago

That's absurd and unfair. No way does the Russian navy have that many working fishing boats.

→ More replies
→ More replies

44

u/panzermike666 13d ago

you are american you have rules

no rules today

→ More replies

36

u/Adventurous_Ticket26 13d ago

2009 in USS Pinckney had a similar experience somewhere in Indian ocean. They didn’t fire at us but our VBSS surrounded them. Since we can’t arrest them, our team took their weapons and left them enough gas so they can go back on where they cane from. 😂By the way we also had our helo flying over them. It was a nice experience. 25mm also pointing at them if they something stupid. 😂

47

u/Animal_Prong 13d ago

Ok what tf was their plan tho? Was this like a massive suicide pact?

What was the outcome? They get another 5000 Somalia priates and finally take the ship over. What then?

→ More replies

10

u/thefreecat 13d ago

are the warships only firing warning shots? each boat should be ripped apart by a small burst of CWIS

19

u/yetanotherwoo 13d ago

It was too close for anything except .50 cal from Wikipedia entry and the explosion was just from a tracer round.

→ More replies
→ More replies

21

u/BlackandRead 13d ago

Leroooooooy Jenkiiiiins

→ More replies

9

u/kingsfreak 13d ago

Do cruisers carry a detachment of marines still? Is that still a thing?

8

u/thenewnapoleon 13d ago

No, Marine Detachments went away in 1997 when the Navy introduced Master-At-Arms. If there's Marines on board, they're probably being transported somewhere. Master-At-Arms exists to do the job of the MarDets now.

→ More replies

7

u/Dangerous_Aspect_601 13d ago

this has to be some kind of joke? attacking a destroyer with dingy boats?

→ More replies