And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
04 May 1982: An aircraft launched Exocet struck HMS Sheffield. Critically damaged, Sheffield sank 5 days later while undertow. Subsequently, two English ships, HMS Glamorgan (improvised land based Exocet) and SS Atlantic Conveyor (aircraft launched) were attacked by Exocet missiles. Glamorgan made onsite repairs and eventually returned to England for overhaul. Atlantic Conveyor was sunk. On 25 May 1982, HMS Coventry was attacked by aircraft and sunk by conventional ordinance.
The CIWS didn't work for the USS Stark in '87. Two Exocet missiles took it out along with killing 37 of the crew and injuring another 21 sailors. Damn fine damage control by the crew saved the ship. Hero's one and all.
As I remember the Exocet missile was not listed as a threat on the ships air defense computers since it was a 'friendly' munition, NATO used them. I think it was Prince Andrew that made his 'chops' in the RAF hovering his chopper in front of British ships to attract the missiles IR sensors, then go to full power and lift out of the way as the missile passed underneath. Good times!
The Falklands is what I immediately thought of upon seeing that pic. My geology professor said it was over oil. The Falklands are on the continental shelf so that seems plausible.
Anywhere you go in Argentina, even today, 40 years later, you'll run into "The Malvinas belong to us" propaganda. The Falklands war was whipped up by an Argentinian political regime on the verge of being ousted to power as a way to unite the people behind them. It worked for a while, until it didn't.
I've been arguing for decades that surface ships, from patrol boats to carriers, are as relevant to modern war as the wooden ships of the Napoleonic wars are, given the low cost of missiles vs the cost of the surface ships.
I wrote a paper back in the late 1990s arguing for building a light destroyer class vessel from primarily wood, and I was only half-kidding.
Wargames, both classified and unclassified, have consistently shown that carriers won't last more than an hour in combat against a peer/near peer opponent. Most of the time, they can't even got a strike off before the missile swarms turn the surface fleet into artificial reefs.
Nice illustration, BTW. It shows how well composed art complements the more sterile photos and shows things that are impossible for photos to show. Aviation artist Keith Ferris was noted for this, and I would encourage the host of this blog to post some of his compositions.
Interesting concept you have there. I think it has merit, but I'm just an old sailor has been. I think the only useful roles the US Navy has these days is keeping the honest people honest, pose a threat to pirates that use small boats and spears to take over vessels, and patrolling the sea lanes for disabled ships or other hazards. With the exception being our "Silent Service" as a threat deterrent, but now that the US is announcing the deployments of it's Ohio class boomers to the enemies this too shall be of little significance.
Oh Lord.
ReplyDelete04 May 1982: An aircraft launched Exocet struck HMS Sheffield. Critically damaged, Sheffield sank 5 days later while undertow. Subsequently, two English ships, HMS Glamorgan (improvised land based Exocet) and SS Atlantic Conveyor (aircraft launched) were attacked by Exocet missiles. Glamorgan made onsite repairs and eventually returned to England for overhaul. Atlantic Conveyor was sunk. On 25 May 1982, HMS Coventry was attacked by aircraft and sunk by conventional ordinance.
ReplyDeleteLosing expensive ships to cheap missiles is why we have CIWS on U.S. ships.
DeleteThe CIWS didn't work for the USS Stark in '87. Two Exocet missiles took it out along with killing 37 of the crew and injuring another 21 sailors. Damn fine damage control by the crew saved the ship. Hero's one and all.
DeleteUSS Stark's CIWS didn't engage because it was in STANDBY mode. Someone screwed the pooch and then shat the bed.
DeleteLike I said, the CIWS didn't work for the USS Stark.
DeleteAs I remember the Exocet missile was not listed as a threat on the ships air defense computers since it was a 'friendly' munition, NATO used them.
ReplyDeleteI think it was Prince Andrew that made his 'chops' in the RAF hovering his chopper in front of British ships to attract the missiles IR sensors, then go to full power and lift out of the way as the missile passed underneath.
Good times!
The Falklands is what I immediately thought of upon seeing that pic.
ReplyDeleteMy geology professor said it was over oil. The Falklands are on the continental shelf so that seems plausible.
Anywhere you go in Argentina, even today, 40 years later, you'll run into "The Malvinas belong to us" propaganda. The Falklands war was whipped up by an Argentinian political regime on the verge of being ousted to power as a way to unite the people behind them. It worked for a while, until it didn't.
ReplyDeleteWell... it's not an unreasonable proposition if you look at a map
DeleteTo bad for the greasy Argies they got their asses handed to them. Remember not to annoy real countries, turd worlders.
DeleteI've been arguing for decades that surface ships, from patrol boats to carriers, are as relevant to modern war as the wooden ships of the Napoleonic wars are, given the low cost of missiles vs the cost of the surface ships.
ReplyDeleteI wrote a paper back in the late 1990s arguing for building a light destroyer class vessel from primarily wood, and I was only half-kidding.
Wargames, both classified and unclassified, have consistently shown that carriers won't last more than an hour in combat against a peer/near peer opponent. Most of the time, they can't even got a strike off before the missile swarms turn the surface fleet into artificial reefs.
Nice illustration, BTW. It shows how well composed art complements the more sterile photos and shows things that are impossible for photos to show. Aviation artist Keith Ferris was noted for this, and I would encourage the host of this blog to post some of his compositions.
Interesting concept you have there. I think it has merit, but I'm just an old sailor has been. I think the only useful roles the US Navy has these days is keeping the honest people honest, pose a threat to pirates that use small boats and spears to take over vessels, and patrolling the sea lanes for disabled ships or other hazards. With the exception being our "Silent Service" as a threat deterrent, but now that the US is announcing the deployments of it's Ohio class boomers to the enemies this too shall be of little significance.
Delete