Argh Matey! - Navy: U.S. sailors kill pirate in gunfight

|Zach| · 03-18-2006, 06:43 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa...lia/index.html

Two U.S. Navy ships skirmished with a group of suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia Saturday, killing one and wounding five, the Navy said.

No U.S. sailors were injured.

At the time, the USS Cape St. George, a guided missile cruiser, and the USS Gonzalez, a guided missile destroyer, were conducting maritime security operations in the Indian Ocean, the Navy said. (Watch report of U.S. Navy battle with pirates -- 2:07)

It was during a "routine boarding" of the suspected pirates' vessel that the naval boarding team noticed the crew was armed with what appeared to be rocket-propelled grenade launchers, said the Navy.

"The suspected pirates then opened fire on the Navy ships," a press release from the Navy stated. "The Cape St. George and Gonzalez returned fire with small arms in self-defense."

Photographs released by the U.S. Navy showed a small outboard motor speedboat with writing on its side with three men aboard. Another photo showed what appeared to be a bullet hole in the hull of one of the U.S. ships, and in a separate photo, a small boat engulfed in flames, with a long plume of black smoke.

Pirate attacks and hijackings are common off the eastern African nation's coast and usually target U.N. World Food Program vessels carrying relief supplies for the millions of people affected by the drought in the region.

Last week, Somali pirates kidnapped 50 Yemeni fishermen off a Yemeni island just east of Somalia, according to Yemen's state news agency, Saba. (Full story)

On November 5, pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades at a 440-foot luxury cruise liner operated by Seabourn Cruise Line. No one was hurt, and the captain was able to get away before the pirates could board the ship.

CNN's Barbara Starr contributed to this report.

**chefsos** · 03-18-2006, 06:57 PM

"Go ahead, dude! Hit that US Navy ship with a grenade, I'll keep 'er steady with the trolling motor. What could possibly go wrong?"

listopencil · 03-18-2006, 07:21 PM

"The suspected pirates then opened fire on the Navy ships," a press release from the Navy stated. "The Cape St. George and Gonzalez returned fire with small arms in self-defense."

Pirate attacks and hijackings are common off the eastern African nation's coast and usually target U.N. World Food Program vessels carrying relief supplies for the millions of people affected by the drought in the region.

They won't be common for long.

Adept Havelock · 03-18-2006, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by listopencil

They won't be common for long.

Especially if the other pirates are dumb enough to take on a US Navy combat vessel with an armed motorboat.

Never bring a popgun to a gunfight.

Coach · 03-18-2006, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adept Havelock

Especially if the other pirates are dumb enough to take on a US Navy combat vessel with an armed motorboat.

Never bring a popgun to a gunfight.

Or a sword for that matter.

SBK · 03-18-2006, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coach

Or a sword for that matter.

It's like watching an Israeli tank driving down the street taking on a few dozen brilliant kids throwing rocks....

Simplex3 · 03-18-2006, 09:03 PM

WTF could they possibly have in that boat that would have been increminating that they couldn't have dumped overboard? Instead these 'geniouses' decide the best course of action is to fire on two US Navy missle cruisers? Uh, Earth to dumbasses, they aren't called MISSLE cruisers for nothing.

Adept Havelock · 03-18-2006, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simplex3

WTF could they possibly have in that boat that would have been increminating that they couldn't have dumped overboard? Instead these 'geniouses' decide the best course of action is to fire on two US Navy missle cruisers? Uh, Earth to dumbasses, they aren't called MISSLE cruisers for nothing.

Heck, they don't need to use their Harpoons. The 5-inch deck gun or as another poster said "run them down".

Arrghhh,matey....oh hell!!

**Rain Man** · 03-18-2006, 09:42 PM

My cousin used to be in the navy, and he said they encountered pirates twice in Asia. Once they saved a sailboat that had been boarded (the pirates jumped and ran when the Navy ship appeared). He said that they fired some phosphorus shells at the pirates that apparently make really high and pretty water funnels when they explode in the water. The second time, he said that they were in fog, and all of a sudden a pirate ship pulled up next to them and then decided better of it.

listopencil · 03-18-2006, 09:46 PM

Heh, reminds me of when we were off the coast of Lybia while Kaddaffi (nobody ever figured out the sp?) was blustering about his "line of death". We were shown a movie detailing the strength of their fleet. Mostly little two-man boats, one guy manned the outboard and the other manned a machine gun. I think our sailors are looking forward to some target practice.

Valiant · 03-18-2006, 09:55 PM

They could fill a boat with tons of explosives or put a ton of the ieds on the front and ram the cruiser... It would be better if our military went back to shoot first ask later tactics..

**Rain Man** · 03-18-2006, 09:58 PM

I just hope that the parrot wasn't hurt.

Coach · 03-18-2006, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I just hope that the parrot wasn't hurt.

Polly want a cracker?

dtebbe · 03-18-2006, 10:19 PM

I don't know why they even wasted any ammo on them. They should have just turned and ran that little sloop right over, making a little shark chum with the props....

DT

03-18-2006, 06:43 PM	Topic Starter
\|Zach\| For The Glory Of The City Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $5336768	Argh Matey! - Navy: U.S. sailors kill pirate in gunfight http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa...lia/index.html Two U.S. Navy ships skirmished with a group of suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia Saturday, killing one and wounding five, the Navy said. No U.S. sailors were injured. At the time, the USS Cape St. George, a guided missile cruiser, and the USS Gonzalez, a guided missile destroyer, were conducting maritime security operations in the Indian Ocean, the Navy said. (Watch report of U.S. Navy battle with pirates -- 2:07) It was during a "routine boarding" of the suspected pirates' vessel that the naval boarding team noticed the crew was armed with what appeared to be rocket-propelled grenade launchers, said the Navy. "The suspected pirates then opened fire on the Navy ships," a press release from the Navy stated. "The Cape St. George and Gonzalez returned fire with small arms in self-defense." Photographs released by the U.S. Navy showed a small outboard motor speedboat with writing on its side with three men aboard. Another photo showed what appeared to be a bullet hole in the hull of one of the U.S. ships, and in a separate photo, a small boat engulfed in flames, with a long plume of black smoke. Pirate attacks and hijackings are common off the eastern African nation's coast and usually target U.N. World Food Program vessels carrying relief supplies for the millions of people affected by the drought in the region. Last week, Somali pirates kidnapped 50 Yemeni fishermen off a Yemeni island just east of Somalia, according to Yemen's state news agency, Saba. (Full story) On November 5, pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades at a 440-foot luxury cruise liner operated by Seabourn Cruise Line. No one was hurt, and the captain was able to get away before the pirates could board the ship. CNN's Barbara Starr contributed to this report.
Posts: 53,435

03-18-2006, 06:57 PM	#2
chefsos Fifty eight sixty two... Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Felton, DE Casino cash: $8507676	"Go ahead, dude! Hit that US Navy ship with a grenade, I'll keep 'er steady with the trolling motor. What could possibly go wrong?"
Posts: 9,449

03-18-2006, 07:21 PM	#3
listopencil Immanentize The Eschaton Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: In Partibus Infidelium Casino cash: $2255880	"The suspected pirates then opened fire on the Navy ships," a press release from the Navy stated. "The Cape St. George and Gonzalez returned fire with small arms in self-defense." Pirate attacks and hijackings are common off the eastern African nation's coast and usually target U.N. World Food Program vessels carrying relief supplies for the millions of people affected by the drought in the region. They won't be common for long. __________________ Everything the State says is a lie, and everything it has...it has stolen.
Posts: 55,927

03-18-2006, 09:03 PM	#7
Simplex3 MVP Join Date: Sep 2003 Casino cash: $10004900	WTF could they possibly have in that boat that would have been increminating that they couldn't have dumped overboard? Instead these 'geniouses' decide the best course of action is to fire on two US Navy missle cruisers? Uh, Earth to dumbasses, they aren't called MISSLE cruisers for nothing.
Posts: 28,527

03-18-2006, 09:42 PM	#10
Rain Man NFL's #1 Ermines Fan Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $3348491 VARSITY	My cousin used to be in the navy, and he said they encountered pirates twice in Asia. Once they saved a sailboat that had been boarded (the pirates jumped and ran when the Navy ship appeared). He said that they fired some phosphorus shells at the pirates that apparently make really high and pretty water funnels when they explode in the water. The second time, he said that they were in fog, and all of a sudden a pirate ship pulled up next to them and then decided better of it. __________________ I'm putting random letters here as a celebration of free speech: xigrakgrah misorojeq rkemeseit.
Posts: 141,301

03-18-2006, 09:46 PM	#11
listopencil Immanentize The Eschaton Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: In Partibus Infidelium Casino cash: $2255880	Heh, reminds me of when we were off the coast of Lybia while Kaddaffi (nobody ever figured out the sp?) was blustering about his "line of death". We were shown a movie detailing the strength of their fleet. Mostly little two-man boats, one guy manned the outboard and the other manned a machine gun. I think our sailors are looking forward to some target practice. __________________ Everything the State says is a lie, and everything it has...it has stolen.
Posts: 55,927

03-18-2006, 09:55 PM	#12
Valiant Valiant 'The Thread Killer' Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $6442380	They could fill a boat with tons of explosives or put a ton of the ieds on the front and ram the cruiser... It would be better if our military went back to shoot first ask later tactics..
Posts: 18,352

03-18-2006, 09:58 PM	#13
Rain Man NFL's #1 Ermines Fan Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $3348491 VARSITY	I just hope that the parrot wasn't hurt. __________________ I'm putting random letters here as a celebration of free speech: xigrakgrah misorojeq rkemeseit.
Posts: 141,301

03-18-2006, 10:19 PM	#15
dtebbe 3M TA3 Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: SoFlo Casino cash: $9993039	I don't know why they even wasted any ammo on them. They should have just turned and ran that little sloop right over, making a little shark chum with the props.... DT
Posts: 4,305