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Unthinkable (British and French Submarines collide)
The Sun ^ | 02/15/2008 | TOM NEWTON DUNN

Posted on 02/15/2009 11:16:55 PM PST by fishhound

BRITISH and French nuclear submarines which collided deep under the Atlantic could have sunk or released deadly radioactivity, it emerged last night.

The Royal Navy’s HMS Vanguard and the French Navy’s Le Triomphant are both nuclear powered and were carrying nuke missiles.

Between them they had around 250 sailors on board.

A senior Navy source said: “The potential consequences are unthinkable. It’s very unlikely there would have been a nuclear explosion.

(Excerpt) Read more at thesun.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
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Prayers for Sailors.
1 posted on 02/15/2009 11:16:55 PM PST by fishhound
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To: fishhound

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2186427/posts


2 posted on 02/15/2009 11:19:52 PM PST by Ready4Freddy ("Everyone knows there's a difference between Muslims and terrorists. No one knows what it is, tho...)
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To: fishhound

Considering the number of warheads on the Trident missles on the Vanguard, it’s quite likely a search and recovery operation will be started soon.


3 posted on 02/15/2009 11:22:32 PM PST by Paleo Conservative (If the feds can't competently handle the DTV transition, why should we trust them with health care?)
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To: Paleo Conservative

They’ve already been recovered.


The collision is believed to have taken place on February 3 or 4, in mid-Atlantic.


4 posted on 02/15/2009 11:24:37 PM PST by Rastus
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To: Paleo Conservative
Searching for what?

She was last night towed into Faslane in Scotland, with dents and scrapes visible on her hull. Triomphant limped to Brest with extensive damage to her sonar dome.

5 posted on 02/15/2009 11:26:27 PM PST by Ready4Freddy ("Everyone knows there's a difference between Muslims and terrorists. No one knows what it is, tho...)
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To: Ready4Freddy

Thanks... I searched it but came up dry,


6 posted on 02/15/2009 11:30:00 PM PST by fishhound (Obama and company are trying to FOCAround with the Church.)
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To: Rastus
They’ve already been recovered.

I doubt that. The ship can carry up to 128 warheads.

7 posted on 02/15/2009 11:30:03 PM PST by Paleo Conservative (If the feds can't competently handle the DTV transition, why should we trust them with health care?)
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To: fishhound

Ok, having had time to think about this, here’s what happened.

The French sub, with or without the knowledge of the RN was practicing it’s Hunter/Killer techniques and FOUND the British boomer. If correct that’s much worse news then the accidental bending of a boat.

“Triomphant limped to Brest with extensive damage to her sonar dome” indicates the the British sub hit the brakes and the French sub slid into her. Crazy Alfie ?


8 posted on 02/15/2009 11:33:12 PM PST by tlb
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To: fishhound

An act of God? An early warning?


9 posted on 02/15/2009 11:46:58 PM PST by Force of Truth (Sarah Palin in 2012!!!!!! WOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!)
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To: fishhound

I sure hope everyone is OK... but my first cynical thought was to wonder if the British surrendered their ship? And YES, I meant the British, not the French. After what their “Navy” did in Iran and their poor performance in Iraq as well as their government and it’s casual throwing away of thousands of years of British tradition, law and culture to appease the Islamists... well, let’s just say that the British no longer exist.

It’s a sad day in this world when the French could possibly be considered more western than the British!


10 posted on 02/15/2009 11:48:01 PM PST by Mobile Vulgus
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To: fishhound

Oops!


11 posted on 02/15/2009 11:50:12 PM PST by DakotaRed (Don't you wish you had supported a conservative when you had the chance?)
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To: fishhound

How soon after the incident did the French sub raise a white flag?


12 posted on 02/15/2009 11:51:44 PM PST by Ben Reyes (Palin 2012)
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To: Mobile Vulgus

Good points. I imagine it will get worse if/when Charles ever becomes king.


13 posted on 02/15/2009 11:53:21 PM PST by baa39 (Mater Dei, ora pro nobis.)
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To: Mobile Vulgus

Rumor has it that the French tried to radio the British their position and to tell them to take a wide berth, but no one on board the French sub spoke Urdu or Arabic.


14 posted on 02/16/2009 12:14:20 AM PST by americanophile
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To: fishhound

European nations never seem to be on the same page. Reminds me of that old joke. In heaven the police are British, the mechanics are German, the cooks are French, the lovers are Italian and the Swiss organize the place. In hell the police are German, the mechanics are French, the cooks are British, the lovers are Swiss and the Italians organize the place.


15 posted on 02/16/2009 12:25:43 AM PST by death2tyrants
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To: americanophile

The Brits maybe thought it was a prank because who knew The French had a sub.


16 posted on 02/16/2009 12:26:36 AM PST by max americana
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To: max americana

...maybe. I knew they had a ship, but a sub does seem extravagant.


17 posted on 02/16/2009 12:28:26 AM PST by americanophile
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To: fishhound

Brits drive on the left, French on the right. Bound to happen.


18 posted on 02/16/2009 1:28:55 AM PST by leadhead (I once lived in an America that was the land of the free and the home of the brave)
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To: Paleo Conservative
I doubt that. The ship can carry up to 128 warheads.

Well, then I guess I'll have to quote the rest of the article:

Vanguard is one of Britain’s four V-Class subs forming our Trident nuclear deterrent. Each is armed with 16 ballistic missiles.

She was last night towed into Faslane in Scotland, with dents and scrapes visible on her hull. Triomphant limped to Brest with extensive damage to her sonar dome.



19 posted on 02/16/2009 1:52:22 AM PST by Rastus
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To: fishhound

This is a tribute to their respective stealth, moronic comments on this thread notwithstanding.

Stealthed warships moving in narrowed waters - I’m amazed they don’t whack into each other more often.


20 posted on 02/16/2009 2:20:32 AM PST by agere_contra (So ... where's the birth certificate?)
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