Posted on 04/16/2009 10:31:25 AM PDT by Winged Hussar
We read in this morning's paper that militant "Islamic" terrorists from Somalia are now threatening to "massacre" American sailors because Navy SEALs rescued an American from terrorist kidnappers. The countries to which merchantmen sail, in defiance of plain common sense, still refuse to allow armed vessels to dock in their ports. A possible answer would be for the merchant ships to mount detachable "combat modules" that could be lowered into international waters while the ship docked with its cargo. ...In the meantime, though, we would like to remind sailors of a very simple way to kill pirates without using anything that could be legally defined as a "weapon." Just drop something heavy onto their speedboat or skiff when they attempt to board.
The above practice dates back to the age of sail, when not only pirates but legitimate combatants would attempt to capture ships by rowing alongside in small boats and then climbing aboard. Sailors and marine guards therefore kept a few cannonballs (probably 18 to 32 pounds) handy to drop into the boarders' boat. A heavy iron ball would, when dropped from the ship's upper deck, go right through the rowboat and sink it. We are not sure what a similar technique would do to a skiff with a plastic bottom, and perhaps some tests should be conducted to determine the impact necessary to split one open or make a hole in it.
...We encourage merchant fleets to experiment with these techniques in advance to make sure they will work. (That is, an encounter with pirates is not the first time they should be tried. As an example, the crew should experiment on empty skiffs similar to those used by pirates to see what will work.)
(Excerpt) Read more at israpundit.com ...
ROTFLMAO
Turtles
That would hurt my back
Sandblasters using high pressure air are rough at close range!
How about and air cannon firing pellets or rocks, gravel, everything remote controled from the bridge or another “fire control” area.
A digging bar from the local hardware store would punch a nice hole through a plastic boat.
Rescind the idiotic law that states that ships in International waters can't have weapons on board to defend themselves. Jeez!
I’ll bet a nice 16 pound sledge fropped for 25 or 30 feet would go right through their boat’s hull.
easier to have something that goes right through the pirates.
cheers.
Shoot them afterwards?
No! No!
A clever Navy captain would take the surviving pirate directly to Gitmo.
Ship are not fast or maneuverable. You can’t run down a speed boat with one.
The AKs are for use on the ship not at the ship, they are shooting RPGs at the ships.
Also, most ships have very thin skin, rifle rounds will enter the ship.
Giving the crew a couple of squad weapons and training would make all the difference.
Grenades, sticks of TNT, napalm, etc.
No need to limit yourself to firearms. ;)
i would vote for home made napalm or a flame thrower. or both.
Large vats of sulfuric acid pumped through a special firehose would be a good start.
Molotov cocktails fired from specially built CO2 cannons when they come real close.
Having a dozen or so semi-automatic grenade firing shotguns. Just conceal them when you go into port.
Also, you have to have kill all the pirates, ie.no survivors, or the pirates will report the vessels and they will be barred from the ports.
Perhaps these tubes could be mounted on small carriages for easy deloyment.
And ports cut in the side of the ship to allow for protecting the crew while while reloading them.
and put a bounty on the pirates, issue them letters of marque to allow weapons on board, and let capitalism take it’s course...
I also think a “Q” ship approach would work well against the pirates. troll the waters, and disappear the pirates.
The law is only good as long as it does not interfere with your right to life, liberty, and happiness.
Large caliber machine guns. Then hide them when you get into port. I still like sulfuric acid through a specially constructed fire hose.
Sure I guess and he cold feed him a BLT
I read a story the other day where a crew of a ship being stormed used a bunch of molotov cocktails made from beer bottles to rebuff the pirates.
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