Return of the Barbary Pirates 21st C Style (1 Viewer)

[4th Hussar]

An excellent opportunity for people with the right experience and resources and cheaper and more effective than the shipping companies paying ridiculous ransoms:

Randy,
You may not be too far off. Unfortunately the various governments that should get involved will negotiate and debate the problem amongst themselves until 2010. The shippers will likely have to arm and protect themselves

 

[debrito]

If you continue to occupy another country you usually set yourself up to be the fall guy no matter what good intentions you have. Piracy is very different, and any threat of piracy should be answered with lethal force, and I would recommend a much larger caliber than .50

Flak Artillery 88mm....

 

[OzDigger]

Flak Artillery 88mm....

I was actually talking to my next-door neighbor about this yesterday and I suggested they adopt the tried and tested "Q Ship" method that was used against the German U-Boat menace. Where you get an innocent looking freighter and hide 5" guns or similar behind shields, and when the baddies turn up to threaten you, the shields are dropped and said baddie is blown out of the water

 

[4th Hussar]

I was actually talking to my next-door neighbor about this yesterday and I suggested they adopt the tried and tested "Q Ship" method that was used against the German U-Boat menace. Where you get an innocent looking freighter and hide 5" guns or similar behind shields, and when the baddies turn up to threaten you, the shields are dropped and said baddie is blown out of the water

Old technology - we have armed drones that can stay up for 20 hours. Just get the word out in Somalia that it is open season on small boats in open water

 

[OzDigger]

Old technology - we have armed drones that can stay up for 20 hours. Just get the word out in Somalia that it is open season on small boats in open water

Well call me old fashioned, but imo it's best not to attack every small boat from long range as images of the floating dead bodies of innocent fishermen on the six o'clock news may not reflect well on the mighty US of A.

 

[eborris]

Well call me old fashioned, but imo it's best not to attack every small boat from long range as images of the floating dead bodies of innocent fishermen on the six o'clock news may not reflect well on the mighty US of A.

Well, we're not eactly popular anyway are we?

 

[1879fanatic]

Well, we're not eactly popular anyway are we?

Touche'!!!!!!

 

[OzDigger]

Well, we're not eactly popular anyway are we?

I'm always quick to leap to your defence and say: "but they mean well"

 

[eborris]

I'm always quick to leap to your defence and say: "but they mean well"

We are just the ugly Americans.

 

[Uthred]

I'm just dumbfounded that four or five amateurs in a little open speed-boat armed with rifles and maybe a rocket-launcher/bazooka can heel-over massive sea-going merchant ships; take control; terrorise the crews; demand and get ransom money week after week after week and nobody does anything about it.

How about an update of the WWI Q ships-gun-boats disguised as merchantmen that tackled the German U-boat threat. One of those could sink a dozen of these so called pirate craft with a couple of salvos.

This continual pandering to the PC world will destroy all of us as sure as God made little green apples.

Reb

Reb, there's no law in Somalia. I am not sure disguised merchant ships would solve the problem. I'd rather see a democratic and lawful government in Somalia. It works for most coutries...

Uthred

 

[The Military Workshop]

Oh yes, and well done the SEALS.
I think the armed Drones would be a good deterrant. Or better still send Gibbs and Ziva from NCIS.
Regards
Brett

 

[theBaron]

Reb, there's no law in Somalia. I am not sure disguised merchant ships would solve the problem. I'd rather see a democratic and lawful government in Somalia. It works for most coutries...

Uthred

Unfortunately, that's a long-term solution. For the immediate problem, meeting the pirates with force is probably the most effective way.

 

[OzDigger]

Whoops, sorry but I didn't notice that Reb had suggested the disguised merchant ship idea before me Of course it isn't the only solution to this complicated problem but I suspect most pirates would be more reluctant to take on merchant ships when they know at least some will fight back.

Dummy containers could be fitted out with state of the art defences and moved from ship to ship as required.

 

[Uthred]

Unfortunately, that's a long-term solution. For the immediate problem, meeting the pirates with force is probably the most effective way.

Brad, sure that's a long-term solution. But long-term solution are the good ones, aren't they?

If you fight the pirates without changing Somalia, new pirates will replace the dead ones, and they'll probably be better prepared and better armed. It's a survival of the fittest pirates kind of thing...

Utherd

 

[theBaron]

Brad, sure that's a long-term solution. But long-term solution are the good ones, aren't they?

If you fight the pirates without changing Somalia, new pirates will replace the dead ones, and they'll probably be better prepared and better armed. It's a survival of the fittest pirates kind of thing...

Utherd

Understood. I'm not disagreeing that in the long term, a stable and modern society and economy need to be built up in Somalia. I'm saying that it's not a valid solution for dealing with the thugs that are out there right now in their Zodiacs, prowling the shipping lanes. They should be killed, where they are found.

 

[debrito]

Don’t forget that those peoples are Warriors that never been really conquered (a couples of years by Mussolini and the Fascistas Italy in the 30’s)

It will be a difficult task to get those pirates out…..

 

[Cardigan600]

Whoops, sorry but I didn't notice that Reb had suggested the disguised merchant ship idea before me Of course it isn't the only solution to this complicated problem but I suspect most pirates would be more reluctant to take on merchant ships when they know at least some will fight back.

Dummy containers could be fitted out with state of the art defences and moved from ship to ship as required.

Yo Oz, reminds me of an old movie I saw three hundred years ago lol, just seems that long. But never forgot the title "Under Ten Flags" it was I think a German Warship camouflaged to look like a merchant ship, and of course once it got close to a target the sides came down and sank the unsuspecting ships, but think they got it in the end. Did anyone ever see it not a bad movie.
Bernard.

 

[OzDigger]

Yo Oz, reminds me of an old movie I saw three hundred years ago lol, just seems that long. But never forgot the title "Under Ten Flags" it was I think a German Warship camouflaged to look like a merchant ship, and of course once it got close to a target the sides came down and sank the unsuspecting ships, but think they got it in the end. Did anyone ever see it not a bad movie.
Bernard.

Thanks Bernard, I will get that dvd if I ever see it. German commerce raiders were very effective in WWI & WWII, the German surface versions looked like ordinary freighters and sailed under Non German flags such as Dutch etc. Here's a link to the one of the more famous German surface raiders of WWII: HSK Kormoran :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_auxiliary_cruiser_Kormoran

The wrecks of HSK Kormoran together with her last victim HMAS Sydney, were discovered off the coast of Western Australian as recent as last year.

 

[Rob]

Thanks for your moderating work on this thread Brad.

Rob

 

[OzDigger]

Dear Oz,
Thanks for the link to the mag. I will try and track one down. Should be good for a laugh.
Regards
Brett

Brett, I know you are a British expat yourself. So what do you think of the irony most complaints in Australia have been from British expats being offended by the use of the "P" word in the name of the magazine, which is published by British expats - not the fact that the articles in the magazine will offend a lot of Australians